TODAY
Nicholas Kirkwood Sample Sale

King of the super architectural heel and platform wedge, Nicholas Kirkwood, is back at the Swarovski Crystallised store with another stellar sample sale. If you’ve spent most of the year admiring his insoles across the road at Liberty but could never shell out for a pair of your own, now’s your chance with up to 80% off shoes.

Today: 12–7pm, Friday: 10am–7pm, Swarovski Crystallised Lounge, 24 Great Marlborough Street, W1F 7HU.

TONIGHT
Kopapa

We recently got wind (thanks JD) of a new addition to the array of restaurants making Covent Garden an increasingly attractive dining option, so we bolted down just in time to give you the skinny. Kopapa comes courtesy of the team behind The Providores & Tapa Room and the founders of Gourmet Burger Kitchen, creating between them and Chef Peter Gordon a new all-day café and restaurant serving the most interesting fusion food in the area (whether it beats Chi-Mexican we don't know). Check out our tweets for more.

32-34 Monmouth Street, WC2H 9HA.
8am-10:45pm (last orders).

COMPETITION
SPONSORED LISTING
Win a pair of ice-skating tickets and two complimentary drinks with Amarula

Take your frosty feet for a spin around the ice rink at Hampton Court Palace this Christmas, where you can indulge in Amarula's creamy liqueur at the bar, made with the African marula fruit for that unique taste. The perfect ice skating accompaniment, warm up with an Amarula Hot Chocolate before you set off or reward yourself with an Amarula on Ice once you've exhausted your Olympic hopes. UJ have 5 pairs of tickets, each with two complimentary Amarula drinks at Hampton Court Palace to give away. To be in with a chance of winning simply tell us: What fruit is Amarula made from?

Hampton Court Palace is open from now until Sunday 9th January 2011.

For more information and to purchase tickets please visit: www.hamptoncourticerink.com/sponsors.aspx

SHOP
Lanvin Playing Cards

If you completely lucked out of the Lanvin x H&M collection, you'll be pleased to hear that there'll be no getting out of bed early and queuing in the cold to get your hands on this little Alber Elbaz treat. The Lanvin playing cards come in a pack of two, presented in a box decorated with the designer's signature illustrations – sure it's not one of those collab carrier bags, but these'll come in a lot handier come that Christmas game of 'Snap'.

£55.

WIN
A pair of K-Swiss Tubes

There's one sure fire way to keep warm this winter kids, and it's called exercise — yep, you know nothing gets that extra sweater off quicker than a few beads of well, sweat. And if you need that little extra oomph, check out K–Swiss' new downloadable Video Workouts by trainer–to–the–stars Deanne Berry, to coincide with the brand's biggest innovation technology to date – 'Tubes' – a fitness shoe with cylindrical tubes on the sole allowing it to move in motion with the foot. UJ have five pairs for him and five pairs for her to give away – to be in with a chance of winning simply send us your name, contact details and shoe size.

RRP £49.99.

HEADS UP
Bicester Village

If you haven't done the super easy trip to Bicester yet, book your tickets now (check out the door to door Shopping Express.) UJ's last trip resulted in a half price, cashmere cream Burberry coat (and the owner can't stop gloating), super soft White Company pillows for a tenner, and amazing Villeroy & Boch glassware. We're still thinking about a Celine bag that was 80% off, which we might mull over a bowl of Villandry's truffle parmesan chips, or a plate of Busaba's crab egg fried rice. It opens at 9am and closes at 10pm, and we'd recommend a midweek jaunt if possible – with the imminent arrival of Ralph Lauren Home, it's bound to get busy. Pick up on of these cute designer totes for £10 and £6 will go straight to Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

BOOK AHEAD
The Pale Blue Door Christmas at No.5

Having wrapped up a magical summer stint in Berlin and lent his hand to the new Royal Opera House in Purfleet, Tony Hornecker's home. His pop-up Christmas dinners are back with their odd-bodd neighbourhood vibe and quirky patrons. Book your table now for candlelit Gin & Tonic, Roast Beef, Warm Potato Salad, Cauliflower Cheese and of course, a Crimbo Crumble with Brandy Custard.

£45, 17th–22nd December. Email: thepalebluedoor@gmail.com for bookings.

RESERVED
This week’s hottest foodie destination

The Henry Root
Cosy modern European sharing comes to Chelsea.

9 Park Walk, SW10 0AJ - 020 7352 7040
www.thehenryroot.com

Location
Park Walk in Chelsea has seen a few iconic restaurants come and go. From the Claudio Pulze owned Eleven Park Walk of the Eighties to the place where it all started for Shouty Ramsey, Aubergine. This new wine bar cum bistro has taken the place of one-time family favourite Gilmour's, and a very welcome addition to the area it is too.

Vibe
Despite sounding Dickensian Henry Root (real name William Donaldson) was a satirist, letter writer and general hell raiser who lived in nearby Elm Park Mansions in the Eighties. Nigel Sutcliffe and Jerome Armit, the brains behind the bar (and also the hugely successful Terroirs in Covent Garden) decided the name conjured up just the right mood for their new venture.

Flavours
The menu is a good balanced mix of wine-friendly charcuterie and large and small sharing plates, and chef Sang Nguyen (whose background is littered with the poshest of fine diners) turns them all out beautifully. A potted black pudding was like savoury Nutella – very hard to stop dipping into – goats curd, beetroot and pine nuts refreshing and glazed pork cheeks with sauce vierge deeply satisfying. Chocolate tart was indeed 'fabulous', as stated on the menu, but a baked fig and almond pudding had just the gooey edge, and a German Pinot Noir waltzed along splendidly with everything.

Décor
The room has a continental feel; bar at the front, open kitchen and high-backed booth for a large group at the back and the rest narrowish so it feels intimate without being claustrophobic. Apart from being subtly rusticised and there being a few likeably eccentric touches added such as white china fish-shaped water jugs and a smattering of Henry Root memorabilia, the room hasn't been over designed, which is always a plus.

Upshot
Sutcliffe in particular has such a lovely tableside manner (garnered perhaps at The Fat Duck where he was a director) and considering the place has just opened it's already feeling impressively professional and homely. The perfect winter warmer.