The first official visit to Brazil by Prince Harry is to include a game of international polo, with the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup on Sunday 11th March, with the Prince in the Sentebale Polo team.
Sentebale was founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso from the Lesotho Royal family and gives vital support to the most vulnerable of Lesotho’s children.
You can expect the stars to be out for this as Prince Harry’s team plays the respected Argentine player Nacho Figueras who heads up the St. Regis team.
Christian Porta, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers said: “We’re so proud to be supporting such a deserving charity at an event that will no doubt be the highlight of the Royal Salute World Polo calendar,”
“The Brazilian appetite for the world’s leading luxury Scotch is clear with sales of Royal Salute more than doubling over the past year. The thriving market combined with the priority brand’s status as the fastest growing* within the Pernod Ricard Group are both strong signs of a bright future in this stunning country.”
Luxury Scotch Royal Salute continue to support international polo, with recent tournaments including the prestigious Royal Salute Maharaja of Jodhpur Golden Jubilee Cup in India as well as a full international program.
If you wanna eat hip in the French capital then pull up a seat ringside at a most ritzy club. This first floor restaurant looking down into the VIP club on rue de Rivoli in Paris. For trendy eaterie in Paris, check out our Gioia restaurant review,
Before the club crowd hits this hip joint, gaze down on the dance floor, which has seen passing a host of top names like Ibiza king David Guetta.
The VIP has moved across town from the Champs Elysées and has not missed a funky beat. And now added to that is a funky eatery!
After feasting your eyes on the mythic club below admire the setting. Across one wall are the serried ranks of bottles as decorations to get in the party mood for a little excess. Prior to taking a seat at table you can pull up at the cocktail bar, which is in the shape of an outsize grand piano. White, it has funky designs on the side. From here you can admire some real artworks on the wall, notably the creations of David de la Chapelle and no less a name than Bono.
This is A List Country! Recently proving this very point was the arrival of Johnny Depp to celebrate the French release of his latest film Rum Diary. With this in mind, we felt Lussorian had to get in on the act with a Gioia restaurant review, we were not disappointed.
With all this star power you might be forgiven for being too overawed to eat. But even the celebrities cannot over shadow an honest and high quality menu. The Italian menu here will light up your taste buds. Literally! The menu is brightly backlit when opened, allowing you to see clearly to order in the low light.
The antipasti we shared was a copious delight. The fine cuts of charcuterie were divine, Japanese style prawns and a platter of freshest tomatoes and mozzarella. Mains included clams in a tomato rich sauce, which coated the quality pasta. The escalope Milanese was nearly the width of the place setting. Wafer thin with a coating to bring the taste alive! And, being Italian, the pizza takes a starring role. And does not disappoint.
The 4 Stagioni was succulent and tasty. A rustic delight quite at home in this slick palace.
From the cocktails to the carte des vins was a pleasant migration - the fiesta tastes of Caipirinha and Mojito, to the floral fruitiness of Tuscan vineyards. Most acceptable!
This is a real restaurant in a real nightclub with real artworks on the walls but just as important real Italian cuisine in the plate: a pretty irresistible mix.
Royal Salute, the world’s leading luxury Scotch whisky enjoyed its 3rd year of sponsoring The Royal Salute Maharaja of Jodhpur Golden Jubilee Cup in front of the largest crowd yet.
The high end five day polo event saw the Central Academy team taking the title, beating the Yuvraj Knights in the final.
The tournament attracted a high quality field including India’s Samir Suhag and Argentina’s Andres Weisz, both 5 goal players. Famous names of nobility such as Prince Carl-Eugen Oettingen-Wallerstein and his wife Princess Anna of Bavaria also took part.
Set in the majestic shadows of Umaid Bhawan Palace, guests of Royal Salute were hosted from 26th - 31st December by His Highness with guest of honour, Torquhil Ian Campbell the 13th Duke of Argyll.
VIPs from every continent enjoyed the five days of international polo which culminated in the exclusive Royal Salute Golden Jubilee Ball.
Neil Macdonald, Global Brand Director for Royal Salute, commented: “There is no event quite like the Royal Salute Maharaja of Jodhpur Golden Jubilee Cup. With stunning parties and a world-class 10 goal tournament, our guests have enjoyed a spectacular few days.”
The award-winning Royal Salute was first created as a tribute by Chivas Brothers to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II upon her coronation in 1953. In sponsoring such an event, Royal Salute has confirmed itself as the world’s leading luxury scotch whiskey.
I like a good film and I love good food. Putting the two together is something I am not totally sure on. I’ll be honest – at the flicks I am happy with some popcorn or if I am really treating myself, I might splash out on some tacos.
It seems that this level of food is not enough for some cinema goers. If you are looking for the best luxury cinema in London, you might be interested in ‘The Lounge’ at The Odeon within Whiteleys.
Fine dining has come to film.
