London has no shortage of amazing places for enjoying afternoon tea but the one I return to time after time is the Pret-a-Portea at the Berkeley, where Executive Pastry Chef Mourad Khiat creates gorgeous pastries based on the season’s hottest runway looks.
Like most traditional afternoon teas, Pret-a-Portea includes a variety of finger sandwiches and a choice of teas from an extensive menu. But then, with a glint in their eye, your server brings you a three-tiered tray of Chef Mourad’s eye-popping sweet treats that are anything but traditional. And the party begins.
The undisputed stars of the show, the fashion forward desserts – this season featuring Insta-worthy creations including a Moschino-inspired banana and passion fruit set on a Sable Breton biscuit and topped with a meringue flamingo – are a joy to behold and to savor. It's impossible not to smile throughout this experience, as evidenced by the guests at every table. The mood is lighthearted but sophisticated and it’s fun to watch everyone “ooh”-ing and “ahh”-ing over the pastries, taking photos and struggling between their desire to bite into them and not wanting to ruin the beautiful pieces of edible art.
Because it’s been almost a decade since I first interviewed Chef Mourad, I decided it was time to catch up — mainly to remind him I’m still hoping for a San Diego pop-up. Here’s what he had to say about his unique runway-to-table concept:
You’ve been doing Pret-a-Portea for 34 seasons now. How has it changed since the beginning?
Like anything, it has evolved! Looking back at early collections makes me forever proud but also amazed at how far we’ve come with the level of detail in each cake.
Were the fashion designers onboard with the idea of Pret-a-Portea from the beginning? What has their reaction been?
The designers are great and when they learn they’ve been featured in a Pret-a-Portea collection you can really tell they see it as a badge of honor, whether it’s Jeremy Scott from Moschino or Harris Reed posting their cakes on Instagram, Anya Hindmarch and Stephen Jones coming to Pret-a-Portea proudly holding what we’ve made in homage to them, and a recent favorite was Michael Halpern of Halpern. He came to see his cake – a sharing showstopper emulating one of his gowns – and loved it so much he brought back his whole family who was in town from the States. These are such special moments.
Tell us a little about the inspiration behind a collection. Do you personally go to the runway shows?
I’ve been known to sketch from the front row and, of course, these have been particularly standout memories for me! But we also spend time trawling through the collections online: Ready To Wear, Couture, Resort … the lot. And of course, we may see
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December may mean the year is coming to an end – but that doesn’t mean your travel plans have to. If you’re looking for the best place to visit in December, here are some of Lonely Planet’s top picks, whether you want stunning northern lights, epic beach adventures or cozy Christmas markets.
A summer getaway to Alaska just got easier. Alaska Airlines is launching the longest flight in their network, a direct from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Anchorage, Alaska. The seasonal flight will be the only direct route from the New York hub to Anchorage, and will begin daily operations on June 13, 2024. Due to the 3,386 mile distance of the route, the flight will be operated on a new Boeing 737-800, which can accommodate the longer flight time, according to a statement from the airline. In addition to the flight to New York, Alaska Airlines also announced the launch of a new nonstop from Anchorage to San Diego starting on May 18, 2024. This service will operate weekly, utilizing a Boeing 737 aircraft. «During our peak summer days, we'll have a robust flight schedule of 63 departures a day from Anchorage,» Alaska Airlines Regional Vice President Marilyn Romano said in the release.
From luxury shopping to bar-hopping and sightseeing, tourists have come to favor iconic U.S. streets. The hairpin turns on Lombard Street and wrought iron balconies of Bourbon Street are Instagram gold.
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Even with traffic on the 405, it probably would have taken at most three hours for Victoria Pardo Uzitas to drive from her home in San Diego to SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to see a performance of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Instead, she and her teenage daughter crossed the border to Tijuana, flew to Mexico City, enjoyed classic tacos al pastor and churros, saw a Frida Kahlo masterpiece at the Museo de Arte Moderno, and yes, saw Taylor Swift.
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Several blocks away from The Dolli in Athens’ central Plaka, visitors encounter the ruins of Hadrian’s Library and the Roman Agora before climbing the hill up to the Acropolis. Guests of The Dolli, though, have an easier time if they want a glimpse of the Parthenon’s splendor: they can take a table at the rooftop restaurant or sit in or by the infinity pool, both with straight on views of this iconic temple. It’s one reason to stay at this new boutique hotel, a part of Grecotel Hotels & Resorts, which opened officially in January and one reason owner Mari Daskalantonaki selected this site. But it’s not the only advantage of being in residence here.
It’s too modern. It’s too fashion-focused. It’s fast-paced, devoid of la dolce vita, it doesn’t feel Italian. Milan has had the same old criticisms levelled at it for decades, and for decades Italy’s business capital has shrugged them off. Because anyone who really knows the city knows it’s not like that at all. The difference between Milan and the rest of the country is that where most Italian cities put their heritage on blousy display, Milan stands back, willing you to discover hers gradually.
Longer vacations are trending within the travel industry, not only offering your clients unforgettable getaways to their dream destinations, but also presenting you with an opportunity to increase your commissions. In response to increasing consumer demand for longer vacations, AmaWaterways has introduced a collection of specially curated 14-night Grand River Cruises.