Top Quiet Luxury Destinations for Your Late Summer Escape

We were invited to a tasting of the à la carte menu at TH@51 , the signature restaurant at St. James’ Court, A Taj Hotel , just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace and Westminster. It’s the sort of location that makes you feel as if you should have arrived in a chauffeur-driven Bentley, wearing oversized sunglasses and an expression that says, I do this all the time . From the moment we stepped in, the warmth of the welcome set the tone for the evening. The staff greeted us with genuine smiles before escorting us to our table, as if we were old friends returning rather than first-time guests. The Setting We chose to sit in the conservatory, a glass-encased oasis just beyond the main restaurant and bar. Through the floor-to-ceiling panes, the courtyard unfurled like a private scene from a period drama: statues standing elegantly amongst flowers, a fountain whispering in the background. It’s hard to believe this serene hideaway exists in central London. No sirens, no honking traffic, not even the distant whir of a bus - just the gentle clinking of cutlery and the occasional rustle of leaves. Dining Style TH@51 specialises in Asian fusion , but in truth, the menu reads like a carefully curated passport: Indian , British , and Mediterranean influences are woven together in a way that makes the experience ideal for groups. Even the fussiest eater would find something to love. There’s also a nod to the Indian tradition of sharing. Every dish arrived with generous serving spoons, encouraging us to pass plates across the table - the kind of dining that sparks conversation and makes you feel at home, even in a hotel where the service is precise enough to warrant white gloves. Starters This is where the menu began to reveal its adventurous streak. We started with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fusion favourites: We also chose from the Chaat Sketches - a section of the menu that reimagines India’s beloved street food snacks, adding refined plating and unexpected pairings. Our pick was the Mains Naan, served on the side, was a quiet triumph: warm, crisp at the edges, soft in the centre, lightly brushed with butter, and gently scented with garlic. No grease, no heaviness, just balance. Dessert We finished with two traditional Indian sweets: Overall Experience Dining at TH@51 is less about choosing between Indian, British, or Mediterranean and more about enjoying a well-choreographed dance between them. It’s refined without being stuffy, creative without being gimmicky, and every dish shows a commitment to quality ingredients.

At Club Goldfoil , we don’t chase glow. We collect it. The kind that survives red-eye flights, dim hotel lighting, hard water, and harder deadlines. It’s not about looking dewy for Instagram. It’s about looking expensive in person — with skin that reflects good taste, not just good lighting. Glowing skin is the modern status symbol. It doesn’t shout, it whispers. It suggests that you know which facials actually work, which serums are worth the import fees, and which moisturiser doubles as a luxury face filter. It's the kind of skin that says, “Yes, I live well,” even when you’re running on room service coffee and two hours of sleep. This isn’t a list for beginners. It's a skincare cheat sheet for those who’ve graduated from pharmacy aisle trial-and-error and are ready to commit to formulas that perform — whether you're dry, oily, acne-prone, ageing, or just out of balance. The products here are indulgent, yes. But they’re also functional, smart, and carry the kind of reputation you’d expect from a member’s-only recommendation. Think of it as your curated guide to not just surviving jet lag, breakouts, or central heating — but glowing through them. Dry Skin Dry skin often feels tight, rough, or flaky. It can look dull and sometimes sensitive. The challenge is restoring moisture without feeling heavy or sticky. Hydration and barrier repair are key to achieving a healthy, glowing complexion. Morning routine Evening routine Acne-Prone Skin Breakouts don’t just affect teenagers. Acne-prone skin can be reactive, inflamed, and unpredictable—especially if you’re navigating hormones, stress, travel, or environmental changes. A well-curated routine should aim to reduce inflammation, balance oil production, unclog pores, and support the skin barrier, without over-drying or irritating. Clear skin is calm skin, and these formulas do the heavy lifting quietly but powerfully. Morning Routine Evening routine Combination Skin Oily in some places, dry in others—combination skin keeps you on your toes. The key to managing it isn’t stripping or overloading but layering strategically: think hydrating where you’re dry, balancing where you’re not. With the right edit, combination skin can move from moody to radiant without the guesswork. Morning routine Evening routine

