The Lucky Pig Bar Review

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Bon Vivant

Agents of the Bureau of Prohibition would have certainly walked past the Lucky Pig. It’s hidden away on a lower ground floor at 5 Clipstone Street in an inconspicuous part of London’s Fitzrovia. The speakeasy cocktail bar is not easy to spot, although when you come closer you can see that it has quite a big sign with a huge and happy pig on it.

The bar is named after the gangster Lucky Luciano, who supplied booze to the illegal drinking dens in the United States during Prohibition. Such establishments were often called Blind Pigs, a phrase that originated from the 19th century saloons that sold beer or liquor without license. The owner would charge customers to see an ‘attraction’ such as a pig and then serve ‘complimentary’ alcoholic beverage.

Thankfully, we did not meet any real pigs (or people who behaved like them), but instead received a VIP treatment from head bar tender Dren Lala. You know you are in good hands when a barman reserves you and your guest two stools at the bar and says: “I’m gonna get you really drunk tonight.”

The Lucky Pig menu offers a mix of classic drinks and experimental cocktails, and so my friend Shelley and I started going through the list one by one.

I began with a cocktail especially made for me, because I told Dren that I really liked Campari, but wanted to try something different. He mixed Grey Goose vodka, Martini Rosato and Aperol. It was lovely, but I prefer drinks that are more sour, and so for the next one Dren suggested an experimental cocktail called “Pimp my Side Car” – Hennessey XO Cognac, Grand Marnier Centenaire and fresh lemon (£9.50).

Shelley, who couldn’t find The Lucky Pig and spent quite a bit of time walking up and down the street (I couldn’t hear my phone), calmed her nerves with a Champagne Mojito – Bacardi Blanca, lime, sugar and Champagne (£9) followed by “Hedgerow Sling” – Sipsmith Gin, Sipsmith Sloe Gin, lemon, sugar and soda (£8.50).

Shelley is a big fan of gin so her next two cocktails had to be gin based. She absolutely loved the “Strawberry Jive” – Bloom Gin, lemon juice, orange juice, mint, strawberries & basil (£8.50) and was equally impressed with “Churchill Martini” – Williams English Gin, featuring Martini extra dry (£8.50).

I adore cocktails with champagne, so I went for a drink that’s very popular with the ladies called “Cherry Blossom” – Finlandia mango, raspberries, framboise, pineapple juice and Champagne (£9). I continued the cocktail tasting with the absolutely fantastic “Southside Royal” – Bombay Sapphire Gin, lime, mint and cucumber, topped with Champagne (£9).

I must confess that I couldn’t remember the ingredients of the cocktails so well after all that alcohol, but Dren was kind enough to give me a menu and we both put a cross by each cocktail after we were done with it. Shelley loved the place so much that I had to drag her kicking and screaming out of the Lucky Pig, but not before we shared “The Lucky Blazer” – a cocktail perfect for venturing into the cold night – Drambuie, brown sugar, raspberries, citrus fruits and cherry, served warm.

Address: 5 Clipstone Street, London, W1W 6BB

Phone: 020 7436 0035

Opening Times: Monday to Saturday 17:00 until late

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Kimchee: Korean Restaurant in Holborn

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Bon Vivant

By Vilma Darling

You do have great hopes for a restaurant when you see crowds of people not very patiently queuing at dinner time – we had to almost elbow our way into KIMCHEE on our visit one Thursday night!

Kimchee, a Korean restaurant, named after one of the country’s most famous national dishes (fermented vegetables with a variety of seasonings), opened last year at 71 High Holborn in London. It’s the brainchild of Korean entrepreneur and Wasabi restaurant owner Dong Hyun Kim.

Kimchee’s interior features dark wood panelling, beautiful lampshades and an open kitchen. The Wagamama type seating offers not very intimate, but buzzing and canteen-esque dining experience.

Korean food is much less popular in the UK than Chinese or Thai and being not that familiar with its dishes, I always get a bit confused about what to order. Koreans traditionally share an array of dishes, so my friend Beata and I decided to try as many different plates as our appetite would allow us. Kimchee’s manager was of great help and simply said: “I’ll send a few dishes, shall I?”

So here is the list of what we ate and drank, and… our verdict!

