Wee Birdy

London must-drink: Bloody Mary at Automat

Anyone who's spent a little time in my company knows that I fully appreciate the finer qualities of a well-made, full-bodied Bloody Mary. I won't linger on the makings of the perfect Bloody Mary, suffice to say that it usually comes down to good quality tomato juice (and vodka), as well as just the right balance of Worcester sauce, chilli sauce/Tabasco, salt and pepper. And a deft squeeze of lemon is crucial. Too much lemon can be a great Bloody Mary's undoing. Same goes for too much ice (watered-down spicy tomato juice is not very pleasing).

I've had quite a few excellent Bloody Marys in London (The Wolseley, The Narrow, and The Diner) but I love visiting Automat on a late Saturday morning, usually following a prolonged tour of Dover Street Market. May I suggest that the Bloody Mary goes down particularly well with the classic Automat burger, which comes complete with pickle and a side-serving of fries. Very pleasing, indeed.

Happy Saturday!

Automat
33 Dover Street
London W1S 4NF
Tel. 020 7499 3033
Nearest tube: Green Park
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

For shopping in Mayfair, click here.

My Secret London with Alex Monroe

London-based jeweller (and Wee Birdy favourite) Alex Monroe is renowned for his delicate, whimsical (and Valentine's-worthy) creations. So when I had the opportunity to ask him about his secret London destinations, I jumped at the chance. Here's what he had to say ...

"Warning! Don’t forget that although I make particularly feminine jewellery, I am a bloke! Which means that I have a whole different relationship to shops and shopping to women. Bear this in mind and forgive my sins ..."

Best for a bargain? 
"Guilty secret: I love cheapie shops like Uniqlo, Hennies and Gap. And they’re all over the place! I sometimes pop into town with my eldest daughter to buy piles of skinny jeans (for her not for me!). The kids grow out of things so fast, which isn’t a problem when they’re cheap. We always have a bit left over for Hot Chocolate at Leon, and a treat lunch in Sakura (on Hanover street). I’m afraid I’m not much of a bargain-hunter, except for my bi-annual purchase of John Smedley pull-overs from London Fashion Week-end. Oh, and the odd spree at The White Stuff."

Best for vintage?
"I only ever buy vintage bikes and crockery. I don't know how many bikes I have - Holdsworths and Hetchins from the 1960s. Ahh. Bliss. Herne Hill bike jumble if you’re a ‘Classic Lightweight’.
Never drink out of a mug. I get my cups, saucers, tea-pots, etc from car boot sales. Now friends buy me bits and bobs whenever they see something. There’s a handy car boot sale in Battersea on Sunday morning, or check out Bermondsey Market on a Friday morning."

 

Margaret Howell's spring/summer 09 collection.

Best for fashion?
"Margaret Howell, mmm! Or Old Town Clothing, they rent a showroom in Dickensian East London once in a while. You have to get in touch and make an appointment. And John Smedley. For browsing, stroll from Angel tube station through Camden passage and along Upper Street. Don’t forget to stop for a coffee and treat in Ottolenghi!"

Old Town Clothing.

Best for jewellery?
"Ha! Me, of course! But seriously ... Liberty are re-doing their jewellery department for Valentines Day, it should look great. Harrods have a fab department. Sweet Pea in Primrose Hill is lovely, as well as Kirt Holmes in Camden passage. It's harder work, but it's really exciting to see the St. Martin’s degree show exhibition in June, or New Designers in Islington in July."

Alex Monroe jewellery.

Best for interiors and gifts?
"For gifts, head to Burlington Arcade. Lovely macaroons from Laduree, tea from Luponde, or smellies from Penhaligons. Anything extra, pop over the road to Fortnum and Mason (and get afternoon tea while you’re there!). Petersham Nurseries are fab. They have a lovely nursery, cafe and wonderful shop in the old greenhouses. Lovely gardening pots, strings, and gadgets all on a dry mud floor intertwined with jasmine and honeysuckle. It’s heaven. Great furniture, too."

 

Best for stationery?
"Smythson of Bond Street. (Save up for it though, it’s not cheap!)"

Best for kids?
"My kids are out-doorsie so we love Nunhead Cemetery and Dulwich Woods."

Best for beauty/skincare?
"I’m a bloke! But my wife is an aromatherapist at Neal’s Yard in Marylebone. She does natural facial rejuvenation which is fantastic."

Number one London shopping secret?
"The Neal’s Yard Dairy cheese shop in Borough Market. I love it!"

Best London souvenir?
"Cheese of course!"

Best for food?
"Depends if you’re feeling poshy, or noshy. For Posh I love a long lunch at Roussillon in Pimlico. The wine is perfect and the food - well, try it for yourselves. It’s a taste-bud treat from heaven.

