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It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

Friday, December 9th, 2011

With so many people to buy for and only 2 weeks left until the big day, you might want to take a look at some of the luxurious and stylish gift ideas Quintessentially Insider have put together in our Christmas Luxe List.  Fingers crossed a few of these little beauties will be finding their way under our tree this year!

Cox Cookies and Cakes: The Cook Book
With a foreword by Sir Elton John and David Furnish you know that the 75 recipes inside the pages of Cox Cookies and Cakes are going to be flamboyant, glamorous and decadently good! This is your chance to have a slice of Soho style and sauceiness in your own kitchen.
Priced at GBP 16.99

Grey Goose Deluxe Gift Box
Stuck on what to get a certain sartorial gentleman? Why not try this stylish gift box complete with a recipe for the classic Grey Goose Martini? Containing a 70cl bottle of the world’s best tasting vodka, this is the ultimate gift for martini lovers this Christmas.
Priced at GBP 33.50

Cosmetics à la carte
What could be a better gift for someone special this Christmas than beauty? Cosmetics à la carte offer custom blended make-up to suit your skin type and tone, even recreating a favourite discontinued lipstick should you desire it or inventing a re-formulation for allergy sufferers. This bespoke service is perfect for those who struggle to find make up which is both luxurious and comfortable. What’s more, Cosmetics à la carte also offer step-by-step practical lessons in make-up application, teaching you how to apply your personalised makeup. Perfect!
Starting Again Make-up Lesson Priced at GBP 180

Elizabeth Galton Studio
Offering bespoke jewellery from a number of talented designers, Elizabeth Galton Studio is the perfect place to buy a unique piece for someone special in your life. Let them know your requirements and they’ll find the perfect jeweller to make your piece. Alternatively, pick from the range of unique pieces they have on offer. Our favourite? The stunning Ana de Costa Emerald Ghandi Earrings.
POA

Molton Brown Fine Fragrances
Described as ‘An Artisanal Journey in Fine Fragrance’, the five fragrances of the Molton Brown ‘Navigations Through Scent Collection’ have been inspired by journeys through the ancient spice route, and are a perfume lovers dream. Our favourite scent is Lijiang, a floral, musky scent that captures the light, delicate softness of Chinese silk and crisp tea.  And as all of the fragrances are delightfully unisex, this is one present made for sharing!
Fragrances start at GBP 55, GBP 60 and GBP 65.

Cooper Oporto Ladies City Bicycle
From the people behind the classic Mini Cooper, comes the elegant, stylish and simple Cooper Oporto. The ultimate way to travel about town, the chic spring white frame and classic Brooks leather saddle will delight any style conscious cyclist. Simply tie a bow to the basket and you have the perfect Christmas surprise!
Priced at GBP 949.

Biscuiteers  Vintage Christmas
This vintage styled Christmas tin from the Biscuiteers contains a mouth-watering luxe collection of beautiful biscuit decorations. Filled with 16 intricately iced sparkly stars, jingle bells, gorgeous baubles, and stripy candy canes, each biscuit comes with a gold ribbon allowing you to hang it on the tree – if they make it that far!
Priced at GBP 38.50.

Carol Joy at Urban Retreat
Enter the wonderful world of Carol Joy with this incredible facial created exclusively for the Urban Retreat at Harrods.  The huge benefits of pure oxygen, cold laser, hyaluronic acid and pure collagen fibres are luxuriously combined with Diamond Dust and Golden Millet Oil to give exceptional results.   This is the ultimate pampering gift to give to someone special or to yourself.
Retreat with Carol Joy is priced at GBP 250.

Mount Street Deli Gift Hamper
This year’s range offers a luxurious selection of artisan produce and wines from the Mount Street Deli, The Ivy restaurant and Annabel’s Club, including a GBP 3000 limited edition Annabel’s hamper. All hampers are packaged in classic wicker baskets, complete with leather straps, making them a wonderful addition to any household.
Priced at GBP 150.

Merry Christmas from Quintessentially Insider!

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Time for Tea at Harrods

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Not satisfied with a pizzeria, rotisserie, ice cream parlour, champagne bar, several cafes, caviar bar, sea grill, steakhouse, sushi bar and multiple fine dining options, Harrods have decided that there’s something missing in their gastronomic offerings. And lo, The Tea Room was born.

