We’re hugely excited by the news that Reformation will be available in the UK from 26 July exclusively at Browns. Now you can try on pieces from the cult LA label at Browns East, as well as shopping online from the 27-piece collection that includes summer dresses, denim, bridal and swimwear, available for the first time in Europe. The sustainability-focussed brand previously had a pop-up shop in London in 2016 but this is the first return since. Get ready to shop!
Dithering tourists, a smelly coach depot and a chaotic train station give Victoria a bad rep. Just a street back from the hurly burly you’ll find the smart shops and cafes of Belgravia and Pimlico’s wide streets and leafy squares. Central and well-connected, Victoria has seen rapid redevelopment in recent years with the vast new Nova food court and the more characterful, Eccleston Yards on the way. Here, four local residents share the area’s highlights:
Things to Do
The number one draw to the area right now has to be Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre – the smash-hit musical is notoriously difficult to get a ticket to, but new seats have recently been released for 17 December-March next year. Of course there’s also the Tate Britain that’s home to the world’s largest Turner collection as well as spectacular exhibitions (All Too Human: Bacon, Freud and a Century of Painting Life is open until 27 August).
Westminster Cathedral is an impressive building few Londoners have actually been inside; even if you’re not visiting for Roman Catholic mass, be wowed by the vast and elaborate interior, and then climb the almighty bell tower for the view. Buckingham Palace is close by and opens in the summer months so you can nosey around the state rooms – the best bit is the huge garden behind where the Queen hosts her July garden parties. For all things relaxing including yoga escape to The Light Centre – we recommend the massages. There’s also a trusted Curzon cinema on Victoria Street.
Restaurants, Pubs and Bars
The most exciting development in the area is Eccleston Yards, where Tart are to open their first restaurant imminently. A new creative hub, there will also be workspaces, Barry’s Bootcamp and other independent restaurants and bars.
Nova arrived last year and is full of decent chains even if the feel is a little soul-less – highlights include Ahi Poke, Sticks and Sushi and Bone Daddies for ramen. Fans of dim sum should visit A Wong, a sleek Chinese on Wilton Road – order the sichuan aubergine. Round the corner find Tozi, a smart restaurant for Venetian sharing plates and a good wine list which tends to be filled with the area’s business types at lunchtime and a more glamorous crowd at night. In fact, there are plenty of good Italians in the area – Caccio e Pepe is very good, as is Il Gustoso for the less expensive alternative. And the best pizzas are found at Sardinian restaurant, Oliveto on Elizabeth Street.
Tozi
The food might be rather dated at Goya but it’s run by a sweet Spanish family and makes a good place to enjoy an al fresco glass of wine and bowl of olives in the sun. Opening times are a little sporadic but if you can bag a table at the charming Khallouk and Taylorfurther up Moreton Street then that’s the place for supper. They also serve delicious coffee and fresh orange juice in the mornings.
Cambridge Street Kitchen
There are a lot of dingy old boozers’ in Victoria – head to the Cask Pub instead where there’s a great selection of craft beers including one that costs £40 a bottle as its brewed by monks (ask at the bar). For a nightcap, head to Clarendon Cocktail Cellar – the basement bar of the Artist’s Residence sits below the Cambridge Street Kitchen which serves a good brunch and dinner.
Cafes and Delis
Dominique Ansel cronut
Lazy weekend brunch spots are few and far between but Australian Pimlico Fresh is a good option for juices and eggs and avo on toast. There’s also an ever-popular branch of Gail’s Bakery and the Roasting does a good coffee. Dominique Ansel brought the decadent cronut to London; try it at the Elizabeth Street bakery.
Another local gem is the Italian deli, Delizie d’Italia on Lupus Street where you can find Italian brands like Bauli pannetonne, bottles of Limoncello and colourful tins of Amaretti, as well as home-made cannoli pastries and coffee, plus fresh pastas to take away all served with a homely welcome.
