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[ destinations ]<br />
LONDON-MADRID<br />
London<br />
www.visitlondon.com Sterling Wizz Air: 0906 959 002 / 9003<br />
CENTURY BRASSERIE,<br />
A SOHO RETREAT<br />
Getting to the centre<br />
We provide a bus transfer between<br />
London Luton airport and London<br />
Victoria Station in cooperation with<br />
Green Line. It’s €11.50 (€23 return).<br />
A slice of the city<br />
Hard Rock Calling, 24-26 June,<br />
with the Killers and Rod Stewart, is at<br />
Hyde Park, as is Wireless Festival<br />
in early July, with Plan B and Pulp.<br />
Lovebox Weekender, 15-17 July, in<br />
East London, has Blondie and a fun fair.<br />
Eating out<br />
Hidden behind a pale oak door (no.<br />
61) on bustling Shaftesbury Avenue,<br />
is private members club Century.<br />
Century Brasserie (above) recently<br />
opened for all and is a relaxing haven<br />
in humid Soho. Three-course Club<br />
Menu, £19.50. www.centuryclub.co.uk.<br />
Heading west, pan Asian restaurant<br />
Cocochan on Mayfair’s lively James<br />
Street has a welcome Mediterranean<br />
feel. Check out the atmospheric<br />
downstairs bar. www.cocochan.co.uk.<br />
City suggestions<br />
On a lazy sunny Saturday morning, visit<br />
bric-a-brac market Portobello Road.<br />
For a pick-me-up, Wafflemeister<br />
at no. 137, a new 1950s-style venue<br />
in chrome and leather, has natural<br />
Belgian ingredients and authentic<br />
Italian gelato in 16 flavours. A tiny<br />
branch is in Embankment Tube, too.<br />
And finally…<br />
St Mary-le-Bow rings its bells for the<br />
start of the City of London Festival<br />
on 27 June (www.colf.org). Twenty<br />
public pianos in streets, squares and<br />
gardens (until 17 July) is but one treat<br />
lined up. (www.streetpianos.com).<br />
Words Clive Morris / Piers Townley<br />
Madrid<br />
www.aboutmadrid.com Euro Wizz Air: 807 45 00 10 / 11<br />
Getting to the centre<br />
We provide a shuttle bus transfer<br />
between the airport and any address<br />
in the centre. It’s €18 (€36 return).<br />
A slice of the city<br />
Madrid comes into its own now, with<br />
late-night drinks on terraces, plus<br />
outdoor pools at Casa de Campo<br />
(Metro Lago). The Veranos de la<br />
Villa music, theatre and dance<br />
festival http://veranosdelavilla.<br />
esmadrid.com is worth looking out for.<br />
Eating out<br />
Packed with restaurants serving all<br />
kinds of cuisine, the place for firsttimers<br />
is the Cava Baja, a street with<br />
all kinds of appealing aromas. Orixe<br />
is a great venue to enjoy some tapas<br />
at the bar, or tuck into an affordable<br />
lunchtime set menu (€15). Find it<br />
at no. 17, +34 913 540 411 (www.<br />
orixerestaurante.com). Then there<br />
is the classic Casa Lucio at no. 35<br />
(+34 913 658 217, www.casalucio.<br />
es), famous for its celebrity patrons,<br />
and its star dish: huevos estrellados<br />
– literally smashed eggs – served on<br />
delicious potato chips.<br />
City suggestions<br />
Venture into the Casa de Campo and<br />
the Parque de Atracciones, +34 902<br />
345 009, www.parquedeatracciones.es,<br />
with rides for thrill-seekers of all<br />
ages. Or, if the heat is too much, get<br />
to the Aquopolis Waterpark. You<br />
get the 627 bus from Moncloa Station<br />
(it’s not suitable for young children).<br />
And finally…<br />
Summer wouldn’t be summer without<br />
gazpacho – the cold soup made with<br />
vegetables, oil and vinegar.<br />
Words Simon Hunter<br />
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