Latest news with #Mediterranean-inspired
Time Out
8 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
A Mediterranean (and delicious) summer at Bougain
At Bougain, summer isn't just about cocktails in hand (though that's very much encouraged). It's also celebrated at the table – with Mediterranean-inspired dishes full of colour and flavour, made to be enjoyed slowly, between good conversation and the cool shade of the garden. And yes, always with blooming bougainvillea nearby, adding a special touch to every meal. The new summer menu, crafted by chef Diana Roque, stays true to the restaurant's DNA: product-led cooking, seasonality at the forefront, and a respect for the classics – all with a modern twist. There are lighter options, like the Black Angus carpaccio – tenderloin with mixed leaves and a truffle emulsion – and the tomato soup with basil and burrata. But there's also room for heartier dishes, perfect for lingering summer evenings: think carabineiro and citrus rice or salmon Wellington with spinach and fish jus. And always, always leave room for dessert. The Chocolate Bomb with creamy salted caramel, lemon ice cream, cocoa crumble and raspberry coulis is a stellar way to end any meal – or start one, no judgement here. With this new menu, Bougain proves it's much more than just a beautiful (stunning, really) restaurant – it's a place you'll want to come back to, dish after dish, season after season.
Time Out
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This beautiful, Spanish-style villa is just two hours from Sydney – and sleeps up to 15 guests
'One of the best weekends of my life' is a big call, but I reckon I've just come close. The first reason? I sat down to a long, sun-drenched lunch at Iron Gate Kitchen – Pokolbin's new Mediterranean-inspired restaurant – with seven of my friends. It was the kind of lunch where delicious plates of food keep on coming, stories are flowing, you're not entirely sure how many bottles of wine the table's had – and you don't really care. I love those lunches. The second reason is spending time with said friends. And the third? We spent the weekend at Iron Gate Estate, a Spanish-style villa set on a 25-acre, award-winning winery. I don't think MTV Cribs: Hunter Valley Edition is in the works, but if it was – this place would be on it. I can't overstate how beautiful this villa is. With a soft, sun-worn golden exterior, grand curved archways, terracotta tiles, a lush ultramarine pool, classic European fittings and fixtures, and gardens bursting with pretty florals, it looks like something you'd find in the Spanish countryside – and not two hours from Sydney. With seven bedrooms sleeping up to 15 guests, four bathrooms, multiple living spaces with two fireplaces – and both indoor and outdoor entertainment areas – Iron Gate Estate is also bloody huge. It's perfect for weekends away with friends (just like I did), but also birthday celebrations, family holidays and hen's weekends. And the fact that you have a beaut restaurant and cellar door just a stroll down the road is the cherry (or grape) on top. After lunch – and cocktails on the lawn at sunset – we retreated to the villa for chilled Champagne by the pool. We then made pizzas topped with sweet tomatoes, soft salty prosciutto and warm melted cheese. We danced in the kitchen and played Pick-Up Sticks around the fire. I didn't know where my phone was. I don't remember even thinking about it. We may have drunk more wine. Waking up wrapped in crisp white sheets, with views of the shimmering blue pool, well-manicured lawns and twisted vines, and the smell of bacon frying beckoning me from the kitchen, I felt blissfully happy – peaceful, loved, and, in even better news, I did not have a hangover. I already can't wait to come back to Iron Gate Estate. And the good news is you and your friends can stay here too. My tip: BYO pizza dough – it goes down a treat. Find out more here.
CairoScene
a day ago
- CairoScene
The North Coast's Newest Stay Is a Sculpted Boulder on Egypt's Med
Subtle and serene, Sakhra brings a different kind of luxury to the coast: hushed, architectural, and deeply restful. The newest arrival to Egypt's north coast comes without spectacle. At the far end of Almaza Bay, past a gated checkpoint and down a stretch of manicured road, Sakhra Hotel & Spa stands in soft contrast to the sea. The building's lines are clean, almost monastic. Low-rise, whitewashed, flanked by palms and scrub, it faces out toward a private sweep of beach carved into the crescent-shaped bay. There is no cityscape to speak of. A few roads, the flattened coast, and, in the distance, Marsa Matrouh—some thirty minutes west. What surrounds the hotel is mostly quiet. On either side, other resorts line the same stretch, though each holds its own perimeter. Sakhra feels slightly apart, positioned further east than most, and edged by open sand on one side. Behind it, the terrain rises just slightly before fading into desert. The hotel spans 257 rooms and suites, all arranged along structured, horizontal rows that slope gently toward the sea. Rooms are light, uniform, and measured. The design leaves little room for excess, but the layout is deliberate. Terraces face the sea or the gardens. Inside, marble floors, deep white linens, and polished surfaces echo the broader aesthetic of the hotel—pared down, even serene. Private villas come with their own pools, tucked quietly away from the main flow of movement. At the centre of the property lies a long infinity pool, framed by palm trees and reflecting, in its stillness, the pale stone architecture around it. Elsewhere, a collection of adult-friendly outdoor pools and a heated indoor pool (used during winter) offer variation without disruption. A children's pool sits just off the main walkway, near the Jazy Kids Club, which runs summer-long programmes shared with the neighboring JAZ Almaza Beach. The kids' playground, animation team, and a full calendar of supervised activities offer younger guests a steady flow of games, crafts, and outdoor fun. Tennis courts—softly lit for