METRO Trishna →

Welcome back to The Slice!

Ice cream is having a comeback… and if the last heatwave is anything to go by, you’ll definitely want to cool down with these.

There’s ice cream and wine for you sophisticated bunch, olive oil and ice cream in leafy Notting Hill, and soft serve with crispy chocolate feuilletine at Chestnut Bakery… oh-so-chic!

It’s also South Asian Heritage Month, and we’re trying two incredible restaurants to celebrate – Nepalese restaurant The Laughing Yak and Indian restaurant Trishna. As well as a free exhibition celebrating Southall and how the community has battled against discrimination. 

2. Embrace summer at Trishna

By Beatrice Aidin

In Medieval times, ‘a moment’ was considered 90 seconds. In Marylebone at Michelin-starred restaurant Trishna, I tasted the tenderest coconut salmon encased in a green curry leaf, which was so exceptional I had, well, a moment.

I was sampling the summer menu Taste of the Western Ghats, the mountainous range in southern India full of biodiversity where Trishna’s cuisine hails from. I kicked off with a Chilli Konkan Cooler from a cocktail collaboration with sustainable Diaspora Spice. 

For obvious reasons, beef is seldom served in Indian restaurants, yet beef short rib coconut fry features as a nod to the Syrian Christian community in Kerala – a rich delightful surprise. It comes with dal, potatoes, rice and naan, as does the Goan prawn biryani, packed with luscious crustaceans. Sorry Charli XCX, this year I’m calling it Ghat Summer.

Until 31 August. 3 courses, £50; 4 courses, £55. Available from 12-2:30pm and 5-6:15pm. 15 Blandford Street, London W1 3DG.

METRO Bentley's →

Save yourself the cost of a flight to Mykonos and head down to PYRO for earthy decor and fresh sea bream crudo. Or take a dip in the infinity pool at Battersea Power Station or experience the Costa Del Croydon (yes, Croydon has a beach!). 

It's almost National Oyster Week (5-11 August) and if you like seafood as much as us, you'll want to know that historic institution Bentley's is serving up some of the best oysters you can find in London. We're telling you how you can get your hands on some of the best deals, including FREE oysters. 

You've finally got a chance to ask all your burning foodie questions because Metro's specialist food writer, Courtney Pochin, is hosting an Ask Me Anything. Over on Reddit, you can ask her anything from her hot takes on viral food trends, to chef secrets and the best hidden gems in London. 

REVIEW by Beatrice Aidin

‘The smoked salmon of the heavens,’ I sigh. I'm at London’s finest fish restaurant, Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill, as the softest most delicate fish served with potato blinis and horseradish transports us to the skies above (indeed, the salmon is smoked on the restaurant’s roof).

It’s magical watching the oyster shuckers a'shucking behind the bar (Want to join them? Bentley's hosts an Oyster Masterclass every Saturday at 10:30am) as we continue the new set menu with butter poached smoked haddock and spiced brown crab rice, fresh as fish can be. Brightwell Ash cheese soufflé with asparagus is so divine, angels would be reaching for their trumpets.  

Established in 1916, this year Bentley’s celebrates Richard Corrigan's 20th year as chef/patron. One of the world’s best chefs and most generous, he and his team made 4,000 lockdown breakfasts for homeless people. This is creative, yet comforting cooking – the chef is no fan of the tweezer. Best finished with coffee on the large terrace, a meal at Bentley’s is like a beautiful culinary holiday from the city.

Two courses, £35. Three courses, £39. Daily 12 to 3.30pm, 4.30 to 6.30pm

11-15 Swallow St, Piccadilly, W1B 4DG

METRO Roka →

Greeting us with comforting white miso soup, Roka’s new £26 express menu follows up strong – with a cracking crispy prawn, avocado maki and a choice of baby chicken with lemon miso, seabream fillet with red onion and miso or baby back pork ribs with sansho.

Opting for the latter two, fresh off the robata, the fish is crispy succulence with a kick, visually too, from the pickled red onion. A mountain of tender pork ribs has me soon defeated despite the deliciousness (yet I still found room for mochi). Designed predominantly with wood, with a theatrical open kitchen, the room is calm, the food phenomenal and especially at these prices, find out for yourselves why Roka rocks.

Express lunch menu, £26. Tues-Fri, 12-3pm. Until 28 Feb. Roka Charlotte Street, Mayfair, Aldwych and Canary Wharf. Book here.

