TRAVEL NOTES September 18, 2011 SHA’s new “absolute rejuvenation programme” Spain’s famous SHA wellness retreat has launched a new 14-day programme that’s one up even on its regular course of wellness enhancement. This one features macrobiotic nutrition to purify and rebalance the body and mind while scientific and holistic spa treatments try to physically iron out any kinks. It’s fairly [...]
MADE IN CHELSEA LINK IRKS TOPSHOP TYCOON September 15, 2011 A NIGHT in is inked in the diary for Sir Philip Green next Monday, when the first episode of the new season of Made In Chelsea airs, starring his 20-year-old daughter Chloe. “I will be watching it on Monday night, of course,” he told The Capitalist. The conversation took a turn for the worse, however, [...]
Award-winning city penthouse September 15, 2011 FOR sale by the building’s architects, the couple Patrick Theis and Soraya Kahn, the penthouse in this extraordinarily elegant, intelligent development in Shoreditch is a prime and prestigious choice for anyone working in the City. The building – designed to be both for working and living – has won several awards and was short-listed for [...]
Edges smoothed on Swiss prices September 15, 2011 ORDINARY mortals find the cost of a single pizza in Switzerland staggering – friends reported having to pay SFR50 for one in Verbier a few weeks ago. Indeed, with the Swiss franc having appreciated by 20 per cent against the euro in the last 12 months alone, the Swiss economy has felt the effects on [...]
Entertainment One soars on bid interest September 14, 2011 SHARES in Entertainment One leapt by up to 25 per cent yesterday after the Peppa Pig owner confirmed it was mulling a sale, adding almost £75m to the company’s market capitalisation. Entertainment One said yesterday it was “considering its strategic options… in response to interest it has received from various parties”. Though a spokesperson for [...]
WESTFIELD AT STRATFORD: OUR PICK OF THE SHOPS September 13, 2011 CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES ASPINAL OF LONDON The second standalone shop for this affordable heritage brand, Aspinal has a plum position at the start of the Street, and is a wonderfully windowy space, glinting with cufflinks, jewels and charms and full of its signature bright croc skin bags and wallets. FOREVER 21 There were nearly 400 [...]
Dukes: it’s no longer just for martinis September 12, 2011 Thirty Six Dukes Hotel, St James’s Place, SW1A 1NY 020 7491 4840 www.dukeshotel.com FOOD **** SERVICE ***** ATMOSPHERE ** Cost per person without wine: £60 DUKES Hotel, which lies in one of those impossibly cute courtyards off St James’s street, has for aeons been famous for one thing: martinis. Its bar, a cosy nest of [...]
THREE OTHER ST JAMES’S RESTAURANTS September 12, 2011 AVENUE A huge, bright place with tables as far as the eye can see – you can tell this used to be a Conran gaff. The Finnish chef does pretty decent things with classic, ultra-fresh British ingredients. 7-9 St James’s St, SW1A 1EE. www.avenue-restaurant.co.uk WHEELER’S OF ST JAMES’S A darkly sumptuous place with some rather [...]
Upbeat Prezzo plans to open 20 new restaurants September 7, 2011 BRITISH pizza restaurant chain Prezzo reported a 17 per cent higher first-half profit yesterday as it continued to open new restaurants and said it expected positive results for the year. The company currently has 168 restaurants, compared with 145 last year. Earlier this year it launched a new range of pizza, designed by Italian chef [...]
Hangover dulls caffeine high September 6, 2011 WHITBREAD’s upbeat statement yesterday was a breath of fresh air to the markets, propping up the FTSE with a seven per cent jump as it promised yet more growth from its core Costa Coffee and Premier Inn brands. But there’s one albatross still hanging around the company neck – its underperforming pub restaurant business, where [...]