New day, new port: a view of the world from a luxury cruise February 21, 2010 WHEN Oasis, the world’s biggest cruise ship, launched last year in Miami with all the fanfare of a royal spaceship, I recoiled. The idea of a floating carnival/town/funfair/shopping mall/beach resort holding 6,296 passengers, a good portion of whom may well end up sunburnt, drunk, disorderly and seasick, is about as far from my idea of [...]
She’s far more than just a (legal) blonde: a star is born February 16, 2010 MEETING Sheridan Smith, the 28-year old star of the smash hit Legally Blonde: The Musical, is rather like a game of hide and seek. Or, as it turns out, a treasure hunt. For the former star of such television gems as Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of?Crisps and Gavin and?Stacey, has gone awol. [...]
What to cook your Valentine February 10, 2010 SHANE PEARSON, THE ARCH LONDON HOTEL “I will be focusing on simple, easy-to-make dishes – I want to spend more time with my partner enjoying their company than in the kitchen. Consider sharing food – for example cook a Chateaubriand. Consider food that looks great, and seems special with minimum effort such as a selection [...]
FOCUS ON: BETHNAL GREEN, E2 February 4, 2010 HAGUE STREET, E2 6HN Price: £550,000 For its location – just one stop by Tube or 30 minutes walk to Liverpool Street – this three double-bedroom house offers good value for money. It is both spacious and airy and the living room benefits from windows to the front and back. The kitchen has room for [...]
Italian reservist Colao must hold his nerve February 4, 2010 VODAFONE boss Vittorio Colao is a renowned cost cutter, but yesterday’s results were all about the top line. The world’s largest mobile operator by revenues has to prove that it is still a high-growth company and not a dependable utility. For that reason, investors will be relieved that the group booked revenues of £11.5bn, up [...]
A resort that leaves you feeling brand new January 31, 2010 NESTLING in warm Caribbean waters, sun-kissed Antigua washes over you, covers you in sunshine, and leaves you feeling as laid-back as the locals. The island is a prime wedding and honeymoon destination, but is also perfect as a place to turn over a new leaf. I’m used to spending my time off doing as little [...]
FOCUS ON: TOOTING, SW17 January 28, 2010 FOXBOURNE ROAD, SW17 8EW Price: £750,000 This spacious Victorian house in a popular area in Tooting needs complete modernisation inside, so it would suit a buyer not needing to move urgently. Set over three floors, the property has four bedrooms, three reception rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. But the buyer could remodel the inside [...]
OUT OF OFFICE January 28, 2010 MOHI MATAL’S SPICE MASTERCLASS Learn to know your cumin from your garam masala at Holborn restaurant Moti Mahal’s spice-blending masterclasses, where you will be taught by head chef Anirudh Arora how to mix Indian spices. Afterwards, you get a three-course lunch and your own spice-blending starter kit. Courses are running on the last Saturday of [...]
How London fell for American cuisine January 27, 2010 FIVE years ago, McDonalds was the best-known export of US cuisine in London. Yes, there have been other venues dedicated to that fine nation’s culinary tradition, such as Joe Allen and the Chicago Rib Shack, which have both been around since the 1970s. But mostly it’s been burgers and bad steaks, confined to slightly grotty [...]
The raw and the cooked rock at Roka January 25, 2010 Roka 1st Floor, 4 Park Pavilion, 40 Canada Square, E14 5FW FOOD ***** SERVICE **** ATMOSPHERE **** Cost per person without wine: £55 HAVE you ever been to Roka before?” asked our waiter, poised to take us through the Roka concept, as though this was the posh, pan-Asian equivalent of a Harvester. I regretted to [...]