Young and coffee in varying degrees, Sydney born Kat is currently Editor of London based travel review website World Reviewer, and works for Nestoria Australia. Prior to this she was other things. One of those was a dinosaur, another a princess.
The National Theatre continues its run of new, bespoke works designed for the here and now, with 13 (which is the na... [more]
September 11. As soon as the date is mentioned everyone over about seventeen will have their own personal response. So... [more]
The title says it all, but to expand: the work itself is called TeZukA and it's been choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherk... [more]
Nature. It's big. And all around us. In our faces on a daily basis. But not this kind of nature, the kind that y... [more]
Here's an obscure piece of knowledge for you: Machu Picchu, the spectacularly intact ruins of an ancient Incan city, was... [more]
Diana's wedding dress – the one with the big puffed sleeves and the acres of creamy fabric – has been on the road for ... [more]
It's forty years since Simon Grey's Butley first came to the West End. Then it was famously directed by Harold Pinter, ... [more]
If you haven't been yet this year, be prepared for something a little more modest than some of the previous pavilions ... [more]
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea isn't as straight laced as you might have thought. And they have some inter... [more]
So the acoustics might not be quite as good as those of Venice's La Fenice, where Rigoletto was first premiered, but you... [more]
It's England under Thatcher and career woman, Marleen, has just been promoted to MD of the Top Girls Employment Agency. ... [more]
Behind the flower market on Columbia Road is Vintage Heaven. And behind Vintage Heaven is the Cakehole Cafe. A quiet, ... [more]
When was the last time you went to a puppet show? It's probably been a while, which is surprising since 'Being John Mal... [more]
In this instance Fela! doesn't refer to a cheerful cockney chappy, it refers to Fela Anikulapo Kuti, a Nigerian musician... [more]
The latest royal wedding was a couple of months ago, but some stores are still full of cut price Wills and Kate memorabi... [more]
Battersea Park is one of London's coolest venues. It's always hosting something hipster-y. So it shouldn't come as a s... [more]
This summer 'pop-up' is in. There are secret pop up bars and restaurants, pop up sales and now a pop up outdoor cinem... [more]
Music can really build tension. If you don't believe me then try watching Jaws on mute. So it's easy to see why an ope... [more]
Once upon a time, just prior to 1934 shall we say, a man named John Christie worked out what opera had been missing – ... [more]
If you ever thought that ballet was dull, then have a look at this man:
His name is Carlos Acosta and he's a Latin ... [more]
It's the summer school hols. so if you have kids, or else siblings or close friends with kids, then you'll be on the loo... [more]
Alan Moore is known for several things: mostly his work as an author of comic strips and graphic novels (Watchmen, V f... [more]
I mustn't be as much of a hipster as I was last year 'cause I only just realised that it's Greenwich Summer Sessions o... [more]
The Brits follow the French and call these long, green, summer squashes courgettes, but back home in Australia we go w... [more]
If you think life's too short to make your own sausage rolls then this recipe might change your mind. It's very easy.... [more]
Roll up, roll up, ladies and gentlemen and witness a live sporting event to surpass any live sporting event you've ever ... [more]
If you're of a certain age then the name of this Soho caff will make you think of one thing and one thing only. Alright... [more]
'A Woman Killed with Kindness' sounds like the title for a modern psychological thriller, or maybe a film by Alfred Hi... [more]
Shakespeare's Globe is a fantastic theatrical experience, but less so when the weather is bad – and this is London – o... [more]
Fashion is art, darling, and if you don't agree with me then you have no right to tell me that you're interested in fa... [more]
These days you'll often find it's cheaper to see a play than to go to the cinema – what with cheap online ticket deals... [more]
There's something compelling about portraiture; something that sets it apart from art, is that it is inspired by larger ... [more]
The name might not entice you into this exhibition – to be totally frank it sounds a bit too obscure and arty if you k... [more]
There are thousands of art events that take place in London each year, and you can't see all of them every year, right... [more]
There's something wonderfully hopeful about the way outdoor theatre and cinema venues are starting to pop up all over ... [more]
If you were born in the middle ages, pre museums, newspapers, radio, TV and the internet, then some of the most wonder... [more]
How long do you think animation has been around? If you thought that Mickey Mouse was the frontrunner in Steamboat Wi... [more]
This opera is totally new, the reason you'll have heard about it is that a video promo for it has gone viral, which is... [more]
Henrik Ibsen was a great towering man of words, a serious playwright, sometimes referred to as 'the father' of moder... [more]
If you ever dreamed of going to art school and hanging out with cool, arty types at uni, drinking coffees with whiskey... [more]
It's OK, The Dude isn't dead, the BFI are doing a retrospective of his work, not of his life.
This is a brillian... [more]
If you thought that this memorable name was the title of a film, starring the attractive Cillian Murphy, then you'd be s... [more]
Boutique? Run?
Surely there's no way for those words to come together in a logical way?
