Christmas came early at Cinnamon Kitchen in London, where I recently joined Paul John for dinner and a taste of its Christmas Edition 2026. Our host, Anees Saboowalla, acknowledged the timing with good humour, although sometimes Christmas press events can happen in midsummer! Mid October therefore felt fine and thankfully there were no decorations on show.
I have long suspected that the Italians keep the very best of everything for themselves and export the rest with a charming smile. Parma confirms it. You can buy Prosciutto di Parma in any decent British supermarket, and very nice it is too. Eating it here is something else. Here it is sliced in front of you by a man who regards a leg of ham the way a Genevan watchmaker regards a tourbillon. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même ham, as nobody in France has ever said.
Where Is Parma? The Little Capital Between Milan And Bologna
A champagne bottle presents a rather different challenge from a dress, although Dutch couturier Iris van Herpen has brought a recognisable approach to both in her latest collaboration with Perrier-Jouët. Known for sculptural designs that draw on the natural world, she has reinterpreted the house’s familiar anemone motif for a limited edition of Belle Époque 2018, alongside two more elaborate pieces featuring older vintages.
A Forgotten Service Light and the Gooloo DS600 to the Rescue
A Castle Built by Henry VIII (Give or Take Three Centuries)
Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Maldives Review: Premium All Inclusive Paradise
Adaaran Prestige Vadoo is just 15 minutes by speedboat from Malé, a genuine boon when you have been flying long haul from the UK. I took a direct flight, so it was merely 11 hours in the air followed by a brisk, salt-sprayed dash across the lagoon, a mere hop for me nowadays. One barely has time to remove one’s socks before the first coconut arrives.
If some ski resorts are about efficiency, Gastein is about atmosphere. The skiing is excellent, but what stays with you is the feeling of the place. Steam rising from thermal water, steep-sided mountains closing in around you, and a valley that leans as much into restoration as it does into adrenaline.
I recently joined Indri for dinner in London to taste its Diwali Collector’s Edition 2026. This year’s release is a single malt matured in Ruby Port casks from Portugal, bottled at a substantial 58.5% ABV.
It is the fourth whisky in the annual collection, through which master blender Surrinder Kumar explores cask influences beyond Indri’s regular range. Just 180 individually numbered bottles have been allocated to the UK, priced at £200 each. That puts it firmly into special occasion territory, with elaborate presentation to match.
Why Adaaran Select Meedhupparu Wins Gold for Care
I’ll tell you where Meedhupparu is in a minute. First, let me tell you why you should go.
I was recently in Paris for the launch of Aberlour’s new 21 and 25 Year Old whiskies, the oldest expressions in its permanent collection. Tasting them together revealed two quite different characters, shaped by more than two decades of maturation and the individual casks selected for each release. Both had plenty to offer, but I was particularly drawn to the perfume and fruit of the 21 Year Old.
