On possibilities
Seeking a little inspiration for a date with a glamorous London companion? Well darling, lucky for you I spend far too much time out on the town. Enclosed are some personal favourites.
Eat
Whilst I enjoy the occasional white table cloth and 4 hour extravaganza, my heart belongs to London’s more convivial and relaxed spots. The West End is my natural habitat, which means you’ll often find me Upstairs at The French House, attempting to blag a table at Mountain, mainlining Gildas at Rita’s, sipping Guinness at The Devonshire and flirting with the liveried doorstaff at Brasserie Zédel. I’m a devotee of Noble Rot (the Bloomsbury outpost please) for an unbeatable wine list and a charmingly wonky floor. In Fitzrovia my stalwarts are Norma, The Ninth, Lisboeta, Chishuru, and Rovi, and on the rare occasions I leave Soho I head East, to Lyle’s, Manteca, Bistro Freddie, Brawn, Brat, or Leroy.
Honourable mentions to Carlotta (Mob Wife chic and huge portions of pasta); Hide (is 15 sommeliers too many?); Sessions Arts Club (Come for the aesthetic and stay for the charcuterie); St. John (Offal-y good) and Dinings (excellent sushi but admittedly terrible lighting).
For special occasions or pure indulgence, my starred favourites are Akoko, The Clove Club, Endo at The Rotunda, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, Ikoyi, Sketch, Humo, and Sushi Tetsu.
And please, let’s avoid death by influencer at Sexy Fish & Bacchanalia.
Drink
The Connaught Bar and The Red Room at The Connaught are eternal favourites both for atmosphere and cocktails, with the bar at Claridge's running a close second for ‘best hotel bar to flirt in’. I also always enjoy sumptuous tete-a-tetes at Bar Americain, Scarfe’s, and Duke’s. Otherwise, I’d recommend Soma, Downstairs at Swift, Three Sheets, Kol, The Blind Pig, and Lyaness. For those searching for something more novel I’d suggest disco speakeasy Nine Lives, 1940s den Cahoots, or Rooms By The Hour for quick and dirty fun.
And of course, when I’m not in the mood for martinis I’m most likely to be found in the pub. My favourites tend to feature Victorian saloons, tucked away booths and copious wood panelling. Ideally The Chandos, The Lamb, The Princess Louise, The Audley, & The Newman Arms.
Be Merry
My first great love is theatre, and I’m always eager to sit in the dark and be told a story. Let’s see what’s on, but generally I try to catch most things at The National Theatre, The Barbican, The Royal Court, The Donmar, The Young Vic, The Old Vic, and The Almeida. My tastes are varied, but I especially enjoy work by Jamie Lloyd, Rebecca Frecknell, Ivo Van Hove, Thomas Ostermeier, Simon Stone, Katie Mitchell, and Benedict Andrews. My tastes in dance are contemporary; think Hofesh Shechter, Akram Khan, and Pina Bausch.
One is spoiled for choice for galleries in London. My favourites are Hayward Gallery, The Barbican, both Tate Britain and Tate Modern, The Courtauld, and The Serpentine, as well as the acronymous stalwarts: The ICA, The V&A, and The RA.
For those in search of some greenery, there’s always Hampstead Heath. And for those in search of a lot of greenery, there’s always The Newt.
If you’re eager to try something different, let’s learn to cook, or learn to tie; go to the casino or sing karaoke; throw an orgy or smoke cigars.
Last, but never least: For late-night revelry, let’s go dancing at Dear Darling, Annabel’s, or The Box.
Beyond London
There’s a whole world out there for us to explore. Right now, my travel bucket list includes
Hiking in Triglavski Park, Slovenia
The Moss Temple, Kyoto and Naoshima Art Island
Island hopping on the Dalmation Coast
A long weekend at La Sirenuse, Positano