Well, apparently there i... [more]
If you've ever hummed along to the cancan, then you've heard some of Jacques Offenbach's operetta, Orpheus in the Underw... [more]
Simon Callow has 'played' Shakespeare before – many times in fact. But never quite like this. Not when it's the bard h... [more]
These days most people's keenest experience of war is the sound of 'Help for Heros' money collecting buckets rattling ... [more]
If you know anything about anything about sailing then you'll have heard of Cowes Week: over 1000 yachts descend on th... [more]
I have some terrible news: I've recently discovered that there can be such a thing as too much ice cream. My twin disco... [more]
Just out of Perth, Fremantle (or Freo) gets the best out of being part Perth suburb (Perth has expanded to include it)... [more]
For a single year I was lucky enough to wake up ever morning in a bed just 15 minutes up the road from Cottesloe Beach... [more]
London is an old town, so it makes sense that some of the wonderful treasures that have made their way in here in the ... [more]
During the recent TUC anti-spending cuts protests in London, some protesters 'occupied' Fortnum & Masons, a department... [more]
Lucy in Disguise would be more aptly named Lily in Disguise (though I think we all get the Beatles reference). Lily f... [more]
A lido, in the UK at least, is a public outdoor pool. What swim? Outside? In London? Are you having a laugh? No, Lo... [more]
If you live in Perth, and even if you're just visiting, Kings Park, up there on 'the mount', can easily become a bit o... [more]
Ladurée just opened a little indoor-outdoor cafe type thing in Covent Garden. Which was a very pleasant surprise, and... [more]
Whoever named Circus bar/restaurant/venue was slightly off. It's far more 'cabaret' than 'circus', what with the caba... [more]
What?
And how do you say that?
Are the first responses from most people when I suggest we meet at The Albannach.... [more]
Promising date? Special occasion deserving of something a bit swankier? You might want to consider the Bingham Bar, ... [more]
Ballet. In a stadium? Ah, but it's not just any ballet: Romeo and Juliet, with the bombastic score by Prokofiev, is ... [more]
Is The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh a black comedy or a bleak tragedy? Or does it really matter? The impor... [more]
This is probably the easiest recipe ever. If you know how to turn your oven on and can chop something vaguely then you'... [more]
Teamed with freshly made (or heated up) Turkish bread, tzatziki doth make a meal. But if you add a lamb kebab or two, s... [more]
This is a note about the bookshop, not about the song by Bob Dylan, but there's probably a connection between the two if... [more]
I'm beginning to come to the conclusion that there are two kinds of bookshops. There are probably actually a lot more... [more]
Without being rude, if you don't know who Tracey Emin is – and you're over 16 – then this review probably isn't for yo... [more]
In the early days of accessible, communal-eating style Asian fusion you had your Wagamama, but you also had Satsuma. ... [more]
A fixie bike is one with no gears, and no freewheel, meaning that you can't do that thing where you stop peddling and ... [more]
Sounds like "ice cream extremists" doesn't it? Well there's a reason for that. Intention.
The guys from The Icecr... [more]
DIY fashion is in ladies, and I don't mean sporting a builder's bum and paint splatters in your hair - I'm talking mak... [more]
The Thames: you might think that she's a lady in her dotage now, heavy with silt and all that carrying things up and dow... [more]
How do you, as a cool cat who's interested in the latest in art and design, lay your hands on the work of one of the up ... [more]
What was it about dancers that so captivated Edgar Degas? What made him almost base his career around capturing of th... [more]
Even if you picked your furniture up cheap from Ikea, or from a second hand store, and you have prints on your walls ins... [more]
A couple of years ago I fell in love. Her name was Esmeralda and she resided right on the canal in Maida Vale. I met h... [more]
With a tagline like: Many a good hanging prevented a bad marriage, you know you're in for an evening of mirth at The B... [more]
There are a lot of good things about the UK, but not even the staunchest Anglophile would argue that weather should be i... [more]
It's nice to take a stroll by the river Thames as it goes through its rather sleepy business waddling and flapping past ... [more]
If you find yourself hankering after a juicy burger every now and then but are worried about your figure then this rec... [more]
Streams of people come into London every day – if you're a local you'll know this first hand as you'll have been stuck... [more]
The cheapest way to put a roof over your head in this, one of the world's most expensive cities, is house sitting. This... [more]
This is the ultimate multi-purpose recipe. It's quick, really, really easy, and very tasty. It will impress your veg... [more]
Nice, shiny new things is what you want when it comes to electronic equipment, but some things improve with age and de... [more]
You: So, Kat, where will I meet you for that drink you promised me?
Me: How 'bout on The Boat?
