The place that best sums up the UK's capital for Dame Kelly Holmes? The view from London Bridge.
“It's what London's all about. The new, the old, the heritage, the scenery,” said the broadcaster and Olympian as she joined us – and a host of fellow celebrities – for the launch of HELLO! London, our new biannual guide to the capital, which debuts with a summer issue that brings together the best of what London has to offer for the season.
Also among the guests were singer Ciinderella Balthazar, actress Ruby Sear and fashion designer Sophie Hermann, who all put on their glad rags for the party at MR PORTER Steakhouse, Bar & Lounge, the city’s hottest new opening in exclusive Mayfair.
© Danny CravenIlluminated by torches and lined with mauve velvet banquettes, this sleek restaurant, bar and lounge certainly set the scene.
By early evening, the first guests had wafted through the doors, among them Ciinderella, who, wearing a frothy mini dress, tipped The Roof Gardens in Kensington as a top destination for a night out with the girls.
Actress Ruby – most recently seen in Guy Ritchie’s Netflix action series The Gentlemen – slipped in wearing an impossibly cool suede jacket. Her tips included sunny days on Hampstead Heath, vintage shopping at Portobello Market and a pint at The Hemingford Arms in Islington.
© Danny Craven“That’s my vibe,” she said. “A couple of beers, live music – it’s great.”
The evening’s soundtrack was provided by Fat Tony, the internationally renowned DJ who has long been a staple at the capital’s most fabulous events. “For me, there’s no better place to rave than London,” he said.
© Danny CravenFor a more intimate evening, he recommends The Dover in Dover Street, where he and his fiancé Stavros Agapiou have their own table. “We’ve gone there ever since it opened,” he said.
Their other favourite dining spot, for Chinese cuisine, is A Wong in Pimlico. “It’s this amazing Michelin-starred place, it’s family-owned, it’s incredible,” Tony said.
© Danny CravenWaiters glided through Mr Porter – which describes itself as fearlessly exploring “the border between dinner and sinner” – with trays of jewel-like canapés: spicy yellowtail with crispy lotus, beef carpaccio with green asparagus, and potato chips crowned with sour cream and caviar.
Meanwhile, our photographer weaved through the crowd, capturing the intimate and the irreverent.
© Danny CravenConversations ranged from summer plans in Ibiza to the gossip from Milan Fashion Week, while Nyetimber champagne and negroni mocktails were served from the 360-degree bar.
With a glass in hand, designer Sophie shared her favourite secret dining spot. “La Poule au Pot, in Pimlico: it’s French, it’s dark, it’s romantic, it’s sexy,” she said.
