Orrery: Al fresco dining and tasting events

Positioned next to a Conran furniture design shop on Marylebone High Street, plenty of style has rubbed off on the Orrery. The venue holds regular wine tastings and will be hosting a range of events over the summer including a wine dinner and Bastille day menu. Orrery’s Summer Terrace is available for entertaining and can accommodate 20 seated or 80 guests for a standing reception.

The Balvenie Whisky Den in Covent Garden

Having opened on May 9,theDen has’evolved’ over the weeks, with student artists continually changing the in-Den art installations. Downstairs are now a floor maltings, with barley spread across the room to show how the grains are turned in the distillery, while in another corner an artist pieces together a barrel lamp shade.

New beginnings at Ponti’s: lunch with Stafano Ispani

Alan King talks with the owner and CEO of Ponti’s, Stafano Ispani, over lunch at the recently re-launched Ponti’s Italian Kitchen, Oxford Circus. Stafano talked about his vision for the future of the group. Having previously avoided Ponti’s, Alan is favourably impressed by the style of the place, the artisan produce offered and the quality of this authentic Italian cuisine.

Discovering Turning Leaf colours

Californian winemakers Turning Leaf have recently launched their ‘Discover the Colour” campaign to present their portfolio of five wines as expressions of colour. To be precise, Turning Leaf’s oenologist Stephanie Edge has teamed up with Dutch chef Esther Röling to create a new series of colourful recipes designed to match the Turning Leaf wines throughout the seasons. Qin Xie was invited to sample their selection of wines and some of the summery dishes to match.