OUT OF OFFICE May 4, 2010 MACBETH AT THE GLOBE The theme for this year’s season at Shakespeare’s Globe is “kings and rogues”, with various monarchs and their rogueish retinues appearing at the outdoor theatre. First up is the most famous and most villainous of the Bard’s kings, Macbeth, with Elliot Cowan getting blood on his hands in the title role [...]
Revitalise for spring May 3, 2010 1.HEAD TO THE PARK ONE of London’s best features is its multitude of open green spaces – and while they’re fabulous places for a jog, they can also be used for more organised training. Fitness company One Element runs group training sessions in spaces including Battersea Park, Wandsworth Common, Richmond Park and Parsons Green, with [...]
OUT OF OFFICE May 3, 2010 STOPPARD’S THE REAL THING Playing now at the Old Vic, Tom Stoppard’s 1982 play mixes the playwright’s customary linguistic fireworks with emotional warmth, and is anchored by a masterful – and very funny – performance from Toby Stephens. He plays Henry, a successful playwright who leaves his wife for an actress (Hattie Morahan) and discovers he [...]
An El Bulli in Bethnal Green May 3, 2010 Viajante Patriot Square E2 9NF, tel: 020 7871 0461 www.viajante.co.uk FOOD ***** SERVICE ***** ATMOSPHERE **** Cost per person without wine: £25-£85 IT was love. As I bit off some buttered mini spelt-dusted baguette, lovingly served by Viajante’s chef and ex-El Bulli ingénu Nuno Mendes himself, I froze. My eyes began to roll back in [...]
Vinegar with your martini? When in Italy… May 3, 2010 SOMETIMES you choose something off the menu because it sounds so awful that it will either be completely horrible or totally brilliant, but either way, it will make for a good story. Faced with the cocktail menu at the Four Seasons Florence, a former Medici palace and papal residence that has been lovingly restored into [...]
THREE OTHER EAST LONDON FAVOURITES May 3, 2010 GREEN & RED Buzzy and critically acclaimed Mexican restaurant and bar that’s full of hipsters guzzling the likes of octopus ceviche, cumin-roasted chicken wings and watermelon salad in the cantina. In the bar, they’re sipping from the 200-strong tequila menu. Great non-alcoholic drinks include hibiscus and tamarind juice. 51 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA, tel: [...]
FOOD & BOOZE NEWS May 3, 2010 TRINITY GOES LITERARY Recipe books are ten-a-penny, but not many leave us as watered-of-mouth as How to Eat In by Adam Byatt, chef patron of Clapham’s rather fabulous Trinity restaurant. It’s a tome of serious beauty – the full-page pictures of boiled goose eggs with asparagus soldiers and a sensational fish pie topped with cockles [...]
South London set to soar in 2012 April 29, 2010 WITH the opening of a segment of the East London Line extension this week, Hackney, Wapping and Shoreditch just became a lot more desirable. Yet the best property moves are made well in advance of such obvious bonuses, so if you’re looking to buy now, consider the areas of south-east and south-west London that will [...]
FOCUS ON: REIGATE, SURREY April 29, 2010 MANSEFIELD COTTAGE, CROYDON RD, RH2 0PG Price: £895,000 This former bakehouse has been refurbished and extended to create a family home with four double bedrooms. It has a separate dining room, sitting room and orangery overlooking the garden. The property is to the northeast of Reigate town centre and is close to local schools. Reigate [...]
BUYING April 29, 2010 Camilla Dell MANAGING PARTNER AT BLACK BRICK Q.Dear Camilla, what is the UK market likely to do after the election and what advice would you give to buyers? A.A hung parliament is bound to weaken sterling further, which could spell price rises for the London property market, where approximately 60 per cent of transactions over [...]
