CITY VIEWS: DO YOU THINK THE RECESSION IS BEGINNING TO EASE? June 4, 2009 PAUL MCNALLY BRIT INSURANCE“I haven’t really noticed the recession, full stop. The pubs are full, the restaurants are busy. People say the housing and stock markets are down but that isn’t relevant unless you’re buying or selling, so elements of the crisis have been overblown.” ANNA KINGSMILL-VELLACOTT AKV“My gut feeling is that confidence is beginning [...]
Ascot is all about hats with a big H June 4, 2009 I’M sitting on a gold baroque-style seat in a small boutique on Great Queen Street, surrounded by hats that look more like sculptural cakes than headwear. There is an otherworldly hush in the shop, and each hat is a sophisticated creation. Celebrity milliner Stephen Jones’s hatworld is daunting. After all, it is about what he [...]
Cash in on Euro parliament with Brussels buy-to-let June 4, 2009 IF you think that politicians in this country have a good life, then take a look at the European Parliament. It is estimated that, if they have little shame, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) can take home €200,000 (£173,000) a year. The first reaction to this might well be outrage. But the second should [...]
VETERAN BAR OWNER HANGS UP CITY APRON June 3, 2009 AFTER a lengthy 48-year spell in the City, it’s finally time to say goodbye to ship broker-turned-restaurateur David Hughes, who’s often been described one of the friendliest bar owners in the world. Hughes first came to the City in 1961, aged 15, working as a ship broker at the Baltic Exchange on St Mary Axe, [...]
English wine comes of age June 2, 2009 KETTNER’S in Soho is one of the best-known wine bars in London, with a champagne list of over 100. So it was intriguing to hear that, for one week only, it was having an English Wine Festival. It was a small affair, with four wines on the list, but I was curious. If even Kettner’s [...]
OTHER RELAUNCHED GRAND HOTEL RESTAURANTS June 1, 2009 THE LANDAU AT THE LANGHAMOnce the ballroom of the newly reopened former grand hotel, the Landau offers posh and interesting European haute-cuisine with plenty of fish, and it’s quickly becoming a hot spot for afternoon tea. 1c Portland Place, Regent Street, GB W1B 1JA, tel: 020 7636 1000 HELEN DARROZE AT THE CONNAUGHTThe hotel – [...]
RAMSAY RUFFLES A FEW RIVAL FEATHERS May 31, 2009 AFTER years of back-stabbing and open mutual hatred, you’d have thought Gordon Ramsay would have checked his facts before starting a slanging match with arch rival Marco Pierre White. Both celebrity chefs have fed many a wealthy City mouth at the likes of Maze and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and White’s Marco at Stamford Bridge and [...]
A futuristic “art” hotel in Poznan replaces room keys with iPhones May 25, 2009 I AM standing in the middle of a dark hallway, pressing an application on an iPhone that is not mine. While I wait it’s saying something in Polish, which I hope is “opening door.” Cha-ching: a bleeping noise and the sound of a lock decoupling. I push into my room. This is not your average [...]
OTHER PLACES IN LONDON TO ENJOY MUSIC WHILE YOU EAT May 25, 2009 VIVA VERDISitting just behind Tate Modern in Bankside, Viva Verdi specialises in wine, prosciutto, and other Italian delicacies. Regular musical events include jazz evenings and opera, including a live performance of the latter tomorrow night. 6 Canvey Street, SE1 9AN; 020 7928 6867, www.vivaverdiwinebar.com RONNIE SCOTT’SThe capital’s most famous jazz club and Soho institution continues [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING May 21, 2009 FINANCIAL TIMESCORUS CHIEF SCRAMBLES TO RESCUE FACTORY DEALCorus chief Kirby Adamsm who took over at the Anglo-Dutch steelmaker last month, faces both the worst fall in steel demand for 60 years and a battle to salvage an agreement to sell the group’s Teesside plant to Marcegaglia. It has emerged that Marcegaglia is having second thoughts [...]