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Hotel Review: NIYAMA, Maldives

NIYAMA’s 50 Shades of Blue

View from our beach. All Photos taken by NHYM 2016 Copyright. Except the Tiger Shark.

NIYAMA is a cool, understated, luxury hotel with a modern feel to it, with great original restaurants, a superb kids club and great personal touches like the in-room complimentary popcorn and island-made ice-cream.

Rating: *****5 star luxury

BOOK HERE FOR NIYAMA

We landed in Male after surviving our flight from London (where we spotted Jemima Khan in Business Class and a ‘Lady Goldsmith’ sign waiting for her at Male airport), and were whisked away to the local Maldivian seaplane ‘terminal’ where we waited for our sea plane:

View from Seaplane. NHYM 2016.

The views of the lagoons and atolls from above where stunning and the seaplane was a novelty for my children – and my husband – who had never been on one.

Powdery Beach on Chill. NHYM 2016.

The Hotel

After being welcomed by our Thakuru, Vlad (our butler/personal assistant/concierge and driver all rolled into one), we were driven off for a tour of the hotel in a buggy. The hotel is set on two islands, ‘CHILL’ (for adults/older children), and ‘PLAY’ (for younger families), and is run by Per Aquum who also own Huvafen Fushi and Desert Palm in Dubai. ‘Chill’ opened in 2012 and ‘Play’ opened only just over a year ago, when they decided to cater to families. It has a high hip factor with an underwater club ‘Glow Party’ and DJs on Saturdays and fun touches like an ice-cream bar and complimentary popcorn.

Our room keys; there were lots of cool and hip touches to the hotel. NHYM 2016.

It tries to be different and original, bold and unique, which it succeeds in doing.

Bananas and Bicycles in front of our room. NHYM 2016.

When we arrived to our beach hut, we were welcomed by banana trees and bicycles. This would be one of three ways of transportation; barefoot, bicycles or buggies.

Island Path. NHYM 2016.

There is something wonderfully freeing about walking around barefoot on an island and chose to walk barefoot most of the time. The kids loved the buggy, so we often opted for it for longer rides.

Welcome to Paradise. NHYM 2016.

The Room

The room was everything you would hope for in a place like this; sea-facing, big enough for a whole family of 2 adults and 2 young children, modern yet welcoming, and had the biggest fridge I have ever seen in a hotel.

Popcorn Machine! NHYM 2016.

The complimentary popcorn and in-room, island-made ice-cream was of course a big hit for the children.

The bathroom in itself was quite spectacular with a pond/pool and banana trees. As soon as we arrived, the kids jumped out of their clothes and into the bathroom pool.

View from our Room. NHYM 2016.

On arrival, we were welcomed by a bottle of Moet, a fresh fruit platter and welcome canapés. Every day, we had a new fresh fruit platter and milk cartons for the kids delivered to our room. Despite the modern amenities, the room still retained Maldivian charm with its thatched roofs and a Dhoni-inspired swing.

Our beautiful Beach Hut. NHYM 2016.

View from our room. NHYM 2016.

This is what I call a proper sea view room…

Beach hut with pool. NHYM 2016.

General Manager’s Drinks at the 3 Bedroom Beach Pavillion. NHYM 2016.

The Crowd

The crowd was understated cool; Wayfarer and Aviator Raybans, black rimmed glasses, Missoni style kaftans and lovely gay couples were seen around. There is less bling here than at the One & Only (am thinking of the Russian oligarch’s wife dining on her own with a bodyguard lurking around at the Japanese restaurant of One & Only and the Hedge Funders discussing their private jets or lack thereof), and is dominated by Northern Europeans while we are there. Germans are plentiful, as are Danes, Swedes and Brits. There are also quite a few young Chinese honeymooners and Christina the Marketing Manager tells me that their number 1 demographic is Chinese. The Russians have stayed away recently due to the crumbling Rouble but the Europeans have been replacing them.

It is actually a really nice crowd, everyone was very friendly and nice, and sartorially superior. There are no cheesy T-shirts and Birkenstocks here; polo shirts of Phuket, Mustique and Club 55 are more like it. One teenage girl is sporting a Club 55 bracelet, so I know where she will be this summer.

The Food

The food was overall very good, although quite expensive, so we were quite glad to have been on a half board option. Food is complimentary for kids, which is always a nice touch. The breakfast buffet, which is particularly important to me and indication of the entire catering, was stellar. There was everything you could ask for without being too over the top; from congee to gluten free, smoothies to huevos rancheros, crepes and waffles, stir fries to curry, and all the tropical fruit you could ask for; dragon fruit, mango, lychee, rambutan, jack fruit, papaya, guava, melon…

A fruitarian Paradise. NHYM 2016.

The restaurants in NIYAMA deserve a special accolade for originality;

Edge Overwater gourmet dining was only accessible by boat.

Subsix underwater restaurant was a fun, once-in-a-lifetime-experience, with nemo entertaining the girls while we savoured our Wagyu beef (only open at lunch time).

Every Saturday and Wednesday night, Subsix turns into a nightclub where they have infamous ‘Glow Parties.’

Nest, an Asian restaurant set in the treetops, had South East Asian cuisine with Teppanyaki downstairs in a jungle/rainforest setting. This quickly became our children’s favourite restaurant.

Tribal, an African and South American restaurant, was excellent, dishing up tribal African dishes and Argentinian steaks. A must try.

Pool and view from BLU. NHYM 2016.

BLU is the main restaurant on PLAY island which served a delicious breakfast buffet in the sand and a casual Mediterranean/European lunch. This is the view we had every morning and the child-friendly pool that we used most of the time.

View from Epicure. NHYM 2016.

Epicure was the main restaurant on ‘CHILL,’ and is the biggest restaurant of them all, which was a ‘no reservations’ restaurant. Reservations are needed to all the other restaurants, so be sure to plan in advance. They were all very popular and were booked up one or two days in advance.

Weather Station and Dune Restaurant/Bar.

Dune Restaurant/Bar was next to Epicure, serving lunch and Cocktails.

Also a big hit with the kids was the ice-cream bar and deli that offered snacks and sandwiches throughout the day.

The Service

The service was 5 star as expected at this level of hotel; nothing was too much, everyone was smiling and friendly, always willing to help. Our Thakuru managed everything from check-in, restaurant reservations, driving our buggy, to sorting out Disney movies for the girls. The local staff were wonderful as were the African staff at Tribal, who were very knowledgeable and friendly. Occasionally we had to wait a little for the buggy rides, but most of the time we could flag a kind buggy-driver to take us to our destination. Checkout was a little haphazard and slow, but perhaps Island-life is a little more laid-back than what we are used to.

The Activities

Outside the perfect, pristine, powdery sand beaches, there was plenty to do on the island if you chose to. The water sports centre was fully stocked with paddle boards, jet skis, para-sailing and surf boards. There were fishing trips, dolphin cruises, the Spa, Zumba, Yoga, meditation etc.. etc… etc… I didn’t manage time for the spa but did manage three dives.

