Basic HTML Version
146
|
DESTINATION GUIDES
More free monthly guides available at
traveller.easyJet.com
London
UK
Luxor
Egypt
Village,West Bank)
The shisha is popular
with tourists.Apple
tobacco is themost
commonly requested,
although the new
Red Bull tobacco is
certainly giving it a run
for its money.Watch
the Egyptianmen
play dominoes and
backgammon while
you sip a tea.
LATE & LIVELY
The King’s Head
(Sharia Khalid Ibn
Walid) The perfect
late-night venue with
billiards, beer and
cocktails. It closes
when you leave.
THIS MONTH
GO
After your visit to
the temple, the tombs
at Deir el Bahri are a
must-visit. Pabasa is
from the time when
the God’sWives of
Amun ruledThebes.
These powerful ladies
have chapels at
Karnak, Medinet Habu
and elsewhere. Pabasa
was a chief steward
of Nitocris.You get
an idea of the power
of these ladies by the
size of their servant’s
tombs.The scenes
show bee-keeping,
fish preparation and
wine-making.
NOWAY!
Egyptian weddings
can be extravagant
affairs, with the brides
often sporting a very
made-up look.The
party is huge, but the
real legal wedding
would normally have
been done well before.
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
Cafeteria
(BusStation,
West Bank) Gopast
all the littleminibuses
and at the end youwill
find this café offering
amazing value, freshly
cooked local food and
somethingdifferent
every day.Nomenu,
but at 15LE for lunch,
who cares?
EXCLUSIVE
The
King andThai at
the Fortune Cookie
(MedinaStreet at the
junctionwithSt Joseph
Street) Fromthe owner
ofTaste of India,The
King andThai has its
ownThai chef and a full
menu including green
curry–a verywelcome
addition to the Luxor
food scene.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY
Shisha
Cafe
(Al Gezera
TAXI
Anhour andahalf
fromLondon,Dover
Castle isheavy in
history.The townhas
plentyofwartime
tunnels, towers and
museums.Try to
spot Franceover the
famousWhiteCliffs.
ESCAPE
British cuisine in
the 21st century.
EXCLUSIVE
Shaka
Zulu
(The Stables
Market, Chalk Farm
Road, NW1, tel: 020
3376 9911)
Roger Payne doesn’t
do things by half.
When the media
mogul turned
restaurateur decided
to open a South
African eatery, he
went big. Set over
8,000 sq m in
Camden’s Stables
Market, Shaka Zulu
is a true statement
destination: six-metre
high warrior statues
litter the place and
authentic carved
wooden murals
cover every inch. The
wine list is equally
as impressive,
with South African
varieties you won’t
find elsewhere.
Yet despite all this
bombast, the menu
still stands out.Where
else, we ask, can
you find crocodile,
succulent springbok,
or ostrich fillets? It’s
a true taste of Africa.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY
Intercontinental
Hotel
(1 Hamilton
Place,W1, 020 7493
3476) Gearing up for
next month’s Jubilee
celebrations, the
hotel’s new Afternoon
Tea menu is certainly
fit for a king – or
queen. In fact, chef,
Paul Bates has had
some help from Her
Majesty’s very own
chef, which is how
her favourite cake –
coffee and walnut,
for those interested
– snuck on to the
menu.With special
teas, flavoured
breads and delicious
scones, the Royal
menu is just one of
three afternoon tea
selections available
in the Arch Bar.
LIVE MUSIC
The Underworld
(174 Camden High
Street, NW1, tel:
020 7482 1932)
Join London’s rock
‘n’ roll youngsters
at Underworld in
Camden. The likes
of the Black Rebel
Motorcycle Club,
Radiohead and
Placebo have all
played here, and the
venue is legendary
for its rather wild
nights, which go on
till late and often
see band members
unceremoniously
stage diving by
the end. May sees
The Ordeal play
on the 11th.
LATE & LIVELY
Lucky Voice
(52
Poland Street,W1,
020 7439 3660) In
the heart of Soho,
exhibitionism is
certainly not frowned
upon, and at Lucky
Voice those who
normally shy away
from the spotlight
can jump right in to it
in a private karaoke
booth. Cocktails ease
the transition from
wall flower toWhitney
Houston and the list
of songs is sure to
please even the most
eclectic music fans.
Go on, you know
you want to.
THIS MONTH
SHOP
Looking for
an unusual souvenir
of the Jubilee? Forget
the jaded, faded
printed tea towels
and mugs and head
for Shoreditch,
where hipster gift
shop Maiden hawk
more tongue-in-
cheek takes on the
usual Brit-schtick.
Vintage Royal Family
memorabilia, dress-
em-upWills and Kate
paper dolls, even a
solar-powered waving
model of HRH herself.
How very irreverent
(188 Shoreditch
High Street, E1).
SEE
French fashion
house Hermès
celebrates its 175th
birthday with an
exhibition all fans
of the label will be
vying to see. The
craftsmanship that
made the brand great
– from 19th-century
saddles to silk
scarves and gloves
– is on proud show
in
Leather Forever
,
from 8-27 May at
the Royal Academy’s
Burlington Gardens.
For those who can
afford a special
edition piece, four
handbags will be
auctioned at the end
of the run (royal
academy.org.uk).
GO
At the
confluence of half a
dozen major roads
and roundabouts,
Hammersmith might
not be the prettiest
of places, but its
nightlife has plenty
to offer. Live music
and comedy at
the Apollo and
Lyric theatres are
well lubricated
by an enormous
selection of drinking
establishments,
while hidden down
a backstreet is
Riverside, a locals’
well-kept secret for
fringe theatre and
vintage cinema.
NOWAY!
A little-known fact
is that the Queen,
long before she
was crowned on to
the throne, actually
used to have
residence, not in
Buckingham Palace,
but on Hamilton
Place, where the
Intercontinental
Hotel now stands.
Amy Dennis