Shopping
Soane
Pimlico Road is renowned for interiors and many of London’s top names have their shops there; Colefax & Fowler, Jamb, Soane, Luke Irwin and Rose Uniacke so the window shopping is good fun even if you’re not in the market to invest. Along the same jag find Fine Cell Work, where all the homewares are handmade in prisons. There’s also a Daylesford Farm Shop and Cafe where the produce comes straight from their Cotswolds Farm at extortionate prices, but exceptionally delicious to match. One of London’s few remaining proper toy shops Semmalina is a children’s paradise and they specialise in next-level party bags.
Shepherds Paper Co near Victoria station stocks exquisite handmade wrapping paper, notebooks, notecards and more. You can even take bookbinding, box making and paper cutting courses there.
There are two excellent food markets in the area. At the top end of the market is the Saturday morning Farmers Market on Pimlico Green where there’s seasonal produce from British growers – look out for the English scented roses from Rosebie Moreton. The Tachbrook Street daily (Mon-Sat) market is much more ordinary but nonetheless good; pick up fruit and veg, fish, meat and other essentials as well as street food.
With thanks to residents Lottie Derry-Evans, Allegra Marland, Emma Fox-Andrews and Daisy Bell.
We’re awash with lovely food markets in London, but what about wine? The Wine Car Boot comes to St James’ on two Saturday’s this summer giving you the chance to taste your way around a whole host of independent wine stalls. Over 30 of London’s top wine shops are taking part, as well as a few from further afield, including some producers of English fizz – taste, enjoy a glass and buy a bottle (or six) to take home. Plus street food, music and a merry atmosphere.
It’s the flower company that’s shaken up the market, delivering bouquets in boxes small enough to fit through the letterbox. Founder Aron Gelbard readily admits that he’s not green fingered, nor did he have a passion for flowers when he started Bloom & Wild back in 2013. Rather he was driven by the desire to bring the process of sending flowers up-to-date, making it easy and accessible for as many customers as possible. Now with tens of thousands of customers in London alone, we catch up with the tech guru about what makes him tick:
Where’s home?
I live in Putney with my wife and our young daughter. We love it – we’re very close to the river which is great for walks (with our daughter) and runs (without her) along the tow path.
When did you get the idea for letterbox flowers?
I’d always found sending flowers difficult to do, especially on my smartphone, and then found the end product was often a disappointment (not what I ordered, couldn’t be delivered, didn’t look great or last long…) A friend of mine runs Graze, the snacks-through-the-letterbox company, and I wondered if letterbox packaging might help improve the flower gifting experience too.
Your business grew very quickly, although at first you were boxing up the flowers yourself. How did you adjust from having a corporate job to founding a start-up?
We used to rent space by the hour from a wedding florist at New Covent Garden flower market (it was winter so they weren’t too busy) and pack boxes ourselves… We learned a huge amount from doing that, including the value of netting flowers in transit to keep them protected and compressed en route to the customer. It was a big adjustment going from leading a team to doing everything ourselves (my co-founder and I) but we were also both generalists and used to being organised and working hard, which definitely helped!
Which flower reminds you most of your childhood?
Lavender. I was born in France and lived there until I was 5. In fact we’re using it in our Meadow collection this summer that’s inspired by Provence – nothing is more “provencal” than lavender.
How important is sourcing to you?
Sourcing is really central to what we do. We are trying to balance breadth of our range, vase life, environmental impact and keeping our flowers affordable. We source from Britain where we’re able to meet these criteria – e.g. our peonies and gladioli in summer are British grown. For other stems, many of our flowers come from further afield. We’re proud to support farms in Kenya – a country with up to 40% unemployment – which make up close to half of our sourcing volume, especially in winter (heating a greenhouse in the European winter can generate up to 7 times as much CO2 as flying flowers over from Kenya, where there’s a natural all year-round climate for flower growing).
What’s London’s most popular flower?
Our most popular bouquet among London customers is The Harper, which is one of our long-running classics – the soft La Belle roses and wispy green bell are really popular.
What’s your favourite London restaurant or cafe?
I love Home SW15 which is local to me in Putney for neighbourhood meals and cocktails in the sun.
Which apps do you rely on?
Pocket for reading things when I’m travelling, Dark Sky for the unpredictable weather, Slack for keeping up with work on the go, Flightradar24 (a bit nerdy, I know!) for seeing what’s making a noise above my head, and of course Bloom & Wild for sending gifts.