Photo of a tiger shark courtesy of the internet. NHYM 2016.

As an avid and 20 year veteran scuba diver with 200+ dives, I am pretty particular about my diving and I am a fair weather diver. This atoll isn’t known to offer the best diving in the Maldives, but I was still very happy; I still saw lots of white tip reef sharks, turtles, schools of rainbow coloured fish and lots of eagle rays. We also saw the local pod of dolphins on our way to a dive site but the highlight was encountering a tiger shark, my first one ever, which was so enthrallingly exciting. I was in complete shark heaven, which may seem strange to you, but there is very little in life that makes me this happy…

Scott Dunn Explorer’s Kid’s Club

Of course one of the main reasons for coming to NIYAMA was to try out the Scott Dunn Explorer’s Kids Club, which I had heard was one notch above any of other Kids Club. It is complimentary for those over 3 years old, but does take children as young as 1 y.o. It only opened 1 year ago when the island ‘Play’ was opened and is operated by Scott Dunn, meaning that Nikki, the director was recruited and trained by Scott Dunn. Nikki told me that there were over 60 children at the hotel, and the Dolphin cruise recruited 18 kids! That is an excellent turn out and shows that they are really engaging the kids. What was nice at the hotel was that even though there were so many kids, you couldn’t really see or hear them. The children were all beautifully dressed and well mannered, looking like they just stepped out of a White Company photo shoot.

Kids Club Thatched Hut and Playground. NHYM 2016.

The Kids Club was divided in age groups, with one hatched hut for the under 5s and one thatched hut for the over 5s, but with activities for 4 age groups: 12mo-2ys, 3-4, 5-7, 7-12 years.

Water Playground, with new friends. NHYM 2016.

The Under 5s Kids Club was very impressive with tons of activities from making arts and crafts masks, valentine’s cards, drawing and creating treasure hunts to playing in the water playground and going to the beach to make sandcastles.

5-12 years old kids club. NHYM 2016.

The 5-12 age range group really stood out for their well thought out and enticing activities; dolphin cruises, snorkelling, kayaking, coral conservation programmes with a marine biologist and a lecture at Subsix underwater restaurant. Every day, at 5pm they would take the kids swimming in one of the pools, led by Adam the Kids Club manager. My daughter’s highlight was the dolphin cruise when she spotted dozens of spinner dolphins playfully dancing around the boat.

Kids Club Dolphin Cruise. NHYM 2016.

Kids Outdoor Theatre. NHYM 2016.

For older children over 12 years old, there was an entire ‘Active’ area with a pool table, ping pong table, video games, simulators and more that seemed busy every night.

Overall:

This is a hip, 5 star, Robinson-Crusoe, ultra-luxe hotel that caters perfectly to couples and families, providing top-notch luxury service and amenities. It was everything we could have hoped for and stood out with special touches and details. Of course there was the odd hiccup, but in true 5 star style, it is how it is dealt with that matters, and this hotel manages to live up to its award winning accolades. Kids are definitely welcome with complimentary food and an extensive Kids Club schedule, even the teens love it. The only very slight negatives would be the less abundant marine life around the island compared to other islands and a slightly longer travel time with the seaplane, but the hotel was faultless and we had a great time and can only recommend it very highly. We met another family of Notting Hillers while on the island and it was already their second time there, which shows you that if you try it once, you will want to go again. As my daughter stated as fact the day we were leaving, ‘We’re coming back next year!’

NHYM

http://www.nottinghiillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

Thank you Scott Dunn for organising this wonderful trip!! I paid for this trip with a few perks from Scott Dunn, but it was organised professionally and efficiently from A-Z by them.

Our ‘beach.’ NHYM 2016.

Reviews

Restaurant Review: Ivy Kensington Brasserie

All photos courtesy of NHYM 2016.

Ivy Kensington Brasserie

96 Kensington High Street

London

W8 4SG

0203 301 0500

http://www.ivykensingtonbrasserie.com

Food: 4 stars

Design: 4.25 stars

Atmosphere: 4 stars

Service: 4 stars

Value: 4.25 stars

Overall: 4. 25 stars

I was having lunch with a friend at Granger the other day, when she started moaning and complaining about the dire amount of lunch places in Notting Hill. ‘I’m so sick and tired of Granger and Daylesford!’ she moaned. It doesn’t help that we are in January and the most depressing day of the year was around the corner (and luckily we both survived D-Day, which was Monday January 4th). It is true that there are very few places in Notting Hill, once you’ve been through the triad of Granger/Daylesford/202. So, I was very excited to be invited by the Ivy Kensington Brasserie the other day, to try out their new outpost on High Street Kensington.

The Ivy Kensington Brasserie, an off-shoot of the very famous original Ivy, and its myriad of underlings; Ivy Marylebone, Ivy Chelsea, is now the latest of the Caprice Holdings Ivy Franchise which recently opened in December. Friends of friends who went during the opening weeks liked it so much that they went for New Year’s Eve. I dare say, that it’s my new favourite out of the franchise, although I have not been to the revamped Ivy (too far) and the Ivy Chelsea felt too big for me. I like my brasseries and this one is a perfect example of French- Brasserie-meets-British-old-school. I took one of my newly single friends who has just gotten out of a 15 year relationship and needed a little cheering up.

The Design

I loved the design of the Ivy Kensington Brasserie. Like I said, it is French-Brasserie-meets-English-old-gentleman’s-club-in-the-middle-of-High-Street-Kensington. Perfect! It has marble floors, big white spheres of lighting and a flutter of origamis in flight, which just work. The thought of origamis flying on a ceiling could have been quite questionable, but in this case, it adds a lightness and playfulness to the room, which could have veered towards a heavy, old school brasserie. The room is cosy, even though the space is quite big and has multiple areas to sit in. We had a great view of the whole restaurant, spying on Piers Morgan sitting diagonally from us, and we spotted quite a few Notting Hillers and South Kenners that we knew and now have somewhere to meet in the middle.

The Food

The menu had a very large selection of brasserie-style dishes from fish & chips for the Brits, to onion soup and moules-frites for the Frenchies. There is also a very alluring brunch menu with lots of avocado, which happens to be the food of the moment. We opted for a duck salad and tuna carpaccio as starters and the swordfish and dover sole as mains.

Duck salad. NHYM 2016. m

My five-spices duck salad was quite good, with bak choi, mache salad, and pomegranates, but my friend’s tuna carpaccio was a little flat. Since it is actually impossible to find reasonably priced fresh tuna in London, I can forgive the chef. But soon, the rest of meal made up for the tired tuna.

Dover Sole. NHYM 2016.

My dover sole was great, meaty, but light, nicely seasoned with capers and lemon, it has recently become my new favourite dish. And at £18.50, this is great value, compared to the £42.00 Dover sole at the Arts Club, which isn’t actually any better.

