Hold the Honeymoon: Why Your Next Girls’ Trip Should Be in Bora Bora

All the reasons honeymooners head to the idyllic French Polynesian island of Bora Bora still stand when you drop the couples component. You can be pampered in overwater spa suites, shop for black pearls at the source and frolic in a turquoise lagoon. So why not earmark it for your next girlfriend getaway?

We consulted local members of the team at Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora for input on the ultimate itinerary, and their answers did not disappoint. Ready to dive in?

Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora

Shop, Sip and Take a Dip

Your first order of business is a no-brainer: Choose to stay in an open-air overwater bungalow suite. Each thatched-roof sanctuary, reminiscent of a screen saver sprung to life, is over 100 square metres (1,000 square feet) and outfitted with teak daybeds, a deep soaking tub and snorkelling gear – in the event you decide to step out your front door and go for a swim. There’s no time for squabbling over who gets the sofa bed versus the king; exquisite adventure awaits.

Kick off your stay with an “only at Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora” exploit: the Lagoon Sanctuary Tour and coral grafting, led by French marine biologist Denis Schneider. “This amazing activity allows guests to actually contribute to our underwater ecosystem,” Concierge Rayanna Holman says. “Denis loves to share his research and knowledge with guests.” On the docket: cutting coral nubbins and then attaching them to GPS-tracked underwater structures to grow new coral colonies, as well as affixing coral to build itself up on doughnut-shaped forms in the Resort’s own Lagoon Sanctuary, where octopus, unicorn fish and even Picasso trumpet fish flourish.

It’s a great first-night dining choice for delicious sushi and Asian small plates, plus beautiful sunset views over Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia.

In the afternoon, browse the Resort’s boutique, MoeMoea (“dream” in Tahitian) – you’ll find everything from Roberta Roller Rabbit to Eres among the wares. “Our new boutique will feature 330 square metres [3,550 square feet] of high fashion, accessories and everything in between,” after its December opening, team member Ewa Poujade says. “It’s sure to be a highlight for girlfriends travelling together.”

Another is bound to be a twilight dinner with your friends – and that’s where Sunset Restaurant & Bar, lofted over crystalline water, comes in. On the menu: mahi mahi skewers, pineapple shrimp sushi rolls and passionfruit-poached baba cake for a sweet finish. “Sunset is a great first-night dining choice for delicious sushi and Asian small plates, plus beautiful sunset views over Mount Otemanu and Mount Pahia,” Reservations Manager Maxi Zani says. “Start with the signature Mahana cocktail.” And when it’s a wrap, just stroll back to your bungalow.

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Up the Endorphins

Start the day by hitting the tennis courts. At Four Seasons Bora Bora, that means donning your whites for a lesson with pro Joachim Arab, former tennis coach at Academie Tennis Alain Barrere in Pontet, France. “Joachim loves working with multiple guests at a time,” General Manager Maria Jagla says. “He can organize everything from a simple lesson to a clinic or even a small tournament.”

Afterwards, get some wind in your hair with a guided WaveRunner tour of the island, complete with lunch on white-sand Matira Beach. “It’s untraditional and absolutely the best way to see our island,” Holman says. “Matira Beach, where you’ll stop for lunch, is one of French Polynesia’s most beautiful beaches.”

Matira Beach, where you’ll stop for lunch, is one of French Polynesia’s most beautiful beaches.

Following a day of adventure, you and yours can while away the evening at Fare Hoa Beach Bar & Grill for dinner, and live music, right on the sand. Order a round of highly photogenic Shades of Blue cocktails, made with vodka, elderflower liqueur, blue curaçao, grapefruit juice, fresh mint leaves and lime juice. As for dinner, the shaved coconut salad and grilled Marquesas Islands spiny lobster with clarified butter are what Bora Bora dreams are made of.

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The Ultimate Spa Retreat

Launch your third day in paradise at open-air Tere Nui, where a breakfast buffet awaits as early as dawn. This being French Polynesia, the options would suit any ardent Francophile: Think salmon eggs Benedict and lighter-than-air crêpes with Nutella and fresh berries on the side.

The best (and most restorative) way to proceed: a yoga session led by yogi Rajeeb Prajapati on a teak platform above the shimmering lagoon. After quieting your mind, report immediately to the Spa, where treatment beds are set above glass-floor panels for a clear line of sight into the lagoon below.

