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Mr & Mrs Smith

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Get the low-down from the original style-seekers' latest good-time hunting expeditions, find destination inspiration and insider tips from around the world. Welcome to the official Smith blog: we hope you enjoy your stay

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Archive for the 'Eating & drinking' Category

Christmas cooking with Raymond Blanc

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

We Smiths like to rank ourselves rather highly in the cookery stakes. In fact, a week rarely goes by without Gareth bringing in baking-parchment parcels containing new-recipe treats or Anthony relaying his latest culinary combinations (eg. pork balls and rice for breakfast). But if there’s any time of year when you need skills in the [...]

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Make mine an… architectural punch bowl

Monday, November 16th, 2009

Jelly. A curious entity – reminiscent of school days, lumpy custard and Seventies trifles. Many would agree it’s an unlikely object of passion. Not Bompas & Parr, the oddballs behind the Horseless Carriage of Curiosities, Flavour Tripping and the breathable cocktail. Their slippery creations include wobbly wedding cake-alternatives for adventurous brides, alcoholic stars for Courvoisier, [...]

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Camembert, crustacea and cocktails

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Columbus may have discovered America, but Team Smith recently made a world-altering find of our own: cheese macaroons. And not just any old common as muck cheese - these were Camembert- and Pont-l’Evêque-flavoured puffs of pleasure. It’s difficult to comprehend the majesty of a cheese macaroon unless you’ve eaten one, but for the uninitiated, they [...]

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Bathtime at the Baglioni Hotel

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

It can be tough sometimes, working for boutique travel experts, whose daily tasks include jetting around the world, seeking out glamour-soaked hotels in wow-factor destinations. No really, it can. Especially when said work involves testing out our luxurious hotels’ facilities, just to check they are still as top-notch as ever - the spa for instance, [...]

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Today, Mr & Mrs Smith have nipped to the Netherlands to bring you our latest hotel of the week – a one-time party pad beside one of Amsterdam’s major canals. The current owners bought the building lock, stock and barrel from the old inhabitants, and have left the mightily be-tomed library, picture-lined walls and assorted [...]

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Our latest glamorous guidebook Mr & Mrs Smith Hotel Collection: Australia/New Zealand is poised to hit the shops: it is officially out 25 November (£19.95), but you can order an advance copy now.
As you know, romantic and stylish is our shtick – and finally we’ve officially spread the love to the southern hemisphere. Barefoot-luxury lodges, [...]

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Loosen your belt for London’s resto fest

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

As summer slowly slips away, the music and alfresco festivals have dismantled their seasonal gazebos to make room for the fallen leaves lacing our London streets. But it’ll take more than a chilly autumnal breeze to keep us Smiths from venturing out to savour the gastronomic delights of the very first London Restaurant Festival (8-13 [...]

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Hotel (Crillon le Brave) of the week

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

Having disgraced ourselves at last week’s Call My Bluff-style wine challenge, we’re determined to reclaim our oenophilic crown and return to cultural kingliness à la Smith. So we’re leaving London behind this week and heading south to chase those fading summer rays in Provence, where a distinct lull in the air can only mean that [...]

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The Romans, Moors and Crusaders have long left Lisbon, and what they’ve left is a hillside city brimming with culture, character and cool. From the Moorish Alfama district to the bustle of Baixa, every pocket of Portugal’s capital has its own treasures to offer the savvy traveller. We’ve gambolled in the gardens and mused over [...]

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Wining, not winning: the Call My Bluff challenge

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

We Smiths are a sophisticated bunch, right? We know our velouté from our mirepoix, our Miu Miu from our Missoni and we certainly know our Chablis from our chardonnay. So when Juliet and I received an invitation to take part in a Call My Bluff-style wine quiz at Westfield’s new Meat & Wine Co restaurant, [...]

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