Kimchee

Pickled cabbage with chilly & garlic. I find it hard to get excited about fermented cabbage, and you have to be a lover of very sour flavours, similar to sauerkraut to really enjoy it. Good, but, it’s still a cabbage… (£2.50)

Yuk Hwae

Thinly sliced raw beef, sliced pear & egg yolk. Similar to beef tartare and absolutely amazing! Beata and I were slightly put off by the sight of raw beef and raw egg, but after the first bite, we both quickly got over the hesitation. Excellent dish that we both highly recommend. (£4.90)

Pa Jeon

Traditional Korean pancake with spring onions and mixed seafood, served with soy & chilly sauce. The filling and very good. I really loved the bits of seafood, especially the baby octopus. (£5.90)

Seafood Dolsot Bibimbap

Rice, vegetables, raw egg, red chilly paste, scallops, calamari, mussel and prawns. My least favourite dish. I found it a bit dry and neither of us wanted the only mussel… The dish is served sizzling in earthenware pot and before the rice is placed in the pot, the bottom of the bowl is coated with sesame oil, making the rice touching the pot crispy and golden brown. Not my ideal choice. (£8.40)

Spicy Chicken Bulgogi

Chicken marinated in hot & spicy chilly pepper sauce, onions and garlic and served with crispy lettuce leaves. Very enjoyable. We both loved wrapping the chicken in lettuce. Tasted filling and healthy (we hope!) (£6.90)

Pork Bulgogi

Thinly sliced pork, marinated in fruity sauce, with onions & garlic. Very similar to the chicken dish above, but less spicy. Very good! (£7.20)

Hot Pot Bulgogi

Thinly sliced beef in soy marinade, cooked with vegetables and glass noodles in a steaming broth. The most flavoursome and exotic dish. I really loved the broth with dates. Sweet, but not too much. (£7.60)

Kimberry cocktail

Makgeolli mixed with raspberry liqueur, shaken with crushed ice and raspberries. Sweet and milky Makgeolli is the traditional Korean alcohol made of fermented rice and wheat. The raspberry cocktail was sweet and delicious and best enjoyed after the meal. (£5.40)

Mae Wha Soo – fantastic Korean plum wine. Almost too good. (£11/300ml)

Verdict: Kimchee is a place for a quick, delicious, reasonably priced, but not very relaxing, meal. The waiters were running around looking a bit stressed, the plates took time to be cleared away and the flow of people didn’t stop throughout our dinner. But Korean food is definitely on my ‘get-to-know-better’ list and I’d certainly go back to Kimchee, but would ideally try to get there at a less busy time.

Address: 71 High Holborn, London

Phone: 020 7430 0956

Ayanna Spa Review

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Bon Vivant

By Vilma Darling

Freezing temperatures, Arctic winds, lack of vitamin D and too much comfort food are only a few things that I dislike about winter. But my skin hates the horrible weather with such passion, that it goes red and becomes so dry, that it actually hurts. My body this time of year only wants to eat and sleep. But the show must go on and so to treat my miserable self I went to the Ayanna Spa on Holland Park Avenue in London.

The ladies there told me straight away that my problematic skin and body had come to the right place. They said Ayanna was a results-based spa and that the therapists did not follow protocol – every treatment would be adjusted to your particular needs.

My experience started with a massage to relieve stress and tension. Like most desk-bound and heavy-bag-carrying people, I often have pains in my neck, head, shoulders and lower back. Kay, the massage therapist, concentrated on those areas and confirmed that I have ‘lots going on’, especially on my left side. She was full of very knowledgeable advice and was so good at making me relax that towards the end I did not want to leave the lovely heated bed. I could have fallen asleep there and then, but another therapist was waiting to do my facial.

Mariana looked at my skin and suggested the Prescriptive Facial. She cleaned it, hydrated, nourished, calmed and, where needed, skilfully decongested.

The Ayanna spa was opened only three months ago by ex-City girl Nalini Williams. She had been a regular spa client for many years and has been collating her experiences to one day open her own spa where clients can relax and leave feeling rejuvenated.

Nalini teamed up with her facialist of five years, and they pooled thoughts, knowledge and experience and the building of their dream began. They have decided to use Pevonia for their advanced formulation and innovative treatment products, Priori for anti-aging cosmeceuticals range and DANNÉ Montague-King for the paramedical products and treatments. CACI has been chosen for its leadership in aesthetic treatment technology, HydraFacial for skin resurfacing without the need for lasers, Active Optima 518 for IPL hair removal and skin rejuvenation using a patented GEM technology and Radio Frequency for slimming treatments.

