Archive For The “British” Category
Centre Point is iconic, at least for Londoners. It’s an imposing concrete and glass office building in central London and just above Tottenham Court Road Underground station. It couldn’t be more convenient for those using London’s equally iconic transport system. The area is something of a building sight just now – it’s the Crossrail development…
St James’s Hotel is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful hotels in London, a city that has some of the most beautiful hotels in the world. It’s a boutique hotel set in a Victorian townhouse but its red brick and ornate stonework make this a jewel in an already glittering city crown. St…
A roasting jack was a machine popular in Tudor times. It was a mechanism for rotating meat on a skewer or spit. Often it was a kitchen menial who had the sweaty job of slowly turning the meat in front of a roaring fire, and sometimes it was even a dog on a treadmill that…
London! What do we think of? Historic continuity, elegance, refinement – and tea. So much of what visitors seek in this capital city includes one or several of these qualities, and there are a few places that will enable tourist and local alike to enjoy all of them. Fortnum & Mason is just such an…
There seems to be no waning of the popularity of afternoon tea. It was, quite a while back, regarded as chintzy and stuffy but now it is considered a real meal, rather than an event of boring obligation for your Great Aunt Betty’s 80th birthday. Andaz offers a warming version of afternoon tea. I personally…
Think about Old London and what scene comes to mind? Fog, intertwined alleys and hidden courtyards, probably. Iron railings, warm brick, brass plaques. And hotels: yes, every Edwardian writer seemed to talk about hotels. They were the acceptable places in which to meet friends and to dine, when restaurants were less numerous than they are…
He is a Michelin-starred chef and a Roux Scholarship winner but Chef Matthew Tomkinson seems untouched by his celebrity. He is a nice bloke who loves his work, and the rest is just the proverbial icing on the well-presented cake. I asked Matthew if he came from a cheffy background. Did his family have anything…
There is no mistaking that this is indeed Lotte’s Kitchen. I am sure an aerial view would show this cafe as a pink blob. This pastel-coloured venue is, if you know Lotte Duncan, just what you would expect and just what you would hope for. You will likely recognise Lotte Duncan from her numerous food…
The neighbourhood belongs to the Worshipful Company of Mercers. A mercer was a dealer in textiles and The Mercers’ Company is one of the 108 Livery Companies of the City of London, established around 700 years ago. These days the organisation is known for its charities and schools but Mercer Street still bears the name…
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of heathland about 30 miles (48 km) south of London in East Sussex. It was once a medieval hunting forest created soon after the Norman conquest of 1066. The Forest continued to be used by royalty and the nobility for hunting into Tudor times. King Henry VIII, the monarch…
Originally designed by Charles Barry and his son, Charles Edward Barry, the hotel opened in 1884, after ten years in construction. It was extended in 1901 by Colonel Robert Edis. It’s this date that gives its name to the restaurant and wine bar. The Great Eastern Hotel, for that was its original name, had its…
It’s been a while since I had a steak. My dining companions will very often choose a hunk of meat, where I’ll go for a rather exotic or cheffy entrée. But I do periodically crave a good steak. It’s almost a comfort food. High-end admittedly but comforting nevertheless. Black and Blue does it well. All…
It is indeed a park, and a world-renowned 27-hole golf course set in landscaped grounds. Lots of facilities for club members, as well as for those taking advantage of day-membership and hospitality packages. But there is a stunning little corner of Stoke Park which is open to the general public and at a price that…
[This venue is now closed] The Cadogan Hotel in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, was built in 1887. The name commemorates the Earls Cadogan, who, through their company Cadogan Estates have owned Sloane Street and the surrounding area for generations.This marvellously appointed Victorian luxury hotel was, soon after its opening, to play host to the arrest of…
Cookham is an iconic and quintessentially English village near enough to London to be accessible even for lunch or dinner but far enough away to present the diner with a sense of charm and calm. The area has been inhabited for thousands of years. There are several prehistoric burial mounds and Cookham is recorded in…
I am an unashamed supporter of The Dorchester. It’s iconic and has endured – it’s been around for decades, since the start of the 1930s, and its façade still reflects those striking and chiselled architectural features of the Art Deco era. The Dorchester is a vision of pale grey but its colourful and ever-changing front…
Roast is a very aptly named restaurant in London’s famed Borough Market. That might conjure images of a steamy-windowed greasy-spoon cafe (note no accent over the ‘e’ so pronounced to rhyme with safe). Roast could not be further from that vinyl vision. The menu here celebrates the best of British food and that includes roasts…
Bread Street is a ward of the City of London in the neighbourhood of Cheapside, and its name is taken from its main thoroughfare, which was originally and unsurprisingly a bread market. Historic records show that in 1302 the bakers of London were ordered to sell no bread from their homes but only in the…
Dukes boutique hotel is tucked away in a quiet courtyard in London’s stylish St James’s. It was the winner of “England’s Leading Boutique Hotel” at the World Travel Awards 2011 and it’s no surprise. Whilst its salubrious location is part of the charm it still stands apart from much of the local competition. It has…
Stately Homes have always held a fascination. Great houses set amongst manicured lawns, and trees often grown from seedlings collected by intrepid botanists a couple of centuries ago. But now we can enjoy not only a few hours at these magnificent estates but we can stay and play. When it comes to chequered and fascinating…