This colourful experience uses local pareos [wrap-around skirts] to stretch and manipulate the body, bringing incredible relief and increased range of motion.

Of the myriad blissful treatments, Spa Director Stephanie Cherbakow recommends the brand-new Pareo Ritual. “This colourful experience uses local pareos [wrap-around skirts] to stretch and manipulate the body, bringing incredible relief and increased range of motion,” she says. “And guests are able to keep the pareo as a souvenir.” The Trio of Gold Global Anti-Aging facial is another favourite.

End the day in mermaid fashion within the confines of a private thatched-roof cabana, where attendants anticipate your every need. Chilled towel and fresh fruit slices, anyone?

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Snorkelling and Pearly Souvenirs

There’s arguably no better way to cap off a Bora Bora stay than diving deep – literally. Take a half-day Shark and Ray Snorkelling Tour, which affords the opportunity to feed sharks and stingrays in person, and then lunch on your guide’s motu. “This is the quintessential Bora Bora experience, and something I recommend to all of our guests,” Jagla says. “A guide takes you out to snorkel in three beautiful areas of the lagoon, where you get to see and interact with coral fish, rays and reef sharks.”

A guide takes you out to snorkel in three beautiful areas of the lagoon, where you get to see and interact with coral fish, rays and reef sharks.

Before you reluctantly begin to pack, stop at the ultimate source of Bora Bora souvenirs: Tahia Pearls, where you’ll find the black pearls Tahiti is known for. “Guests can learn all about Bora Bora’s signature indigenous treasure and do some shopping if they’re so moved,” Zani says. Spoiler alert: You will be so moved.

Get dressed up and take your goodbye dinner at Polynesian-meets-French boîte Arii Moana, where the seasonal menu is an ode to all things Bora Bora. You don’t want to miss the langoustine tails, steamed in lagoon water and served with fresh house-made gnocchi. Aptly named, The Exotic provides a decadent finale. Order one for the table and plan your next getaway between bites of shortbread, poached pineapple, passion cream and mango passion sorbet.

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

Where will you reconnect with your loved ones?

Overwater bungalows

Peace and Quiet in Las Vegas:
How to Unplug in Sin City

A closer look at Las Vegas, city of bright lights and infinite indulgence, reveals its softer side. We asked local Four Seasons experts where to unwind. Here, eight relaxing experiences to round out your next trip.

Cabana Fever

“Our Hotel in itself is an oasis,” says Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas’ Chef Concierge Patrick Ritschard. “We share a building with Mandalay Bay, so the casino experience is right there, but you can easily return to the sanctuary of the Hotel at any time.” The well-appointed poolside cabanas, complete with ceiling fans, sofas, chilled towels and dedicated servers, are a favourite hideaway for guests. “We don’t have loud music at the pool, so it’s a haven of quiet,” Ritschard says. “Lots of people spend the day there.”

Ohm, What?

For a good stretch with a lofty view, try yoga in the High Roller Observation Wheel. This futuristic Ferris wheel sends you soaring 550 feet (168 metres) above ground in a glass-walled pod with room for a small group to follow the peaceful poses of a local instructor. “We recommend doing it right before dusk,” Ritschard says. “Las Vegas has some amazing sunsets.”

Refresher Course

What better way to wind down the day and recharge for the evening than with a proper tea? Afternoon tea at the Hotel’s poolside Veranda restaurant is an hour-long escape from hubbub, with finger sandwiches, scones and pastries prepared by French chef Jean-Luc Daul and his team. Every weekday in December, guests clad in holiday sweaters can sip a complimentary glass of Champagne paired with seasonal sweets like eggnog crème brûlée.


Red Rock Canyon

Stretch your legs at Red Rock Canyon, just west of the city.

Desert Aces

Vast canyons, vermilion sandstone peaks and spiny desert flora fill the Mojave Desert surrounding Las Vegas. Two spots to stretch your legs and breathe in some fresh air: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, a 15-minute drive west of the city, and Valley of Fire State Park, an hour to the east. At Red Rock, take in the scenery on horseback, a bicycle or your own two feet – or with the top down on a 13-mile scenic roadway. Ancient trees, petroglyphs and otherworldly arches are among the treasures at Valley of Fire. Enhance either trip with a picnic lunch courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas.


Seven Magic Mountains

Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains is set among desert scrubland in a clearing off Las Vegas’ Interstate 15.