We all have our vices. But your morning coffee doesn’t need to come from a global chain where everything tastes vaguely like disappointment and caramel syrup. London is full of independent cafés that offer more than just caffeine — they offer identity. Places where the pastries are handmade, the interiors have taste, and the flat whites aren’t served with a side of existential dread. Think Nordic minimalism in Camden, Aussie brunch in Hackney, third-wave espresso in Soho, and French patisserie in Marylebone. This isn’t just about coffee. It’s about how — and where — you choose to start your day. These cafés weren’t designed for transactions, but for slow mornings, open laptops, lingering glances, and long breakfasts that blur into lunch. From sunlit roasteries by the park to low-lit boltholes with cult pastries, this is a breakup letter to the chains. Consider this your guide to the spots that make mornings feel less like a routine and more like a ritual. You’ll never ask for a name on your cup again. Monmouth Coffee 27 Monmouth St, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9EU Monmouth Coffee is a London institution known for its carefully sourced beans and classic, no-frills approach to brewing. Their dedication to quality and consistency has made them a favourite among coffee purists and locals alike. Marchesi 1824 117 Mount St, London W1K 3LA Marchesi 1824 blends Italian heritage with London sophistication, serving elegant coffee alongside exquisite pastries. This café feels like a slice of Milan in the heart of the city, perfect for a refined coffee break. Baudry Greene 20 Endell St, London WC2H 9BD Baudry Greene is a stylish, light-filled spot where meticulous brewing meets beautifully crafted interiors. It’s a great place to enjoy a slow coffee while soaking up the calm atmosphere and friendly service. Antipode 28 Fulham Palace Rd, London W6 9PH Antipode is a bright café with a relaxed vibe, known for its strong, flavourful coffee and all-day brunch menu. The minimalist decor and welcoming team make it a popular hangout for creatives and coffee lovers. Hjem 157 Gloucester Road, SW7 4TH Hjem is a Scandinavian-inspired café offering delicate coffee blends and a cosy, minimalist space to unwind. Their attention to detail extends from the beans to the carefully selected pastries and light bites. Drury 188-189 188-189 Drury Ln, London WC2B 5QD Drury 188-189 is a chic, contemporary café tucked away in central London, combining excellent coffee with a stylish environment. It’s the perfect spot to recharge during a busy city day or meet friends over brunch. St. George Coffee 126 King's Rd, London SW3 4TR St. George Coffee is a bright, welcoming café focused on high-quality single-origin beans and expert roasting. Their carefully crafted drinks pair well with an inviting atmosphere and a small but thoughtful food menu. Glasshouse Coffee Bishop's Ave, London SW6 6EE Glasshouse Coffee prides itself on ethically sourced beans roasted to perfection, creating bold, balanced cups. Their modern yet cozy café is ideal for a quiet moment or a casual catch-up with friends. Milk 18-20 Bedford Hill, Balham, SW12 9RG Milk Café is a laid-back, neighbourhood favourite offering creamy lattes and comforting brunch dishes. With a friendly vibe and relaxed setting, it’s a great place to linger over coffee any time of day. Pavilion Victoria Park Victoria Park, Old Ford Rd., London E9 7DE Pavilion is the kind of café that makes you forget you're in a city, perched by the lake in Victoria Park, it serves strong coffee and flaky pastries to a steady stream of East London locals. The Sri Lankan-inspired brunch menu is worth queueing for, especially on sunny mornings. Darcie & May Green Grand Union Canal, Sheldon Square, Central W2 6DS Moored on the Grand Union Canal, Darcie & May Green brings Aussie-style brunch and vibrant energy to a colour-drenched barge. It’s fun, bold, and perfect for long, lazy catch-ups over coffee and banana bread. Wolfox at LOAFT 53 Shelton St, London WC2H 9JU Wolfox at LOAFT feels like a secret find - all monochrome interiors and artisanal flair. The coffee is roasted in-house and the menu leans organic, ideal for slow mornings in West London. Well Street Kitchen 203 Well St, London E9 6QU This cosy Hackney café has a no-fuss