Thursday 27 April 2017

SÉLEEN

T-shirt / 81 Agency
Blazer / Topshop
Skirt / 5Preview
Shoes / Mango

Monday 24 April 2017

STATEMENT SANDALS



Shirt / Gant
Sunglasses / Quay Australia
Skirt / ASOS
Shoes / ASOS

Thursday 20 April 2017

THE ICON

Tee / Hommage Tees
Shoes / Vans

Wednesday 19 April 2017

EAST LONDON'S BEST PIZZA : THE TOP 5

It's pretty hard to come across someone that doesn't like pizza but it is surprisingly even harder to find an authentic Italian style pizza with a thinly stretched, wood oven baked base and delicious toppings in London. Thank god then that my neighbourhood has seen a recent influx of new pizza joints, even more so as pizza has over the years become my to go to dinner on a Friday night to line the stomach in the most delicious and carby of ways possible for the night ahead. I've tried some fantastic and rather mediocre doughy wonders along the way so you don't have to which is why I thought it was about time to give you my top 5 picks in terms of  price, size and flavour. You'll never be stuck finding a delicious pizza in East London again, thank me later...

1. PIZZA PILGRIMS, SHOREDITCH
RATING OUT OF 5: 5
I had seen and heard many good things about Pizza Pilgrims ever since they had opened their first street food stall in 2011 yet never managed to make it to one of the branches of their ever expanding London pizza empire. However this changed the minute I got wind of them opening their first proper East London outpost in Shoreditch, a stones throw away from my flat, finally giving me the chance to try what all the fuss was about and thankfully they did not disappoint. Though I've only gone in to collect takeaway orders so far, the restaurant has a cozy and welcoming vibe and by offering a BYOB option means you are going to get great value for your money here, particularly considering what you usually pay for a bottle of wine in a restaurant in this part of town. 

Of course it is ultimately all about the pizza served here and I can confidently say it delivers on all fronts. Top quality ingredients which are expertly prepared, with not a gimmicky topping in sight (don't even get me started on pineapples)- this is pizza at it's best. Whether you go for a classic margarita or my absolute favourite here- the mushroom, truffle, fior de latte and parmesan pizza (which by the way happens to be my favourite truffle pizza ever and that is saying something), you are always going to get a bloody fantastic pizza at more than a decent price with the most expensive one on the menu coming in at just £11. Pizza Pilgrims comfortably and effortlessly measures up to the kind of pizza I got to eat in Italy which makes me even more delighted to have them finally making their delightful dough around the corner from me. If you want fantastic pizza go here, you won't regret it. 

2. OLIVE, HOXTON (FOR SHEER VALUE)
RATING OUT OF 5: 4

Yes, this pizza is never going to be as artisanal or hyped up by food bloggers as say Pizza Pilgrims or Franco Manco but where else in London would you ever, ever get a freshly prepared, decently sized and most importantly pretty damn tasty pizza for £2.99 that isn't totally gross, baked from frozen or hygienically very questionable?! I for one am yet to find anywhere else apart from this little cafe with pizza making van parked in front on Hoxton street. Made fresh to order and with a variety of classic toppings (I recommend the Fiorentina with egg, spinach and olives as well as the classic margarita) you can't really go wrong here especially if you are on a budget or wanting to feed a few of your favourite people without breaking the bank. 

It's not a place to really eat in unless you have a thing for Homebase-esque interiors but in a city where even a coffee can cost you close to a fiver it's rather refreshing to find that you can get decently priced food that doesn't compromise on quality and taste and shouldn't be seen as any less of a great pizza spot just because it lacks fancy interiors or designed up menus. Olive is a true hidden gem in my neighbourhood that I hope will remain there for some time to come and I urge you to give their bargain pizzas a go next time you are nearby!

RATING OUT OF 5: 4

Franco Manca could have easily been contender for best pizza in east for me were it not for the distance from my house to theirs (the London fields restaurant is a good 20 minutes walk away and they unfortunately don't deliver) which makes taking it away a bit of a pain especially as the tiny dining space tends to be packed and with a queue sneaking out the door almost any evening.

