_{A veritable feast from the menu in the dining hall at Harrods}

Come here at weekends, the dining hall can be packed full and cacophonous, making Dim Sum by China Tang’s corner spot a precious destination. A visit at a quieter time delivers a relaxed cadence for the enjoyment of fine food, splendid décor and a unique milieu.

My benchmark for steamed dim sum comes from a visit to Din Tai Fung at Taipei 101 and although the ones here in London are not quite as wafer-thin they taste exceedingly good because, this being Harrods, they are filled with suitably luxurious ingredients like  scallop and caviar or, equally tempting, truffle and shitake.

The dim sum also comes deep-fried and, complementing the richness of other tastes, those with shrimp and spicy cabbage are wonderfully zesty. Wok-based dishes include silky, melt-in-your-mouth ma po tofu, topped with gold leaf which, supplemented with perfectly-cooked asparagus, is supremely gratifying.

Signature favourites from China Tang in Park Lane – roast duck and stir-fried A5 Wagyu beef in black pepper – add extra class to the choice of dishes. Fine wines, by glass or bottle, might be preferred for some of the food while dim sum affionados who swear by tea as the absolute accompaniment will be pleased to find pots of premium teas such asIron Goddess on the menu; plus a Tang Tea Punch cocktail, an uplifting blend of osmanthus tea, hibiscus syrup and gin.

_{Gorgeous to look at and to taste at Dim Sum by China Tang}

In Waterloo Place, the piazza-like and monument-filled street connecting Pall Mall with Lower Regent Street, Claro is a new restaurant making its mark on the London food scene.

Mere minutes away from Piccadilly Circus with its domineering digital presence, Claro wisely opts for an undisturbed, sound-proofed dining space: occasional double-decker red buses trundle by in strange silence and the Duke of York column, over 40m high, is unmistakably there in the distance.

_{A corner table at Claro on St James}

From a seat at the bar, looking at a kitchen scene, cocktails are deftly prepared and, if you wish, menus can be consulted. The wine list champions bottles from France and this is its strength. The seasonal food menu suggests the sharing of dishes, especially if starting with the Frena bread, the thin crust easily giving way to its fluffy taste, served with giant olives, labneh, matbucha and harissa.

You may think of passing on the brussel sprouts but this would be a serious mistake: fried with aioli, they elevate the humble vegetable with a taste worthy of the finest fine dining.

_{Ofri Rahav, pastry chef in Claro’s kitchen}

Claro looks to be dedicated to intelligent, not indulgent, food and the main dishes will appeal to various diets. Desserts are in a class of their own, mixing fruits with vegetables with imagination and flair: think carrot cake with parsnip, dates with pecan crumble and whiskey caramel, strawberries and beetroot.

_{Filled with light during the day, the dining room at The Campaner}

Another new and attractive restaurant, The Campaner, also invites sharing of food without excluding stand-alone dishes for one person. The location, Chelsea, is very different. While Claro occupies an historic building, The Campaner appears as if built and completed a matter of just days before your visit.

Sand-coloured brickwork defines the exterior as well as the interior which includes brick-built arches well beyond the skill set of your average bricklayer. Distinctive too are the lampshades that may be the largest you will ever see hanging from the ceiling of a restaurant.

_{Comfy seats at the bar in The Campaner}

Menus abound at The Campaner: a weekly one, a sharing one and for good measure an á la carte menu. Choosing what to eat may require some time and there are stools at the island bar that will serve this purpose. Starters include a delicious plate of endives with Olavidia cheese and a beetroot cream (from the weekly menu) or mussels and Stilton (from the á la carte one).

This was followed by, for me, hake with a seafood sauce topped with Carabinero and for my friend beef fillet which was judged flawless. The chef is from Barcelona and most of the customers enjoying his creations looked to be Chelsea folk popping in to their neighbourhood restaurant for a meal.

by Sean Sheehan

_{Claro, 12 Waterloo Place, St James’s, London, reservations}

_{The Campaner, Chelsea Barracks, 1 Garrison St, London, reservations}  

_{Dim Sum by China Tang,  Brompton Road
, Knightsbridge, London, reservations}

The post Glass enjoys Cantonese, Catalan and Levantine food in London first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

Opening as a railway hotel in 1902, the clock on its tower is famously inaccurate, still set three minutes fast so travellers wouldn’t miss their trains (with the exception of the last day of each year for the city’s New Year celebrations). 