Celebrating the best of British, The Tea Room features a quintessentially English line-up of mouth-watering fare. Open all day, it’s the perfect stop for either a hearty breakfast before your shopping or a sumptuous break from all that exertion, letting you rest your weary feet as you indulge in some afternoon fancies and a cup of tea.

But guests beware; The Tea Room is one of those places you just won’t want to leave. Mixing a bistro vibe with that of a traditional English tea-room, it’s filled with luxurious green velvet studded sofas and simple wooden chairs, creating an elegant yet understated surround. What’s more, the food is to die for as the kitchen offers a variety of delicious options, from buttery brioche to tasty quiches and salads. It’s a wonderful treat any time of the day.

However, the traditional Afternoon Tea is the pièce de résistance, featuring a range of finger sandwiches, sweet and savory scones and delectable English fancies. With so many scrumptious treats including passion fruit posset, after eight pastry, boozy English trifle, banana pie bomb and lemon meringue slice, you might struggle to find a favourite.

So let us give you a suggestion – try the sticky toffee pudding gateaux accompanied by the Vanilla Excellence Chinese black tea. It’s the perfect sweet afternoon treat to stave off those winter blues.

The Tea Room is located on the Second Floor of Harrods and is open Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm and Sunday 12pm-6pm.

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Novelli’s Sharp Expression

Thursday, December 1st, 2011


“Shall we have some Champagne? Yes, I’ll open a bottle.” Jean-Christophe Novelli has just swept through his chef academy; his accent and charisma enough to kill any suggestion it may not be wise to indulge quite so much before a masterclass with the world’s sharpest knives.

A moment after we have all sat down he begins to confer on us his great artistry, and the exquisite fineness of these knives. An onion is dispatched with startling speed to be used in a novel take on Christmas gravy; he includes both cocoa powder and vanilla.

Jean-Christophe Novelli believes the knives, which he designed in conjunction with Ziganof, are the only knives anyone needs to express themselves in the kitchen. The Japanese cleaver, paring and carving knives offer all the versatility you need.

Soon after he grabs a carrot, and after what look like a selection of random incisions, he presents a perfect orange flower. With this demonstration of what is possible it is our turn. We make our way to our chopping boards, it feels like an old episode of the Generation Game; I expect Bruce Forsyth to burst out at any moment – he doesn’t.

At this point I should admit I was expecting to be underwhelmed with the knives. As a keen cook I have good quality knives which I keep as sharp as I can, I didn’t think these could be that much sharper; I was wrong. They are, in fact, extraordinary, the blade is perfectly balanced, incredibly flexible and as soon as you start to slice, terrifyingly sharp.

Made with Damascus steel, a technique developed in the Middle East but perfected in Japan for use in the famously sharp Samurai swords, the knives combine ferocious sharpness with flexibility.

The technique, which sees malleable steel folded over a harder, brittle core, produces impeccably sharp knives. The Japanese cleaver has a core of TG10 steel, the hardest possible, with 66 layers of steel folded over the top. It is proof that excellent craftsmanship is, in itself, an art.

Classes at the academy are as diverse as French and West African cooking. Any fears over the authenticity of what you are learning are immediately dispelled after talking to the teachers. I asked Felice, the Italian tutor, what he’d do with polenta and was given a recipe from his youth in Italy, “Cook a mountain of polenta and put one sausage in the middle, whoever can eat their way to the middle gets the sausage – that one sausage can last for weeks”.

Presented in an attractive box these knives, which are made to last a lifetime and more would make an excellent addition to even the most well-stocked kitchen.

www.jeanchristophenovelli.com/partnerships/ziganof-knives/

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Time with Will Stein

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

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Noble Art comes to Cornwall Terrace

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Regent’s Park is a haven for Londoners who want some outside space; lunchtime picnickers, sunbathers, sportsmen and dog walkers congregate around its pitches, gardens and paths. However, every October these outdoor pursuits play second fiddle as the park is turned into a haven for contemporary art lovers.

The Frieze Art fair, during which around 170 of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries arrive in Regent’s Park, takes over this wonderful open space and offers a chance for Londoners to cast their eye over the best the scene has to offer.

Not only do the galleries pop up, but the entire park comes under its spell; sculptures spring up among the trees of the park’s southern edge while nearby houses have been turned into pop up galleries. Not least among these is the gallery that has taken over one of the opulent residences on Cornwall Terrace.

