Green Park

When it comes to summer holidays, you can’t beat the French Riviera.

With blue sea, blue sky, picturesque villages, quiet beaches and fantastic food, no wonder it’s been the playground of the rich & famous for so long!

However, no need to be rich or famous (or even to face the dreadful summer holiday airport check-in lines) to experience this little piece of Summer heaven, because Le Méridien Piccadilly is bringing Nice to London for the Summer!

Nod to the French origins of the brand, Le Méridien Piccadilly’s restaurant, Terrace Bar & Grill, has been transformed into an idyllic coastal resort.

Le Méridien Piccadilly Summer Soirée | Cake + Whisky

Complete with striped sun loungers, sun umbrellas, blossoming climbing plants, espadrilles and a spot of apéritif…

… and even a pétanque field!

The iconic French sport is a favourite at family gatherings and a classic beachside hobby.

The rules are really quite simple: you throw the small ball (the ‘cochonnet‘) first, and then it’s all about getting the big, metal balls as close as possible to it.

Whether you play in a tête-à-tête (one-on-one) or in teams, it’s always great fun and perfect to work up an appetite!

Which you’ll most definitely need to make the most of the antipasti menu, all inspired by classic Niçois dishes.

Beautiful Artichoke Barigoule with creamy aioli.

Mini pots of melt-in-the-mouth Daube Provençale with carrots and olives.

Pan Bagnat (a tuna-filled bun & Nice’s answer to burgers!) and Pissaladière mini Tarte Tatin.

Niçoise salad (of course).

And the cutest little macarons!

All washed down with icy glasses of Sifflet cocktails (martini Bianco, Champagne, mandarin syrup & citrus zest).

And a glass or two of crisp local wine (when in France…)

… or, get two birds with one stone & indulge your French fashion fix with the Cocktail Espadrilles.

The perfect summer drink + the perfect Summer shoes? Summer packing’s never been that easy!

Which means more time to soak in the sunshine of the French Riviera!

So gather friends, book a nice big table, put on your stripy Tees and enjoy the Summer vibes!

I’m always on the lookout for a great cocktail bar. So when I was invited to the launch of Smith & Whistle, I grabbed my magnifying glass, put my bowler hat on and jump in the nearest cab (aaaaah, isn’t the Tube Strike a blessing?). To Piccadilly please, Driver!I followed the light beams to the scene of the crime…Or rather, the most stunning modern Art Deco bar I’ve ever seen. Nestled in the Park Lane Hotel on Picadilly, the newly opened Smith & Whistle masters the mix of genres. I’m happy to report that my investigations made me discover that it also has a very well stocked bar indeed! What I truly fell head over heels for was the decor. And those delightful blue-green-gray chairs!
My sidekick and I started the evening with a glass of Chapel Down Brut, a wonderfully British sparkling wine. Smith and Whistle bar launch party | Cake + Whisky Just as we were getting cracking’ on some urgent matters (us detectives don’t have an easy life!), we were offered some extremely crunchy pork crackling, which led me to do that epic face (and consequently ruined any chance of us getting onto any serious matter that evening…).
Instead, we investigated the cocktail menu in search of our next tipple. Which was more complicated than we thought it would be. Not that the menu was long (it was refreshingly short), but it was very interesting (I might even have used the word ‘bulls-y’). We finally made our choice, placed our order and indulged in a bit of people-watching while the bar team got busy doing their thing… Huge silver trays crossed the room, full of glasses in all shades of yellow, from the pale gold of sparkling wine to the bright orange of those cute bottles.The Detective Inspector Smith (Jameson, lemon, simple syrup, Angorusta bitters and beer foam) was obviously a must-order (the bar was named after him after all)! The perfect cross between a whisky sour and a pint of beer. Which gave my rather smug-looking sidekick the perfect opportunity to practice his best pub-buddy smile. I truly recommend you give this a go (both the cocktail and the smile!) as it truly is on of the most balanced cocktails I’ve had in a while.
I went for another crowd-pleaser, The Fuzz (Havana Rum infused with rosemary, Cocchi Americano, Aperol. Carbonated). I mean, who could not like such an Instagram-worthy cocktail?One by one, people started to leave and the atmosphere went from buzzy to cheerfully relaxed.Brilliantly crafted cocktails, smiles all round and classy hats… I miht just have found my new Mayfair local!