Swordfish NHYM 2016.

My friend’s swordfish was also very satisfying, with both dishes tasting so good, that it was hard to believe that we were eating rather healthily (It is January after all). A hard thing to accomplish. To compensate for this goodie, goodie healthy meal, we had sides of Zucchini Fritti, which were a bit on the oily side, but which of course made them delicious and gave us a guilty pleasure.

The Desserts:

Chocolate bombe. NHYM 2016.

All that healthy eating was soon forgotten when we ordered desserts. I ordered the chocolate bombe, and my friend ordered the Strawberry Shortcake. Both were a success. The chocolate bombe is a must-try for chocolate and caramel lovers. There is a ball of chocolate on an Ile Flotante, which opens up after hot, molten, chocolate sauce is poured over it, revealing vanilla ice cream, and snap, crackle, pop caramel inside. You’ve just got to try it. Divine.

Strawberry Shortcake. NHYM 2016.

The strawberry shortcake was beautifully presented and equally as delicious that my friend was still dreaming about it the following day.

The Atmosphere

There was a great vibe and buzz the night we were there, with a pleasing crowd of varying generations, from 30 year olds to 60 year olds. Couples, families, friends all having dinner, conspiratorially chatting away. It caters to all groups and all ages, which makes for a very comfortable setting. I ran into friends I knew, making it feel clubbish, and the service was very friendly and young (mostly young women I noticed).

Overall

I particularly liked the design and the vibe, with an extensive enough menu that I will never get bored. The food is good, brasserie-style. It’s impossible for the food to be perfect with such a vast menu, but if you find a favourite dish, I would stick to it. It is a great new addition to the neighborhood. I loved it so much that I have already made my next reservation. Now, the only problem is that if I liked it this much, reservations will get harder and harder to get, so don’t spread the word.

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

I was a guest of the Ivy Kensington Brasserie. Thank you again for a great dinner! xx

Reviews

Restaurant Review: Sexy Fish

All photos are NHYM apart from this one, generously borrowed from the restaurant’s website. NHYM 2016.

Sexy Fish

Berkely Square

London W1J 6BR

0203 764 2000

http://www.sexyfish.com

Design: 4.5 stars

Food: 3 stars

Service: 3.5 stars

Atmosphere: 4 stars

Overall: 3.75 stars

‘I have never seen a restaurant whose ethos is so clearly and comprehensively, so preeningly and unapologetically: ‘Fuck you, I’m rich and I want a golden cave and servants. I want a pony and all the hookers I can strangle. I want a pyramid of cocaine and an Audi -Quattro.’ It is like being punched in the face by Abu Dhabi.’

– quoted from the Spectator Review 28/11/15 http://www.spectator.co.uk/2015/11/sexy-fish-not-so-much-a-restaurant-as-a-museum-of-londons-rich/

After reading a review like that, well, you’ve just got to see it with your own eyes. Sexy Fish opened last year as one of the hottest new restaurants in town, trying to steal the celebrity limelight away from Chiltern Firehouse, and has seen everything from Popstars (Cheryl ex-Cole, ex-Versini), Models (Kate Moss at the opening), Rock Royalty (the Jaggers were there 2 days ago for Georgia May’s 24th), to a private party full of politicians including dear old David (Cameron). Rita Ora sang at its opening party and VIP keys were handed out in advance. All ingredients to make it the latest trendsetter in the restaurant world.

Bronze cast Damien Hirst statue on the bar. NHYM 2016.

It is the latest venture by Richard Caring (RC for this post) and his ever expanding restaurant-empire-cum-restaurant-chain. He is trying to take over the Mayfair restaurant scene and he is certainly making a statement. Firstly, we’ve got to address that oxymoronic name: Sexy Fish. A fish will never be sexy, but RC manages to make his restaurant pretty sexy-slutty: sexy bronze mermaids by Damien Hirst at the bar, climbing crocodiles by Frank Gehry, a parterre of onyx from Iran, and an actual waterfall behind his bar. Ok, completely over-the-top ostentatious, but you’ve got to love it. Downstairs in the private room are two glowing aquariums with multitudes of glow-in-the-dark fish ready for an after-party.

Main dining room NHYM 2016.

The Design

The dining room is art-deco, brasserie style with a large crocodile on the back wall designed by Frank Gehry, whom you will recall did the fish sculpture next to The Hotel Arts in Barcelona. It is quite a large room where you can scan your neighbours easily, with Matisse-inspired patterns on the ceilings in burgundy and gold.

The very friendly bartender. NHYM 2016.

But the bar is by far my favourite part of the restaurant. It is large, sexy and is framed by overhanging white delicately sculpted fish above and blue mermaids on either side and yes, there is a waterfall in the back. When we arrive at the touristy hour (i.e. anytime before 8pm), there isn’t much atmosphere and it is largely catering tourists. But by the time we leave, the bar is buzzing, the vibe is cool, and the DJ has started spinning. This is really the time to show up.

The Menu. NHYM 2016.

The Menu & the Food

The menu reads like many of the Asian-fusion/Japanese restaurants that first emerged in the 90’s starting with Nobu and still keep coming (Kurobuta). There is nothing creatively new on this menu, it follows a tried-and-tested formula of Nobu-Zuma-Roka-Novikov dishes. We order a bunch of sharing plates including the yellowtail sashimi, the Sexy Fish roll, tuna tartare, maple glazed pork belly skewers, duck salad and the famous Miso Glazed Chilean Seabass.

Miso Seabass and Maple-Glazed pork belly. NHYM 2016.

The food is unfortunately a let-down. It all looks beautiful, sounds beautiful and should be beautiful, but sadly, there is something missing. It isn’t bad, but falls flat compared to the other restaurants I have aforementioned. Usually, when you go to Nobu/Zuma/Roka, you are enlivened by the tastes and combination of flavours, but not even the famed Miso Seabass could do that for me. The only standout dish for me was the maple glazed pork belly skewer which melted in your mouth and was perfectly sweet and salty. The rest was ‘good’ but unfortunately quite forgettable.

The service gets some low marks just because we were ‘evicted’ before we could order the molten chocolate cake which we wanted to try. Next time.

Sexy Fish Kitchen. NHYM 2016.

The Verdict

We managed to spend 4 hours at Sexy Fish, which meant that something worked. Sexy Fish combines the right ‘menu,’ the right location, the right brasserie-style design and the right amount of slebs to make it a success. The food isn’t what you’re after here, the main attraction is the bar and of course the people-watching. It’s a fun, lively spot that starts to get going around 10pm, and if I were to go again, I’d probably skip the food and head straight to the bar for a martini while I ogle all the hedge-funders and their mistresses for entertainment purposes. After all, it’s cheaper than flying all the way to Dubai.