What’s exciting you about the future?
We’ve started doing deliveries ourselves in London (rather than via Royal Mail) and are seeing really high on-time delivery and customer satisfaction rates, plus people love our Bloom & Wild vans, so we’re hoping to introduce those in more places. And I’m excited to be growing our range of letterbox and non-letterbox plants too.
Despite it’s confusing name, Kids Week in fact runs throughout the whole month of August. The brilliant scheme fills theatre seats during the quieter summer months by offering free tickets for children at some of London’s top shows. All children under 16 get a free ticket with one full-paying adult, with the additional option of buying up to two more kids’ tickets at half price.
There’s a huge range to choose from – West End musicals (The Phantom of the Opera, Thriller, Aladdin), new productions (A Monster Calls at the Old Vic, Jacqueline Wilson’s Double Act at the Polka, The Jungle at the Playhouse), as well as classic plays like The Woman in Black and The Tiger Who Came for Tea. All the shows come with age guidelines, so just click on the age (under 5’s, 5+, 8+, PG) to find the suggested performances.
Many of the most popular shows sell out early, so if you’re in London this summer do book ahead for an August outing.
Ever wished someone else could do your packing for you? Allow the Beauty Team at Liberty to sort your toiletries for you with these smart kits that combine their top-rated products in a Liberty print washbag. New this week, the Life’s a Beach bag contains Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, Frances Prescott’s TriBalm cleanser, Davines Hair Mask, Omorovicza’s Magic Moisture Mist, a Malin+Goetz Eucalyptus Deodorant and an Essie nail polish in Bikini So Teeny. All the products are under 100ml for travelling and come in the summery Liesl wash bag. With a combined value of £220, the kit seems a steal at £75.
Life’s a Beach is the second in the new range of Beauty Kits – the Baby on Board launched earlier this July and comes filled with Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Hand Cream, Cowshed’s Udderly Gorgeous Shower Gel, Bare Biology Bump and Glory DHA Omega Capsules, an Aromatherapy Associates Face Mask and Bloom and Blossom’s Anti-Stretch Mark Cream and their Rejuvenating Facial Spritz. Coming in the pretty Willow Bell wash bag it would make a lovely present for a friend expecting a baby.
With so many airlines charging hefty hold-luggage fees, many of us are travelling light this summer. A streamlined wardrobe can be liberating, but the snag is always with the wash bag. The limit to 100ml an item means many of our regular products have to be left at home. Take the opportunity to try out some new things with this edit of the best travel-sized beauty:
Glossier Mini Milky Jelly Cleanser
Glossier’s hit milky jelly cleanser now comes in a new 60ml sized travel bottle, so you can take it with you on your summer holidays. Fingers crossed they’ll start offering their other products in miniature soon. £8, 60ml glossier.com
St Tropez Gradual Tan Tinted Moisturiser
Keep your face out of the sun and wrinkles at bay without sacrificing a summer glow with this new St Tropez gradual tan. As a primer and tinted moisturiser, wear it alone or under make up and your colour will build each day of your holiday. £18, 50ml, sttropeztan.co.uk
Sachajuan’s Ocean Mist Shampoo and Conditioner
Stockholm’s famed hair salon, Sachajuan have released these two Scandi hair care products that will just fit into hand luggage. The Ocean Mist range not only looks super inviting, but it’s also immediately effective, giving body and bounce to fine, flyaway hair. Shampoo £10, 100ml cultbeauty.co.uk and conditioner £11, 100ml, cultbeauty.co.uk
The Ordinary Mineral Suncare
The latest product from cult brand, The Ordinary is an antioxidant sun cream for the face that comes in SPF 15 or SPF 30, with SPF 50 launch over the next few weeks. £8.90, 50ml deciem.com
Jo Loves Pomelo Paintbrush Fragrance
Whilst it’s annoying not being able to take your perfume on holiday, it does present the opportunity to try a new summer scent. We are currently loving Pomelo from Jo Malone’s company, Jo Loves. The paintbrush is fun and small enough to carry in a clutch bag if you’re off to a wedding – just brush on the gel-like fragrance. £40, 18ml joloves.com
