Lela London

A set of martini glasses with a tiny green olive in its stem should not be this persuasive. Maison Balzac, however, has made it so

Hermès’ sixth maison sits across nearly 2,000 square metres, with five floors, 55 rooms, three lifts and roof terraces. And among the beautiful wares on display is a very fine set of tools

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Former investment banker Julia Baldet founded Elevate, a premium functional smoothie concept, opening in London's demanding Bank district to serve time-pressed professionals. Recognizing a market gap for credible, healthy on-the-go options, Baldet leveraged her financial acumen to secure funding and her hands-on approach, including working behind the counter, drives constant iteration and customer-centric improvements. Elevate's $15 smoothies balance high-quality ingredients with "craveability," aiming for daily routine integration rather than just novelty. After a successful Bank launch, the brand expanded to Selfridges, testing its appeal to a broader, international clientele. Baldet envisions Elevate as a category-defining modern wellness brand, built on utility and trust.

Personally, we’re baffled by their return, but perhaps we need to be a little more open-minded…

Founder Olly Hiscocks launched OLLY'S eight years ago, spotting a market gap for convenient, everyday olive snacks. He aimed to transform olives from awkward, briny deli items into portable, unpasteurised pouches that retained flavour and texture. Overcoming initial skepticism and supplier challenges, Hiscocks strategically positioned OLLY'S as a crisp alternative, placing products in high-footfall locations. This approach fueled remarkable growth, with the brand now in over 10,000 stockists across 20 countries, selling millions of pouches and generating significant revenue. OLLY'S has since expanded into other snacks like pretzel thins, adhering to a "health at the heart, flavour to the full" ethos.

This month's guide highlights where to eat in London now. Sale e Pepe Mare offers glamorous, seafood-focused Italian cuisine with a grand-hotel ambiance, ideal for a sophisticated evening. For a vibrant Saturday, MITSU's Japanese market brunch features sushi, robata, and even a "Big Fish Energy" tuna carving event with karaoke. Oranj provides a unique World Cup experience, pairing natural wines with a creative burger series where chefs interpret nations. Arcade Covent Garden, a new dynamic food hall, solves group dining dilemmas with diverse culinary concepts from burgers to Greek-Cypriot fare. Lastly, Cocktails in the City returns to Bedford Square Gardens, uniting London's top bars, street food, and live music for an exceptional drinks festival.

From a Tokyo-style brunch to World Cup burgers, these are the London restaurants, pop-ups and food events worth booking this month.

Alice Parmiter and Wynter Karo launched Pimentae in 2021, creating a premium canned margarita market in the UK despite initial industry skepticism about tequila's image and ready-to-drink quality. As female founders navigating a capital-intensive sector, they strategically focused on high-quality Mexican tequila and diverse product formats. Pimentae rapidly secured over 900 national listings, including major retailers and British Airways, becoming the UK's leading grocery margarita. Their innovative use of festivals for marketing and resilience through challenges like tequila shortages and funding biases ultimately attracted a significant investment from Diageo-backed Distill Ventures, positioning them for global expansion.

We asked some of our favourite whisky producers for the tips, tricks and recommendations required to nail your next whisky purchase