Following on from the huge success of the House of the Nobleman at last year’s fair, curator Victoria Golembiovskaya is back again with ‘The Return’; an exhibition which should inspire collectors to show more ambition when assembling their collections.

The show features pieces spanning the whole gamut of the art world. The pieces are as diverse as renaissance reliquaries and feature more abstract modern paintings from greats like Gerhard Richter and Damien Hirst.

The residence which is housing the exhibition is in one of the newly refurbished houses of Cornwall Terrace. Within this John Nash-designed townhouse the exhibition takes on a far more intimate nature. You feel like an invited guest within the home of a superbly original art collector.

The house is part of the general development of Cornwall Terrace. The terrace, originally commissioned in 1811 by the Prince Regent, has undergone an intensive refurbishment – the original 19 houses have been re-designed and restructured to create eight enormous, double-fronted houses. Created with a ‘no expense spared’ attitude the houses have been designed to appeal to different markets. For example, no 13 (a lucky number in Chinese culture) is decorated in an East Asian style, particularly emphasising red, also seen as a lucky colour.

The Grade-I listed, neo classical houses have an enviable position overlooking the vast open spaces of Regent’s Park and have been designed to house the very latest home technology.

With prices starting at £29m, Cornwall Terrace is set to once again become one of the capital’s most sought after residential streets.

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Smokin’ Girls at Ten Manchester Street

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

“A woman is only a woman, but a good cigar is a Smoke”
- Rudyard Kipling, The Betrothed 1886

Pushing open the large, black door of Ten Manchester Street, I feel self-conscious. I’m early. The woman at reception smiles kindly and leads me past the bar. Walking through the restaurant, we enter a little oasis tucked around the back, where a few refined individuals puff discreetly on their cigars. The terrace is both stylish and secluded and, I’m relieved to find, blissfully warm. The waitress whispers to me that they have people smoking here even when it’s snowing outside. I wonder why she’s talking so softly. I suppose she doesn’t want to break the serene atmosphere.

One after the other women slowly arrive, some look apprehensive. We perch on the seats, not entirely sure of the format, everyone waiting for something to happen. A man arrives. The tutorial begins.

I listen attentively, admittedly to try and hide my woeful ignorance. I’m ashamed to say that I know nothing about cigars. I eye my cutter warily; I’ve always been accident-prone. A thought enters my head about taking it home to threaten my boyfriend with. Then again, it’s probably not the best way to secure a proposal…

To their credit, the Hunters and Frankau Cigar specialists know their stuff, introducing the hotel’s vast selection of cigars and patiently explaining how the custom-made Hunters & Frankau humidor works. They were even gracious enough not to raise an eyebrow when one woman asked which end to suck. They’d probably come prepared for the worst. “An evening of cocktails and light cigars catering specifically us ladies.” Deep breath.

As I finally light my cigar and bring it to my lips, I instantly know that it’s a mistake. I’ve never even smoked as much as a cigarette before tonight. Spluttering after my first gulp, I tell myself not to worry, that it’s just the initial drag. After the second, I stifle a cough and my eyes begin to water. The puff of smoke surrounding me begins to dissolve and a tanned, mustached face fades into focus.

“So, you like it?” The Cuban demands, flashing a hint of gold as he smiles expectantly.

“Delightful,” I reply, as the lady next to me tries to suppress a snigger. Any more of this and I’m certain I’ll be sick. This is not going well.

I decide to change tactics and start engaging the women around me in conversation, leaving my cigar to slowly burn. Thinking that the others here would all be first-timers such as myself, I’m surprised to discover several of them are real cigar aficionados. As we nibble our canapés of mini fish and chips and drink our delicious Pinky vodka cocktails, I learn that one is a fashion designer whilst another is the director of an advertising agency. These women are sophisticated and successful, and they relish the opportunity to be here in this little haven away from the men who normally dominated this world.

Looking around at this glamorous scene I smile to myself. Rudyard Kipling would have been delighted. No longer the difficult choice between woman and cigar, earthly love and smoky lust. Instead, there’s a room full of women sucking sensuously on a premium vintage, with a cocktail in hand and air of nonchalance surrounding them. With the exception, that is, of myself. I look down to find my cigar has gone out. I think it’ll be a while before any cigar-toting men whisk me off my feet. Maybe I will take that cutter home after all…

The Ladies Cigar Evening runs monthly.
From 6.30 p.m. – 9.00 p.m.
£30 per person

www.tenmanchesterstreethotel.com

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