For Nosh there’s only one place, The Anchor and Hope in Waterloo. I’m a real fan of great British food, and that’s what they serve. Crab on toast, mackerel with pickled cucumber, potted shrimp and beetroot salad. All washed down with a lovely Kentish beer. It doesn’t get much better than that. The freshest of local ingredients at a great price. I go there every week to catch up with my big brother. We have a chat, a drink and some grub. It’s lovely."

For all addresses and a Wee Birdy map of Alex's secret London, click here.

Click here for Alex's jewellery and blog.

 

Wee Valentine’s finds: The perfume

 

I know … a bottle of perfume isn’t the most wildly original or personal Valentine’s Day gift. That’s why the department store counter is probably best avoided at this time of the year. However, the extremely clever people at Ormonde Jayne, arguably London’s best-kept secret perfumery, have got Feb 14 all wrapped up with their genius engraving service.

What I wouldn’t do for a hand-blown glass flacon of their signature parfum with my initials engraved onto the exquisite gold and glass stopper … heaven! And I’d happily settle for Ormonde Woman, which was described as “truly great” and awarded five stars by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez in their recently-published fragrance handbook, Perfumes: The Guide.

But it doesn’t come cheap. A bottle of parfum with personalised engraving will set you back £130. Allow five working days for engraving and delivery in the UK and two weeks for international post.

Ormonde Jayne
12 The Royal Arcade
28 Old Bond Street
London W1S 4SL
Tel. 020 7499 1100
Nearest Tubes: Piccadilly and Green Park.
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 10am – 6pm

For more shops in Mayfair, click here.

Shopping in London: Browns' new shoe store

What’s that you hear? Oh don’t mind me - that’s just the pounding of my wee heart as I race to post these pics of Brown’s brand-spanking new shoe store, which opens its doors on Brook Street tomorrow.

As London’s very first dedicated shoe boutique to carry a variety of up-market international designers as well as emerging talent, Browns has created what sounds like the ultimate shoe experience with repair services, bespoke shoes and upcoming “special events”. The downstairs mens’ floor comes complete with its own wireless laptop service and a line-up of designers including Commes des Garcons, Lanvin, Raf Simons and Rick Owens.

And in a move that will compete with Liberty’s new-ish designer shoe floor, Browns will be carrying its own line-up of exclusive designs by the likes of Balenciaga, Balmain, Rupert Sanderson and Martin Margiela.

It all sounds defiantly anti-recession to me, which is reinforced by Browns’ comment that shoes are its “fastest growing category, having doubled year on year since their introduction two years ago.” 

That may be so, but I’ll be desperately trying to hang on to my pennies come opening day tomorrow.

Browns Shoes
59 Brook Street
London W1K 4HS
Tel. 020 7514 0000

Nearest tube: Bond Street
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Read more about shops in Mayfair.

Not-so-wee heels pictured: Marni coloured platforms with bow, £390.

All images courtesy of Browns.

Dover Street Market's Jan 09 Tachiagari

On Friday I headed over to Mayfair for the press preview of Dover Street Market’s bi-annual Tachiagari, and a first-look at the new Spring/Summer 09 collections and designer spaces.

Nowhere, the new basement space by Nigo and Jun Takahashi, was nowhere near finished and in a state of frantic disarray when I arrived just after 3pm. But judging by today’s new website pics, the blue and white version of their tiny Harajuku shop was up and running by the time the doors opened later that night for the Nigo book-signing. Just as well, as the orderly queue of fans braving the icy London temperatures outside DSM’s front door were a testament to Nigo’s cult following.

Taking the lift up to the third floor, I was delighted, as ever, by Alber Elbaz’s cheeky new Lanvin space portraying two office girls having an IM conversation about the “sublime Lanvin dress on sale” at Dover Street Market. Oh so post-modern. I was also quite taken by the sparkling new Lanvin baubles tumbling out of their antique desk drawers, like the pearl and grosgrain ribbon bracelet and bejewelled brooches. And the equally covetable metallic ballet flats in pink and blue were also calling my name.

The new Stephen Jones space on the third floor also caught my eye, with his new Spring/Summer collection of hats hanging from striking fluoro branches. I really love his new headband featuring a super-sized black opaque plastic rose.

Moving downstairs to the second floor, I discovered that the Les Trois Garçons gang had transformed the shoe space with a collection of their antique treasures. To be honest, I was expecting a veritable cacophony of taxidermied animals and mounted moose heads, like the ones decorating their (rather excellent) Club Row restaurant. Similarly, I was surprised that none of their hanging vintage handbags made the final line-up at DSM. I really could have gotten stuck into them!

I also came across newcomer Pokit’s space and their collection of made-to-measure corduroy tailored suits. The women’s skirt suit features feminine curves that are quite sexy without being revealing. Check them out on the fourth floor.

All images courtesy of Dover Street Market.

Click here for my shop tour at Dover Street Market.
Click here to read about Rose Bakery at Dover Street Market.