London Black Book

When I look back at our first London Black Book which we published two years ago, it makes me proud to see how far we’ve come from what was essentially a list of my personal favorites, peppered with some suggestions from a couple of friends. As our Black Books have evolved, we realized that we wanted a more rounded-out picture of a city—not only the places we love most. Sure, I can wax on about my favorite hotel bars, fish & chips, clothing shops on repeat and the oddball hardware store that has the best moth repellent! But what I really want is to hear from my friends (and their friends) who live all over this city that’s so perfectly old-world, yet always has something new going on. As usual, we asked our most creative locals, but we also wanted to include the kids (thanks, Giacomo and Jay!), international transplants (Ashley and Ariel), and frequent visitors (Marie-Louise). I was there two weeks ago, and how I wish I’d had this list then! I can’t wait to put all of these great suggestions into my London Google map and settle into much more than a long weekend. It’s really so good—I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! —Yolanda

CONTRIBUTORS

Álvaro González is an accessories designer based between London and Florence.

Anda Rowland is the owner and director of famed Savile Row tailoring house, Anderson & Sheppard. 

Ashley Baker is the deputy editor for Air Mail; she moved from New York to the Kensington neighbourhood of London with her family a couple of years ago. You can hear “Morning Meeting,” her always-entertaining podcast with fellow deputy editor Michael Hainey, here.

Ariel Childs is a New Yorker who moved to London in 1997 where she has since worked as a creative in editorial, communications and branding. She is the CEO and executive creative director of the branding agency, Winkreative. 

Ava Arroyo hails from America but now calls London home. Our friend and OG Yolo reader, she used part of her sabbatical from Google to help us during our big transition to the web this past summer. Living in De Beauvoir Town in East London, she spends her free time exploring every nook and cranny of the city’s 607 square miles.

Charlotte Forsyth Wastell is a London-based photographer and half of @hands.london, an events and food-styling consultancy. She spends most of her time travelling, running and eating at restaurants. 

Emilie Hawtin is the founder of Clementina, a tailoring and editorial project collaborating with tailors, shirtmakers, and shoemakers. She also recently started a Substack where she talks about style, people, places, and well-made things. 

Emily FitzRoy is the founder of Bellini Travel. While best known as an Italy specialist extraordinaire, she lives in London and has a penchant for the city’s traditional side. 

Giac & Jay are a dynamic duo who have lived in London their entire lives. Giacomo lives in Primrose Hill and is currently studying for his MA at the Courtauld in London. Jay grew up in North London and is a student at the University of Edinburgh. 

Gianluca Longo is the style director of The World of Interiors, following a 25-year career in magazines (British Vogue, Cabana, and W) and consulting for brands such as Tods, Ginori 1735 and Ralph Lauren. He has lived in the UK for almost 3 decades, and considers London home.

James Massey runs Massey Style, a PR agency representing many of the best and most respected luxury brands in the world. 

Jennica Arazi is the London-based owner of The Marbella Club, a YOLO favorite in southern Spain that is in its 70th year.

Jules Perowne is founder and CEO of the influential PR firm, Perowne International. She grew up on a farm in Norfolk, but makes her home in Brackenbury Village in West London with her husband and son.

Kim Sion is a creative consultant, ceramicist, wife, mother and animal lover, who lives in Shepherd’s Bush.

Laura Jackson is the co-founder of Glassette, a curated homeware marketplace, and a British broadcaster. She lives in East London with her three children and photographer husband. As a Soho magpie, she can be mostly found upstairs in Quo Vadis or sipping coffee in Bar Italia.

Louis Sheridan is a multi-disciplinary artist based between London and Paris. His first book, Making Hay, was just published, and is a love letter to the wilds of Yorkshire where he grew up. 

Margo Marrone is a pharmacist with a specialisation in herbalism and homoeopathy, and a clean beauty pioneer with the founding of The Organic Pharmacy in 2002. She now runs Eyeam with her daughter, Roxy—a wellness solution led brand based on four pillars of mind, body, spirit and skin.

Marie-Louise Sciò is the CEO and creative director of the Pellicano Hotels, which includes the Hotel Il Pellicano, Mezzatorre, La Posta Vecchia, and the lifestyle brand, Issimo.

Maria Lemos is the founder of Rainbow Wave and the owner of our favorite concept shop in London and Athens, Mouki Mou. 

Mats Klingberg is the Swedish-born, London-based founder of Trunk Clothiers, a menswear brand with a store on Chiltern Street. 

Matt Hranek is the author of A Man & His Watch, A Man & His Car, The Negroni: A Love Affair with a Classic Cocktail, The Martini: Perfection in a Glass, and founder of Wm Brown Magazine. His cookbook, A Man & His Kitchen, came out last fall. 

Matthew Coles is a brand specialist and photographer. He has worked with many brands in developing their marketing and creative, including Drake’s and New & Lingwood, among others.

Maya Zafeiropoulou-Martinou is the founder of Crini & Sophia, a Greek tableware brand, and operates OIKOS, a design-minded furniture store. She relocated from her hometown of Athens to London with her family of six. 

Melissa Morris is the American-born founder and creative director of leather goods brand Métier, whose flagship boutique is on London’s South Audley Street. 

Oddur Thorisson is a photographer based in Turin who is currently working with his wife, Mimi, on her fourth cookbook and her second focusing on Italian cuisine (the first being Old World Italian). He is also writing a novel, largely set around the table.

Paul Croughton is a writer and journalist who has edited magazines on both sides of the Atlantic. He was global editor in chief of Robb Report, based in NYC, but recently returned to his native UK to run Robb Report’s ecomm platform, The Vault, and lives just outside London with his wife, son and puppy, Parker.

Paula Fitzherbert is the deeply beloved (and connected) group communications director of The Maybourne Group, which includes Claridge’s, The Connaught, The Berkeley and The Emory in London. 

Philomena Schurer is the founder of Riad Mena in Marrakech. Half-German, half-Norwegian, and born and raised in London, she’s lived and worked in Mexico City, Munich, New York, Paris, Berlin and Stockholm.

 Thom Fortune, a Londoner turned Angeleno, blends British sensibility with California’s cool in his work as a brand consultant and photographer. He collaborates with brands like Faust Wines, George Cleverley, and Malibu Beach Inn.