LONDON 'STARS'
THE NEW QUARTERS THAT ATTRACT THE "JET SET" FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD!
By Laetitia Missir de Lusignan

Although it was hurt some months ago, London is far from being depressed. Always getting more sparkling, the town continues to make people dream... Wander through the latest places-to-be, full of addresses that are frequented by the stars and celebrities!

KNIGHTSBRIDGE, KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA... THE CLASSICS
Here is a nice address to be rediscovered near Knightsbridge, in the beating heart of London: a small hotel gem that has recently been renovated: Cadogan (75, Sloane street, www.cadogan.com). Is 65 luxury rooms were decorated by Grace Leo Andrieu and the Victorian building is haunted by the memory of Oscar Wilde. It is located only a few steps away from Cartier, Dior, Prada, Armani, Escada, Chanel or Versace... Do not miss tea time with some of the best scones in town! In Kensington, do not forget to eat at restaurant "l'Etranger" (www.etranger.co.uk) when you want to meet television stars and other celebrities. Angelina Jolie is said to frequent this place. In a setting of warm colours the guests savour an Franco-Asian cuisine. And, before loosing yourself in the small streets of Chelsea, here are some hype addresses full of aromas attracting stars from the entire world: Jimmy Choo (169, Draycott Avenue), Manolo Blahnik (49-51, Old Church Street) whose shoes are real masterpieces, and finally, Steinberg & Tolkien (193, King's Road, tel. +32-44-(0)20-7376 3660). These are the specialists of the 'vintage chic', dug up by Jean-Paul Cartier, clothes and jewels dating back to 1900-1960.

After dusk the Blue Bar (www.the-berkeley.co.uk/berkeley) is the fashionable meeting place of the young generation, brokers and bankers. This is the bar of the Berkeley Hotel, where people flock together as from 19:00 hrs for a glass of champagne, an alcoholic fruit drink or mojitos, mixed as they should be. This unique spot, created by designer David Collins, has various rooms that are decorated in very original and unexpected styles. The lower bar is the best place to have your aperitif. You will rub your eyes... and ears (!) before going on to the Rasoi Vineet Bhatia restaurant (www.vineetbhatia.com). This was opened in 2004 by the best Indian chef in the United Kingdom and the first to get a Michelin star. When you come in, you experience the smells of distant places, and inside the tables breathe a cosy atmosphere. The walls display ancient and modern Indian art.

SPITALFIELDS AND BRICK LANE: EAST END BOHEMIA
Welcome to this quarter, a bit off the city centre (www.spitalfields.org.uk). It bustles with creativity and it is completely on the up. Liverpool Street is an excellent starting point for your walk. New designer boutiques and warehouses of ingenious small creators keep on opening. At two paces from the Brick lane Indian quarter, the trendy bio market is loved by the most snobbish of Londonders. They also come to discover the ultimate bargain in art deco, vintage paintings, jewels and other tantalising accessories. The atmosphere is that of a village with winding streets that disclose extremely pleasant places: furniture, rare objects and couches at Onedeko (www.onedeko.co.uk), glitter dresses at Frockbrokers (www.frockbrokers.biz), designer bags and other sophisticated stuff at Pure (430, Roman Road, tel. +32-44-(0)20-8983 2004), rare stones from all over the world by artisan jeweller Ben Day (www.benday.co.uk).

For a snack you can go to St John Bread and Wine (www.stjohnbreadandwine.com) offering fresh products and bio or vegetarian produce. A little bit further on, don"t miss the Old Truman Brewery (www.trumanbrewery.com), which now houses designers, djs and talented architects. The Eat My Handbag Bitch is one of London"s latest rock"n roll hotspots with furniture and déco accessories from the 1950s till the present day. We shouldn"t forget the Laden Showroom (www.laden.co.uk), a well-kept treasure for design amateurs who come here to get in touch with the most recent trends. And now you can go on to www.whitechapel.org, founded in 1901 to 'bring art to east London' (Hogarth, Picasso, Pollock...). We end this spicy tour in beauty (after replenishing in one of the irresistible Indian restaurants near the river) at Les Trois Garçons (www.lestroisgarcons.com), opened by artists and bric-à-brac dealer, friends of Donatella Versace, who also initiated Lounge Lover 1 (Whitby, SE 2), both kitschy, baroque and anti-minimalist. A must for crazy nights!

VILLAGE ATMOSPHERE AT CARNABY AND SEVEN DIALS
In the east of London, however, it is the triangle Carnaby (www.carnaby.co.uk), Seven Dials (www.sevendials.net) and Regent Street (www.regentstreetonline.com) that attracts the masses. You might come across Kate Moss or Liz Hurley... Carnaby (a little village with coloured houses) is enclosed by Kingly Street and Court (!), Foubert's Place and Great Marlborough Street. Some 30 fashion boutiques with names like Michiko Koshino, Great frog, Aku, and shops in original deco locations (Mooks, Orlando Hamilton, Stone Island...) are lined up in an unending frenzy. Scent System (www.scent-systems.com) offers precious and rare fragrances by Hiram one of Madonna"s friends who conceived "Pink Lotus". At the Kingly Club, on the other hand, the jet set parties till dawn in a James Bond film setting (white couches, giant fish tanks, mirrors and glass tables). Among the avant-garde attractions of Seven Dials (with numerous listed buildings in Monmouth Street), you will discover Koh Samui, Poste Mistress, Two See... and you will undoubtedly stop at Coco de Mer (www.cocodeMerUSA.com) , a "chic erotic" boutique that is completely dedicated to sensuality. The Hospital ultra private lounge club (www.thehospital.co.uk), started by Dave Stewart, comprises an art gallery, a recording studio, a cinema, a casino and an excellent design restaurant with modern French cuisine (www.thymeandspace.com). Also never seen before is the ‘bag boys" concept" (www.sevendials.co.uk/bagboys). These (free) bodyguards will escort you during your shopping trip during four hours, and they will carry your bags, call a taxi...

And what"s new in traditional Regent Street, apart from the opening of a giant Apple store with the most advanced high-tech? At Liberty"s, new spaces dedicated to cosmetics and the greatest creators have been opened (Marc Jacobs, Sofia Ko-ko-sa-la-ki). And when you drop after the shopping, the only thing to do is to book a table for dinner with your love or with friends at Cocoon (www.cocoon-restaurant.com), which is inspired on the six stages in a butterfly"s life. One stage for each room, with the intimacy of a cocoon where the sushi bar is open to late at night. The cuisine has many Asian influences, and we would suggest you try the "contemporary" aperitif section (Lychee Martini, Passionflower, Agay Royale), the seafood dim sum or the vegetarian spring roll. This will make you into a star again, with twinkling shiny eyes...

Attention! Do not forget to submerge, one winter evening, in the unique and spectacular atmosphere of the ABSOLUT ICEBAR, which has just opened at a few paces from Regent Street.   (www.belowzerolondon.com)