_{Palm Court tearoom}

Now part of the Rocco Forte group of luxury hotels, The Balmoral does not go in for kitsch and you can forgive the doormen in kilts and occasional tartan drapery, tweed sofa or prints of moors and heather.

While the bar with some 500 different malt whiskies from every corner of the country is authentically Scottish, the fabulousness of Palm Court, with its glorious colours, murals, glass dome and Venetian chandelier, appeals more to the imagination.

Afternoon Tea at Palm Court, with a harpist playing live on a small overhead balcony so that the music seems to be descending from heaven, is a wonderful escape into whimsy of the most elegant kind.

_{One of the twenty suites at The Balmoral}

The décor of all of the 187 rooms, including twenty suites, is successfully designed to create a tone of sophisticated calmness and those with elevated views down the unshabby side of Princes Street to Edinburgh Castle and the Scott Memorial are deservedly the most prestigious.

For dining, Number One (The Balmoral’s address is 1, Princes St) has an intimate character, with a menu reflecting the strength of Scottish ingredients, while  Brasserie Prince brings a French touch with bistro classics without forgetting scallops and salmon from the isles and highlands

_{The Balmoral from Princes St Gardens}

Its tower clock may be unreliable but punctual attention to detail and service is the hallmark of The Balmoral in Scotland’s capital city.  

by Sean Sheehan

_{The Balmoral, 1 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2EQ.}

_{During low season, a double room with breakfast starts from £450; high season, from £750. For more information visit roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/the-balmoral-hotel}

The post Glass stays at Edinburgh’s landmark hotel, The Balmoral first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

_{Claridge’s Christmas Tree 2024 by Sir Paul Smith}

Nor should it shock to find his tree gracing a famed London hotel where this form of celebrating the imminent arrival of Christmas has long been an annual event and one associated with a roll-call of illustrious designers and fashion houses – think Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Christopher Bailey, Karl Lagerfeld. The lobby of Claridge’s is justly famous for its seasonal display and the date for this year’s unveiling is the morning of Wednesday 20^th November.

_{Claridge’s Christmas Tree 2024 by Sir Paul Smith}

The 19-foot Christmas tree is adorned with myriad little models of birdhouses, made by Nick Ramage, with whimsical rooftops composed of postage stamps, dice and playing cards. The playful tone continues with a display around the base of the tree in the shape of recycled off-cuts of wood by Studiomama. 

_{Claridge’s Christmas Tree 2024 by Sir Paul Smith}

As a design collaboration, the overall effect is a wonderfully ludic commemoration of a traditional aspect of Christmas. Paul Smith opened his first tiny clothes shop in Nottingham, with a floor area of three square metres, and it is emblematic of his success that his creativity will soon be on display in the grand lobby of famed Claridges. 

by Sean Sheehan

The post Paul Smith decorates Claridge’s 2024 Christmas Tree first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

The complement to this cultural richness are the luxury landscapes of the Schladming-Dachstein area which, when the snow melts away, can be enjoyed on foot and in scenic alpine huts – Austria’s equivalent to Parisian pavement cafes – with magnificent backdrops of peaks and mountain lakes.

_{Pristine and picturesque Austrian countryside}

Before heading off for a country walk, Paradoxon is a Salzburg restaurant away from the postcard-pretty town centre, in a neighbourhood that has its own quiet charms. The wine list at Paradoxon takes the form of bottles on open shelves with descriptive tags for diners’ perusal and outside, sharing a small space with a ginko tree in a pot, food is served at half a dozen tables.

Shrimps fried in their shells, accompanied by mango, passion fruit and sour cream, are typical of the menu’s imaginative dishes and many have Asian touches. For the quintessentially Austrian dish, Weiner schnitzel, it is hard to beat Meissl & Schadn in the centre of town where, prepared in the same way, there is a tasty celeriac schnitzel for non-meat eaters.

