Koffmann on top of the world
Pierre Koffmann, who formerly had three coveted Michelin stars for his cooking at La Tante Claire in Chelsea, has been garnering rave reviews for his pop-up restaurant on the roof of Selfridges. Fans will be pleased to learn that, when his stint at the department store ends on November 28, he is hoping to find a permanent restaurant, although he is said to be planning a style of cooking more basic than Michelin cuisine. Some have suggested that, after his experience on the roof of Selfridges, he might throw his toque into the ring for the mooted new revolving restaurant at the top of BT Tower. But a person in the know pours cold soup on the suggestion: “He’s keen to find an establishment in the area he knows best, so it’s more likely to be in the Chelsea/Mayfair part of London.”
Centenary for Goring Hotel
The Goring Hotel, just round the corner from Buckingham Palace, is preparing to celebrate its centenary next year. The hotel, still owned by the family of Otto Richard Goring, who opened it in 1910, was the first hotel in the world to have en suite bathrooms. In 1937, the Norwegian Crown Prince, who was attending the coronation of George VI, commented: “At Buckingham Palace I have to share a bath with five people. Here I have one to myself.” The diary of events for the centenary has yet to be finalised but I wouldn’t be surprised if the hotel’s near-neighbour were not involved somewhere along the line.
Waiting for the sample in the post
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Cointreau, the 160-year-old orange liqueur from France, has teamed up with Catherine Malandrino, the French designer, to create a limited-edition bottle “laced with silver and Swarovski crystals”. In the UK, the designer bottle, priced at £129.99, is being sold only at the Selfridges stores in London and Manchester, and only 3,000 are being made available worldwide. Strangely, I have yet to be sent a sample bottle.
Mr Cartoon will leave his mark
Hotel Marcel, a new boutique hotel in New York, has handed over a 40ft by 20ft exterior wall as a canvas to guest artists. The first is a Los Angeles-based artist named Mister Cartoon, who will also act as a tattooist-in-residence during his stay. Whatever he does to the outside of the hotel will be temporary — unlike what he does to paying guests.