Category Archives: Luxury

Win a Year’s Supply of Massages from Urban Massage

Posted on 2014-09-23 by tikichris

In May, I wrote about how much I enjoyed my experience booking a session with Urban Massage, an on-demand mobile massage service delivering five star treatments to customers at their home, hotel or office within 60 minutes of booking, currently operating in Zones 1 to 4 of London. I’ve just come across a bit of info that’s worth bringing the service up again as Urban Massage is running a Refer a Friend competition with the prize of a year’s supply of massages (aka (12 x 60 minute treatments across 12 months). Sounds good, yeah? Just be fast getting the word out to your buddies because the comp ends this Friday the 3rd of October. Continue reading →

Posted in Competition, Freebies, Luxury | Tagged competition, free, freebies, HOME DELIVERY, Home Delivery Massage Service, London, london massage, luxury, massage, mobile wellness, on demand, on demand massage, on-demand mobile wellness, Urban Massage, WIN, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Review: Pont Street Restaurant at Belgraves Hotel

Posted on 2014-09-20 by tikichris

Before making my rez for Friday night din-din at the Belgraves hotel’s Pont Street restaurant, I skimmed the web for a few reviews. Ouch! I’m not sure whether what I read was egregiously unfair or if Pont St subsequently got its act together, but my experience was way better than those perused online. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged belgraves, BELGRAVIA, chef, Chesham Place, Drink, Food, hotels, knightsbridge, London, luxury, Pont Street, restaurants, review, seafood, sophie mitchell, SW1, SW1X 8HQ, wine, zomato, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 1 Comment

Far North Foodie Adventure in the Faroe Islands (Great British Chefs)

Posted on 2014-09-07 by tikichris

Chris takes us on a journey through the very scenic and serene Faroe Islands, a tiny island nation that’s also one of most fascinating places for food he has been to! Continue reading →

Posted in Faroe Islands, Food, Great British Chefs, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged chef, chef Gutti Winther, Chef Poul Andrias Ziska, faroe islands, faroese, fine dining, fishing, Food, GBC, GREAT BRITISH CHEFS, Gutti Winther, horse mussels, Hotel Foroyar, hotels, Koks, luxury, MUSSELS, New Nordic Kitchen, north atlantic, norwegian sea, Poul Andrias Ziska, red wine, restaurants, saksun, salmon fishing, scandinavia, scandinavian food, seafood, tasting menu, torshavn, Travel, travel blog | Leave a comment

Brasserie Chavot: Epic Flavour and Subtle Finesse in Mayfair

Posted on 2014-09-01 by tikichris

Contemporary French cuisine made with quality ingredients sourced from the British Isles and France? It’s a gorgeous idea – especially when executed by a capable chef such as Eric Chavot. A recent opportunity to taste my way through much of the menu at Brasserie Chavot proved a veritable feast of epic flavour and subtle finesse. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged 2012 ”Mica”, Andreas Rosendal, bond street, chavot, chef, conduit street, Drink, eric chavot, executive chef, executive chef eric chavot, Food, hotels, London, London blog, luxury, mayfair, michelin star, polo bar, portuguese wine, Quinta Da Palmirinha, Quinta Da Palmirinha Vinho Verde, restaurants, sommelier, The Polo Bar, the westbury, two michelin stars, vinho verde, W1, W1S 2YF, white wine, wine, zomato, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 1 Comment

Faroes and Away: Shhh …

Posted on 2014-08-20 by tikichris

It may seem mundane and not terribly exciting, but one of the main reasons I loved my time in the Faroes was the peace and quiet found there. Folks say that silence is golden. But during one particularly placid morning at my hotel, it was mostly deep green and soft brown with tiny dots of wild flower yellow and a soothing blue ocean view. Continue reading →

Posted in Faroe Islands, Faroes and Away, Hotels, Luxury, Travel | Tagged faroe islands, Faroes and Away, faroese, Hotel Foroyar, hotels, luxury, north atlantic, norwegian sea, scandinavia, torshavn, Travel, travel blog | 3 Comments