The spa owner is often a ‘guinea pig’ for treatments they are experimenting with, but she says she loves the HydraFacial and Lumafirm Lift & Glow facials that work wonders on her skin.

“We remain focused on our original vision – employing the best resources to provide clients with results-based treatments in an environment they can enjoy and relax.”

Bon Vivant’s members are entitled to a discount of 10% on treatments at the spa.

Address: 146 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UE

Phone: +44 20 7998 7872

Fashion Cocktails at the Light Bar

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Bon Vivant

By Vilma Darling

The Light Bar in London’s St. Martins Lane Hotel has launched a new selection of Front Row cocktails in celebration of London Fashion Week. The glamorous event will begin this Friday in the nearby Somerset House, and so the bar hopes to lure fashionistas with some refreshing drinks.

The Front Row cocktail list caters to the weight conscious fashion crowd and is light on calories. For example, the Long Legged Londoner is made with Bombay Sapphire gin, rose syrup, pink clove cordial, fresh lemon juice and soda.

My favourite, the $10,000 Breakfast (Wyborowa vodka infused with Jasmine and clove, shaken with creme de peche, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white), was pleasantly sour and very refreshing.

The St Martins Lane sister hotel, Sanderson, has also developed a new line of Skinny Cocktails inspired by Fashion Week. Six lightly crafted cocktails are made of the freshest ingredients that apparently won’t stick to your waistline.

Try the Scarlet Martini – Wyborowa vodka shaken with fresh strawberries and cucumber honey water and finished with pomegranate juice (135 calories) – or the Mexicana – Jose Cuervo Tradicional shaken with green grapes, apple puree, apple juice and elderflower cordial (150 calories).

Barcelona Travel Guide

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Bon Vivant

By Vilma Darling

Getting lost in the labyrinth of medieval streets in Barri Gòtic, admiring the surreal architecture by Antoni Gaudi, tasting some fabulous food at Ferran Adria’s tapas bar and dancing until dawn in the seafront nightclubs are just a few things you could do in one of the most fabulous and hedonistic cities on Earth – Barcelona.

Catalonia’s capital is the perfect destination for a weekend break and a charming Valentine’s day gift for your beloved other half. Barcelona’s crowded streets and busy nightlife might be just a bit too much if you want to spend some quality romantic time together and so the Gran Hotel La Florida offers a perfect getaway.

The Hotel

Located on the top of Mount Tibidabo, at 500 meters above the city and seven kilometres away from its centre, this boutique hotel lures visitors with its stunning panoramic views and the exclusivity of a private luxury home with an option of a vibrant city literally at your feet.

The Hotel La Florida was designed by Noucentista architect Ramon Raventos and first opened its doors in 1925. It was used as a military hospital during the Spanish Civil War and in the 1950s became a playground of the Catalan bourgeoisie who retired to the hotel in the Tibidabo mountain for the summer. Ernest Hemingway, Princess Fabiola, Prince of Belgium and many FC Barcelona players were all guests at La Florida. But the hotel was closed in 1978 and only re-opened in 2003.

The Hotel La Florida was extended and modernised, the word ‘Gran’ was added to its name, but it stayed true to the Noucentista style. The original façade was left intact and many of the old decorative and structural elements were meticulously renovated.

Besides the views and exclusive location, the best thing about Gran Hotel La Florida is its feel of a luxury home. The hotel is spacious, quiet and peaceful, and the staff are friendly and helpful, but unobtrusive. The guests can go to the swimming pool and spa in their bathrobes through the first floor entrance and not worry about bumping into better dressed people in the lobby or the bar.

The two spaces are separated by the “Archimedes Fountain” and the impossible to see through water feature. Antique photographs and engravings of the hotel and its surroundings adorn the rooms and corridors, and the paintings of flowers by the Catalan artist Isabel Cruellas was especially commissioned for the inauguration of the hotel. The British artists Ben Jakober and Yannick Vu have also created three modern sculptures that represent the elements of earth, light and water.

