The Monthly Digest: December
A roundup of things I've loved this month, from the best new restaurants in town to bucket list hotels you need to bookmark
We’re not quite at the end of the year yet, but my mindset is already starting to switch off for the holidays… anyone else? As we gear up for Christmas, I’ve been using my weekends to tick off some of the places that have been sitting on my foodie hit list for months; at the start of the month, I also escaped to Paris for a weekend getaway with my best friends (I can confirm that Paris at this time of year is truly magical).
Below, I’m sharing a short and sweet roundup of the very best hotels and restaurants I’ve enjoyed this month. There are still ten more days left of 2025, but I already know I’ll be spending most of that time spread-eagled on the sofa, binging Christmas movies and fully embracing couch-potato mode, which is why I’m sharing this monthly digest a little earlier than usual.
HOTELS I’ve loved:
A weekend getaway to Paris is always a good idea, and even more so at this festive time of the year. I’ve visited Paris many, many times over the years - but never before in winter, and so close to Christmas. It truly is magical in December (and nowhere near as cold as I was expecting!).
We made Experimental Marais our base for the weekend: the latest Parisian opening by French hospitality brand Experimental Group. Best known for their chic boutique hotels - and equally as cool bars and restaurants - Experimental is a brand that I know and trust well. I’ve stayed at six of their properties across the globe, and love them for their colourful-chic interiors and relaxed vibe.
This latest opening sits in Le Marais (my favourite neighbourhood in Paris): you’ll be minutes away from some of the city’s best restaurants, cafes, and boutiques. This particular outpost has a distinctly grown-up feel compared to their other properties: playful design is eschewed in favour of rusty reds and moody lighting, but the same laidback ethos prevails, and it makes for a very chic city sleepover.
RESTAURANTS I’ve loved:
I’ve been intrigued by (and wanting to visit) Abby Lee’s Clapton restaurant since it first opened in late 2023. My mother is Malaysian, so I’m always keen to hunt down good Malaysian restaurants in London; I find that very few are really worth visiting. These tend to be greasy spoons located in somewhat dubious parts of town, so finding somewhere that serves great Malaysian food and also brings *the vibe* is practically unheard of. Enter Mambow, which serves a modern riff on Malay food: expect all of your classic Malay flavours and ingredients, interpreted in an elevated yet accessible way. Add in all the classic hallmarks of an east London restaurant (a tiny open kitchen, candlelit tables, and booming techno music) and you’ve got an absolute winner: every dish here is an absolute flavour-bomb.
