Archive For February 2018
Kingsland Drinks has launched Shorn Pinot Grigio sparkling wine in the UK, a wine that gets it bubbles through introduced carbonation. The investment in the equipment to add the bubbles was in response to the well-publicised increased demand for sparkling wine in Britain. We in the UK have had a love of Champagne for generations….
Japan is a country like no other. Ask people where in the world they would dream of visiting and they will likely mention Japan. It is a heady cocktail of tradition and modernity, and it’s easy to feel out of one’s depth. But there is help, and in a very convenient size and format. A…
Chotto Matte is one of my favourite Soho restaurants. It’s original, reasonably priced and the food is always exceptional. I have previously visited for dinner (read my review here) and this second visit for Brunch did not disappoint. Each brunch booking allows the diners (minimum of 2) a couple of cocktails and prosecco, beer or…
The name Elizabeth Shaw immediately brings to mind those wonderful Mint Crisps (review to follow shortly). She started making them in 1937 and they have not fallen out of fashion. These days there is a new range of delicious treats under the Elizabeth Shaw banner, and they still have that high quality one has come…
Ettore Sottsass (1917 – 2007) was an Italian architect and designer. His body of work included furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting, and strangely, office equipment, which later became iconic and collectable. Items such as typewriters were masterpieces of colour, form and contemporary styling. He also designed many buildings and interiors. Sottsass was born in Innsbruck, Austria,…
Junmai Ginjo is just one of many styles of sake. The differences are derived from the type of rice used, the local water, the skill of the Master Brewer or Toji, the koji mould, yeast and, in some cases, added alcohol. But the main factor isn’t an ingredient at all but the degree to which…
From the man behind one of London’s most groundbreaking modern Indian restaurants, The Cinnamon Club, Vivek Singh announces the opening of his latest restaurant Cinnamon Kitchen at London’s iconic Grade II*-listed landmark, Battersea Power Station this March. The sleek, urban-inspired restaurant located within a quirky railway arch will be open for brunch, lunch and dinner…
The Mauritshuis is home to some of the most famous Dutch paintings of the Golden Age. The gallery is a perfectly formed and fitting contemporary venue for its much-loved collections. It has a beautiful and leafy location in the heart of The Hague and it houses masterpieces such as Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring…
Friday 12 January – Tuesday 13 March 2018 Room 90a, Prints and Drawings Gallery, British Museum The British Museum presents a selection of objects in a new display called Pots with Attitude: British Satire on Ceramics, 1760-1830. This focussed display offers a unique opportunity to enjoy 18th-century satire on both ceramics and prints. Drawing on…
Emma Janzen has penned a companion to the bartender’s under-utilised spirit called Mezcal. People often assume it is a brand of tequila but in fact the opposite is nearer the truth. Tequila is made from only one variety of agave, where Mezcal is allowed a broader choice and therefore a larger range of taste experiences….
From 8 March – 15 July 2018 – The influence of modern Greece on the lives and work of three influential artists is explored in a new exhibition at the British Museum this spring. Charmed lives in Greece: Ghika, Craxton, Leigh Fermor (8 March – 15 July 2018) examines the enduring friendship between Greek painter…
One couldn’t think of a better location for this latest Ippudo. I have visited one other branch, the one in St Giles Piazza, but I have never had the opportunity to review. The new Ippudo is just along from Embankment Underground station so it couldn’t be more convenient. Villiers Street connects the Strand with Victoria…
The Al Thani Collection Treasures of the Mughals and the Maharajas, published on the occasion of the extraordinary exhibition of the Al Thani Collection in Venice, allows readers to enjoy, at least from a little distance, the jeweller’s crafts and traditions of the Indian subcontinent, from the pre-Raj Mughal period to more recent times. The…