The Enlightened Traveler: This Nifty Ice Cream Paradise Happens To Be In London

The Luxurist likes many things: good whiskey, stimulating conversation, toasty cashmere socks, to name three.

(It goes without saying that the lovely Luxurista, also ranks high atop his list of favorites. But I digress.)

You can't get this at your corner Dairy Queen

And that brings us to London's Fortnum & Mason swanky department store. To call it a mere store would be imprecise. It does indeed stock a first-class selection of goods.

It also serves as a welcomed island of calm amid the unrelenting insanity of Piccadilly Circus.

The emporium principally is a posh paradise for food lovers. It offers all manner of deluxe edibles from every part of the globe. What don't they have?

(The Luxurist once found taco shells there for a homesick American friend living in the dreary  north of England. But, again, I digress.)

Fortnum's salted caramel chocolate cake

Fortunam's has a swell cafe on the ground floor where you can relax with afternoon tea or a cocktail, take a light meal that is quite reasonably priced, or – and this is the main attraction as far as The Luxurist is concerned – go to town on some truly fabulous ice cream sundaes.

You will find that Fortnum's creations are a few grades above your average soda fountain.

The Original Dusty Road sundae, for example, comes with coffee and chocolate ice cream, butterscotch sauce, whipped cream, chocolate flakes, and a coffee macaroon. How does that sound to you?

The Chocolossus sundae consists of banana and chocolossus ice cream, walnut sauce, whipped cream, banana crisps, and coffee beans.

London's historic Fortnum & Mason has been around since 1707

Maybe you just want a scoop of ice cream in a cone, which the English call a cornet. How cute!

You can choose from about a dozen flavors, such as honeycomb, salted caramel, blackcurrant ripple, rose & violet, pistachio or amaretti.

Or you might want to sample one of their lighter sorbets, such as lemon, mango, passion fruit or gin & tonic. (Yes, you read that last correctly.)

It used to be quite difficult to find premium ice cream in London. While that has changed, Fortnum & Mason has not. It's still a wonderful spot to unwind after a hard day in the city or before heading off to a nearby play or concert.

And did we tell you about the ice cream?

Make It a Double: What to Do With Leftover Champagne

If you opened a couple of bottles of nice champagne for New Year's eve or another special occasion and didn't get around to finishing it all, The Luxurist wants to make sure that you don't let it go to waste.



Drinking bubbly straight up is a fine way to ring in the New Year. But, there's no need to be conventional on other days.

In fact, champagne can be used in a wide range of mixed drinks, from the classic Champagne Cocktail (bitters, brandy, sugar, champagne) to a more complicated concoction called a Sudden Headache (mango, tequila, triple sec, lime juice, sugar, champagne).

The French 75 (gin, sugar, lemon, champagne) is another standby. Variations call for replacing the gin with Jameson Irish Whisky or cognac.

Use your imagination and make up your own recipe, or look here for other refreshing ideas from Food & Wine magazine.