METRO The Elizabeth →

Welcome back to The Slice – our exclusive guide to what’s on in London, where we bring you trusted reviews, sneak previews, and amazing deals and discounts.

New Year’s Eve can be pretty stressful, there’s so much pressure to have the perfect night out. It’s the last night of the year and you wanna make it count, right?

But the best thing is, it can be whatever you want it to be. Whether it’s a chilled night with some good food, or a proper party (tell us what you prefer in our poll below). This week we’ve rounded up a few events that fit both of these. From incredible Chinese food by Ling Ling’s at Godet, to a night of 90s throwbacks… 

Also to look forward to, is our review of Indian barbecue restaurant Brigadiers, with food packed with flavour and inventive drinks – as well as a pizza special to celebrate Chanukah. 

Things to do this week in London

1. Enjoy a fantastically carnivorous menu at The Elizabeth

By Beatrice Aidin

Formerly the Ebury Street Wine Bar, a rather naughty Jilly Cooper-esque joint where artists Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon propped up the bar, Michelin star chef Anthony Demetre, brings bistro-style food with serious gastronomy to The Elizabeth as culinary director. Enter the bar, perfect for a meet and snack, that leads into the dining room where deep red walls and rich green banquettes cocoon just 36 diners.

The menu is fantastically carnivorous; start with crisp pig’s head, arguably the chef’s autograph dish for a reason – Demetre is one of the original nose-to-tail champions – which is stunning yet surprisingly light. Cumbrian beef tartar with beef dripping toast warms the soul and we follow with Rabbit ‘It has to be mustard’ cooked three ways. (Why the name? ‘Rabbit has to have mustard,’ Demetre tells me simply.) The Elizabeth is right on the zeitgeist, and I’d wager is going to give The Devonshire some very healthy competition in 2026.

Starters from £11, mains from £38. 139 Ebury Street, Belgravia, SW1W 9QU. Book here

METRO Moi →

Welcome back to The Slice – our exclusive guide to what’s on in London, where we bring you trusted reviews, sneak previews, and amazing deals and discounts.

It might not be December yet but we’re starting early this year. We hate rushing around for last minute Christmas gifts, so if you’re anything like us, you’ll love this issue.

That’s because we’ve found some of the best Christmas markets in London, with handmade products, mulled wine and Christmas cheer, including Christmas on Columbia Road (the shops are staying open until late just for you). 

What else is in this edition? A happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrates, we’re trying a Thanksgiving treat with a dedicated pie table, delicious bánh mì in King’s Cross, and mouthwatering sushi at a hot new opening.

3. Try indulgent tempura lobster claw at Moi

By Beatrice Aidin

Watch out Nobu – Moi, the new Japanese restaurant in Wardour Street, is hot on your heels. Decorated with reclaimed woods, and warm burnt orange concrete walls, despite the size (150 covers) it’s as warm in atmosphere as the service. The Red Egg Plant cocktail sounds bonkers, featuring tomato consommé and gin, but it’s my drink of the decade.

Fatty tuna sushi, as good as in Japan, and tempura lobster claw has my guest asking if he can order another (no he can’t) while I get very excited about silken tofu with buckwheat. We’re meant to share the Cornish mackerel but I demolish it and, er, have to order more. Down a glamorous swooping staircase lies the Listening Room plus an omakase bar. It’s worth adding that Moi is pronounced ‘moy’, which in Japanese dialects translates to strong affection. This Soho culinary addition has unquestionably earned mine. 

Snacks from £5, sushi & rolls from £21. 84 Wardour St, Soho, W1F 0TQ. Book here.

METRO Chef Franky Fernandes’ →

Welcome back to The Slice!

We’re feeling like staying indoors this week, but that doesn’t have to mean being cooped up at home all day. 

We’ve been hanging out in some of London’s newest cafés, hiding out from the rain. Uchi has cosy written all over it, so cosy that you’ll be asked to take your shoes off and change into slippers after stepping inside, a Japanese cultural tradition. Once you’ve done that, it will be time to tuck into ultra-thick sandos, and indulgent desserts. Get more café inspiration below. 

We also try one of London’s hottest new Mexican-inspired openings straight from Paris, but does it live up to the hype?

Plus: Find out where you can get £6 negronis and a monthly changing margarita menu.

1. Try plates made with precision by Chef Franky Fernandes’ at Lanes of London

Franky Fernandes’ culinary experience dances along the hotels of Park Lane – he was recently head chef of the Dorchester Collection and today is executive chef of Lanes of London at the Marriott.

