No sooner had I posted about the best organic restaurant in London than three contenders for the title popped up:
Out in the funky up and coming East you’ll find the original outpost of Jamie Oliver’s burgeoning empire: Fifteen
Visit Hammersmith for what some people call the best vegetarian restaurant in London - The Gate
Finally for an unrivalled 7 course vegetarian tasting menu you should wend your way to Pimilico’s Roussillon
Yes it’s one of the world’s most expensive cities, with hotel rates to match. But the past few years have seen the emergence of a dual economy in
For a more central location, check out the award-winning Parkes Hotel, www.parkeshotel.com), near Harrods. 33 rooms luxurious rooms including 14 One Bedroom Suites - it’s the only townhouse in London to feature suites. For more information see Luxury Boutique Hotel in Knightsbridge.
Another hotel bucking the trend for spiralling room rates is Base2Stay (020 7244 2255, www.base2stay.com), in Kensington. It has doubles for £99, room-only, and is a personal favourite of Tom Bell, editor of Alastair Sawday’s guide to London hotels.
So, while we’re fans of the Firmdale group of hotels, we’re in no hurry to pay £317 for a night at the Charlotte Street Hotel, in Fitzrovia, or £223 for the Pelham, in South Kensington. Even the normally good-value Malmaison in fashionable Clerkenwell looks top-heavy at £235.
There are exceptions. Montagu Place (020 7467 2777, www.montagu-place.co.uk), in a Marylebone town house, is fairly priced at £149, though breakfast is not included, and The Sumner (020 7723 2244, www.thesumner.com), near Marble Arch, has attractive rooms from £147.
According to Fodor’s Bloomsbury’s Acorn House might be the greenest restaurant in London! All ingredients are seasonal, sustainable, organic, fair-trade, or locally sourced. The water is purified on site, the staff uses biodiesel, the packaging is biodegradable, and all waste is recycled. Wonderfully creative dishes range from yellow beetroot with potatoes to pheasant salad with dandelion. Bargain prices too - you can eat here for under £20.
Alain Ducasse will soon reveal two new restaurants. The newly restored classic seafood restaurant Rech in Paris and the as yet unnamed 70 cover restaurant at London’s 5 star Dorchester Hotel.
The London Silver Vaults is one of London’s best kept shopping secrets. More than 30 shops are gathered in Chancery Lane, the heart of the City’s legal district. On display is a huge selection of silver from the 17th Century to some of today’s best contemporary work. Find silver for the home, gifts for christenings, weddings and anniversaries or specialist collector’s items. The Vaults were built in 1876 to offer strong-room facilities to the rich and famous and were first opened to the public in 1953. Find out more by visiting www.the silvervaults.com
If you’re in London and want to sample a Gordon Ramsay restaurant try The Narrow. Earlier this year he set aside his pursuit of more Michelin stars to open this stylish pub in Limehouse - can a chain be far away? With only 20 tables and the Ramsay name you’ll need to book ahead - luckily they take reservations. Gordon’s never there of course but his influence can be felt - fish in beer and vodka is closer to tempura than its deep fried in batter high street cousins, potted shrimp with granary toast are worth trying as is the ‘London particular’ a delicious pea and ham soup.
Parkes Hotel is a 33 room gem located right around the corner from Harrods in London’s exclusive Knightsbridge. What sets this boutique hotel apart from the competition are its 14 spacious one bedroom suites - ideal if you’re travelling with the family. Parkes was voted Best Luxury Hotel in London by Trip Advisor in 2007 which speaks volumes about the service and attention to detail. If you’re in the mood to splash out on a luxury hotel in London this is one of the best.
In business since medieval times, this is the best food market in London. Competition for space is fierce and standards are high so you’re sure to find a superb range of fresh and organic produce on the tightly packed stalls. The market shelters beneath the railway arches by Southwark Cathedral just downstream from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. Most people visit on Saturdays, so if you want to avoid the crowds get down to London Bridge on Thursday and Friday afternoons and dive in.
2. Columbia Road Flower Market
Beautiful market, shame about the website! Tucked away in the heart of London’s East End, Columbia Road is an explosion of colourful plants and exotic flowers. It’s well worth dragging yourself out of bed to join the throngs of green fingered enthusiasts in the hunt for rarities or general plants at wholesale prices. Trading starts at 8am and carries on until 2pm, Sundays only.
Calls itself the world’s largest antiques market and usually features in lists of the most visited tourist sites in London. Only open on Saturdays so it’ll be crowded. Get off the Tube at Notting Hill and plunge into the stream of ambling browsers. It might seem confusing but the market’s actually laid out in sections - antiques, jewellery, records and books, fruit and veg, street & club clothes from up & coming designers, dodgy knock-offs and all kinds of bric-a-brac.