You: What do you mea... [more]
One of the nicest things about Britain is its cosy size, which means that you can travel from one of the world's largest... [more]
There are all sorts of reasons you might need to consult the services of an establishment that hires out fancy dress cos... [more]
One of my friends recently mentioned to me that they'd taken a date to the Sir John Soane Museum. I was surprised at th... [more]
Anything for an excuse to click on a link to 'The Village Bike' eh? Well in this case the link won't take you to a p... [more]
What happens when you mash up a playwright from 18th Century Venice, The Who and the portly gent from Gavin and Stacey... [more]
Marlowe at the Globe? Surely he and Shakespeare were competitors as well as contemporaries? Or are you one of the cons... [more]
2011 seems to be the year for Hamlets, the West End is rife with them, the National did one, the Globe has one coming ... [more]
None of Shakespeare's lovers have tongues quite so witty as those of Beatrice and Benedick as they banter their way in... [more]
Hamlet is a popular play at the moment. Not sure if it's the dark times, or just a general penchant for ghosts, but the... [more]
There is nothing like a dame, nothing in the world. There is nothing you can name that is anything like a dame. Espe... [more]
A tenner is a hard enough thing to borrow in these austere times, but a tenor might be an even more difficult commodit... [more]
Of all the films ever made, Ghost, the hit film from 1990 in which Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, the ghost, share t... [more]
This year Regent's Park is going Crazy for You; which is nice isn't it. The people behind the brilliant Open Air Thea... [more]
Cause célčbre is a French term that translates to, as you probably guessed, something along the lines of 'famous cause'.... [more]
Surreally brilliant, Franz Kafka wrote some of the world's most questioning and questing tales. Including one entitled ... [more]
If you thought Russian dramas were all emotionally draining sagas involving people with a thousand nicknames then you're... [more]
If you know anything at all about music you'll have guessed from the title that this musical is based around the music o... [more]
Who among us wouldn't like to take a jaunt down the yellow brick road toward the shimmering towers of the Emerald City... [more]
What do you get when Cash jams with Blue Suede Shoes? And what would it sound like if Elvis did the vocals for See yo... [more]
Not all TV shows and films spin off well onto the stage. But Yes, Prime Minister is just as hilarious on stage as it ... [more]
What is it about pigs that make them so charming? One minute they're filthy in a field, snouts in the mud rooting aro... [more]
The advertising for The Umbrellas of Cherbourg says it's a French romance that just happens to be sung. There are seve... [more]
How would you feel if you knew someone had placed a bet with a mate that they could 'make something' of you? You'd ... [more]
Blood Brothers isn't a tap shoes and feathers kind of a musical, it's a hard hitting social drama discussing the old n... [more]
Billy Elliott is a boy with a dream. This is a normal sort of opening line for describing the plot of a musical. But... [more]
I'll be honest with you. Before I went to see Jersey Boys I only vaguely knew who Frankie Valli was, and that was b... [more]
What do you think the Wicked Witch of the West was like before she got to the stage with the winged monkeys, the 'my... [more]
Noël Coward had a wickedly clever mind, and in the case of Blithe Spirit, a rather black sense of humour. Especiall... [more]
There aren't many crime thrillers that run for 20 years in the West End. To run that long a play has to be good enoug... [more]
If the juggernaut of Google holds any sway with you then the fact that Chicago, the musical is the third result that... [more]
Priscilla Queen of the Desert - The Musical might be about a bunch of blokes who like to dress up like birds etc., but... [more]
Les Miserables, or Les Mis., or Les Miz, depending on your background, is a lot more than just the West End's longest ru... [more]
Most of us have heard the tale of Simba's struggle to own his heritage and rise to power in his father's paw-prints, but... [more]
Alright, so it's not actually called "Phantom 2", but that doesn't mean that it isn't. Like all good sequels, at the ... [more]
"The phantom of the opera is here – inside your mind." Or at least in the minds of many people, as the musical, The P... [more]
If you know about ballet, you'll know that the Russian ballet companies have their own way of doing things. They're p... [more]
The Royal Court manages to be edgy, yet still a part of that prestigious group of London theatres - the ones with all th... [more]
I consider myself an art lover. And not only that I think it's a brilliant investment – after all you can't sit at home... [more]
Even if you haven't been to Thailand it's likely you've been forcibly introduced to the pleasures of Pad Thai by a frien... [more]
The fish finger may be a humble food-stuff in the grander scheme of things, but sometimes it is all you fancy: in a butt... [more]
Most of the time my girlfriend, Lara, is the one I turn to for support in a crisis of any kind. We see eye to eye on ma... [more]
Spring in traditional Japan, like many other places and eras, was a time to get outside and enjoy the best blooming na... [more]
Most toffee apple recipes recommend using butter, and mixing a sort of English-style-toffee. But using these recipes ... [more]
Cambridge is a beautiful old university town that still looks very much the part; with cobbled, bike lined streets tha... [more]
How ever nice your home is, bare walls can make it look unfinished – but where can you see a whole lot of affordable art... [more]
Yes, it's real, and yes, Shrek the Musical is coming to London. To the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
When you think a... [more]
Chocolate, caramel and shortbread are all well and tasty on their own, but layer them all together and you have one of t... [more]
A leisurely breakfast is one of life's true luxuries. In a busy world there never feels like enough time to set the tab... [more]
This is the game that Alice plays in Wonderland, against the Queen of Hearts, who's seen fit to provide her with a flami... [more]
If you've never 'met' a fat ball before, don't let the title put you off. I'm not suggesting anything insalubrious or un... [more]
Apart from the monarchy there's naught that's much posher than polo. Or that's the general impression people have of ... [more]
It's the Swiss who we have to thank for muesli. And hippies for spreading its joys worldwide in the 60s. Before that o... [more]
Finding perfect vintage pieces takes commitment. And sorting through racks in specialist vintage stores and boutiques c... [more]
Bowls and boules are similar, but not as similar as they sound. One of the main differences in these two ball games is ... [more]
It's that hump time of winter when it feels like it's been winter forever and you're never going to see the sun EVER aga... [more]
Independent coffee shops and cafes might be a little bit riskier when it comes to coffee quality, but if they look a... [more]
Covent Garden Market is in the heart of Theatreland, so you'd expect the quality of busking here to be exceptional. And... [more]
Soup is one of the easiest meals to make. You cook things and mush them all around together with stock – what could be ... [more]
I don't know a lot about the saints, but I know what I like, and for me St. Patrick is a favourite.
