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DESTINATION GUIDES
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leather banquettes
mixed with blue and
aqua tiled walls) but
the food is a true
Turkish delight.Think
flaky börek cigars,
beautifully crispy
calamari served with
aioli to start and
45-day-aged Côte de
boeuf with sesame
za’atar salt and quince
marmalade.Adding
to the spectacle,
Rowe whips up the
creations herself in
the open kitchen.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY
Coco Momo
(79
Marylebone High
Street,W1, 020 7486
5746)Whilemost bars
on Marylebone High
Street are packed
to the rafters come
Friday and Saturday
night, Coco Momo has
amore relaxed than
rowdy vibe. Low tables
and high stools in a
largish roomare filled
with G&Tdrinkers
winding down after an
early evening dinner.
During the day this is
a good place to come
for coffee, croissant
and, of course, people
watching on one of the
street-side tables.
LIVE MUSIC
Royal Festival Hall
(Southbank Centre,
Belvedere Road, SE1)
This is one of
London’s most iconic
venues for classical
live music. Part
of the Southbank
Centre, the hall, with
heart-stoppingly good
acoustics, has hosted
top orchestras,
singers and theatrical
shows. The venue
also doubles as the
home for London’s
Philharmonic
Orchestra – catch
their performance of
Mozart’s Symphony
No.35 on 13 April.
LATE & LIVELY
Callooh Callay
(Rivington Street, E1)
Like a real-life Narnia,
this is the bar to
head to for any
grown-up fans of
The Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe.
Located on a small
street in Shoreditch,
there appears to
be only one room
in this dinky spot,
top-ended by a huge
wardrobe – until,
that is, you see a
mojito-sipping punter
slipping through the
door. Unfortunately,
there’s not a winter
wonderland on
the other side, it’s
another space, but
one in which staff
serve impressive
cocktails to seated,
chilled-out guests
who stay till late.
THIS MONTH
SHOP
The well-
heeled locals of
Marylebonemake
its High Street an
attraction in itself,
but luckily the shops
are pretty good too.
Starting near Baker
Street, the top of
the High Street sees
plenty of independent
boutiques and food
stores – the larder
at Natural Kitchen
is guaranteed to
have your mouth
watering – while down
towards Bond Street,
Aubin andWills have
amenswear store and
there’sWhistles and
more for the ladies.
SEE
Now that spring
is here visitors to the
capital will need little
reason to go to the
beautiful KewGardens
– there is, however, an
additional highlight
this year. David Nash,
one of the country’s
finest sculptors, will
be starting work on
theWood Quarry
throughout themonth
and the curious are
encouraged to go
and see him crafting
his works using just
a chainsaw and axe.
The final pieces go on
show in June.
GO
The latest
extravaganza in the
Master Potter craze,
the wizard’s very own
World opened at the
end of March at the
Warner Bros studios
inWatford. Fans will
be taken behind the
spectacular scenes
of Hogwarts and the
other sets used on the
films to live the Harry
Potter experience,
flying broomsticks
and whomping willows
and all. Kids will be
in awe, adults will
probably be dragged
along, but all will love
it by the end of the day
(wbstudiotour.co.uk).
ESCAPE
Just 17
minutes fromSt
Pancras by train, the
charming Roman
town of St Albans is an
escape from the city
but still with lots to
do. Mooch around the
Maltings, the pretty
open-air shopping
mall,marvel at the
cathedral – one of the
oldest in the UK – and
enjoy a brisk stroll
aroundVerulamium
Park.After all that
you’re bound to need
a drink.Wander down
Fishpool Street where
there are plenty of
stellar pubs to choose
from.The Lower Red
Lion has low-slung
wooden beams and
roaring fire.
NOWAY!
Croyden Canal was
the capital’s shortest-
lived waterway. It
was closed in 1836
– just 27 years after
opening.You’ll now
find the east London
Overground line
covering almost the
same route.
Amy Dennis
Luxor
Egypt
Also serves some
Italian dishes.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY
Secret
Garden
(Opposite
Sonesta Hotel, Khalid
binWalid St) English
managed café with
cheap tasty snacks
and light meals.
Jacket potatoes
get topmarks and
there is a good range
of loose-leaf tea.
LATE & LIVELY
Hames
(In front of
Luxor Temple) Lovely
beer garden with great
views, cold beer and
attentive staff.What
more could anyone
want? They close
when you leave.
THIS MONTH
GO
If you go to the
workmen’s village
at Deir el Medina, do
pay the extra for a
ticket to the Pashedu
tomb.You often have
to queue to see the
main tombs and you
only get a fewminutes
inside each one, but
hardly anyone gets
the Pashedu ticket, so
you get plenty of time
and no crowds. It is
a little way up the hill
with wonderful views
over the village. It’s
a gorgeous, brightly
coloured tomb.
NOWAY!
The 2011-12 winter
was so cold that
snow actually fell on
Alexandria. Even
Luxor got down to a
mere three degrees
Celsius at night.
JaneAkshar
DIALLING CODE
+20
CURRENCY
EGP
FLY FROM
London (LGW)
FROM THE
AIRPORT
Pre-bookyour taxi
at easyJet.com.
Alocal taxi costs
EGP50 to the east
bank, andEGP100
to thewest bank.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €30
Crocodile
Restaurant
(Al
GezeraVillage,
West Bank) Next
to El Mesala Hotel.
Althoughmainly
geared to the tour-
bus trade during the
day, the Crocodile is
now branching out
into eveningmeals.
Themeat and okra
tagine is tender
and tasty, and the
vegetarian options in
the buffet are great,
with a gigantic
salad selection.
Air-conditioned.
EXCLUSIVE
Pink
Panda
(Chinese at Isis
Hotel, Khalid BinWalid
Street) One of a few
good Chinese in Luxor,
especially if you are
staying at the Isis.
The crispy duck always
gets the thumbs up.
TAXI
Fornata
(15 Kingly
Street,W1) A real
retro trattoria
probably looked
like this.And here
the food is just as
quintessential as
the decor; order
Italian-style tapas.
UP TO €15
Marco - Robert
Our Customers
LONDON
49 JERMYN STREET - TEL. +44 2076292495
28 SLOANE SQUARE - TEL. +44 2078235044
www.boggi.com - shop.boggi.com