My London, by Clarendon Fine Art founder/CEO Helen Swaby
This article is part of a guide to London from FT Globetrotter
Chelsea is a destination I find myself in more and more nowadays, and I spend a lot of time around the King’s Road both for business and pleasure. Duke of York Square is a lovely place to stop off for a drink or to luxuriate in the comfort of an oversized Soho Home sofa for a few relaxing moments before dropping into the Saatchi Gallery. I like to keep an eye out for interesting events and exhibitions here (earlier this year I had a fabulous time at the Bob Marley One Love Experience, and am looking forward to The New Black Vanguard, opening October 28). I have also attended the StART event, an inspirational celebration of art, in the autumn every year since it began in 2014. As with the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, I wouldn’t dream of missing it.
Dana Scruggs, ‘Fire on the Beach’ (2019) from The New Black Vanguard at the Saatchi Gallery © Dana Scruggs, courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery and Aperture
Still with Chelsea, I love The Enterprise bar and restaurant in Walton Street. For me, it’s not just the great food that counts but rather the overall experience, and that’s what I enjoy here. It has a cosy country-house-style interior with a very buzzy ambience, and the seasonal salads, fabulous chicken Milanese and Scottish salmon fishcakes are beautifully executed. The staff make it feel like a home from home, especially Fu (Fouad), the bar manager, who is one of those rare individuals who recognises you on your second visit and makes you feel so very welcome. These are the things that make any experience, be it hospitality- or retail-based, special for me.
The Scottish salmon fishcakes are one of Swaby’s favourite dishes at . . .
. . . The Enterprise, a bar and restaurant on Walton Street in Chelsea © Peter Scholey/Alamy
Everyone needs a treat when they’re working hard, and the relentless high temperatures this summer created the perfect excuse for one of mine. Time and again I’d find myself on Pavilion Road walking into Parlour by the Ice Cream Union. Its handpicked, handmade ingredients means its Argentina-inspired artisan ice cream is sublime, whether you prefer the classics or something a little more out there, perhaps matcha green tea or cornflake. My seasonal favourite over the summer was its Pimm’s sorbet — the perfect way to cool down — though it would be delightful rain or shine.
One of the many things that makes London such a special city to me is its green space. There are so many beautiful parks and commons, but my current favourite is Mount Street Gardens. It’s one of those places that takes you away from the city with just a few short footsteps — a peaceful Victorian sanctuary planted with exotic trees in the heart of Mayfair, where birdsong masks the traffic’s noise and you can stop and draw breath for a few minutes during a busy day.
The peach and custard tart — with a cocktail — at Pantechnicon’s Roof Garden
The retail space at Pantechnicon
For a completely different kind of break I love to pop into Pantechnicon in Belgravia to browse for unusual gifts and enjoy a cocktail in its Roof Garden bar — believe me, you haven’t had an Old-Fashioned until you’ve had it with Hibiki Blossom Harmony whisky. The restaurant serves an extraordinary array of cuisine — my personal favourites are the Cornish crab, the lamb croquettes and the Norwegian cod — and alongside these exceptional dishes comes exceptional service; they are so customer-focused and Charlie Cranwell-Ward gets a special mention for accommodating our every requirement last time we were there.
The Gallery of Everything on Chiltern St is a space dedicated to non-mainstream artists . . . © Jorge Antony Stride
. . . including Marian Spore Bush. Her work pictured here is ‘Snake Woman’ (c 1938) © Courtesy of The Gallery of Everything. Photo: Jorge Antony Stride
I think my favourite place in London, though, is Chiltern Street in Marylebone. The character of the entire street, created by the wonderful independent shops, bars and restaurants offset by the fabulous Victorian gothic architecture is unlike anywhere else in the city. It is a lovely place to sit outside and relax with a coffee. When I’m there, I always pop into The Gallery of Everything to see what’s going on as I love its work in supporting so many impressive non-mainstream artists.
It is important to me that when I bring artists and guests to London that they enjoy an iconic London experience, and one of the best in my view is a visit to Aire Ancient Baths in Covent Garden. With its authentic interior and seven thermal baths, this amazing spa makes it its mission to “create absolute ease and calm” — an essential when you’re on a working visit to the capital.
A thermal bath at Aire in Covent GardenIt has the added advantage of being just down the road from my hotel of choice, the NoMad, where the rooms are the perfect combination of opulence and comfort and the food is simply stunning. But again, for me it is the quality of the service that lifts it. The staff are unfailingly charming, so I am always completely confident that artists flying in from anywhere in the world will take home the best possible impression of my city.
This story originally appeared on: Financial Times - Author:Tax Cognition
