If donning your glad rags and visiting a fine dining establishment isn’t quite making your heart skip a beat this Valentine’s Day, we’ve got just the (meal) ticket for you!
Since the start of the pandemic, restaurants up and down the country have been mastering the art of the meal kit with options for at-home dining now bigger, better and more delicious than ever. So whether you’re spending it with your partner or getting the gals round for the night, take your pick from our list of the top 5 tasty meal kits for the ultimate Valentine’s evening in…
Ding Dong Dim Sum
If you want to enjoy delicious dumplings from the comfort of your own home then opt for a delicious feast from Ding Dong Dim Sum. Each box includes dumplings, gyoza, sui mai, bao buns, sticky rice, salad and dips all packaged up and ready to be cooked in the super easy biodegradable steamer provided! All you need to bring to the party is a saucepan, some boiling water and a big appetite! We recommend the mouthwatering Veggie Patch for Two featuring mixed wild mushroom gyoza and spicy tofu and vegetable dumplings.
Borough Market Recipe Boxes
Bring the charm of Borough Market straight to your door with one of their fresh and tasty recipe boxes. Featuring the finest ingredients, customers can choose from starters and mains that rival restaurant quality. From globe artichokes with lemon herb butter to seared beef with asparagus stir fry and confit duck leg tacos, each delectable dish is packed full of indulgent tastes and flavours for an extra special night in.
Bocca Di Lupo
For an Italian feast you won’t forget in a hurry head on over to Bocca Di Lupo. Created especially for Valentine’s Day, the San Valentino Feast for 2 is a gastronomic tour of the world’s most romantic country. Expect creamy burrata, lobster risotto, suckling pig porchetta and ganache filled chocolate profiteroles, all washed down with a refreshing pomegranate martini. As you can see, it’s not called a feast for nothing!
Arabica
If your taste buds are craving some middle eastern spice then the Vegan Feast from Arabica is sure to fit the bill. The vibrant flavour-fest of seasonal, restaurant quality, plant based meze combines exotic flavour combinations and gentle spicing techniques to really bring the vegetables to life. Each freshly prepared meal kit also includes an Arabica music playlist to enhance the at home experience!
Hawksmoor at Home
If steak is the way to your heart then Hawksmoor at Home has you covered. We recommend the indulgent Fillet 2 Course Box which includes prime fillets of beef, ultimate oven chips, creamed spinach, garlic mushrooms, peppercorn sauce and sticky toffee pudding to finish. You also have the option to upgrade your box to include sour cherry negronis or a delicious bottle of Rioja. Hawksmoor at Home kits also come complete with a How to Cook the Perfect Steak guide and a QR code link to masterclass videos with Executive Chef, Matt Brown.
Insider’s Guide to Picture Perfect Positano
By Amira Ashish
When it comes to the world’s most picturesque vistas it is hard to beat Positano. The jewel in the Amalfi Coast’s crown is home to pastel coloured buildings perched on winding cliffs, overlooking the glistening sea. Its hillside location means you have to brace yourself for some rigorous workouts up and down the village steps but it’s a great way of justifying those delectable pasta dishes. Such beauty attracts many visitors but if you plan a trip in the off-peak season, starting from spring, you will be blessed with quieter streets and a higher chance of booking a table at one of the many coveted restaurants. Hotel reservations are more feasible too. Here is a guide to some of the loveliest places to visit in this alluring destination.
WHERE TO STAY
The Icon: Le Sirenuse
For an iconic hotel that is the epitome of chic it’s Le Sirenuse. The passion project of Carla and Antonio Sersale, with their sons Francesco and Aldo at the helm, it is a true family affair and the epitome of laid-back glamour. The hotel is frequented by loyal fans, creatives and the A-List. John Steinbeck, who visited in 1953, wrote “Positano bites deep. It is a dream place that isn’t quite real when you are there and becomes beckoningly real after you have gone.” Rooms with terraces and balconies overlook the blue sea and at night the gentle sounds of the lapping waves can be heard.
Dinner at La Sponda is a dream. Positano’s colourful stack of houses and its iridescent church dome are almost within touching distance from the indoor or al fresco setting. Candles take three hours to light every evening, a testament to the family’s commitment to splendour. Head chef Gennaro Russo specialises in simple Italian food using delicious local ingredients. The Italian wines are only the best and dinner is accompanied by the sound of live mandolin and guitar. A trip to Positano isn’t complete without aperitivo time on the hotel’s twinkling terrace. Dress up, drape soft linen over your shoulders and soak up the ambience. There are intimate indoor bar options in the form of Aldo’s, named after Antonio’s beloved father who opened the hotel, or the Don’t Worry Bar which is famed for its cocktails, sirenuse.it.
