Palomar, London

A modern Jerusalem menu and creative, crazy environment
by Nigel Gillingham

Chefs from Jerusalem’s coolest restaurant Machneyrda have not disappointed with The Palomar at 34 Rupert Street, London. Following its opening in May 2014, this restaurant seems to have received nothing but positive praise. The modern Jerusalem menu and the creative, crazy environment is inspiring and the non stop showmanship, theatre and energy must be motivated by its Israeli born owners who previously ran a night club.

The restaurant is tiny with just 16 seats around the kitchen arranged at the front of the restaurant, a tiny holding bar/corridor and a dining room which seats just 40 at the rear. It’s cramped, its hot and the kitchen is compromised operationally but boy is it good. The tiny open plan kitchen serves some of the most exciting combination of flavours I have ever had, all beautifully presented. The menu is focused on sharing plates encouraging dialogue and wonderment at what combination of ingredients are contain in each dish. Whether the food comes from the Raw bar, Stove, Jasper or Plancha, it is all faultless.

Often a restaurant will win on its food but it is let down on its service but Palomar wins on both fronts, its staff can only be applauded. They look like they are truly having a ball, with quirky hats and a detailed  knowledge of each dish, it is all backed up by the biggest of smiles and lots of laughter. I’ve not experienced Tel Aviv’s party scene but if Palomar is an example of what its like, I’m booking my flight now.

Circus, Covent Garden

A Christmas party venue with a kick

by Leanne Bradley

It’s that time of year. Christmas feels like a life time away but it’s actually round the corner, the diary is filling up (if not full) and we are tasked with organising festive ‘catch-ups’ with people we hardly ever see or see every single day. Then there is the office…

The Ginger Pig

The Ginger Pig has Christmas covered

by Woody Bruce

Now with seven stores across London and their ‘head office’ in the heart of Yorkshire, The Ginger Pig has fast become one of the most popular butchers in London. Ginger Pig is your old school, quintessential butchers. They give excellent advice, are happy to chat about what to do with…

Lime Wood, New Forest

Quintessential 'boutique hotel' in the heart of the New Forest

by Tracey Pollard

The first boutique hotel was believed to have been invented in the early 80s with The Blake Hotel in South Kensington and The Bedford in Union Square, San Francisco which both opened for trade in 1981. Classic design qualities for the Boutique Hotel require it to be small and intimate,…

Uniqlo, Le Marais, Paris

Old meets new in Uniqlo's new flagship store
by Woody Bruce

The Marais is almost as old as some of the first inhabited parts of Paris and still maintains some of that old world charm, it is the only area in Paris that has preserved the narrow streets and architectural styles of the Medieval and Renaissance-era. In stark contrast to the old and historical Marais, it is also a destination for the fashionable, stylish and creative as it is fast becoming  filled with new brands showcasing flagship and concept stores.

In April of this year Japanese brand Uniqlo opened their flagship Paris store in the Marais district – joining many other ‘concept stores’ within this famous city. Spanning over three floors and displays a selection of its menswear and womenswear collections.

The store is 8800 sq. ft. and the next step in the international expansion of the brand. What I loved was the way that a ‘concept store’, something so modern and fresh, opens up behind a classic façade. This juxtaposition is in some ways the essence of the Marais, finding the contemporary amongst the history – well worth a visit.

My Cup of Tea, Rome

A former cave, turned secret studio packed full with design wonders

by Rupert Bentley-Smith

Cagliari, Sardinia

Traditional, yet captivating retail experience in Sardinia

by Rupert Bentley-Smith

Hudson Yards, New York

Hudson Yards opens in phases from 2017 and includes 14 acres of public realm

by Nigel Gillingham

Sitting between Chelsea Market (Meat Packing district) and Clinton (Hell’s Kitchen), Hudson Yards is a 17 million sq ft development. This mixed use scheme will include commercial, residential, state-of-the-art office towers, more than 100 shops and 20 restaurants. Further to this, there will be approx. 500 houses, 750 seat school…

South Milton Sands, Devon

A slap board shack on the edge of the National Trust beach

by Tracey Pollard

From a distance, this slap board shack on the edge of the National Trust beach looks like the perfect ice cream stop, but The Beach House at South Milton Sands on the stunning South Hams coast serves far more than ice creams. This unique venue seats 30 internally and more…

Badeschiff, Berlin

A slice of Ibiza in the heart of Berlin

by Tracey Pollard

Set behind a rundown warehouse on the Eastern banks of the Spree in Berlin is an area which could still be referred to as “up and coming”; Badeschiff – a floating swimming pool and sauna, with a cool bar, deck area and DJ. Badeschiff, first opened in 2004 and was…

KaDeWe, Berlin

The largest department store in continental Europe
by Tracey Pollard

The Kaufhaus des Westerns, abbreviated to KaDeWe, is the largest department store in continental Europe. With over 60,000 square metres, trading over 8 floors, it attracts 40 – 50,000 people a day. Whilst full of the typical cosmetics, fashion and homewares you would associate within a world class department store, it’s the food hall which is the real jewel in the crown.

The 6th floor is home of the food hall and delicatessen and offers a massive range of food and drink, allowing you to take away, eat in or buy your groceries.  With around 110 cooks, 40 bakers and confectioners supplying more than 30 gourmet counters and over 1,000 varieties of German sausages! It really is a food heaven.

