Monthly Archives: September 2011

Restaurant, Hotel & Bar Guide: Autumn 2011

Posted by Emyr Thomas

London’s restaurant and bar scene continues to develop at an incredible pace, with September already bringing a host of new arrivals.

45 Park Lane is The Dorchester Collection’s latest hotel where each of the spacious 45 rooms and suites offer views of Hyde Park, and the first floor features the stunning Bar 45, a library and a private media room.

The restaurant at 45 Park Lane is ‘Cut’ by Wolfgang Puck, the celebrated US chef, who opened the original ‘Cut’ at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills in 2006. The restaurant will have a focus on steaks.

The Ignite Group recently announced the opening of Senkai restaurant in London’s West End on the former ‘Cocoon’ site. Senkai is a modern Japanese inspired restaurant serving mainly British, sustainable produce, which also features a signature ‘raw bar,’ which seats 20 people and offers seafood platters, tiradito and tataki dishes and ceviche, as well as an extensive drinks menu.

There is also a relaxed cocktail lounge, which has a feature wall of Japanese prints, seating up to 50 people with a drinks menu of contemporary and classic cocktails and bar food.

Situated on the edge of Spitalfields, Sky Lounge has launched with floor to ceiling windows and breathtaking views across the capital. With a contemporary chic style, the champagne and cocktail bar will offer seafood, oysters and bar food to nibble and share, and cool music from the resident DJ. The pop-up bar and dining spot, located on the 32nd floor of Nido on Frying Pan Alley, will be open until April 2012.

Dukes Hotel in St James has re-launched its fine dining restaurant as Thirty Six, with Michelin starred chef Nigel Mendham at the help, making his first step into the London restaurant scene. The restaurant has its own entrance at 36 Little St. James Street, and also has seating for thirty six diners.

Covent Garden continues to improve with the opening of 10 Cases, a ‘bistro a vin’ offering classic European dishes with only 10 cases of 10 types of red wine and 10 types of white wine on offer, which will be changed when each case runs out.

West London has witnessed much excitement with the arrival of Hedone in Chiswick. The chef and owner is an ingredients’ specialist, therefore the restaurant places a huge focus on sourcing the right ingredients, which shine through in the two set menus on offer.

It seems that the next few months will be even busier, with new openings arriving at a relentless pace, starting with Bread Street Kitchen, the latest restaurant from Gordon Ramsay Holdings, which will open on 26 September at One New Change near St Paul’s. Bread Street Kitchen will offer 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 owners of the Italian restaurant Babbo have announced the launch of their second venture, Fornata, opening in early October on Kingly Street, Soho. Fornata will be a relaxed all day dining restaurant with a rustic design over two floors, including a long cocktail and dining bar. The menu will have an emphasis on oven-cooked dishes from southern Italy that are suitable for sharing.

Aurelia will be launched by the team behind Zuma, Roka and La Petite Maison in Mayfair later this month, which will surely be as popular as its siblings.

The team behind Hawksmoor have announced their third steak restaurant and cocktail bar, Hawksmoor Guildhall, which is set to open on Basinghall Street in the City in October. The menu will include several new dishes alongside the traditional offering of steaks, burger and chips.

Other notable openings include 34 Grosvenor Square, the latest venture from Caprice Holdings; Alyn Williams at The Westbury, Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley’s former head chef opening his first restaurant at The Westbury Hotel; and Pizarro from Jose Pizarro, following the success of his tapas bar, Jose, which will feature London’s first tapas bar.

Let’s also not forget about Thomas Keller, one of the most celebrated chefs in the US, popping-up at Harrods with his French Laundry restaurant for 10 days from 1 October 2011.

For further information or for reservations, please contact your concierge.

Fox and Squirrel: Art and Fashion Walks in London

Posted by Bon Vivant

Fox and Squirrel launched its services in September 2010, offering an innovative spin on guided walks around London.

Fox and Squirrel offer personal guided walks through London unveiling the capital’s hidden art and fashion scene. Art historians and/or art curators guide the art walks, and the itinerary is carefully created to match the individual’s or the group’s interests, while the guide explains the work on display and introduces you to London’s art scene.

Similarly, Fox and Squirrel’s fashion walks are guided by a professional stylist, and with the use of a questionnaire, the individual’s or group’s style and character is correlated to a London borough.

Immerse yourself in London’s fashion scene walking with some of London’s emerging stylists or be guided through rails of vintage clothes by vintage specialists.

Walks can be personalised to suit your own needs and tastes. For further information on Fox and Squirrel, please visit their website here.

‘The Two’ – Live at Momo

Posted by Bon Vivant

For two exclusive nights, MOMO restaurant will host private performances from the Parisian duo ‘The Two‘.

‘The Two’ was created seven years ago when band mates Ara Starck and David Jarre met in Paris and began to create music using the magic of uncluttered melody and vocal harmony – David is also a multi-instrumentalist and their music is sung in English.