charm and a menu that champions good produce over trend-chasing. It’s where you go for a proper breakfast sandwich and a reliably strong brew. Lowry & Baker 339-341, 339 Portobello Rd, London W10 5SA Lowry & Baker is a petite, independently-run café on Portobello Road with vintage tables and handwritten menus. The coffee is great, but it’s the home-baked cakes and warm service that keep people coming back. Farm Girl Cafe 59 Portobello Rd, Notting Hill, W11 3DB A wellness-forward Notting Hill staple serving rose lattes, buckwheat pancakes, and all-day Californian sunshine - even on grey London mornings. The courtyard seating feels like a secret garden, with a side of adaptogens. Ottolenghi Notting Hill 287 Portobello Rd, W11 1LJ Part deli, part café, all flavour - Ottolenghi’s Notting Hill location is where you come for coffee and end up with three pastries, two salads, and zero regrets. The space is minimalist, but the food is maximalist in the best way. The Roasting Party 253 Pavilion Rd, London SW1X 0BP Small, buzzy, and refreshingly unpolished, this Aussie import turns out exceptional coffee without the usual London snobbery. A favourite with locals who take their flat whites seriously. Lily Vanilli Bakery The Courtyard, 18 Ezra St, London E2 7RH Lily Vanilli Bakery is a North London gem celebrated for its beautifully crafted cakes and pastries that taste as good as they look. Their coffee is thoughtfully sourced, making every cup a treat alongside their signature sweet creations.

The Destination Is the Luxury: Five Places for Those Who Know Because it’s not just the price tag that matters. There’s a difference between expensive and exquisite. Anyone who’s sat in a silent garden in Ravello or watched the light change over Lake Lucerne knows it. Quiet luxury isn’t about gold taps or five-star ratings. It’s about restraint. Taste. Atmosphere. The kind of place that assumes you’ll find it, eventually. Late summer is when these destinations come into their own. The heat softens. The crowds fade. The silence settles. You can hear yourself think again. The people who come here don’t overpack. They book villas over hotels. Linen over logos. They don’t need a geotag to prove a point. Here are five places for those who know where to go. Where the real luxury is space, stillness, and the feeling that you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. Lake Lucerne, Switzerland Lake Lucerne is what happens when nature and design speak the same elegant language. Still waters, sharp peaks, and Belle Époque hotels that carry the scent of leather-bound books and Alpine air. It’s where you go to breathe better, dress softer, and realign without making an announcement. How to Get There Fly into Zurich, then take the direct train to Lucerne - just over an hour, and impossibly scenic. If you’re arriving from Milan or Paris, the rail journey is longer but romantic in its own right. How Long to Stay Three to four days is ideal. Enough time to drift across the lake on a vintage steamboat, hike or cable up Mount Pilatus, and explore the old town’s frescoed facades and lakeside promenades without rushing. Where to Stay Ravello, Italy Ravello doesn’t ask for attention, it rewards presence. Perched high above the Amalfi Coast, it whispers rather than shouts, offering cascading gardens, faded palazzos, and chamber music echoing through warm stone. You come here not to be seen, but to feel something shift. How to Get There Fly into Naples, then drive or hire a car service for the one and a half to two hour journey along winding cliff roads. The drive is steep and slow in the best way, with views that make silence feel like luxury. How Long to Stay Two to three nights is enough to settle into Ravello’s rhythm. Spend your days visiting Villa Cimbrone and Villa Rufolo, sipping limoncello on sun-warmed terraces, and dipping into the Amalfi scene below only if you feel like it. Where to stay Patmos, Greece Patmos is where the quiet elite retreat, not for the scene, but for the silence. The kind of place where your phone naturally stays face-down, and the biggest decision is whether to swim before or after lunch How to Get There Fly into Athens and take a short connecting flight or ferry to Patmos. The ferry ride is about three hours and offers stunning views of the Aegean Sea. How Long to Stay Three to four days allow you to explore its secret beaches, charming towns, and spiritual landmarks at a leisurely pace. Where to Stay The Cotswolds, England The Cotswolds is England in its softest form. Meadows, antique markets, honey-hued inns, and the slow unfurling of a perfectly