Born in the 4th... [more]
They teach you so many things at school, and while it might be the bits about reading and writing that are going to be m... [more]
Big zoos are all well and good with their hundreds of animals and grand enclosures, but there's a place for smaller zo... [more]
If you haven't heard of Hydro Zorbing before have you heard of Aqua Sphereing?
Even if neither name rings a bell, Aqu... [more]
Horse racing has always been the sport of kings, and nowhere is it more regal than at Ascot. Only a short journey from ... [more]
Kensington Palace is a place without a formal address. It's sort of 'on the edge of Hyde Park before you get to the f... [more]
Let me be bold and ask you a question: when the word design is mentioned what do you think of?
Do you run though a ment... [more]
If you've seen National Velvet then you'll know something of the excitement of the Grand National. But however engagi... [more]
Three headline facts about this WeekEnd Note:
1.) The Mousetrap has been running in London's West End for 59 years. C... [more]
Most people hear about Lowlander from a friend who's an aficionado of the amber brew (beer, if it's not your tipple)... [more]
Obviously the food is a pretty big reason to visit a restaurant, but it's not the only reason. There's also the ambienc... [more]
However often you tell people that London is your spiritual home and you wouldn't live anywhere else, we all still reach... [more]
The Old Cinema in Chiswick is more of an institution than just an antique furniture store. No, that would be selling it... [more]
Can you believe it but Disney has graced us with the joy and laughter of 50 animated feature length gems, from the innoc... [more]
This might seem like a suggestion for the little ones, which it is sort of, but Mr. Punch and his wife don't always play... [more]
Up until recently I thought Punch was the name of a pretty specific drink. To my reckoning, Punch was mostly to be re... [more]
Let's face it, the Queen has a pretty nice spread. I wouldn't mind living in Buckingham Palace. Of course it's centr... [more]
There aren't many people who ever make it backstage at the Royal Opera House, but many of us harbour dreams of getting... [more]
Do you consider yourself to be a modern day flaneur? Someone who sees interesting things in the world around them, thin... [more]
I don't know if teaphernalia is a word, but it is an effective way to describe the wares of The Tea House. As they want... [more]
This is going to be one of the big Barbican exhibitions of 2011 – one of those that engages of many levels and that fill... [more]
The Tea Box invite all who are potty about tea to come and appreciate its charms properly. There are two ways that they... [more]
François Truffaut's films are at the top of the new wave. He was a critic and a critical thinker, then turned film make... [more]
Norman Rockwell is frequently called 'one of the best known' American artists of the 20th Century – the person who wrote... [more]
Yes, Shakespeare's The Tempest is an English play though and though, but Cheek by Jowl has a Russian sister company, so ... [more]
What is it about shops/ cafes/ restaurants that specialise in sausages having suggestive names? When you look up "Bange... [more]
Trailer Happiness is he kind of place you would have wanted to run if you were a kid growing up in the 60s. It's kitsch... [more]
Shona Reppe's Cinderella is even more magical than you're regular Cinderella, if that could be possible. The extra magi... [more]
No, it's not what you're thinking with your dirty mind! The 'S' and the 'M' in the S&M Cafe stand for sausages and mash... [more]
The Blue Room gained fame in London thanks to Nicole Kidman appearing in it. And getting naked in it for Sam Mendes' ve... [more]
What do you think it would have been like to be member of staff working for Churchill's War Office during WW2? Obviousl... [more]
Gabriel Orozco finds things and turns them into art. Making things into art is essentially what all artists do, but Oro... [more]
Time is still money, and there are some things that even the most honest of cooks won't bother making from scratch. Bre... [more]
King Lear is a play of all kinds of madnesses, a blind man, a fool, a mad pretending to be mad and Lear, a man driven ma... [more]
Becky Shaw's blind date with Max the wealth manager is a train wreck – it doesn't start well because she's late, fluster... [more]
FYI Twisted Tales is 80 minutes with no interval, so even though you might think of Dahl as a children's author, and... [more]
Kiera Knightley is in this play, running at the Comedy Theatre. Some people will need only this information to know whe... [more]
Last year I became obsessed with eating Pumpkin Pie. Every time I saw it on a restaurant menu I had to go in and try ... [more]
If you want start studded entertainment then this is the one for you – it's almost as if the National Theatre has op... [more]
Normally in the world of writing for the stage the old adage about too many chefs is one that should be heeded. But the... [more]
Swan Lake is probably the world's most famous and most favourite ballet. It's atmospheric and beautiful, and shows ... [more]
People like to see the classics when they go to the ballet, your Swan Lake, your Giselle and your Nutcracker sell out ... [more]
Ronnie Scott's is a Soho institution, and an institution in jazz. Founded by jazz musicians – Ronnie Scott and Pete Kin... [more]
Clybourne Park debuted in February 2010 and was a roaring success and a satirical gem when the Royal Court brought it to... [more]
There are several very famous operas about fallen women, but it's unexpected to see the name Anna Nicole Smith along... [more]
A perfect hot chocolate is a very subjective thing. More so even that that other contentious hot beverage, coffee. Do ... [more]
There's a lot of colour in the Royal Opera's Barber of Seville. There's a lot of colour in all productions of this comi... [more]
I first met Gail's bread in Notting Hill. It was mid Winter, and I was on my way home to heat up some soup, and then I ... [more]
What makes a woman a lady? Detail, girls, detail. And being memorable. And what's one of the most effective ways to b... [more]
