I love those occasions when your friends suggest you eat somewhere and it turns out to be perfect, matching exactly what you wanted to eat in a setting you were precisely in the mood for. Earlier this month I was introduced to The Crooked Billet by my BritMums cofounder Susanna and our events director Maddy, whoContinue reading “Henley-on-Thames restaurant review: The Crooked Billet, Stoke Row”
Category Archives: Lifestyle
Berkshire: Eat well & stay at Hurley House Hotel & Pub
Like most people who live in London, I think about how nice it would be to live in the country about, oh, once a month. Whether or not I could actually leave the big city is different matter — I’ve lived in London and New York City before that for more than 25 years —Continue reading “Berkshire: Eat well & stay at Hurley House Hotel & Pub”
London Eating & Drinking Map
Discover the coolest places to eat and drink in London — perfect for interesting meals with the kids or a much-needed cocktail on your nights off from parenting. The map includes some of my finds and favourites as well as cool and interesting places featured elsewhere. It’s a one-stop resource whenever you need inspiration forContinue reading “London Eating & Drinking Map”
Afternoon tea in London: Royal Horseguards Hotel
Who says classic English style has to be served with a large helping of stuffiness? The room where you have afternoon tea at the Royal Horseguards Hotel looks traditional, with wingback chairs and drapes held back with heavy, luxurious rope. The waitress who served my BritMums cofounder Susanna and me called us “ma’am”. TheyContinue reading “Afternoon tea in London: Royal Horseguards Hotel”
Best bars in London: Swans Bar, Maison Assouline
I love, perhaps a little too much, discovering great places to drink. My latest discovery came to light via my friend Mark. After months of trying, we finally got together for a sneaky afternoon drink — girding ourselves for our separate, taxing evenings to come. He suggested Swans Bar, right smack on Piccadilly. I’d neverContinue reading “Best bars in London: Swans Bar, Maison Assouline”
Cool, insider places to shop in Reims
This city of 200,000 – the capital of the Champagne Ardenne region – is a great place to visit. It has beautiful, harmonious but varied 18th century architecture, a cathedral that rivals Paris’s Notre Dame, and easy access to the Champagne houses of the region. On my recent weekend in Reims I also learned there areContinue reading “Cool, insider places to shop in Reims”
Best bars in London: Gillray’s Bar at the Marriott County Hall
“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”
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”
Dining at the new Le George, Four Seasons Paris
For years I’ve wanted to visit the Four Seasons George V in Paris. It’s long been one of the swishest hotels in fashionable Paris and a glamorous place to stay since it opened in 1928. In 1999 the Four Seasons group took it over and built a reputation on excellence, hosting the Madonnas and MickContinue reading “Dining at the new Le George, Four Seasons Paris”