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There's something about a multi-course brunch that I reminds me of some of the extended, high-end brunches I've enjoyed in Paris. In London, it's often a more casual affair, but in these COVID-19 times, why wouldn't I want to linger over two brunch courses plus speciality coffee from Difference Coffee ? And brand-new cafe–bar Queens of Mayfair  is a beautiful setting to do just that. I've been eagerly awaiting the opening of Queens of Mayfair, the brainchild of sisters Victoria and Grace Sheppard, for several months and it opened its Queen Street doors last week. It's a real all-day venue, with breakfast and lunch dishes and cocktails, as well as coffee, cakes and pastries for in-between times. Among the sweet treat selection are the  doughnuts-in-eclair's-clothing from Longboys , which  I tried recently in King's Cross . On Saturdays, they do a set two-course brunch with juice and a hot drink for £25 — if you're feeling especially fancy, you can add...

If you've been following my Instagram , you'll know that I spent a week in New York last month. I was there to work in my company's Financial District office but did get three weekend days and a public holiday free to explore in the city, and was blessed with crisp but sunny weather for most of the week. I'm lucky enough to visited New York about once or twice a year for the past quarter-century, which takes off the pressure and means coffee shops, restaurants and things to do can sometimes remain on my to-do list for a couple of years. I've already written about my most recent speciality coffee experiences here , but here's how I spent the rest of my trip. THINGS TO DO I took an early flight from Heathrow on the Sunday, and made it to my Financial District hotel just after 2 pm local time. I headed straight out into the sunshine, and walked up Broadway to SoHo for a spot of shopping, before cutting over to Washington Square Park. As usual, there was a lively at...