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Posts Tagged "party"

8 Oct

Last Night’s Launch Party for Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts at the V&A

Posted by Jess in Attractions, Special Events 1 Comment

Last night at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), I felt like I was in a dream world.

The lavishly decorated Maharaja launch party

Indian royalty and other high society were treated to an amazing party as the V&A was transformed into an Indian palace to celebrate the opening of Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts.

The exhibition explores the world of the maharajas, with more than 250 fabulous objects including jewellery, thrones, costumes, jewel-encrusted weapons, a Rolls Royce, photographs and paintings.

Many of these exhibits are on loan from royal collections in India – hence the fabulous invitees.

An elephant decoration

The galleries were crowded with guests, but what I did manage to see of the exhibition was very impressive.

I was particularly interested in the influence of European society on the modern maharajas, and how they are expected to marry Western lifestyle with traditional duties and customs.

For the costume and jewellery alone, this stunning exhibition is worth a visit.

Book Majaraja tickets now

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8 Oct

FrankMusik Live and Found at the Met Bar

Posted by Jo & Jamie from the Met Bar in Clubs, Pubs & Bars No Comments

FrankMusicAs a child of the electro generation, it’s no surprise Jamie became a big fan of electro-pop whizz kid and singer-songwriter du jour, FrankMusik.

Recently back from touring with Keane, Pet Shop Boys, Lady GaGa and Perez Hilton Presents in the US, it only took a few calls to entice FrankMusik to the Met Bar decks.

Or, we should say BACK to the Met Bar decks? Although not commonly known, FrankMusik used to DJ here regularly before starting his glittering music career!

His return was much anticipated, and after a quick bite in Nobu on Thursday evening, he came down to an already packed bar full of Met Bar members, achingly cool music moguls and the gorgeous Natalie Imbruglia (with friends Sam and Holly Branson).

With the paps going crazy outside, the atmosphere was quite simply electric – echoing the sounds from FrankMusik himself including remixes of his latest hits – the beat-boxing and vox-popping went long into the night.

Suffice to say it was Berocca popping for us on Friday morning! Watch this space for the next big Met Bar party…

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8 Oct

London Restaurant Festival Vanity Fair Opening Party

Posted by Claire Doble in Eating Out, Pubs & Bars, Special Events No Comments

logo_lrfLondon Restaurant Festival was launched last night with a glittering opening party hosted by Vanity Fair magazine at iconic London restaurant Quaglino’s.

The red-carpet event’s guests were the great and good from the restaurant industry, plus foodie celebs including Fay Maschler – critic extraordinaire and co-founder of the festival.

With the festival’s main events getting underway today, the organisers have already had a fantastic response from chefs, restaurateurs and the public.

Pre-event targets of signing up 500 restaurants were exceeded with an exciting and diverse range of London establishments getting involved.

Tickets have been selling like hotcakes, with several festival events already sold out. But don’t fear, you can still book a Festival Menu, and get a great ticket deal on the following events by visiting the Festival Hub in Covent Garden:

From lunchtime today, London Restaurant Festival attendees can also vote for their favourite festival menu. Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on 13 October.

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16 Jul

Met Bar’s cocktail launch party

Posted by Jo & Jamie from the Met Bar in Clubs, Eating Out, Pubs & Bars, Special Events 3 Comments
The Smokey Sanchez

The Smokey Sanchez

At the Met Bar, we take our drinks (and drinking) very seriously so it was natural to feel that the conception of our new cocktail menu could not be launched in any other way than in true Met Bar style – with one hell of a party!

On Tuesday 14th July, we treated 100 very special guests to an exclusive preview of the new menu that features innovative categories such as Light & Aromatic, Medium & Spiced, Full Bodied & Spirited and Bubbly & Beautiful. A rather clever idea so that one can decide upon their choice of cocktail depending on mood, in crude terms of how quickly they need an alcoholic-hit or personally I (Jo) have more romantic notions of how well the categories befit me and my form…

Gorgeous pin-up and songstress Esme Bianco opened the party with a rendition of Sooner or Later (her 17 inch, blood red corseted waist made Madonna at the 91 Oscar’s look like Little Miss Muffet!), then a few more feverish songs to set the scene for one long, hot party.

Over three hours, guests were taken on a tasting journey from a sparkling English 76 (we had to go one better than a French 75), to a fruity Amaro Dolce, a refreshing Tea-juana Lady, a Sidecar named Desire (moving, or perhaps swaying is the more appropriate term from light to medium), to the more serious Hugo (he’s smoother than Jack) and our version of the classic Margarita, The Smokey Sanchez.

With ten cocktails down, it was time for a game of Chocolate Roulette – rather large shot glasses filled with Valrhona’s finest drinking chocolate spiked with various spirits based on our new METIFESTO or the ten drinking commandments according to the Met Bar (or only whilst wearing sequins if according to Jamie!).

As the night drew to a close, Esme performed her grand finale striptease to a delirious crowd, or at least they seemed to be when trying to pronounce ‘Home-made Falernum’ after ten cocktails, our parting gift from the new Met Apothecary (a selection of devilishly good syrups to spice things up). And no we assure you, it is only for use when drinking…

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24 Jun

Visiting London: Chris Dexter

Posted by Zoe J. Griffiths in Eating Out, Pubs & Bars No Comments
Chris Dexter

Chris Dexter

How old are you, Chris?
I’m 29.

And where are you from?
I’m visiting London from Manchester.

How long are you staying in London?
I’m here for the weekend. I’m staying with friends in Wandsworth Town.

What have you been up to?
I’ve taken a wander down Northcote Road in the sunshine, which was lovely. My friends and I ate lunch sitting outside a cute café called Al Gusto (great paninis) and watched the world go by. There was an Italian market on Northcote Road on Saturday. We didn’t buy anything, but the waffles looked amazing. The pubs and bars in the area were all really busy with people watching the rugby. Luckily, a place called Babel doesn’t have big screens (and so was emptier), so we were able to have a quiet glass of wine in there.

And where did you go on Saturday night?
I went to a party with some friends I met while I was travelling a couple of years ago. The party was at a pub in Dalston called The Haggerston. I found it eventually, after taking a wrong turn out of the station. It was a cool place for a party, although it was absolutely rammed. Lots of people in there had very big hair. And very skinny jeans, with turn-ups. Particularly the boys.

What’s different about life in London and life in Manchester?
In London, things are a very long way away from each other. If you want to see someone for a cup of tea after work in Manchester, it’s no problem. In London, it takes 40 minutes to get anywhere. If I drove for 40 minutes from my work in Manchester, I’d be in Leeds! And I’d expect more than a cup of tea for my travels.

What surprised you during this visit to London?
Lots of blokes have moustaches in London. It makes them look very 80s; I’m not sure I like it. That’s a trend that hasn’t reached Manchester. Yet.

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