Spa

In winter a glass wall separates the stainless steel infinity pool outside from the pool inside (37 metres in total), but it was still my favourite thing in the spa. Just swimming into the sunshine coming through the glass and seeing the sky and city below was enough to make you feel like you were in a very special place. In summer the Miramar bar is open on the terrace by the pool and relaxing music entertains guests who arrive from Barcelona to admire the views and enjoy the cocktails.

The Zen One spa offers facial and body treatments such as relaxing and sports massages, honey body scrubs, reflexology, Dead Sea mud baths, Swiss chocolate treatments and volcanic stone therapy among many others.

I tried the Sparience Oxygen Bubble experience – sitting and breathing inside a giant and very sci-fi looking plastic bubble, filled with 99.5% oxygen (24 Euros for 23 minutes). The treatment is supposed to reduce stress, aid injury recovery and help to recharge the batteries. The AlphaSphere bed/chair vibrates and emits warmth, blue light and strange, space age style music.

The spa beauticians say the only other location where such a treatment is offered is the Sports Medicine Unit of Quirón Hospital, where it is used to treat people recovering from injuries and stress. Breathing pure air offers a host of health benefits including revitalising the body’s natural mechanisms that eliminate toxins and dead cells, optimising the recovery process following physical exercise and providing a natural anti-aging treatment.

Rooms

All rooms in the Gran Hotel La Florida feature generously-sized marble bathrooms with in-floor heating, L’Occitane toiletries, Egyptian cotton towels, plasma screen televisions and Internet access. I was pleasantly surprised to find a hot bath full of locally grown lavender upon my return to the room in the evening.

Guests can choose from 70 rooms, the most impressive being the Presidential and Sky Terrace suites among 8 Designer and Junior Suites. Some of the rooms have a private Jacuzzi and spacious terraces and gardens and offer breathtaking panoramic views of the Pyrenees mountains, the city and the sea.

Double rooms starts from 175 Euros per room per night on a room-only basis, including tax.

Website: www.hotellaflorida.com

Phone: +34 932 593 064

Guests wanting the ultimate wellness stay can choose the Relaxing Escape package which cost from 215 Euros (£188) per Deluxe room per night and includes a 30 minute “Sparience” treatment for one person, a 50 minute “Cool Therapy” treatment for one person, free access to the ZenZone Spa, welcome drink upon arrival and buffet breakfast at l’Orangerie restaurant. (Offer valid until 31 March 2012).

The City

How to get there: Monarch airline has launched flights to Barcelona from Gatwick airport with fares, including taxes, starting from £36.00 one way (£57.00 return). For further information or to book Monarch flights, please visit www.monarch.co.uk

What to see: La Segrada Familia; Park Guell; Barcelona FC stadium and museum.

Where to eat & drink: Ask your concierge for the perfect suggestions to match your specific requirements and tastes.

On this trip we visited Fabrica Moritz, Ronda Sant Antoni, 41 ; Velodromo, Carrer Muntaner, 213 (+34 93 430 60 22); Dry Martini, Carrer Aribau 162-166; Boadas, Carrer Tallers 1 (+34 93 318 95 92).

For further information or to make a booking, please contact your concierge at Bon Vivant. To make sure you’re kept informed of similar updates on a regular basis, subscribe to the blog, our fortnightly newsletter, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook!

Flambé Menu at The Drift

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Bon Vivant

By Vilma Darling

Not drinking alcohol or eating out in January? Thankfully, the most miserable month of the year is nearly over. So why not celebrate its end with some serious wining and dining? There will be plenty of new restaurants and bars opening in 2012, and the ones that are already established are trying to tempt the post-detox crowd with exciting new menus.

The Drift bar and restaurant in the Heron Tower at 110 Bishopsgate has introduced some hot and flaming dishes that were popular in the 1970s. Its Flambé menu offers Beef Stroganoff (beef fillet sautéed, creamy mushroom sauce with a hint of mustard, flamed with cognac), Scampi Mornay (scampi served in a creamy cheese sauce and also flamed with cognac) and Steak Diane (minute steak pan-fried in a rich creamy sauce with mushrooms, gherkins & hint of mustard & flamed with cognac) for the mains.

Meanwhile, Crêpes Suzette (pancakes with fresh oranges, lemon juice & sugar, flamed with Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao) and Banana Flambé (caramelised bananas with sugar & butter and flamed with cognac) can be ordered for dessert.

