Monthly Archives: January 2014

Hot on the Highstreet Week 190

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The Christmas bonus is in the bank, the New Year festivities are over and it’s time to start that health kick and book a summer holiday… What better way to motivate you than the gorgeous, sexy, and terrifyingly skimpy heidi klein bikinis.

Last week my workmates complained as a smartly wrapped box was delivered to me at my desk. This immaculately presented present was from heidi klein, the stylish British designers who ensure you are holiday-ready all year round. The brand was launched in 2002 when Heidi Gosman and Penny Klein noticed how the British highstreet lacks holiday gear outside of the usual summer months. Their luxurious swim and beachwear offers women a fashionable, comfortable and flattering range all year round, so you can get the perfect holiday wardrobe whenever you choose to go away. And as the brand continues to flourish, the heidi klein collections continue to expand and soon menswear and children’s range will also be available.

Though every piece is beautiful, from flip flops to kaftans, it is the bikini sets which are perhaps the most desirable. Blissfully soft, stretchy and unusually comfortable, they are made from the finest fabrics to ensure the quality, shape and colour remains in top condition. Carefully and thoughtfully designed to flatter every curve and contour of the female body, I was amazed by the effects when I tried my lovely svelte black bikini on. With a girly bow at the front of the top and a folded over seam on the bottoms, I loved the detailing of the bikini. And though this design is no longer available the new 2014 collection is equally attractive, with some lovely bold bright designs to fall in love with.

So when January is good and done, reward yourself for all that exercise and lack of alcohol with a holiday abroad and a beautiful bikini  from heidi klein that will last you a lifetime.

heidi klein can be purchased online at www.heidiklein.com and in store at 257 Pavilion Road, Sloan Square, SW1X 0BP and 174 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RW in London and at various boutiques and department stores globally.

For more information go to www.heidiklein.com and become a friend at Facebook/heidiklein

114 Faubourg, Le Bristol, Paris

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You can’t beat Le Bristol. This hotel is the epitome of Parisian elegance, renowned for exceptional accommodation, fantastic facilities, exquisite decor and the very best French dining. The main restaurant Epicure has three stars while the more casual brasserie-style eatery 114 Faubourg holds one star.

On a Saturday evening we arrived at 114 excited to taste the cuisine, the grand opulent room was full and busy, waiters frantically trying to attend to every table. Despite its prestigious accolades, 114 Faubourg retains a jovial relaxed atmosphere which I really appreciated. There’s something rather horrible about eating fine food in silence.

The menu is varied and tempting, well balanced dishes with indulgent ingredients. A 52 Euro set lunch offers a choice of two options per course, I can imagine there are lots of gossiping ladies who love taking advantage of this reasonable deal. After a much needed glass of champagne and some melt-in-the-mouth cheese twists, warm bread and fresh butter arrived and we tried hard to resist it in preparation for the courses ahead.

To start we chose the platter of Bellota Bellota cured ham with tomato on bread, and the pan fried langoustine ravioli with Sichuan pepper, coconut and lime emulsion. Both were beautifully presented: a generous and rich pile of ham was perfectly complemented by the crusty bread and the ravioli was a delightfully light and exotic dish topped with foam and specks of lime and pepper, it looked like a contemporary work of art. For main, we opted for the Matured beef rib-eye with grenaille potatoes to share. This whopping great dish took a while to arrive, understandably when you consider the size. The great hunk of meat arrived on a wooden board with its very own waiter and a whole tray of sides to accompany. It was a beautiful cut, perfectly marbled with a smooth almost velvety texture. The crispy potatoes were good, but it was the creamed mash and bearnaise sauce that really thrilled us, deliciously decadent. The feast of steak was overwhelming, impossible to finish, but too good to leave… I began to feel quite stressed about the dilemma, to continue eating or not?

Considering we had dessert on the way, the speciality Bourbon vanille millefeuille and pistachio ice cream with strawberries and meringue, to be precise, we set aside the steak to prepare for pudding. As we were a late sitting we had spent the majority of our meal eyeing up the neighbouring tables’ choices, deciding on our desserts well before we needed to. Pistachio ice-cream arrived in a bubbling pot of dry ice, topped with ruby red strawberries and crushed meringue, a magical looking dish which had a delicious and nutty flavour. The millefeuille is a delicate and classic French dessert, at Le Bristol they add a touch of devilishly sweet salty caramel. Immaculately assembled by the talented pastry chef, the flavour and texture was sublime.

Miniature truffles were packaged up for our taxi ride home and we waved goodbye to the exhausted staff at Le Bristol. This hotel is the definition of Paris…a place of perfect sophistication, style and romance.

More information here: www.lebristolparis.com/fr/restaurants-et-bars/114-faubourg/

Take advantage of Eurostar’s sale here.

Thanks to the Paris Tourist Board, more information here.

parisinfo.com

Sounds of Fairmont at Abbey Road

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I am a big fan of luxury hotels and an even bigger fan of music so the announcement that Abbey Road Studios would be partnering up with Fairmont Hotels and Resorts was very exciting. As part of the partnership, guests of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will have the chance to experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities from behind-the-scenes studio visits to recording a song at Abbey Road Studios, as well as exclusive discounts and offers on Abbey Road products and services.

The partnership extends Fairmont’s relationship with EMI Music, the owners of the Studios, which already makes possible guest access to bestselling EMI artists through a variety of channels including the luxury hotel brand’s “Sounds of Fairmont” program – where new and emerging artists perform live at select properties around the world. One of the first elements of the new partnership is collaboration between Abbey Road Studios and The Savoy, a Fairmont managed hotel.  Following up on the most ambitious hotel restoration in British history in late 2010, the team at The Savoy are working closely with Abbey Road on a refurbishment of the Studios’ lounges.  The project aims to bring The Savoy’s style, luxury and timeless elegance to the Studios.

To celebrate the collaboration of these wonderful brands I joined a crowd of guests for a cocktail party at Abbey Road, with delicious canapes and champagne beforehand at The Savoy. Jessie Ware played a set featuring tracks from her new album whilst we admired our iconic surroundings. It was a brilliant night showcasing how well suited these famous brands are… I can’t wait to see and hear what comes next.

Read more about the Sounds of Fairmont here.