24 of the best London outdoor restaurants and rooftops to enjoy this summer

Make the most of the dreamy weather at one of these al fresco spots

By Zoe Shenton, Dusty Baxter-Wright and Lydia Venn

Summer in London means one thing and one thing only, drinks outside. Easily the best way for pints (or cocktails) in the sun is to do it on a rooftop or terrace overlooking the stunning city views, and London is full of them. From fancy restaurants where you can get a full three course meal while gazing over the Thames, to casual hangs, the city is stacked with great rooftop bars and restaurants, as well outdoor terraces, perfect for grabbing a table outside and ordering a bottle of rosé and small plates while you watch the world go by. In the mood for a drink alfresco? These are our favourite locations in London for a rooftop or outside terrace.

12 Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane, Hyde Park

An elegant oasis next to Hyde Park, On The Terrace at the iconic Four Seasons has a mixture of fun things taking place this summer, including a live music offering alongside its fancy Dom Pérignon Pairing which allows you to pick one of three vintages alongside a sweet or savoury canapé. Oyster lovers will also appreciate that you can get two free when ordering a glass of Cloudy Bay or Whispering Angel. And if you need to cool down (who doesn’t rn?), there’s an ice cream parlour pop up where you can enjoy the likes of a Matcha Cookie filled with Earl Grey ice cream.

15 Yauatcha, Broadgate Circle

Whispering Angel and outdoor dining fans will be all over this Yauatcha combo. This summer everyone’s favourite rosé brand has teamed up with the City location to give the terrace a pink floral makeover. But let’s not forget the food – dine on some of Yauatcha’s well-loved dishes including thee Scallop Shui Mai with prawn and tobiko caviar or the Wagyu beef puff with cumin.

How Rolle Became the Secret Grape of Provençal Rosés

This Mediterranean-grown white grape produces fresh, pale pink rosé wines.

By Kristy Alpert

There are some people who say you can never judge a rosé by its color, but you won’t find those people in the south of France. In Provence, specifically along the Côte d’Azur, where pale pinks are best paired with tanned bodies, the shade of the wine is everything. There’s a reason why bottles of lightly blushing rosé, known to French winemakers as a blanc taché (which translates to a stained white), continue to get nods of approval from winemakers, wine writers, and wine lovers. 

But the secret is less about the hue and more about a lesser-known grape that’s responsible for both the coveted color and memorable finish: Rolle.

The powerhouse grape with Mediterranean roots

Mainly grown in the south of France and Corsica, this white grape is generally at its most expressive when grown anywhere near the Mediterranean coastline. 

Rolle tends to ripen later than other varieties, which means the fruit keeps its freshness and delivers a bright punch of citrus, pear, and even grassy, almost herbal notes in the glass. 

Although some winemakers use Rolle as a standalone grape to make dry white wine, (in Italy, it’s known as Vermentino), many Provençal rosé winemakers like Château D’Esclans… consider ittheir secret weapon to blending an exquisite rosé. It’s often responsible for the round mouthfeel and subtly rich finesse you get from a truly balanced rosé.

“In age-worthy cuvées… Rolle as is allowed in the blend (and up to 20%) allowing for extended ripening, adding structure and character suitable for barrel-aging while maintaining elegance (and through co-fermentation) enhancing finesse and complexity, producing a bouquet of citrus, floral notes providing aromatics.

Chefs love Rolle for its gastronomic versatility, which is why many of the top rosés can pair so well with such a wide range of cuisines. Even non-pink-wine drinkers are easily converted to rosé when the grape is part of the wine’s blend.

If a crisp, elegant, and expressive rosé is what you’re after, take a note from France’s top winemakers and pay attention to the shade of your rosé, but most importantly, to the percentage of Rolle in the bottle.

Bottles to look for Whispering Angel, Château D’Esclans ($25)

Transformed Oasis pool bar and restaurant at Grand Hyatt Singapore offers enchanted garden

By Joakim Persson

Oasis Singapore bar review: What an appropriate name, given in particular its outdoor bar in a lush garden, and one that takes the concept of an oasis in a buzzling city to new heights! Discover the details here via Happy Hour Asia! This Grand Hyatt Singapore-based unique dining and drinking venue has undergone a complete transformation, as part of the hotel’s makeover. The result? A component of the hotel as both hotel pool area and a waterhole with a distinct atmosphere! Designed as what can appropriately be described as a pleasure garden, the walk there, on level 1, from within the hotel’s Terrace Wing (an urban oasis and wellness haven) follows a snaking pathway through a lush mini rainforest.

Flanked by this lush garden and coming with guests’ privacy are also five exclusive Garden Suites. These are understandably in high demand and constitute a fascinating tropical experience with an urban resort feeling for the lucky ones that manage to book the suites.

Guests are also welcomed to the Oasis with a cascading waterfall, followed by an abundance of various – pretty much fully grown – trees, plants and flowers; all landscaped and manicured to perfection (and yet with dense vegetation)! It’s just an amazing accomplishment that draws guests further inside to where – poolside – the Oasis poolside bar and restaurant reveals itself, designed in architecture like no other! But one reference that definitely comes to mind is how this pool garden forms a nod to the nearby Botanical Gardens of Singapore.

Overall, perhaps its architecture is a modern interpretation of a vintage gazebo. Its wood pillar supported roof shields the outdoor marble bar and bar seats from the elements. It comes in the form of an open-air wooden structure, where bended brown pillars support a roof. While being a modern take it definitely comes with strong influence of Straits-colonial vintage design.

