What I’m loving this August

Worth the spend:

Trinity, Clapham

I finally treated myself to dinner at Trinity and it did not disappoint. Adam Byatt has been running this Clapham Old Town gem for nearly twenty years, and the Michelin star is thoroughly deserved. I went for the full downstairs experience, all soft jade and dusty pink, with a clear view into the open kitchen so you catch the plates coming together before they land in front of you. An incredible wine list to get lost in, and service that makes you feel thoroughly looked after. If you are planning a birthday or an excuse to dress up, this is where I would send you.

Worth a buy:

Addison Ross Bobbin Lamp

I am a sucker for a beautiful object that also does a job, and this ticks both boxes. The bobbin shape is so satisfying, glossy and sculptural, almost like a piece of jewellery for your side table. It is rechargeable too, so it can wander from desk to dinner table to garden without you thinking about a plug. It has this gorgeous deep shine, and with three brightness settings it works just as well for a candlelit supper as it does for reading in bed. I have got my eye on a few different colourways. A genuinely lovely buy for yourself, or a lovely gift. Buy here.

Worth a ticket

Anish Kapoor, Hayward Gallery

I try not to overuse the word unmissable, but this one earns it. Kapoor has taken over the entire Hayward building, every room and terrace, floor to ceiling, for his first major show there since 1998. You move from his famous mirrored works, which fold your own reflection back at you in the strangest ways, into rooms that seem to swallow light entirely thanks to his use of Vantablack, and out onto installations that genuinely blur where the artwork ends and the building begins. It is part of the Southbank Centre’s 75th anniversary programme, curated by Ralph Rugoff in his final show as director, so there is a real sense of occasion. Book ahead, this is going to be the ticket everyone wants this summer.

Worth a bite

The Dusty Knuckle

I will happily queue for good bread, and Dusty Knuckle is worth every minute of it. What started as a bakery in a shipping container in a Hackney car park has grown into one of London’s most loved names in sourdough, and the potato sourdough alone is reason enough to make the trip. Beyond the bread, the sandwiches are the real draw for me, generous and proper between that famously good crust, with pastries that disappear far too quickly once bought. It is also a social enterprise that trains young people facing barriers to work, so every loaf comes with a bit of good behind it too. If you are in Dalston, do not walk past.

Worth a visit

Great Scotland Yard Hotel

Tucked just off Whitehall, this hotel has one of the best backstories in London. It is housed in the original headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, all history and quiet intrigue, now reimagined as five-star luxury. I popped in for a drink and came away wanting to book a room purely for the atmosphere. The public spaces nod constantly to its past life, there is a hidden whiskey bar that feels like stepping into another era, and the restaurant is overseen by a Michelin starred chef doing Nordic British food as considered as the surroundings. It manages to feel grand and genuinely warm at once, which is a harder trick than it sounds. Copy and paste the code below into the ‘corporate or group code’ section to get 25% off: 1040437.

Ottolenghi COMFORT

I have been dipping in and out of this one for weeks and it just keeps giving. Yotam Ottolenghi teamed up with Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley for this one, and it is his most personal book since Jerusalem, full of childhood memories and travel stories woven through more than 100 recipes. It takes the comforting classics you know and gives them the Ottolenghi treatment, so a bowl of pasta becomes caramelised onion orecchiette with hazelnuts and crispy sage, and a plate of mash turns into garlicky aligot potato with leeks and thyme. Buy here.