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Mar 29

The You Season 4 London Locations you can Visit

Having taken in New York, LA and suburban San Francisco in seasons one to three, Netflix’s OTT psychological satire, You, saw lead character Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley, Gossip Girl) hotfoot it to Paris at the end of the last series. But when season four dropped this month, the charming stalker turned serial killer quickly moves on to London on his “little European holiday”.

Joe is now masquerading as Jonathan Moore, a lecturer at Darcy College, and becomes the hunted rather than the hunter, embroiled in an Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery. On arriving in London “a city of art, theatre, books and the occasional douchebag,” as he describes it in his signature sardonic voiceover, Joe falls in with a young, rich and glamorous crowd that includes Simon Soo (Aidan Cheng) and his sister Sophie (Niccy Lin), offspring of a Chinese billionaire.

“Darcy College” is in reality Royal Holloway’s imposing campus in Surrey. Its grand library though is really Lincoln’s Inn in central London. Usually only accessible if you are a member of the England and Wales Bar, Lincoln’s Inn offers tours for the public but cannot always guarantee access to the library. Here are the other locations you can visit. 

South Kensington

You. Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 401 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

Joe, posing as Jonathan, lives in South Kensington, an expensive west London neighbourhood typicalised by white stucco townhouses and private garden squares. Our anti-hero is flat-sitting in real life Kynance Mews, a cobbled street so picture perfect he quips he’s living in a Hugh Grant film. The location is about a ten minute walk from the V&A, Natural History and Science museums. South Ken also has a number of appealing pubs including The Builder’s Arms on Kensington Court Place where Joe follows his latest obsession, Kate Galvin (Charlotte Ritchie). 

Spitalfields

In episode one we see Joe strolling through Spitalfields, an arty area in East London. Walking along Brushfield Street he passes Spitalfields Market. There’s been a market on this site since 1666 and in its modernised incarnation it’s home to boutiques and restaurants as well as stalls. Joe then walks through Artillery Passage, a tiny lane of original Georgian shopfronts now including a number of shops and eateries. Commenting on the local hipsters and how drinking time starts early, he passes Commercial Tavern which has a telegenic corner location on Commercial Street and is known for its quirky interior. The pub is due to reopen in March following a refurbishment.

St Pancras International

You. Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 401 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

Where Joe intercepts his season three obsession, Marienne, on her way back to Paris. Even if you’re not catching a train, St Pancras is worth a stop for its impressive Victorian architecture and “Europe’s longest champagne bar”. The station also features several contemporary sculptures and art installations. 

Old Billingsgate

You. Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 402 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

Simon Soo’s art exhibition opening is held at “The Clotho Gallery” – in reality Old Billingsgate, former home of the famous 19thcentury fish market. The building is now an events space but you can visit the Grade II listed exterior next to The Thames with its distinctive arched glass doors shown in several scenes in You. The riverside pedestrianised area in front has a great view of Tower Bridge – as depicted in the scene where Joe sits waiting for Simon with the bridge lit up in the distance behind him.

Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square

You. (L to R) Ed Speleers as Rhys, Penn Badgley as Joe in episode 402 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

Lady Phoebe (Tilly Keeper)’s apartment was filmed at the Four Seasons hotel in the City. She appears to live at one of the Residences which are bookable for extended stays and some of which, like Phoebe’s, have terraces with views of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. The hotel includes the two Michelin starred restaurant La Dame De Pic by acclaimed chef Anne-Sophie Pic.

Seething Lane Garden 

You. Eve Austin as Gemma in episode 401 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

Next to Ten Trinity Square is this manicured garden where Gemma Graham-Greene (Eve Austin) and Princess Blessing (Ozioma Whenu)drink coffee. The diarist Samuel Pepys lived on Seething Lane in the 1660s and is said to have buried his collection of cheese and wines under this spot during the Great Fire of London. There’s a bust of Pepys in the garden which Gemma poses for a photograph in front of.

St Bartholomew The Great – SPOILER ALERT

You. (L to R) Penn Badgley as Joe, Charlotte Ritchie as Kate in episode 403 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

This atmospheric medieval church tucked away on West Smithfield is the setting for Simon’s funeral. Commemorating its 900th anniversary this year (it’s the oldest surviving church in London) St Bart’s The Great was built by a jester in the court of King Henry I. The church is usually open to the public every day (between services on a Sunday). 

Knebworth House

You. (L to R) Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, Lukas Gage as Adam in episode 404 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
You. Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 404 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
You. Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 404 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
You. (L to R) Tilly Keeper as Lady Phoebe, Charlotte Ritchie as Kate in episode 404 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022

The group escape London for Phoebe’s country house, Hampsie, in reality Knebworth House in Hertfordshire about an hour from London. A gothic mansion with turrets and gargoyles, Joe remarks it looks like a cross between Downton Abbey and a vampire’s castle. In fact one previous custodian (Knebworth has been owned by the same family since 1490), Sir Edward Bulmer Lytton, penned the words “It was a dark and stormy night”. 

