We tried The new Flora terrace outside the Sofitel Hotel in St James July 14, 2022 Summer is the perfect time to embrace European style café culture. Sitting at little tables on sunny pavements, sipping a glass of wine and watching the world go by is such a civilised way to while away a couple of hours. The new Flora terrace is directly outside the Sofitel Hotel in St James, allowing [...]
Fruity futures: A guide to buying wine en primeur July 13, 2022 Buying ‘En Primeur’ means purchasing a wine before it is even bottled, let alone released – it is, in essence, a futures market. Originating in Bordeaux but now a concept found across the globe, one purchases the wine upfront, with the duty and VAT payable on arrival. The mutually beneficial element to this is that [...]
Whispering Angel Opens Terrace at Yauatcha City for dim sum pairing June 29, 2022 You would have to have been living under a rock not to have heard of Château d’Esclans Whispering Angel and its premium big sister Rock Angel. These rosés have gripped the summer drinking crowd the last couple of years and now they are launching pop-up terraces around the capital for the sunnier months. At Yauatcha [...]
Spirit of Champagne Charlie reborn in rare cuvée June 29, 2022 The term “Champagne Charlie” is used to describe ‘a man who lives a life of luxury and excess’ and there are certainly a few of those around right now, but who was the very first to earn this pseudonym? Charles Camille Heidsieck was an entrepreneurial soul born in 1822 who founded his business in 1851 [...]
Break for lunch at Bibo, home to sophisticated Spanish fare June 16, 2022 Sometimes a Pret sandwich at your desk does not cut it, so I headed to Shoreditch’s Bibo to try its express tapas and a cheeky couple of glasses. The interior is beautifully done, with its wall-long copper kitchen glowing behind the central gilded bar, and shoals of white fish hung above the tables. This is [...]
New winemakers taking Macon by storm June 15, 2022 The Macon has been referred to as “the unknown cousin of Burgundy”, but with prices soaring all over Bourgogne it is worth taking stock, literally, of these delicious wines and some of the bold, new winemakers taking over the region. Though Burgundy can be seen as the old-school seat of traditional winemaking, a younger generation [...]
Frenchie has a wine list perfect for long, indulgent lunches June 1, 2022 On the cobbles of Covent Garden’s Henrietta Street, Frenchie is a petit, cool oasis of flavour for the bustling West End crowd. The food menu is minimalist with a choice of two starters, three mains and a host of nibbles. The wine list is extensive with over 100 bottles leaning towards the French and some [...]
Why you should drink Cava for the Jubilee May 31, 2022 Cava did itself a disservice after its popularity boom in the 1950s and 60s, flooding the market with cheaper versions and paying the price by putting off discerning consumers for the last few decades. Now they are taking steps to create and cultivate a premium product through greater care and stricter regulations – and the [...]
Getting the party started at Sumosan Twiga, Knightsbridge May 19, 2022 The crisp white tablecloths, framed black and white photographs and floor length houndstooth curtains may look discreetly chic, but the DJ working the decks on the floor of the restaurant lets you know that this is where the party starts. A place to see and be seen, the flash of selfies pop and sparkle just as [...]
A Bed of Rosés: The story of Bon Jovi’s new fine wine May 19, 2022 “Real men drink pink” announces Jon Bon Jovi at the European launch of Hampton Water rosé, going on to explain that he used to refer to the wine as “pink juice” because “I didn’t want my children to know I drank it so much. I love wine and I love rosé”. Hampton Water is an [...]