The Latest Trends in Britain
Secret Supper & the Underground
London locals are flocking to underground bars and secret supper clubs. Foodies looking to share their passion and would-be-restaurateurs testing new recipes are increasingly becoming fans of semi-secret supper clubs. In London, The Secret Ingredient is one of the first, but the Rambling Restaurant and the Savoy Truffle Supperclub are also gaining notoriety. The culinary meetings are popping up all over England too, like the Sunday Joint in Leeds, and the Yorkshire-based secret Tea Room. You find supper clubs by searching facebook or via twitter, and as for drinks, keep up to date with hidden bars on Metrotwin.
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Artfully in Glasgow
The Glasgow Style Mile and Glasgow's West End are seeing a surge in home-grown artistry. From artful outfitters like the new vintage shops The Glasgow Vintage Co and Made in the Shade, to the artist-run galleries like Transmission, Mary Mary, Sorcha Dallas, Washington Garcia, and the 'culturepreneurs' at the Modern Institute. SWG3 in Glasgow's Yorkhill district is a multi-discipline arts facility providing studio space to a community of over 120 visual artists, curators, photographers, performance artists, musicians and dancers. That's not all that's popping up, events are also raging. The Glasgow Art Fair from the 25-28 of March shows over 1,000 artists, while Glasgow's museums, galleries, streets, bridges and hidden spaces will showcase the work of national and international artists during the biennial Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art from 16 April - 3 May 2010.
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Transatlanticism: Americana Abroad
Sentiment is changing abroad and embracing Americana back in rage. As a traveler it's good fun to discover what other's interpretations of the US of A might be. At the new Circus restaurant in London, American-inspired comfort food is followed by an interactive burlesque and drag show, and even a few aerialists. Miss Q's is a 'Beat Americana' retro style pool bar, diner and live music club/saloon which launched last year in Earl's Court. The unassuming entrance leads to a staircase own to a diner, 3 full sized 'American' pool tables, and a music saloon, underlit dance floor and DJ booth. One area you'll definitely want to visit while abroad, is Tinseltown, the thankfully open 24 hour diner in Farringden.
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Eating Up
Eating and drinking on high is all the rage. London's highest cocktail bar, the exclusive Attic bar, on the 48th floor of a new Docklands skyscraper, boasts stunning Canary Wharf views and staggering attention to detail, drinks ranging from £28 cognac to more reasonably priced cocktails costing £8. The City of London's answer to Canary Wharf's bar with views is Vertigo42, located near Liverpool Street on Level 42 of the former Nat West building with super stylish design, superb champagnes and breathtaking London skyline views. The Thames view from the Oxo Tower Brasserie on Southbank in London is as spectacular as it is popular and the nearby Skylon in the Royal Festival Hall is a perennial favorite.
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Bookstores Reinvented
Now that the Apple Ipad is set to push the paperback even further into obscurity, brick and mortar bookstores are looking to reinvent themselves. In Hastings, there's the Bouevard Bookshop and Thai Café and Bookshop where you dine among the books. The Book Club in Shoreditch is one of those rare cases when the name doesn't say it all, since TBC offers many other joys apart from books, like ping pong, beer, burlesque, film, cocktails, lunch, brunch and more. Heading down a similar path is the nearby Kaleid Editions, a publishing company and exhibit space for artists.
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Summer Festivals
Music festivals are all over the UK and getting increasing international visitorship. The headliners have traditionally been The Big Chill and Glastonbury, but the Isle of Wight's Bestival and the Green Man Festival in Wales are gaining ground and reputation. Regardless of where you go catching a festival is one of the best ways to scope out the talents on the verge of stardom. Check 10 for 2010 for a few picks of hot upcoming music events and more.
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Young British Designers
British talent is taking the catwalk world by storm. Among the new generation of designers is Henry Holland whose "fashion groupie" t-shirts made waves among the fashion in-crowd and created a celebrity fan base that includes Lindsay Lohan and Marc Jacobs. Danielle Scutt's designs have been championed by Gwen Steffani, and Christopher Kane is the darling of TopShop. Whatever the inspiration, British youth is now fearlessly sparking design innovation and having fun while doing it. To find these and other budding designer collections, try Beyond the Valley and Selfridges. For high design on a budget, you can look to another raging trend, the vintage market.
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New Twists on Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea is a tradition that has never gone out of style, but now itsis undergoing a transformation to accommodate trendier appetites. The Goring can do an all vegetarian or even gluten-free tea service. Harvey Nichols is offering exclusive Laura Mercier Perfume Afternoon Tea, inspired by a Vanille Gourmande fragrance and Afternoon Tea at the Metropolitan hotel tops the list of places to be seen by the fashion incrowd.
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Fresh from the Farm
The local farm-sourced eating revolution is in full effect. The Farm Collective, which recently opened in London, serves locally sourced food from fine small British farms. City Farms in London are also growing in popularity. Mudchute City Farm near Canary Wharf is free to visit, and the food in its excellent kitchen comes directly from the farm. Spitalfields City Farm in east London, has courses on how to grow your own herbs and vegetables, with an organic lunch included. Croots Farm Shop in Derbyshire offers not only a locally sourced meal, but throws in an idyllic farmyard setting for dinner and a meeting with their Shire Horses to sweeten the deal.
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Fashion and Hotels
Fashion is taking over the hotel world. Missoni just opened a bright and bold luxury hotel whose ground bar is quickly becoming the chicest meeting place in Edinburgh. Interior designer and creative character David Carter's trendy East London Queen Anne townhouse has been turned into a boutique style hotel named 40 WiNKS. It was ostensibly launched for photographers, stylists and other creative types. The Lace Market in Nottingham was voted one of Britain's best hotels and offers a Paul Smith shopping experience.
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Venues with a View
Skyline dinning is all the rage this year. The Thames view from the Oxo Tower Brasserie on Southbank in London is as spectacular as it is popular and the nearby Skylon in the Royal Festival Hall is a perennial favorite. At the Panoramic in Liverpool, great dining is paired with cinematic views. In North Wales, Mount Snowdon dominates the landscape of Snowdonia National Park. At the top of this mountain peak, the visitor center, Hafod Eryri, has recently undergone a major renovation and has re-opened with a new suite of snacks to match the stunning scenery and awe-inspiring views.
Travellers Not Tourists
If you want to hang with the locals in Britain (trust us, you do!), then you'll need to go to a pub. In London, The Scarsdale is a Georgian-fronted pub tucked away in a leafy square that serves a variety of cuisine with seating available on its beautiful outside terrace-perfect for chatting up the locals. At the Sandy Bell in Edinburgh you can attend a traditional Scottish music session and sing along with regulars. Not to be outdone, The pub scene in Wales is famed for good food, great beer and a lovely people. You might try the Lifeboat Tavern in Tenby.
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