Starter, main course and dessert costs £29.95 and £45.95 if paired with Flambé cooking matching cocktails. I had a generous mug of “Flaming your Thai” (5 year plantation rum, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao, pink grapefruit, orgeat, egg white, orange bitters & flaming lime) to kick-start my appetite. The cocktail was really good and for once I wasn’t complaining that the amount of drink in my glass was so insignificant.

I chose Beef Stroganoff for my main course and it came paired with “Cobbled together punch” – spiced & chilly mulled wine and plantation dark overproof rum 73%. The beef was juicy and I could really taste the rich flavour of the cognac cutting through the creamy mushroom sauce. The cocktail was without flames, but it was so spicy, it was almost fiery and went down very well with the meat. All the cocktails can be purchased separately for £7.95 each.

The Flambé dishes are always made by a dedicated chef at your table so you have to book 24 hours in advance. Bon Appétit!

Manson: A Fabulous British Brasserie

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Bon Vivant

By Vilma Darling

Let me begin this review not with the description of the place or the reason why I went there, but with the food and drink. My starter was the nicest piece of fish I had tasted in a very long time, if not ever. The generous portion of Caraway Cured Sea Trout with pickles, cabbage and dill (£7.00) was fresh, full of flavours and so delicious, I didn’t want to stop eating.

And… after the first sip of the fabulous British Sparkling wine Ridgeview Bloomsbury 2009 my taste buds went straight to heaven. It was actually so good I wrote down the name, Googled it, and bought a bottle the very next day from here. The wine is really fizzy, dry and perfect for everyday drinking and special occasions.

My friend Diana was equally impressed with her starter of leg of partridge, quince, honey and oatmeal (£7.50) and also claimed it was a long time since she had eaten such a lovely dish.

So where did we taste these fabulous things? The place is a British brassiere called Manson at 676 Fulham Road in London. The new chef Alan Stewart, who previously worked at Launceston Place and Michelin starred Chez Bruce, took over the command of the kitchen in October. He is championing a ‘field to fork’ philosophy of local and seasonal produce, and so the menus are constantly changing.

Many of the ingredients are picked from the restaurant’s own allotments and Britain’s woodland and hedgerows. The kitchen staff bake their own bread twice a day, smoke their own meat and fish, butcher the whole animals and even churn their own butter.

The menu is so fabulously British that sitting in a busy London restaurant I could close my eyes and imagine a relaxing weekend in the countryside and the beautiful scenery where the ingredients come from.

Dreaming about the beach and the sea (in summer months, mind you!) I ordered Wild Black Bream, Norfolk mussels, sprout leaves and smoked bacon (£17.00). Diana was up for some more gamey meat and chose Roast Gurnard, salt baked parsnip, black cabbage and fennel seed yoghurt (£14.50).

I got a bit more than what I had dreamt about, because my meal was so full of the flavours of the sea, it was almost too much. Add the smoked bacon to the taste of seafood and your palate is incredibly busy working overtime. Diana was very happy with the strong flavours of her wild duck – the meat juicy, soft and perfectly cooked.

We shared a piece of apple tart with clove ice-cream (£6.50) to finish off our British meat and seafood feast. It was divine! We cleaned off the plate with delight and had some port to wash down the delicious dessert.

Manson’s warm light, taupe and cream colours, wood-panelled bar, chestnut leather banquette seating and wooden tables create a cosy and quite grown-up atmosphere. It’s a perfect place for dinner on a dark winter night. In warmer weather, the brasserie’s doors open out onto the Fulham Road for alfresco dining.

Address: 676 Fulham Road, London, SW6 5SA
Phone: +44 20 7384 9559

New Delhi Travel Guide

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Bon Vivant

by Vilma Darling

This time of the year, India’s capital Delhi is engulfed by a mantle of mist and fog. The days are pleasantly warm and the cool nights smell of sulphur and burning wood. My local friend tells me that it’s wedding season so the fireworks and crackers add their distinctive flavour to the air. I’m also told it is the ‘party and going out season’ and the best time to visit if you want to go wedding-spotting or hang out with Delhi’s bright, beautiful and rich.

Delhi is a crazy and chaotic city – one of the most congested, biggest, busiest places I have ever been to. Even the labyrinth of hutongs - the narrow alleyways around the Forbidden City in Beijing – seem clean and organised after a trip to the Old Delhi.

