Independent bookshops are thriving – as long as they offer more than just books September 18, 2023 Morocco Bound is a lesson in adaptability. Even its owner “[doesn’t] know what to call it these days”. Music venue, community space, workshop facility hosting poetry slams, comedy nights, life drawing sessions and more, it was – originally – a book shop. “I’m an architect,” Jonathan Dransfield, the owner, tells me. An architect who wrote [...]
1 Lombard Street and Coq d’Argent turn 25: How two restaurants changed the City September 13, 2023 A quarter of a century ago, the City was a very different place. Back then men in suits – and they were still mostly men – would commute in early, spend a few hours at their desk before taking a long, usually boozy lunch. After work, they would either decant to the West End or [...]
TRG offloads Frankie & Benny’s and pays Cafe Rouge owner £7.5m to do so September 11, 2023 Big Table Group will receive £7.5m for taking Frankie & Benny's & Chiquito off The Restaurant Group's hands
The Notebook: Charles Tyrwhitt boss on how the ‘tourist tax’ is hurting London September 11, 2023 Where the City’s movers and shakers get a few things off their chest. Today, it’s Nicholas Wheeler, founder of tailored shirts specialist Charles Tyrwhitt.
The Big Table in talks to snap up Chiquito’s and Frankie and Benny’s from TRG September 9, 2023 The owner of Cafe Rouge, The Big Table, is in talks to snap up Chiquito’s and Frankie and Benny’s from The Restaurant Group (TRG). According to a report first published in Sky News, the firm, which is backed by private equity group Epiris, is in negotiations with TRG, the London listed firm which owns Wagamama [...]
City A.M. debate: Should the Middle East host Champions cup rugby? September 8, 2023 Last Monday, City A.M. exclusively reported that both the United States and Middle East had bid to host rugby’s Champions Cup final. And while there was general disdain towards the idea from fans, a significant proportion of that was directed towards the idea of the Middle East – and Saudi Arabia in particular. Here City [...]
Tory mayoral hopeful Susan Hall says work has moved to a three-day office week September 6, 2023 Tory mayoral hopeful Susan Hall says work has moved to a three-day office week, despite many City bosses urging staff back into offices full-time.
Michelin starred chef Jun Tanaka on the London restaurants he visits on his day off September 6, 2023 The Ninth opened in 2015 on Charlotte Street and in the years since, chef Jun Tanaka’s French-Mediterranean dishes designed to share have gained a Michelin star. Here Tanaka, who formerly worked at Le Gavroche and The Restaurant Marco Pierre White, tells us his favourite London restaurants to eat at on his days off. PERILLAI have [...]
TRG: Profits soar as Wagamama owner defies drab outlook for casual dining market September 6, 2023 TRG, which owns a slew of casual dining chains and pubs, its most popular being Japanese inspired eatery Wagamama, reported a 10 per cent rise in total revenue during the term to £467.4m.
We’re buzzing about this London hotel’s overnight bee package September 5, 2023 We tried out the Royal Lancaster hotel’s new beekeeping overnight package If you’re ever wandering through London’s leafy Hyde Park and hear a gentle humming sound, don’t panic – killer AI robots aren’t here for us just yet. What you might be hearing (very faintly, as it is 17 floors up) is the sound of [...]