The house and gardens re open to the public on March 19th (dates and times vary so check the website for details). Entry includes tours of the many lavish rooms full of heirlooms that feature in You including the Armoury Staircase, Banqueting Hall, Library (complete with the bookshelf concealed door) and the bedroom where Joe slept.

Primrose Hill

Joe and Kate have their Rom Com moment meandering through leafy north London enclave Primrose Hill which it takes its name from the nearby park with views of the city.

The couple can be seen strolling along the main thorough fare, Regents Park Road, which is lined with shops and restaurants. They then move along to the candy coloured residential Chalcot Crescent and Chalcot Square.

In another link with Hugh Grant, the road was a filming location for Paddington and Grant’s character’s flat was on the corner of Chalcot Square (below). The area is the home of many celebrities including Succession’s Brian Cox aka Logan Roy and Taylor Swift.

  • You. (L to R) Charlotte Ritchie as Kate, Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg in episode 408 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
  • You. (L to R) Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, Charlotte Ritchie as Kate in episode 407 of You. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023

Mar 21

Inside the Top Chef London hotel

Kimpton Fitzroy London hotel

Top Chef, the Bravo TV show hosted by Tom olicchio, Padma Lakshmi and Gail Simmons, celebrated its twentieth season by filming entirely outside of the US with the World All Star “cheftestants” checking in to the Kimpton Fitzroy London.

This imposing terracotta tiled and turreted mansion on Russell Square – between Covent Garden and The City – first opened as a hotel in 1898 and has recently been refurbished and rebranded.

The Kimpton Fitzroy London (the name is a nod to the original architect of the Russell Hotel, Charles Fitzroy Doll) retains the Victorian grandeur including marble columns, mosaic floor tiles and soaring ceilings. Fitzroy Doll also designed the First Class Dining Room on the Titanic – taking inspiration from the Russell.

But the hotel has been brought firmly into the present with the help of top interior designers including Tara Bernerd and Russell Sage.

The lobby at the Kimpton Fitzroy London hotel

Tara Bernerd has brought a cool and calming aesthetic to the guest rooms and suites. These range from City Singles rooms featuring custom made single beds with wraparound headboards the Speciality Suites featuring four poster beds and roll top baths.

A Suite at the Kimpton Fitzroy London hotel

Of the several F&B outlets, Burr & Co is a casual space for a meeting over coffee, Galvin Bar & Grill serves a contemporary British menu, the Palm Court is the place for afternoon tea while Fitz’s, designed by Russell Sage, has an opulent fin de siècle feel for evening drinks.

The Palm Court at the Kimpton Fitzroy London

A clutch of private dining and meeting rooms are available and there’s a 24 hour gym if/when jet lag strikes.

Nov 1

All Eyes on Italy – Filming locations of Succession, The Morning Show, House of Gucci and now White Lotus

[UPDATE The White Lotus season two was filmed at the Four Seasons at San Domenico Palace (above), Taormina on the Italian island of Sicily. The hotel is set in a 14 century former convent overlooking the Ionian sea, Mount Etna and a Greek amphitheatre. The setting for the HBO series follows on from a glut of Italian locations featuring in American productions last year. For more read on. ]

La Foce, Tuscany HBO Go Succession

Italy must have been crawling with famous actors and film crews this year. From television series Succession and The Morning Show to the House of Gucci movie, Italy was the setting for several scenes on the small and big screens. While you may have vicariously been under the Tuscan sun and on a Roman holiday by watching this winter, here are the locations you can visit when restrictions are finally lifted.

Tuscany

The penultimate episode of HBO’s Succession season three sees the super rich Roy family on who the show centres, travel from New York to Italy. The aptly named Emily FitzRoy founder of exclusive travel company Bellini was enlisted to find locations. 

Firstly in Tuscany, or Chiantishire as the episode is called – the region’s portmanteau nickname in the 1990s referencing the red wine and the English home county “shires”. Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) ex-wife and Kendall (Jeremy Strong), Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Roman’s (Kieran Culkin) mother, Caroline Collingwood (Harriet Walter), gets re married and the setting is two private estates that are available to rent in real life. 

La Foce between Florence and Rome and overlooking the bucolic Val d’Orcia is where Caroline’s al fresco drinks party takes place. These terraced, formal gardens are open to visitors on certain days from May to November. 

And the yellow hued Villa La Foce is where most of the Roy family stay (and is available to rent from 35,000 euros a week FitzRoy tells me). The estranged Kendall and his children stay at one of the estate’s other properties, Belvedere Piccolo, which includes *that* swimming pool which can be rented at around 1,650 euros a week.

