The green spirits revolution, and no absinthe in sight February 26, 2021 There have been an uncountable number of words written about how the restaurant industry has had to adapt to survive, and altogether fewer on how the premium booze market is staying afloat. Like the hospitality trade, spirits distillers and winemakers have seen a huge portion of their trade wiped out over lockdown, unable to sell [...]
How New York invented the business breakfast February 25, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Melissa York’s trip to New York to find the original business breakfast. ••• Every morning, Leigh Wynn, the maitre d’ of the most expensive and exclusive breakfast spot in New York, wakes up at [...]
Best of travel: Why Panama is Latin America’s hot holiday destination February 24, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Alex Dymoke’s trip to Panama to see if it really is all hats and canals. ••• In Britain, Panama is famous for two things: the canal and canoe man. Back in 2002, John Darwin [...]
Top London chefs expect summer gold-rush to toast end of Covid February 24, 2021 The last 12 months have thoroughly rewired our attitudes to eating and drinking. Once second nature, now the thought of just popping out to a restaurant feels impossibly decadent. But chefs and restaurateurs, many of whom have borne the brunt of Covid restrictions, are now expecting a period of full houses and fat tips. We [...]
Soho prepares to party, with al fresco dining back on the menu February 24, 2021 Hopes for a restaurant renaissance over the coming months were given a boost today when Westminster City Council announced its hugely successful – some have argued altogether too successful – al fresco dining scheme will return on 12 April. During the two “false openings” last summer and autumn, Soho became a Mecca for millions of [...]
London house prices: What £500k gets you in tube zones 1 to 6 February 23, 2021 For London workers, it can be an unsettling dilemma whether to spend more on a house near the office or upsize further out but spend more time and money on tubes. House prices differ considerably, even between adjacent tube stations. The average house price in Knightsbridge will set you back around £1.6m but hop on [...]
Best of travel: Cowgirl fantasies in the Palm Springs desert February 23, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Laura Millar’s jaunt to the kitsch Californian town of Palm Springs. ••• The wooden sign swinging in the breeze proclaims I’m at Smoketree Stables, just a short drive south of Palm Springs. Beyond the [...]
Survive the last months of lockdown with 35 amazing delivery kits February 23, 2021 Almost a year since the first lockdown, the restaurant world has been forced to change in ways that would have seemed laughable in the pre-Covid times. Top chefs including Simon Rogan are now launching successful at-home delivery platforms that promise to change the face of fine dining for years to come. We have sampled some [...]
Saudi prince to sell £195m stake in London skyscraper February 23, 2021 A Saudi prince is close to selling his stake in a City skyscraper to an American investor for around £195m. Prince Abdul Aziz bin Fahd owns 25 per cent of Salesforce Tower in Bishopsgate. The tower has attracted interest from New York-based investment firm Madison International Realty. The 46-storey tower took four years to complete [...]
Israel shows how to unlock a lockdown at lightning speed February 22, 2021 While the UK government presented its roadmap for exiting Britain’s third lockdown today, all eyes are on Israel this week as the country’s government has already started to re-open the country’s domestic economy, a process which is expected to be completed within weeks. The speed at which the restrictions are lifted is the most striking [...]