Latest news with #mixologists
Washington Post
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Washington Post
2-ingredient wine cocktails are refreshingly simple summer sippers
You don't need fancy bartending tools or an extensive liquor collection to make satisfying summer drinks. For a quick refresher with very little effort, grab a corkscrew. Wine is a powerhouse cocktail ingredient because it requires minimal manipulation. You can parlay its layered flavors and textures into punches or highballs by combining a few ounces of red, white or rosé with a mixer or modifier. Served over ice — and garnished with an olive or citrus twist — wine cocktails are the ideal antidotes to half-full bottles and sky-high temperatures.
Condé Nast Traveler
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
The Other House, South Kensington
Why book? Because there's nothing quite like it in this part of town, where visitors are usually looking for a comfortable stay to combat museum fatigue after ticking off the V&A and other big hitters. The Other House South Kensington promises all the inside-track benefits of a private members' club combined with the convenience and autonomy of having your own London crashpad. For this it leans into tech, offering an app which means guests can plug into the services of the hotel, and be as engaged—or not—with staff as they want. Set the scene Although this place strives to be different in its apartment-living-meets-hotel-stay concept, it is also still very much rooted in its surroundings. The main feature of the lobby is a gilded whoosh of a chandelier mimicking a garland of leaves. Commissioned from Cox London, it is designed to echo the leafy private gardens found in this well-heeled neighborhood. The decor throughout is rainforest-opulent, with signature owl and monkey wallpaper in the bar of the same name, along with velvet cushions with bejeweled panther heads and gilded parrots perching on lamp stands with fringed parlor-worthy shades. The animal motifs continue throughout the public areas—from the peacock-stalked jacquard jackets worn by front-of-house staff to the tropical waistcoats of the mixologists. There's even strokable armadillo-print wallpaper in the ladies' bathroom on the club floor. Here you'll also find three spaces open to residents and members: the Keeping Room—clubby and cool with armchairs and sofas in richly textured and toned fabrics, and a baby grand for impromptu singaloangs, plus three little curtained nooks that invite ordering afternoon cocktails; the Hogsmire, a light- and tree-filled atrium with a courtyard feel where Panama hats hang on pegs fashioned like twigs; and the Owl & Monkey, which is open during the day to members and residents as a coworking space. Beside the lobby, there's also the library, where the book selection was curated by Pandora Sykes, and includes titles from Gilly Cooper to Candice Carty-Williams via Charles Dickens. And look out for the brightly daubed disruptor art: elaborate frames bought around Europe then smeared with pops of oil paint. On our visit, the crowd consisted of arty Euro couples, local friends sussing out the scene in the bar, and families with teenagers hanging out in the vibrantly decorated library. The backstory Naomi Heaton, CEO and founder of The Other House, made her name in advertising and property development before launching this hospitality brand. She transferred some of the learnings from her residential background to the design of the hotel, for example she didn't want a lobby that was too formal or staid and created the Club Flats (the name for the property's 200-plus guestrooms) so they resemble urban studios, with sitting rooms and kitchenettes. The renovation of the property was extensive as it spans 11 grand Victorian townhouses, which at one point had been converted into a hotel. After a complete reconfiguration of the buildings, the new incarnation now includes four sky-lit atriums, a café, cocktail bar, private meeting and dining rooms, a pool, gym, and a wellness space. Next up, Heaton plans to launch Other Houses in Covent Garden and Belgravia. The rooms Ranging from studio-feel Club Pros and vaulted-ceiling Club Turrets to three-bedroom Club Vaults, the choice of stays here is expansive. While for some guests, a compact apartment with a fully kitted-out kitchenette and deep-orange velvet sofa and TV will tick all the boxes of a neat London pied-à-terre, larger groups or families can take over a 'combo,' a group of apartments connected by a covered private courtyard for riad-style living. The moody aesthetic uses wood and leather panels