Our time in Islington ended last week, so before Christmas Mike and I went for dinner at The Booking Office at the recently renovated St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel at King’s Cross. (Yes, I know it’s technically Camden, but it’s only a mile from our old flat.) When it opened, my old boss took his then-girlfriend […]
I’m not a huge fan of Christmas. I’m really not. I’ve tried, and there are lots of elements I like – namely the pigs in blankets and goodwill to all men – but the saccharine, schmaltzy side isn’t for me. What I really like is the cosiness of it all – the smell of real pine […]
“There are a lot of girls in here,” said Mike, suspiciously, as though I’d tricked him into becoming the next human sacrifice at an Ann Summers party, or militant lesbian rally.
It’s amazing how you can live in London for absolutely bloody ages and think you know about every cool thing going, and then, out of nowhere, you find out there’s an ice climbing wall hiding in Covent Garden, or a flying trapeze school in Hyde Park. Or a glassblowing studio in London Bridge.
There’s nothing nicer that taking a Friday afternoon off work. Especially when you’re going ice climbing, getting your beard did and beating the queues at one of Soho’s hottest new restaurants.
Several years ago, James 1 asked me if I wanted to go and see a play he’d got last minute tickets to at the Red Lion Theatre in Angel. They were free, so off I went.
I’ve never been to New York, but I’ve known of the great American steakhouse Smith & Wollensky ever since I read American Psycho many years ago. As a discerning psychopath, wealthy protagonist Patrick Bateman name-drops hundreds of fancy brands – some real, some not – and S&W is one of them.
“I bet the blokes who work here get laid a lot,” muttered Carla behind me, as we clambered up the very steep steps of Mr Fogg’s Gin Parlour.
Winter is coming. But first…autumn!
There’s a lot not to like about Barrafina. For instance: the layout, which sits precisely 29 diners behind a cramped L-shaped counter. Everyone else waits – for up to two hours! – directly behind them, getting in the way of pained-looking hosting staff and audibly wishing the people ahead of them would eat a bit […]
