London: Tea Time in Wonderland

Fed up with the Xmas spirits, the enless chase of the perfect gift, the false beards on Santas? Would much prefer to press fast forward to your ski holidays?

Well, I have the perfect break for you – climb up to the Rooftop Alpine Lodge. Chalet atmosphere, very cosy, wooden decoration, fur on the stools, bowl of nuts with a nutcracker on the side, open fire, logs… have a look outside – the mini-terrasse is covered in snow, the trees are silvered and there’s even a mini helicopter.

You forget everything instantly. Take your shoes off, indulge with a pair of thick socks – plenty available for free when you come in.

Order a mulled wine – peppery, lots of orange notes, the best I have had in years. But be warned: you’ll feel so comfy, hypnotised by the dancing flames of the fire that there are high chances you will either spend the whole afternoon there if not fall asleep!

Mulled wine is at £4 – other cocktails (including some caramel vodka) are available. Or order some charcuterie, tartiflette, fondue to share (for £2, count £18/£20/£20).

The rooftop Alpine Lodge
2a Tabernacle Street
London EC2A 4LU


Booking: 07000 847876
Open till the end of February 2010

Fed up with Xmas shopping? A few ideas to forget all about it…

- Well first, you need energy. Carluccio’s has a special -10% on their deli this Thursday. Best of all, you’re welcomed with mulled wine and canapes…

- T’is the season to be eating finger-licking good treats! Head for the chocolate festival on Southbank.

- Don’t forget the new exhibitions: question your identity @ the Wellcome Collection or test artistic technology @ the V&A.

- More of the street art fan? Head for the Flying Eyeball.

- of course there is the pop-up of the week-end: Elton John’s clothes and stage outfits on sale, profits going to his AIDS foundation. Not whithin your budget? Try Barnardo’s vintage shop on Carnaby street to pack a bargain!

- Rediscover England with fascinating landscape pictures @ the National Theatre…

- Take the kids to a panto: there will be a toy Aladdin one @ Covent Garden on Sunday…

-… or pet an ice polar bear on Trafalgar Square….

- … or your toddlers to a Baby disco party on Saturday! Shake it, baby!

- Why not an interactive Treasur Hunt?

- a last festive note: the Tate Britain is setting up its artistic Xmas tree this Friday.

Did I forget anything? Leave me a note!

You’ll find me @ the Earth exhibition (then trying to choose from one of the gorgeous cakes at the Sketch Pop Up) and at the strange and amazing House of fairy tales

Fancy popping up @ the Sketch anytime but hate ever having to wait?

Try their new pop-up room in parallel of Earth, the new show of the Royal Academy of Art. Cute little boutique, elegant as the parlor is, aceent put on recycling, sustainable products, do and mend, turning unused objects into art, and the little crazyness touch we love so much in them. Of course your favourite treats will be there. You can even enjoy breakfast, lunch and tea-time.

A pity though – there is a canteen side to it: plastic cutlery, cardboard plate, not even a glass with your fruitjuice. Recyclable, for sure, nice touch but you lose the golden side of the place in a few steps. Same enthusiasm as ever looking at the jewel-cakes… but somehow they’re a little less savoury once you step away from the sparkly counter.

However, if you have a sweet tooth, this won’t stop you. What wouldn’t one do out of curiousity for a brioche-camenbert-green apple jelly? Or a pear tarlets with fruit infused in a cucurma syrup?

A little smarter, you can also choose to enjoy oysters on the external terrasse. Hot water bottle are on the side!

Pop-up Sketch cafe

In the building hosting Haunch of Venison, at the back of the main entrance for the Royal Academy of Art
6 Burlington Gardens
Royal Academy of Arts
London W1S 3ET
Until Jan 03, 2010

Paris is famous for turning pastries, cakes and sweets into an artistic competition. As for haute-couture, we have winter and summer seasons for our patisseries, you see. The chefs will create amazing combinations, as gorgeous looking as tasting. No fshionista would resist the trendiness of it.

A true Parisian would rush to the Sketch. This famous restaurant also has a funky tearoom. You probably will have to wait a little while for a table but the decoration and the fashion there is worth the wait. Actually, you probably will not even notice the wait, hypnotised as you are.

