Setting out on a two-day city break in India to see how many temples, tours and thalis I could fit in in a week February 8, 2019 The buzzing financial capital of Maharashtra as well as the heart of the Bollywood film industry, Mumbai is home to 24m people. It’s hard to get your head around but, like any big city worth its salt, Mumbai is a mass of contradictions and conflicting realities, the city of dreams that India’s most wealthy citizens [...]
Cheval Blanc St Tropez offers Michelin-starred meals and modern glamour on the Cote d’Azur February 8, 2019 So your superyacht’s currently in dry dock, but you still want a taste of the action in St Tropez? Languid lunches at Senequier, liberally doused with Provencal rose; late-night grooving at Les Caves du Roy, next to George Clooney or Beyonce; the possibility of spotting reclusive former sex goddess Brigitte Bardot (or BB, as she’s [...]
New homes: Our pick of the new builds going on sale in London this weekend February 8, 2019 New developments on the market this week Kidbrooke Village, Greenwich From £567,500 for a two bed with two bathrooms First time buyers can get on the ladder – and be part of a £1bn regeneration project – on the outskirts of Blackheath with the launch of these new Help to Buy homes. The interior design [...]
Pinter Seven review: Danny Dyer comes home for this triumphant farewell to Jamie Lloyd’s season February 7, 2019 There are many things about the world today that make me think malevolent forces are having a laugh at our expense. Top of that list is the fact that Danny Dyer – the man who referred to aliens as “that mob up there” and the 9/11 hijackers as “them slags” – was a personal friend [...]
Mandela: The Official Exhibition is a comprehensive, if somewhat generic, celebration of the anti-apartheid leader February 7, 2019 One of the most revered and recognisable freedom fighters in modern history, Nelson Mandela’s near-Messianic reputation as a revolutionary political leader is far larger than the man himself. His decades long struggle against apartheid in South Africa defies summary, but Mandela: The Official Exhibition has a go at codifying his entire legacy, squeezing the man’s [...]
Comedian and writer Paul Whitehouse on fishing, mental health and why the BBC needs to take more risks February 7, 2019 Last year, Paul Whitehouse appeared alongside his lifelong friend Bob Mortimer in Gone Fishing, a BBC Two show in which the comedians travelled the riverbanks of the UK in search of rare species of fish. In contrast to an increasingly bleak news cycle, it was relentlessly genial television, uncomplicated, familiar, cheerful and good-natured. Both men [...]
Fitness advice: There’s more to getting fit than losing weight – it’s a psychological journey with myriad benefits February 6, 2019 We’re all bombarded with fitness articles and adverts at this time of year. Gyms do a huge portion of their annual recruitment during January, when we’re all feeling fragile and fat after the excesses of the holiday season. But the big gym chains will have already started to notice a drop-off in attendance. Despite all [...]
We’re now in the new lunar year – the Year of the Pig – so get out there and eat dim sum in some of London’s finest restaurants February 5, 2019 1. Din Tai Fung Henrietta St, WC2E 8PT If you’re a dumpling fan, you’ve probably heard of Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese chain that’s currently taking Covent Garden by storm. It’s known for its magical xiao long bao (steamed pork dumplings). The new British restaurant seats 250 but still expect a queue during busy times. [...]
Our resident chef columnist mixes up a mighty mulligatawny to write home to your mother about February 5, 2019 Have you ever ordered mulligatawny in an Indian restaurant? I did once and wished I hadn’t: they added water to the dahl and poured it into a bowl. Mulligatawny is a staple of the classic British Indian restaurant menu, always there, yet never ordered. Like kedgeree and mango chutney, it is part of the culinary [...]
Weekly Grill: Launceston Place head chef Ben Murphy on creating simple, no-nonsense food, and vegans who eat butter and cream February 5, 2019 Who are you and what do you do? My name is Ben Murphy and I’m 28 years old. I’m head chef at Launceston Place in Kensington and I’ve been cooking professionally for eight years now. Cooking has always been a personal passion, so being paid to do what I love is a bonus. What’s new [...]