Working Lunch: Mark Jarvis lives up to the Anglo hype with his new Mayfair restaurant Stem November 7, 2018 Stem, 5 Princes Street, W1B 2LF WHAT? The much anticipated third restaurant from chef du jour Mark Jarvis, who blew everyone away with the universally acclaimed Anglo in Farringdon, and then repeated the trick with Neo Bistro on Oxford Street. He’s among the most highly regarded young (ish) chefs around, knocking together a totally assured, occasionally downright [...]
The Volkswagen Polo GTI is a mature hot hatch that hasn’t lost its sense of fun November 5, 2018 Reifnitz is nestled deep in the Austrian Alps, its quiet streets dotted with quaint, hand-painted chalets. Nothing much happens here, apart from one weekend each summer, when the village is invaded by 100,000 Volkswagen fanatics. They come from all over Europe and beyond – filling the mountain air with the aroma of beer, bratwurst and [...]
From towering glaciers to barnacle-encrusted whales, Lizzie Pook heads to unexplored east Greenland to learn how to capture this wild land on camera November 5, 2018 Spend enough time in the Greenlandic wilderness and everything starts to take on a cinematic quality. Inky waters roiling with dolphins seem like they should be scored by the soaring strings of an orchestra. Cathedral-sized icebergs, like colossal sparkling geodes, pass gracefully in the manner of silent film stars. Everything looks like opening credits; a [...]
Slowing down in Tokyo: Japan’s eccentric capital is best enjoyed at a snail’s pace November 5, 2018 Tokyo is the gateway to Japan for most visitors and one of the most varied and hyperdeveloped cities in the world. Only a special kind of masochist would brave the jetlag to visit Tokyo for a long weekend, but the capital is truly one of the urban wonders of the world, even if used only [...]
Bright restaurant in London Fields review: A cracking Italian-ish place with a drinks list to die for November 5, 2018 Before last weekend, I’d never eaten in Bright, although had you held a gun to my head I would have sworn that I had. You see, I’ve eaten in Ellory, which was in that space until February, when it snuck off down the road to reopen as Leroy (keeping up?). Anyway, it’s a mistake I was [...]
The house Gianni built: A look back on the history of Versace as it settles into life as a $2bn part of Michael Kors November 5, 2018 In the window of Versace’s Sloane Street boutique there's a black hoodie. On the left shoulder, right side, and both elbows are brightly coloured silk patches featuring Grecian and Etruscan motifs. Surrounding these, and looping around the collar and hood, are thick, furry, brown trims, similar to ones that hang from my grandmother’s sofa. It [...]
The best snow in California can be found in South Lake Tahoe November 5, 2018 There are far worse problems to have than being stuck in California for a weekend. But if you find yourself hanging around the Golden State with some time to kill, then you can do worse than check the snow conditions in nearby Lake Tahoe. I found myself in such a predicament last January, and so [...]
Juliet, Naked is far too preoccupied with its flat jokes to actually get to the heart of its abandonment issues November 2, 2018 Nick Hornby is the master of the manchild and Duncan, the one from the 2009 novel this film is based on, is one of his. He’s in thrall to a similarly adolescent idol, a mopey indie star called Tucker Crowe, who became a recluse following the release of his only album ‘Juliet’. Stuck in the [...]
Macbeth at the Barbican review: Christopher Eccleston plays the Scottish traitor in this horror-inspired version by the RSC November 2, 2018 Macbeth lives and dies on its witches. “When shall we three meet again?” squeaks the first, a young girl in a red dress and white tights, ribbons in her hair. Two identically dressed girls answer, then run energetically off the stage, giggling shrilly. These escapees from The Shining weave in and out of this otherwise [...]
What to look out for at next weekend’s Handmade Chelsea so you get ahead of the Christmas shopping game November 2, 2018 In the run-up to Christmas, shopping should be a pleasure, not a chore. And although shopping online has its conveniences, finding a gift that’s original, beautifully crafted and sold by the maker all add to the fun (or effort, depending on how you rate Christmas) of buying and giving. Handmade Chelsea is the luxury craft [...]