Monthly Archives: July 2011

London Lifestyle Awards: Best Concierge Nomination

Posted by Bon Vivant

We are delighted to have been shortlisted in the Best Concierge category for the London Lifestyle Awards, which is a celebration of London and of the companies that help make London a great place to live and visit.

We believe that our emphasis on offering our concierge clients a highly personal service, tailored to their specific needs, as well as our commitment to informing our clients, newsletter subscribers and blog readers of all that London has to offer, makes us the best concierge company in London, and we hope you agree.

We try to make sure that we are shouting about the best of the best, and informing as many people as possible about exciting trends and events in the capital, including information on new launches, hotel, restaurant and bar reviews and great event listings.

If you agree, we would be delighted if you could vote for us and your other favourite London companies by clicking here. [You will need to click on a link from the LLA from your email to confirm your nomination, which may go to your junk folder, so please check]. Thank you for your continued support.

The Saxon Hotel, South Africa

Posted by Frances

Frances Cottrell lives the high life at The Saxon hotel in South Africa, enjoying champagne for breakfast, lunch and dinner in sumptuous surroundings.

Drawing up to the Saxon hotel is an experience itself, set amongst beautifully manicured lawns and landscaped gardens, the road curves around to an impressively grand hotel entrance. Valet parking assistance and an incredibly prompt and generous attendant will magically transport your bags and car elsewhere, and whisk you through to the grand African entrance.

The stately staircase, leading up to a glass dome, which magnificently reflects the sunshine, beautifully frame a remarkable reception interposed with Asian and African artefacts and objects d’art. The main chandelier is an impressive construction in its own right, made from native Ostrich eggs!

Undoubtedly the warmest and most gentle of welcomes, staff are discreetly placed throughout the public lobby areas and on hand to cater for every request and demand 24 hours a day, all performed with a glorious smile and a swift execution. Everywhere you turn there are candles burning a beautiful floral but understated scent in unison softening the hotel and engulfing it in an air of ultimate relaxation and indulgence.

The Saxon hotel boasts 53 suites and now more recently 3 Villas too. Each suite has beautiful views of the gardens or pools, and as nature is a running theme throughout the hotel, rooms offer a balcony or terrace to bring the African gardens outside, inside.

Suites are generously kitted out with state-of-the-art technology, perfect for business and leisure with iPod docks, flat screen televisions, wifi (and a new bottle of champagne every night) provided in each room.

Bathrooms are decadent with lavender scattered throughout, and lashings of (again, nature-inspired) Molton Brown products; huge bathtubs (some with jacuzzis); wet rooms and the fluffiest towels and robes I have ever encountered.

The hotel also offers additional services, which you can book for your party, such as an in-house cinema; a luxury spa; library smoking rooms; wine cellars (which can host dinner parties for the most impressive of experts) and a hydrotherapy and hair studio. Set in the grounds are an outside infinity pool and an impressive 120 metre outdoor heated swimming pool, gymnasium and a Koi pool full of remarkable pets which have been with the hotel for over 20 years.

For larger groups the villas offer privacy and seclusion, including private elevator entrances and underground parking and private street exits. Each villa consists of a number of suites which lead from a central dining and leisure space. Villas are much more modern in terms of design than the main hotel, and include touches such as massage suites, a 24hour stocked and staffed bar, private gardens and infinity pools.

The Saxon Hotel’s food offering continues along the theme of exceptional. Breakfasts start with (almost) compulsory champagne, and go on to offer an abundant selection of smoked salmon, pastries, freshly baked breads, locally sourced fruits and juices, cold cuts and even sushi.

Lunch, brunch and dinner menus change monthly and offer a superb fine dining experience sourcing excellent ingredients, prepared with finesse and International flair.

The setting is grand, with wine cellars on a mezzanine level above the dining room, and a dramatic centre piece comes in the form of a branch display, which although adding to the aesthetics, is not ideal for taller guests.

The Saxon Hotel is undoubtedly one of Johannesburg’s finest hotels, frequented by the Black Eyed Peas, Oprah Winfrey and Mandela himself (he wrote The Long Walk To Freedom at the Saxon). The natural elements throughout juxtaposed with generous helpings of James Bond-esque technology, a lavish spa facility offering the most generous treatments, topped with exceptional service, make a stay here an absolute pleasure.