Eyeko Beach Waterproof Mascara
The award-winning mascara brand’s waterproof beach wand will carry you straight from the waves to sundowners in the bar. £19, 8ml spacenk.com
Rodin Olio Lusso Jasmine and Neroli Face Oil
We are great fans of Linda Rodin’s face oils which contain the famed olio lusso elixir, and they come in lovely small 15ml travel sizes. This blend of Egyptian jasmine, Moroccan neroli and evening primrose is calming and soothing, giving a dewy glow after a flight. £60 15ml, libertylondon.com
Space NK Travel Bag
Never again scrabble around decanting the contents of your washbag amongst the airport throng. Invest in this smart, clear make-up bag from Space NK instead and do the packing at home. Plus, their Travel Sized collection online is excellent for holiday-sized beauty. £24, spacenk.com
We’re in the midst of the longest heatwave since 1976 and it’s time for a breather. Decamp from the stifling city and in just 1 hour and 20 minutes you can swap St Pancras for the shingle beach, salty air and cooling sea. The latest in a roll-call of gentrified coastal towns, Deal has witnessed an influx of design-savvy Londoners buying up its pretty Georgian houses and bringing with them shops, restaurants, hotels and a new crowd known to locals as ‘DFL’s’ (down-from-London’s).
Image: Seth Carnill @sethcarnill
One such couple are Christopher Hicks and Alex Bagner who have renovated the town’s roughest spit-and-sawdust pub, The Rose. Christopher is the great-grandson of John Matthews, owner of the Thompson & Son Brewery which owned The Rose and lots of local pubs until the 1950’s. Along with wife Alex, formerly an editor at Wallpaper* magazine and onefinestay.com the pair have set to restore the pub to it’s former glory, bringing it up to date with a new bar and restaurant and eight boutique bedrooms above.
The pub sits on the High Street, two roads back from the seafront. It’s a 5-minute walk from the station past a reassuringly un-chi-chi strip of scrappy newsagents and jolly fish-and-chippy’s. Step inside The Rose and you’re in a distinctly 2018 world of house plants, rattan and mustard velvet. It’s no surprise that the interiors have been done by Harding and Read with styling by East London fashion favourite, Michelle Kelly, yet the welcome is friendly and laid-back.
Our bedroom (Number 4) is like a jewel-box with it’s amber headboard, embroidered silk cushions and glossy sliding doors opening to reveal a roll-top plum bathtub. There are excellent details; a record player with a selection of vinyls (Santana, Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell and the Beach Boys) and delicious-smelling organic products from Austin Austin. On the landing outside there’s a DIY tea-making station with homely Cornishware mugs and proper builder’s teabags so you can make a cuppa and take it back to bed.
Image: Seth Carnill @sethcarnill
Downstairs there’s a decent bar with a daily changing cocktail – we tried the berry bellini – and a restaurant with an open kitchen producing little plates of fried whitebait and smoky prawns. Dinner is delicious but brunch is perhaps even better, drawing crowds of locals as well as hotel guests for sourdough toast with pear and ginger jam, Scotch Woodcock and bacon rolls. There’s also an outdoor terrace where you can sit in the sun with a coffee and the papers.
More of a restaurant-with-rooms than a hotel proper, you’ll want to get out and about. The shingle beach and pier is just 2 minutes walk. We went for a bracing pre-breakfast dip and the swimming is typically English – lovely once you’re in. For a mosey around town, turn left out of the hotel and explore the assortment of antiques shops and boutiques stopping at Hoxton Store for presents, and Will & Yates on the seafront for art, ceramics and homewares. Pick out your dream home from the string of pastel terraced cottages on Middle Street, and wander along the water front for a cone at the ice cream parlour that hasn’t changed since the 50’s. There are a number of good restaurants in town too, start at cosy French wine bar, Le Pinardier opposite the hotel for an aperitif and then head on to Victuals and Co around the corner.
