Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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United Kingdom : London - February 2009

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February in London sees spring start to fly a few cautious flags. Evenings are ever-so-slightly longer, and by the end of the month, crocuses are making their first shy appearances in the city’s parks and gardens. However, if you crave a stronger hit of sunshine, you can get it at Kew Gardens’ Tropical Extravaganza (7 February – 8 March), a month-long celebration of hothouse flowers, says Tabitha Lasley

Getting around

London is served by Gatwick Airport, which is 46km south of the city centre.

Bus: National Express coaches to London Victoria take one hour 35 minutes. Single tickets cost €9,80/£6.60 and the service runs 24 hours a day.
Train: The quickest way to get into the city is by taking the Gatwick Express to London Victoria. It takes 30 minutes and runs every 15 minutes from 5am to 11.45pm. A single ticket costs €22,60/£15.90.
Taxi: Outside rush hour, a taxi to the city centre will take about an hour and cost €114/£77.
Tourist information: The main tourist office is at 1 Lower Regent Street (tel. , visitlondon.com).

MAYFAIR

If you’re one of the lucky few who have yet to be mauled by the credit crunch, then head straight to Mayfair – it’s got the good shops

Sleep soundly – The Marriott Grosvenor Square has rooms fitted out in dark wood and opulent creams. Bathrooms come complete with sliding walls, so you can watch television while you soak.

Must drink – The gaudy deVigne Bar at The Mandeville Hotel (Mandeville Place) is fast becoming a destination in itself. It pulls in a dressed-up crowd, so you should make an effort.

Shop til you drop – Make your way down South Molton Street, calling in at Browns Focus (38-39 South Molton Street), Browns (27 South Molton Street) and Comptoir des Cotonniers (8 South Molton Street) before finishing up at the Elemis day-spa (2-3 Lancashire Court), a teak-panelled haven. City-worn complexions will love the collagen quartz facial.

SOHO

It’s been many years since Soho could reasonably be classed as seedy, but despite its polished hotels and expensive restaurants, the district retains a slightly seamy edge.

Must eat – Pop into cosy, low-lit Dehesa (25 Ganton Street, tel. ) for good tapas and a glass or two of albariño. Try the confit Old Spot pork belly with rosemary-scented cannellini beans, or the courgette flowers filled with monte enebro and honey.

Must drink – Snuggle into one of the little booths in the basement bar at Bob Bob Ricard (1 Upper James Street), inlaid like a backgammon board.

KING’S CROSS

The Guardian’s recent move here would seem to confirm that King’s Cross is quite the coming place.

Sleep soundly – In a knowing nod to its once insalubrious location, décor at Rough Luxe melds luxurious materials with a rough-around-theedges aesthetic.

Culture vultures – Designed by celebrated architects Dixon Jones, Kings Place (90 York Way) is a new music, exhibition and arts venue. It also houses impressive restaurant, Rotunda (tel. ), which serves warming dishes, such as cottage pie in a cast-iron casserole, and braised neck and shoulder of lamb with hotpot potatoes.

Must eat – Spanish restaurant Camino (3 Varnishers Yard, The Regent Quarter) is frequently cited as Exhibit A by people evincing the rehabilitation of King’s Cross. And they have a point. You wouldn’t have found a sleek little number like Camino round here five – or even three – years ago.

THE CITY AND EAST

The area around Liverpool Street station sees the Square Mile’s arriviste wealth meet the distressed glamour of Shoreditch head on.

Culture vultures – In a neighbourhood that’s positively bursting with contemporary art, Fumi (87-89 Tabernacle Street) is a gallery with a difference – its focus is firmly on furniture. It is currently showing work by Max Lamb, Jackie Choi and Paul Kelley, among others.

Must eat – Devonshire Terrace (Devonshire Square, tel. ) serves up comforting brasserie dishes like sirloin of Black Angus beef with béarnaise sauce to stressed-out City types. A little further east, Lena (66 Great Eastern Street, tel. ) does Southern Italian specialties, such as sea bass carpaccio and octopus with sautéed potatoes.

Shop til you drop – Just over the road, Space NK (7 Bishopsgate Parade) sells cult beauty buys from REN, Laura Mercier and NARS, as well its own eponymous range.

Compiled by Tabitha Lasley