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

Reviews

Restaurant Review: Gymkhana

Gymkhana Restaurant

42 Albemarle Street W1S 4JH

0203 011 5900

http://www.gymkhanalondon.com

Food: 3.75

Design: 4 stars

Service: 4 stars

Atmosphere: 4 stars

Overall: 3.9 stars

When you talk about Indian restaurants, there are 3 types of people who relate to Indian restaurants: those that like Indian vs. those that don’t, and within those that like Indian, those that like the corner curry shop vs. those that like fine dining Indian restaurants. I tend to fall into the LILCCS: ‘Likes Indian/Likes Corner Curry Shops’. So, it is never my inclination to go to a fine dining Indian restaurant, but when a friend ‘lent’ me her reservation, which are quite difficult to get, I was eager to try this much applauded Indian restaurant.

Gymkhana was voted Best Restaurant in 2014 at the National Restaurant Awards, sponsored by the Restaurant Magazine, which appears to be one of the top Restaurant accolades you could ask for. This sets a high bar to this new-ish Indian restaurant that was opened in 2013 by the team behind Trishna. Both have Michelin stars. All the critics ‘LOVED’ it, with capital letters. I am not a curry/Indian food expert so can’t really put myself in a critic category and can’t give you an expert opinion whatsoever, but can give you a Indian-fine-dining-novice’s opinion.

The restaurant

The restaurant itself is very cool and dark; there are dark wood walls and marble tables around, with swirling colonial fans above and sepia photographs hanging on the walls. The effect works and reminds me of trips to Asia visiting old antique shops and colonial relics. It takes you out of London to another world, which gets very high points for me. I love everything colonial and this succeeds at putting you in the mood of a gentleman’s club in the day.

The drinks were excellent, and the ‘mixologist’ or bartender for us common folk, did a great job but the menu is very confusing, there are too many different parts to it with too many descriptions that I don’t quite get. There’s kid goat that we had to have, the duck-in-a-teepee, the venison biryani and so on. The waiter had to repeat and explain the menu way too many times and it took too long to order. Yes, I know I’m a novice, but it really shouldn’t be this hard.

The Food

The food was very tasty. There are so many spices involved and it is, I assume, very well balanced, but like I said, what do I know about Indian restaurants? I liked it, but I can’t say that I fell in love or that the meal was one of those very memorable meals, which is why I didn’t mark it higher on the food.

I remember going to a Sri Lankan Restaurant in Tooting about 12 years ago shortly after moving to London that I am 100% sure no one who is reading this blog would have ever been to, and having the best Biryani I have ever had. This is a meal I remember, and where my taste buds were so alive that my memory still remembers the taste to this day. Now, that was a stunning dish. Nothing too elaborate, just a corner Sri Lankan with amazing food in a very dodgy neighborhood.

Overall

As much as I did enjoy Gymkhana’s colonial atmosphere more than the food, it did remind me of one of the greatest Biryanis I’ve ever had. As I said, I am a ‘Likes Indian, Likes Corner Curry Shops.’ And I will remain that way, even after trying out what is considered the ‘Best Indian’ in London, but I would go back for the good drinks, the cool atmosphere and the decent food.

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

Reviews

How to choose a primary school? Top Notting Hill Schools

I have received a number of emails from mothers asking me questions about schools; from how to get in, to how to choose a school, to what to wear in the interview (!) and also asking me to write up a review on schools in West London/Notting Hill. They felt that it would be very informative and that it would be helpful for mothers going through the process of choosing a school. So here goes. This is a work-in-progress-post, and I will be adding to it so feel free to send me your opinions on the below schools.

As we all know, choosing a school for your child after nursery can be a head-throbbing, stomach-twisting, heart-pounding experience. So, how does one choose a school? Its proximity? Its Leavers Results? Like-minded parents? Co-ed vs Single Sex? Adorable uniforms? Every parent has his/her own agendas and desires (Pushy Parent vs. Laid Back Parent, Academic Parent vs Artsy Parent, Bling vs. Hippy, location, location, location etc…) and it is very subjective. Parents can have a completely different opinion on the same school.

To preface this post, I am reviewing schools that I think are all great. I would happily send my child to any of them, but I am here to give more nuanced opinions from various mums who have been through the process and to help new mums make informed decisions. So I am including mostly pros and some cons. This is meant to be a positive and helpful exercise rather than a critical one, but I can’t just gush about all of them like in Tatler’s School Guide http://www.tatler.com/guides/schools-guide/2016.

In Alphabetical Order

Bassett House:

http://www.bassetths.org.uk

Bassett House is a great little school in North Kensington that may be considered ‘less pushy’ than some of the other competitive schools in the area. For the parents who are not too keen on Oxbridge and the bling that some of the other schools may have, it is a good alternative. There is less pressure and parents here are probably more down-to-earth, and less intense about competition. For those who want a school that is more relaxed than some of the others, this may be a good choice. It still gets pretty good results, and children go off to good schools, but here it isn’t all about St. Paul’s/Oxbridge/The Ivys.

Chepstow House:

http://www.chepstowhouseschool.co.uk/Admissions/

A relatively new school from the Alpha Plus Group, it is gaining popularity as we speak. One of its greatest qualities is that it is a co-ed school that strives academically, trying to build a reputation to equal Wetherby’s. It is still finding its feet, but based on the most recent results, it is doing well. As a new school, it does have the pressure of ‘proving itself’ and therefore is known to have 1 hour of homework marathons starting from Reception. It does prepare the boys for the 7+ exams and needs to show that it can do the same as Wetherby. Some feel that it is a ‘big’ school with 4 classes per year and is still growing into itself, but many of the parents and children are very happy. Other parents do feel that it is still ‘experimental’ but that in 5 years time after it has found its feet, it will be one of the schools to watch. It is considered less ‘bling’ at the moment than its sister schools Wetherby/Pembridge, but I think this will soon change.

Fox’s:

http://www.fox.rbkc.sch.uk

Everyone should want a place at Fox’s. It is after all one of the best state schools in the country and is often at the top of League Tables. The children are happy, down to earth and there is an exciting curriculum which includes beekeeping and jazz. There, the children can mix with all backgrounds, which can teach your children a thing or two about real life. Oh and did I mention that it’s free! Well, almost free, you just have to move within two feet of the school to even be considered. The biggest drawback about this school is that you have to literally live on the school’s street to get a place. Some parents buy a flat around the corner to get a place, even if they don’t plan on living there, just to get a spot. So if you are ready to move/buy around Notting Hill Gate, this school is one to be considered. Some parents do mention though that if you ever want your children to go private at some point, this school does not prepare for the private school examinations and this will be need to be done with the help of a tutor.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/leaguetables/11288485/Fox-Primary-School-comes-top-for-a-second-year-running.html

Norland Place:

http://www.norlandplace.com

In the heart of Holland Park, Norland Place is a favourite and no-brainer for those who live in the area. It is a good, traditional, English school that is non-selective and highly over-subscribed. It is important to bear in mind that it is only co-ed for the first few years: the classes are split after Year 2 into girls and boys classes, where the boys are ‘honed’ for the 8+ exams, whereas the girls continue on until the 11+ exams. It has good leaver’s results for the boys going to Colet Court and Westminster Under and girls going Godolphin and Latymer. Some parents say it has a very ‘English feel’ to it, so if you are a proper Anglophile, Norland is a great place to go.

