OK, so in terms of ideal Christmas presents we’ve already covered after-shaves fit for royalty, hi-spec grooming products and Christmas jumpers that will last forever ‘but what do I buy for the jet-setting culture vulture in my life?‘ I hear you ask. Well why not get them a compendium of travel guides to four of the most exciting cities in the world? These handy pocket sized books on Berlin, London, New York and Paris are each divided into three volumes (hotels, restaurants & shops) and packed full of useful maps, images and information on all the must see places you need to check out whilst you’re there. Even if you’ve no intention of visiting any of these great destinations, all the info makes for a fascinating read and there are some great photographs of the various, eateries, shops and places to crash that ‘experts of all things cool’ Taschen recommend.
Highlights include:
London: Number Sixteen, a chic South Kensington hotel in a beautiful Victorian townhouse with romantic gardens, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s restaurant and social project, Fifteen, where teenagers cook the meals, and Dover Street Market, the multi-floor concept store founded in 2004 by Comme des Garçons.
New York: the Maritime Hotel, a former sailors’ dorm, now Chelsea’s coolest hotel, the Waverly Inn, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter’s exclusive salon for the glitterati, and where to buy New York’s best cheesecake
Paris: Ladurée, the best macaroons in the city, the ultra-luxurious Ritz hotel on elegant Place Vendôme, and Colette fashion concept store
Berlin: hip nightspot Green Door, where one rings the doorbell to gain entrance, oriental delight at Edd’s, the best Thai restaurant in Berlin (perhaps in Germany), and experimental store Bless, “publicizing artistic values through products”.
It sure beats the arse out of a selection box and a book on big cats doesn’t it?
Available from: http://www.taschen.com/