Only a 45 minute drive from Johannesburg International Airport, and only 15 minutes from the excellent shopping district of Sandton, it is ideal for business stays, leisurely breaks or to frame holidays to the Kruger safari region.

Website: www.saxon.co.za

Address: 36 Saxon Road, Sandton 2196, South Africa

Telephone: + 27 011 292 6000

Our luxury travel service would love to plan your next trip to South Africa – contact us now to enquire about membership.

Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen

Posted by Bon Vivant

Bread Street Kitchen restaurant is a part of Gordon Ramsay Holdings’ portfolio of London restaurants at One New Change near St Paul’s.

Bread Street Kitchen offers a relaxed dining experience set in a large warehouse-style room, with a menu that includes a raw bar, a wood-burning oven and dishes from an open kitchen.

The interiors were designed by Russell Sage and will include reclaimed furniture, vintage armchairs, leather banquettes and an exposed lift shaft.

The all-day restaurant features dished such as roasted cod with crushed potatoes, artichoke and salted capers; steamed sea bream with braised leeks, razor clams, samphire and shellfish dressing; fennel sausages, savoy cabbage, braised castelluccio lentils, and borlotti beans; and seared loin of yellow fin tuna, parsnip mash, black pepper sauce.

For those in the mood for a drink, the ground floor bar offers a selection of small plates to accompany your cocktail or glass of wine.

For further information please call Bread Street Kitchen on: 020 7592 1616, email info@breadstreetkitchen.com or contact your concierge.

London Cocktail Week – from 7 October 2011

Posted by Bon Vivant

London Cocktail Week, which runs from Friday 7th to Sunday 16th October 2011, is an opportunity for discerning drinkers to taste different cocktails, visit bars they’ve never heard of and maybe even try their hand at cocktail making too.

The main event – the Cocktail Tours – this year incorporates more than 100 bars, which will each serve a bespoke drink, available for just £4, to those who have registered to be part of the festival. Register for a free wristband at LondonCocktailWeek.com before September 10.

The organisers are also providing Routemaster buses for free transportation around the capital – dropping you at the doorstep of some of the bars on the list. There will also be daily master classes, pop-up events and parties to enjoy – all of which are available to book through LondonCocktailWeek.com.

The Drift London at Heron Tower

Posted by Bon Vivant

The Drift London is the City’s latest new bar, located in Heron Tower on Bishopsgate, from the team behind The Folly and The Anthologist.

The Drift London’s design features oversized shelves with an eclectic mix of antiques and floating Chinese-style lanterns, with a view of Europe’s largest private aquarium.

The ﬁrst ﬂoor main dining room overlooks the bar below and features monochrome mosaic tiles that wrap around the marble topped bar and the ‘pontoon’ lounge bar features low comfortable chairs and soft banquette seating.

The Drift London is open from 7.30am for breakfast, with cocktails being served until 1:00am on Thursdays and Fridays, and until midnight on Saturdays.

To make sure you’re kept informed of similar updates on a regular basis, sign up to our blog at the link below to be sure not to miss it!

Read some of our other restaurant reviews including Coya, 34 Restaurant and Portal.

‘Start’ Sustainable Pop-Up Restaurant at Lancaster House

Posted by Bon Vivant

Lancaster House, a beautiful and historic property next to Clarence House on The Mall will be home to a pop-up bar and restaurant for 5 days from 27 July 2011. The venue will be open from 11:00am until 10:30pm each day and will offer organic and locally sourced drinks and light bites, reclaimed furniture from Lassco and lead free crystal glasses from Riedel Glassware, with the aim of creating a fully sustainable restaurant experience.

The restaurant is an installation by Start, an initiative by HRH The Prince of Wales to inspire the UK public to take simple steps towards achieving more sustainable living. Menus will be created by Jamie Grainger-Smith, who was involved with Waterhouse, Acornhouse and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Restaurants, and food writer, chef and television presenter Gizzi Erskine.

For further details or to make a reservation please visit www.Startuk.org or contact your concierge.

Gauthier Soho Restaurant Review

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Soho is renowned for its wild, debauched ways, while Alexis Gauthier, former chef at Roussillon in Pimlico, is known for his delicate style with fine French cuisine. This pairing, in a beautiful townhouse on Romilly Street, inches from the centre of Soho’s frenzy, shouldn’t work; but Gauthier Soho, despite the implied contradiction in its name, does work, and on many levels.