Notting Hill Prep:

http://www.nottinghillprep.com

Calling itself the ‘thinking school,’ Notting Hill Prep prides itself on being different than many of the schools in the neighbourhood. Slow and easy settling in period in Reception? Check. No homework for the first year? Check. Learn reading whenever you want to read? Check. So for parents who are less interested in rote learning and are Montessori-Mad, this is a good alternative to many of the hothouses in London. It is not for the neurotic parent who likes structure and routine or those with Oxbridge as their sole goal in mind, but more for parents who are a bit more laid back and shall we say it, cool? The Artsy Crowd is all about NHP; fashion designers, actors, musicians etc… love it there and there is a big emphasis on Drama and the Arts. Until recently, it was thought that NHP didn’t prepare the children enough for the exams into top private schools and those who wanted to prepare them would have to resort to private tutors, but I hear from the inside that they are upping their game. So, for a holistic approach to teaching, hipster/organic parents, NHP is a nurturing, happy environment.

Pembridge Hall:

http://www.pembridgehall.co.uk

Oh the uniform. Half of the parents at this school choose it purely based on sartorial choices. The girls with their red and white plaid dresses, elfin hats and boater hats are heart-melting. It is single sex, which some may not like as much and some say this can lead to cliques and bitch-fests, but the head says that that happens everywhere and the teachers say that it helps the girls’ concentration not to have boisterous boys around. It went through some ups and downs with the previous head, but the new-ish head is genuinely interested and invested and promises a school that is not ‘girly’ and is putting more emphasis on sports. Of course, there are still cooking and sewing after school activities, but the girls do enjoy them. Some parents feel that it doesn’t prepare the girls for the real world and that they live in a ‘bubble,’ but academically, it does very well as a first-come, first serve, non-selective school, getting 6 girls into St. Paul’s last year and into other top London schools without the hassle of the assessment at 3 yo like Glendower and Falkner, but getting comparable results. In the same conversation, you could hear one parent saying it’s not academic enough and another saying it is too pushy, depending on who you talk to. Generally, it is a very popular girls school in the neighbourhood if you are looking at single sex education that is full of locals, and thus very international.

Thomas’ Kensington:

http://www.thomas-s.co.uk/Kensington-Home

This is another very popular day school that parents just love. It is apparently very difficult to get in, with something like 11 spots for boys and 11 spots for girls in Reception as they operate by a sibling policy and that’s all that’s left over after sibling priority. There is an assessment at 3 y.o. which assesses you and the child. If you have a ‘connection,’ you may have an easier time getting into it, so keep networking. The children mostly head towards Thomas’ Battersea after this school, but it is generally considered quite academic. The other kids go off to top schools like St. Paul’s or Latymer Upper. It has a focus on Sports and extracurricular activities like breakdancing and Lego. If your child is not that academic though, there might be a struggle to keep up with the academics. It is considered a ‘busy’ school, so intended for children who will thrive in a busy atmosphere. Seen as a school that offers the breadth of a boarding school, it has more of a British and European feel to it than some of the other more international schools.

Wetherby:

http://www.wetherbyschool.co.uk

‘If you get a spot at Wetherby, you don’t think, you just take it.’ This is one quote I have heard from a number of parents from this school. It has acquired a reputation for preparing the boys for the top prep schools including Westminster Under and Colet Court. It is located next to Pembridge Hall, and as one mum puts it, it is ‘rougher’ than its sister school Pembridge which is considered ‘softer’. So, for boys boys, who like a rough and tumble approach, this a great school. Some parents go at length to try to get a spot including buying chocolates for the Headmaster Mr. Snell. Of course some wonder whether ‘all boys’ schools is an outdated system that leaves boys incapable of speaking to girls, but if you have decided to go for single sex and from a purely academic point of view, there seems to be little competition with Wetherby. You might encounter some Tiger moms here, but it is London after all, and these parents are the ones striving for Oxbridge/The Ivys/Westminster/St. Pauls. Some think it can get highly competitive and intense, as one mum describes her son becoming very anxious at the 7+ exams but now that Wetherby Prep exists, there is less stress and tension for those parents who do think there is life outside Westminster Under/Colet Court.

Other:

Other important schools around are Bute House in Hammersmith, which some consider the ‘top’ girls school around, ‘the golden ticket’ into St. Paul’s Girls School, but others do confirm that there is some hothousing by the parents. Otherwise, it is a lovely school with great facilities, no homework/testing for the first few years. There is a ballot from 4 yo entry then an assessment system at 7+.

Southbank is for those parents only here for a few years and want to remain in the International schooling system and for children who are better off in a less academic environment. One mum whose son was never destined to be in an academically pressurised school is doing well in this school.

Then there are the French and American schools for those looking to move back home one day, both excellent.

Please let me know your (positive) thoughts on the above schools, reply below or by email: nottinghillyummymummy@hotmail.com

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

Reviews, Travel

Hotel Review: Hotel Arts, Barcelona

Hotel Arts

Marina 19-21

Barcelona, Spain 08005

34 93 22 11 000

http://www.hotelartsbarcelona.com/en

Design & Architecture: 5 stars

Service: 5 stars

Food: 4.5 stars

Rooms: 4.5 stars

Value/Price: 4.5 stars

Overall 4.5 stars

BOOK HERE

Ground floor entrance. NHYM 2015

Barcelona!

It had been almost twenty years since I was last in Barcelona (gasp! How old does that make me??) and all I remember is a blurry haze of alcohol-imbibed dancing in some shopping mall club whilst on a backpacking excursion throughout Europe fending off pickpockets, cockroaches and leches. Fast forward twenty years and a whole family in tow, traveling has a very different image: where can you go that is family-friendly and has some kind of culture where both kids and parents will be happy. Cue in Barcelona. It is architecturally one of the greatest cities where walking around is like visiting a museum but where you can stop to have ice-cream while admiring the great Gaudi masterpieces. So off we went to Barcelona this half term with two kids and checked into the Hotel Arts, one of the iconic hotel greats.

High Tech Architecture. NHYM 2015

Design & Architecture

The Hotel Arts was built in 1994 and is an example of High Tech Architecture. It is 154 meters tall and has 483 rooms, so in all terms and purposes is a very big city hotel. Unlike some gigantic hotels, Fontainebleau in Miami comes to mind, it is tasteful and sophisticated. The Frank Gehry public sculpture shaped like a fish called Peix is situated right next to it and was built for the 1992 Olympic Games. It is one of the most famous pieces of public contemporary art.