_{Cute and quaint Salzburg}

The finest restaurant in Salzburg is the two-Michelin-star Ikarus, especially for its special monthly menus created by an invited international superstar chef; think Mingoo Kang (Seoul), Søren Selin (Copenhagen) and Curtis Duffy (Chicago).

Situated adjacent to the airport and on the first floor of Hangar 7, the setting is an odd one. The building’s interior space, largely devoted to racing cars and with an aircraft hanging from its ceiling, comes across as a vanity project but in Ikarus attention will be firmly focused on the haute cuisine. Hangar 7 also has the Mayday Bar with some gorgeous cocktails but fairly bland food.

_{Fortress Hohensalzburg and the Old Town of Salzburg}

Walking and skiing is the raison d’etre of Schladming, a town less than 90km southwest of Salzburg, and Falkensteiner Hotel is geared up for this without underestimating the need for creature comforts. From the large glass-fronted atrium you head off to smartly presented bedrooms, a restaurant, bar and, for rejuvenation, the Acqupura spa with treatments and indoor and outdoor pools.

_{Silberkarhütte, a mountain hut at 1,250m}

A 10-minute taxi ride from the hotel will drop you at the start point for the Silberkarklamm trail, a pleasing introduction to walking in Austria. An easy ascent via wooden steps leads to a steep-sided hollow, a  cirque, and from there a gentle, stony path leads up to Silberkarhütte, a picturesque mountain hut at 1,250m.

In the shadow of a solitary ash tree, plum cake with cream or light meals are the reward while deciding whether to continue along the route signposted to the left, leading through a mountain forest with monkshood and other flowers at your feet. This leads back to the start point or, for a quicker route, a descent retracing your earlier steps.

_{Rewarding yourself at a mountain hut after walking to a high point}

For a longer but not demanding walk, the trail to Gollinghütte ascends to 1,642 m and the bus ride from Schladming to the start point is a grand journey through thrilling Alpine landscapes. The walk follows the Steinriesental valley, with tree cover gradually diminishing as you walk up alongside a waterfall to Gollinghütte for refreshments and a rest.

Back in the Falkensteiner hotel, a visit to the sauna beckons, followed by dinner and a glass of wine from Austria’s own grape variety, Grüner Veltliner. The wine’s floral aroma of ferns and pears chimes appealingly with the fresh and healthy appeal of days out in Austria’s countryside.

_{Salzburg’s baroque Mirabell Gardens}

The region is called Schladming-Dachstein because of the Dachstein Glacier whose glistening presence towers over the landscape from a height of nearly 3000m. A smooth gondola ride brings you to the top for stupendous views over some of the country’s highest peaks and dizzying glances of the ground beneath the suspension bridge and the ‘stairway to nothingness’.

by Sean Sheehan

_{For more information, see Schladming-Dachstein and Austria Tourism}

The post Glass goes ski-less to Salzburg and Schladming-Dachstein first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

The world’s most exuberant wine, applauded on Champagne Day, finds its partner in a globally popular and sustainable food and Champagne Bureau UK marks the occasion by selecting five pasta dishes and pairing each of them with the most suitable Champagne style. The suggestions can be prepared and enjoyed at home or in a restaurant that has risen to the occasion.

_{The drink for World Pastra Day}

Tagliatelle all Bolognese, the classic Italian dish, is well-matched with a Champagne Rosé. The pink wines that are light and fruity  contrast pleasantly  with the depth of the Bolognese while more full-bodied ones, with aromas of burnt organic matter (empyreumatic is the expert’s term), harmonises the rich flavour of the ragu.

Linguine alle Vongole  is neatly partnered with a light Champagne Blanc de Blancs that will enhance the tender taste of the clams with notes of almonds and hazlenuts. The same wine is also perfectly suited for the rustic taste of Trofie al Pesto, the  Ligurian speciality with its unmistakable taste of pesto requiring a floral lightness of touch to cut through the basil, garlic and cheese.

_{Raising a glass for Champagne Day}

The silky taste of Spaghetti alla Carbonara is ideally balanced with Champagne Brut, a wine multi-faceted enough to balance the rich and creamy taste of the pasta.