HBO GO -SUCCESSION S3 – Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Mcfayden) at Villa Cetinale, Tuscany

The wedding takes place at 17th century, Villa Cetinale near Siena. The 13 bedroom Baroque style villa is available to rent also from 35,000 euros a week FitzRoy says. The spectacular gardens, where the reception takes place, are also open to visitors by appointment only when the villa is not let.

Caroline’s “bachelorette party” takes place in the pretty hilltop, walled town of Cortona. About an hour’s drive away in Pienza, the Roy siblings are filmed meeting at La Terrazza del Chiostro restaurant where the panoramic views from the terrace are main draw.

HBO GO – Succession S3 – Caroline (Harriet Walter) and Shiv (Sarah Snook) in Cortona, Tuscany

Lake Como

Tech tycoon Lukas Matsson’s (Alexander Skarsgard) luxurious lair is Villa La Cassinella on the western shore of Lake Como. Logan and Roman arrive by helicopter at the villa’s private landing pad and then take a boat across the lake to Cassinella. “They arrived as any guest would, you cannot arrive by car – the only other alternative is by sea plane,” FitzRoy tells me. Although it costs upwards of 130,000 euros a week to rent, Fitzroy says the property gets booked up years in advance.

Villa La Cassinella, Lake Como HBO GO Succession S3 Lukas Mattson (Alexander Skarsgard) and Roman Roy (Kieran Culkin)

Filming also took place along this stretch of Lake Como for Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci movie. Villa Balbiano built in the 16th century stands in for Aldo Gucci’s (Al Pacino) house. Fast forward to the 21st century and the waterside villa is available for private rental at 175,000 Euros per week. Inside are original frescoes, museum worthy antiques and six suites designed by fashionable hotel designer Jacques Garcia.

Don’t look for the villa from Apple TV+’s The Morning Show here though. In the second season shamed anchorman Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) is seen hiding out in a grand villa that appears to be on the shores of Lake Como where Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) tracks him down. Filming actually took place at a private school in California however with drone shots of Lake Como added in.

Milan

In the House of Gucci, Rodolfo’s (Jeremy Irons) imagined home is the striking 1930s Villa Necchi Campiglio. Set in private gardens in the centre of Milan it is now a museum. 

On an early date in the film, Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) and Patrizia Reggiana (Lady Gaga) visit the gloriously ornate Galleria Vittorio Emanuele 11 shopping arcade between the Duomo and Teatro alla Scala. The restaurant they pass there, Savini, which Reggiana says is “too expensive” has been a Milanese stalwart for composers and opera singers since 1867. When I visited a few years ago there was a quaintly named “Lunch for Ladies in Shopping” set menu and Savini’s website currently states, “an elegant dress code is appreciated”.

Rome

Both Pacino and Gaga’s characters visit the real life Gucci store on Via Condotti, near the Spanish Steps, which is packed with designer boutiques. The Guccis opened their first shop outside their native Florence in Rome although the current day boutique is a few doors down from the original.

Also in Rome, the picturesque Church of Santa Maria in Portico in Campitelli is where the Maurizio and Patrizia wedding was filmed although in reality the couple were married in Milan.

Gressoney

Adam Driver and Lady Gaga as Maurizio and Patrizia Gucci in House of Gucci. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc.

In the film Maurizio evades the police on his motorbike and crosses over the snowy Swiss border to St Moritz. Filming actually took place in the Italian Alps, at the Gressoney-Saint-Jean and Gressoney-La-Trinite in the Aosta Valley. Although scenic, the resorts are far less glitzy than St Moritz and the runs are for advanced skiers only being mainly red and black as well as off-piste.

Incidentally, founder of the fashion house, Guccio Gucci, was once a bell boy at The Savoy in London. Author of the book House of Gucci Sara Gay Forden says Guccio’s experience of handling The Savoy guests’ expensive luggage inspired him to create the Gucci fashion brand. The Savoy has temporarily restyled its Royal Suite in homage to the Gucci house.

[This post was originally posted in January 2022.]

Oct 21

Battersea Power Station has a New Lease of Life and It’s Electrifying

Battersea Power Station. Credit: Brendan Bell

[UPDATE: Lift 109 is now open. Otel Art is due to open on December 12th 2022.]

Battersea Power Station, the distinctive brick building with four white chimneys on the banks of the River Thames in south west London, has lain empty for nearly four decades. But now the vast nine acre property (St Paul’s Cathedral could fit inside its Boiler Room alone) is opening to the public for the first time having been transformed into a retail and leisure destination.

Over 100 shops, restaurants, bars and cafes will be housed in the former power station as well as a cinema, apartments and offices – Apple are moving in in January. Sixty outlets will open on October 14th, a second raft will follow before Christmas and the rest in time for Easter 2023. 

