Danish five star Bollywood Trip hits London

When the acclaimed Danish theatre Republique hits Southbank in London tonight we are supposedly in for an amazing five star performance.
Friends back in Denmark as well as critics have been raving about The Bollywood Trip. They promise chaos, comedy, love and spectacular Bollywood dancing.
Haroon played by the actor Janus Nabil Bakrawi is in a psychiatric unit in Denmark claiming to be a famous Bollywood star. Naturally the staff doesn’t believe him.
The director Rolf Heim has made a very modern musical and a love story with a twist. Danish musician Stephan Grabowski has composed the music and will be playing live with a band.
The Bollywood Trip is the first of three performances co-produced with Southbank Centre in London.
The Copenhagen theatre group comes to London at a time when Danish is a buzzword. The Killing is a big hit on BBC and has made everything Danish very cool.
I am sure the Bollywood Trip will just add new layers to the British love affair with Danish culture.


The Queen Elizabeth Hall from the 12th to the 18th December.
Www.southbankcentre.co.uk

A cool man in a cool museum

I really never get tired of the V&A Museum and it can be explored in so many ways. This week I went to see a fashion show with Peter Jensen and fell for the museum's little bookshop and wine bar, which have taken the best of the museums vibe and added a cozy neighborhood feel to it.
You feel a bit intellectual sitting on a low bar stool surrounded by interesting books, which makes The Reading Room a stimulating place to hang out on your own or sipping a glass of wine with a friend. Don't bother looking for the bar inside the huge museum itself (I tried that!). It's located outside and a little away from the V&A close to the other cafes and restaurants near South Kensington tube station. Go before or after a trip to V&A (check out the great postmodern exhibition about art and style in the 1970s to 1990s at the moment)…or just go to refresh with freshly squeezed lemonade and read a book or catch up on your text messages..
I went before and after going to a Fashion in motion show, which this week featured the brilliant Peter Jensen and his clever, playful design. He sent one fun, quirky and beautiful design after the other down the runway in the Raphael Gallery. He is the design world's most inspiring story teller.
And when Elvis stopped singing and the eclectic mix of weird and wonderful music faded away Peter Jensen himself just peeped out underneath the rabbit in neon light and quickly disappeared behind the wall with black and white interior details painted on. Very modest and very cool as always. He is a Dane to be proud of and he certainly suits the cool museum V&A, which has an amazing way of mixing progressive and contemporary new ideas in with ancient Greek Sculptures and arty gems from a distant time.

www.vam.ac.uk
www.vandareadingrooms.co.uk

Dixon's design paradise

Another great place worth visiting on a sunny day (as well as any other day) is Tom Dixon’s very cool kitchen and design studio. It’s right on the canal in Ladbroke Grove between Notting Hill and Kensal Rise and makes you think of the Otis Redding’s song Sitting on The Dock of the Bay. The restaurant The Dock Kitchen offers a new lunch menu every day and it’s inspired by season and the mood of the staff. The last part ought to add some surprises on the plates.
The front of the building is designed with huge windows creating a stunning effect, when the cool building reflects in the water.
While visiting you should check out the famous designers own design or Piet Hein Eek, Danish Made A Mano or Copenhagen Lab among others. If you are interested in design this is the place to go right now.
Should you find this too expensive or too design glam, you could follow the track of a local artist. When I visited him across the street from Dixon’s design temple, he took me to a local cafe just a few steps down the street and ordered jacket potatoes with baked beans and cheese.
That’s British style with a much more traditional touch than Tom Dixon.
You gotta love them both!

