September is the best time for a reset – to start afresh and make one final, glorious attempt at salvaging that thing called a calendar year.
Whether those resets take shape in a salon (in the guise of a new do) or at the kitchen table (handbag toppled and scrawled calendar in full view) taking pause to asses how best to spend your time makes for a truly rewarding afternoon/ evening activity.
From London’s must-visit bistro to chic diary entries, here’s what’s on our radar this week at the Citizen Femme HQ.
EAT HERE Louie
Hospitality hotshot Guillaume Glipa (of Chiltern Firehouse, Coya, Umu and Zuma acclaim) and Laurent de Gourcuff of Paris Society bring chic Franco-New Orleans eatery to London’s Covent Garden. Taking its name from New Orleans’ jazz idol, Louie Armstrong, and France’s illustrious Sun King, Louis XIV, the two-storey restaurant sees reverence paid at every turn. Blending the characteristics of four cities, Louie invokes the soul of New Orleans, the sophistication of Paris and the sass of a New Yorker, all from its London base. Expect a menu (prepared by New Orleans’ ‘It’ chef Slade Rushing) of classic French cuisine alongside traditional Creole dishes with some signature New York plates sliding in late night for good measure. Post-prandial, be lured to the upper level for live jazz and DJ sets. An open lounge with roaring fireplace and roof-terrace garden offers a repose for those in need of a breather before getting back into the swing of things.
WATCH THIS Ratched
Ryan Murphy’s Ratched has arrived to Netflix. The One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest prequel, starring Sarah Paulson as Nurse Mildred Ratched, traces the titular nurse’s time working at a leading psychiatric hospital. With all the gore of American Horror Story and all the glamour of Hollywood (both past projects of Murphy’s) the eight-part series has a distinctly Hitchcockian vibe. Its glittering heavyweight cast, which includes Cynthia Nixon, Sharon Stone, Sophie Okonedo and Judy Davis, won’t be enough to distract you from the show’s gratuitously violent nature, but its rise-of-the-antihero examination will make it too hard to turn off/away. Get viewing; a second series is already in the pipeline.
BUY THIS Smythson 2021 Soho Diary
In a September state of mind, we’ve decided now is the time to take stock and plan for the months (and year) ahead. The 2021 Soho diary is perfect for planners desperately craving some structure and order in their lives. Running from 16 November 2020 to 23 January 2022, the retro diary (which we suppose is a quality of all analogue items, non?) is bound in Smythson’s signature crossgrain leather and packed full of delicate pale blue paper. CF’s favourite feature? Being able to view a snapshot of your week alongside your to-do list.
SCHEDULE THIS George Northwood @ Home
Not everyone feels comfortable travelling into central London to visit a salon just yet, so George Northwood and his team are bringing the salon experience to client’s homes. As of 22 September, the George Northwood styling team will be offering cuts and blow-dries to customers at home (Zones 1 to 3 only to begin with). Available Tuesday to Saturday (operating under the same hours as the salon) certain stylists will be assigned to certain postcodes (fingers crossed your coiffeur of choice lives close by). A £50 add-on call-out fee will also be applied to all bookings, which can be made via email ([email protected]). Your stylist will arrive to your hall door in full PPE (mask and visor) ready to tend to those (soon-to-be) luscious locks of yours.
STAY HERE Timeless Travel with Chedi Andermatt and Hublot
If there is one thing that the past months have reminded us of in no uncertain terms, it is that time is precious; especially the time we spend with loved ones. Accordingly, The Chedi Andermatt and Swiss watchmaker Hublot have created an exclusive package that brings time into focus and also includes some very special keepsakes. The “Timeless Travel with The Chedi Andermatt and Hublot” package costs £14,300 and includes one men’s and one women’s Hublot Classic Fusion Black Magic (ordinarily priced at £14,300) plus two nights in a deluxe suite with champagne and canapés, a degustation menu in The Japanese, a 60-minute Alpine massage and a five-course menu in The Restaurant. Swish, Swiss, bliss. Note: the package can only be booked until 22 December 2020.
Any Questions or Tips to add?