Fine Art

“You can really get lost in the beautiful art experiences in Las Vegas,” Ritschard says. “James Turrell’s experiential exhibit, Akhob, inside the Louis Vuitton store, is all about light and space, and it’s by reservation only so it’s never overly crowded.” Another compelling installation: Ugo Rondinone’s Seven Magic Mountains, a series of three-storey towers composed of vibrantly painted boulders, set among desert scrubland in a clearing just 10 miles (16 kilometres) south of the Strip.

Schuss It Out

“A lot of people don’t realize there’s a ski resort here,” Ritschard says. In fact, Lee Canyon, 50 miles (80 km) from Vegas, offers 24 downhill skiing trails, plus a snow-tubing course and snowshoeing trails. “There are some beautiful hikes you can do there, year-round. And mountain-biking trails, too.”

Photos courtesy Lee Canyon

Nurture by Nature

Set smack in the middle of Las Vegas, the non-profit Springs Preserve nature centre traces the city’s history while serving up sustainable ideas for its future – all via interactive exhibits fit for all ages. Stroll through the serene butterfly garden as the sprightly creatures fly freely around you, or wander the meandering botanical garden trail alongside hundreds of varieties of native plants.

Your Journey Begins Here

Unplug with us.

Explore

The Ultimate Los Angeles Road Trip

Los Angeles tends to be the beginning, or the end, of many a memorable adventure. It was the launch pad and the landing strip for Hunter S. Thompson’s “fear and loathing” – and at least a million less famous trips. But LA and its sunny sprawl can play host to an idyllic, self-contained road trip.

It might already be known as a driving city, but such functionality has no place in your vacation mindset. No matter where you’re starting from – east or west, the Valley or downtown – you and your car (and whoever you take along) can make more than just a day of it, particularly with three Four Seasons outposts to call home base. Here, the local spots our knowledgeable staffers say should most certainly have a place on your itinerary.

Silverlake Map

The provenance of hipsters and the creative class, these East Side neighbourhoods are the perfect foil for, or respite after, a day of culture.


Scenes of Silverlake LA

EAT

Dinette

Gareth Kanter’s breakfast window (1608 1/2 Sunset Blvd) is the perfect place to start your day – on the go. Try the scrambled eggs on toast, served with a sprinkling of Parmesan and delicate shaved ham. The pastries are tops, too. We recommend taking your snack, or even just your coffee, a couple of blocks south, where you can picnic on the banks of Echo Park Lake.

VISIT

Cactus Store

What Cactus Store’s (1505 1/2 Echo Park Ave) name doesn’t convey is the Zen-like atmosphere of this tiny piece of the desert that’s been transported to Echo Park Avenue. Pick up a zero-effort plant, or just browse the needles of hundreds of unique cacti sourced from around the globe. And yes, these plants travel – that is, they ship.

DRINK

The Friend

This cotton candy-coloured spot (2611 Hyperion Ave) is cosy yet playful – an unexpected blend of 1950s diner and French cafe decor. Cocktail titles draw upon Los Angeles characters like The Dancer and The Artist and served alongside pinball machines.

Arts District LA Map

Los Angeles is home to some of the country’s best endowed, and best curated, museums. By all means, check out the Broad (pronounced “brode,” as in it rhymes with “road”) and LACMA, but don’t miss the Arts District, a section of LA’s former industrial home that was recently settled by contemporary galleries and has since been redeveloped with them in mind.


LA's Arts District

EAT

Bavel

Ori Menashe and his wife, pastry chef Genevieve Gergis, brought fine Mediterranean dining to LA’s Industrial District with the incomparable Bestia. But they may have bested themselves with their new homage to Middle Eastern cuisine (500 Mateo St). Menashe and Gergis mined their family backgrounds – Israel, Morocco, Turkey and Egypt – to devise dishes like a duck nduja hummus, oyster mushroom kabobs and a tagine with braised Wagyu beef.

Mariscos Jalisco

Aren’t feeling like a whole sit-down situation? Want the best taco in town? Jump the river to Boyle Heights and find Mariscos Jalisco (3040 E. Olympic Blvd). Just a humble food truck, it’s the source of the most celebrated fried shrimp taco in Los Angeles, maybe the world. Food critics flock here; there’s nothing else like it.