A wine pairing for a feisty and richly delicious plate of Bucatini all’Amatriciana can be tricky and it calls for Champagne Blanc de Noirs. Made strictly from black grape varieties, such as Pinot Noir and Meunier, its vinosity and complex tones of red fruits, vanilla, pepper, and cinnamon go down a treat with Amatriciana. 

by Sean Sheehan

The post Champagne Day meets World Pasta Day on Friday, October 25th first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

A decommissioned electricity generating station is the setting for an unparalleled view of St Paul’s Cathedral; the headquarters of a company famous for its beef stock cubes has picturesque views of the Thames; and a Victorian railway arch is home to exciting West African cuisine.

_{Garden vegetable terrine, Rhineland dressing, and herb leaf salad to start the Expressionist lunch at Tate Modern}

When making a reservation at Tate Modern Restaurant, on the sixth floor of the famous art gallery, ask if a window table is available. This way you enjoy a spectacular view, looking down on a garden of Himalayan birches, the Millennium Bridge and on its other side, St Paul’s in all its solid stateliness.

The scene is as superbly framed as the finest of  landscape paintings to be seen hanging in the gallery. The restaurant, cleverly responding to the visual dimension, has come up with the idea of connecting its menu with a Tate Modern major special exhibition – hence an Expressionist lunch or afternoon tea to chime with the Expressionists Kandinsky, Munter and The Blue Rider exhibition that runs until October 20.

_{Gabriele Münter, Kandinsky and Erma Bossi at the Table, 1912. Lenbachhaus Munich, Donation Gabriele Münter © DACS 2024}

My starter, a square-shaped vegetable terrine looked more Mondrian than Expressionist but the Rhineland dressing lent an appropriate Germanic flavour. Smoked trout, a favourite meal in the land of Gabriele Münter – the Expressionist painter who studied and lived with Kandinsky and co-founded the Blue Rider group – is one of the main art-related dishes.

Other items from the regular non-exhibition menu are also available so vegetarians are not excluded, but whatever your choice one of the sides is unquestionably worth tasting: heritage radishes, gently spicy and peppery, in a milky bed of hyper-whipped vegan feta.

Radishes are so unfairly marginalised but, like the painters in the exhibition, their avant-garde moment has arrived. A black forest mousse with a suggested Riesling pairing rounds off a splendid celebration of cultural gastronomy.

_{A view from inside Oxo Tower Restaurant of the terrace, the Thames and St Paul’s Cathedral}

Oxo Tower Restaurant, the name comes from a brand of beef stock cubes once  found on the shelves of most kitchens across the UK, is on the roof-top level of the building in front of it. The main building, originally also an electricity power station, was rebuilt in the late 1920s  by the company that makes the stock cubes but the tower was kept intact.

The company shrewdly advertised their product by incorporating the word Oxo into the tower’s windows. Situated about midway between Waterloo Bridge and Blackfriars Bridge, the restaurant enjoys an expansive view of London stretching from St Paul’s in the east over to the Post Office Tower in the north-east. The grand neoclassical building seen on the north side of Blackfriars Bridge, distinguished by its curved frontage, is Unilever House and dates from 1930.

_{Artfully presented langoustine at Oxo Tower Restaurant}

Oxo Tower Restaurant’s menu covers the best of British cuisine: from Orkney scallops to Exmoor caviar, taking in beef from Yorkshire, lettuce from Lancashire and pork from Suffolk. The food is crafted to look gorgeous when it arrives at your table and it seemed a shame to disturb the inventive symmetry of my langoustine starter. A

gain, though, it was a side dish that stole the show – this time slices of orange with fennel that looked to be spiralled, slices of olive  and tiny balls of cheese – a triumph of ingenuity. The restaurant’s interior, roomy and filled with natural light, has large Rothko-style artwork on the walls and, weather permitting, there are tables outdoor on the balcony.

The riverside view is stupendous, especially as dusk turns to darkness and red lights on the building cranes on the north side become red candles in the sky. London has never looked so untroubled.