On the former site of Richard Corrigan’s Lindsay House, traditions remain and you still have to ring the doorbell and wait to be escorted into the building. While this may well be a hindrance for some, I saw it as a symbolic gesture for leaving the clamour behind, making way for a safer, more subdued Soho.

On entering Gauthier Soho, you are struck by the deafening silence; the hushed, muted tones of the decor and the soft murmurs from nearby tables ensure you’re aware from the start that this is a restaurant with serious intent, where the food will play the starring role.

The à la carte menu is divided into five sections from which guests can choose three (£35), four (£45) or five (£55) courses, while there is also an eight course menu degustation (£68) and a smaller lunch offering. Wine pairings are offered for all courses, with the tasting menu being offered at £124 with accompanying wines.

Our five-course lunch at Gauthier Soho started well with a heavenly bread selection, ranging from sourdough to black olive and a delightful bacon and garlic. Service was knowledgeable, friendly and attentive throughout, starting with being poured a glass of champagne within minutes of arriving, and the endless supply of complimentary still or sparkling water, something to which all restaurants should aspire.

A first course of chilled green pea velouté was wonderfully soft and gentle with the occasional burst of intense pea and subtle lemon flavours. My dining companion and I both agreed that the large black tortellini of lobster and basil was a real showstopper, which left a lingering sense of luxury on the tongue.

From the troisieme plat, the oven baked Atlantic halibut showed real flair with delicate flavours, while from the meat course, the glazed piglet loin with Swiss chard and soft belly involved an intricate array of complementary flavours and the roasted filet of Angus beef came with black olives, comfit tomatoes and a beautifully intense beef jus.

Gauthier hails from great pedigree, having been trained by Michelin maestro Alain Ducasse, and his prowess dazzles with his signature Golden Louis XV chocolate and praline dessert, an exquisite homage to his former mentor.

We paired each course at Gauthier Soho with wines selected by the sommelier, which included a glorious Vouvray La Dilletante 2010.

Gauthier Soho is refined and elegant, offering fine dining with a masterly grip on intricate, delicate flavours. Alexis is a chef with real flair who was awarded a Michelin star within 10 months of opening Gauthier Soho – with more time to explore different combinations in new surroundings, surely more awards will follow.

Some have noted that Gauthier’s temperate tone is incongruous with the rest of Soho, but this was never meant to be another bustling, sceney restaurant ‘for one night only’; Gauthier is about offering a polished, restrained alternative, where the food does the talking.

Website: www.gauthiersoho.co.uk

Address: 21 Romilly Street, London, W1D 5AF

Phone: 020 7494 3111

Bon Vivant is a concierge service that specialises in the things that you don’t have the time, expertise or inclination to do yourself. To book your table at Gauthier Soho or any other restaurant, please contact us.

London Restaurant, Hotel & Bar Guide: 2011 So Far…

Posted by Bon Vivant

2011 has seen a flurry of new openings, starting with a bang in January with Heston Blumenthal’s first foray into the London restaurant scene at the Mandarin Oriental with Dinner by Heston.

Some of London’s other highly acclaimed chefs have also spread their wings with Marcus Wareing, who runs the Michelin starred Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley, opening The Gilbert Scott, a British brasserie at the St Pancras Renaissance hotel, and Jason Atherton, formerly of Gordon Ramsay’s Maze, opening Pollen Street Social in Mayfair, which also features London’s first dessert bar.

Leicester Square became home to two new venues with the launch of the W Hotel, which features the restaurant Spice Market and the Wyld Bar, and the St John Hotel, a 16 bedroom hotel with a 70 cover restaurant offering Fergus Henderson’s famous ‘nose to tail’ food from breakfast until the early hours.

Spuntino, the new venture from the team behind Polpo and Polpetto, the successful Venetian ‘bacaros’ in Soho, opened in March with a menu and look inspired by New York, quickly followed by the opening of da Polpo in Covent Garden in June, where the menu features a meatball section and an expanded pizzetta offering as well as a selection of favourite dishes from Polpo and Polpetto. Like their sister restaurants, both have a no reservation policy for dinner, so expect to queue.

The Corinthia hotel opened near Whitehall in April with a bar and restaurant designed by David Collins. The restaurant, Massimo’s, is overseen by Italian chef Massimo Riccioli, who also runs La Rosetta in Rome. The menu focuses on seafood, with crudo, antipasti and oysters served at the bar throughout the day.