evening matches—and a tucked-away padel court sit behind the main buildings. A mini-golf course, bocce, beach volleyball, darts, and table tennis are woven subtly into the resort's edges—present, but never insistent. The beach, cordoned off from its neighbors, opens gradually into the water, the sand a pale beige that runs nearly white in the afternoon light. Dining is split across five outlets, including a main buffet and three à la carte restaurants—Baia (Italian), Yume (Asian), and the beachfront Ondas, which serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes. All are accessible by reservation. The food service rotates across breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with three bars spread across the hotel for in-between hours. While the atmosphere remains subdued, the scale of the operation is apparent: a gym equipped for both cardio and strength training, spa access through the nearby Mividaspa, and a full suite of concierge services, all carried out with quiet efficiency. Though Sakhra belongs to a larger planned community, its edges remain pleasingly undefined. The road out of the resort fades into flat open ground, the horizon running wide in both directions. No fanfare, no interruption. Just a new white shape by the water—designed not to rise above the landscape, but to sit within it.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Independent
The Waitrose offers to know this barbecue season
It's officially picky bits season, and with it comes endless alfresco get-togethers. From finding the best barbecue and the best garden furniture, it can feel like there's a lot to get done ahead of hosting. So, if your summer socialising calendar is jam-packed, we'd recommend making a beeline for Waitrose's range of deli delights that make the process easy. Whether it's a vegetarian feast or a grilling session in the garden, the supermarket stalwart is serving a smorgasbord of crowd-pleasing dishes. When it comes to sharing staples, you can pick up classics like nocellara olives and honey and mustard cocktail sausages, as well as newly launched picky bits like garlic and jalapeno olives and Cantabrian anchovies. Waitrose doesn't just deliver when it comes to delicious-tasting food and convenience, it also has a number of offers that make hosting a little more pocket-friendly. Right now, you can buy three deli dishes or picnic favourites for just £8, and get barbecue bits for just £12. Best barbecue food If you're hosting or attending a barbecue this summer, you'll want to take advantage of Waitrose's offer, which means you can buy three dishes for £12 (saving you up to £6). No grilling session is complete without an indulgent selection of burgers. The options are endless, ranging from lamb burgers and tuna steaks to these delicious-sounding chilli halloumi burgers. When it comes to kebabs, serve up the shawarma king kebabs for meat-eaters, the salmon kebabs for pescatarians or the hot honey halloumi kebabs for vegetarians. The three for £12 deal also includes Middle Eastern-inspired chicken thighs with amba sauce, hot honey pork belly slices and fried chicken thighs, all of which would make a delicious midnight dinner for the family. Best picnic food Whether you're celebrating a friend's birthday with a garden get-together or planning a picnic in the park, don't miss out on Waitrose's three for £8 offer. The supermarket's Mediterranean-inspired deli menu sounds like the perfect selection: think chargrilled Italian artichokes, chorizo and cheese platters and ricotta stuffed cherry peppers. You can also enjoy sun-drenched tomatoes, stuffed vine leaves and garlic and chilli king prawns for just £8, which saves you £4. Beyond picky bits, there are plenty of more substantial dishes to satisfy even the fussiest of eaters. Why not try the Mediterranean vegetable quiche, nduja and red pepper frittata and scotch eggs? Waitrose has taken inspiration from various cuisines. Take, for example, the basil, spinach and burrata arancini, the Mexican sweet potato parcels and the chicken souvlaki pastries. Whatever you choose, you can trust you'll be in safe hands with Waitrose's summer spread.
Fashion United
2 days ago
- Business
- Fashion United
American vintage opens boutique in Manchester
American Vintage, the renowned Marseilles-based brand founded in 2005 by Michaël Azoulay, has announced the opening of its latest retail space in Manchester. Situated within a historic building at 62 King Street, the new store seamlessly blends the brand's Mediterranean-inspired aesthetic with the building's original architectural charm, preserving its distinctive flooring and façade. Adding a modern touch, two screens within the interior display captivating visuals that evoke the essence of American Vintage's DNA, deeply rooted in the American dream. The 83-square-meter space is designed to be more than just a retail outlet; it is envisioned as a comprehensive lifestyle destination. It proudly showcases the brand's full range of men's, women's, and children's collections. Beyond offering an immersive brand experience, the American Vintage team aims for this new store to be a hub for sharing, providing personalized fashion advice, local recommendations, and a welcoming spot for customers to enjoy a coffee. This expansion comes as American Vintage continues its impressive growth trajectory, having achieved a turnover of nearly 200 million euros in 2024. The opening also follows recent celebrations marking the brand's twentieth anniversary, which Michaël Azoulay discussed in a recent interview with FashionUnited, coinciding with a special event at the Galerie Haussmann in Paris. "We must try to evolve the vision of the salesperson or manager's job. To do this, we also need stores that will perhaps outsource much more of the delivery process. This will free up space and flow in the store to be more focused on customer experience, knowledge and management. Retail and expansion are a bit like mountaineering. If you don't climb, you descend," Azoulay said. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