The Secret Hideaway: Casa Caprile
Newly redesigned Casa Caprile comprises just a few rooms, each individually styled by the warm and cheery wife of the owner Lucia. It’s a low key but lovely B&B with breakfast served on your terrace every morning. The views of the sea are quite something.
Ask for The Orange Room for a pop of colour or for ultimate privacy the rooftop suite has its own floor, a kitchen and a sprawling terrace overlooking the city. Everything from the headboard fabrics to the crockery are sourced from local artisans and many of the property’s original tiles remain. It sits higher up on the cliffside which means the scenery is phenomenal and it is away from the main tourist strip.
There is a great restaurant, practically on the doorstep, called Da Gabrisa and the charming Gargiulo deli is ideal for homemade food and a strong wine selection. You will be given a very warm welcome by the team, who are born and raised in Positano, booking.com.
WHERE TO EAT
Da Adolfo: The beach club of dreams. Rustic and relaxing with incredible seafood and jugs of sangria. Rock up for lunch then lounge on the chairs before taking a dip. Booking is essential – ask a local for help. This place is a must, daadolfo.com.
Il Tridente: Hotel Poseidon’s terrace is a personal favourite – and there’s so much competition in the area so it’s quite the accolade, iltridentepositano.com.
Da Vincenzo: For traditional dishes and a buzzy ambience. It’s worth the queue round the block, davincenzo.it.
Next2: Excellent contemporary twists on classics in a pretty patio setting with a good wine list, next2.it.
Saraceno d’Oro: The best pizza in Positano with great limoncello spritz to boot, saracenodoro.com.
Chez Black: A vibrant and fun, celebrity pictures sprawled across the wall, kind of place. In the hub of the main beach promenade, it is the place for a night out with sister club Music on the Rocks. The more refined option, a couple of minutes stroll away is Rada, which is also part of the collection, chezblack.it.
Il Ritrovo: high up in the hills of Positano, with a free shuttle service to get there, is this calm and romantic retreat with authentic dishes and a cookery school, ilritrovo.com.
Lo Guarracino: next to a quieter beach with gorgeous sea views and an inviting menu. Prepare yourself for a little hike to get there though, loguarracinopositano.it.
Carlino Restaurant: the super exclusive beach club of Il San Pietro hotel is meant to be for guests only but if you give them a call and ask for a table you may strike lucky. The views at every turn are breathtaking, from the gardens to the oceanfront or the interior design, ilsanpietro.com.
WHERE TO SHOP
Linomania: linen clothing made by hand on site. If you ask nicely the owner will even show you her workshop upstairs.
Theodora: for colourful dresses sewn by mamma and styling by her daughters, theodorapositano.it.
Gocce di colore di De Simone Michela: an unassuming pottery workshop where the owner will personalise everything for you if you give her a few days. All crafted on site. It’s where some of the big name restaurants go to get their tableware made but don’t tell anyone.
Ceramiche Casola: ceramics heaven with the most fabulously bright, bold homeware, ceramichecasola.com.
Emporio Sirenuse: wonderful Carla and her niece have started their own collection and you will want everything in store, emporiosirenuse.com.
Casa e Bottega: tastefully curated homeware and organic food shop with its very own cookbook, casaebottegapositano.it.
Follow @thedesigneditor and @clubrapport for more travel inspiration.
The Hotels Making Waves in Fashion
By Amira Hashish
The evolution of hotels into lifestyle brands is reaching new heights with a flurry of fashion lines stemming from our favourite holiday haunts. From grand dames collaborating with rising designers to boutique guesthouses curating their own collections, hotel merchandise has never been so coveted. Some pieces make a statement with logos on proud display, others take a more subtle approach. The fashion set can’t get enough with the likes of Olivia Palermo regularly spotted in Emporio Sirenuse and Kate Moss wearing ISSIMO loafers. Here are some of the collections that will brighten up your wardrobe…
Palm Heights x Bode
The Cayman Islands’ first all-suite boutique hotel is rippling through the travel world for all the right reasons. Founder and creative director Gabriella Khalil has made it her mission to blend considered design, food, art, culture and wellness. The hotel champions collaboration and that extends to its merchandise. A standout piece is a terry cloth beach jacket by rising menswear designer Emily Bode; striped towels used throughout the property have been repurposed to create the retro style coverall. Cotton hoodies, beach bags and slides are also part of the hotel’s in-house range, palmheights.store.