  • Battersea Power Station Turbine Hall A Credit: Backdrop Productions

From 1933 to 1983, water from the Thames was heated by coal in the furnaces at Battersea Power Station which in turn supplied electricity to swathes of London. Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament were among them – they were code named in the control room as Carnaby Street Two and Three. But when the station was decommissioned because of concerns over air quality it remained redundant save for the odd fashion show and several film shoots.

Various owners (including a Hong Kong developer) came and went as did ideas, from a theme park to a stadium for Chelsea Football Club. For years the station looked like it was destined to stay idle. Then in 2012 a consortium of Malaysian investors – Sime Darby Property, Setia, The Employees Provident Fund and Permodalan Nasional Berhad – bought the site. 

Uncoincidentally visitors entering through the main South side entrance will do so via Malaysia Square – a newly constructed public piazza with a striking terraced design in homage to Malaysian landscapes. The South entrance is nearest the swish new tube station on the Northern Line. There’s also a North entrance next to the river and where once the coal arrived on the jetty, accessible by water bus or via the bridge from Chelsea.

Turbina Hall A, Battersea Power Station Credit: John Sturrock

As I walk through the former turbine halls a week before opening as fit outs are being finalised I see signage for a mix of recognisable brands from high street to high end, spanning fashion, beauty, sportswear and watches. Pop ups by independent retailers will also be a regular factor. 

Although it looks like a single building, the Power Station was originally built in two parts: the first, Turbine Hall A, is ornately art deco while in contrast Turbine Hall B which was built in the 1950s is strikingly stark. The outlets are not grouped in themes as each was left to choose what part of the site they wanted to be in.

  • Battersea Power Station Credit: John Sturrock

Architects WilkinsonEyre who have offices in London, Hong Kong and Sydney, have retained the Power Station’s sense of scale as well as the industrial feel of the building. The north and south entrance atriums have been left open up to the roof.

There’s polished concrete floor and exposed brick walls; original gantries have been left in place and steel walkway bridges added. Even the mechanisms of the newly installed lifts and escalators are deliberately on display. Black bricks on the floor of both halls outline the positions of the original turbines while salvaged machinery placed in the North atrium looks like an art installation. 

Among the first tranche of openings is a boutique cinema with comfy armchairs and individual tables for your glass of wine or cup of coffee. And what was formerly Control Room B has been turned into a 1950s style bar, run by the popular immersive hospitality group, Inception. Overlooking the turbine hall, the bar retains the original stainless steel control panels arranged in an arc reminiscent of a Fifties Sci Fi film and staff will be dressed in white boiler suits for that added mad scientist feel. 

  • Battersea Power Station Control Room B
  • Opening Day, Turbine Hall B, Battersea Power Station

While a number of eateries will open in October, a 24,000 sq ft food hall will follow early next year run by one of London’s most impressive restaurateurs, JKS. Arcade Food Hall will go into the former Boiler Room and judging by the success of the group’s existing ventures, which cover the cuisines of Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US, it will be worth the wait.

Set to be an attraction in its own right is Lift 109, located in one of the four chimneys (they have all been painstakingly recreated as the originals could not be saved). A circular glass elevator will ascend 109 metres, protruding above the smokestack, for a panoramic view of London. 

A luxury lifestyle hotel overlooking the Power Station and Malaysia Square is due to open on November 15th. Art’otel will include a roof garden, an infinity pool and a top floor restaurant with food by Henrique Sá Pessoa who has a two Michelin starred place in Portugal. As the name suggests artworks will feature throughout the hotel, inspired by the heritage of Battersea Power Station. 

Sep 26

[Event Cancelled] Take a Tennis Masterclass with Emma Raducanu at this Luxury Resort in the Maldives

Tennis star Emma Raducanu

[UPDATE: Emma Raducanu will no longer be visiting the Amilla Maldives Resort for this event. Emma’s tennis clinic had been due to take place on October 27th.]

Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu will be visiting Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences this autumn to share her skills with guests. The British tennis player whose mother is Chinese and father Romanian will be visiting Amilla Maldives Resort in Baa Atoll, Maldives, as part of Amilla’s Festival of Life running from October 25th until November 1st. 

Emma will offer guests a 60-minute tennis clinic at the resort’s court, set in the jungle at the heart of the island and recently refurbished to US Open standards. She will also attend a meet and greet event at the resort, and hopes to encourage even more people of all ages to play tennis. 

“I’m delighted to discover the Maldives for the first time and I would like to thank Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences for this opportunity. I will share my experience with the guests and have an amazing time there,” says Emma.

Emma’s masterclass for guests is being organised in conjunction with LUX Tennis, the operator of Amilla’s tennis activities. Amilla Maldives regularly hosts tennis pros throughout the year and has a regular resident pro on hand to coach resort guests. 

To secure a spot or find out more email stay@amilla.com.

 

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