The best Chinese restaurants in London, from A Wong to the Sichuan
There is, appropriately, a quartet of Four Seasons across central London, including the Queensway original and two outposts on Gerrard Street, all instantly recognisable by the burnished chunks of roast duck and pork hanging in the window for which the chain is justly celebrated. But this tiny Wardour Street branch is our favourite. The belly pork just seems that bit crisper, the char siu a tad juicier, the duck fat slightly more luscious, while the handful of tables means things never get too rowdy and make it somewhere to know when you just fancy a solo set lunch deal of roast meat on rice and a scroll though the news. A side order of ginger and garlic oil is essential while there are also the usual crab and lobster plates, bowls of viscous soup and blandly reassuring bean curd dishes, plus esoteric specials of griddle-cooked pig's trotter and poached sliced beef in hot chilli oil – but really, if you're not here for the roast meat, you're in the wrong restaurant. If you can't get in here, head down to the Hippodrome (no, seriously, do), where their sister restaurant is: Chop, Chop. Chop, Chop truly is excellent, with stylish surroundings, warm staff, and an excellent range of drinks. It's Four Seasons luxe, really.
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Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Gemma Collins reveals why 'you couldn't pay her' to go back to Spain and the surprising budget hotel chain she's a fan of
Despite Gemma Collins famously spending many a holiday in 'Marbs' - aka glitzy Spanish resort Marbella, the reality TV star says she's now more than ready to bid 'adios' to Spain for good. Why? The 44-year-old admits that after years of partying on the Costa del Sol with her The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) co-stars, the destination has lost its shine. 'You couldn't pay me to go to Spain,' she says. 'It's like popping to London, I do it so much. It's not a vibe for me, I wouldn't waste my time going there.' She's done with tapas too, adding: 'I just couldn't eat another prawn pil pil if you paid me.' And while she does maintain a soft spot for Benidorm, calling the Costa Blanca tourist resort 'fun', there's another country that she's fallen head over heels in love with. Italy, she swoons to MailOnline Travel, is her all-time favourite destination, describing the hilltop town of Taormina in Sicily as the 'most stunning place on earth'. Gemma visited long before series two of HBO's The White Lotus was filmed there - but has returned since the series shone a spotlight on it, checking in at the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace, where much of the action on the show takes place. She explains: 'I went back [after the series aired] and it was full of lovely American people. But I was like, honey, I'm here for the pasta!' Venice is another of Gemma's top destinations: 'For me, it's absolutely spectacular. You will just not get over the amazing architecture, you've never seen nothing like it! 'It's just so cultured, everything is so beautiful. The food, the people, the history. But take money for the water taxis, they're not cheap!' And while she admits that she once spent £40,000 on a holiday to Greece for her family, where they ate 'lamb chops and halloumi like it was going out of fashion', the reality star claims she's equally happy on a £400 break. 'Sometimes I just want a beach, a little taverna to the left of my eye, a cold lager and a dip in the sea. You don't always need the frills and spills. 'It's like when people say to me "Do you want a lobster roll sandwich?" I'm like, "no, just give me some cheese, please". Sometimes you just want normal, nice and basic.' She's a fan of Premier Inn too - 'you can pick a pillow!' - and says that she prides herself on being 'a diverse traveller'. 'I like so many different things depending on the trip. Travelling for me doesn't need to be super expensive.' But when it comes to packing - and picking up a few souvenirs - Gemma doesn't tend to hold back. She explains: 'I'm known to collect on my travels. My partner goes absolutely mad. I don't think women should carry their own cases. He gets fed up of carrying the bags. Taormina's Four Seasons Hotel San Domenico Palace (pictured) provided the backdrop for The White Lotus, and Gemma says she loves checking in to the luxury property 'Once I went to Mykonos with two cases and then I ended up with 11. I just went crazy out there.' The star was unable to take all 11 cases on the plane at the airport so treated a friend to a three-night stay on the Greek island and he arranged for the return of the rest of the bags. Although holidays for Gemma are all about the people she's with, she says she's also had 'beautiful' experiences travelling solo. 'It's just so empowering to be a solo traveller. Obviously it's daunting at first and it can be scary. [But] there's so much liberation when you've done the trip. 'I often go to restaurants on my own. It's just nice to have some peace and quiet sometimes.' Any wonder then, with her down-to-earth attitude and fun-loving nature, she's been crowned the celebrity that Gen Z would most like to go out on a night out with, in a new survey by Trainline. The feeling's mutual; Gemma's also a fan of Gen Z, saying she'd have liked to have been one herself: 'Big up to all the Gen Zs. I think they're fun. 'I'm always down for new energy and new vibrancy and I think Gen Z just do it perfectly.' Describing herself as a 'ball of energy', she says a night out on the town starts the 'minute she wakes up'. 'It's the group chats. The voice notes. I'm thinking about what I'm going to wear...' Although the self-proclaimed diva is known for her glam looks, she's no stranger to getting ready in the back of the car or on the train. 'Because of the nature of what I do, I've got ready in toilets and in petrol stations,' says Gemma. 'On a train journey, you've got the whole of the journey to get ready. [I think] let's just do the glam on the train!' Of course, being 'The GC' means that it can be a challenge for Gemma to fly under the radar. She doesn't mind being recognised though and likes to make time to say hello to fans when she's spotted. 'I've been known to stand at the ice cream van and just get people a load of ice creams,' she says. Any fans hungry for a 99 cone from Gemma might want to head to Devon where the star is travelling by train later this summer. Where else is on her travel wish-list? India, where she says she'd love to spend 'three months exploring'. And while Gemma would also be up for a U.S. road trip in the future, Gen Z's favourite diva definitely won't be getting behind the wheel on those ten-lane freeways. 'I would need a driver. I want to relax along the way, take in the sights, make a few calls, touch up my lip gloss...' Gemma has teamed up with Trainline to launch Slaystation, a one-stop stop for pre-night out glam. Head to Trainline presents SlayStation to find out more and book your slot to glam up at SlayStation – totally free of charge! Get your 'Big Night Out' off to a great start. Plan and book your train travel on the Trainline app.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
