“I used to be 17 once I first got here to London,” violinist Joshua Bell, now 54, told me. We had dinner together after his recent performance at Wigmore Hall, a small but famous concert venue. “I got here with my parents to record my first album,” he continued. “It was within the 80s and I remember pondering that the food wasn’t very diverse. Now, after all, it’s great.”
Mr Bell estimates that he has been to London about 70 times since then.
So no, the virtuoso and once child prodigy doesn’t live in London. But you possibly can tell he’s knowledgeable dude. His London is a city of exquisite taste, amazingly good food, and a handful of tiny places you may miss for those who didn’t know they were there – with a dose of music, after all.
Mr. Bell tends to favor lesser-known venues, with one very notable exception: the Royal Albert Hall. “Royal Albert Hall has this thing called Proms. They’re taking out the seats on the lower level and individuals are lining up along the road to get in,” he said. “All these people stand as if it is a rock concert and Beethoven symphonies. It’s amazing.”
Here are five of his favorite places to go to in London.
1. J&A. Bear
“In August 2001, I entered Charles Beare Store to select up a set of strings, and Charles Beare said to me, “You’ve got to have a take a look at Huberman’s violin, it’s on its approach to Germany.” The instrument, made by Antonio Stradivari in 1713 and referred to as the Gibson ex Huberman, was legendary. “I knew, the famous violin storysaid Mr. Bell, recounting the theft from a wardrobe at Carnegie Hall in 1936.
“Charles Beare put me in a room with a violin, and after a number of notes I used to be shaking with excitement. I used to be in love with him. I had a gig on the Royal Albert Hall – a prom – and that very same night I used this violin.”
Even for those who will not be within the multi-million euro violin market, I. Bear is value a visit. The shop is open to the general public – but when you should see a set of virtually priceless violins, book ahead.
2. Trishna
“I threw a celebration in New York with Salman Rushdie,” said Bell. “At one point we were talking about London and he really useful it Trishna. I like Indian food but Trishna just isn’t your typical Indian restaurant. The problem with Indian food is that I would like to try numerous things. I don’t desire only one lamb curry for dinner.” Instead, Mr. Bell likes to get a five-course tasting menu — “and a crab dish that is really great,” he said.
The Michelin-starred restaurant, with its private nooks, mirrored partitions, delicately gilded surfaces, gives the look of a spot for special occasions. It’s also best to come back hungry. “I like places that only get tasting menus because I eat all the pieces,” says Bell. “I like when the one who cooks them chooses what they need to present.”
“Wigmore Hall it isn’t recognizable to most people,” said Bell of the 552-seat concert hall in Marylebone. With a small stage and red velvet seats, Wigmore Hall has a quiet, intimate feel. “One of the issues with classical music is that it has gained a fame for being formal. I’ve seen classical musicians admonish the audience for clapping on the flawed time. In fact, classical music could be essentially the most exciting thing to look at.”
“Having said that, it’s nice that there are places like Wigmore Hall where you understand everyone understands. It’s like an actor doing theater in a spot where people really get it. And Wigmore Hall has a story for me. The first concert there – I feel it was 1901 – was played by my teacher’s teacher, Ysaÿe, essentially the most outstanding violinist of the late nineteenth century in Europe. I feel history once I step on stage.”
4. Hotel Baglioni
When the times are stuffed with rehearsals and the evenings are dedicated to performances, proximity to the bed is very important – as is a pleasant hotel around that bed. So when Mr. Bell plays on the Royal Albert Hall, he at all times stays Hotel Baglioniberet throw. “It’s an Italian boutique hotel with a really intimate atmosphere,” he said. “People appear to know you there and the rooms have a really sexy vibe – they’re just very boudoir and dark. I sleep higher in these rooms.”
Its location also means it could actually ‘walk to rehearsals and back – or you possibly can walk across the road to Hyde Park. This is my home when I’m at prom.
5. Café Fidelio
“Very few places like this exist – or dare to supply it,” said Bell Fidelio Cafe. This “it” in query is a cross between a cute little bistro and world class live classical music.
Imagine a small coffee shop with real sheet music on the partitions, a piano that greets you on the front door, and the menu – with homemade granola, slow-cooked eggplant and roasted cherry tomato bruschetta – that seems to have been prepared from the morning farm. market.
It’s also about “the individuality of dining in an intimate space with chamber music,” said Bell. “It’s clearly a passionate project for an owner who loves classical music and food and brings them together.”
“One of my dreams is to open a spot with food and music,” he added. “When I see places like Fidelio, I like that folks think outside the box and have fun classical music in such an odd way.”