Champagne at arrival. NHYM 2015

The Service

One of the things I appreciate in 5 star luxury hotels are the incidental perks or freebees that make the experience so enjoyable. At the Hotel Arts, you are welcomed with a champagne glass at the lobby, a clever way to make people think that they are finally on holiday, or that it is time to finally relax. In the lobby, Laurent Perrier bubbly is at hand for the adults and red and green sweeties for the kids.

The service at the Hotel Arts is really top notch. The staff is nice, courteous, young and energetic. They have had the best hotel management training in Lausanne or Montreux. This is the kind of service that you get in Asia, which is considered the best in the world. It makes a difference, compared to that grumpy old man in France/Italy who fobs you off to your room as if he had something else better to do. There are family friendly staff that come up to the children regularly, trying to engage them to make them comfortable in new surroundings.

View from our Room. NHYM 2015.

The Rooms

We had two interconnecting rooms on the 15th floor and they had a great view of the water and the next door harbour, pictured above. The rooms were really rather large when you consider most hotel rooms in big cities: think the Mercer/Tribeca New York that has tiny rooms which are at least double or triple the price of this room. The beds were as good as you can expect from any 5 star hotel and the bathrooms were very nice, although the sinks were showing some wear with rusting around the plug hole.

Overall, we were very pleased with our room.

Ice Cream Trolley by the pool. NHYM 2015

Child-Friendly

Of course, these days, I am more interested in how child-friendly a place is rather than where the table-dancing goes on. The Hotel Arts won some big points for how child-friendly it was. I mean, who doesn’t like the unlimited, free ice-cream trolley by the pool side? The kids were in heaven. Although there wasn’t a kids club, there was a small child area at the breakfast restaurant where the kids played a whole morning (it is for very young children and it is tiny so don’t have high expectations, but my kids loved it). There is also a large pool, although it was unheated so they opted instead for the jacuzzi in the below gardens. They also had a Halloween treasure hunt, with spider lollies as prizes. What else could a child ask for?

Gardens and Terraces. NHYM 2015.

Overall

This was a great hotel and a great base to visit Barcelona, with its seafront full of cool restaurants below it. Some people have gripes, including the food at the tapas restaurant but we didn’t have a chance to eat there, we were too busy trying out various other restos. The breakfast buffet was great, which to me is imperative for a stellar hotel. The other complaint is that it does show some signs of wear although it was renovated in 2006, but with its amazing service, it is easy to overlook that. Finally, they charge €25 for internet per day, but we were exempt with the deal we got. Speaking of deals, since we came end of October and got a deal, the rates were incredibly reasonable. Comparing that to a hotel I went to recently in Washington DC which charged $700 a night and the room looked like a 3 star motel room, this seemed like a bargain.

Frank Gehry Fish. NHYM 2015.

We loved this hotel and were even more surprised by how great it was with kids. Highly recommended and to put on your to do list when in Barcelona.

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

Chill out Area. NHYM 2015.

Reviews

Frieze-Mania: Frieze Art Fair 2015

A Taste of Frieze…

As always, October is a mad rush of art-in-the-city, where everyone in the art world congregates in London to the Frieze or has an event in parallel with the Frieze Art Fair. Right now, there is PAD, Frieze, Frieze Masters, and a ton of exhibits around the city. Considering I am very time-poor at the moment, I had to decide on a single event, which was the opening preview night of the Frieze, giving me a taste of what is currently going on in the Art world.

Forget Kidzania, it’s all about Frieze-mania

Oftentimes, modern and contemporary art can be a little bit ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes,’ in that you can see a work of art and even though everyone else gushes and praises it, you feel a little like ‘Uhm, what?’ This year, I felt that there was more accessible art than in the past years, especially in Rows A-C of the fair (which tends to be the most well known galleries), whereas once you go to the F,G,H, it gets a little too abstract and conceptual for me.

Accessible Art

Here are some of my favourites that I would have liked to take home with me:

Takashi Murakami. Frieze 2015. NHYM

My favourite piece of the art fair from Takashi Murakami sold immediately for £180,000. A bit mainstream, but definitely ‘Happy Art.’

Oil and Acrylic on Canvas. NHYM 2015.

Another artist I quite enjoyed, Secundino Hernandez. Going back to basics, some artists are going back to what we, the mainstream, are comfortable with.

Charcoal on Canvas. NHYM 2015.

Mr. X’s lust-piece was this charcoal drawing on canvas. It really looked like a photograph. Quiet in the middle of Frieze-mania.

Big Smile. Frieze 2015. NHYM

Inspired Art

Warhol-esque Marilyn Monroe – NHYM 2015.

Colourful Rothko-inspired art. NHYM 2015. Or is it a Rothko?

Jeff Koons Inspired Inflatable Cartoon. NHYM 2015.

Sculptures

Naked Lady. Frieze 2015. NHYM

This naked lady was impressive. She never blinked. Until I realised that she was a sculpture and not a real woman.

Naked Lady Frieze 2015 NHYM

Real life-sized dolls. Frieze. NHYM 2015.

Silver Polka Dot Aubergine. Frieze 2015. NHYM

Weird Art

Just weird. Not sure what it is or what it represents. Don’t want that in my living room.

Planes on dishwashers. Frieze 2015. NHYM

I think this gallery won a Gold Prize for something. Not sure what it is. Definitely an ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’ moment for me.

Installations

Ken Kagami Portraits. Frieze 2015. NHYM

The most popular/talked about installation was the free one-to-one intimate portraits drawn by Ken Kagami. In 30 seconds, he will draw a portrait of you, for a man, his penis, for a woman, her breasts. One thing it did was make people smile. Read more here… http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/oct/13/frieze-art-fair-2015-where-you-can-get-a-comedy-drawing-of-your-genitals-for-free

Sound installation inside a model replica of the Frieze Fair. Music made at frequencies for foxes to hear. Frieze 2015. NHYM.

Modern Life: Overstimulation of modernity. Frieze 2015. NHYM

Then there are the people…

Part of the art or part of the crowd? Frieze NHYM 2015

Sometimes, in the art shows, you can’t quite tell who is part of the art and who is part of the crowd. The Art crowd is a mixture of young Art students in student-wear, established artists dressed in girls clothes (Grayson Perry), pretty 20-something-rich-girls interning at a gallery, gallerists and socialites, and uber wealthy collectors in their Chanel/Dior/Birkin/Big Lips. It is always interesting. No slebs spotting this year. In the past I’ve seen Sienna Miller and 1-Direction’s Harry Styles. Must arrive earlier next year…

Funny Shoes Frieze 2015 NHYM

I’ve had my dose of modern art for a while, but it was entertaining, interesting, and brain-bending.

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

Reviews

Restaurant Review: Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

Dinner By Heston Blumenthal. Photo courtesy of the Internet. NHYM 2015.