Chef Fernandes has designed two menus, one quick for tired hotel arrivals – inspired hoteliers please take note – another for leisurely sharing. But you can pick from both. So we feast on ginormous, succulent lemon butter grilled tiger prawns, plus salt-baked beetroot, labneh and pistachio – just as vibrant in taste and appearance.

To my surprise, Fernandes, unlike most chefs, suggests a vegan dish because he set out to make it equally as good as the rest of the menu and ‘not another risotto.’ This shows – crispy aubergine, tomato, cashew. Then comes the exceptional big hit of the night, coconut curry sauce – with a taste of his birthplace Goa. The green apple cheesecake arrives as a replica of a Granny Smith, which would delight the Mad Hatter. Cracking in, a tart, cloud-like filling awaits. Fantastic.

Starters from £10, mains from £20. 140 Park Lane, Mayfair, W1K 7AA. Book here.

METRO Silva →

Welcome back to The Slice!

We survived the heatwave. Phew!

As London returns to more manageable temperatures, we’ve been on the search for relaxing spaces to wind down and recover after days of being reduced to sentient puddles on the Tube.

This week, we’ve gone from unwinding in a serene Mayfair hideaway to an underground wine bar that makes braving Covent Garden’s crowds worth it. You can also find the best places to get your fried chicken fix – because let’s be honest, when are we not craving some crunchy, golden wings?

And coming up this weekend, there are Wimbledon screenings, £5 pints at German Gymnasium’s birthday bash, and a £10 food crawl through Peckham’s coolest spots, courtesy of another fried chicken hero, Mr Bao. 

Read on for a whole range of recommendations for 5-6 July, handpicked as always by The Slice.

This week in London

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, here are 11 of the best activities, dining, and drinking spots in the capital.

1. Unwind with earthy flavours at Silva

By Beatrice Aidin

Cursing Berkeley Square’s kamikaze cyclists, I turn into Bruton Place and have my grump immediately abandoned. Opening the door of Silva I discover three of my favourite things; calm, a set lunch menu and a room of beauty. Latin for forest, Silva’s designers have curated curved wooden chairs, elegant marble green tables plus a long banquette that curves like the branch of a tree.
 
I’ve always thought it a sign of pride in a restaurant when dishes for a set menu come from the main menu, they really want to you to try them. Silva’s signature starter of egg crispy fried arrives round with a plump, sunny yolk atop a parmesan sauce loaded with earthy girolle mushrooms. Then risotto with wild garlic and morels – both a wonderful adieu to spring, though the spatchcock chicken looked similarly impressive. As for the crazy bikers from earlier? Over it. For you can’t but feel solace at Silva.  

Two-course lunch menu, £29. 26 Bruton Place, Mayfair, W1J 6NG. Book here.

METRO Eat Momo →

Welcome back to The Slice!

Have you arranged your Father’s Day 2025 present yet? Fear not, as we have some great ideas for you this week which will ensure you’re the favourite child in the family.

There’s a restaurant offering free Old Fashioneds, a hands-on cooking experience and every dad’s dream: a BBQ buffet. 

We’ve also found an Indian restaurant to rival Dishoom, a meal that has been called the savoury version of the viral Dubai chocolate bar and Nepalese dumplings good enough to cure any heartbreak.

3. Try Nepal’s beloved steamed dumplings at Eat Momo

By Beatrice Aidin

During a healing heartbreak trek to the Nepalese Himalayas last year, I fell in love with Momo. No, not a (very) lucky chap, but the name of Nepal’s beloved steamed dumplings – and I have been looking for the real deal in London ever since. 

Hungry in Borough Yards, I stumbled across a café called Eat Momo and with a hopeful heart, ordered freshly made chicken momo with garam masala and coriander leaves served with pickles and tomato achar, a spicy dip. 

And wow – they took me straight back to Momo in the mountains. When I learned that the owners are two Nepalese sisters, who describe Eat Momo as a ‘Nepali canteen’, albeit the chicest canteen I’ve ever seen, it all fell into place. Their father curated the Nepali music playlist and said the ‘canteen’ has been designed with Hindu Vastu Shastra principles, a similar philosophy to feng shui. It also boasts a terrace, perfect for after-work wine and dumplings.

Thrilled with my discovery I returned to try the other varieties, paneer, pork or tofu bursting with joyful vegetables, herbs and spices too (they do fried momo as well). So simply do as the sisters say – Eat Momo. Because Nepalese dumplings make being dumped feel a lot less desperate. 

