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Guides for the Business Traveler
London (2006)
4 hours in London (2006)
Michelle DuMontier takes a stroll down Marylebone High Street and discovers a wealth of café culture, boutique shops and gastronomical delights—all in a surprisingly peaceful, village-like setting.
 | Daunt Books No matter how many times you visit a city there is always a district remaining to be explored. Marylebone High Street is such a place, if only for the recent influx of high-end boutiques that have seemingly strayed from the affluent and fashionable neighboring streets. First stop should be Daunt Books, which specializes in travel literature and is reminiscent of a stately home's library. Natural light spills in from the glass atrium ceiling, illuminating a room packed with travel books displayed on dark wooden shelves and accented by ornate lamps with green shades. It looks small from the outside, but don't be fooled: there are actually three floors, and the first floor is a mezzanine. 83 Marylebone High Street.Open 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Tel. 44-020-7224-2295, www.dauntbooks.co.uk. |  | L’artisan Parfumeur As with most perfume boutiques, the aroma hits you as soon as you step over the threshold of L'Artisan Parfumeur, at 36 High Street. The circular table in the center of the shop allows you to sample all 36 fragrances, while rows of bottles—in three sizes, all filled with colorful, scented liquids—line the dark shelves to the left. You can even create your own scent if you book an appointment in advance with one of the staff, who will help you choose the best blends for your skin. The perfume is then made in France and shipped over. The pink-silhouetted cashier counter also displays a small selection of interesting jewelery. Tel. 44-020-7486-3435, www.artisanparfumeur.com. |  | La Fromagerie If you're a fan of good cheese, this is one for you. Sharp, creamy or pungent, La Fromagerie on Moxon Street will stock it. This shop has a delicious range of cheeses, and specializes in farmhouse varieties. The shop has a market atmosphere, with fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables displayed in stacked wooden crates. Homemade seasonal jams and chutneys, and freshly baked bread draw you further inside. All very tempting, but nothing will capture your attention like the cheese room, which is temperature and humidity controlled. Only one or two people are allowed in at any one time to make sure the cheese stays at the right temperature. Take a seat at the well-worn wooden tables and order a seasonal cheese plate and a glass of wine. Tel. 44-020-7935-0341, www.lafromagerie.co.uk. |  | Cox & Power Back on High Street, at Cox & Power (number 35c) every piece of jewelry found in this striking boutique is hand-crafted at the Cox & Power Bloomsbury studio. Influenced by the urban and natural environment, master goldsmith Anthony Power heads a design team creating original pieces, as well as revamping old ones. In the bubble-themed boutique, customers view rings and delicate bracelets through glass bubbles that seem to be floating in the walls of the circular room. Prices range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. To com-mission a custom piece, set up an appointment with Anthony Power. Contact Cox & Power at tel.44-020-7935-3530. Open Monday to Saturday 10 a.m.–6 p.m., and Thursday 11 a.m.–7 p.m., www.coxandpower.com. |  | Fishworks You can find a good place to catch a bite to eat by walking south along High Street to Fishworks. Fresh fish is delivered here every morning, and the menu changes daily according to the catch. There is a traditional fish-market counter for those keen on cooking seafood for themselves, and an ocean-blue restaurant at the back. Large, black slate chalkboards displaying the menu decorate the walls and flat-screen TVs show Fishworks' trawlers chasing the next day's menu. It is advisable to book a table. 89 Marylebone High Street, tel. 44-020-7935-9796. Open Tuesday to Friday noon–2:30pm, 6 p.m.–10:30 p.m., and weekends noon–10:30 p.m. There are several other Fishworks across London, www.fishworks.co.uk. |  | Wallace Collection Hertford House, on Manchester Square, houses the impressive Wallace Collection—donated by Lady Wallace in 1897. Both a national museum and a display of one family's private collection, the museum houses 775 paintings from the 14th to the 19th century, and includes works by one of the family's artists, British painter Richard Parkes Bonington. It also has one of the world's best collections of French 18th-century porcelain, furniture and paintings, including Frans Hals' "The Laughing Cavalier," whose smile throws up similar questions to the Mona Lisa's. Visitors can wander through three gallery floors and have a coffee at Café Bagatelle in the glass-covered courtyard. Weekday tours are at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Open 10 a.m–5 p.m., www.wallacecollection.org. |
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