What's New

There will always be an England, as the saying goes, but it won't always be the same. "As time goes by," here are some of the latest developments.

London

The big news is the opening of St. Pancras International, the new transportation hub for passengers arriving from the Continent on Eurostar. The finest architectural icon from the Age of Steam, with its gargoyles and Gothic Revival towers, has been beautifully restored to receive passengers.

In hotel developments, Andaz Liverpool Street Hotel, 40 Liverpool St. (tel. 020/7961-1234), has opened as part of a new division of Hyatt. Between Shoreditch and Hoxton, this hotel was originally designed by Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament.

London's burgeoning array of boutique hotels added another charmer to the list, the Sumner, 54 Upper Berkeley St., Marble Arch (tel. 020/7723-2244). Part of an 1820s Georgian terrace, it is one of the finest small hotels in London and is luxuriously appointed.

The biggest development for the luxury market, and generating the most media coverage, is Haymarket Hotel, 1 Suffolk Place (tel. 020/7470-4000), next to the fabled Haymarket Theatre. Of all the hotels of London, this one makes the boldest statement in daring colors -- even acid green. Although daringly avant-garde, it still retains many of its original 19th-century John Nash architectural features.

Among restaurants, Scott's, 20 Mount St. (tel. 020/7495-7309), has reopened in a new location in Mayfair. It's been selling "cockles and mussels," along with elegant Dover sole, to Londoners in one place or another since 1851. It is now better than ever. For those who don't like fish, there is always an offering of braised pork cheeks.

It's called Automat, 33 Dover St. (tel. 020/7499-3033), and this Mayfair eatery attracts homesick Yankees and the discerning foodies of London. It's Mayfair's slice of the Big Apple.

Kitschy but chic, Annex 3, 16 Little Portland St. (tel. 020/7631-0700), is one of the best French restaurants in London in spite of its Christmas tree decor. Exceptional products are used in this first-rate cuisine served on the fringe of Soho.

Down in Chelsea, Tom's Kitchen, 27 Cale St. (tel. 020/7349-0202), is a hot new place to dine. This former pub has been stylishly converted into a chic restaurant serving a well-crafted British cuisine in a bustling brasserie atmosphere with an open kitchen.

Bath

At the West Country's most elegant hotel architecturally, the famed Royal Crescent, a new restaurant has been installed, called the Dover House, 15-16 Royal Crescent (tel. 01225/823333), serving a finely tuned English cuisine. The setting is romantic, and the dishes often inspired.

Brighton

In this seaside resort, Bill's Produce Store, the Depot, 100 North St. (tel. 01273/692894), is all the rage. Bill Collison enjoys a big following among local foodies, buying much of his produce, including fruits and vegetables, from local farmers. You might call him green.

Cambridge

The innovative restaurant Cotto, 183 East Rd. (tel. 01223/302010), above a small deli-bakery, is today one of the leading restaurants of Cambridge, attracting university students when they have money in their pocket. It's known for its no-frills, no-choice, three-course fixed-price dinner, which uses high-quality ingredients.

Henley-on-Thames

This riverside town, at long last, has a truly elegant place to stay if you head for Hotel du Vin, New Street (tel. 01491/848400), which has been created out of a former brewery, a great example of industrial recycling. It has emerged as the poshest hotel in town and is heavily booked during the famous Royal Regatta held here.

Leeds

In the northeastern city of Leeds, Anthony's Restaurant, 19 Boar Lane (tel. 0113/245-5922), is the domain of the talented chef, Anthony James Flinn. His take on modern British cuisine has some critics proclaiming him the number-one chef in Yorkshire. He's innovative, even provocative, in his cutting-edge creations, which he calls "molecular gastronomy" -- that is, where physics and chemistry principles are applied to the kitchen.

Nottingham

Once a dreary wasteland for accommodations, this Midlands city has seen the opening of the Lace Market Hotel, High Pavement, Lace Market (tel. 0115/8523232), a boutique hotel of charm and character. A town house, with its original architecture intact, offers modernized and rather elegant bedrooms for the discerning traveler.

Painswick

In what many English people consider the prettiest village in the Cotswolds, the old Painswick Hotel has been stylishly turned into Cotswold 88, Kemps Lane (tel. 01452/813688), a stylish hotel with terraces of formal gardens. Its interior today looks like a rock star's country manor, very modern and a bit crazy.

Southampton

At this major port along the southern coast, you can find lodgings or good English food at the White Star Tavern, 28 Oxford St. (tel. 023/80821990). It's been turned into a bar-cum-restaurant, a true gastro-pub serving such classics as wild boar and apple sausage or beer-battered fish.

Stratford-upon-Avon

Foodies flock to Malbec, 6 Union St. (tel. 01789/269106), which is now cited as the best place to dine in the Bard's hometown, a former gastronomic wasteland. A market-fresh and unpretentious cuisine served in fashionable surroundings draws diners to this intimate restaurant. The chef and owner, Simon Malin, has been widely acclaimed in British media.

Windermere

David Beckham has already checked out, but the Samling, Ambleside Road (tel. 015394/31922), remains the rage, a hotel fashioned from an 18th-century stone-built manse opening onto panoramic views of the lake. Management bills the Samling as an "un-country house" hotel, because of its relaxed informality. Yet it offers ultimate comfort in a tranquil setting.