Mismatched cups, plates still create a colourful harmony. Pierre Gagnaire and his team have come up with dream-like deserts – gets quite tricky to choose and they’re only £5 (you can also buy them and take them back home)! There is tea of course but the choice of coffee also is excellent and this is such a change. The Jamaican blue Mountain will win your heart – £8 served in a tall cafetiere.

Love at first bite:

-  The best macarons in town. Forget Laduree (the service is not always that good and I often seem to know their new products better than the staff)

- Lunette : even just for its Guinness jelly, that goes so well with the tarness of the blackcurrant but also makes you feel like a stout rather than a refined tea. A welcome revolution in your 5 o’clock tea!

- Mendiant eclair : I switched from being a macaron addict to being an eclair addict. The French traiteur Fauchon has a collection of salted and sweet ones to die for. And this one is a little wonder. Your mouth will be full of soothing creamy caramel.You’ll even close your eyes. A thin layer of white chocolate on top, on which are balanced caramelised nuts.

Fancy a last Wonderland touch? The toilets…

Choose from…

Or will you prefere the egg version? Each cocoon proposes a different music theme. Classical, countryside like…

Not only a sweet pause – entertainement in itself!
The only negative note – the service is very kind but sometimes a bit slow.

Sketch
9 Conduit Street
London
W1S 2XG

Let’s meet @ Yauatcha for more treats!

It’s so easy and pleasant to lose yourself within London. Turning here to have a look at this building or there to contemplate a sculpture…

That’s exactely how I stumbled upon the 7 stars, right behing the Royal Court of Justice.

A quaint old fashioned pub, so atmospheric, a little eccentric, law themed posters on the walls, a shelf of books, a log fire… and amazing curiosities windows on the street side.

This one dates back to 1602, one of the rare buildings to have escaped the Great Fire (go to the Monument to learn more!). Weekdays, you’ll meet lawyers aplenty there… and maybe Tom Paine, le local pub cat.

Dishes are simple but delicious. No menu, have a look at the specials board instead. I love to stop there for lunch. Choices vary daily. saudages and mash, oyseters, soup, a cold meat or cheese board… Nice selection of ales and wines too. Prefer the week-end for a quieter time.

Seven stars
53-54 Carey Street
London
W2C2A 2JB4

Love historical pubs? Try the Mitre!

This is the place to be to start your week-end. It doesn’t look like much, dark facade, an underground bar @ Covent Garden. Youwouldn’t have stopped, really, were it not for the happy hour, half price! sign. But it’s Friday night and you feel like celebrating in style.

What a surprise – quite a trendy bar, buzzing with Londoners in-the-know and even a DJ.

The cocktail list is mouthwatering. The usuals Dirty Martinis, Chocolate martinis et Espresso martinis are of course to be found. But what a feast to choose from! Hiro and Thyme (blueberries, fesh thyme, schochu, gin, crem de cassis, lemon juice) or the Spicy Melon (Absolut lemon vodka, honey melon, chilli, fresh lemon juice) are to die for. Or would you prefer something with champagne, whisky, sake (the Tokyo Mule with lemongrass is quite a success), vodka, tequila, rum? Ooooh, how to choose?

Watch the barmen – such a dance behing the counter, their hands flying around. It only takes a couple of minutes for your drink to be created in front of you and your camera can’t keep up with the rapidity of this agile ballet… Refreshing, interesting mix od flavours ( I am used to alcohol infused with basil but not thyme), several levels on the tongue…

This is a buzzy and noisy place – to be avoided if you were planning on a quiet and romantic talk… But @ £4 the cocktail for their happy hours? Such a great way to cheer the evening and the week-end ahead!

Dirty Martini
11/12 Russell Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2B 5HZ

Happy Hours: Monday to Thursday: 17.00-21.00 and Friday-Saturday: 12.00-21.00. Plus all night Sunday.

Celine had intrigued me with this out-of-the-ordinary shop window, made of used teabags to create various tones and colours. Well targeted isn’t it?