Cox, cookies and cake sounds a bit rude, doesn't it? Which is fair, 'cause it is a bit rude. A little bit naughtier th... [more]
Tuesday the 25th of January is Burns Night, which is a fun night to celebrate even if you're not Scottish. If you're sp... [more]
There are some pretty special buildings in London, and quite a few of them now have part of their floor space taken up w... [more]
The Troubadour means many things to many people. For some it's the spiritual home of London beat poetry, or 50s folk mu... [more]
There's a scientific case for chocolate making you feel better. It's not just that it tastes good and it's something th... [more]
There's something to be said for frill-less tradition when it comes to seafood. And to champagne. The two things that ... [more]
Sketch isn't just one restaurant, it's more a collective. And an art collective at that, as what each of these eating p... [more]
Beer. Done right it's considered the nectar of the Gods, done badly it's like dishwater gone bad. You might think that... [more]
If you're not really an outdoor type, trail mix is basically a bag of high energy goodies you take with you to snack on ... [more]
First, let's get the pronunciation out of the way in case you need to give anyone directions. Yaow-ah-cha, is the way i... [more]
They say they're a 'deluxe diner', unimaginative reviewers say 'it's so good they named it twice', and savvy guests say ... [more]
Bar Italia has been in the Polledri family since it opened in 1949. And if it's not changed too much since then it's be... [more]
Coco de Mer is the sort of erotica emporium that makes proper ladies feel too good to be true. They stock everything fro... [more]
The United Sweet-tooths of America are responsible for this addictively delicious cocoa decadent concoction. Red velvet... [more]
The building The Serpentine Bar and Kitchen makes its home in is apparently one of the most famous in London. It looks ... [more]
Sometimes you have to work hard if you want to be in possession of the hottest ticket in old London town. You have to k... [more]
When applied to these German style sausages, the word 'wurst' seems unfair. For they're surely the very opposite to wor... [more]
If you like Polpo, which serves those tiny portions of Venetian deliciousness then you'll also like Polpetto, which is b... [more]
It's not a stretch for most people to learn that 'Wodka' is the Polish word for vodka. From which point it's an equally... [more]
Sometimes all I want from a bar is the feeling that when I'm sitting there with my drink I'm an actor in the film of lif... [more]
Not all kids have had a chance to finely tune their palate beyond fish fingers and need an extra-sensory dining expe... [more]
It's surprisingly hard to find a good pub off High Street Kensington. In fact it's surprisingly hard to find a pub up t... [more]
Dining at Rodizio Rico isn't like dining in other restaurants. It's more of a cross between dining in a restaurant and ... [more]
Remember when you were a kid and as well as your school rucksack, backpack or satchel you needed another bag to carry yo... [more]
Just because times are frugal girls, it doesn't mean that we don't still want to look good does it? Trawling Oxfam and ... [more]
Wherever you live, it's unlikely a Christmas season goes past without "The Nutcracker", it's like the fairy on top of th... [more]
Bobbin Bicycles' tag line is 'The Most Beautiful Bike Shop in Britain', and it's a well deserved moniker, even if it's s... [more]
London's Icebar started off as one of the first pop up venues, a cool (ha ha) gimmick for the Christmas season 2005, b... [more]
Covent Garden always seems like a logical place to meet up, it's pretty central, and a short walk from stations on sev... [more]
Delightful, comforting, sweet, crumbly and delicious. And of course Scottish, are the first couple of words the co-co... [more]
In many places the first whisper of spring comes from the daffodil heads that start poking up out of the ground. At fir... [more]
The name is supposed to suggest New York's East Village, but Village East doesn't have to ride on the coat tails of some... [more]
What makes a great library? If it's having a vast catalogue, then the British Library has the world's largest collectio... [more]
Bedford & Strand is pretty much on, or more correctly under, the corner of Bedford Street and The Strand, so it's named ... [more]
In 'days of yore' – pre central heating - winter was a harder time for people than it is today, and some poor souls lite... [more]
Like wine?
Like drinking wine?
Like learning about wine?
Like trying new wines, with the emphasis being on finding on... [more]
Ok, so I have to come clean. I didn't realise the bar in One Aldwych had a name – I thought it was one of those funky n... [more]
A famous person in cookery once said that you'll always regret your first loaf. If it's any good you and your family wi... [more]
If you thought life on the ocean waves was all about space then come and educate yourself aboard the Golden Hinde, a ful... [more]
The High Road Brasserie, also known as the Chiswick Brasserie seems to have worked out what I like in a restaurant and t... [more]
The Narrow is Gordon Ramsey but in pub form. Meaning pub-esque dishes and some pub staples, but with a bit more flash t... [more]
Done up in all its lights you can see London's Oxford Street when you approach London from the air, assuming your flight... [more]
In some countries Christmas isn't Christmas without eating a house for dessert: a house made of gingerbread. These are ... [more]
Unless you're a serving British serviceman or woman it's unlikely you'll have ever set foot on a ship of her majesty's f... [more]
The Trafalgar Tavern is one of those pubs that wears its age well – for although it was built in 1837, it's young for Gr... [more]
Most people know the Barbican exists, but not everyone knows this rabbit warren of a building houses a cinema as well as... [more]
The Greenwich Picturehouse is a cinema for people who really love film, not just people who like going to the movies on ... [more]
Of all the really great Vintage shops in London, The Girl Can't Help It is probably the most glamorous, from the cheeky ... [more]
Which came first, ice cream or freezers?
