OUT & ABOUT

This month’s pick of places to go and things to do

EAT: HÉLÈNE DARROZE AT THE CONNAUGHT

In celebration of the restaurant’s 10th birthday, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught recently had a sleek facelift, courtesy of designer of the moment, Pierre Yovanovitch. Gone is the mahogany-stained panelling and somewhat dark gentlemen’s club aesthetic in favour of a chic salmon pink. The wood has been stripped back to a buff oak colour, contemporary art by names such as Damien Hirst abounds, and the furniture, much of it custom-made for the project, has a glorious lightness of touch. It’s an airy new look that perfectly reflects the acclaimed French chef’s refined yet fresh approach to food, the-connaught.co.uk.

DISCOVER: ART DECO BY THE SEA AT THE SAINSBURY CENTRE

Britain’s seaside towns have been undergoing a renaissance in the past few years. Margate is more popular than ever, Southwold boasts buzzing boutique hotels, and Hastings prides itself on bona fide modern art credentials. Celebrating these turn-of-thecentury coastal hotspots is

Art Deco by the Sea, an exhibition, running until 14 June at Norwich’s Sainsbury Centre. The show will explore iconic examples of architecture and design, from lidos and piers to cinemas, hotels and amusement parks, unashamedly embracing their art deco kitsch, sainsburycentre.ac.uk.

STAY: NUMBER ONE BRUTON

Sitting pretty on Bruton’s chocolatebox high street, this new hotel is already on our list of the country’s loveliest boutique hideaways. Decor is a comforting mix of on-trend colours – pea green, anyone? – and cleverly sourced vintage pieces; think Suzani wall hangings, bone inlaid dressers and richly coloured Persian carpets. What promises to bring in a far-reaching crowd, however, is the dining room. Chef Merlin Labron-johnson, the culinary whizz behind London’s oh-so chic Portland restaurant, has launched Osip, a tiny farm-to-table venture that creates its inventive dishes from the very best of Somerset’s bountiful fresh produce, numberonebruton.com.