I found it on my way to the Marmite pop-up shop. Do step in and enjoy the Alice au pays des merveilles meets Tim Burton atmosphere. From the vegetal wall to the snuggled walls via the china mosaic skirt… this is not a shop, more an art gallery, a lifestyle, an experience, a walk in the wildest dream…

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Sorry? Oh, yeah, it does also sell clothes, furniture, house items. Unfortunately, most of them are really bad for your bank account. However they do boost your spirits!

Anthropologie
158 Regent St
London W1B 5SW

The idea was so good.  Ten tree stumps, taken from rainforests, their tortured roots screaming silently towards a threatening sky, creepy shadows all around you, the ghost of a disappearing forest, far away but one day, close to you, this small of wet earth, a red, bleeding earth. the atmosphere should move you, make you shiver, shake you, upset you, make you shout no to deforestation.

I just couldn’t project myself. Too much of a daily dose of ecology? Too much a gap with the place? Too flashy the lights? Too purple the fountains around, clasing with the sadness it should have involved? Who knows. Don’t get me wrong – such projects are to be encouraged. Bring it closer to the people, make them see, reinforce the subject. it just didn’t do anything for me.

Different, educative, yes, of course. I had never imagined those trees grew higher that Nelson’s column. Makes you appreciate better the impact of any of those disappearing. Kids remain impressed by the width of the trunks.

To be seen if you’re around trafalgar square, for your green side of you, for the event, for the change of scene. maybe not worth crossing the toen, just for this. No worry, you can follow everything on the webcam.

Want to know more? Click here for the artist’s interview and there for her project…

Ghost Forest
Trafalgar square
London

Until November 22, 2009

A hot chocolate, a new scarf and gloves, and here you go. Plenty to see this week-end to get into the Xmas spirit. Not that you can really escape it!

- Start on Southbank – either with the Slowfood market (jazz themed this time) or the Cologne Xmas market…

- Oxford street launches its market this week as well…

- Want more? Head to Hyde Park for a walk and a big wheel ride with the Winterwonderland…

- Stop @ Covent Garden for the Lacoste experience or simply for the kids to enjoy candlelit stories…

- Head to Victoria station or Westfield to see the Cirque du soleil (and hopefully win free tickets!)…

- See another dimension in Trafalgar square with the ghost forest…

- Take the kids to the London children film festival…

- Want to make them gasp in wonder? Have a walk with them in the Enchanted forest @ Syon Park. Thousands of lights in the trees. £5 per adult, £2 per kids – quite cheap for the thrill…

- Skate at the Somerset House. Have alook at the program: Breakfast @ tiffany’s matinees and DJ evenings!

Marmite always divides a group. You love it or hate it – there is no compromise possible, it’s a passionate issue.

The British will spread it on their toasts for breaksfast. Or cook with it adding it to gratins, casseroles, cheese on toast… In my office, the guys dilute it in boiling water and drink it like a soup.

I can’t stand the stuff – there’s nothig worse worse for me than having it around in a Monday morning, when I’m only half awake.

However, I love the brand design. I can only clap alour at the audacity of using the lost customers to bounce back, giving themselves a fun image, playing with the love it/hate it ads, but also using Paddington last year and Horrid Henry this year. They did well with the merchandising too: a Warhol look for objects in the e-shop, limited editions whether it is just a change of look or of taste 9remember the champagne one?)

For Xmas, Marmite has opened a pop-up shop on Regent Street. The whole range of biscuits, rice cakes, crisps is of course on the shelves. But also Tshirts in parody of the “J’adore Dior”, pop style dishes, sandwich boxes, magnets, books celebrating the product… Xmas cards (fancy a little Marmite in your Xmas pudding?)! Depending on your taste, the shopping bac will be stamped Love or Hate Marmite. On the whole, a place to stop for the smile, and plenty of stocking fillers. A friendly welcome too – the staff is ahppy to help and share anecdotes about the product and will even hand the bowl of chips for you to try.

You’ll find a mini-cafe on the small floor, serving tea and… Marmite toast, of course. Why not sign the table with your addiction or hatred too? Oh, and ask the waitress about the Marmite cocktails served at the launch party…

Marmite pop-up shop
82 Regent St
London

Till the end of December 2009
You’ll also find the products in their e-shop.