folded napkin. It’s all fireside wine, linen bedding, and mornings that begin with birdsong and end with scent of rain on stone. Unfussy, refined, and quietly magnetic. How to Get There Drive or take the train from London - approximately two hours. The journey sets the tone with gentle countryside unfolding before you. How Long to Stay Three to four days is perfect. Enough time to wander quaint villages, visit historic manor houses, and enjoy afternoons at cosy pubs and country gardens. Where to Stay Cannes, France When summer wanes and the spotlight fades, Cannes becomes itself again. Sun-bleached shutters, long lunches under striped awnings, and the shimmer of sea meeting sky with no one watching. It’s the Riviera, yes — but slower, saltier, and far more seductive when no one’s performing. How to Get There Fly into Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, then a short 30-minute drive or train ride to Cannes. The route offers glimpses of the sparkling Mediterranean and charming coastal towns. How Long to Stay Two to three days is ideal. Time enough to stroll the old town, relax on quiet beaches, and savour Provençal cuisine at hidden gems away from the buzz. Where to Stay

On a warm Monday in mid-summer, Genaro Rivas returned to London with A Feast for Crows —his Spring/Summer 2026 menswear collection, presented in a deconsecrated church in Covent Garden. The Peruvian designer, recently awarded the Vogue Business x Visa Young Creators prize, continues to explore purpose-driven fashion, this time focusing on denim as a new material within his established sustainable practice. Following a preview at Berlin Fashion Week, the London show revealed a collection crafted entirely from recovered and sustainable denim, shaped through zero-waste pattern cutting, hand embroidery, 3D printing, and laser engraving. From fabric sourcing to finishing, every step embraces circularity and conscientious production, with 95% of the labour led by women across Peru and London. The result is a collection that feels both technically meticulous and deeply considered—an authentic continuation of Rivas’s commitment to ethical creation. The first two looks presented a subtle tension between contrast and cohesion. Both grounded in black denim, the opening outfit layered unexpected textures: denim shorts peeked out from beneath sheer, flowing trousers, paired with a long-sleeve top and a face mask that obscured the wearer’s identity, lending an enigmatic edge. By contrast, the second outfit felt lighter and more playful. An unbuttoned denim jacket, edged with a white fringe detail, sat atop sleek black denim jeans echoing the same triangular fringe motif. The embellishments hinted at a nod to the designer’s Peruvian heritage, weaving tradition into modernity with a subtle but striking gesture. As the collection unfolded, hardware became a key detail - rings of varying sizes, safety pins, and oversized metal buttons punctuated the denim with a rebellious edge. One look that truly caught my eye was a long-sleeve white top with exaggeratedly long sleeves peeking out from beneath a wide-open denim shirt. The white top’s scrunched texture and asymmetric taper created a striking contrast against the loose, blue denim shirt, which was boldly adorned with safety pins. The interplay of textures and shapes here made for a captivating, unexpected combination. Several outfits played with the tension between rugged workwear and traditionally tailored pieces like blazers. One of the standout looks, highlighted in the press release, was a black blazer that balanced deconstruction and detail. Unbuttoned but held together by safety pins, it featured laser-etched reinterpretations of two iconic raven artworks - Raven (1831) by Robert Havell, Jr., and Le Corbeau (1875) by Édouard Manet - mirrored on either side of the jacket. Skinny fabric trimmings cascaded across the piece, creating an illusion of secrecy that echoed motifs introduced earlier in the collection, weaving a sense of mystery into the sharp tailoring. Another standout was a blazer adorned with decorative safety pins at the top, its buttons replaced by multiple silver rings. A long row of rings and safety pins ran down the trousers, bringing 80s punk chic vividly to life - raw, edgy, and utterly captivating. Love. I was particularly taken with the closing look: a pinstripe black suit with trousers so wide and long they seemed almost impractical, exactly the rebellious silhouette I was hoping for. It was show-stopping, loud, and unapologetically bold, like someone strutting down the street with confidence to spare.

