Director Paul Feig often chooses fabulous locations for his films: The School for Good and Evil was shot in Belfast, Northern Ireland; A Simple Favor’s enviable scenes were shot in Toronto, Canada; and for Jackpot!, Feig’s latest comedy released on Friday (and streaming now on Prime Video), Atlanta, Georgia was used as a futuristic California. However, London, where Feig filmed 2019’s Last Christmas, holds a special place for the director. “We shot in all my favourite locations in London, from New Bond Street to Regent Street to The Strand and Piccadilly Circus and the Embankment,” beams Feig. “My wife Laurie and I bonded over our mutual Anglophilia when we first met 34 years ago,” he explains. “I had always wanted to do a movie that showed off the London that I love, the London that everyday Londoners most likely take for granted.” So what does Feig’s London look like?
“London is beauty; it’s history; it’s tradition mixed with modernity,” shares Feig. “It’s thrilling yet it’s stodgy.” That assessment is equal parts astute and accurate, and fitting coming from Feig, one of the most dapper and well versed global citizens. “The best thing about London is that it can’t really be defined. Like any great city, it is all things to all people.” For Feig, this means bespoke tailoring and equally natty accessories and suiting. “For anything off the peg, I always love to stop in at Turnbull & Asser to see what amazing ties and pocket silks they have since they’re always playing with new patterns and hiring artists to create images for their goods.” Beyond the shops – Feig’s also partial to New & Lingwood’s pyjamas, slippers and dressing gowns – it’s the city’s unique characters that have wowed him. “Eddie and Edward Sahakian’s Davidoff store on the corner of St. James’s and Jermyn Street in Mayfair [is] a beautiful store staffed by a stylish team that sells the city’s best selection of cigars and smoking accessories,” adds Feig. “You’ll always get a warm greeting from Eddie and his father Edward, who run the store like a welcoming private club as well as a business.” That sense of familiarity also enters Feig’s latest film which sees actress Awkwafina win a lottery with outlandish figures trying to kill her, prompting her to pair up with John Cena. “I loved that Awkwafina’s character is caught unaware in a world that’s trying to kill her, and I love that John’s character isn’t some confident badass but is instead a sweet nerdy giant of a man who is simply trying to do the right thing,” he shares.
Filming also provided Feig with what he’d spend his winnings on. “Sadly, it would have been the tasting menu extravaganza that was Le Gavroche, which closed last year,” laments Feig. “But now that I’m in my 60s and can’t plow through the endless richness of a 14 course chef’s menu, I would go to The Goring Hotel for a delicious meal with Eggs Drumkilbo and their traditional sirloin beef roast, as well as an extra spicy Bloody Mary and a lottery winner-priced bottle of red from their extensive wine list,” he adds. “If you’ve got it, spend it!”
Below, immerse yourself in Feig’s stylised London replete with museums and pubs. Cheers!
What is the perfect spot for a date night?
Laurie and I love beautiful restaurants and we also love Chinese food. And for us, there’s one restaurant that provides both – Mimi Mei Fair. The place looks like a lacquered jewellery box and the food is exquisite. Everything is presented beautifully and tastes amazing. The Peking Duck is sliced tableside and tastes like savoury candy. The dumplings could easily be mounted on bands and worn as gorgeous cocktail rings. The food is absolutely sublime and the service is beyond attentive. It’s not cheap but it’s worth every penny. Your date nights will never be the same after this experience.
The best place to be seen?
When it comes to London, the private clubs tend to be the coolest places. I love Annabel’s on Berkeley Square, with its over-the-top pageantry and its perpetually glamourous crowd. You get all types there and so the people-watching alone is worth the price of dinner if you can get a member to take you. Harry’s Bar on South Audley is thrilling and delicious, a cross between the Gritti Palace in Venice and the George V in Paris, with amazing Italian food. (Luciano’s tableside cacio e pepe is the most delicious artery-clogger you’ll ever eat.) Oswald’s is a gorgeous dining room that caters to a wine-loving crowd and serves truly wonderful food. And the Groucho Club is an always raucous, always UK-star-studded watering hole. But as private clubs go, my heart will always belong to Mark’s Club, the original private club of Mark Birley which is currently undergoing renovations. When it finally reopens, for high-end traditional British networking and good times, Mark’s can’t be beat.
The best place to hide?
Giovanni’s of Covent Garden is a true London treasure. Run by the great Pino Ragona and his wonderful wife Claire, Giovanni’s is a hidden gem that serves amazing Italian food and is the late-night home to many of the stars of West End theatre productions. As traditional as Italian restaurants get, it’s the mix of delicious meals and true down-home hospitality that make this the place I long to be after any hard day of work. Be sure to try the 'Pollo a la Paul Feig', along with a nice gin & soda made with my very own Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin, which Pino has been kind enough to stock. You won’t be sorry.
The best place for a cocktail?
For a perfect cocktail: obviously, my first and foremost love is always DUKES Bar. But on the rare evenings I deviate from Alessandro and crew, I love to go to the Connaught Bar in The Connaught hotel. Not to be confused with their other bar at the front of the hotel, the Coburg Bar, the Connaught Bar is home to amazingly beautiful cocktails and a martini cart second only to DUKES. Their attention to detail is inspiring and the décor begs you to wear only your finest. They are very well-versed in the pageantry of cocktail making and so every drink they serve is like a work of art. It’s another watering hole that’s hard to get into and that always has a waiting list but sometimes the best things in life are worth the wait. If you can’t get in, then take a walk down to the Fumoir Bar in Claridge’s hotel, which is the top secret black box cocktail den that’s the perfect place to lose track of time and glam the hours away in true style.