Faroes and Away: A Bad Day Fishing …

Posted on 2014-08-19 by tikichris

My first full day in the Faroe Islands had me tagging along with local television personality and ace cook, Gutti Winther, on a fishing trip at what seemed to be the very edge of the world. The salmon weren’t biting, but the setting was breathtaking – and the clean sea air, majestic scenery, and Gutti’s ‘plan b’ lunch more than made up for any lack of catch. As the saying goes, “a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work,” and my scenic Faroese fishin’ expedition certainly proved that point. Continue reading →

Posted in Faroe Islands, Faroes and Away, Food, Luxury, Travel | Tagged chef Gutti Winther, faroe islands, faroese, fishing, Food, Gutti Winther, horse mussels, luxury, MUSSELS, north atlantic, norwegian sea, saksun, salmon fishing, scandinavia, Travel, travel blog | 1 Comment

Faroes and Away: Koks Restaurant and Its New Nordic Kitchen

Posted on 2014-08-18 by tikichris

One especially delicious ‘just go’ reason to visit the Faroe Islands is the opportunity to dine at Koks restaurant. Located at Hotel Foroyar with sweeping views over the town of Torshavn and across the bay to the island of Nolsoy, the restaurant features haute cuisine dishes “designed to delight guests with the essence of Faroese culinary heritage” using ingredients almost exclusively sourced locally. For English speakers, the restaurant’s name might sound a bit unappetising, but don’t let that put you off … or expect anything salacious. It simply means “cooks” and is apt enough given the magic done there. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Faroe Islands, Faroes and Away, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Travel, Wine | Tagged Áki Herálvsson, chef, Chef Poul Andrias Ziska, faroe islands, faroese, fine dining, Food, GERMAN WINE, Hotel Foroyar, hotels, Karin Visth, Koks, luxury, New Nordic Kitchen, north atlantic, norwegian sea, Pfalz, pinot noir, Poul Andrias Ziska, red wine, restaurants, scandinavia, scandinavian food, seafood, sommelier, sommelier Karin Visth, Spätburgunder “Kalkmergel” 2009 from Weingut Knipser, tasting menu, torshavn, Travel, travel blog, wine | 5 Comments

Faroes and Away: Just Go

Posted on 2014-08-18 by tikichris

Why the tiny (if staggeringly scenic) nation of the Faroe Islands wasn’t overrun with tourists during my visit in early August is beyond me – especially considering that my flight from Stansted was hardly more than two hours long and that I had never seen anywhere on earth quite as extraordinary or been anywhere quite as distinctive. That this archipelago of 18 islands jutting from the juncture of the North Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea is such an accessible yet sparsely populated and utterly gorgeous destination should be reason enough for you to stop whatever it is you’re doing right this instant and start making plans to see the Faroes for yourself. Continue reading →

Posted in Faroe Islands, Faroes and Away, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Tagged 62ºN, Atlantic Airways, binoculars, bird watching, birdwatching, boating, boats, bour, chef Gutti Winther, CL Pocket, faroe islands, faroese, fine dining, Food, Gutti Winther, Hotel Foroyar, hotels, Koks, London Stansted Airport, luxury, north atlantic, norwegian sea, puffins, restaurants, scandinavia, Shopping, Sigurd Nordendal, stansted, Swarovski binoculars, Swarovski Optik, Swarovski Optik binoculars, Swarovski Optik CL CL Pocket, Swarovski Optik CL Pocket binoculars, torshavn, Travel, travel blog, Vágar, Vágar Airport | 4 Comments

Win a Luxury Holiday to the British Virgin Islands: #BVIParty

Posted on 2014-08-15 by tikichris

Today’s the last day to play for a chance to win a luxury holiday to the British Virgin Islands. All you’ve got to do is tweet your own BVI inspired cocktail recipe using the #BVIParty tag. Continue reading →

Posted in Competition, Drink, Food, Freebies, Luxury, Shopping, Travel | Tagged #BVIParty, Biras Creek Resort, British Virgin Islands, bvi, BVI Party, CARIBBEAN, cocktail competition, cocktails, competition, contest, Food, Oil Nut Bay, pusser's rum, pussers, RT to win, rum, Travel, twitter competition, Win a Luxury Holiday to the British Virgin Islands | 2 Comments

Christmas in July? Good Stuff!

