This Week CF Loves: 28.09.26

Ever since 1945, Franco’s has offered classic Italian dishes with a dose of glamour. White table cloths, uniformed staff and polished wood, London’s oldest Italian restaurant is a favourite among a well-heeled crowd who want an excellent lasagne in a refined setting. Its new, faintly nostalgic all-day bar offers a more relaxed, intimate space to enjoy its elegant atmosphere, with a small-plates menu and new cocktail list. There’s a sleek 50s aesthetic; mid-century metal lamps moodily illuminate wood tables and antique mirrors create a sense of space. The service is seamless and the food delicious. It’s the sort of place where everyday rituals feel more special – a leisurely morning cappuccino made by a barista who knows how the Italians do it, or an afterwork martini served just right, or a perfectly chilled, impromtu glass of champagne. If you can, stay for the paccheri with n’duja and smoked ricotta – you owe it to yourself. – Ella Alexander.

Smythson’s iconic Fashion Diary turns 30 this year, and to mark it, the brand has done something rather special: a full collaboration with Grace Coddington, the woman who has shaped fashion imagery for decades. Since its 1997 launch, the Fashion Diary has been the quiet backbone of fashion month, packed with local recommendations for New York, London, Paris and Milan, and plenty of room for show notes in between. “Smythson diaries have recorded my schedule for over 30 years,” Coddington says. “They’ve organised me and kept me on time (well, they’ve tried).” A hand-drawn cover illustration shows a playful reimagining of the legendary “Front Row.” And inside, you’ll find Coddington’s own recommendations across all four fashion capitals, the shopping spots and restaurants she actually returns to, not the obvious tourist list. “I’ve had a Smythson address book and diary for years and years,” she adds. “So what better than one that is personalised to me?” A companion set of correspondence cards, featuring her illustrations engraved onto white wove with gold borders, sold out almost immediately, customers can register online now to be first in line when they’re restocked.

Be honest, after a summer of sandals, pool decks and going barefoot the second the sun came out, your feet have taken a beating. Hard skin, stubborn calluses, cracked heels, that we can quietly cover up in boots the moment autumn arrives. But footcare shouldn’t be a once-a-year scramble before holiday season, and the shift toward medical-grade pedicures is finally treating feet as skin that deserves real care, not just a fresh coat of polish. Enter Elim, and its MediHeel system, a clever alternative to the harsh blades and aggressive filing most of us have come to associate with a “deep” pedicure. Instead, Elim uses active ingredients at pH11 to gently soften hard skin and calluses, followed by a neutralising step that rebalances the skin properly. Worth booking in now, before boot season lets you forget your feet exist for six months.