The Unlikely Publican
Douglas Blyde plays mother as he meets playwright turned pub landlord, Sean Mathias… I meet…
Author Douglas Blyde
Metaxa: The Spirit of Athens
Metaxa – the smooth Muscat brandy born in Athens in 1888 – seems to be…
Winter in Mauritius
Although a magnet for sand dwellers, Mauritius is also a fine source of cultural nourishment,…
Four Seasons Prague
A deep assembly of intangible voices throttles my slumber, merging momentarily, with the memory of…
RAW Fayre: Western Slovenia
“Outsize ants crawl over crazy paving at the Klinec homestead’s terrace. The vista in their midst – Medana’s vineyards…” Ahead of London’s RAW fair of ‘natural wines’, Douglas Blyde visits participating country, Slovenia.
Fiery Elements at L’Anima
Beyond plate glass, which reflects strings of LEDs in trees and a surging line of well-chilled commuters decanting into their offices, is L’Anima’s beautifully-composed dining room.
Runnymede-on-Thames
“Air, water and road traffic flies, floats and rolls beside the strategically located Runnymede-on-Thames hotel. Although its face is arguably blighted – the blank facade from 1974 oddly leaves the impression of a slap head forehead…”
Mixing Martini, Shabani Style
“A school drop-out from Kosovo who washed pots at an Angus Steak House on landing in London in the mid-90s, Shabani went on to produce ‘Konik’s Tail’, regularly voted a leading brand by both press and his peers.”
Food Meets Art: Valeria Napoleone
Douglas Blyde meets Valeria Napoleone; cook, collector, curator and food lover, and is led through her home for a tour of her collection and a saunter through her new book…
The Francis Hotel, Bath
“Two men carry a bathtub into Bath. Not a joke, but my first sight on entering the city famous for its sulphurous waters…” Douglas Blyde revisits a haunting childhood haunt…
Angelus
“Fillet is the French caviar,” crisply alliterates Thierry Thomasin, the author of Angelus restaurant. Sitting in the cosy, couth dining room, I struggle to recall a lovelier mouthful.
Home Is Two Houses
Many miles from the antique charms of a traditional English country house hotel, Douglas Blyde checks-in at two couth city house hotels – in the mighty Zhongguo…