Posted on 2014-07-26 by tikichris

Ho ho huh? Here’s a bagful of seasonally premature Good Stuff to stuff keep in mind as 2014 rolls onwards to a hopefully very festive end. With many major brands (and those wishing to be so) hosting sneak preview shows every July to highlight what’s on their nice lists for Christmas, it’s a fun if odd time to be on the consumer end of media. Anyway, I’m never one to turn down an invite to a party – even if I’m not sure if it’s half a month early or late. So, deck the hall and all that jazz as I share some of the more notable Yuletide prospects I came across this past month. Enjoy. Continue reading →

Posted in Chocolate, Christmas, Design, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Shopping | Tagged Buche de Noel, Buches de Noel, carluccio's, chocolate, christmas, christmas 2014, christmas in july, dark chocolate, design, dunelm, dunelm mill, Food, la maison du chocolat, London, London blog, luxury, maison du chocolat, Shopping, Valrhona, WAITROSE, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 2 Comments

Win a G&T Experience for Two at The Polo Bar at The Westbury Hotel

Posted on 2014-07-17 by tikichris

A month or so ago I had the pleasure of sampling the new gin and tonic menu at The Polo Bar at The Westbury Hotel. Created by Tanqueray mixologist Tim Homewood and Polo Bar manager Elias Yiallouris, the new G&Ts are part of a “Botanical Brew Experience” collaboration between Tangueray No. TEN gin and Fever-Tree tonic water. All feature the quadruple distilled gin and the premium tonic along with an intriguing array of fresh ingredients. And – just in time for the height of summer – here’s a chance for one lucky reader and a guest to do what I got to do and sample a couple of these fantastic drinks for free. Continue reading →

Posted in Competition, Drink, Freebies, Hotels, London, Luxury, Travel | Tagged bar, BARS, bond street, cocktails, competition, conduit street, contest, Drink, Elias Yiallouris, FEVER TREE, Fever-Tree tonic water, free, free drinks, freebies, G&T, gin, gin and tonic, hotels, London, London blog, luxury, mayfair, mixologist, mixology, polo bar, RT to win, tangueray, Tangueray No. TEN, Tangueray No. TEN gin, The Polo Bar, Tim Homewood, tonic, twitter competition, W1, W1S 2YF, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 2 Comments

Good Stuff and a New Place to Puff

Posted on 2014-07-13 by tikichris

Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading →

Posted in Coffee, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Tagged breakfast, cigar shop, cigars, coffee, Decadent Decaf, Drink, Food, ghost bus, ghost bus tours, good stuff, king's cross, King's Cross St Pancras, kiosk, knightsbridge, London, London blog, luxury, monmouth coffee, restaurants, sautter, sautter cigar shop, sautter knightsbridge, Sautter of Mount Street, Shopping, st pancras, The Decadent Decaf Coffee Company, Travel, travel blog, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 1 Comment

Sleep Basel: The Passage

Posted on 2014-07-02 by tikichris

During my Basel City Break, I stayed at The Passage. Only open since February of this year, the sleek and minimalist four star hotel served as a conveniently positioned base for exploring the city and a comfy HQ well worth returning to. Continue reading →

Posted in Basel, Basel City Break, Design, Freebies, Hotels, Luxury, Travel | Tagged Basel, Basel City Break, basel hotel, design, FOUR STAR HOTEL, free, freebies, hotels, luxury, mobility ticket, swiss, switzerland, the passage, Travel, travel blog | 1 Comment

New Gin and Tonic Menu at The Polo Bar at The Westbury

Posted on 2014-06-10 by tikichris

An invitation to sample a newly launched gin and tonic menu at The Polo Bar at The Westbury Hotel presented an excellent opportunity to discover a fine place to have a drink. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Travel | Tagged bar, BARS, bond street, cocktails, conduit street, Drink, Elias Yiallouris, FEVER TREE, Fever-Tree tonic water, Food, G&T, gin, gin and tonic, hotels, London, London blog, luxury, mayfair, mixologist, mixology, polo bar, tangueray, Tangueray No. TEN, Tangueray No. TEN gin, The Polo Bar, Tim Homewood, tonic, W1, W1S 2YF, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 1 Comment