VISIT

Night Gallery

Part of the ground level for Los Angeles’ once burgeoning, now established contemporary arts scene, Davida Nemeroff’s expansive Arts District space (2276 E. 16th St) hosts riveting exhibits from some of the industry’s most exciting artists, like David Korty and Anna Rosen. While you’re in the area, stop by Hauser & Wirth’s outsize East Third Street location – on the Arts District’s most developed strip (coffee shops and boutiques galore) – which hosts more established names, like Alexander Calder.

Beverly Hills LA Map

The most famous zip code. If you can pry yourself away from the legendary pool at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, or want to do something with all the good energy you picked up at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, this neighbourhood is a perfect jumping-off point for some of the best shopping, recreation and sightseeing LA has to offer.


Scenes in Beverly Hills LA

VISIT

RTH

The twin shops (537 N. La Cienega Blvd) that René Holguin, the son of a bootmaker, built on this strip of La Cienega have come to embody a whole modern Western lifestyle, not just a look: There are unisex ponchos and shirting and roughshod leather laptop cases and palo santo for days. It’s not simply where you’ll find something for the person who has everything, it’s where you’ll find something for everyone.

Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation

You have to book your tour ahead of time, but it’s well worth it to view Weisman’s private collection in an astounding 1920s villa (265 N. Carolwood Drive). It includes work by modern masters like Giacometti and Rauschenberg, as well as a trove of abstract expressionist works: de Kooning, Rothko and Frankenthaler. . . . The pop gods are here too, including Warhol and Lichtenstein. This is a museum-worthy collection, on view just for you and yours.

DO

Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine Temple

Don’t be misled by the word “temple.” Reservations are required to discover this place to chill (17190 Sunset Blvd). Waterfalls. A lake. Fountains. Flower beds. Walking paths. Aren’t you feeling better already? Founded by yogi Paramahansa Yogananda in the Pacific Palisades, a quick drive from Beverly Hills, this relaxing spot (a favourite of Elvis Presley) is on your road to wellness. “It’s a quiet oasis” to wander around or just sit and meditate says Kisha Franklin, Concierge Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles.

Malibu CA Map

Gorgeous, unending beaches; the freshest food going straight into the finest cuisine; vineyards upon vineyards: Malibu is California dreaming. And for guests of
Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, set in the Santa Monica mountains, it’s just a stone’s throw – or a car ride – away.


Scenes from Malibu, CA

EAT

Taverna Tony

“Tony will come around and fill your plate with food,” Franklin says. “It’s a true Malibu local restaurant.” The thing about Malibu is, while luxurious, it’s low-key. And this is the kind of spot (23410 Civic Center Way) that draws the residents: fresh, lively Greek food – saganaki cheese served flaming, baby octopus straight from a charcoal grill – a beautiful terrace, and loads of charm.

VISIT

Point Dume State Beach

“A lot of people will go to Paradise Cove, but Point Dume (Cliffside Drive and Birdview Avenue) is a little further out and more private, more local, and just beautiful,” Franklin says. Take in the views of Point Dume’s cliffs and bluffs, and the solitude you might enjoy even more. It offers all the stunning beauty of the California coastline, but with fewer tourists.

DRINK

Cornell Winery & Tasting Room

A highlight of Malibu is its proximity to the rolling hills of wine country. Nadine Jurchynsky, Chief Concierge at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, recommends Cornell Winery (29975 Mulholland Highway, Agoura Hills) and its unbelievably charming tasting room, with vintages sourced from local wineries. Another option is Malibu Family Wine, where you can look out over the 1,000-acre Saddlerock Ranch estate while you sip.

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

Take us with you wherever you roam.

Beverly Wilshire hotel

Authentic Gems of Dubai’s Food Scene

Anyone who’s ventured to Dubai knows that when it comes to dining, the glittering Middle Eastern metropolis is a bit like Las Vegas: You have a world of choices, from French pastry to deep-dish pizza. The real work lies in finding where the locals feast. Convening with Chef Gilles Arzur and other people of Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, where seven restaurants await to sate you by the Arabian Sea, we produced a list of the most authentic Emirati eateries in the City of Gold.

“The foundation of local cuisine within the UAE is very simple ingredients,” Arzur says. “Saffron and rice are found in many preparations, and camel milk is being used more and more in ice cream along with traditional local flavours such as pistachio and rose water.” Here, a most delicious, insider-approved tour.

