Whitney "anne spice" N.'s Profile

Totally rad in every way.  A friend of mine is a member here, and I wouldn't mind being far behind ... this is the one member's club in London that, aside from the trite prestige and banal name-dropping and all that other ostentatious twaddle, actually makes *sense* to join.  It's not just another self-important bar dressed up in a snooty waitlist and a fee per annum; it's a creative person's haven.  

The Hospital is a world of artistic adventure and possibility...  a recording studio, a production studio, editing bays, screening room, art installation space, people at the helm who actually want fledgling creatives to take advantage of all of this, did I mention there's a lounge bar?... for someone who has long-suffered from artistic-communications-multimedia ADD, you just described Mecca.  

The Hospital also trumps all other London clubs that I've been to for its unabashedly cool atmosphere... from the moment you approach the reception desk, there's this palpable sense, perhaps something like boarding a spaceship, that this venture is a *singular* one.  Yet it's not a "scene" in that nothing's in-your-face... yes, there's a hefty amount of hip artistic style happening with the décor in each of the rooms, but there's also such a muted intimacy here, the emphasis is less about going gaga over the inanimate furniture and colour of paint on the walls, and more on your interactions with everyone else - comparable to the Parisian salons, where the main event was the luminous conversation.

And discourse can *be* the main event here because of the crowd this place attracts.  Jacks-of-all-media-trades, dancers, artists, photographers, Moguls  - the point is, the people here usually have something really interesting going on... an innovative new project, a show their producing... you name it... and they're also usually inherently intriguing and uber hip without trying too hard.  

The staff treat you like gold...familiar, helpful; they remember your name...  and there's definitely a sort of homey comfortableness here ... like you could chase people down the halls in a game of tag if the mood struck you - but in no way would it be irreverent, since the space feels like *yours.*  

In a way, what The Hospital has going on is what I imagine a lot of artists would like their ideal house to be... production equipment at their finger tips, cool friends popping by, a lovely staff, and a screening room in the basement.  I'd certainly move in...

I discovered Minamoto Kitchoan near Rockefeller Center in New York years and years ago, and it promptly became one of my indispensable stops each time I was visiting the Big Apple.  There was just nothing quite like it.... all the sweets were so perfectly formed... so delicately wrapped... and so unique in taste and texture - you did't find anything reminiscent of the Western confection imperatives chocolate, cream, or caramel.  Here, every single description sounded intriguing and exotic.  Plus, the way they're wrapped up make them tiny parcels of art.

Then, about a year ago, I saw that there was Minamoto Kitchoan right here in Piccadilly!  I have to say, having it so accessible sucked a bit of the magic out of it (why is it that something becomes so much grander when there's a pilgrimage involved?)... but it's still a marvelous wonder of a store... definitely worth at least one visit in your lifetime just to marvel at how different everything is.  

I'm partial to anything filled with either red or white bean paste... my favourite perhaps being the one that looks like a miniature Chinese Mooncake - golden brown with a decorative top and filled with red bean paste and a chestnut - yum!  I'm sure it all depends on your palette, and I really thing there's something for everyone at this shop, but not *everything* I've tried has been fab - I can't do anything wrapped in their "rice cake" which is rather gelatinous.... Oy, I never could do that texture.

TERRIBLE!!!!!!!  Avoid at all costs.  Got lured in here because I was with a friend from the States who wanted to try "traditional English pudding" - we were in the Covent Garden area and this was the place people directed us to for "British" food.

I think this is a total tourist trap... capitalizing on the fact that most people who pop in are from out-of-town and won't be coming back... nor spreading the word about how atrocious it is.

The food was the very essence of what it means to be mediocre... obviously pulled out plastic packaging and tossed on a plate.

And somebody mentioned posh decor?  There was absolutely nothing atmospheric going on... it was traditional British *blasé.*  The tables and other wooden fixtures looked like they came from your standard restaurant supply store when the place was built in the 70's - and haven't been thought about since.

But the *worst* part was the pudding (since that what got us into this train wreck of a restaurant in the first place).  Their sticky toffee pudding hardly warranted the label "dry cake" let alone being called  a "pudding" that had anything to do with "stickiness" or "toffee." We took two bites (one bite each) and were done.

