Hello, Sarah Rappaport here, your luxury reporter in London. In six weeks I’m getting married in my favorite place, the Athens Riviera, in a cliffside ceremony overlooking the Aegean Sea at golden hour. I can’t wait!

Of all the things I’ve learned planning a destination wedding, the biggest is that no matter how organized and on top of things you are, it’s still going to cost (a lot) more than you think. Which is to say, this summer I’ve been staying put in London and exploring my own adopted hometown.

And exploring means eating. According to food editor Kate Krader, London restaurants have lately been embracing New York vibes. Photographer: Justin De Souza/One Club Row

It feels like the entire world is in London now. It’s peak tourist season, and the streets in the West End are overflowing with visitors; I know a bunch who’ve come for the Oasis gigs specifically. And it’s not just anecdotal: British Airways parent company IAG SA says trans-Atlantic traffic is recovering too, especially in premium cabins. 

During this hot and busy time, with European families of five all walking hand in hand down the streets in no particular rush, I always like to have a quick countryside getaway in my back pocket. 

Who wouldn’t want to relax in a rooftop bath in Bath? It’s ideal for a day trip. Photographer: Philip Edwards

Below are three exciting new openings, all within a three-hour journey of London. Since I’ll be stuck dealing with a deluge of invoices and decisions on where to seat my relatives, please enjoy them on my behalf.

Oh, and if you’re headed up to the festival in Edinburgh to see Succession’s Brian Cox play the ghost of Adam Smith (yes, this is an actual play), here are the best places to stay, eat and drink in the Scottish capital.

The interiors of the new Keeper’s Cottage at Heckfield Place. Source: Heckfield Place

Heckfield Place
Distance from London: About an hour. Take the train or Elizabeth line to Reading, and then it’s a short cab journey from the Reading station.

One of the best country house hotels in the UK, with major green foodie cred under culinary director Skye Gyngell, is also one of the closest to London. New this summer: a cottage on its serene grounds close to its award-winning wellness center, the Bothy by Wildsmith. You’ll quickly forget about any tube-related chaos after a soak in the outdoor hot tubs in a meadow overlooking the working farm. Its skin-care products, some of the best-smelling I’ve come across, are now stocked in luxury hotels throughout the world. 

The Cotswolds’ newest hotel, Hyll.  Source: Hyll

Hyll
Distance from London: Two hours; the Cotswolds are best explored by car.

The Cotswolds are more popular than ever, especially among wealthy Americans. Case in point: Eve Jobs, daughter of Steve Jobs, hosted her wedding reception there, and US Vice President JD Vance will reportedly be heading down to the charming village of Charlbury this month on vacation. Adding to my list to evangelize for England’s most bucolic countryside area is Hyll, which opens its doors next month. The resort is housed in a restored 17th century manor house and includes 60 acres of forests and meadow to explore. The website promises activities such as guided country walks and literary supper clubs. Sign me up!

A farm stay in Dorset. Source: Louma

Louma
Distance from London: Three hours by car.

Dorset, overlooking the Jurassic Coast, is a beloved vacation spot for Brits but less known to international tourists. Louma is likely to change that. The luxe farmhouse stay has been racking up rave reviews for its swish spa, two pasture-to-plate restaurants, vineyard and a wellness studio in a former cow barn. Guests can sip on English sparkling wine grown on-site before going to feed the friendly flock of sheep. 

I mean, come on! Source: Louma

Garibaldis and a Hugo Spritz at Dante. Photo: Sarah Rappaport/Bloomberg

Dante at Claridge’s

New York’s perennially packed cocktail bar (it was named World’s Best in 2019) has crossed the pond and set up a residency at Claridge’s. (Spot the entrance by the big American flag waving outside.) The pop-up has become so popular that it’s been extended until Aug. 29. I found the service to be excellent and the drinks even better; make sure to try the Garibaldi with fluffy orange juice and Campari (£15, or $20, which is extremely reasonable for a Mayfair hotel bar). 

Osteria Angelica

This new Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant in Shoreditch makes all its bread and pasta in-house. I’m still dreaming of the milk bread with burnt honey butter and the tomato pasta with the Japanese chile pepper spice koshō.

This futuristic machine was actually quite relaxing. Photograph: Sarah Rappaport/Bloomberg

Ricari Studios at the Peninsula London

The Peninsula spa was already among the best in London, but it’s just added a partnership with Ricari Studios, which has a following of celebrity and jet-set fans who flock to its locations in Los Angeles, New York, Grand Cayman and St. Moritz for its body-sculpting lymphatic drainage treatments.

The therapists use a wild, octopus-looking machine, moving the “heads” up and down your body to stimulate skin tissue and circulation. And they give you a little white jumpsuit to wear during the session, making the whole thing feel even more space-age. It was actually very relaxing—I’ve tried body-sculpting massages that were painful—but this was pleasant. I also felt like I left the spa looking noticeably better. Treatments start at £195. 

And if you read just one thing ...

“Gwyneth Paltrow Has Always Been Selling What Money Can’t Buy.” Illustration: Kimberly Elliot for Bloomberg

Let it be this review of the headline-grabbing new biography of Gwyneth Paltrow. As I’m a millennial, Goop seems like it’s been famous my entire life. Her quote about how she can’t “pretend to live like someone who makes $25,000 a year” lives rent-free in my head. And who could forget the jade egg saga? 

But it was fascinating to read about how Paltrow leveraged her nepo-baby background, A-list status and thin body to become what author Amy Odell calls “one of the biggest and most polarizing cultural influencers of the 21st century.”

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