Thursday 27 June 2013

A Few Of My Favourite Things

A couple of weeks ago one of my favurite photographers, Jonathan Daniel Pryce,  visited me in my Chalk Farm flat to shoot some amazing Bill Skinner jewellery pieces for the brand's blog. As you can probably tell from my outfits I am a big sucker for jewellery ( especially statement necklaces and clip on earrings) and it was great to make my collection of clothes and accessories the real star of the shoot for once! 

Wednesday 26 June 2013

A Girl’s Guide To Eating Out In London

·      Avoid the bread vessel.  Bread is an unnecessary component that distracts from tasty fillings and takes up space that could be used for starters or dessert.

·      If they tell you that you won't eat all that meat ( male waiters in burger establishments especially), don't listen to them, believe in yourself and your eating abilities.

·      Don’t queue. Get there before 6:30. And I mean everywhere.

·      Finding a good dessert in London is like finding a loving boyfriend. Cherish that apple pie, finish that sundae.

·      Play spot the tourist at Garfunkel’s and Café Rouge. Don't be one of them.


·      If your date orders a white mocha, strawberry frappuchino or sex on the beach. Leave. It won’t end well.

·      Be a connoisseur in your choice of drunk food enjoyed at 4am. Turkish wraps in Dalston, Chinatown when central. Fried Chicken any time, any place.

·      We all know frozen yogurts only taste good with brownies, chocolate chips and marshmallows on top so stop telling yourself it’s a healthy dessert and get a dessert that actually tastes nice.

·      Sometimes it is totally ok to wear strategically loose fitting clothes (special note when going to chicken shop) no one wants to look pregnant and everyone wants to get stuffed once in a while

·      Macaroons look better than they taste. We all know it so spend that £15 you'd have to fork out for a box and buy a bottle of champagne. Way more fun.

Tuesday 25 June 2013

A-Z of London Eats!

Having eaten my way around London for a few years now I thought it was about time to make a more comprehensive list of all the restaurants I have reviewed so far including of course my absolute favourites! Have a look at the all new section I have created in the top bar and start your eating journey around London, avoiding the Zizzi's and Wagamama's of this world!
Check it out here!

Monday 24 June 2013

Clueless Style

Hat- H&M
Shirt- House Of Holland
Skirt- Topshop Boutique

Thursday 20 June 2013

Brunch at Mr Buckley's

On my quest to find new brunch venues in London last weekend I finally made it to Mr Buckley's in Hackney, a place I have walked past numerous times ( it just around the corner from Broadway Market and Lucky Chip) and which has been on my list of places to try for some time now. I had heard good things from friends and after checking out the menu was excited to sample the more unusual offerings they had even if on tasting they didn't quite measure up. That is not to say Mr Buckley's was bad, I particularly loved the minimal, wood heavy interior and attention to detail that clearly went into decorating the place but it lost a lot of its potential through shaky execution and rather nonchalant service. I believe service is key, all my favourite places in London have amazing staff that don't mind a question or two about dishes and actually know their stuff. At Mr Buckley's it felt more like we were a nuisance to the waitresses that floated aimlessly  through the room and  who were baffled by my request to have the crepes without bacon and instead with more sauce. The same half-heartedness was sadly also tangible in the brunch options my friend and I settled on. My crepe was pretty tasteless and despite sounding amazing on paper ( advertised as crepes with salted caramel and walnuts) delivered little in taste. The same was true for the Eggs Benedict with lobster and crayfish my friend ordered, an overpowering acidity in the sauce that ruined the overall balance of flavours.Why write a critical review you may ask? Well I think Mr Buckley's in its creative menu has a lot of potential and is nearly there in terms of food.  I will definitely return at some point as apart from Workshop coffee (my usual brunch haunt) too few places in London offer imaginative brunch options like the ones attempted here.  With a few minor adjustments in service and cooking Mr Buckley's could be truly great and a much needed addition to London's restaurant scene