1. Al Falamanki

Al Falamanki is a throwback to the rural Emirati villages where many locals grew up. Directly across the street from Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, the Arabian café is a popular hangout where residents play backgammon to the sounds of Lebanese singer Fairuz on the radio. Don’t leave without trying the grilled pomegranate eggplant, sumac potatoes, and wild thyme salad with spring onions, lemon and olive oil. “Of course, you can’t forget sweet pastries like cheese kunafa, a crunchy shredded phyllo dough baked with a layer of creamy sweet cheese and then infused with rose water essence,” Arzur says. “It’s a must-try!”

2. Siraj

One of 22 restaurants at Souk Al Bahar, the “sailors market” set on Burj Khalifa Lake overlooking the Dubai Fountain, Siraj combines Emirati and Levantine cuisine. “It’s one of my favourites in the city – they champion traditional food with a healthy approach,” Arzur says. “My recommendation would have to be the glazed date salad with kale leaves. Dates are native to the Middle Eastern region and represent a huge part of its history.” Bonus: Each one contains 5 percent of your daily recommended potassium.

3. Suq

Guests queue up for porridge-like harees at Suq, an Arabian market–inspired hideaway ensconced in the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach. Made with barley and chicken or lamb, harees is Arzur’s favourite dish on the menu, not least because it’s a popular choice during celebrations such as weddings or Ramadan. “Traditionally, harees was only made by the wealthy during Ramadan, Eid and wedding celebrations,” Arzur says. “It was, however, customary for the harees dishes to be shared with poorer neighbours on such occasions.” Today, it’s on everyone’s edible agenda.

 

4. Al Nassma

Proponents of camel milk sing its praises for many reasons: It’s said to contain more calcium than other kinds of milk and even to have curative properties. “Over 35 years ago, the idea of a camel-milking facility was born at the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory [CVRL] in Dubai,” says Assistant Concierge Manager Peter Wharmby. “Research commenced on a small number of camels, raised with the aim of obtaining scientific proof that this Bedouin diet staple contains outstanding health benefits.” To conduct your own taste test, he recommends the Camel Milk chocolate at Al Nassma in The Dubai Mall.

5. Shai Salon

If you’re a fan of afternoon tea, Shai Salon, just off the lobby at Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, will call to you. “Make yourself at home beneath the intricate lattice ceiling, snack on meze plates and relax,” Wharmby says. The cardamom and date thin crêpes and the lugimat (sesame seed, honey and date fried dumplings) are standouts. Pro tip: Ask for a table with a rosefinch’s-eye view of the Arabian Gulf and a piping-hot karak tea, a cardamom- and ginger-infused milk variety with saffron threads.


Al Fahidi district Dubai

The historic Al Fahidi district, where the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding is located.

6. Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding

For extra Dubai with your food, make a beeline for the Al Fahidi Historic District. “Join a tour guide for a walk through the beautiful wind towers that adorn the original residences along Dubai Creek,” Wharmby says. “As part of the tour, you’ll have an Emirati meal at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding and learn more about the culinary heritage.” It’s the ideal place to combine a locavore meal with delectable discourse; you’ll chat with Emirati hosts about the area’s culture, customs and religions.

7. Al Mandaloun

A Dubai staple since it opened in the mid-1980s, Lebanese hideaway Al Mandaloun is now a go-to lunch spot for captains of industry in the Dubai International Financial Centre. Your order: thin-crust zaatar pizza with thyme and olive oil, sojouk (Armenian spicy lamb sausages with tomato and pepper), or, for more adventurous eaters, kebbeh mohammasa – raw lamb with pine nuts and a side of tomatoes. Dessert fiends can’t depart without at least one bite of the muhalabia, a pudding made with rose water and corn flour that dates back to 7th-century Persia.

Your Journey Begins Here

Where will your taste buds take you next?

Cityscape

Four Seasons Pop Down London:
A Fantastical Underground Playground


Elements Of Pop Down Party

Left: whimsical touches at the fifth Four Seasons Pop Down;
right: Anne-Sophie Pic, the first female chef in the world to receive three Michelin stars

A bar reimagined as a moving carousel. Giant playground swings. A chic white bouncy castle. These were among the magical elements of the world I stepped into at Four Seasons Pop Down London, held October 3 and 4 at the spacious Hawley Wharf Basement in the city’s Camden Town neighbourhood.


Bartender Serving Drink Here And Now

Mixologist Valentino Longo of Le Sirenuse Champagne Bar
at Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Florida

With an “Underground Playground” theme, 15 Four Seasons chefs and mixologists from around the world – seven of them Michelin-starred – created boundary-pushing dishes and drinks inspired by their childhood memories. As the backdrop to their gastronomic creativity, Four Seasons staged a make-believe world offering an unexpected journey of the senses.