with a focus on wool and tweed in the soft furnishings. To enhance the neighborhood feel, each floor is named after famous one-time-local residents. Our room was on O'Brien—after singer Dusty Springfield. Food and drink All-day street café The Other Kitchen is open to the public as well as residents, serving breakfasts of green smoothies, granola, berry compote, and Clarence Court eggs on fun monkey-motif china by William Edwards, and lunches of giant sandwiches stuffed with chicken, pickled vegetables, and kimchi mayonnaise, or salads of butternut squash and crispy bacon. Come evening, the vibey Owl and the Monkey cocktail bar turns up the soundtrack and turns out great cocktails and satisfying small plates. Especially impressive here is the choice of non-alcoholic concoctions—try French Kiss 0%, with plum and rhubarb elixir, grapefruit soda, and Everleaf Mountain, or for something boozy, the Monkey See, Monkey Do for a rum, yuzu sake, and clarified milk experience. Among the small plates are halloumi bites, sausage rolls, and broad bean, pea, and feta arancini. The spa The hotel's Other Space does wellbeing with a spiritual and holistic twist—from a wellbeing concierge offering one-on-one experiences to astrology and tarot card reading. There's also a vitality pool for laps, with sexy black tiles and a light installation, plus a sauna, steam room, and seriously kitted-out gym with Peloton bikes and hi-tech rowing machines. Group sessions of body work such as yoga take place three times a week. The neighborhood/area The shopping of Knightsbridge, leafy paths of Hyde Park, and local-haunt restaurants of Chelsea are on the doorstep. The idea behind The Other House is to bring the fun-loving members' club set-up to a new part of London while still rooting it in the area. The service The young and upbeat staff strike up a rapport with you from the minute you walk in the door, and are equally friendly right through to making sure your pre-dinner drinks are as stiff as you like them. This is all part of the traditional hotel service here, but for guests who are treating it as their London apartment for longer stays, there are extra bells and whistles such as a separate post room for Amazon deliveries and an area off the lobby for Deliveroo drop-offs. You can even take up a residence for a year, leave for a few months and return to pick up where you left off. The in-house app allows you to have the run of the place: order food, see how busy the gym is, or book The Den screening room for a film night with friends. Eco effort Sustainability is one of the brand's pillars, so materials with a low environmental impact were used in construction, and products from verified eco-friendly suppliers have been sourced for the hotel's day-to-day operations. For example, you won't find any limes in cocktail garnishes at the Owl and the Monkey (they are among the fruits with the biggest carbon footprint, according to Heaton). Furniture and fabrics throughout the property are from British design houses. Accessibility All floors are accessible via the elevators, and there are accessible rooms available from the ground to the fifth floor.
Condé Nast Traveler
09-07-2025
- Condé Nast Traveler
32 Best Things to Do in Lisbon, Portugal's Sun-Soaked Capital
In the past five years, Portugal's capital city has had something of a makeover—in fact, there are so many things to do in Lisbon that it's becoming difficult to see the city in just a weekend. The magic of this city captures visitors from their very first trip, meaning many return multiple times in a year, never running out of activities or sights to see. Its historic cobbled lanes, pretty wooden trolleys, sparkling river, and striking tiled façades are all still there, but the city is ever-changing and there's now a host of intriguing new spaces to visit, too. As someone who knows the city like the back of my hand, having explored every neighborhood and new opening over the past few years, I feel confident that I can share top tips, from the can't-miss spots all tourists should see to something a little more off the beaten path. Chefs from around the world are opening some of the best restaurants in Lisbon, challenging the excellent local restaurants to raise the bar even further. Young Portuguese mixologists and baristas are returning from time spent in London, Paris and New York to launch bars and cafés that blend the best of home and away. And emerging fashion designers, artists, ceramicists, and furniture makers are exhibiting and selling their wares in new stores and galleries that celebrate the skills of talented locals.