Sunset Tower x Sporty & Rich
Hotelier Jeff Klein reinvented the landmark Hollywood hotel a little over a decade ago. He is all about the understated and elegant look with an edge. Design highlights include a dark and moody bar and a pool area with the signature LA vista. There are pink leather semi-circular booths and sofas covered in fabric that Klein designed himself. Meanwhile, Sporty & Rich defines itself as a wellbeing label with simple yet thoughtfully made products that emphasise longevity. Its founder Emily Oberg, who has reinvented streetwear, has long loved Sunset Tower so the collaboration came naturally. Subtly co-branded tracksuits, t-shirts, and accessories in lavender, chocolate, heather grey and cream are the epitome of laid-back luxe, sportyandrich.com.
Palazzo Avino x The Pink Closet
Palazzo Avino is a pink palace of dreams in Ravello on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Once a 12th century private villa for an Italian noble family, it is now one of the most spectacular hotels in the Mediterranean. The hotel’s owner Mariella Avino has conceived what can only be described as the walk-in wardrobe of dreams in The Pink Closet. Less a shop, more an experience, it is a beautiful curation of clothing and jewellery. Its own sleepwear and lipstick line is a lovely reminder of this fabulously fanciful destination, thepinkcloset.com.
Nobu Ibiza Bay x LOVE BRAND & Co.
On the shores of Talamanca Bay, Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay blends chilled out holiday vibes with a healthy balance of fun and Japanese fusion cuisine. The hotel has teamed up with LOVE BRAND & Co. to create shorts and shirts that embody its spirit. The summer lifestyle brand is rooted in travel. Founders Oliver and Rose have been chasing the sun together since they met in 2010. With family ties to the Bahamas, the couple have spent the last decade soaking up island life and creating their collection. The Sea Weave print and colours are inspired by the Posidonia seagrass meadows in Ibiza. It is all for a good cause with a percentage of sales going to the conservation fund Ibizan Preservation to help protect the threatened seagrass meadows, lovebrand.com.
Il Pellicano x ISSIMO
To say that the owner and artistic director of legendary Pellicano hotel group Marie-Louise Sciò is one of Italy’s tastemakers would be an understatement. Her boutique hotel on the Argentario Coast of Tuscany is the region’s most fashionable retreat. So it’s not surprising that she launched her own concept store, e-commerce and lifestyle platform called ISSIMO. As well as the hotel’s logo sweatshirt and t-shirt you will find a trove of fashion, beauty and home gifts by Il Pellicano’s collaborators and friends, issimoissimo.com.
Ritz Paris x FRAME
Sometimes the best pairings are the most unexpected. The iconic Parisian hotel has teamed up with denim brand Frame for its first foray into the world of fashion and the results are sublime. Each of the 22 pieces in the capsule collection is crafted from luxury materials and designed to evoke the sense of place the famed hotel has established. Instagram has gone wild for the double act and it has firmly put the Ritz on the map for the next generation of travellers, frame-store.com.
Eden Rock St Barths x PatBO
Brazilian brand PatBo makes swimwear with sass. Founder and creative director Patricia Bonaldi began her career by opening a multi-brand store in her hometown of Uberlândia. Soon after, she started receiving requests to design her own pieces and so PatBo was born. Her capsule collection for Eden Rock comprises a gloriously feminine range of beachwear and nightwear paying homage to the hotel’s glamorous sunbeds and sea views, patbo.com.
Emporio Sirenuse
Carla Sersale of Le Sirenuse (featured in our Insider’s Guide to Positano) and her niece Viola Parrocchetti have been beavering away on Emporio Sirenuse since 2013. Their carefully curated collection of beachwear, resort wear, design and lifestyle items are favoured amongst the glitterati. Let’s just say the Le Sirenuse straw bag is a must for any Amalfi-goer worth their salt. MATCHESFASHION and Net-A-Porter stock the collection too. The Emporio works directly with small, family-owned enterprises in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, using a network of talented artisans, many of them selected personally by Viola during the six years she spent living in India, emporiosirenuse.com.
Follow @thedesigneditor and @clubrapport for more travel inspiration.