Not flashy, but still good July 19, 2010 The Capital 22 Basil Street, SW3 1AT Tel: 020 7591 1202 FOOD SERVICE ATMOSPHERE Cost per person without wine: £50 IT’S all happening in Knightsbridge. Pierre Koffman, the cook who dazzled Eighties London with La Tante Clare and Noughties London with last year’s pop-up restaurant on the roof of Selfridges, has just opened an eponymous [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS July 19, 2010 TAKE HIGH TEA ON DEAN STREET Soho’s hottest spot for power breakfasts and gossipy dinners has launched afternoon and high tea menus in keeping with its down-to-earth English style of cooking. Retro is the word for the high tea: but rather than the dreary offerings of the rationing era, expect lovely plump fish fingers, Scotch [...]
The Cornwall haven that’s just for grown-ups July 18, 2010 THE Scarlet. Where to begin? The 37-bedroom eco-hotel in Mawgan Porth, northern Cornwall, is a nexus of cutting-edge green technology and style; of character and sleekness. It’s cosy yet minimalist; an architectural statement yet completely at one with its environment. Of all the above, the latter is the most impressive. The boundary between inside and [...]
TRAVEL NOTES July 18, 2010 The ultimate wellness holiday service to launch Desperate to recharge your batteries but tired of the usual yoga holidays? Enter Electric Bloom, a new, much buzzed-about wellness travel company launching in August. Traditional wellness activities – such as yoga, trekking and Pilates – are combined with fabulous locations and “uplifting” experiences such as opera outings, supper [...]
OTHER CORNWALL GEMS July 18, 2010 THE NARE This hidden gem of a hotel, in a quintessentially English country house, boasts spectacular views over Carne Beach, near Truro. It’s an independent, family-owned slice of boutique luxury with cosy-chic rooms, a gorgeous outdoor pool, a beautiful spa and its own croquet pitch. The hotel also has its own yacht that guests can [...]
FOCUS ON: BASILDON, ESSEX July 15, 2010 COBURG LANE, Price: £152,500 This smart two-bedroom maisonette would be ideal for first-time buyers. It comes with off-street parking and access to communal gardens. There’s no onward chain. Contact: Balgores on 01268 271110, www.balgoresproperty.co.uk SAMUEL ROAD Price: £280,000 A spacious four-bedroom house with plenty of storage and a well-sized back garden. It is within walking [...]
PROPERTY NEWS July 15, 2010 BISHOPS AVE SITE SOLD FOR £30M One of London’s best development opportunities in Hampstead’s Bishops Avenue has sold for more than £30m. The 2.47 acre site has two planning consents in place – either for a house of 33,000 sq ft or for a block of 16 luxury apartments. This indicates the competition and rising [...]
LETTING July 15, 2010 CEO OF ONLINE LETTINGS AGENT UPAD.CO.UK Q.I have three properties which I let to tenants on Local Housing Allowance. How do I find out if the new rates of housing benefit will cover their rent? If they don’t, what do I do? A.The new rates announced by the chancellor in the Budget won’t come into [...]
The ascent of prime London’s new hotspot July 15, 2010 FITZROVIA, the area around the BT Tower, bordered by Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road, Great Portland Street and Euston Road, should be Londoners’ idea of property heaven. The West End is on your doorstep, as is Regent’s Park. The ever-more exciting restaurant and bar scene of Goodge and Charlotte Streets, and the more established prettiness [...]
Don’t let your prime real estate abroad stand idle while you slave away at work July 15, 2010 WITH global growth likely to be sluggish in the coming years, it might seem like a poor time to invest in a holiday home. But with a clear strategy for renting out the place when you’re not in residence, it is easily possible to make back the cost of maintenance and to generate a little [...]