In Clerkenwell, The Zetter Hotel opened a sister property in April across the road from the original boutique hotel in a Georgian townhouse. The Zetter Townhouse has the feel of an eclectic private residence rather than hotel with just 11 rooms, two suites and a lounge and cocktail bar, all designed by interior designer Russell Sage, with cocktails from renowned mixologist Tony Conigliaro from 69 Colebroke Row.

London has seen the addition of some great Spanish restaurants, starting the year with the Opera Tavern in Covent Garden from the team behind Salt Yard and Dehesa and later in the year with José, a new sherry and tapas bar in Bermondsey from José Pizarro, who made a name for himself at Brindisa.

The team behind the acclaimed Garrison and Village East in Bermondsey opened the Riding House Café, an all day Brasserie offering a selection of small plates to share as well as traditional main courses in Fitzrovia. The restaurant has a great vibe and a ‘buzzy’ bar area too.

In recent weeks, two new restaurants have opened in Mayfair with female TV personalities at the helm – Silvena Rowe, a regular on Saturday Kitchen, has opened Quince, an Eastern Mediterranean restaurant at The May Fair hotel, and Iron Chef contestant Judy Joo is in charge of The Dining Room at The Playboy Club.

If you now need a stiff drink to digest all these new openings, head to VOC, a new 17^th century inspired cocktail bar in an elegant, intimate setting in the Regents Quarter near King’s Cross.

Bon Vivant is a concierge service that specialises in the things that you don’t have the time, expertise or inclination to do yourself. To make a reservation, please contact your concierge.

Le Guanahani Hotel & Spa, St Barth’s

Posted by Emyr Thomas

The Le Guanahani Hotel & Spa is the largest luxury hotel on the idyllic island of St Barth’s, the only one that offers a complete resort experience, but with only 68 rooms and suites, the hotel manages to retain a sense of intimacy and charm.

With a Clarins spa, a Frédéric Fekkai hair salon, a fitness centre, tennis courts and a kids’ club, the hotel really does cater for every whim.

The design is a mix of French Colonial and Caribbean, with multi-coloured cottages perfectly complementing the landscape. Each room has its own signature colour, large, comfortable beds and glass patio doors that offer sublime views of the sea.

Ocean view suites are highly recommended at Le Guanahani Hotel, or you could try one of the prestige suites, many of which have private pools.

Le Guanahani’s focal point is the lounging area by the beach, which also has a freshwater pool and Jacuzzi, and a beach bar serving excellent food, where lunch is very much a scene.

Le Guanahani sits on a peninsula, with one side facing Marigot Bay and the other side facing a reef protected lagoon, offering two beaches on which to revel in the white sand and warm sea. There is a wide selection of water sports on offer, from snorkelling to wind surfing and Jet Ski hire.

Le Guanahani Hotel’s fine dining restaurant, Le Bartolomeo, serves classic French cuisine in a tropical setting, with an extensive list of carefully selected vintage wines available – even when ordered as room service, the food was perfectly executed.

For a more casual dining experience, Indigo restaurant on the beach serves both lunch and dinner where the menu is comprised of well-prepared dishes with a nod to both Creole and French classics.

Le Guanahani offers a great child-friendly resort experience, but manages to be elegant, romantic and effortlessly enchanting at the same time.

Bon Vivant is a concierge service that specialises in the things that you don’t have the time, expertise or inclination to do yourself. To plan your holiday to St Bart’s or any other destination, please contact us.

The Capital Restaurant, Knightsbridge

Posted by Bon Vivant

The Capital restaurant in Knightsbridge is celebrating its 40th birthday this year, and head chef, Jérôme Ponchelle, has introduced a special menu featuring highlights from the menus the restaurant has offered over the last forty years. This tasting menu (priced at £70 or £128 with matching wines) includes previous head chef Brian Turner’s brandade of sole, and Eric Chavot’s seared scallop with asparagus velouté.

The 40th birthday tasting menu is available for lunch and dinner, and features signature dishes from previous head chefs as well as Jérôme’s take on popular dishes served at the restaurant in the past.

The Capital also has a lovely bar area offering classic cocktails in a serene setting.

For further information or to make a booking, please contact your concierge.

Address: The Capital Restaurant, Basil Street, London SW3 1AT

Phone: 020 7589 1202

Website: www.thecapitalhotel.co.uk