This is it. Not in the Michael Jackson sense. But our farewell to London. Three years, eleven months and eight days after arriving in the Big Smoke, we find ourselves once again, passport in hand at the Eurostar terminal. In the intervening years, the terminal has of course moved from Waterloo to St Pancras. Other… [Read more…]
August 4, 2010
We thought we knew all about Martinis. As a founding member of the Dry Martini Club (DMC to its friends) we have spent the last four years researching, making, re-making and tasting Martinis. What more could we learn? As it turns out, quite a lot. And we’re going to share it all with you. Right… [Read more…]
August 2, 2010
If ever one man truly lived the Prodigal lifestyle it is James Bond. The cars, the food, the gadgets, the travel, the watches, the – eh – nocturnal activities: everyone’s favourite gentlemen spy had the life we all aspire to. Or do we? The truth is that if you’ve ever actually tried to match Mr… [Read more…]
July 7, 2010
So, the die is cast: we’re off to the city of lights. Woo hoo! And with one month to go, there is much to savour about our beloved London before we leave. Here’s a list of the ten things we’ll miss most about the big smoke. 1. Running through Hyde Park on a sunny Sunday… [Read more…]
June 16, 2010
It’s about time here at The Prodigal Guide that we faced up to some home truths. We can no longer deny it. We are total, unapologetic Hispanophiles. It all began in the early 90s when the awkward Spanish boys at school blossomed into beautiful young Mediterranean men. Indeed, our first broken heart came at the… [Read more…]
June 2, 2010
When you have a hot date in London town, you need to pick somewhere special. And in a city where you’re spoilt for choice, that could be any number of places. But for Mr Fling’s visit to London one venue stood out: the oh-so-cool Dean Street Townhouse in the heart of Soho. Owned by the… [Read more…]
May 19, 2010
When we signed up to lovestruck.com we committed to go on six dates to give this thing a proper chance. Date number four was due to be last week, with a certain Simon75. A Derbyshire lad, he has been in London for ten years. We emailed for a month or so and just as we… [Read more…]
May 12, 2010
They say there are three topics you should avoid in polite company: religion, politics and money. On our third Lovestruck date which lasted barely two hours, we tackled them all. Ouch. It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in London. Sri Lankan Ali, a software engineer with an interest in photography was charming on email and… [Read more…]
May 5, 2010
A lawyer, a lobbyist, a scientist, a banker and an IT guy met up on a Friday night. Well, that’s what we are now. Back in 1994 we were class mates and frolicking teenagers. We hadn’t seen each other in over ten years but through the wonders of Facebook we were in touch again and… [Read more…]
April 14, 2010
Where do you take five football-mad Spaniards for a Saturday night out in London? Shoreditch. And here’s why. It’s not too young, not too old, it’s cosmopolitan without being touristy, edgy without being grubby. It has everything; pubs, bars, restaurants and clubs. And all within walking distance. It was also the only place we could… [Read more…]
March 27, 2010
A week on from our first Lovestruck date, it was time to meet date number 2. Andy, a 31 year-old Englishman with a cat called Pandora, suggested meeting at the British Film Institute bar on the South Bank after work one Thursday. We’d been emailing for a few weeks. The conversation was easy, relaxed and… [Read more…]
March 19, 2010
Recently single, The Guide decided 2010 was the time to give online dating a go. A year ago, we were handed a fun flyer in Westminster that announced: “I know someone who fancies you”. Our curiosity was aroused. Lovestruck.com is the latest arrival on the online dating scene. With sites for London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Singapore,… [Read more…]
February 16, 2010
We take our martinis very seriously around here. Very. Seriously. Hell, Patito has practically devoted her blogging career and social life to tracking down the perfect specimen. And, when it comes to our favorite cocktail, we tend to think that it’s a case of “the simpler the better”. Ice-cold Grey Goose, a plump juicy olive… [Read more…]
January 1, 2010
We’ve been blogging for a couple of years now but we like to think of 2009 as The Prodigal Guide’s first real year in business. It’s really only in the last 12 months that we’ve made a concerted effort to keep it regularly updated and relevant. And we’re delighted to report that the effort seems… [Read more…]
November 17, 2009
When we were invited to a birthday party at La Meilleure Jeunesse one Saturday night we were keen to see how one particular 34 year-old was handling the transition to 35 – which as we all kept reminding him is, after all, half of 70. We were also curious to see how a (Belgian) restaurant… [Read more…]
October 26, 2009
Just returned from a couple of weeks in Hong Kong – including a lunch at the two Michelin starred BO Innovation – we are currently London’s most obnoxious, self-proclaimed dim sum experts. We can wax lyrical about the little parcels all day long. We are also, incidentally, the most frightful snobs and instinctively wary of… [Read more…]
October 21, 2009
We loved, loved, loved Bedford & Strand! It’s difficult to put a finger on why exactly, but the combination of location, atmosphere, service, menu and company on the night certainly had something to do with it. The evening started off in the fantastic Skylon bar above Festival Hall where a couple of (perfect) Martinis were… [Read more…]
October 13, 2009
London has gone crazy for Mexican market eating. Opened in 2007, there are now two Wahacas and a third is on the way in chain-mad Canary Wharf. So, how do former Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers and business partner Mark Selby fare? Well it took three attempts (damn those no reservations policies) but one Wednesday night… [Read more…]
September 17, 2009
Stepping out of Old Street tube station, having boarded at Earls Court, culture shock set in. Walking down the street, it was immediately obvious that the Guide was both too old and too uptight for this neighbourhood. Effortless cool is what is required. Heading down Great Eastern Street, the Guide tried not to react when… [Read more…]
May 9, 2009
An Englishman, a Scot and two Sicilians walk into a bar. “Is called Blanket Beach Babylon, very Nottin’ ‘ill”, Sicilian No.1 declared proudly. The welcoming committee consisted of a heavily made up waitress in 7-inch heels and a stuffed white poodle with a feather boa around its neck. In the corner, sat a Russian… [Read more…]
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The Prodigal Fool
Straight-Six
Patito
Lady B
August 25, 2010
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