_{The exterior of Akara near Borough Market}

In the 1860s, a railway company serving the southeast extended its line into the heart of London. A new terminal at Cannon St was built and a railway bridge across the Thames to access it. The work required construction of railway arches on the south side of the river and the ground level spaces between them were first used as warehouses.

Subsequently disused, they have been restored and one of them is home to Akara. Its airy frontage, all glass and plants, makes an attractive contrast to the brickwork of the arches and the frenzy of Borough Market. Inside the restaurant, gentle vibes and Afro-beat music make it easy to relax and take in the industrial legacy of the building. The ducts above your head are sand-coloured, an unusual but pleasing touch, and a piece of stunning artwork on the wall defines Akara’s West African identity.

_{Akaras – small cakes using black-eyed beans, each presented in its own box}

Akaras are bean cakes – black-eyed beans in this case – found throughout West Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean.  Made from a batter of deep-fried black-eyed beans, previously whisked, and filled with a choice of prawns, celeriac, crab or marinated tomato, they demand to be tasted.

Of the seven main dishes, my friend opted for the Lagos chicken with a coconut sauce and remained silent until the plate was empty because, it was explained afterwards, to talk would have been a distraction from enjoying its sizzling succulence.

Akara’s drink list is far from mediocre and two of the drinks – a vodka and peach cocktail and a non-alcoholic version – make punchy use of scotch bonnet (rated twenty five times stronger than jalapeño chilli peppers on the Scoville scale of spiciness).

Good food and drink and an appreciation of London’s industrial architecture have never been combined so well as at these three restaurants in the heart of London.

by Sean Sheehan

The post Glass takes a food-fuelled journey across London’s South Bank hotspots first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

A space for unwinding – spa, restaurant or bar – is equally important and Dorchester Collection hotels, in all three cities, excel in these regards.

_{Dorchester Collection Hotels}

In London, recent renovations at The Dorchester ensure it remains unashamedly glitzy while 45 Park Lane vies for your attention with its own undemonstrative glamour. A subterranean spa, where the treatments include those by award-winning  Dr Uliana Gout, and Park Lane’s longest swimming pool are added attractions in this intimate abode. 

_{Dorchester Collection Hotels}

For Milan’s Fashion Week, beginning when London’s ends (September 17), Hotel Principe di Savoia beckons.  It has been a Milanese icon since the 1920s and a newly appointed executive chef, Matteo Gabrielli, showcases traditional Italian cuisine. 

_{Afternoon Tea by Dorchester Collection Hotels}

Then there is Paris Fashion Week (September 23-October 1) and two special hotels for enjoying the events. Hôtel Plaza Athénée, home to the world’s first Dior Spa and a  Dior Light Suite with a unique light therapy ceiling capable of replicating sunlight – perfect for those needing a little TLC after an eventful schedule of fashion shows.

The second Dorchester Collection hotel is Le Meurice, bursting with 18^th-century splendour and the only Valmont spa in Paris. Epicurean delights await at the hotel’s restaurants and La Pâtisserie du Meurice par Cédric Grolet.

by Sean Sheehan

The post Dorchester Collection Hotels bring some respite during Fashion Week first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

It is little exaggeration to say, on walking into the open-air lobby of Banyan Tree Krabi for the first time, that the view is mesmerising. Gazing out at four towers of limestone rock in a shimmering sea – karst formations that have become the visual signature of Krabi – the vista seems too serene and dreamy to be real.

_{Beach at Banyan Tree Krabi}

_{Banyan Tree Krabi pool}

The beauty of the Andaman coast is no secret, but Banyan Tree Krabi, on a quiet beach and close to a national park, enjoys a niche location which protects it from being sandwiched between other resorts.

Untypically for Banyan Tree, there are villas as well as suites and all accommodation comes with its own pool and faces west for sunsets and entrancing views. A longtail boat is available for boat trips to Koh Hong and the volcanic lagoon in the centre of the island.

_{Dining Birds Nest}

_{Banyan Tree Krabi’s own longboat, The White Pearl}

Southern Thai cuisine, with spicy tastes relying more on local herbs than chilli, is rightfully the focus of the resort’s restaurants and the head chef is dextrous at making vegetarian versions of classic dishes like pad thai and massaman phak, plus a wonderful phad phak boong fai dang with a vegetable oyster sauce.