This will be the debut event for the Live at Momo series as a new stage for modern music.

Where? Momo Restaurant, 25 Heddon Street, W1B 4BH

When? 15th and 16th of September 2011 at 21:00

For table bookings and guest list enquires, please call 07814 552 991 or email enchantedtunes1@gmail.com

Fornata Restaurant, Soho

Posted by Bon Vivant

The owners of the Italian restaurant Babbo have announced the launch of their second venture, Fornata, opening in early October on Kingly Street, Soho.

Fornata will be a relaxed all day dining restaurant with a rustic design over two floors, including a long cocktail and dining bar. The menu will have an emphasis on oven-cooked dishes from southern Italy that are suitable for sharing.

Fornata will open from 8am, serving Italian coffee and pastries, followed by a selection of southern Italian baked dishes for lunch. In the evening, you can pop in for aperitivos and antipasti, and the bar is open until 1.00am.

For further information, please visit their website or contact your concierge.

Le Meurice Paris – Hotel Review

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Emyr Thomas visits Le Meurice Paris.

Steeped in history since it first opened its doors in 1835, Le Meurice Paris majestically holds court on the Rue de Rivoli with the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries, one of Paris’s most striking parks, directly opposite. With Place Vendôme and Rue Sainte-Honoré also mere minutes away, Le Meurice must surely be one of the most desired addresses in Paris and certainly one of the best luxury hotels in Paris.

The 18th-century architecture, modern design touches and the latest in contemporary comfort and elegance create a truly resplendent modern palace hotel. At each moment spent in the confines of the hotel, there is someone one step ahead and one step behind, making sure that every whim and desire is taken care of. Doors open, chocolate arrives in your room and drinks appear at the bar even before you realise that you want them. But then, of course, you realise you do.

But it is not the service alone that makes Le Meurice special. The Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Tour d’Eiffel – all Paris’s great monuments, revered throughout the world – are visible from some of the rooms, allowing guests to be a tourist merely by glancing out the window. However, some of Paris’s most interesting history has occurred within the hotel itself. A guest book including princes, statesmen, artists and even a celebrity dog make you feel like the world comes to you at Le Meurice and that you will not miss a beat if you never set foot outside.

The 160 rooms and suites are elegant, classic and luxurious in the style of Louis XVI, while the suites feature huge walk-in wardrobes and exquisite marble bathrooms, complete with Penhaligon’s products, and the Belle Etoile penthouse has its own private lift, butler’s pantry and 360° views from its rooftop terrace.

The hotel excels with its restaurant offerings – three Michelin stars are found on the plates of the main dining room, which is decorated with ancient mirrors, chandeliers and frescoed ceilings, with perfectly placed tables and views over the Tuilerieis Gardens.

For those looking for something more relaxed but still opulent and just as glamorous, there is Restaurant Le Dali, named after Salvador Dali who spent at least one month every year at the hotel, along with many other famous artists, and whose influence is clearly felt throughout the hotel.

My lunch consisted of a peppery gazpacho amuse bouche followed by a milky, creamy burrata with salad, pine nuts and tomato shavings, with a main course of lobster with fine elbow pasta, Parmesan, asparagus and edible gold, all of which was expertly executed with impeccable service.

The main dining room had clearly dropped a few Michelin tips along the way and Le Dali would stand up to the competition of Paris’s other top tables on its own accolades.

Bar 228 with its live jazz and dark wood design brings out your inner Jay Gatsby, with decadent cocktails served in big crystal tumblers. For those in need of pampering, there is also a spa with expert therapists to help you look younger, more relaxed and glowing.

Breakfast in bed at Le Meurice is the ultimate Parisian indulgence – a trolley with crisp white linens arrives with a perfectly positioned rose on the tray, stunning silverware and truly exquisite croissants, while the daylight streams gently through the windows.

Le Meurice Paris is regal, glamorous and charming, expertly showing how a grand hotel can be anything but stuffy.

For further information or to make a booking at Le Meurice, please contact your concierge or check our guide to the best luxury hotels in Paris.

The Hoxton Apprentice

Posted by Bon Vivant

Located in Shoreditch, the Hoxton Apprentice is a restaurant with a difference – it trains the long-term unemployed with on-the-job skills so they can get a real, permanent job in the restaurant industry.

On Thursday 15th September they are hosting a fund raising event where all the proceeds will be reinvested in training more unemployed people at the restaurant.

There will be a champagne reception courtesy of Lanson, followed by a gourmet dinner from top chef Anton Edelmann. There will also be speeches from Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers from Wahaca, Matthew Fort from BBC TV’s Great British Menu and Iqbal Wahhab founder of Cinnamon Club and Roast restaurants.

Tables of 8 are available for £1,500 and can be purchased from the Hoxton apprentice.