Loyal to my annual festive ritual, I find myself addicted to the Christmas walk which I kind of set up a few years ago. Warm clothes, woolen hat, gloves, my beloved ones and off we go to get the Christmas flavour like nowhere else.
Away from the Oxford Street bustle and walking southbound avoiding busy Regent Street, one can feel Christmas closer by just smelling it in every single corner.
- The Conran Shop: where living meets design. Everything about everyday life in the most desirable designs. Small gift ideas from upcoming brands.
- Nordic Bakery: It’s not Christmas if it doesn’t smell of cinnamon. The best cinnamon buns in town, at the back streets of Marylebone.
- Chiltern Street: our new favourite small street just steps away from Marylebone. Fairy lights everywhere, nice sophisticated brands, and Chiltern Firehouse on one side and the Monocle café on the other.
- Selfridges: always busy and a bit mainstream. However, Mr Seflridge did manage to make it a brand itself. Get your champagne truffles in the Selfridges branded boxes as a piece of art for your festive table.
- Claridges: royalist or not, you cannot miss the Christmas decorations of this Mayfair establishment. You can either visit for their afternoon tea or just to take a look at the interesting festive interiors. Snowy forest for this year it will take you in another era somewhere close to Santa’s village.
- Mount Street: flamboyant brands, red brick luxury houses and the most artistic Christmas tree by The Connaught.
- Old Bond Street: The end of the luxury shopping mile is getting gift wrapped for Christmas. The red Cartier beats the white and mint green ribbon bows of Tiffany&Co. Window shoppers find their own Santa’s grotto, and start to believe that the jolly red man may exist after all, so why not wish for a diamond or two…
- Fortnum and Mason: everything about shortbreads, cookies, tea and jam. All these in the most desirable packaging. Dreamy decorations and fairytale carols throughout the whole festive period make you wish to meet the Nutcracker and make your dreams come true.
Christmas is about feelings, tastes, flavours and getting together; not things.
You are almost done with the Christmas trail. You have seen so many things and may have not have come away with anything to put in your stocking. Take a deep breath, walk into The Ritz, and have a warm tea or a bubbly cocktail to wish you well and have a very merry Christmas….
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