It has everything including fresh fruit and vegetables, chocolates, teas, fish counters, bakers and bars. Selling everything from German Sausage to Oysters and Champagne. Although it is a justifiable tourist attraction in its own right, many of those who sat around the bars or were shopping were locals and with over 30,000 items for sale in more than 7,000 square meters, who can blame them.

www.kadewe.de/en/home_english/

The Rum Kitchen, London

A great example of a restaurant working well on a first floor inward facing scheme

by Victoria Broadhead

Bounce, London

A hip table tennis club and social entertainment experience

by Victoria Broadhead

Bikini Building, Berlin

West Berlin re-establishes itself as a shopping destination

by Tracey Pollard

Built in 1957 the Bikini Haus was seen as a symbol of Berlin’s post war reconstruction, of new beginnings and freedoms. Its design included a second floor which has an open sided floor giving it the bikini shape and name.Much has been made in recent years of the emergence of…

Zorlu Center, Istanbul

Superb public realm and an enviable tenant mix in this Turkish shopping centre.

by Nigel Gillingham

Who said that the best retail is only found in the “recognised” retail cities of the world!  The Zorlu Center in Istanbul is home to Crate and Barrel, Eataly and one of the coolest Apple stores I have seen outside of Fifth Avenue. It is a fantastic example of Istanbul’s…

Torvehallernekbh, Copenhagen

A great example of a modern food market

by Tracey Pollard

As a complete foodie I was keen to visit Torvehallernekbh, which is Copenhagen’s answer to London’s Borough Market or Madrid’s Mercado de San Miguel. Covering some 70,000 sq ft, the market is split into two glass structures, with over 80 stalls inside the building and within a central piazza between…

Mud Dock, Bristol

Cycle shop meets restaurant - a Bristol institution
by Victoria Broadhead

Long before it was fashionable to serve a latte in a bike shop, Mud Dock combined great food and drinks with a high quality cycle shop.

Over the last 10 years, the concept has evolved and now includes a deli selling jam and chutney, a bike shed allowing you to park your bike, lockers, showers and changing facilities, all alongside a busy restaurant with water views.

Mud Dock is not only an institution in Bristol but part of the community and it attracts likeminded people by offering local knowledge on rides and events, thus making it an interactive environment you want to visit.

www.mud-dock.co.uk

Marunouchi, Tokyo

First class public realm creates a calm, relaxed, atmosphere so contrasted to the rest of Tokyo

by Tracey Pollard

Bristol Lido

The oldest surviving Lido in the UK

Rupert Bentley-Smith

Dating back to 1849 this is the oldest surviving lido in the UK which allows all year round swimming.  Tucked away in the heart of Clifton, the posh residential area of Bristol, the Bristol Lido was rescued by a group of local campaigners after being derelict for 20 years. The…

The Chiltern Firehouse

Our Ruby Wedding Anniversary at Chiltern Firehouse

by Maureen Buckley

In March, we were lucky to celebrate our Ruby Wedding anniversary. Forty years, where has it gone? As a truly memorable treat, our daughters [not forgetting our son-in-laws] planned and organised a stay at the Chiltern Firehouse in Marylebone. This was particularly special as the building holds wonderful memories for…

Six d.o.g.s Garden, Athens

An amazing subterranean urban hang out

by Mike Ingall

The great thing about economic disruption is that the creatives get to have a say and none more so than in Athens where the green shoots in the F&B world have reached this once great City. The area around Monastiraki on the way to Psirri is starting to resemble the…

Mamma Agata cookery school, Ravello

An authentic cookery school overlooking the lemon groves
by Rupert Bentley-Smith

Cookery schools both at home and abroad have become hugely prevalent alongside an explosion in popularity of all things food. These can range from a 45 minute course that’s possible to take in during a lunch hour, to detailed high-end corporate evenings preparing five course Michelin Star food.

In the main they are entertaining and interesting uses for what can be otherwise fairly uninspiring secondary space, and target an audience for either solo participation or larger groups looking for a shared experience. Furthermore, they seem to be appearing across the UK in great numbers, but however strong, they struggle to compete with Mamma Agata’s in Ravello.

Amongst the luxury hotels, high end restaurants and beautifully manicured gardens that are around every corner in Ravello, lies a cookery school that takes you straight back to basics and emphasises just how simple Italian cooking should be in a setting that is an incredible showcase of one of the world’s most beautiful coastlines. Mamma Agata spent many years cooking for the rich and famous before this venture which involves her (and her daughter) imparting her knowledge in a way that makes you feel like a cookery hero within about half an hour of being there, further fuelled by their relaxed generosity with the wine and limoncello…

It starts with coffee and lemon cake on the family’s terrace overlooking the ocean and lemon groves before moving into the kitchen to watch and help with the preparation of the most remarkable meal you later eat; all from local seasonal produce, and all organically grown.  Appetizers, numerous courses and “secret” Italian cooking tricks are shared with the group from a cook who has a life of experience, but makes you feel like you are now armed with everything you need to demonstrate perfect Italian cooking.  Watching, learning, tasting (and quite a lot of drinking) fill your day as you are immersed in Italian culture in a truly moving setting, all concluding with a meal on the terrace overlooking the Amalfi Coastline.

www.mammaagata.com

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