Franco Manca may have turned into a little bit of a chain by now with branches all around the country but they do still manage to serve consistently fantastic sour dough pizzas, baked in one of their proper wood burning oven. Toppings are kept traditional yet exquisite with their tomato, mozzarella and basil variety being a simple yet fantastic marriage of classic flavours where the ingredients do the talking. One minor minus point from my side, and a very minor one at that, would be there lack of any bianca (white pizza without tomato sauce) options and fairly limited selection of none meat topped pizzas apart from the aforementioned Italian classic. Their short menu is of course not a bad thing per se, they really do know their pizza and I would more than happily eat at any at their branches around the country, in the safe knowledge that I'd be without a doubt getting a pretty fantastic pizza. Franco Manco then is a chain concept that actually works particuarly where the likes of Pizza Express have tended to fail in terms of authenticity by staying true to their mission of making great pizzas.

RATING OUT OF 5: 3

Maybe my expectations of Homeslice were a little too high from the onset- I had seen their huge pizzas, measuring an impressive 20 inches, all over social media for a while, intriguing me particularly with their creative toppings, and thus setting the bar pretty high before I even got to sink my teeth into a slice. Don't get me wrong the massive pizza I ordered to takeaway to share with a few of my friends during my favourite Friday drinks occasion wasn't terrible but in my eyes it also wasn't worth the £20 price tag, particularly considering just how many pizzas from my favourite van I could have bought for the same money (nearly 6 FYI!).

I do have to admit that having the option of getting 50/50 of their pizza options is quite fun as I am always one for variation and I did really enjoy the half that was topped with an unusual mix of aubergine, cauliflower cheese and spicy harissa but was sadly rather let down by the other half which came topped with mushroom, ricotta, pumpkin seed and chilli side and tasted uninspired particularly when compared to Pizza Pilgrim's similar yet superior mushroom truffle pizza. Yes, there are lot more variations I would love to try at Homeslice, with them offering a great range of veggie friendly options including an equally intriguing pizza that comes topped with butternut pumpkin, broccoli, pecorino and crispy onions, but ultimately I just don't think the end result here is worth the price tag especially with all the new competition when it comes to amazing pizza in east London. Good but not quite the best and one worth revisiting only when you've got some extra cash to spend.

5. MARTELLO HALL, LONDON FIELDS

RATING OUT OF 5: 1

I have to admit my bad experience here may be partly my own fault by not ordering well but for me this newly opened pizza joint / bar over several floors around the corner from London Fields proved to be more style than substance. Yes, Martello Hall has a cool vibe about it and comes with undoubtedly great interiors, the pizzas have quirky names (Smokey Bandit anyone?!) and are topped with achingly of the moment ingredients such as kale and toasted pistachio but it was all a bit... meh. The dough wasn't quite as light and stretchy as I would have liked and my truffle pizza, not exactly cheap at £11 for one person, lacked any truffle flavour, indeed the whole pizza topped with truffle oil, potato, sage and mozzarella didn't taste of anything much at all. Maybe I have been a a little spoiled of late with the high quality of pizza I get to take home whenever I want but with so many other great options east I would say try somewhere that is cheaper and better for pizza especially if you, like me, like your flavours strong and prices reasonable!

Monday 17 April 2017

POSTCARD DRESS

Dress / ASOS
Earrings / ASOS
Shoes / Superga

Thursday 13 April 2017

BLUE DUNGAREES

Dungarees / 5Preview
Shoes / Superga

Monday 10 April 2017

PURPLE GINGHAM


Shirt / ASOS
Earrings / ASOS
Skirt / Topshop
Shoes / Urban Outfitters

Thursday 6 April 2017

PINK OMBRE

Dress / Fyodor Golan
Blazer / Topshop
Shoes / Vans
Earrings / ASOS

Wednesday 5 April 2017

DÜSSELDORF PHOTO DIARY


I thought I would share a few quick impressions of the best food, drinks and places I enjoyed during a recent weekend trip to Düsseldorf, there on this occasion to show one of my best friends in the world my one and only hometown from it's best side.