Wednesday 19 June 2013

Daytime Feathers

Hat- H&M
Jumper- Topshop
Dress- Miss Selfridge
Ballerinas- Miss Selfridge

Monday 17 June 2013

Lilac Hues

Hairband- Miss Selfridge
Top- Topshop
Trousers- Zara
Jacket- 5 Preview
Shoes- Mango
Photos with the help of Suomigirl

Thursday 13 June 2013

Honey & Co - A New Favourite

It's only ever so often that you stumble across a restaurant that ticks all the boxes, that leaves you in awe of the beautiful creations it serves, that wins you over with its atmosphere and that makes you want to tell every single of your friends (even though secretly you would like to keep it to yourself to still be able to snatch a reservation in the future) to come and try it. Honey & Co had exactly this effect on me and has quickly become my favourite restaurants in London. With only 20 or so seats, it is a tiny place with a distinctly Mediterranean yet understated feel - think white walls and beautiful floor tiles-  that instantly makes you forget that you are only a few minutes walk from Warren Street Tube station. Run by a husband and wife duo that used to work at Ottolenghi,  Yotam Ottolenghi of course being the man that first introduced London's restaurant scene to the hybrid Israeli/Middle eastern/Eastern European cuisine that is also embraced here and  who has since gone on to write several cookbooks, has a weekly column in the Guardian and runs  several restaurants in London that tend to be a little out of my price range, they have successfully continued and developed this experimental, fresh and seasonal approach to cooking in their own restaurant. Every ingredient shines in the dishes here and you can really see the love and thought that goes into the creation of their weekly changing mains. If you go for dinner I wholeheatredly recommend ordering their set menu for £29.50. For this you get a huge selection of mezze to share with everything from freshly made falafel, hot pitta, hummous, pickles, fritters, tahini and radishes making an appearance and giving you the whole range of different textures and flavours so typical in the Middle Eastern cuisine. The mains that I have tried so far ( I have been twice already) were equally delicious and also suprising in flavours. The poached prawns served with bulgar wheat, feta and little bursts of pomegranate seeds was a beautifual combination of colours on the plate but also an explosion of flavours in the mouth. 

And that is the thing at Honey & Co, everything served not only looks like straight out of a cookbook, so vibrant in its colours, but tastes equally as good, one of the few places I have been where, whether eating vegetarian or not,  every option on the menu looked truly enticing. The dessert was no disappointment either. In fact their Middle Eastern style cheesecake, kataifi pastry, cold cream cheese, honey and pistachios, was one of the best desserts I have ever had. Crunchy, creamy and not too sweet, every mouthful was a pure joy without the stodginess I have become rather too accustomed to from my burger eating adventures. It is one of those places that you want as your neighbourhood gem, that you want to cater for your wedding, whose owners you want to basically hug when you leave their doors. Honey & Co thank you for bringing a little bit of sunshine with your food to a grey London. 

Wednesday 12 June 2013

All in Black

Hat- Topshop
Jacket- 5Preview
Skirt- New Look Petite
Shoes- Bertie 

Tuesday 11 June 2013

My Recipe: Halloumi With Roasted Vegetables

250g Halloumi
500g Small Potatoes
2 Red Onions
2 Red Peppers
1 Yellow Pepper
1-2 (depending on size) Courgettes
1 Jar of Pitted Black Olives
250g Cherry Tomatoes
3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons of Tomato Puree
Fresh Rosemary 
300g Creme Fraiche
Sweet Chilli Sauce 

  1. Quarter the potatoes, sprinkle with olive oil and rosemary (chop finely) and spread evenly on a big baking tray. Roast for around fifteen minutes at 200c whilst chopping up all the other vegetables and halloumi into roughly equal size pieces
  2. Mix together the olive oil and tomato puree. Add the chopped up vegetables and halloumi to the tray and add the tomato and olive oil. Mix thoroughly so that everything is nicely coated in the marinade.
  3. Add plenty of salt and pepper plus a few rosemary twigs and roast for another thirty minutes at 200c until everything is nicely charred
I served it straight from the tray and with cooling creme fraiche and sweet chilli sauce for extra kick on the side. Really tasty, fresh and full of veggie goodness. 



Monday 10 June 2013

Inspired by Frida

Hairband- Topshop
Dress- Topshop