Bird’s Nest restaurant deserves special mention, not because it serves bird’s nest soup (it doesn’t) but due to its unique location, reached by a one-minute ride in a funicular: three tables, each in the form of a private and cosy nest that looks but doesn’t feel like it is perched on the side of a cliff. The space is as intimate as one could get and a ‘nest’ (also available for afternoon tea), with one of its four set menus should be booked as early as possible. 

_{Poolside at Trisara}

Picture a tiny rocky islet off the coast of Phuket with a solitary palm tree, a real-life rendition of the cartoon desert island where pirates or a shipwreck leave someone marooned. It is clearly visible at the resort Trisara, which like the islet, offers maximum privacy but goes hand in hand with luxury; with rescue coming in the form of treatments at Jara spa, superlative culinary experiences, wellness activities and an international airport fifteen minutes away.

Parts of Phuket have been spoiled by excessive development, making Trisara’s super-spacious villas, each with a pool and veranda, a precious retreat from the hurly-burly further down the coast. The setting is gorgeously tropical, landscaped with coconut and fishtail palms, walkways bordered with brightly coloured flowers and a surrounding green canopy of trees. 

_{The approach to Jampa}

_{Views from Trisara}

The dining scene excels and the care devoted to its farm-to-table philosophy is confirmed by a visit to Trisara’s organic vegetable, herb and free-range egg farm. At the time of writing, Phuket has only one Michelin-starred restaurant – Trisara’s Pru – and Executive Chef Jim Ophorst presides at its open kitchen for dinner (Tues-Sat) and lunch (Fri-Sat). Trisara’s garden also provides Chef Dingen with ingredients at Jamba, a serious contender for becoming Phuket’s second restaurant with a Michelin star.

Jamba enjoys a truly bucolic situation, in harmony with the complex but delicate dishes, many vegetarian, brought to your table. Completing the constellation of fine restaurants and befitting its Mediterranean-style identity, Cielo is footsteps from a beach (effectively a private one) and brings a flavour of southern Europe to its menu. Trisara is not a desert island but being marooned here is something you could wish for.

by Sean Sheehan

_{For more information, see banyantree.com/thailand/Krabi, trisara.com and prurestaurant.com} 

_{EVA Air flies non-stop from London Heathrow to Bangkok with fares starting from £728; to book, see evaair.com}

The post Glass experiences the quiet luxuries of Southern Thailand first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

Arriving there on a luxury train while sipping a hot beverage in a real cup has its own merits. Scenes of agricultural life – alpacas and fields of corn amidst surrounding mountains –  glide past through the windows of your chugging  train and, on the return journey, music from a three-piece live band  and  a cocktail or two constitute ludic relaxation after a long’s day’s sightseeing.

_{Superb accommodation at Rainforest Experditions}

Seventy kilometres from Machu Picchu lies El Valle Sagrado (Sacred Valley) and – this is a minority opinion – its scenery and sites were for me a more evocative introduction to Inca civilisation than Machu Picchu itself. Lunch in the valley at Unu Restaurant, an isolated spot by an ancient church and enwrapped by the Andes, comes close to the sublime – and then there is Cusco, over 300m above sea level and once the capital of the Inca empire.

The place to stay in Cusco is Monasterio. Spanish colonial architecture is central to the city’s appeal and Monasterio, occupying a 16^th-century monastery, has a gorgeous share of this with its archways, cloistered courtyard and escutcheons. Breakfast at a table in one of the cloisters is a tranquil and memorable start to a new day.

Near to the hotel is a restaurant, Morena, delightfully overlooking Cusco’s main square and the cathedral, and the authentic Peruvian cuisine is superior to most eateries in Cusco.

_{Relaxing under a datura at Atemporal}

Far more than half of Peru is covered by tropical forests, part of the Amazon rainforest, and it can be experienced in enviable comfort with Rainforest Expeditions. Their deluxe suites, complete with a private terrace and outdoor tub and shower, add cosiness and class to a stay deep in the rainforest.