Telegraph
03-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
The 10 best brunches in Brighton
A laid-back lifestyle and an obsession with coffee makes brunch a no-brainer in Brighton. There isn't a neighbourhood in the city that doesn't 'do' brunch, whether it's warm kippers in a bun on the seafront, or a pancake stack in a quirky neighbourhood café. Come the weekend Brightonians are just as likely to be tucking into oats served with baked rhubarb, coconut yoghurt and gingerbread granola; sinking their teeth into a loaded hash; polishing off a 'wrestler's naan' and sipping 'bee-mosas'. Brighton is a city that likes to live outside, so you won't have to look hard to find a sun-splashed terrace, rooftop view or hidden garden. And in the capital of veggie and vegan dining, chefs and mixologists rise to the challenge. If you're unconvinced about veggie breakfasts or vegan cocktails, now is the time to try. All our recommendations below have been hand selected and tested by our resident destination expert. Find out more below, or for further Brighton inspiration, see our guides to the city's best hotels, restaurants, shopping, nightlife and things to do. The Reading Room Housed in a beautifully restored listed Regency building, the Reading Room has put the western fringes of seafront Kemptown well on the map. Designed around produce that arrives each morning, the daily blackboard menu might include English muffins with watercress and chilli jam, mushrooms on toast with tarragon, spinach and cashew cream, mackerel on rye, or a garlic mushroom, Sussex blue and kale galette. Order at the counter – good luck resisting the cakes – and find a seat at a flower-topped table under the show-stealing chandeliers, or on the large seafront terrace. Oeuf Located on a genteel, tree-lined avenue that runs down to the sea,Ouef is to brunch what Monet was to water lilies. Take a seat in the elegant pistachio-and-pastel-pink dining room, or sit under a parasol in the walled garden, and watch the parade of pretty plates go by. If Emily in Paris were to brunch in Brighton, she would head straight for Oeuf and order a butterfly pea latte or a wildflower martini. Try its peach melba French toast 'frumpet' stack (or any of the trademark frumpets), the lobster thermidor eggs benedict and the 'hashinator'. Sister bakery Bayon supplies all the breads and pastries. Permit Room An intimate bar-café housed in a former cottage in the historic Lanes, Permit Room does breakfast with a capital B. Start with the Irani Café Classic ' bun maska chai ', a fluffy buttery bun (how can a soft buttered bun taste this good?), paired with an aromatic, ginger-pricked chai. Move on to the tandoor-baked breakfast naans wrapped around vegan or peppery pork sausage, runny eggs with saffron, smoked streaky bacon and tomato chilli jam. At this juncture, you could slip into marmalade mimosa mode or stick with the bottomless chai. Cosy in winter, Permit Room also has tables on a pedestrianised terrace area at the front. Mange Tout This bright, modern bistro in North Laine is a short stroll from the railway station and serves brunch until 3pm. The service is slick, the ambience relaxed and the food made with quality local ingredients (the restaurant even makes its own bloody Mary mix). Wrap your chops around the new and popular mighty mange tout: minute steak served with two organic eggs, avocado, chimichurri, mushrooms, wilted spinach and tomato are veggie and vegan options, and pavement seating. Nowhere Man A happy marriage of soft, fluffy pancake stacks and mellow, boho Brighton – think vintage airline seats, eclectic art and mismatched furniture – awaits. Nowhere Man's sweet and savoury pancakes served with jugs of warm maple butter are well worth the wait (expect a queue at weekends). White chocolate, raspberry and pistachio, and banana and chocolate are staples, and seasonal specials have included toffee apple, peach cobbler and black forest gateau – a heart-palpitating pairing of dark chocolate with sour cherries. There are creatively filled bagels, too, and a bijou patio with a mural at the rear. Gluten-free and vegan available. Moksha Cafe Family-run Moksha is so confident about its muscly, homemade hash browns that it offers a money-back guarantee. It also comes loaded – try the zingy zhoug (cilantro sauce), feta and pink onion topping. Owner Oliver is constantly dreaming up mouthwatering breakfast specials and the big menu has plenty for children, vegans and veggies. Coffee is made with the café's own blend and bottles of Moksha hot sauce are for sale. You'll find it on the fringes of North Laine, not far from Brighton Pavillion. Hummingbird Café OK, Hummingbird is not in Brighton, but the opportunity to eat breakfast while watching light planes land and take off at the UK's oldest licensed aerodrome is worth a little detour. Brighton City Airport's first recorded flight was in 1910 and the 1936 terminal building is an art deco delight. Operated by a local bakery, the Hummingbird Café offers a crowd-pleasing breakfast menu at honest prices and caters to vegans and children. If it's sunny, sit outside for front-row airfield views. The airport is west of Brighton and minutes from the A27. Lost in the Lanes At Lost, it's not just granola, it's strawberry and elderflower granola. Egg and soldiers make way for the 'lost soldiers' – four fat potato rosti fingers and a dippy egg-yolk hollandaise. Avocado toast comes with pico de gallo, charred sweetcorn, harissa and blue corn tortilla, and even the humble baked bean gets the Lost treatment. On the new summer spritz menu is the Lillet (Lillet blanc, orange syrup, fizz and soda water) – a perfect accompaniment to the blood orange and white chocolate layered brioche. There are three