From Orfeo to Ulisse: The Second Chapter of a Monteverdi Journey Visiting Garsington for the second time this season (check our review of Rosenkavalier for more of what is on), the production of Il ritorno d’Ulisse from The English Concert seems particularly apposite. I’m moving away from London, and much as I love summer excursions […]
High Society – Barbican Theatre
True love Hollywood style, old friends and just a little misbehaviour The play, The Philadelphia Story, on which High Society is based, premiered on Broadway on 28 March 1939, starring Katharine Hepburn as Tracy Lord, a role specifically written for her. Based on a book by Arthur Kopit, the Broadway success was swiftly followed by […]
A London Institution – Rules Restaurant
Traditional British Fare in a Traditional Setting at Rules Restaurant – London’s Oldest Dining Establishment If someone asks me where in London they can try the kind of food I grew up eating, then Rules restaurant comes top of the list. Brought up in the country, where my dad was the family doctor for a […]
Der Rosenkavalier – Garsington Opera
A Fabulous Frolic, Magnificent Vocals and a Deeper Message Travelling to Garsington for a summer opera spectacular is always a treat. The stunning setting, together with an evening of exemplary opera, seldom disappoints. Der Rosenkavalier, a late-Romantic opera by Richard Strauss, has a fairytale storyline perfect for an idyllic evening in the country. This production, […]
Hell’s Kitchen comes to London
Gordon Ramsay’s TV show comes to life at the Cumberland Hotel In the heart of London, the Cumberland Hotel is now home to Hell’s Kitchen, one of Gordon Ramsay’s American restaurants. Inspired by the eponymous TV show, which launched in 2005, there are already seven restaurants scattered across the USA, one in Ibiza and now […]
The Pierhouse Hotel: Coastal Elegance in Port Appin
Scottish Hospitality and Charm at the Pierhouse, A small but perfectly formed Boutique Hotel I’m kicking off a big Scottish adventure in 2026, starting with a family visit and a trip to Mull, home of Clan Maclean, before eventually making the move to Edinburgh later this year. Since Oban is the main jumping-off point for […]
Teal Restaurant, Hackney
Little Chef Sally finds her home in Hackney, a charming little British Bistro There’s nothing that makes me happier than seeing someone like Sally Abé come into her own in a setting like Teal that seems ‘just so’. We’ve known her work since she took over as head chef at The Harwood Arms. At the […]
Hawksmoor Sunday Roast
There’s no beefing about this classic Sunday lunch How can we have gone so long without reviewing the Hawksmoor Sunday roast? It feels less like an oversight and more like something that needed the right occasion. The special occasion turned out to be my birthday, or at least the first Sunday after it. A very […]
The Authenticator
In The Authenticator, the act of proving what is real becomes inseparable from uncovering what has been deliberately hidden Some years ago, I travelled to Antigua to cover Sailing Week, an extravagant festival held every year at the end of the Caribbean sailing season with exclusive champagne parties, mega-yachts with professional crew and massive events […]
Siegfried – Royal Ballet and Opera Ring Cycle
Barry Kosky continues his Ring Cycle at the RBO with a Five-Star Siegfried In Siegfried, the third part of Der Ring des Nibelungen, Richard Wagner shifts the focus away from the troubled world of the gods towards the energy of youth on earth. This is storytelling through opera, where the theatre is crucial and the […]