I assured my friend that this was the most appalling excuse for British pudding I'd ever encountered - then promptly asked our waiter to remove it from both our table and our bill.  Sad.

The service was fine though.  I felt bad for our waiter... He seemed new, but was very nice and very apologetic - though already looked accustomed to the complaints... poor kid... I tipped him well - he deserved it... while the restaurant, on the other hand, deserves to shutdown.

A good British friend of mine brought me here on my first visit to London and it was such a fun and unforgettable night that I've been back several times since... usually with other international visitors in tow.

Be sure to book a table in the cavernous downstairs area... this is where you really feel that you're someplace underground and there's something more exotic and clandestine going on... your sitting atop cushions in this dimly-lit cellar... like you're in Casablanca and have secured access to the secret subterranean bungalow at Rick's Café Américain.  

There's melodic Middle Eastern music playing, and each time I've been, belly dancing... which is fun (even for the girls) since it's interactive - they invite diners to get up and try a sexy hip sashay with guidance from the jewel-bedecked skin-baring professional (don't worry, they go table by table... so it's not in a cheesy or disruptive way).

Without a doubt, order the set menu for the table - a mix of garlicky starters and earthy tagines... it pretty much guarantees that there will be *something* each person will like, plus they will top up your favourites...and it includes dessert (baklava!)  A really great deal...  

When I've done the a la carte route, the dishes have been more mediocre; the tagine of vegetables, prunes, and almonds was mercilessly bland - avoid!

Souk is an extremely entertaining night out; unbeatable atmosphere and good food make for an all-around unique and memorable experience.

I pop into this Moroccan oasis for lunch all the time.  It's the most atmospheric place I know for a bite of mezzes and some delicious harrira soup (though for some reason, it's not nearly as delicious as it was about a year ago...)

The ambiance is fantastic.  Low tables of decoratively pressed brass and ornately carved wood, rows of vibrant cushions, stuccoed walls... walk inside, and boom, you're in Marrakech.

Even though this place definitely sees quite a bit of the Soho pack... what I really like is that it's never too crowded here in the afternoon.  It's very calm, and there's WiFi, which makes it the perfect retreat to get some work done.

Don't miss the mint tea, so delicious and refreshing, and *exactly* like what I've tasted in the Middle East.

One caveat: I don't recommend this Souk for dinner - I've had pretty poor service, and in the evening I think there's a cooler cavernous atmosphere to be had at their Litchfield branch.

Lovely, one of the best cake shops in London.  They always have the must artfully done window displays and it has a very Bohemian thing going on... which makes it especially appealing to artists and writers and such.

I *much* prefer this to the likes of Patisserie Valerie.  Candles, worn wooden tables, and beautifully displayed cakes and sweets - it has such an individual humour and old-world charm to it... you don't think twice about whether or not you should indulge.  The scene is also so versatile - it's good with friends, on dates, or simply for a good cup of tea with yourself.

No doubt, any Londoner who really cares about character and authenticity and history will recommend this place.

This is where the fashion pack goes to get their flowers.  They've done stuff for Louis Vuitton and London Fashion Week, just to name a few.  If a flower shop can understand fashion, they do.  And while you can buy in-store ready-made bouquets, where they really shine is in their innovative arrangements and outfitting of grand events and weddings.

What's amazing about their work is that they really do blend art with flowers.  They know the art-fashion world, and they know flowers enough to effectively merge the two.  I was once at an event they'd been commissioned to decorate, and they'd done amazing things with hydrangeas... just the most beautiful soft puffs of pastel pinks and blues, an entire palette of wonderfully romantic blooms that really set the mood.

Definitely recommended for a wedding or a special event... or if you want to send a special arrangement to someone to show you really care.

Busy, bustling, and brimming with authenticity... this is a great Italian restaurant as much for its food as for its liveliness.  

You can get pizzas that are multiple feet long for a group to share (don't worry, they can have different sections topping-wise, so you're not all stuck with the same kind)... they come straight out of their wood fire oven and are brought to the table on a massive wooden board - just the sight of it is a distinctive culinary experience.