The excellent guided walks introduce you to howler and squirrel monkeys, poison dart frogs and much more. The amazing birdlife includes hearing hysterical wolf whistles from the screaming phia. Plus, wait for it, walking trees (Socratea exorrhiza): palm trees that move from shade to sunlight by growing roots in a preferred direction and replacing the old roots that lift into the air and wither away.

Lima, Peru’s capital, is best left for your final days in the country. The road there from the airport is uninspiring and the city looks a sprawling mess until you settle down at a table in Cala and take in the spectacular location. You are seated on a terrace above a large beach where waves of the Pacific Ocean are ridden by surfers.

The restaurant’s signature appetizer is a tower of cold seafood – ceviche, prawn, razorshells, crab legs and octopus  – to be relished as part  of a lazy lunch or, come evening time, while watching the sunset and listening to the pounding of waves on the stony beach.

_{Chic stays at Fausto in Miraflores}

Peruvian cuisine is rightly rated one of the best in the world and Lima is its crucible where chefs are making a reputation for themselves by creatively utilising a wealth of indigenous ingredients. The country has food from coastal, mountain and jungle ecosystems, allowing very different regional specialities to be combined with four centuries of mostly Spanish food influences from Europe. The results are exciting and, in some of the top restaurants, simply fabulous.

_{Dancing before boarding a train to Machu Picchu}

Central is the restaurant in Lima widely regarded as one of the very best in the world, with three Michelin stars and ranked as number one in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. This could mean reserving a table before even booking a flight to Peru. Upstairs is Kjolle, where chef Pía León, the wife of Central’s chef, and a visit here should prove to be a gastronomical highlight of time in the country.

The setting is as minimalist and earthy, the only decorations being framed plant leaves behind the sleek counter that runs the length of the dining space. What you sit on and eat from is crafted from Amazon rainforest wood and everything you eat is 100% Peruvian, though a concession to neighbouring countries is made with the wines (good luck with finding an exceptionally good wine from Peru).

The tasting menu will bring ingredients to your table which you’ve never heard of – some are extraordinary – and the beef rib is peripheral to what is essentially one of the most ingeniously refined non-meat menus anywhere in the world.

_{A Squirrel Monkey. Photo by Paul Bertner}

Some consideration needs to be given to where you stay in Lima. The district called Miraflores is popular and convenient for nightlife, shopping and parks while Barranca is gaining attention as a more laid-back neighbourhood where neglected colonial-era mansions lend an air of faded elegance.

Many of the bars and restaurants have a bohemian appeal but good hotels in Barranca are thin on the ground while Miraflores has the charming Fausto. Situated in a quiet, tree-lined residential area within walking distance of the city centre. The five differently-sized rooms (pequeña, mediana, grande) are all stylishly decorated – go for the grande for the extra space – and the courtyard is a lovely spot for breakfast where, being partly open, humming birds fly in for their own morning repast courtesy of the potted plants.

A small open kitchen and a honesty bar add to the appeal and comfort of enjoying some quiet luxury in the heart of a capital city. Fausto’s sister hotel, Atemporal, is just as lovely and in the same neighbourhood.

_{View of ancient Cusco from a window at the Monasterio hotel}

A short walk from Fausto takes you to La Gloria, a bar and restaurant which would surely become your local if living in Miraflores. The cosy bar, like the one that gave its name to the television series Cheers, is where everyone would know your name – people come to La Gloria just for drinks, tapas and (open until 2am) maybe a dance or two.

The restaurant, with work by the important Peruvian photographer Ferando La Rose on the walls, is a gem of a place for fish dishes like  tuna fish tataki with ajo blanca and Chorrillane fish stew.

by Sean Sheehan

_{La Gloria is one small part of Peru’s rich heritage and for more information on this wondrous country see the tourist board’s website, the new June 2024 Rough Guide or Insight Guide to Peru; for trips to the Amazonian rainforest and the mountains, see the Larger Mammals of South America and the excellent Helm Field Guide to the Birds of Peru.}

The post Glass indulges in the luxuries of Peru first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

Now, following the first races in Jeddah, Venice and Monaco, the grandeur and beauty of Lake Como will set the scene for the E1 World Championship later this month.