Whimsical Atmosphere Here And Now

Left: a ferris wheel adorned with treats; right: the all-white carousel bathed in a purple hue

This being a Four Seasons event, the whimsical mood was seen through a sophisticated lens. Here was Ivan Arena, bar manager at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane, concocting a cocktail composed of marshmallow-infused tequila, balsamic vinegar, blackberry and almond, topped with cotton candy. Here was Michelin-starred chef Anne-Sophie Pic of Le Dame de Pic at Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge, whipping up pasta parcels filled with gruyère, vacherin, mushrooms, woodruff, sobacha and hazelnuts. And here was Sophie Larrouture, mixologist at Le Bar des Bergues at Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva, conjuring ginger ale and sloe gin cocktails paired with sour strawberry and tarragon lollipops.


Bartender Phillip At Carousel Bar

Mixologist Philip Bischoff oversees the beverage program at the forthcoming
Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River

Deftly placing a skewer of cotton candy atop a cocktail glass, Arena told me that his signature drink, Forever Young, was inspired by the balsamic vinegar that he’d “drink from the bowl” as a child in Sicily when his mother made a salad. He infused the cocktail with sweet blackberry and almonds to evoke his grandmother’s homemade jams. Arena’s idea is that those sipping the unique creation would “go back in time.”


Dj Fat Tony Chef Vito Mollica

Left: DJ Fat Tony; Right: Vito Mollica, Executive Chef at Four Seasons Hotel Firenze

Over the booming bass of UK veteran DJ Fat Tony’s set, Chef Pic said that her dish was inspired by berlingots – pyramid-shaped hard candies that she ate as a child in France. “I wanted to have a very unique dish in relation to childhood, with a lot of flavours that are very important to me,” Pic said.


Sophie Larrouture Once Upon A Time

Sophie Larrouture, award-winning mixologist at Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva,
concocting a sloe gin and ginger ale cocktail paired with strawberry and tarragon lollipops

Candy was also the touchstone for mixologist Larrouture in creating her Once Upon a Time cocktail. “The inspiration is a candy that I used to eat when I was a kid: slightly sour strawberry candy. So I made this lollipop,” said Larrouture, who was holding court from her bar at the centre of the gently rotating carousel. “The flavour is strawberry, but for an adult palate, you have a tarragon flavour also. You suck the lollipop and are back in your childhood, and I meanwhile make you a drink that is slightly spicy – sloe gin and ginger ale.” The idea, she said, is to play and experiment with this fusion of tastes that are sweet, sour and pleasantly surprising.

Larrouture marvelled at her fellow creators’ craftsmanship. “Everybody has really looked inside their childhood memories. We are all adults now, but everyone has inside them the childlike passions that we are sharing today.”


Troy Truong Lollipops And Play Time

Left: Tony Truong, Chef at Mei Ume at Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge; right: the popular bouncy castle

Each Four Seasons master craftsperson delighted the senses in their own inimitable way. Tony Truong, head chef at Mei Ume at Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge, was crafting what looked like miniature ice creams but were in fact savoury red bean waffle cones filled with strips of pork ribs and topped with carrot and wasabi. Truong took his cue for the dish from the spare rib “lollipops” that his mother made for him as a child in Vietnam, where she had a restaurant. “My mum was in despair because I couldn’t hold a chopstick properly,” said Truong with a grin.


Edm Disclosure And Crowd

British duo Disclosure provided the soundtrack to a memorable evening

Guests continued to sample the dishes of one master creator after another, as the atmosphere picked up a notch when EDM duo Disclosure took to the decks and crowds flocked to the dance floor.


London Popdown Event

Guests letting out their inner child in London’s “underground playground”

The following night, the same venue was transformed again, into an immersive cinema showing the Tom Hanks film Big, sending us on a nostalgic trip to the 1980s. Four Seasons elevated the cinema experience to a luxurious heights with leather armchairs and deck chairs draped with cosy blankets under clusters of silver and white balloons. The concessions were special, too: Food carts served up the dishes and sips that the Four Seasons chefs and mixologists had debuted the previous evening, and waiters in boater hats were on hand with trays of classics such as popcorn and ice cream.

The perfect sweet end to this two-day feast for the senses.


Watching Big As A Finale

Pop Down guests watching the 1980s comedy classic Big