Inside An Editor's Address Book: Mark Holgate's Guide to London
Favorite restaurants. . . . Everyone but everyone will tell you have to go to The Wolesley, especially for breakfast. And they’re right, you should, but I actually prefer sister restaurant St. Alban. The menu skips from Spain to Italy, with the occasional detour to Greece, France, etc., etc. Try the wood-baked sardines with gremolata, the battered salt cod with fava-bean puree, and the homemade yogurt with crushed honeycomb—all unbelievably delicious. Now if only they would do breakfast, too, all would be (almost) be right with the world (stalban.net). For a quick meal, try Leon. Local uberhip types will turn their nose up at what is a standby for many Londoners on their lunch break, but most of its menu is superhealthy, organic, locally sourced where they can, and lastly—not to be sniffed at in London—cheap! (leonrestaurants.co.uk) Also, given my obsession with all things Scandinavian (more of which later), Nordic Bakery in Soho is always good for a pit stop (nordicbakery.com). Lastly, I can never leave London without going to Maison Bertaux for the café au lait and some cake (any of them will do). Every time I go home, I desperately worry this Soho institution will have disappeared, but thankfully, no. This fact really does mean all is right with the world (28 Greek Street, W1; 011-44-20-7437-6007). Favorite place for vintage. . . . It’s hardly a well-kept secret, I know, but there is something just wonderful about visiting Rellik, if only to look at the designers I loved—Bodymap, John Flett—when I was growing up, which were eagerly viewed via the pages of The Face, Blitz, and i-D (relliklondon.co.uk). Otherwise, I’d recommend ignoring all of the usual high/overpriced vintage haunts and go back to basics: Take the London Underground to places like Camden or Clapham, or get really brave and disappear out to the end of the tube lines and explore the many, many charity stores to see what you can dig up. Also, perhaps it doesn’t quite count, but I do love rummaging around Soho’s Vintage Magazine Shop for old copies of Honey and 19 (late ’70s/early ’80s for preference) (vinmag.com). Favorite place for accessories. . . . Girls might dream of one day owning an Hermès Birkin. Me, I fantasize about having one of the black leather bags designed by Katie Hillier (the accessories queen for Luella, Hogan, Marc Jacobs, the list goes on . . . ) for Norton & Sons, the bespoke tailors on Savile Row (nortonandsons.co.uk). Fantastic vintage Chanel purses and box-fresh Golden Goose boots and bags at the Primrose Hill Boutique Press, which is also worth checking out because it always distills the season in such a cool, clear way (3 Erskine Rd, NW3; 011-44-20-7449-0081). For relatively inexpensive but very on-trend satchel bags, chunky metal jewelry, and molded platform ankle boots, go to COS, the H&M-owned fast-fashion chain that’s a little more costly than its sister. It also does a great line in sculptural coats, skinny pants, and billowing tunic tops. COS really needs to come here to the States (cosstores.com). And maybe it is my inner Mary Poppins, but I am so happy that the umbrella emporium James Smith & Sons Umbrella Shop is still around after 179 years (james-smith.co.uk). Favorite place for homewares. . . . I can sate my love of Scandi designers Stig Lindberg and Kaj Franck at Skandium in Marylebone (skandium.com). Also SCP, which not only has fantastic modern furniture design but gorgeous antique quilts and exquisite new woolen blankets designed by Donna Wilson (scp.co.uk). And if you’re the kind of person who gets excited about white enamel coffee pots from Japan, old-fashioned linen dish towels, and rotary apple peelers (sadly, I am afraid to say I do), then head to Labour and Wait, in east London. And if you can’t make it there, they also have an outpost at Dover Street Market(labourandwait.co.uk). Favorite place for food. . . . I think about food a lot, and I especially think about it when I go to Melrose & Morgan, the Primrose Hill grocer that has lots of local produce as well as homemade jams, delicious chocolate, and a center table groaning with salads, charcuterie, and very British iced sponge cakes, all made in house (melroseandmorgan.com). —By Mark Holgate
0 Response to "Inside an Editor's Address Book by Mark Holgate"