_{E1 boats powered by batteries and electric motors. Photo courtesy of E1}

_{The E1 race series was launched at Monaco Yatch Club in September 2020. Photo courtesy of E1}

The Italian Alps that surround Lake Como are cloaked in green during the summer, a dramatic and lush background for a raceboat regatta and adrenaline-fuelled action on the lake’s surface area of 146 square kilometres.

For a viewing experience of a lifetime, a special package at Villa d’Este includes accommodation and access to the exclusive Ocean Club throughout the weekend of the event. There will be opportunities to meet the pilots of the nine E1 teams competing for the ‘Champions of the Water’ title, experience the podium, and also enjoy world-class hospitality.

_{E1 is the first and only all-electric raceboat world championship. Photo courtesy of E1}

_{Team Raffa. Photo courtesy of E1}

Villa d’Este has a luxurious setting along the lakefront on the south-western shore of Lake Como and its grand gardens provide superb relaxation when timeout is needed from the exhilarating boat races. The hotel’s facilities include the Beauty Center and Sporting Club with a heated indoor pool, a gym, sauna, steam room, squash court, a putting green, outdoor fitness equipment and 8 tennis courts.

by Sean Sheehan

_{UIM E1 World Championship is from 23rd – 24th August. For more information and booking, see Villa d’Este}

The post Villa d’Este to host new “Formula One of the Seas” – E1 World Championship first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

The hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant has recently been refurbished by Russell Sage studio and has a lightness and whimsicality (note the witty details in the Fromental wallapaper) that perfectly suits an early evening, summertime meal.

What has not been lost is The Dining Room’s poshness – in the nicest sense of the word – and an old-school glamour and grace that makes dining here such a pleasure. The drinks trolly and sommeliers in red velvet jackets do not look remotely out of place.

_{The Dining Room at the Goring}

Of the three choices of starters, the dish of a Somerset soft cheese with heritage tomato can be wholeheartedly vouched for and my companion absolutely loved the stuffed morel with a baked truffle cream. There are three main dishes to choose from and if you have not previously eaten at The Dining Room the restaurant’s famed lobster omelette has to be considered alongside the chicken and duck (no vegetarian or vegan choice).

_{Heritage tomato takes centre stage in one of the starters on the pre-theatre menu}

Being just minutes from The Apollo Victoria and Victoria Palace theatres, The Goring’s location is ideal for a pre-show treat and The Dining Room’s  menu of seasonal British ingredients thoroughly deserves being enjoyed in its own right.

by Sean Sheehan

_{The pre-theatre menu, £80, is available from 6pm, last seating 6.15pm; tel: 020 7769 4475.}

The post Applause for New Pre-Theatre Menu at The Goring first appeared on The Glass Magazine.

The estate was bought by filmmaker Ridley Scott in 1992 as a home away from Hollywood. A selection from his cellar, from an area overlapping Rhône and Provence, can be enjoyed on the terrace of The Laslett Hotel, free of traffic noise and the tread of pedestrians in this overly popular part of west London.

_{Ridley Scott’s Mas des Infermières at The Laslett}

_{Mas des Infermières at the Laslett Hotel}

The setting, amidst potted olive and lemon trees, is the antithesis of Ridley Scott’s undoubtedly best film, Blade Runner,so come here for an unintimidating  wine moment with a glass (or carafe or bottle) of a  ‘Source’ Rosé while musing on a food menu that suits brunch or dinner. Wine parings of an obvious kind are suggested but they can be safely ignored if sharing dishes.

_{‘Perle Du Mas’ sparkling rosé}

The ‘summer salad’ is suitably named, given its grapes and sundried tomatoes, but a lemon tahini dressing adds an autumnal inflection and makes this salad an ideal starter. The ‘Source’ white and red selections are also available by a glass, carafe or bottle and only the ‘Perle Du Mas’ sparkling rosé – a tempting proposition – is restricted to a whole bottle.

by Sean Sheehan

_{The dedicated menu of Mas des Infermières’ wines is available until August 23^rd; see The Laslett for more information.}

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