Imad Alarnab won my heart with our wonderful Syrian Banquet which we enjoyed in Colombia Road last week. This Syrian born Chef escaped from Damascus in 2015. Leaving behind his well established restaurants Imad travelled through Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Hungary, Austria, Germany and France all modes of transport and I am confident was not…
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Becks at Browns
Becks at Browns hotel is the newly refurbished dining room by Olga Polizzi. This is a casual dining establishment with classic interior and modern accents. The chef is Heinz Beck of the 3 Michelin starred La Pergola in Rome and he brings his inventive and creative skills to the dining room at Browns Hotel. Beautifully…
Dishoom
For quite some time I have been longing to visit Dishoom and taste the much talked about menu. When Emily suggested we meet in Kings Cross it seemed ideal. This pocket of London has been transformed. The old warehouse style buildings lovingly restored and there is a buzz in the air with fantastic retail units and…
Harrods Bakery
Back to my old haunt today as I was keen to have a look at the new style bakery and coffee bar. A contemporary interior with dark colours and subtle lighting creates a theatrical backdrop for the expertly produced baked goods by Master Baker Lance Gardner and his team of artisans. It is all very…
Borough Market Cookery Club
This is a terrific concept which is based in Borough Market the home of fine seasonal produce and artisans of the food industry. Angela Clutton is the co ordinator of this fine idea and once we have been allocated a cookbook. In this case by the much loved Antonio Carluccio you pick the recipe that appeals…
The Berkeley Hotel
We are so fortunate in London which is home to so many wonderful and quite historic hotels. The impeccable service and high standards have spanned generations. I remember my grandmother always took us to The Connaught for special occasions and we were frequently taken the The Ritz for tea where we had coffee ice cream…
LASSCO Ropewalk
London is a city steeped in historical neighbourhoods and endless opportunities to explore. My perfect Sunday is a good brunch and time to enjoy our hometown. Ropewalk in London Bridge incorporates a series of railroad arches. Housed here is LASSCO (London Architectural Salvage and Supply Company). This has long been a destination for sourcing eclectic…
House and Garden Spirit of Summer
While Glastonbury and Ascot took up much of this week there was also a four day festival in London Olympia, a celebration of summer living. The team at Conde Nast House and Garden selected 550 beautiful garden, interior and lifestyle brands to exhibit and inspire us for the summer season. Many of these were familiar brands…
Wooloomooloo
This is a harbourside area in the eastern suburb of Sydney. It is all very low lying and was the former docklands area. For many years considered a bit seedy. The change in the ambience of the neighbourhood could be attributed to the lock out laws that now restrict late night clubs and any hard drinking…
New Years Eve in Sydney
Such great excitement to see in the New Year in this great city. We had booked tickets well in advance with carefully planed logistics of where we thought we might get the best view of the fireworks. The Opera Bar which lies on the lower terraces just below the The Sydney Opera House was throwing a themed…
Paddington
What a fantastic residential pocket of Sydney this is. We found an air bnb in this leafy area and really enjoyed our days in this part of town. We were fortunate to have a very high end supermarket at the end of our road as well as several fantastic restaurants and cafes all on our…
The Whitsunday Islands
All packed up and supplies on board and we met our skipper Annie for the first time and she is great! Which is just as well as we are all going to be in very close quarters for the next eight days. Annie from Airlie beach and very experienced and familiar with the waters and…
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