Momo from £8. Arch 229, 1 Bank End, SE1 9FJ. Book

METRO Maresco →

Welcome back to The Slice!

London’s heating up, and not just because of the sun (though we’ll take that too).

We’ve found the best place for Organised Adult Fun, reviewed the pizza that’s setting a new gold standard for toppings, and uncovered a seafood spot that fuses Scottish soul with Spanish flair.

Plus we’re livening up dull work lunches with funky salads that have zero boring ingredients.

3. Sample Scottish seafood with a Spanish twist at Maresco

By Beatrice Aidin

A Scotsman, a Shetland mussel, and a Padrón pepper walk into a restaurant… and out comes Maresco, the brainchild of Glaswegian Stephan Leroni. Back when he was a music producer in LA (think Hanson and Bon Jovi), Leroni was inspired by an article revealing that the cream of Scotland’s seafood was being shipped off to Spain. Back in London, Leroni became an unlikely restauranteur, marrying the best of Caledonian and Catalonian ingredients and cuisine.

We kick things off with the famed bomba Maresco, similar to a Scotch Egg but filled with an explosion of mussels. Sea bass ceviche vanishes quickly (I win the last bite), and the fideuà (pictured) – a noodle-based cousin of paella – arrives crowned with dreamlike Hebridean langoustines.

We finish with a vast yet light Basque cheesecake and one conclusion: Stephan Leroni is the rock(fish) and roll king of Soho restaurateurs.

Small plates from £8. Tapas for Two menu £23pp. 45 Berwick St, Soho, W1F 8SF. Book here.

METRO MiMi Mei Fair →

Welcome back to The Slice!

It’s that time again. Time for London to be decorated in all sorts of floral delights for the Chelsea Flower Show. And if you didn’t get tickets to the official events, we’ve got lots up our sleeve. From a gorgeous Baskets In Bloom menu at MiMi Mei Fair, to a Bridgerton-esque afternoon tea at Sketch (with a string trio as the perfect backdrop). 

We’re also letting you in on the fun at Flukes, the brand-new games hall from Big Penny Social in Walthamstow.

And we indulge at neighbourhood spot Tozi, trying their signature dish – buffalo ricotta ravioli in a buttery black truffle sauce. Spoiler: it’s as luxurious as it sounds.

Read on for a whole range of recommendations for 24-26 May, handpicked as always by The Slice.

1. Try floral delights at MiMi Mei Fair

By Beatrice Aidin

Rarely do I gasp at the sight of dim sum, but the vibrant beauty of the green garlic, chive and chicken and ruby-red crystal morel trio has us snapping away on our phones. They taste as good as they look – and are not only great value but utterly delicious.

We’re seated in the chic Chinoiserie-style dining room, and we indulge in Sichuan Suffolk corn-fed chicken with cashew nuts – its kick of dried chilli is just right. Their vegetarian options are equally special, like the clay pot black bean aubergine.

Each dish is served with olive fried rice and crunchy seasonal vegetables (set menus often get you on the sides). For pudding, the refreshing coco mango vegan sundae felt just like heading into the Mayfair sunshine.

Baskets in Bloom menu, from £34pp. 55 Curzon St, Mayfair, W1J 8PG.

METRO Zapote →

Welcome back to The Slice!

A Bank Holiday Monday and Cinco de Mayo feel like a match made in heaven. The historic holiday celebrates the best of Mexican music, culture and cuisine. This week, we’re doing just that at The Slice, and telling you how you can join in the fiesta.

We’ve tried three bars where agave and Mexican spirits take centre stage. Read below about Zapote’s signature Casamigos Tequila cocktail, subterranean Dalston bar CINCO, and Los Mochis’ one-day-only celebrations.

We’re also throwing it back to 1999 (the good old times), and telling you where you can get cheap as chips £2.50 cinema tickets. 

3. Continue the celebrations at Zapote

By Beatrice Aidin

At Zapote, authentic Mexican tortillas are a serious business. The kitchen opens at 4.30am and makes over 500 tortillas a day using corn from chef patron Yahir Gonzalez’s 240-year-old family ranch in Mexico. This makes a difference – and might just be what makes Zapote one of the most exciting restaurants in London.

We can taste the freshness and quality while eating ox tongue tacos with cashew mole sharpened by pickled red onion, along with a divine plate of asparagus with pine nut mole, sorrel and Manchego. There are plenty of vegetarian options, but now I know why suckling pig tortilla is one of the most popular orders. Must-try £10 cocktails include the Zapote 70, their signature cocktail – made with Casamigos Tequila, Ojo de Rios Mezcal, Orgeat and Lemon. 

