Breakfast with a View

The other weekend we enjoyed our breakfast with the most amazing view of London at Duck and Waffle. We sat at a corner table with floor to ceiling glass on either side and looked down on buses snailing their way along Bishopsgate whilst enjoying some rather gorgeous waffles. The view to the south was not bad either, looking down on to the Gherkin with Tower Bridge in the background. Quite exciting. 

I had booked our tables 10 weeks in advance - this is a popular place so planning a visit is essential. I thought breakfast was a good time to visit, but would like to go back in the evening to see all the lights of London twinkling away.

Signs of Spring

Ordering a cold drink at lunch instead of a hot one. At Market Cafe in Broadway Market.

Lunch at Homa

On a recent visit to Stoke Newington we stopped for lunch at Homa. How gorgeous to sit by one of those big windows enjoying a deliciously garlicky pizza. I hope I have reason to go back soon - there were plenty of other things on the menu I would like to try!

Cheese for dinner

An French skiing holiday is great for cheese lovers (like me). Of course we had fondue one night, but the highlight was Raclette. Wow. Really, I guess it is a bit odd to eat melted cheese with potatoes for dinner, but it is so good. To sit in Armelle's beautiful dining room, watching the snow tumbling down fast outside whilst keeping an eye on that hot, bubbling cheese, drinking some excellent local wine. I can think of worse ways to spend an evening.

After this meal I said I wasn't going to eat cheese for at least two weeks. That didn't last - a couple of days later I was making pasta with Gorgonzola...

Skiing, Eating, Breathing Alpine Air

Just back from five amazing days at the wonderful Les Servages d'Armelle in Les Carroz. What a luxury to be able to combine fantastic skiing with glorious food. On our way home I reminded myself how lucky we are to live in London which is such a great place to travel from. After a short flight to Geneva, Les Carroz is only an hour away by car. To wake up in Bethnal Green and be in the Alps in time for lunch is pretty good. And travelling with the loveliest company helped make this a perfect holiday. Already looking forward to going again next year!

A snowy day in London town

Sunday was a lovely blue skied sunny one with hope of spring in the air, but one before that we snow - quite a lot of it. To go for a walk in snowy London is such an unusual experience. Amazing how it changes things! The city which is normally so noisy and fast becomes quiet and most of the movement seems to stop. Quite wonderful. And everywhere you see people with umbrellas which makes me giggle.

After our exertions we had a suitable reward to look forward to. A pint or two and a very delicious roast lunch at the Princess. And after that, home to the sofa and the fire.

A Magical Evening

What an amazing feeling to walk out of the office yesterday evening knowing that there are two whole weeks ahead without alarm clocks and to do lists. Instead there will be peace and quiet, family and friends, good food with drinks to match and lots of sleep.

To celebrate the fact that we have got through another year of hard work with plenty of challenges along the way, I met my husband at J Sheekey Oyster Bar for a glass of champagne and a bite to eat. Afterwards we headed to the London Coliseum to see the Nutcracker. I can't think of a more romantic Christmas tradition than this. A truly magical evening.

At the table next to us in the restaurant was a lady celebrating her 99th birthday. I wished her Happy Birthday and got a stroke on the cheek and a compliment which I swiftly returned - she was 10 times more glamorous than me. Wonderful. And that little exchange enhanced the evening and will now be part of this memory.

Shrimpy's - Anniversary dinner at a petrol station

For our anniversary dinner, we went to Shrimpy's. I have been wanting to go for ages so was really happy to finally make it there. Shrimpy's is a pop up restaurant run by the people behind Bistrotheque and is located in a disused petrol station just up the road from King's Cross. Seated beneath a gorgeous painting of a giraffe, we had soft shell crab burgers and some lovely cocktails. The crowd was suitably young and fun and seemably temporarily migrated from East London. Best were the artworks by Donald Urquhart and the already mentioned giraffe.

Sunday Lunch at the Princess of Shoreditch

On the hottest day of the year so far we went for a walk over to Shoreditch and stopped for lunch at The Princess. Here they serve the best roasts I have had in London. The dining room is lovely and the service is good too. Our roast beef was great and all the veg were nicely cooked which can be a challenge - I normally find that one or two components are less than perfectly cooked, but this was not the case here. Best of all was pudding. Very impressive standard for a pub. We had apricot and golden syrup sponge pudding with blood orange sorbet. I mean, how good does that sound? Must go back soon and work my way through that dessert menu.

Bakewell Tart at Albion

That tart was as nice as it looks in the picture - moist, rich and fruity, yum! At Albion they do really good cakes and bread, baked throughout the day in the open kitchen. We often go for lunch, but the restaurant is open all day. It is amazing that we have places like this around here now. When we moved to the area there were cute little cafes and a few down to earth local restaurants. Now we have fine dining and a Conran hotel mixed in with the curry houses. Not bad to have the option of going drinks at Boundary Rooftop one day and dinner at the Turkish kebab grill the next!