This might not be quite as thought provoking a conundrum as chickens vs. eggs ... [more]
There are a few different reasons why you might find yourself approaching the charming old warehouse style building that... [more]
The hint is in the name, but these, traditional looking sushi bars, are a bit more inventive about sushi than you might ... [more]
For all its flaws the traditional Christmas dinner, after which the words 'with all the trimmings' belong, is one meal t... [more]
Me: "That's a lovely necklace!"
My friend: "Thanks, I make my own jewellery, it's really not that hard..."
Me (continu... [more]
Scandinavian are known for clean lines and efficiency, which aren't always considered assets when it comes to food. But... [more]
There's nothing like the feeling of sporting a fabulous item of clothing that no one else has, and shopping vintage is o... [more]
Some people think of it as Asian tapas, but dim sum have been around for just as long and this many-small-portions-of-ma... [more]
There are two 'Robots' in London, and this, we can presume from the name is the larger one. (The other is called Tiny R... [more]
Ok, so it's more faux boho than actual boho, but Café Boheme is properly French, despite its location on the corner of O... [more]
If you don't venture under Richmond Bridge you might miss finding Tide Tables. From the town side it doesn't look like ... [more]
Arancina, or arancini to use the plural, are wonderful little golden balls of risotto the idea for which originated in S... [more]
Even in this city famous for its average weather, there are still some days when the thought of ice cream pops into your... [more]
Eadweard Muybridge was the man who famously proved that horses can fly. He had the eye of a photographer and the techno... [more]
Muffinski's do some of the best tastes-like-home-made-only-better muffins in London. In fact if you spent a year baking... [more]
Vintage shopping takes talent, patience, vision and determination, but the reward – looking good in your one of a kind d... [more]
Japanese culture is austere and traditional, while also being a little bit crazy. Crazy in a fun and colourful way. Or... [more]
In my family the job of making the Christmas pudding is a trusted and important role coveted by many, but held by my Gra... [more]
Christmas dinner isn't Christmas dinner without one or more people donning a paper crown and telling a bad joke or two, ... [more]
Byron is a restaurant chain with a tag line: "Proper Hamburgers". It's a fair claim, though many, far less nutritious o... [more]
Food comes in many colours – more than you might think, and it's supposed to be good for you to eat as many colours as p... [more]
The High Street Kensington branch is the largest of the UK's burgeoning collections of Whole Foods Markets. And it's pr... [more]
There are some nights when all you want is a stack of pancakes and the craving is so strong that you can't really wait u... [more]
Bluebird is cool. It offers a variety of cool spaces to eat, drink and people watch in – from its café, restaurant and ... [more]
The Harwood Arms is a pub. But it's a pub with a Michelin star. So it's not really an ordinary local pub.
On its fo... [more]
'Mess' isn't the most apt name for the restaurant nestling up to the side of the Saatchi Gallery. Its high, white vault... [more]
New York, New York – it's a wonderful town. Apparently. One of its pleasures are its diners, open all hours and servin... [more]
Lots of pubs claim to be Thames-side, but there can't be that many that have their terrace flooded by the Thames when it... [more]
A lot of us would like to live "the good life", growing our own food and making more of our own essentials, which is why... [more]
There are quite a lot of nice Thames-side pubs, and Richmond has its fair share, but there are a few that prove to be a ... [more]
If the cakes loving reared and crafted at Outsider Tart aren't the best in London then someone had better tell me where ... [more]
If there's a single best place to locate a best of British restaurant in London at the moment it's gotta be that spot on... [more]
Need cake fast – for yourself or for someone else? Who should you call in a cake related emergency = Konditer and Cook, ... [more]
When you went to the cinema during its 'Golden Age' you'd often get twice for the price - in the form of a double featur... [more]
However much you fight it winter can put a bit of a dampener on your frolicking in the great outdoors, but there are a f... [more]
Zero Degrees is a bar. A bar and a brewery – or, as the smell might give away, a bar IN a brewery. Because, as well as... [more]
Hansel and Gretel is a timely tale for Christmas and one that almost every child knows. What could be more apt than a c... [more]
The Savoy is one of London's nicest buildings, as well as being one of London's premier hotels, since it opened in 1889.... [more]
Kettners has pedigree, both from being quite old and well established - it opened in 1867 - and from being favoured by i... [more]
Walking into Browns on a hot summer afternoon is like you might imagine walking into the bar of a British hotel in some ... [more]
Dressing up as your favourite cartoon character might seem like something only kids do, but the young people of Japan ha... [more]
Even before you thanked Mexico for tequila, you would have thanked Mexico for pińatas, those colourful, treat-filled han... [more]
There are lots of nice local pubs, but there are most likely nice local pubs that are local to your house, so why should... [more]
Some pubs sell it to you with their menu, some their selection of ales on tap, and some just boast a convivial landlord.... [more]
The Duke is a pub that does a lot of things right, but the reason it's a pub worth mentioning among London's many hundre... [more]
The Marlborough is on quite a quiet street on Richmond Hill, just back from Petersham Meadows and surrounded by some of ... [more]
If, when you attend the theatre, you have to keep your hand over your mouth to stop yourself from shouting out warnings ... [more]
There are three very persuasive reasons why you should do as much of your Christmas shopping as you can at a one of the ... [more]
Diana used to dine here in the day, and people used to fawn over her through the floor to ceiling windows. Then, as wel... [more]
Confucius says: playing Mahjong is good for wallet if first it's good for your mind.