The best place for classic, traditional bistro cuisine?
The Windmill Pub out in Clapham is the epitome of the modern British gastropub. Traditional fare made in the most modern gourmet ways that still keep the best flavours of British cuisine, The Windmill is the perfect destination for a classic Sunday roast. Go early to have a beer before lunch and to enjoy the eclectic crowd of locals and hipsters. You’ll be amazed at how quickly the hours will pass.
My other favourite spots:
Before Laurie and I had our own flat in London, we always stayed at Claridge’s, even when we couldn’t really afford it. Simply put, Claridge’s is London. Old school charm doesn’t even begin to describe its allure. From the minute you walk in and are greeted by the gorgeous black-and-white chequerboard tile floor to your first glimpse of the stunning tea room straight ahead, to the aforementioned Fumoir Bar and breathtaking main staircase that reaches down from the room floors to the lobby, you realise you have entered another world. It’s a world of old school glamour, Olde British power and style, and is the obsession of generations of those of us who appreciate the finer things. In other words, it ain’t cheap but it’s worth it.
Lucio
Located on Fulham Road in Chelsea, Lucio's is a marvellous Italian restaurant run by Lucio Altana and his sons Dario and Mirko. Always welcoming and always delicious, Lucio's is the perfect place for both date nights and quiet evenings. Laurie and I have seen everyone from former Prime Ministers to elegant locals and their dogs in here, and it’s always a fun and tasty evening. End your meal with a lemony Sgroppino and you’ll leave happy as a vongole.
The Good Earth
There’s several locations around London but the one on Brompton Road near Harrod’s is Laurie’s and my favourite. Total Chinese comfort food, their shredded duck pancakes and minced chicken in lettuce cups are just the tip of the iceberg for a relaxed casual meal with friends. Load up the lazy Susan in the middle of the table with Shanghai chilli chicken, beef in XO Sauce, cha sui pork, pak choy and dry-fried French beans and have a Good Earth time!
Wilton’s
Wilton’s is the second oldest restaurant in London, second only to Rules (a great place in its own right) and is my favourite place to go for lunch during the week. The regular crowd is a mix of Parliament members and society types, and the mix of oysters and whatever is on the serving trolley for lunch that day makes for a meal steeped in tradition that still somehow manages not to feel stodgy at all. I credit this to the friendly and gracious wait staff who truly go out of their way to make you feel welcome and who always greet you with a “Welcome home” whenever you return for your next dining experience.
One of London’s newer clubs, it has a restaurant downstairs that’s reserved for members but they’ve now opened it up to non-members in the bright and cheery main floor restaurant that serves the same delicious food as downstairs. Everything on the menu is great and the room is always alive with happy, stylish people from all over the globe. It quickly became one of Laurie’s and my favourite places to have dinner. They also do breakfast and lunch, so take your pick of when you want to try it and see what you think.
What three things do you always have with you/travel with?
I can’t go anywhere without a selection of suits and sports jackets. I also never leave home without several pairs of my Lucchese cowboy boots. And finally I can’t begin to survive without my briefcase which contains my laptop, iPad and Dunhill leatherbound notepad. I do a lot of writing on my computers but couldn’t live without paper and my Faber Castell mechanical pencil. I like to think I’m an effective mix of old school and new school.
Which museum is your must-see in London?
The National Portrait Gallery. I love people’s faces and collect painted portraits and so to have a museum dedicated to the art of creating humans on canvas never gets old to me.
Where’s your hidden gem in the city?
DUKES Bar. It’s in DUKES Hotel, which is down a hidden alley off of St. James’s Place. I’ve been going there for almost 30 years now and it’s truly my happy place. The whole staff is wonderful and they’re led by my hero and good friend, Alessandro Palazzi, the world’s greatest bartender. The place is small and it’s often times hard to get a table because it’s become so popular but if you can take the time, it’s worth the wait. There’s nothing quite like a martini made tableside by Alessandro, especially if he’s pouring you one made with my very own brand of gin, Artingstall’s Brilliant London Dry Gin.
Where do you like to de-stress in London?
Once again, DUKES Bar. Alessandro and the gang always give me a hero’s welcome when I show up and are always kind enough to give me a table. This is saying quite a lot because over the years DUKES popularity has just grown and grown, and the number of people waiting in the lobby to get in can sometimes be daunting. But it’s my reward for my loyal years of service to the world’s best bartender and martini.
Address Book
Annabel's, 46 Berkeley Square, London, W1J 5AT
Davidoff of London, 35 St James's St, London, SW1A 1HD
DUKES London, 35 St James's Pl, London, SW1A 1NY
Giovanni's of Covent Garden, 10 Goodwin's Ct, London, WC2N 4LL
Groucho Club, 44 Old Compton St, London, W1D 4TY
Harry's Bar, 26 S Audley St, London, W1K 2PD
Lucio Restaurant, 257-259 Fulham Rd., London, SW3 6HY
Mark's Club, 46 Charles St, London, W1J 5EJ
National Portrait Gallery, St. Martin's Pl, London, WC2H 0HE
New & Lingwood, 53 Jermyn St, London, SW1Y 6LX
Oswald’s, 25 Albemarle St, London, W1S 4HU
The Good Earth, 233 Brompton Rd, London, SW3 2EP
The Windmill Clapham, Common South Side, London, SW4 9DE
Turnbull & Asser, 71-72 Jermyn St, London, SW1Y 6PF
Wiltons Restaurant, 55 Jermyn St, London, SW1Y 6LX
Hero image: Frank Micelotta / FOX