www.tomdixon.net
www.dockkitchen.co.uk

Sunshine & parsnip cakes

I had a baby a little while ago and all of a sudden my radar is fixed on cafes with easy access preferably with outside tables. Especially considering the gorgeous spring or more accurately summer weather we have been blessed with recently.
Petersham Nurseries just outside Richmond ticks all the boxes. You can sit outside on rusty iron chairs among blooming lavender, roses and all kinds of plants and flower.
Sorry for mentioning this place again. But it’s just a fab gem. Several new great things have happened, since I last mentioned the nursery with the cosy teahouse and popular restaurant. The chef Skye Gyngell has received at Michelin star for her superb seasonal, earthy and hearty cooking. I am so pleased for her, and it’s so great that the Michelin people are also starting to acknowledge that sort of more basic and personally cooking.
Secondly the teahouse is now serving food from the kitchen. I tested it with my good friend yesterday. She is probably Petersham Nurseries number one fan. We shared bruchetta with roasted tomato and mozzarella and spicy lentils with spinach. Very tasty lunch, but not very satisfying portions, as another friend added after having eaten there.
She is right. But I guess that is how a café makes you buy the cake too.
Everything they bake is delicious too – with a very homemade look and often made with vegetable. Who would have sort that you could make a divine cake with parsnips!

Sweet treats and swinging in Chicago

Windy City, The Second City, Oprah and Obama’s hometown or just the city of the year according to the magazine Wallpaper and others.
I have just been to Chicago for the first time and I also fell for the charm of this city and the interesting mix of architecture (a lot of Frank Gehry) and the perfect location right on Lake Michigan.
A very chatty taxi driver greeted me and told me that this city is a smaller and friendlier version of New York. I would never compare it to New York, but he was certainly right about people being friendly. I met my good friend from New York. She has been a loyal support, source and companion, when I researched and wrote my book I LOVE NEW YORK. Together we decided to find those cosy, cool and charming neighbourhoods. To be honest it wasn’t easy. But it probably didn’t do the city justice that the weather was a changing mix of chilly rain and freezing wind and temperature way below zero.
We did find some interesting up-and-coming areas with shopping like Marc Jacobs on North Damen Street and Barney’s Co-op on Halsted Street.
To be honest our biggest treat was Molly’s Cupcakes. OH MY GOD… totally creative and over the top cupcakes like cheesecake, tiramisu, German chocolate… We each bought two. Who could blame us? As if the decoration wasn't already extravagant enough, we could add extra colour and sweetness at the Sprinkle Station. We sat on wooden swings in “the bar” and one of the girls behind the counter revealed some interesting news. Molly’s Cupcake will take on Manhattan and open a shop on Bleecker Street, where a certain Magnolia Bakery (famous from Sex & the City) might as well prepare for some fierce competition.
I will be back with more Chicago tips…

Marc by Marc Jacobs,
1714 North Damen Avenue,
www.marcjacobs.com


Barney Co-op,
2209-11 North Halsted Street,
www.barneys.com

2536 North Clark Street
www.mollyscupcakes.com

How much is that doggie in the window?

Sorry that is just such a cheesy song, which is extremely difficult to stop singing, once you hear it.
But I couldn't help myself, when I passed this little dog in a shop window in Marylebone High Street. Luckily the little Japanese shop, the Eclectic Gallery, will soon make you forget all about the song. It's such a delicate, beautiful, bright little place with Japanese sweets, music, art and design.


Gallery Eclectic
66 Marylebone High Street, london W1U 5JF
eclectic66.co.uk

Bill has arrived in London

Bill's Produce Store is one of my favorite cafes and shops in Brighton. I love the mix of New Yorker warehouse atmosphere, delicious organic food and sitting tucked away behind fresh vegetables, which are on sale in the deli in the front.
I don't go to Brighton that often. So it's great news that the Bill team have opened a restaurant in Covent Garden i London.

I need to check that out soon.

Bill's Produce Store,

28 St Martin's Courtyard (off Long Acre), Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9AB

Happy New Year

The snow has long gone here. Richmond and London are again looking quite gloomy. But I am uplifted and positive as ever. It's a new year, new beginning and lots of great new places are waiting to be explored.
Never the less - I will kick off my blog year with an old classic: Petersham Nurseries. I thought this snowy photo captures all the beauty and cozy feeling of this gem of a cafe and restaurant. I went there just before Christmas and good news. The cafe is still serving the extended menu with brunch and cream tea in January.
I can't think of a better place to curl up in stylish January hibernation with a scone and hot tea. And the thing about Petersham Nurseries is that the place always has it's very own charm no matter if it is covered in snow, rain, blooming flowers or faded fall leaves.


www.petershamnurseries.com