OK, he didn't really, but there ... [more]
When you were a kid you may have seen your Granny murmuring knit one, purl two, as she sat on the good chair, clicking a... [more]
Some people love autumn for the sound of leaves crunching underfoot, or the snap, crackle and pop of a newly lit fire. ... [more]
Alfies doesn't look like much. It's on a road behind Marylebone station which on Saturdays also becomes a market sellin... [more]
Most of the information you need about this event is in the name. If it were called "The Contemporary Art Priced betwee... [more]
Trick or treating is for kids, so unless you're invited to a Hallowe'en party, how are you supposed to welcome in the Al... [more]
Do you remember how good jam is? It's a cupboard staple, so we're all inclined to take its pleasures for granted, but i... [more]
Polpo does Italian food the way they do it in Venice, meaning well and in small portions, which means you can have lots ... [more]
You seldom hear people holding up the fifties as a decade epitomising style in art, design or architecture. It's not of... [more]
I didn't hear about a new Italian bakery opening in Soho at the end of 2008, I sort of smelled it out. A wandering down ... [more]
How does a department store selling basically the same products as other department stores become a travel destination? ... [more]
Having a nifty little magic trick up your sleeve will come in handy in all sorts of circumstances. Impress friends-to-b... [more]
Canteen serves the sort of British cuisine that gives UK eating a good reputation not a bad one: flavoursome home made s... [more]
It's common knowledge that man is yet to discover and catalogue all the world's plants and animals. Some rare creatures... [more]
The thing about taking the stairs down to the nicely lit bar below Café des Amis is that it often smells pretty strongly... [more]
London is heavy with history. It's not just her hallowed buildings and the ancient Thames, it's also her thoroughfares ... [more]
Busaba, or to give it its full name, Busaba Eathai, now has more than one branch in London, but there always seems to be... [more]
Wahaca is supposed to be Mexican street food in London. Which isn't quite possible. But it does its best.
They do... [more]
The Bird in Hand is a local pub by location but not by quality. The true test of a local pub is people still visiting a... [more]
There's a lot of bad coffee being sold to unsuspecting Londoners. Don't be one of them. There are many beacons of caff... [more]
Today Hamleys is only ONE of the world's largest toy stores, but when I was a kid I'm pretty sure I was told it was THE ... [more]
London can be a bit unreliable when it comes to coffee, and you have to appreciate that the antipodeans who run Sacred h... [more]
Liberty of London has its own signature style, such a rare pleasure for shoppers in a homogenizing world where shops see... [more]
Tinderbox is more than just a cafe - it's an oasis of power points in an unfriendly world. Cruising skirting boards for... [more]
There's something appetisingly subversive about having your breaky somewhere that's also a late night bar. In fact Bala... [more]
Richmond is a good place to start biking trips because it's on the river, along which run tow paths that are enjoyable, ... [more]
These times of austerity and cut backs cause those who are old enough to remember the war years. When times were hard b... [more]
London has many fish and chip restaurants and 'chippys' worth their salt, and every Londoner has a favourite they'll swe... [more]
OK, so it's not P.C., but there's more to hunting than killing animals for food. Being able to shoot a moving bird out ... [more]
One of Britain's largest land carnivores, the secretive badger inhabits that nocturnal woodland world of owls and foxes,... [more]
Most people recognise the name Hastings better if the words 'Battle of' are written in front of it. And while this is u... [more]
The Hummingbird Bakery make cupcakes like American grannies are supposed to make. That's their gimmick - from churning ... [more]
When I was a little kid I wanted to be a bird. Not in the same way that other kids wanted to be Superman or Spiderman, ... [more]
Canela is a useful to place to know about at any time of day. They're a sort of hybrid cafe/ bar/ restaurant, in that t... [more]
Age old questions like 'Which came first, the chicken or the egg?' and 'Is chocolate better than sex?' rear their dull h... [more]
Tibits differs from your standard London eating emporium in one very important way: you pay for your meal by weight. S... [more]
The British are supposed to know how to do tea properly so it's disappointing to go to a tea shop and pay Ł2 for a Twini... [more]
What would convince you to pay to go to the cinema without first knowing what film you're going to see? This isn't a ca... [more]
Astronomy is one of the world's oldest sciences: examining familiar constellations like Orion and Ursa Minor, exploring ... [more]
Sound: Brring brring
Vision: A phone pressed to the side of an attractively powdered female cheek.
Sound: "Darling, di... [more]
London has quite a few lovely old flea pit cinemas made good, but The Electric must be the nicest cinema going experienc... [more]
There are hundreds of different things you can do to help support worthy charities, but joining in with the London Night... [more]
London, Saturday September 11: In summer's yellow dying throws, Hyde Park is rousing itself for one last music festival.... [more]
At the Petersham Nurseries café the linen is perfectly laundered and the silver perfectly polished, but the floor is exp... [more]
When is a petrol station like a cinema?