DINNER WITH WOW FACTOR @ MÜNSTERMANN'S KONTOR

If you go to one place for dinner in Düsseldorf make it this place. Serving European / traditional German dishes with a modern touch I am yet to have a less than stellar meal here. In fact every time I have eaten here it's been simply fantastic. It may not be cheap (our dinner with a glass of wine came to around 27 euros each) but for that you get to enjoy expertly prepared and seriously tasty food. You can go for a German classic like their infamous (and huge) Schnitzel, served with a refreshing cucumber and mayo salad and potatoes as my friend did on this occasion or try something a little more exotic and fusion driven. I did and wow I did not regret it. Indeed my seared tuna sashimi, arriving on a bed of Asian vegetables and served with smashed avocado as well as an incredibly delicious sesame dipping sauce was out of this world, in fact probably one of the best dishes I have EVER eaten. This was a simply beautiful and refined marriage of flavours and had me ohhing and ahhing throughout. is a real calinary gem and can often commandhy queu peak times but those queues are there for a reason, heck I'd happily wait a few hours just to eat that tuna again. 

PS: get the sweet potato fries on the side no matter what main you settle for - they are fried to absolute perfection.

APEROL SPRITZ WITH A VIEW @ POCCINO AT THE KÖ BOGEN
To our utter delight temperatures reached a heady 23 degrees on the Friday of our stay which of course proved to be the IDEAL aperol spritz weather, it of course being my all time favourite sunshine drink. To make things even better we also managed to find the perfect seats outside a stunning new cafe part of the Kö bogen which also happened to overlook a scenic and recently redeveloped park bang in the centre of town. Sitting here sipping on a huge, chilled and refreshing spritz I could not help but feel like on a proper holiday even if we were only a 45 minute flight away from London. The perfect place to have a chat and watch the world go by. 

COCKTAILS @ BEUYS BAR
Named after one of Dusseldorf's most famous sons, world renown and slightly nuts artist Josef Beuys, this bar may be a little off the beaten track and hidden amongst the more touristy drinking dens in Dusseldorf's going out district but it is more than worth seeking out. Every detail counts here, from the cocktail menus coming in an old school cassette case to the expert bartenders mixing up delightful and imaginative cocktails behind the stunningly lit up bar. This place could easily hold its own when compared to some of London's far more established counterparts, with my amaretto sour as ordered on the occasion being one of the best I have got to sample. Make sure to not arrive too late, this place gets super busy with people that know it is where to get the best drinks in town. 


CLUBBING @ SALON DES AMATEURS
Ok so Dusseldorf's clubbing scene may not be quite on par with that of Berlin or London but that doesn't mean that you can't find a decent club to spent a night out at here. In fact Der Salon des Amateurs which translates into something like 'the amateur's salon' was named as one of the 25 best clubs in Europe by the Guardian and in my opinion very rightly so. During the day a cafe that is part of Dusseldorf's modern art museum, at night Der Salon transforms into an intimate, vibey and seriously cool club that hosts an eclectic area of DJ's and attracts a mixed and artsy crowd that were an absolute joy to get to know on our Friday night out there. It's not pretentious and an absolutely unique experience - a must visit even for people that aren't into clubbing. 

THE NOODLES THAT CURE ALL HANGOVERS @ NANIWA
I have written about my favourite noodle bar in the world, Naniwa, on numerous occasions on this blog and I make a point of eating here (or on this occasion ordering a takeaway) every time I'm in town. This place is as authentic as noodle soups and yaki soba get and the locals know this too well with a queue forming outside most dinner and lunch times no matter the day. Anything you order here is bloody fantastic but I have one ultimate favourite that I wish I could magically import most weekends when I need a decent hangover fix..what dish you may ask? Well they wrap their delicious soba noodles and stir fried veggies that come tossed in a sticky and delicious sauce in a Japanese omelette and top it with mayo and pickled ginger. It's slightly stodgy, eggy, satisfying and oh boy basically THE best hangover cure I have had in a long time. Naniwa please open a London branch soon, I need this to be a regular addition to my diet and so will you after trying it. 

Until next Dusseldorf! I will be back for sure...

Monday 3 April 2017

IRIS

Tee / Homage Tees
Skirt / ASOS
Earrings / ASOS
Boots / Mango