There’s something seductive about stumbling into a new restaurant in London that feels like it’s been there forever. That’s exactly the effect Fire & Wine by Boxcar pulls off — hidden away on a quiet Marylebone street five minutes from the chaos of Oxford Street. It’s the type of place you want to pretend you discovered first. A rebrand of the much-loved Boxcar Bar & Grill, this new iteration arrives with open-fire cooking, a produce-led menu, and a Greek head chef whose experience reads like a Michelin-tinged passport. The vibe? Effortlessly warm, low-key elegant, and thoroughly nonchalant about the fact that nearly everything on the menu has touched open flame — including dessert. That’s right. Dessert. Cooked. Over. Fire. You had me at "burnt sugar." We took a seat on the terrace (London’s erratic July weather behaving for once) and began with cocktails. The drinks menu reads like your classics went to culinary school — a Negroni or Old Fashioned reworked with left-field ingredients. We kicked things off with two snack plates. The first was almost architectural in arrangement: nori tarama on pressed potato , a canapé that tasted like the seaside in silk gloves. Next up, a chicken liver parfait with blackberry on brioche, rich and glossy like the filling of a well-made truffle. Then came the stilton gougère , a.k.a. a tiny puff of cheesy joy, cleverly topped with slivers of apple — just enough fruit to cut the funk and make it feel like you were eating something light. (You weren’t. But who cares.) The second plate introduced lamb belly on toast, layered with tomato concasse and pickled onion. The lamb was sticky and indulgent, but it was the anchovy toast that left me blinking. You read anchovy and flinch — but what arrived was a surprisingly subtle, umami-packed bite where the tomato gently led the flavour profile, letting the anchovy play backup. Next came the small plates. The pork belly , cut thick and almost scandalously tender, came with a dollop of egg yolk and a dusting of pecorino — all the richness you want, with none of the guilt (because you’re in Marylebone, and calories obviously don’t count here). The tiger prawns were served shell-on, dressed in garlic and just a whisper of chilli, perched over seaweed. It was seafood restraint at its best — not a punch in the face, just a tap on the shoulder. And then, the mains. The surprise of the evening? A brie tortelloni dish that might have singlehandedly justified the rebrand. The pasta was textbook perfect, stuffed with creamy brie and laid atop a bed of chard that had just kissed the grill. The smoke lingered lightly in the background, like a good scent trail. Staff insisted we try it. They were right. Finally, dessert — and no, I hadn’t forgotten that promise of fire. I ordered the grilled croissant tiramisu . First of all, the croissant is house-baked. It arrives warm, caramelised at the edges, covered in a generous spoonful of tiramisu cream that melts into the folds like it belongs there. It was, in short, everything. The Pink Lady terrine with vanilla diplomat offered something lighter, more structured. The apple slices gave the diplomat cream a fresh crunch — one of those bites where the textures feel like they’ve been rehearsed. By the time we left, the terrace was packed. Word is clearly getting out. Fire & Wine by Boxcar isn’t just a rebrand. It’s a quiet statement: we’ve levelled up — now bring your appetite. Book now, or risk watching the fire from the outside.