It is said that on a clear day in Deal you can see France. And as we swam out from the shore there she was, shimmering on the horizon, so close you felt you might kick on and reach her. The Rose makes the perfect bolthole for anyone reluctant to travel far and yet yearning to feel a very long way from London.
Go on holiday without leaving London with these Sardinian Supper Clubs at the Pear Tree Cafe in Battersea park. Guest chef Letitia Clark, who is based in Sardinia will be bringing the beautiful island’s ingredients to create a delicious summer menu.
Letitia is a talented illustrator and writer and most of what she does revolves around her passion for food. Originally from Devon, she trained at Leith’s before working in some of London’s top kitchens including Moro, Spring, Ellory and Lyles. It was at work that she met her Sardinian boyfriend who persuaded her to move to his homeland and together they are setting up a small farm and caseificio (dairy).
This Supper Club is bound to be a special one – think fresh fish, crisp wine and stories of life on the Mediterranean island.
There seem to be open air cinema screens everywhere these days, but the original Luna Cinema is still the very best. Now in their tenth year, they seem to nab the most atmospheric venues from Chatsworth to Westminster Abbey with a tempting mixture of new blockbusters and old classics.
This summer, we’re hugely excited to hear that they are launching Luna Kids, especially for children. Open air screens designed to show the perfect picture even in direct sunlight will pop up throughout the summer holidays showing favourites like Toy Story, Harry Potter and Finding Dory. For even younger children there will be a screening of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’sThe Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and Stick Man – each just half an hour long.
Touring the UK, the London dates to look out for are 21-27 July at Dulwich Park and 7-12 August at Hampton Court Palace. We can’t think of a nicer summer holiday outing – all you need to take is a rug and a picnic.
Step away from the iPad with these fun games for all ages that can all be taken with you wherever you’re off to this summer:
Obama Llama
From the makers’ of Linkee, this is a game of rhyming charades. There’s Tom Cruise in platform shoes, Angelina Jolie eating ravioli and Barack Obama riding a llama. Your team have to guess as many as you can in 30 seconds. £19.99 johnlewis.com
What Should I Do With My Life?
The School of Life have a whole range of ‘games’ that ask the pertinent questions in life. Some aren’t really games at all but more prompts towards interesting conversations – like their latest Pillow Talk cards for example. Stay or Leave is all about deciding whether your relationship has a future and 100 Questions is a way to get to know someone better. This is a fun top trumps style game but it’s also a good way to get to know the myriad of career options out there. £14.50 theschooloflife.com
Wooden Memory Game
For tinies, this sweet memory game made by Copenhagen lifestyle brand, Liewood comes in a small wooden box that can be carried on any family holiday or out for a meal. £33 notanotherbill.com
Bananagrams
For any fans of Boggle, this is an even better game for travelling as no pencils, pens or paper are needed. Quickly use your counters to make a grid of words to become the top banana. £14.99, amazon.co.uk
Funemployed
Strictly for grown-up’s this hilarious improvisation game is made for long summer dinners. Call upon your acting skills and interview for various jobs with the absurd qualifications found on your cards. For example you’ll be interviewing for the role of Motivational Speaker with skills like passive aggressive or loose morals and need to talk your way into winning the job. £21.99 amazon.co.uk
Uno
The classic. Cries of UNO are synonymous with summer holidays. For 2-10 players, take a pack of cards to restaurants to keep everyone happy – the game is easy and works especially well for mixed age groups as anyone can play. £6.99 amazon.co.uk
Trivial Pursuit
We all love Trivial Pursuit, and this Family Edition is ideal for playing together in the holidays – older children can graduate to the grown up cards. It’s especially good for a big group as you can get into teams. £29.99 argos.co.uk
Printworks Ludo
Printworks coffee-table collection of games come in smart boxes that are small enough to pop in your suitcase. The range includes chess, ludo, backgammon and dominoes. £32 selfridges.com
Backgammon Roll
Backgammon is a firm favourite, and just the thing to play in the evening on holiday with a drink. This set can be rolled up and taken anywhere. £49 conranshop.co.uk
It’s goodbye for now…
The team at A Little Bird are taking a break to recharge and make some exciting changes behind-the-scenes. We look forward to seeing you again soon.
