A Model & Restaurateur’s Little Black Book
My favourite restaurant is Perilla in Stoke Newington. It’s the ultimate neighbourhood restaurant with a great organic wine list and delicious food.
My favourite pub is The Drapers Arms in Islington. It’s great for both eating and drinking. Every week they do a special wine list which offers a particular bottle with a minimal mark up.
For a great roast I always go to The Pig & Butcher in Islington – although be warned, it’s often fully booked three months in advance. When lockdown ended, they took two months’ worth of reservations in the first week.
For weekend brunch I'd have to be biased and say my own restaurant Wild by Tart – we’re launching brunch on the 3rd October and it’s going to be fantastic. Think spicy bloody marys, brown butter pancakes and Sri Lankan style eggs.
I always get my coffee at The De Beauvoir Deli – it’s opposite my studio and serves delicious Monmouth coffee.
For date night, you can’t beat Noble Rot – it has the best wine list in London. I’m a big Bordeaux fan and they always have some well-priced gems on the menu.
London’s best bar is 69 Colebrooke Row – my go-to drink is always the Prairie Oyster. It’s a fantastic take on a bloody mary.
If I want a night out, I always go to… nights out? What are they? Back when going out was a thing, I’d usually find myself at one of the bars in Dalston like Brilliant Corners or Pamela’s.
My favourite under-the-radar London haunt is The Silk Road in Camberwell – it serves great value Chinese food that never disappoints.
For a bit of pampering I go to The Sense Spa at The Rosewood – it’s the best in London.
My go-to hairdresser is Mia Cecily at Smuk in Belgravia – she’s been cutting my hair forever and has rather conveniently just moved to a new studio opposite my restaurant.
For an intense workout, I always go to Barry’s Bootcamp, which for me is the ultimate group class. The hour-long sessions really get you going. One of my small luxuries is also having a PT twice a week – I work out with Sam Cox who specialises in calisthenics.
If I want something more chilled, I love Hotpod Yoga – I am probably the least flexible person on earth, so the heat really helps me stretch.
For a culture hit, I love the theatre – I can't wait for the return of Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem next year.
For a great suit, you can’t beat Thom Sweeney. They are the pinnacle of modern tailoring. I always go to Luke and Thom for adjustments, too. They’ve just opened a new concept store in Mayfair which also houses a bar and a barber.
When it comes to off-duty fashion, my favourite brands are L’estrange & Neem – both of them are great, ethically-sourced informal menswear brands.
For something really special, I shop at Liberty. Every year at Christmas I tend to do a whole day there picking out gifts for my friends and family.
London’s coolest boutique is Alex Eagle’s The Store. She’s a great curator of both fashion and homeware.
The coolest shopping destination outside of London is Tokyo, by a mile. I love how curated stores like United Arrows & Garden are.
When I’m in New York, I always stay at The Bowery or The Mercer, and I eat at Mission Chinese, Danny Bowien’s genre-bending restaurant in the Lower East Side. I like to shop at The Armoury, Tribeca, which is the NYC outpost of the Hong Kong retailer. It sells fantastic tailoring.
In Paris I stay at Hotel De Crillon, another Rosewood gem and I always eat at Jones, but there are so many new restaurants opening in Paris at the moment, my list could go on for days. I think there’s been a real renaissance in the Parisian restaurant scene of late, thanks to an exciting breed of young chefs challenging the traditional French ways of cooking. Shopping-wise I’ll always pop into Merci in the Marais to try and pick up some cool homeware.
My ultimate city break is a toss-up between Barcelona and Copenhagen. A lot of it comes down to the fact they have the world’s best restaurants. Barcelona probably beats Copenhagen on the weather front though, so perhaps that’s the winner.
For a staycation, you can’t beat The Pig in Kent. It’s housed in a tastefully done conversion of a beautiful Tudor property. The food, service and rooms are all faultless.
My favourite lunch spot outside of the city is The Fordwich Arms. Launched a few years ago by a some of the same team behind The Clove Club in Shoreditch, it’s so good I’ve considered moving to Kent just to be closer to it.
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