Dinner By Heston Blumenthal

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

66 Knightsbridge

London SW1x 7LA

Tel 02072013833

http://www.dinnerbyheston.com

Rating:

Food: 4.5 stars

Atmosphere: 4 stars

Service: 4.25 stars

Design & Theatrics: 4.5 stars

Price/Value: 4.25 stars

Overall: 4.3 stars

The Kitchen, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Photo Courtesy of the Internet. NHYM 2015.

Din*ner:

The main meal of the day, taken either around midday or in the evening.

A formal evening meal, typically one in honour of a person or event.

Dinner unfortunately has a lot to live up to: this year it was rated No. 7 Best Restaurant in the World, it has earned two Michelin stars, and was rated 3rd best restaurant in the UK 2015. I went to dinner at Dinner the other night (which, by the way, is really annoying to say), with very high expectations. It’s not the restaurant’s fault, but every critic and journalistic review about this restaurant just gushes about how wonderful it is, so I was feeling dubious about the whole experience. Nothing can live up to its reputation, surely. I remember going to my first Gordon Ramsay restaurant at Claridge’s probably 15 years ago and all I remember about it was that it was a terrible let-down. I don’t remember the food, not the room, not the atmosphere. Just that there was nothing memorable about the experience. So, going to another celebrity-chef restaurant full of accolades and applause left me a little lukewarm.

Chef preparing The Meat Fruit. Photo Courtesy of the Internet. NHYM 2015.

Heston is known for his chemical-food wizardry, creativity and innovation, which made the Fat Duck Best Restaurant in the World in 2005. I read that this restaurant was going to be a very different experience. Where the Fat Duck is an ‘experience’ of theatricality and surprise, Dinner was meant to be somewhere you would want to go back to over and over for a nice meal rather than a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The whole point of Dinner is to re-create old (ancient) British dishes in new, modern and creative ways. Having seen some of Heston’s magic tricks on TV, I was looking forward to some kind of experience (so many restaurants dish out the same dishes over and over that lack any creativity).

Dinner Menu. NHYM 2015.

The menu, as described by Heston on his website is ‘inspired by historic British gastronomy’ with all dishes documented with the year of its origin. From the reviews I had read, there are some signature, ‘cult’ dishes that are a ‘must-try.’ And what’s the point in going to a restaurant without trying it’s world famous dishes. Some friends hadn’t been that impressed and I didn’t know if I was ever going to go to this restaurant again, so might as well try their ‘cult dishes’ or those that have been highly praised. So here’s what made the final list:

Starter: Meat Fruit (c.1500) Mandarin, chicken liver parfait & grilled bread.

The Meat Fruit. Photo Courtesy of the Internet. NHYM 2015.

Neither myself nor Mr. X are particular fans of chicken liver parfait, but when in Rome… It is one of the ‘Cult Classics’ of this restaurant, so not to be missed. This dish is really a feast for the eyes. His Mandarin look-alike is really quite stunningly perfect as food-behaving-like-other-foods (and very appropriate eating it in the Mandarin Oriental). It is worth ordering just to see the mastery that comes with creating this dish. It is good, but it was never going to completely win us over in terms of taste. But even Mr. X was impressed by the artistry involved in creating the dish.

Frumenty (c.1390) Grilled Octopus, smoked sea broth, pickled dulse & lovage

Frumenty, photo courtesy of the internet. NHYM 2015.

The grilled octopus was perfectly cooked and chargrilled, lifting the salty, sea flavours out of the octopus. The ‘lovage’ (some kind of plant) was interesting, but for me it was all about the octopus itself. I skipped the sea broth etc.. which left my palate as I wanted it. Personally, I didn’t need all the extra garnishes.

Roast Iberico Pork Chop (c.1820) Smoked hispi cabbage, confit onion, apple & mean, Robert sauce

The Pork Chop. Photo Courtesy of the Internet. NHYM 2015.

The pork chop was delicious. The quality of the meat immediately stood out. It was really tender and perfectly cooked and seasoned. Again, I didn’t need the added sauces etc… as I thought the meat to be perfect on its own. The smoked cabbage was a nice addition, but didn’t particularly need the confit onion, apple & mead.

Tipsy Cake (c.1810) Spit Roast Pineapple

The Tipsy Cake. Photo Courtesy of the Internet. NHYM 2015.

The Tipsy Cake is another ‘Cult Classic,’ which I couldn’t resist ordering. It was served with spit roast pineapple, rendered sweet and salty on the spit. The doughy, sherry- soaked, sponge cake was full of sweet yet soft flavours, reminding me of my carefree childhood of devouring indulgent cakes in the backyard without the worries of muffin-tops and middle-aged-post-baby-fat.

Ice – Cream Machine

Ice Cream Machine, photo courtesy of the internet. NHYM 2015.

We didn’t manage to try the ice-cream machine, but it looked really fun and gimmicky. Next time…

Overall:

Unlike many two star Michelin restaurants, there weren’t amuses bouches and palate cleansers in between each dish, which was a pleasant surprise. This makes it easier to come for a quick meal rather than a 3-hour sit-down extravagance. The service was great in that the servers were brilliant, knowledgeable, helpful and enthusiastic. It did mean they were a bit slow at times, but it was made up by our waiter’s charm and expertise. The room is a bit bland, but it is a 5 star hotel so can’t digress too much from the mainstream to please a demanding and varied clientele.

Finally, the food is really, really well executed, researched and cooked. Some of the added flavours were not to my liking, but I just didn’t eat what I didn’t like. I am too old for feeling like I need to eat everything on my plate, even things I don’t like. I am pleased that this restaurant wasn’t a let-down. I would happily go back and have the exact same meal over and over again, which I think was Heston’s intention with this restaurant. Now that I’ve found a good formula of starter-main-dessert, I would find it hard to break away from it. The price is quite similar to very pricey restaurants in London: Chiltern Firehouse/Arts Club etc…so not a deterrent for superior cooking.

Hats off to Heston and his team, helmed by the chef Ashley Palmer-Watts who runs the kitchen. It’s a foodie destination with some theatrics, some excellent cooking, and some flaws, but overall, I was won over and have become a devotee of the Heston-Cult.

Chef preparing the Pineapple of the Tipsy Cake. Photo courtesy of the Internet. NHYM 2015.

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

Reviews

Presenting The NHYM Shoe: Designing my own shoes with Upper Street

The Notting Hill Yummy Mummy Shoe. NHYM 2015.

A few months ago, I was approached by Upper Street, an online luxury shoe designing service, to see whether I wanted to design my own shoes. I checked out their website and thought to myself, this could be really fun. I could be creative, sip champagne and macaroons at their Shoe Lounge, and end up with my very own NHYM shoes! I agreed immediately, opting to come and visit their offices and their Shoe Lounge.

The Concept:

Julia Elliott Brown founded www.upperstreet.com in 2010 and has been growing her company steadily ever since. The concept is simple yet smart: design your own shoes online. For women who never find the right sizes or have a very distinct idea of what they want, this certainly could help. In my case, I can’t wear high heels because my feet are a funny shape, so need medium-height heels, which aren’t always that easy to find.