With Cinco de Mayo next week, the Zapote Regional Roots May series will explore Coyoacán in Mexico City with dishes like duck quesadillas with salsa roja and endive salad. In June, you can find scallop ceviche with grilled corn and persimmon on the menu, inspired by the chef’s scallop harvesting trips to Sonora on the Gulf of California. 

Dishes from £9. 70 Leonard St, Shoreditch, EC2A 4QX. Book here.

METRO Milk Beach →

Welcome back to The Slice!

We love to queue in the UK – it’s essentially a British custom. But we also like to moan about queuing – so if you have to get in line, you want to know that it’s worth your while.

That’s why we’re letting you in on the restaurants which actually deserve the wait time, as well as our top tips to jumping the queue every time.

And yes, that includes the iconic Parisian restaurant that’s been keeping Londoners lining up around the block for the last 15 years…

By Beatrice Aidin

Having grandly declared Queen’s Park to be the new Hackney – see my review of Don’t Tell Dad last week– it’s tallyho to Soho to try the sister branch of another of QP’s most celebrated restaurants, Milk Beach. 

Tucking Australian food and a light filled relaxed Antipodean atmosphere behind the chaos of Greek Street, Milk Beach oozes calm. The food, service and wine are terrific and the portions generous – the flame-grilled garlic prawns with fermented chilli butter arrived piled high and were swiftly demolished. Yellowfish tuna tartare with kaffir lime vinaigrette and puffed nori is molten in the mouth. Monkfish tail, white miso beurre blanc and monk’s beard (don’t worry, no monks forcibly shaved, it’s similar to samphire) is meaty yet tender and I have been reconverted back to aubergine karaage – the sticky mirin glaze, which can be as sweet as toffee, is on the side of the savoury gods. 

Also, grab your diaries – Milk Beach will be hosting Toast Australia, monthly wine paired dinners, for the rest of the year. with some of the country’s most celebrated wineries such as Shaw + Smith (30th April, £135) and Penfolds in May, for tastes and sips of awesome Oz.

Plates from £11. Ilona Rose House, Manette Street, W1D 4AL.

METRO Terra →

Welcome back to The Slice!

It’s the holy month of Ramadan. And although Ramadan is about spiritual growth, food does take the spotlight. It’s the absence of food that non-Muslim know it for, and it’s the social gatherings over food many Muslims look forward to when it’s time to break the fast — also known as Iftar.

So this week, we’ve scouted out the very best places to eat at for Iftar during Ramadan, including Meet Bros for halal steak and Cinnamon Kitchen for a proper sharing feast. 

And how could we forget? It’s St Patrick’s Day next Monday, but we know that if you’re celebrating, you’ll probably want to have all your fun at the weekend.

By Beatrice Aidin

Forget all the WFH scaremongering, the Square Mile is still buzzing on a Monday evening – good news for the area’s restaurants. That includes one of its newer additions, Terra by Carlo Cracco, the Milanese Michelin star celeb chef.

Situated on the first floor of Eataly (geddit?), the homage to Italian produce and dining, the two-meter grill dominates. We dine on impeccably fried artichokes, lemon pesto, mint and mullet roe, while chef Cracco converts me to smoked pumpkin. I never liked it before, yet now I’m hoovering it up, savouring the smokiness from plant-based milk flavoured with sage, almond and mushrooms. Charcoal grilled octopus with a textured ‘Nduja sauce is crispy yet tender. Beef cheek braised in pomegranate juice is the perfect side of savoury.

It gets better. On Butcher Monday’s Terra serves premium cuts at butcher’s prices – so get there early to score a juicy steak for around a tenner. Mangiamo! 

Pasta from £18, mains from £26. Eataly 1st Floor, 135 Bishopsgate, EC2M 3YD.

METRO Pasta Evangelists

Welcome back to The Slice!

It’s almost that time again: Valentine’s Day. Love it or hate it, it’s everywhere. Whether you’re fabulously single or properly loved up, ready to splurge or strapped for cash, we’ve got ideas to celebrate love day for everyone. 

We’re going real fancy at The Rivoli Bar, so fancy in fact that it’s perfect for the person who wants to propose but hasn’t found the perfect location… yet.

We’ve also got a five-course Indian fine-dining menu filled with passion and spice – plus fried chicken, champagne and caviar for a night out with the gals. 

