London’s Simpson’s in the Strand is set to reopen late February following a major refurbishment led by restaurateur Jeremy King, marking the return of a historic landmark beloved by generations of writers, politicians, and gourmands.
The 200-year-old restaurant, spanning five floors, will house two restaurants, two bars, and an event space, according to a statement from King. Period features have been preserved and blended with modern design elements by Studio Shayne Brady. King, who as well owns Arlington in Mayfair and The Park in Bayswater, described Simpson’s as “London’s last grande dame restaurant,” and said restoring it to its former glory is “the apotheosis of my career.”
Across the Atlantic, Recent York City is experiencing a surge in culinary and artistic openings. The Noguchi Museum in Long Island City is hosting “Noguchi’s New York,” an exhibition running through September 13, exploring the late Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi’s enduring connection to the city. The present features project models, blueprints, photographs, films, and archival materials documenting Noguchi’s public works, including those that were altered, destroyed, or never realized. Curator Kate Wiener noted that New York “shaped him, challenged him, and ultimately became the ground on which some of his most ambitious ideas were tested.”
Also in New York, Ambassador Clubhouse, a popular Punjabi restaurant from London, has opened a NoMad location. Chef Karan Mittal is helming the New York kitchen, offering dishes inspired by Northern India’s royal kitchens, street food, and family recipes. Signature dishes from the London location, such as Original BBQ Butter Chicken Chops and Ranjit Shai Lobster, are featured alongside new offerings like Aloo Mattar Satpura and Warqi Lamb Seekh Kebab. The restaurant, owned by JKS Restaurants, is named after the owners’ grandfather, an Indian ambassador.
In Milan, visitors can view a rare Leonardo da Vinci mural, the Sala delle Asse at Sforza Castle, albeit with a hardhat. The hall is currently under renovation, and access through scaffolding is available until March 14. The mural, painted in the late 15th century, depicts a pergola and includes inscriptions detailing the life of Duke Ludovico Maria Sforza. Da Vinci spent nearly two decades in Milan, improving the city’s canal system and creating works like “The Last Supper.”
Milan is also home to a new speakeasy within the boutique hotel Vico Milano. The intimate space, with only 18 seats across two nightly seatings, offers a curated menu of cocktails and small bites, including wagyu beef brioches. The hotel, a winner of Michelin Keys in 2025 and 2024, was converted from a fashion showroom by Neri Baccheschi Berti.
In Paris, the iconic L’Aventure has expanded to include a five-star, 15-key hotel designed by Vincent Darré. The hotel features 15 rooms and suites, including a 1,500-square-foot suite, L’Appartement, with rich textures and hand-sketched motifs. A new restaurant, Kubaba, has also opened in Paris, offering a taste of the Levant with dishes like pastillas of seasonal vegetables and raki-flambéed clams.
Los Angeles-based cocktail bar Damn, I Miss Paris, owned by celebrity stylist Jason Bolden and interior designer Adair Curtis, is celebrating its one-year anniversary.
