Chocolatey alternatives March 31, 2010 Chocolate scotch egg Don’t worry, there’s no meat involved here. As it happens, Fortnum & Mason invented the scotch egg, and has made this chocolate version – with a vanilla fondant centre – to celebrate. £15 www.fortunmandmason.com Chocolate pie chart Aussie chocolatiers Matt & Mary have produced the perfect gift for those who spend their [...]
OUT OF OFFICE March 31, 2010 EASTER EGG HUNT WITH A DIFFERENCE It may not be difficult to spot the giant eggs laid out in the Jubilee Gardens beside the London Eye, but to see them all – and the little chick that’s apparently hatched from one of them early – kids need to see them from above, by taking a [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS March 31, 2010 BRUNCH AT HAWKSMOOR We’ve long known that East End restaurant Hawksmoor was one of the best places to eat meat, and it’s now servring a truly spectacular brunch. From 11am you can get stuck into steak and eggs – choose from seven different steaks, and add half a lobster if you like – sausage and [...]
HIP TO BE SQUARE March 30, 2010 IN recent years cubic cars have proved a hit with design-savvy car connoisseurs and have created something of a trend in car design. For a while Nissan’s Cube was the leader in boxy cool – a toy-like, distinctively Japanese design created to be an extension of your home first, your mode of transport second – [...]
2010’S BEST COMMUTER BIKES March 29, 2010 Cannondale Bad Boy A sleek, edgy urban commuter bike that’s a great all-rounder and excellent value. £549.99 Trek 7.7 FX A fast, versatile road bike with plenty of advanced tech, including a saddle that pivots to ease your pedal stroke. £1,249 Brompton S2L If you need a folding bike, the two-speed Brompton remains the benchmark [...]
The arrival of spring is the perfect time to start commuting by bike March 29, 2010 WHAT a little bike,” said a four-year-old as I cycled past him the other day. My little red Brompton tends to get attention – puzzled looks, smirks, and chuckles of “nice bike, mate” from the kids in the town centre. Do I care? I do not. If I was cycling to look cool, then I [...]
The celebrity chef bringing peasant food to the City March 29, 2010 I’M like a snail,” drawls chef supreme Raymond Blanc in a French accent that, 38 years after he arrived in the UK, remains as textured and ripe as a perfectly aged Camembert. “I’m stuck in my shell, and can only move very slowly.” The reason for Blanc’s despondency is a fall he took at his [...]
OUT OF OFFICE March 29, 2010 BEDROOM FARCE Alan Ayckbourn is back in fashion at the moment, and his old mucker Peter Hall has directed this revival of one of his funniest and most ingenious plays. Set in three different bedrooms over the course of a night, it follows four married couples as they get entangled in a delicious comedy of [...]
A taste of the Raj in Marylebone March 29, 2010 Colony Bar & Grill 7-9 Paddington Street, W1U 5QU, tel: 020 7935 3353 FOOD **** SERVICE **** ATMOSPHERE *** Cost per person without wine: £50 Anyone who has eaten at Benares will have a soft spot for its executive chef and owner, Atul Kochhar, who makes brilliant, inventive Indian food that made it the first [...]
THREE OTHER MARYLEBONE GEMS March 29, 2010 RISTORANTE SEMPLICE Possibly the best Italian restaurant in London, mainly for being so under-hyped. The dining room evokes swirls of honey, thanks to some great textured walls, and the food is simply knockout. Do not miss the saffron risotto, a Milanese dish that glows and tastes as good as gold. Wine and cheese are tops, [...]