“It’s performance art meets bottle,” says one patron sitting at Gillray’s Bar, at the London Marriott County Hall on London’s South Bank. Forget the image of the run-of-the-mill hotel bar, with bland staff dispensing pallid lager and overpriced vodka tonics. At Gillray’s Bar, drinks are served with inspiring flavours, elan and a little bit of theatre. NewContinue reading “Best bars in London: Gillray’s Bar at the Marriott County Hall”
Category Archives: London & South East
What to do in London with kids in 2016
I adore farflung travel, but one of the benefits to living in London is that there are so many things to do with kids right here at home. I thought I’d share my list of don’t-miss activities for 2016, based on experiences we’ve had over the years. We choose our outings to appeal to ourContinue reading “What to do in London with kids in 2016”
Review: The World of Charles and Ray Eames, Barbican
Take a seat. In this case, a quintessential seat of the 20th century. That’s the way into the The World of Charles and Ray Eames, a current design exhibition at the Barbican – about the couple who created the iconic plastic DSW chair, the moulded plywood chair, the lounge chair and ottoman, all ofContinue reading “Review: The World of Charles and Ray Eames, Barbican”
Discovering a warm welcome in Camden Town #YoureWelcome
As parents of a tween and teen, we’re always on the lookout for a particular kind of family welcome at hotels. It needs to acknowledge the kids as almost-adults and meet their “cool quotient”. At the same time, we need a grown-up, comfortable experience. Holiday Inn’s #YoureWelcome campaign highlights how the hotels encourage familiesContinue reading “Discovering a warm welcome in Camden Town #YoureWelcome”
How to celebrate the Fourth of July in London
How to celebrate this very American holiday in London? I’ve been wondering that myself for about a decade. The thing about celebrating Fourth of July is that the enjoyment comes from knowing all your family, all your friends, the entire nation is celebrating too. When I lived in in New York, the Fourth meant cookoutsContinue reading “How to celebrate the Fourth of July in London”
London summer family fun: Polo in the Park
Summer in London is awash in festivals and outdoor parties, but there’s something quite special about Polo in the Park. The sport has real elegance, excitement and panache, and now it’s more family friendly than ever. (Scroll to the bottom for discount code for money off your tickets for the Friday or Sunday.) The organisersContinue reading “London summer family fun: Polo in the Park”
In Pictures: Preparing for Chinese New Year in London
I’ve always loved Chinese New Year, even if we don’t always celebrate it in grand style. I also love walking through Chinatown in London whenever I’m in the West End. Compared with Chinatown in New York, which has taken over Little Italy and goes on for block and blocks, London’s Chinatown is basically one orContinue reading “In Pictures: Preparing for Chinese New Year in London”
3 top tips for ice skating at Natural History Museum
Ice skating is a regular part of the Christmas season for us. Maybe it’s because I grew up with visions of myself twirling on ice like Dorothy Hamill (the US equivalent of Jane Torville in singles skating). This rarely happened. I grew up in a semi-arid desert, the nearest rink an hour and a halfContinue reading “3 top tips for ice skating at Natural History Museum”
Summer in London: Wahaca on the Southbank
There are those moments when I’m reminded how much I love living in cities and how much I love living in London. Tonight was a glorious summer evening on the Southbank, the Summer of Love festival is going on, people were drinking and relaxing on the terrace and I met Selena from Oh, theContinue reading “Summer in London: Wahaca on the Southbank”