Opening to the public on January 13th, Odeon have revealed the seat-side menu available to guests at “The Lounge”
This fine dining menu has been devised by Rowley Leigh and offers finger, fork and spoon options.
The tables are all set in soundproofed booths and service comes at the touch of a button. The best luxury cinema in London also boast fully reclinable leather seats.
Although I said I wasn’t sure this would work, I have had a look at the menu and must admit it beats popcorn!
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We were lucky enough to get invited to try what we now know as the coolest bar in London, Vertigo42. The view is amazing, it’s just magical!
Vertigo42 is located in the rather impressive Tower 42. The building itself is ultra modern. We checked in at reception and were given security passes, which were taken by security and our bags put through the scanner. We were then directed to the express lift which takes you straight to the 42nd floor – it took just seconds to get there!
Out of the lift, a lovely Christmas tree on the landing and we were received by Mike Haydon the hospitality manager - a very professional, charming man. He welcomed us to Vertigo42, took our coats and led us to our table.
The coolest bar in London is furnished with low swivel chairs to take full advantage of the view! The room is almost a full circle of glass, with a glass ledge for tabling running around the room. As mentioned, the low level chairs are swivel so you can turn 360 degrees to view the room. The back wall of the room is mirrored, so you are enveloped in the lights and life of London. The bar area has tall stools, again a great view is afforded.
Mike then explained a bit about Vertigo42. We were at Vertigo42 to sample the Autumn Special Bellini menu along with canapés. I explained that I had a dairy intolerance and he advised that he would alert the chef.
My partner and I were in awe at the view! But it’s not just the view that makes this the coolest bar in London.
Mike returned with 3 of the five Bellini’s that we were tasting shortly followed by the other two. He also gave me a product list showing where each product is purchased and the measurements which go in to each Bellini. Mike also brought the canapés, which he explained in detail – one plate for my guest (with dairy) and one plate for me (dairy free).
It is very reassuring to know that you can tuck in and eat without fear of dairy when the plates have been explained and the chef has been advised. Fantastic customer service.
Here’s a rundown of the Bellini’s;
Yuzu & Cranberry - Yuzu juice (can be purchased in specialist stores such as Japanese centre in Piccadilly)/Cranberry juice/raspberry puree and syrup - My favourite – a very fresh aftertaste leaving the palette cleansed. I would definitely have this one again!
Lychee & Hazlenut - Lychee puree/Frangelico/Angostura bitters - Strong tones of hazelnut, slightly sweet for me.
Raspberry, Passion Fruit And Cacao - Passion fruit puree/raspberry puree/White cacao/Chocolate syrup - I named this one ‘the pudding’ Bellini – very sweet and quite rich in texture and taste. We left this one to last – dessert!!
Orange & Raspberry - Fino Sherry/Raspberry syrup/Fresh orange juice - Dry subtle sherry taste mixed with the raspberry and orange – very moreish!
Rose & Plum - Choya Plum wine/rose syrup/strawberry puree - Again a fresh taste, with a lovely hint of plum. A close second!
At £14 each, they are not cheap but absolutely delicious. I am not a great fan of cocktails but I must say they all went down an absolute treat! But coming to the coolest bar in London, you are here for the view and general ambience.
The canapés were really good – perfect for my guest, as she is a small/picky eater. There were 3 individual canapés on each serving dish:
Dairy free - Greek olives with garlic and peppers / Seared scallops with prociutto ham / Foie gras and peppercorn – my favourite! – but they were all delicious.
Regular - Smoked salmon on rye bread / Blue cheese tartlets / Chicken Caesar with Parmesan – Amazing!
The canapés were the perfect accompaniment to the fine Bellini’s – small and extremely tasty. We were also served a bowl of salted Cordoba almonds – delicious!
We started our Bellini’s/canapés around 6.45 and finished these around 8.30 – all the time taking in the fantastic views over London and the many famous landmarks. Mid way through, we took a walk around to view the spectacle that is London at night!
Service was extremely attentive. Mike Haydon advised us around 7.30 that he was on his way to the Rhodes24 restaurant, also housed in the building. He advised that the bar manager, also called Mike, would look after us for the remainder of the evening. The waiting staff at the coolest bar in London were polite and professional always aware when our glasses were empty or plates needed to be cleared.
Mike explained that Vertigo42 operates on a reservations system only, hence why security is so tight on arrival as it’s on the top floor of a financial establishment. Mike also talked about the different views experienced during the day or at night time. Having experienced the night view, I would like to visit during the day to compare the view but I’m not sure it could better what we had!!
The bar area was full with revellers and the lounge area (where we sat) had a constant stream of people. There was a very good mix of ages but you could tell that everyone was delighted with the scenic views. For a special occasion, and for the real ‘Wow’ factor, this is the place to be! Simply put, this is the coolest bar in London.
We enjoyed a truly memorable evening: to sum up - Vertigo42 really is breathtaking – this is real luxury!