5. Valentine’s dinner for two (or one) at Pasta Evangelists

By Beatrice Aidin

Entering the Chiswick branch of the three Pasta Evangelists restaurants that opened last year I find silky rose petals arranged in a heart on my table that is set up for one. This isn’t a mistake – I’m sampling Pasta Evangelists Very Venetian Valentine’s Menu three-course dinner with unlimited Prosecco – because after all, as self-help books like to say, ‘love starts from within.’ So why not be your own Valentine?

I start with excellently sourced burrata, rocket and tomatoes. Then, as truffle equals romance to me, it’s reginette with truffle cacio e pepe – generous and perfectly cooked. Service is delightful, and for pudding I demolish lemon tart with a stunning crisp almond pastry base. I have a wonderful solo time – so go on your own, with a lover or other. I reckon St Lawrence, patron saint of pasta makers, and St Valentine would be delighted however you choose to celebrate amore, so long as you do so.

Valentine’s Day menu, £50pp. Farringdon, Greenwich, Richmond and Chiswick.

METRO The Butcher's Tap And Grill →

With exactly 21 sleeps to go until the big day, we’ve got something for the Christmas roast naysayers. So if you’ve got the dreaded dry roast dinner scaries, fear not.

We’ve put together a list of alternative Christmas meals from different cultures and for different budgets, from ham hock bao buns to warming paneer curries.

But if you’re more traditional, we’ve got some treats for you too: a Great Christmas Feast with all the trimmings and a special theatrical twist; or a decadent afternoon tea in a pink winter wonderland.

Plus, our verdict on new Brixton-based hamburger bar, Buster’s, which is serving up wagyu beef, pet-nat and more.

6. The Butcher’s Tap and Grill

By Beatrice Aidin

Tucked behind the King’s Road, Tom Kerridge’s The Butcher’s Tap and Grill is a pub with the atmosphere of a warm hug. As the name indicates, it’s a carnival for carnivores. We dive into bone marrow with horseradish crumb, share 500g of halcyon sirloin steak on the bone along with coronation coleslaw – genius combo – and it’s all darned delicious.

During December, check out the three-bird turkey, chicken and duck burger with honey parsnips and cranberry sauce (£19.50) with £1 donated to Chelsea Pensioners.  On leaving we spot Tom recording his podcast while keeping a keen eye on the kitchen. Next time, chef, I’m going in for that hug.

Cocktails from £17. 27 Tryon St, Chelsea.

The Butcher's Tap And Grill
25 – 27 Tryon Street Chelsea SW3 3LG

HTSI A detoxing Barrecore retreat in the Bahamas

Beating the January blues with a new revitalisation reboot.

The month of December is full of indulgence, but for those who are already noticing a spare tyre (or two), it might be an idea to think ahead to January 2016 and booking a new detox escape with Silver Linings Retreats. Presented by and available to book through London-based luxury concierge service The Modern Concierge, the finest of London’s wellness experts will be transported to the Kamalame Cay private-island resort in the Bahamas for a week-long health and fitness experience (January 22-29, January 29-February 5, £6,775; May 13-22, from £4,995).

London’s Barrecore, the ballet-inspired fat-burning interval-training outfit, will send over teachers, and chic sportswear line Sweaty Betty will provide workout apparatus and stylish gym gear for female guests (sorry chaps, they don’t make men’s clothes).

BarreNourish, the catering arm of Barrecore, has created a special Paleo menu, the style of eating based on the diet of cavemen (said to be hormone-balancing and anti-inflammatory), featuring fresh fish and local produce from a Mennonite farm on the nearby island of Andros. London’s Radiance Cleanse will also curate a juicing day.

Each of the maximum number of 10 guests will start the detox process ahead of departure by talking to the Silver Linings team about their health and fitness goals prior to the retreat. “The mix of one-to-one and group exercise within each guests’ personal programme enables us to draw upon not only Barrecore signature moves, but also yoga and Pilates methods, as well as high-intensity interval training,” explains the founder of Silver Linings Retreats Chrissy Sundt, a former Royal Ballet dancer.

Virtuosity aside, there’s plenty of downtime, from snorkelling to reading. Leaving the iPad at home is also encouraged. “The location enables a digital detox that is just not possible to achieve in our usual lives,” enthuses Sundt.

The upshot? “Guests will leave the retreat relaxed, replenished and rejuvenated.” What a perfect way to start 2016.