Granted, there are pre-designed styles to choose from so it’s not designing them entirely from scratch, but there are new designs and designers being introduced regularly, which is a great feature (https://www.upperstreet.com/shoe-wonderland/cordwainers-collection). For those who are a bit weary of buying shoes online and not being able to try them on first, there is a Shoe Lounge in central London, where you can try various shoe sizes and shapes to make sure they fit comfortably and where you can actually look and feel the swatches of materials.

To design my shoes, Janine, my stylist, asked me to go online to the Upper Street website and choose a style, the heel, the front, the back, straps, embellishments and colour prior to coming in to the Shoe Lounge so that she could get samples ready for me. Luckily, I found a style that I really liked and decided on silvers and snakeskin in terms of materials because a) it was summer b) my fave silver strappy shoed had recently experienced a slow demise c) who doesn’t love snakeskin? c) I thought something fun and brash would be oh-so NHYM.

A few days after sending in my choices, off I went to visit the Shoe Lounge, which is located in Fitzrovia, a townhouse in the garment district.

I was welcomed by Janine who brought Champagne and Macaroons for me to taste while she laid out a bunch of material swatches based on my colour and material preferences. This is where the fun began!

While I tried on a sample pair of shoes to ensure a good fit, I looked around the various shoes on display, and I could see that you could really try a million different combinations and get very creative with it.

I am very particular with my shoes because I can’t wear very high heels, you see, I don’t have ‘Happy Feet’, I just have ‘Funny Feet,’ funny-looking, funny-shaped and funny in general, which if you recall, are not the prettiest on the block: https://nottinghillmummy.com/2015/07/03/the-serpentine-summer-partys-uptown-funk-2015/ So it is difficult for me to find shoes that fit well. I was somewhat worried about how comfortable the shoes would be, given my shoe history: I have definitely bought a number of shoes that just didn’t fit my feet that ended up laying down to rest in my shoe cupboard untouched for years.

Sample shoe with materials. NHYM 2015.

I found the shoe style I liked, and started choosing fabrics and materials to go with it. Choosing is really difficult! Especially since I already really like the shoe sample itself. It is difficult visualising the different materials together and imagining how they would fit together. It made me realise how hard designing shoes really is. But I loved feeling the various swatches and coming up with different combinations for my shoes.

Sample shoe. NHYM. 2015.

Ok, so my shoe isn’t very different than the sample shoe I tried on (I know, can you even tell the difference??), but I switched the satin silver for metallic silver, lowered the heel, and added silver snakeskin. I could have gone crazier with the shoe colour scheme, but I wanted shoes I could use regularly. I will let someone else take the risk. These shoes would be perfect with a white summer dress, or dressed up with a Christmas cocktail dress.

Red sparkly shoes, Shoe Lounge, Upper Street. NHYM 2015.

After agreeing to the final shoe design, all I had to do was wait three weeks until my shoes would magically appear.

A few weeks later, my very pretty, Net-a-porter-influenced shoe box finally arrived with my very own NHYM shoes inside!

The Verdict:

I love my new shoes. They are more comfortable than I had imagined, which is very important for someone with ‘Funny Feet’. I wore them out to a dinner and so far, no blisters and no aching feet. I haven’t gone through the ‘dancing on tables’ shoe test, which will be the real test of comfortable-ness, but so far so good. The quality seems good, but only time will tell whether they will be durable like good old Jimmy Choos that I have had since 2003.

Upper Street is a fun, young, dynamic company that has a great vision. The only minuses are that there are only limited amount of styles and you can’t actually get your feet ‘moulded’ for the perfect shoe, but if that were the case, the shoes wouldn’t be hovering around £300 but rather around £1,000+. (£225 for flats, £380 and above for ankle boots). They now have their own workshop to really ensure quality control and to create a proper brand. Now that winter is coming, I am rather coveting Janine’s ankle boots, so they will be next on my list for autumn/winter ’15!

Ankle boot. Photo from Upper Street website. NHYM 2015.

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

Reviews

Review: Nailed! A new nail salon in Notting Hill…

All photos courtesy of NHYM 2015.

Nailed

70 Chepstow Road

London W2 5BE

Tel 0207 221 6685

A few girlfriends of mine mentioned a new nail bar in Notting Hill over the last few months, so when I received an invitation to try out the new Nailed on Chepstow Road, it wasn’t hard to convince me to go. Nailed opened in April by Richard Naylor, ex-management consultant, who has a background in business with an MBA and having worked in the city.

Indoor Nailed Salon Bar. NHYM 2015.

When I came in on a rainy Tuesday afternoon for a mani-pedi, I was warmly welcomed by Richard who set the girls on me right away. There are two pedicure reclining chairs at the back and four manicure tables in the front. He is also planning on starting waxing and eyebrow treatments downstairs in a few months. There are all the ESSIE and Shellac Colours you can ask for, and he mentions specialised, bespoke nail extensions that sound rather impressive.

Adrienne my manicurist. NHYM 2015.

Adrienne (or was it Arianne?) my manicurist was lovely, as was my pedicurist. The salon is bright, clean and warm. The herringbone wood flooring is great, and there are flowers adding some life to the place. There are a lot of nail salons that can end up looking a bit sad or grubby, but this isn’t one of them. It is clean and modern. Richard explains that he wants to provide a clean, professional approach with loads of great customer service. That day, I must admit that the customer service was 5/5. I had three people fawning over me, which is always a nice feeling.

He tells me that the salon is doing very well, he even had Kate Hudson come in over the summer with a friend. His hopes are that he can open a second salon next year in St. John’s Wood. He has a whole business plan worked out in his head, and it seems to be working so far.

Nailed Manicure. NHYM 2015.

Time flies as Richard gives me the history of his lifelong dream to open a nail salon, which all started during a year abroad at McGill University. My mani – pedi is done and I didn’t even get a chance to see what the girls were doing. But the results are good. I really like my manicure, which is subtle. My toes are not in the best of shape after the summer, so they are not photo-worthy at the moment.

Richard is a lovely, friendly guy who could talk to you for days about his adventures, girlfriends, and godchildren. He makes the place what it is. The salon is open until 9pm on some nights to cater to the professionals, and he is there each and every night. But he loves it he says. It doesn’t even feel like work, it’s a party every day.

NHYM

http://www.nottinghillyummymummy.com

@NHyummymummy

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Category Archives: Reviews

Hotel Review: NIYAMA, Maldives

Restaurant Review: Ivy Kensington Brasserie

Restaurant Review: Sexy Fish

Restaurant Review: Gymkhana

How to choose a primary school? Top Notting Hill Schools

Hotel Review: Hotel Arts, Barcelona

Frieze-Mania: Frieze Art Fair 2015

Restaurant Review: Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

Presenting The NHYM Shoe: Designing my own shoes with Upper Street

Review: Nailed! A new nail salon in Notting Hill…