The ultra-exclusive mountain hideaway the one percent have turned into a summer playground
As rental properties in the Hamptons remain empty this year, those who love to summer are headed elsewhere. The luxury hotspot that's seducing the ultra-rich has long been known as a winter hub for the wealthy, who come to ski and après-ski in the town's many resort chalets. Nestled deep in Colorado 's San Juan Mountains, Telluride has turned into the latest summer destination for billionaires, celebrities, and Silicon Valley moguls. Telluride offers privacy and exclusivity without the fuss of many summer getaway areas. 'I've seen the transformation first hand,' local luxury realtor Brian O'Neill told He's watched the town — once sleepy in the summer — morph into a playground for the one percent. 'It's funny, the same saying has always gone around here. I came for the winter and stayed for the summer,' O'Neill said. People stay for the $20 million ranches, private hiking trails that start from your front door, and, for celebrities, a paparazzi free summer. With limited commercial flights, Telluride is perfect for private jets, which isn't a problem for its residents, including Oprah Winfrey, who owns four properties there. The upcoming arrival of a Four Seasons — the first five-star hotel and luxe condo development in over 15 years — is a sign of what's to come. 'This project is going to have a significant impact on the sophistication of our community,' says O'Neill, who is handling sales for the property. 'The developer is amazing… they're creating something that not only elevates Telluride but maintains its low-key vibe. 'You go to Aspen where people want to be noticed. You come here and people don't really care where they came from – New York, Miami, or LA. They're low-key folks with a great appreciation for that.' He says many of the Four Seasons' residences have already been snapped up by elites fleeing California, Florida, and the Southwest for Telluride's cool mountain air. The fun-filled summers are also starting to heat up the local real estate market. 'We do 57 percent more real estate sales in the summer than in the winter,' O'Neill told 'Occupancy rates are higher too. It's grown so much, the area has a packed calendar of summer events. 'Everybody in Telluride said, "We need a more year-round economy,"' O'Neill said. 'Festivals started coming and are now almost every weekend. We have our own self-proclaimed title: the festival capital of the world. Some of the festivals include the iconic Telluride Bluegrass Festival, MountainFilm, jazz, blues, wine, science talks, and even mushroom hunting. Telluride is built for families, too. They can bike outside, easily ride the local rivers on inner tubes, zip-line, bungee, and jump on trampolines in Mountain Village. Locals can sip coffee outside of the charming cafés that line Main Street while admiring a backdrop of 14,000-foot mountain peaks. Visitors can hike the Via Ferrata or explore the ghost towns left behind on the old mining roads. Telluride has shed its winter only reputation and has become a summer destination too 'There's just a lot of merit to what you can do here that you don't have the option to do elsewhere,' said O'Neill. 'You can hike, fly fish, rock climb, mountain bike, downhill bike, cross-country bike. 'You can go to a food and wine event, then go to a science talk. We even have an incubator for startup companies. It's endless.' He added that the town probably has more quality restaurants per capita than anywhere — maybe even more than Aspen. That includes the legendary New Sheridan Hotel, where visitors can belly up to the 122-year-old bar once frequented by outlaws and miners. But, O'Neill warns, rentals don't come cheap. 'If you want to rent a house or condo in town, you're gonna spend $500 to $1,000 a night,' he says. 'It's not cheap.' For those wanting to make it permanent, Telluride is a wonderful option. 'We have our schools annually ranked in the top 10 percent of the state,' O'Neill said. 'This year we had kids go to Columbia and Berkeley. Great teachers want to live in a great place.'
Evening Standard
28-05-2025
- Evening Standard
The best Chinese restaurants in London, from A Wong to the Sichuan
There is, appropriately, a quartet of Four Seasons across central London, including the Queensway original and two outposts on Gerrard Street, all instantly recognisable by the burnished chunks of roast duck and pork hanging in the window for which the chain is justly celebrated. But this tiny Wardour Street branch is our favourite. The belly pork just seems that bit crisper, the char siu a tad juicier, the duck fat slightly more luscious, while the handful of tables means things never get too rowdy and make it somewhere to know when you just fancy a solo set lunch deal of roast meat on rice and a scroll though the news. A side order of ginger and garlic oil is essential while there are also the usual crab and lobster plates, bowls of viscous soup and blandly reassuring bean curd dishes, plus esoteric specials of griddle-cooked pig's trotter and poached sliced beef in hot chilli oil – but really, if you're not here for the roast meat, you're in the wrong restaurant. If you can't get in here, head down to the Hippodrome (no, seriously, do), where their sister restaurant is: Chop, Chop. Chop, Chop truly is excellent, with stylish surroundings, warm staff, and an excellent range of drinks. It's Four Seasons luxe, really.