The medieval bazaars sell everything you might wish to buy from clothes and jewellery to hairy and bloody goats’ heads and sticky sweets. The endless traffic of rickshaws, motorbikes, and wheelbarrows piled up with goods to unimaginable heights make it hard for a foreign visitor to navigate around.

But try to look past Old Delhi’s dirt and chaos and it will charm you with its madness, very unique character and such hidden gems as Karim’s eatery or the perfume and incense shop, Gulab Singh Johrimal.

Some of Delhi’s biggest tourist attractions and the legacy to its Islamic past are also here. The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan moved the capital from Agra to Old Delhi or Shahjahanabad as it was known in the 17^th century. He commissioned the building of the magnificent Red Fort as his home, and the biggest mosque in the country – Jama Masjid – to worship.

Built as the imperial capital of India by the British, the spacious New Delhi could not be more different. It serves as the centre of the government of India and hosts 134 foreign embassies and high commissions. In the middle of New Delhi looms the national monument of the country, the India Gate, inspired by Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. Originally known as the War Memorial, it commemorates the 90,000 soldiers of the Indian army who died fighting for the Indian Empire, or the British Raj to be correct.

New Delhi’s streets are wide, paved and much cleaner. Its glamorous cafes and restaurants, shopping malls, five-star hotels and chic sports clubs attract the well-off and the famous.

The 5 Star Grand Hotel, New Delhi

Rich and poor contrasts aside, India is also a very curious place… It felt like I was photographed by every single school boy and young man on my visit to the Red Fort. Some of them unashamedly stick their mobile phones right in front of your face, while others politely ask for a picture.

The metal detector gates by the fort’s entrance are actually made of wood and every visitor has to come up on makeshift steps and is carefully searched. We have to get our bags scanned on every return to the hotel and our purses are put through similar equipment at bigger shopping malls.

Many Indian women, especially older ones, wear saris, but most men enjoy western clothes. Some of them dress in tight colourful shirts and flared pink trousers and look like they have been transported straight from the 1970s.

The best thing about India is not yoga, spiritual gurus, textile shopping or even the Taj Mahal. It is a food lover’s paradise and Delhi is at the centre of this enormous country’s culinary map. Hungry tourists can munch on Mughal curries, South Indian pancakes, dosas, and one of Punjab’s signature dishes dal makhani, and many thousands, if not millions, of other dishes.

I came on this trip to learn about food as the Indian government is trying to increase the exports of its praised type of rice called Basmati. It only grows in India and Pakistan and is known for its nutty flavour and fragrance (Basmati means “full of aroma” in Hindi). Its long grains are not sticky, but most importantly for me, the Basmati rice has a lower GI (Glycemic index) and is supposedly better for our diet.

But if you are not only eating your way through India, Delhi has many other attractions. Don’t forget to check out India’s most visited monument Qutub Minar and the famous white marble mausoleum, Taj Mahal, is about 5 hours’ drive away in Agra.

The brave ones can take a bicycle tour and cycle around India’s capital; the not so brave should get around like locals in bicycle or auto rickshaws.

You can also just hang out with Delhi’s artists and cool kids in Hauz Khas Village and shop in the boutiques of local designers. I had the best spring rolls in the world in the South East Asian café there, but unfortunately I can’t remember its name… You’ll have to get there and find it for yourself - it’s more or less on the right hand side, at the beginning of the main street, just by the ATMs…go find it!

How to get there: Air India

Where to stay: The Grand Hotel

Where to Eat: Karim’s in the Old Delhi; cafes & restaurants in Hauz Khas Village

Where to shop: Fabindia, Anokhi, Gulab Singh Johrimal

What to see: Red Fort, Jama Masjid, India Gate, Qutub Minar, Old Delhi markets

What to have in your bag: Wet wipes, tissues, bottle of water, sun-cream and mosquito repellent and a fair bit of patience!

The Beauty of Beauty Salons: Acote

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Bon Vivant

By Vilma Darling

To me, the beauty of beauty salons is not only the obvious fact that we go there to get pampered, relax and improve our health and looks. The real beauty of great barbershops, hairdressers and nail parlours is the people who work there. If you go to the same salon regularly they don’t only make you pretty, but also become your friends and confidantes, and you theirs.