outside tables and service is some of the best in Brighton. Canopy For elevated brunch food and a relaxed neighbourhood vibe, head to Seven Dials, where this all-day café-cum-restaurant has recently arrived. Sit inside surrounded by blush pink walls and exposed brick or under the spreading fig tree in the garden. Popular already are the fried chicken sandwich garnished with hot honey, the banana French toast and the Canopy hash brown that riffs on fat chips. Ingredients are thoughtfully sourced (even the 'Sip Sip' lemonade is local) and the dog sausages have proved a winner with local pooches. Drinks expert Tom Surgey's inspired cocktail menu includes mid-strength 'brunch drinks' that put the fun into brunch but let you get on with the day. Rockwater For sunrise-to-sunset views and breezy beachside dining, nowhere does it quite like Rockwater. Visit on a sunny weekend when locals are shucking Devon oysters or crispy cuttlefish on the roof terrace or slipping from sea to table, sipping cortados overlooking the pebbles, and you might consider moving. At the chic ground-floor bar and kitchen, which offers a standard brunch menu, the beach pours in through retractable windows. The roof terrace has a sought-after balcony and a retractable roof (outside seating is on a first-come, first-served basis). While not the cheapest option in town, the location, and the walk here past Hove's beaches and colourful beach huts, makes it well worthwhile. Apiary It's not just the hand-carved 'bee-frame' ceiling and wood-panelled walls that cocoon diners at Apiary in a sense of wellbeing, but the ethos behind a clever menu curated by owner-beekeepers Alistair and Noemi. As well their own chestnut, linden and heather honeys, a smoked honey porter, bee pollen and meads are subtly incorporated into drinks and dishes. Try the beautifully presented open-faced savoury crepes, croquettes spiked with a hot mead sauce, cheese paired with honey-roasted figs, and the punchy Viennese coffee or 'biscoffee'. Apiary had me at the 'Bee-Mosa,' a sparkly blend of beesou (ethically sourced British honey) blended with botanicals, orange juice and sparkling wine. Apiary probably has the biggest mead list in East Sussex and sells honey cider and honey beer to go. How we choose Every restaurant in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with her insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood favourites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit every type of traveller's taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up-to-date recommendations. About our expert Festivals, a thriving music scene, independent shopping and an 'anyone is welcome' vibe are just some of the things Teresa Machan loves about Brighton. If not roller skating into the sunset or scouring vintage shops in North Laine, she'll be in the sea.
The Sun
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Five ways to turn your kitchen leftovers into a tasty cocktail
THINKING of throwing away the last of your weekly shop? Think again, because with a little creativity, your kitchen leftovers could become your next favourite cocktail. Here's some ideas . . . EGG 'N' SIPS: Leftover egg whites are a great addition to cocktails. Whisk them up and try them as a topping to gin fizz or sours for a velvet texture. Aquafaba (chickpea water) also works just as well. GIN WIN: If you have a few peaches or plums that are too ripe, give them a new life by infusing them in alcohol which takes on subtle flavours easily. Cut up the fruit and add to a jar with your spirit, such as gin or vodka, for a hint of sweetness in your next drink. A-PEELING DRINK: Apple peels and pear cores need not be wasted. Save your peels in a tub and keep them in the fridge to use as garnishes for cocktails. For added flare, gently use a lighter on a peeling and twist it — this should stay in place and it's what top mixologists use to top fancy cocktails. Carrot or beetroot peels also make vibrantly coloured syrups which are great for adding to cocktails. BERRY NICE: Use up the last of those blueberries, raspberries and blackberries to make a fruity syrup you can use in spritzes or to flavour sparkling water. The Emily in Paris cocktail Add berries to a pan of water with a few teaspoons of sugar. Simmer for five minutes and leave to cool before pouring into a jar to use for your next cocktails. CUP OF JOY: Used coffee grounds have so many uses but did you know you can infuse spirits or make coffee liqueur with them? Put the coffee in a jar and add around four tablespoons of sugar and a cinnamon stick, a vanilla bean pod or dash of vanilla essence. Leave overnight and add boiling water to the jar, strain the mixture through coffee filter paper and add a double shot of rum. Leave to cool and then store in the fridge. It's perfect for espresso martinis. 7 All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability Deal of the day WHETHER you're hitting the wilds on a camping trip or going to a festival, the Eurohike Nepal 65L rucksack is ideal. It was £60 but is now £29 at SAVE: £31 Cheap treat 7 MAKE your manicure last longer when you use the Vaseline Hand & Nail cream, RRP £3.99, now £2 at Poundland. Top swap YOU can add a nice zesty scent to your home with the Next lemon and bergamot diffuser, £20, or check out the homeware section of Primark to get similar for £6. SAVE: £14 Shop & save GET cooking on the handy indoor and outdoor George Foreman grill, on offer at B&M. Was £89, now £69. Hot right now FOR bargain women's and men's fashion, check the outlet section at Summer wedges start at £12. PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket. The more codes you enter, the more tickets you'll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!