Discovering Athens … #blogtrottersgr

Posted on 2014-06-02 by tikichris

Whether on its own as a cheer and cheerful city break or as a pivotal component to an extended Greek vacation, Athens is wonderful place to discover and one that I’ll be raving about for awhile. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Blogs, Design, Drink, Graffiti, Greece, Luxury, Shopping, Travel | Tagged 72 hours in Athens, acropolis, Art, athens, athens greece, Athens Riviera, backpacker becki, black dots white spots, Blogs, blogtrotters, discover greece, Family Affairs and Other Matters, Graffiti, luxury, Off the Path, Planet Backpack, Rosie Scribble, street art, thepastamaster, Travel, Travels with Kat, Yabanaki Beach | 8 Comments

Made in Mayfair Insider Experience with Intercontinental and London Luxury Quarter (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-05-27 by tikichris

The InterContinental London Park Lane hotel has teamed up with London Luxury Quarter to create custom made “Made in Mayfair Insider Experience” tours. From Britain’s oldest family run perfumery to bespoke shoes that take nine months from order to delivery, … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Fashion, Hotels, London, Luxury, Shopping, Travel | Tagged Floris, Foster & Son, Gieves and Hawkes, hotel, hotels, INTERCONTINENTAL, INTERCONTINENTAL LONDON PARK LANE, London, London blog, London Luxury Quarter, luxury, made in mayfair, Made in Mayfair Insider Experience, mayfair, ONE HAMILTON PLACE, OneTravel, park lane, perfume, savile row, shoes, Shopping, st james's, W1, W1J 7QY, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Urban Massage ‘Home Delivery’ Massage Service for London

Posted on 2014-05-12 by tikichris

You know what I did all last week? Sat on my butt, dodged deadlines and tapped away on my MacBook trying to diminish a greater than usual workload. And that was pretty much it. To be sure, it was pretty boring but, in all honesty, not a terribly bad way to spend a week – I’m a writer by choice and certainly appreciate opportunities to make a little extra cash and contribute to some killer projects (all to be shouted out about soon). But, man, such a job can wreak havoc with my back and shoulders. So, when an offer came my way to review Urban Massage’s new “on-demand mobile wellness service delivering massages to home, hotels and offices by vetted, qualified and insured therapists who can be at your door/chosen location within 60 minutes notice,” I was like oooh yeah, please! Continue reading →

Posted in London, Luxury | Tagged £10 discount, £10 off, discounts and special offers, HOME DELIVERY, Home Delivery Massage Service, lindbergher, London, London blog, london massage, luxury, massage, massage review, mobile wellness, on demand, on demand massage, on-demand mobile wellness, promo code, review, tikichris special, Urban Massage, voucher code, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 4 Comments

Win a Bijoux Afternoon Tea for Two at The Langham London

Posted on 2014-05-02 by tikichris

London’s historic home of the afternoon tea, The Langham London, is preparing once again to launch its annual Bijoux Afternoon Tea with Champagne Laurent-Perrier. To be served in the refined and elegant setting of the hotel’s Palm Court, the specially themed “Summer Season” tea will be available from 15 May to 6 July and priced at £52 per person (£65 with a glass of Laurent-Perrier Brut). But guess what? Here’s a chance for one lucky reader to win tea for two for the price of a tweet. Continue reading →

Posted in Chocolate, Competition, Drink, Food, Freebies, Hotels, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Travel, Wine | Tagged afternoon tea, art deco, bijou afternoon tea, CHERISH FINDEN, chocolate, competition, contest, Drink, Food, free, freebies, hotel, langham, langham hotel, London, London blog, luxury, marylebone, palm court, Pastry Chef Cherish Finden, retweet to win, RT to win, tea, tea for tea, the langham, top london afternoon tea, twitter competition, Win a Bijoux Afternoon Tea for Two at The Langham London, win a free afternoon tea at harrods, Win Afternoon Tea for Two, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 1 Comment

Infinity Brunch at Aqua Kyoto

Posted on 2014-04-26 by tikichris

Upscale and great value in an elegant and easy to reach locale, the Infinity Brunch at swish Soho eatery, Aqua Kyoto, would be a wise addition to your bucket list of must-do London brunches. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged Aqua Kyoto, aqua london, argyll street, AYCE, brunch, brunch review, champagne, Drink, Food, japanese restaurant, London, London blog, london brunch, lunch, luxury, oxford circus, regent street, restaurant, restaurant review, review, soho, sparkling wine, SUNDAY BRUNCH, sushi, unlimited champagne, unlimited drinks, W1, W1B 3BR, wine, yakitori, zomato, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Portugal Please: Herdade da Malhadinha Nova