Probably never. There are few buildings more different to each other than a c... [more]
Smooth, well heeled feet may seem like one of life's few unaffordable luxuries these days; partly because it takes ages ... [more]
Almost anyone who was anyone in British history for the last thousand years has been interred within the grounds of West... [more]
There's always a lot going on on the Southbank, from organised events and festivals, to impromptu acts of one-of-a-kind ... [more]
In American films the drive-in always looks like so much fun – a whole lot of teenagers sitting in the back of their car... [more]
The Royal rowing regatta puts Henley on the map, but it's all over very quickly. So to make it worth your while making ... [more]
2009 is the right time for 'Mother Courage and her Children', a play originally penned by Bertolt Brecht in 1939; becaus... [more]
Botany, Entomology, Mineralology, Paleontology and Zoology: the very scientific sounding words separating the galleries ... [more]
London has a reputation for being an expensive city, and while there may be no such thing as a free lunch, it's really e... [more]
The New Forest: If the only forest you've ever encountered has been on the pages of a fairytale the New Forest still wo... [more]
Hampton Court Palace looks like the kind of place a king would want to live. Its terracotta bricks stand out from its g... [more]
What would you do if you were richer than the king? Mightn't be a bad idea to create a kingdom of your own, though if y... [more]
London's canals used to be insalubrious places that smelled of a hundred different kinds of nasty, and were inhabited la... [more]
Folks are sensitive about breaking their fast in the morning. On the continent they do it with Viennoiserie (pastries) ... [more]
Beachy Head's appeal has nothing to do with a beach – and strangely neither does the name, which comes from the French "... [more]
To help ease the passing of summer for the British public the BBC annually organises an eight week audio bonanza celebra... [more]
There are lots of nice houses in Hampstead, but Fenton House is a bit special. It was built in the 17th Century by a me... [more]
If the UK hosts a street party bigger than the Notting Hill Carnival then it must be held in silence and I must be the o... [more]
Who would wish back the smog that once notoriously shrouded London, masking the streets and allowing nefarious deeds to ... [more]
Most people think of feng shui as being a slightly mystical Chinese style of home décor. What most people don't realise... [more]
Popular culture tells us that poker nights are something men host in order to get away from their wives and get a little... [more]
When I was a kid I really wanted to be like Indiana Jones. In my case the appeal wasn't the bull whip, or sassy chat an... [more]
The trick to making sushi is getting the rice right - it needs to be sticky, but not so sticky that it's clumpy. Once y... [more]
The Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum, is neatly packed with notable pieces of decorative art and design made over the pa... [more]
Before he hanged for his highwayman's crimes Dick Turpin's criminal career begun in Epping Forest where he worked as a b... [more]
Sometimes it's the quiet ones you need to watch out for. And sometimes it's the most placid seeming occasions that can ... [more]
At the vanguard of the recycling movement, the Wombles of Wimbledon Common made good use of the things the every day fol... [more]
Even if you live in the tiniest of apartments you can still have a garden – it just needs to be a correspondingly tiny g... [more]
One of the best things about being in one of the world's most ancient cities is imagining all the people who've walked a... [more]
Each year the theatre season in Regent's Park, held over the balmy evenings of summer, seems to improve on the year befo... [more]
For most people the name Oxford belongs first and foremost to the university, the oldest in the English speaking world. ... [more]
What could be better than hosting a party where you could have anyone you want, alive or dead, attend? The way to do it... [more]
Kew Gardens is definitely the place to come for your outdoors fix of tree lined vistas, fields of bluebells and crocuse... [more]
Lots of humming-for-days-in-your-head songs come from musicals without people realising it, and 'Annie Get your Gun' ha... [more]
When you were a kid you might have read books staring Dick and Jane, in almost every edition of which there was an illus... [more]
London is still more a tea-and-two-slices kinda town than a place of great, pre-luncheon cuisine. But if you like to ge... [more]
Some stories lend themselves directly to the sweeping grandness of an opera house, and Pushkin's novel in verse, Eugene ... [more]
This oddly-named, sandy track has been horse-riding central for London society since the late 1600s, when it was establi... [more]
When you were a kid the contents of your toy box was probably one of the world's most valuable collections as far as you... [more]
Sometimes it's more about the journey than the destination, and this is one of 'those' sorts of trips. The route, mostl... [more]
Richmond Park is London's largest green space, though some of it is more like golden heath than a green and pleasant pa... [more]
Once relatively inaccessible to any but those inhabiting the upper echelons of society, there's now a way for anyone who... [more]
Before inventing cricket or Big Brother, the eccentric English used to spend their spare time visiting churches and admi... [more]
While not known for their cuisine, there are some things that the British do jolly well. And afternoon tea is at the to... [more]
The Thames around Richmond is much more 'Wind in the Willows' than the sinister Thames of Charles Dickens. All manner o... [more]
Seen from above Brompton Cemetery's layout probably looks a lot like the floor plan of a great cathedral, with one long,... [more]
There's something thrilling about bad boys like the Kray twins. Even though we know we shouldn't laud criminals they do... [more]
In the beginning the trip to Brighton from London used to be bucket and spade holiday pilgrimage.
In the 60s the Mo... [more]
When Richmond Park was a deer park for the king, Ham House was the very height of Restoration chic, and one of the centr... [more]
Jack the Ripper skulked around Spitalfields in his day; the Ten Bells pub where some of his unfortunate victims topped t... [more]
Rock down to Electric Avenue to the Brixton Markets, the largest Afro-Caribbean market outside of Africa or the Caribbea... [more]
There's an easy, and entertaining way to get around the price hike that often accompanies eating fresh and local, and th... [more]
If you're going to bowl there are only two people you want to bowl like: The Fonze or The Dude . Either way the Bloomsb... [more]
Selflessness feels good. Remember the last time you gave up your seat for someone who needed it more and you felt like ... [more]