Rain or shine, under its roof guests can enjoy Oasis. The ceiling resembles oversized parasols, but all being made of wood. The lovely bar stools come with beige cushions and rattan weaving, placed on sandy tiles. Unsurprisingly, signature Peranakan tiles frame the square-shaped outdoor bar. There are also seating corners with sofas and armchairs in summer vacation style, plus bespoke low-slung marble tables.

Rosé wine on offer include: Château d’Esclans Whispering Angel Blend, Côtes de Provence…

Top 10 places to take Mum for Mother’s Day lunch in Sydney

By Isabelle James

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, on Sunday May 11, so now is the perfect time to start planning something special.

Skip the flowers and chocolates this year, and treat your mum to an experience you can all enjoy together. Restaurants across Sydney will be serving special limited edition menus for the occasion, whatever your budget. Here are our picks for the best tables for a memorable Mother’s Day lunch in Sydney.

Chin Chin

Treat Mum to one of Surry Hills’ funkiest restaurants for a relaxed dining experience that pairs casual South Asian cuisine with contemporary art. Highlights on the menu include the prawn and ginger dumplings and the indulgent chocolate mousse served with raspberry and coconut for the final flourish. Mum will also be treated to a complimentary glass of Whispering Angel Rosé on arrival.

The Xaak restaurant at the Xcaret Arte hotel welcomes Leña y Olivo from Tlaxcala

By Miriam Carmo

The Xaak restaurant at the Xcaret Arte hotel welcomed chef Marco Mellado of Leña y Olivo in Tlaxcala for one of its several bi-monthly dinners.

Xaak Restaurant is a project developed by four nationally and internationally renowned chefs who are part of the hotel’s culinary collective. They are Roberto Solís from Mérida, Paco Méndez, who has lived in Barcelona since 2011, local chef Jonatan Gómez Luna , and Alejandro Ruíz from Oaxaca. The restaurant offers a concept of contemporary Mexican cuisine through a tasting menu that chronicles the chefs’ careers.

Here you’ll experience an exceptional fine dining experience in a cozy atmosphere with warm tones and natural decor. Each dish blends the best of modern Mexican cuisine, thanks to the vast experience of each of these chefs, supported by Chef Luis Arzápalo 

Chef Marco Mellado of Wood and Olive

Guest chef Marco Mellado has dedicated himself to blending authentic local flavors with exceptional technical expertise at his restaurant in Tlaxcala. Leña y Olivo serves dishes cooked over charcoal and wood, with the oven and grill at the heart of their cuisine. They offer a contemporary Mexican culinary concept with fresh, flavorful ingredients, ideally served for sharing. One of the restaurant’s defining features is the way their artisanal salsas are freshly prepared at the table.

Pairing dinner at Xaak

For this pairing dinner at Xaak Restaurant, we started with akami, nori, and shitake salad by Chef Arzápalo paired with a Don Julio cocktail. Then, we paired tlatlapa, beans, and togarashi by Chef Mellado paired with Puerta de Lobo orange wine. We continued with hamachi, passion fruit, and wasabi ice cream by the house chef with a Sauvignon Blanc from the Don Leo winery in Parras. For the fourth course, Chef Mellado prepared lobster with huitlacoche and truffle paired with Whispering Angel wine.

Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca is Making this Mother’s Day One to Remember

Bottiglia Cucina & Enoteca, located at Green Valley Ranch Spa and Casino, invites families to celebrate Mother’s Day with a festive dining experience filled with fresh flavors and Tuscan charm. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 11, Bottiglia will offer its signature brunch, with exclusive specials continuing into dinner service from 4 to 9 p.m. Families can enjoy a lively atmosphere inside the bright dining room or al fresco on the picturesque patio.

For brunch, Bottiglia will feature limoncello pancakes layered with lemon curd, fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar, available exclusively for the occasion, priced at $14. Those looking to toast to Mom can sip on bottomless Whispering Angel Rosé, priced at $29, and stop by a Whispering Angel pop-up with wine tastings. To add to the celebration, The Palette will host a floral bar pop-up where moms and their loved ones can create handmade bouquets.

The wines of Provence: much more than rosé

When we think of Provence wines, rosé often comes to mind. Yet, this region boasts an impressive diversity of red, white, and sparkling wines, all imbued with the unique character of its terroir. From the freshness of the Var hillsides to the finesse of Bandol reds, Provence deserves to be explored far beyond its famous rosé cuvées. Here’s an overview of Provençal treasures for curious wine lovers and enthusiasts.

Provence: a unique terroir

An exceptional climate and soils

Rosé wines: the jewel of Provence

The major appellations

Provence enjoys an ideal Mediterranean climate , characterized by hot summers, a drying mistral wind, and mild winters. Its varied soils, ranging from schist to limestone, provide exceptional conditions for quality viticulture. This diversity is reflected in the rich aromas and complexity of the wines produced in the region.

A thousand-year-old wine history

Provence is one of the oldest wine-growing regions in France. Introduced by the Greeks over 2,600 years ago, vine cultivation has been perfected over the centuries to produce wines that are both authentic and modern.

The Côtes de Provence , Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence and Coteaux Varois in Provence are the big stars of rosé. These wines are appreciated for their freshness, lightness and aromatic brilliance.

Côtes de Provence:

• Château d’Esclans – Whispering Angel 2022 (~€18): a modern classic that combines fruitiness and delicacy.