Usually, though, I get a smaller pizza - say, a couple feet long, when I'm not with a group who can polish off the six-feet version... and I'm equally happy with it.  

The servers here are friendly, very Italian... although also very *slow*... ask them to bring you olives right away, 'cause if you're not hungry when you first get there... you probably will be before your food arrives.

I'm a little conflicted about this place in terms of eco-ethics.... the "made in Italy" moniker stems from the fact that they import *everything* in from Italia... even the cheese is flown in twice a week.  Which is lovely in its faithfulness to homegrown Italian ingredients... but I find the reality of the carbon footprint increasingly hard to swallow.

Magnificent French restaurant hidden away down a dark anonymous street in Pimlico.  It's *extremely* French - chic, but demure; marvelously-well turned out, but blah.  The atmosphere is quiet and intimate, but rather mature; the décor is reminiscent of a boring person's living room - art on the walls, but nothing standout.  

But don't let the beige-sounding descriptors turn you off ... despite its level of restraint, if you want to impress a date, and I mean *really* impress a date, take her here.  This is the sort of exquisitely refined establishment a girl undoubtedly associates with being "wined and dined."  The sort of place marriage proposals must happen all the time...

The tasting menu isn't a dinner, it's an event.  A good three and half hour affair, and so many courses and token surprises that I lost count.  Probably best not to eat for three days beforehand if going the tasting menu route; if you don't arrive STARVING, around course four, you're going regret it... and even then... oy...  (How again, is it, that the French women stay so thin???)

The service here is impeccable in the way only the French manage to pull off: polite, unseen, a subtly choreographed cast of individuals designated for each serving task.  The sommelier we had, however, was memorably helpful - though we just ended up going with the wine flight designed to accompany our many courses.

The food was good - though strangely not memorable - even though at the time I know I enjoyed it enough to eat more than I ever thought I possibly could.  I do recall lots of fresh seasonal produce. And at the end of it all they give you a box of truffles to take home.  

I was brought here by a man I'd been dating for a bit, and even though it didn't work out, in my head he continues to get major plus marks for finding this place... especially since I'm a vegetarian and this French restaurant is probably the *only* one of its caliber to bestow such attention to my non-carnivorous breed... an *entire* French vegetarian tasting course - that's a very rare treat.

I'm a huge fan of this shop!  It's the most remarkable boutique for imported Indian decorative accents... but stop right there, because I know your brain just conjured up horrific images of grand swaths of maroon fabric, brassy saffron throw pillows covered in sequins, and garishly ornate wood carvings of the Hindu elephant god, Ganesh.

This shop couldn't be further from every tawdry cliché you've ever associated with Indian décor... for starters, when you first walk in, you find yourself gently gripped by the earthy colour palette; there's a very organic feel to it all... lots of browns, mossy greens, punctuated by the occasional shiny flash of colour.  Nothing's too unnatural... and the vibe is surprisingly soothing.

The woman who runs this shop, Tracy, has a to-die-for eye.  She founded Opium after a trip to India left her captivated by the country's furniture and other flourishes... but unlike some who've tried to make a go of importing goods from Asia (I've known at least two who have failed) Tracy seems to have a sixth sense as to what pieces will still hold their magic once they touch down on another continent.

There's something very classic, artistic, and timelessly appealing about the sculptures, furniture, doorknobs, pictures, and myriad of other décor to be found here; the grander statement pieces look beautifully authentic - not like they were manufactured en mass for sucker-tourists to cart away.  Lots of antiques... and plenty of designs that would look right in place in a more traditional home - not just one with an "Asian" theme going on.  

If you have any interest in unusual and eclectic décor, I highly suggest you make the trip here.  There's also a section of Tracy's own handcrafted jewelry... fabulously unique pieces made from *beautiful* stones (again!  This woman's eye!)

And if all that weren't enough.... Tracy and the staff she hires are possibly the most amiable, gracious, and genuinely winsome people I've ever encountered in one shop.  They're just that *very* rare mix of vivacious and warm, yet *cool*, sort of people that you can't help but think, "wow... um, can we be friends?!"