Welcome back to our interview series, A Tryst About Town, where we join an escort as they share the sites, sounds, and secrets of their home cities. In this instalment, writer and escort Tulsi Tamora tells us all the best bits of London!
What makes London special to you?
Samuel Johnson was right when he said, “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”. London is a kaleidoscope of history, art, cuisine, culture, and learning! London’s like a lot of cities in that I’m never bored. I can spend one day soaking up art at the National Gallery, then I can spend the same night on a secret rooftop bar in Canary Wharf. There’s simply so much to do.
What makes London special is that while it’s heaving with opportunities, it never feels soulless. The incredible array of sights on offer feel organic to the city, sprouting up as a result of the city’s interesting history and culture – not artificially implanted in. Wherever I go in the city, I’m treading somewhere with a lot of meaning.
What’s your perfect London day out?
Let’s see… I wake up to the art deco pinks and greens of Claridge’s. It's a hotel I deeply love due to the way its design captures another era, perhaps a more romantic era with jazz and flapper dancers. After a light breakfast, I head to the Tate, which always has a thought-provoking exhibition on. My favourite part of it is the roof, from which you can scan what feels like the whole city. After a quick lunch on the river – Southbank has some hole in the wall food markets I adore – I hop to the National Theatre to enjoy a revival of a classic with a lover. London nights tend to be grey, so I’d finish my ideal day at an indoor bar that overlooks the city – perhaps at The Shard!
Is there a coffee or tea house you particularly love?
Oh, that has to be Monmouth Coffee, on Monmouth Street. In a world of chain coffee shops on busy streets with harried city workers, this cafe is set on the absolutely beautiful Monmouth Street. It's perfect to peruse on a quiet Sunday morning. The coffee itself is divine, and the workers can assist you with the notes of each type of coffee bean. I love introducing clients to Monmouth, and watching them transport from London’s grey skies to a bank on the Italian riviera.
Can you recommend a place for a quiet drink or cocktail?
The Luggage Room in Hyde Park! Designed like a Prohibition era speakeasy, there is wood panelling and beautiful upholstery adorning this hidden gem. I usually go for a Negroni, which they do exceptionally well, but I have been told their rum is spectacular, too. It’s a favourite haunt of mine to visit with clients. The tables and chairs are perfectly positioned in quiet corners so that we can lean over and flirt with each other discreetly just before our drinks arrive… and then compose ourselves when we see our waiter approaching.
Where is good to eat? Is it extravagant, or a hole-in-the-wall?
The perfect restaurant in London walks a fine line between both. I had the pleasure of visiting Trivet on a dinner date with a client recently. It’s a Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant, which serves contemporary British cuisine. Yet, despite serving butter that was so creamy it tasted a little golden, and a jus that was so rich I had to stop to truly savour it like never before, it has an understated, hole-in-the-wall quality. Its quiet, simple, and its muted earth tones serve the perfect backdrop to connecting with a client who might be a little shy or nervous.
What’s your favorite place to take a walk?
By far, London’s Kew Gardens. Ever vast, Kew Gardens brims with beautiful exotic plants and specimens from around the world. I love how the Gardens have struck a balance between nature, art, and science. A walk from the entrance to the Pagoda will take me on a journey amongst delicately tended rainforest plants, art shows, and displays on the scientific research behind it all. It’s the perfect date spot, as you can fill the walk with talking, or you can both lapse into a comfortable silence, letting the splendour of the place wash over you as you amble.
What hotel would a visitor love to stay in?
There are many beautiful hotels in London, but few can beat The Connaught. As soon as I see its beautiful central staircase, featuring dark wooden banisters and plush colourful carpet, I feel like I’ve slipped into a side of London that is more romantic, more luxurious, simply more beautiful. Aside from the gorgeous rooms that overlook Central London, The Connaught is also just next to one of my favourite water features in the city, the Tadao Ando sculpture that gently bathes two trees in mist. Sitting by the feature reminds me to really just enjoy the moment.
What is your ideal social date with a client?
Social dates are my ideal way to get to know a client. The feeling of relaxing into someone’s presence before you get intimate is unparalleled. Many of my clients are new or nervous, and they are surprised when I suggest a public date – often feeling they’ll be more anxious that way. That’s why my ideal date centres around low pressure ways we can get to know each other.
Say, we start with a show at the Royal Opera House – I currently have my eye on Carmen. The darkness of the show allows our hands and legs to just brush against each other in silence, building that anticipation for dinner. Over dinner at Farang, which serves some of my favourite contemporary Thai cuisine, we smile, laugh, and savour the food. We ease into each other like the perfect first date. When we slip back to my client’s beautiful hotel room, we’re so excited to get to know each other just a little deeper… and we wake up the next day to a peaceful morning, and enjoy breakfast in bed, truly satisfied.
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