The ladies at Àcote Hair and Beauty were lovely and we chatted about the usual things – hairstyles, nail varnish colours, boyfriends and how to get rid of those annoying fine lines and sun damage.

The best thing about my experience there was the friendly and relaxed atmosphere and the fact that I was having my haircut and manicure done at the same time! I saved at least one hour of my valuable time and was about to ask if the pedicure could also be done simultaneously… But then I would probably be pushing my luck, wouldn’t I? Both ladies were creative, had great suggestions and in general made my time in the salon really enjoyable and fun.

Àcote is located on Chancery lane, just off High Holborn in central London and is perfect for busy City workers. Salon owner Mariela Valeova has been in the beauty industry for over 15 years. She opened the salon last year and decided to offer a wide range of beauty treatments and hair services for women and men under one roof.

You can get any kind of hair treatment from a quick blow dry, if you want to look special for an important meeting or an evening out, to treatments of severely damaged hair, Brazilian conditioning and straightening. The beauty menu is full of facials, waxing, IPL skin treatments, teeth whitening, Advanced Nutrition Programme and Collagen Stimulation Therapy with Environ Medical Roll-CIT™, which stimulates the skin’s collagen production to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and more.

I’m obsessed with the pigmentation caused by the sun damage on my forehead and Mariela said she herself had noticed it straight away. According to her, such problems should be addressed by treating the deep layers of the skin and not only peeling off the damaged surface. She suggested applying Environ Hydrating Oil Capsules for a month first and then coming back for a facial with Environ’s lonzyme DF II Machine.

I can’t wait to try it!

For further information, please contact your concierge at Bon Vivant.

L.T.D at The Social: London Bar Guide

Posted on October 28, 2011 by Bon Vivant

by Vilma Darling.

Six spirits with six cocktails per spirit is the idea behind the experimental pop-up cocktail club L.T.D. @ the Social, where legendary bartender Dre Masso assures that the six spirits used are the best of the best.

“When it comes to drinking, how much choice do we really need…or want?” Asked Dre and his colleagues who work for such esteemed places as the Connaught, Savoy, Quo Vadis, Pinchitos and other ‘independent taste-masters’ who formed the Social Drinks Committee. They were tasked to select spirits that they considered “All-rounders” from each section, but also good value for money (under £20 wholesale price).

After blind tasting and careful comparisons the Committee chose the winners – Stolichnaya vodka, Beefeater London Dry gin, Havana Club 7 yr old rum, Jameson Irish whiskey, Ocho Blanco vintage tequila, Courvoisier VS Cognac. They say these brands are linked to heritage and authenticity, respected in their country of origin and have strong brand loyalty from bartenders.

L.T.D is in the upstairs bar of the Social. Its wooden walls are decorated with Dre’s photos of his famous bartender friends. The place is simple but cosy and is a great pre-gig cocktail place if you later plan to go downstairs for some music. Jarvis Cocker was said to be there when we were enjoying our drinks upstairs.

Dre’s team serves cocktails in regular flutes and glasses, but also in metal mugs (“Bumble Bee” – gin, raspberries, lemon juice and honey water), jars (“Fresca” – tequila, berry liqueur, lemon juice and agave syrup) and latte cups (“Espresso Martini” – vodka, coffee liqueur, espresso and sugar).

Dre says most cocktails at the L.T.D @ The Social are based on classic recipes and are offered at an affordable price of £8.50 or £9.

I loved the “Armenian Plum” – brandy, apricot liqueur, apricot jam and lemon juice – while my friend enjoyed the “Sazerac” – whiskey, absinthe, sugar and Peychaud bitters.

Dre Masso knows what he is doing – he has been mixing drinks for 20 years in places like the Atlantic Bar & Grill, Ronnie Scott’s, Bungalow 8, Circus, Green & Red and Bali’s Potato Head Beach Club, to name a few.

The brands are not sponsoring this pop-up bar. Dre says they wanted to achieve the opposite effect and ‘cut through the brand-speak and get back to what bars should be founded, and judged, upon – the best drinks, served by the best in the business.’

The L.T.D @ The Social will be open till the end of this year and staffed by a rolling ‘rota’ of Dre’s cocktail legends.

Where? The Social, 5 Little Portland Street, London W1W 7JD

When? Until 31 December 2011