Posted on 2014-04-21 by tikichris

My Portuguese adventure coming to a close, I was left with only one more night to savour before flying back to Blighty. Good thing my last night was in an absolutely fantastic setting! Otherwise, I might have started to doubt for a second the hospitality show to me throughout this lovely little country as well as the foodie expertise that’d gone into the execution of my Festival of Food itinerary. As the trip unfolded though, I never once questioned the restorative benefits of my adeptly planned week-long ramble through Portugal. Indeed, I arrived back home eager to share the stories of my time abroad. The story I’m sharing today is one of a luxury homestead that’s an easily recommendable destination: Herdade da Malhadinha Nova. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Travel, Wine | Tagged alentejo, Alentejo Festival of Food, beja, Chef Joaquin Koerper, crème brûlée, Drink, farm, Festival of Food, Festival of Food and Wine, Food, Herdade da Malhadinha, Herdade da Malhadinha Nova, hotel, Hotel Flor da Rosa, Hotel Pousada Flor da Rosa, hotels, Joaquin Koerper, luxury, Malhadinha, portugal, Portugal Please, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, pumpkin ice cream, quinto, red wine, restaurants, road trip, Shopping, sunvil, Sunvil Festival of Food, Travel, travel blog, vineyard, wine, winery | 2 Comments

Portugal Please: Eggs-cellent Time in Portalegre

Posted on 2014-04-19 by tikichris

Next on my Portugal Please road trip itinerary was the southern and sunny region of Alentejo where the appetising promise to “road test” the new Festival of Food offering from British tour operator, Sunvil, lay ahead. First stop in this gorgeous land of cork farms and vineyards … of ancient Moorish ramparts and prim churches hiding grandiose interiors … was the hilltop border town of Portalgre where I arrived just in time to attend the annual and eggy Feira de Doçaria Conventual for a taste of traditional sweets from the region and more. Continue reading →

Posted in Drink, Easter, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine | Tagged alentejo, Alentejo Festival of Food, baroque, crato, custard, Drink, easter, Feira de Doçaria Conventua, Festival of Food, Festival of Food and Wine, Flor da Rosa, Food, Hospitallers, hotel, Hotel Flor da Rosa, Hotel Pousada Flor da Rosa, hotels, luxury, Order of Malta, portalegre, portugal, Portugal Please, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, pousada, Pousada Flor da Rosa, restaurants, road trip, Shopping, sunvil, Sunvil Festival of Food, Travel, travel blog, wine | 1 Comment

Portugal Please: Coimbra

Posted on 2014-04-18 by tikichris

Capital of Portugal during the Middle Ages with a historic UNESCO World Heritage Site university established in 1290 (making it the fifth oldest in the world), Coimbra is a city steeped in age old tradition yet imbued with a youthful spirit. Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Drink, Food, Graffiti, Hotels, Luxury, Portugal, Portugal Please, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Wine | Tagged Amália Rodrigues, Art, bar, baroque, Biblioteca Joanina, Café Santa Cruz, centro, centro de portugal, centrol, coimbra, Dão wine, Drink, fangas, Fangas Mercearia, Fangas Mercearia Bar, Food, Graffiti, hotel, Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas, hotels, library, luxury, Mercearia, pedro and ines, petiscos, portugal, Portugal Please, PORTUGUESE FOOD, portuguese wine, Quinta das Lágrimas, red wine, restaurants, Shopping, street art, sunvil, tapas, Travel, travel blog, UNESCO, unesco world heritage site, University of Coimbra, wine | 1 Comment

Quality Carnaby Haircuts for Men at Pankhurst Barbershop

Posted on 2014-03-17 by tikichris

Last week started off with a bit man pampering for me with a highly recommendable visit to Pankhurst barbershop in the Carnaby area of Soho. I went in for a beard trim and enjoyed every aspect of my upscale yet down to earth experience. Continue reading →