Harry Gordon's Bar

My connection with Selfridges is that of a steady long-term relationship.

When times are good they’re really good, we may argue every now and again when I have to queue to demand his time or his service is sloppy but all in all I know I can bank on him when times are rough [or I’ve left gifts to the last minute!] and he will rarely lead me astray [floor plan memorized to a T.]

After whizzing around the store collecting a plethora of canary yellow bags and artfully balancing them on each shoulder, it was time to stop and refuel. My usual haunt, Hix, seemed to be bursting at the seams and in an attempt to spicing up the variety in my life- I went in search of a new oasis in which to quench my thirst and lift my spirits [lift and pour straight into a glass that is.] 

    

Tired with feet singing from the pain that taking my new moccasins out for a spin caused, in the distance swung a glimmer of hope.

Enter... Harry Gordon’s Bar.       

The bar is small in size and very understated, so it didn't blow my mind at first- but as any lady will know- the feet pain will not wait.

Thankful for finally finding a seat, the bags were dropped swiftly to the floor and I was ready to work my way one by one through each of the innovative cocktails. Our colorful attired friend came bounding over accessorized with a smile, and was absolutely delightful in helping us with cocktail selections.

Upon attacking the complimentary savoury popcorn [tomato and mozzarella flavoured- a cheats pizza in a small bite of air] we made our selection and the battle began:

Round 1: The Naked Blush and The Old Fashioned. [No prizes for guessing which was the male and which was the female choice!]

The cocktails were strong but definitely well disguised and smoothly mixed so we glugged away- only later feeling the true effects as the volume of our conversation went from 4 to off the scales as the measure on the glass got fainter.

Post shamelessly requesting consistent top up’s of the magical pizza popcorn, our amazing waiter did what we were all hoping he would and tipped the bag into a fish bowl sized vessel and left us scavengers to incessantly pick.  

Round 2: The House Gin Fizz and The Sparkling Belle- both of which were absolutely scrumptious! 

Someone else clearly caught the shutterbug too...

After sampling a good selection of the cocktail menu, I think it’s fair to say that I underestimated Harry Gordon’s Bar. The staff are extremely helpful and chatty, it’s not as noisy or busy as a few of the other eateries in Selfridges and the cocktails were delectable!  

A definite must visit!  

The Lippes Service

I first came across Adam Lippes line- ADAM upon searching for some feel good cottons to throw under a blazer or a leather jacket when I’m dashing out of the door [time keeping seems to be a prominent issue in my life].

Cotton happens to be one of those materials that people often associate with unfortunate school PE uniforms or that hideous outfit that your mum once dressed you in to match your sister at the annual Christmas party [the emotional scars are still, evidently, very much visible]. So a designer that manages to put the cool factor firmly back into this throwback material, automatically gets put in the good books for me!

From the originally launched cotton’s line, ADAM, Mr Lippes showcased his versatile approach to simplicity and has resonated itself into a ready to wear women’s wear line, Adam Lippes, that is suitable for every occasion be it lunch with the girls or dancing the night away at London’s elite spots.  

The pre-spring 2014 Lookbook continue with the reoccurring theme of simplicity with clean cut silhouettes juxtaposed with complex fabrics. My favorite from the collection is this beautiful white number...

And this incredible printed long-line jacket come coat

which is also carried through into this number 

To be honest, the whole line is pretty fantastic! 

Visit www.adamlippes.com to view the entire collection.

Circus, London

There is a place.

Through a derelict door located on Covent Garden’s Endell St, enter a relm of abstract wonderment. A world where delicious food is combined with off the cuff theatrics and an ambience to resemble the finest performance art establishments across London City.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the one and only Circus Restaurant. An evening that promises to deliver a phenomenal entertainment score while being accompanied by delicious pan-asian rounds of food.

After hearing a plethora of mixed reviews bout the Circus London, I decided it was time to throw caution to the wind and go and try it out for myself. I’d walked past this unassuming door a billion times, but had never really taken note of the extremely worn doorway. Upon knocking vigorously at the unassuming door, we were finally welcomed in to the restaurant to commence a night of theatrics.

Admittedly¸I was initially slightly disappointed at the size of the establishment. The name Circus plays on an individuals senses, and unravels a string of expectations of an opulently large size. However, the circus restaurant  seemed to fall short of these dreams- however contributing to the slightly more inimate atmosphere that was apparent. We were handed our menus by our enthusiastic maitre d' over a cheeky glass of Laurent Perrier, and were left to scout the menu when the air changed. 

All of a sudden, the lights dimmed, the music began and the shutters were drawn on the exposed kitchen and the circus act 1 began. 

A lady clad in head to southern regions in lycra, tested the flexibility of her body in front of an audience! This ladies flexibility was definintely commendable- she kept me on edge through the performance and left me wanting more when she left!

For course 1; Beef & Foie Gras Gyoza 

Seared peppered Tuna & Pancetta sashimi 

The Vegetable sushi selection

 and Wild Mushroom Spring Rolls for my excellent company for the evening.

The food arrived thick and fast and was followed by a fantastic performance by a lady with an enviable head of hair- along with a cheeky additional glass of LP.

The 4 starter dishes between 2 of us, definitely did fill us up and I was genuinely surprised by the quality of the food. The dishes were flavoursome and really adaptable to new age flavour                  combinations, which was extremely exciting to me!

 Do definitely visit the Circus Restaurant  on Endell Street- a night at the circus is definitely one to look out for in London when residing in west London.  

Ice Bar London

London is a series of oxymoron’s. People charge the streets at the speed of light with no real place to go, we experience the lifestyle of a large metropolis when in actual fact one side to the other is a mere 80 minutes,  Uber cars tried and tested, and for some reason in the height of October, when I without doubt recall hearing from the weather lady that we were going to experience the coldest of cold winters, we’re seeing a sunshine soiree.

Now I’m a big fan of the sunshine, but there comes a point in the year where a girl wants to hang up her denim cut offs and snuggle up in a throw. Given the recent weather, the thought of a big snugly coat was a distant memory UNTIL I swanned through the [double] doors of London’s very own- Ice Bar.

Having just launched a new “Frozen Architecture” experience, the Ice Bar is definitely a quintessentially London experience. As you descend the stairs of the Heddon Street Hideaway, you’re draped in an, awfully fashionable, blue cape and guided into the magnificent ice bar.

The name Ice bar are not an exaggeration. Every element of this finely crafted venue are made of ice, from the drink glasses to the bar on which they’re nicely perched while eager guests zip around taking pictures of everything [yes, I was admittedly one of them.]

Having vigorously glugged down a cocktail

for the sake of warmth ofcourse, we decided to hang our capes up and proceed into the restaurant- Below Zero, located in the basement of the building. As its small in size, Below Zero has a very homely feel about it so it’s perfect for every occasion whether its an intimate date or catching up with old friends. We happened to pick the acoustic live mic evening that happens every Tuesday, definitely recommended!

One artist and 2 sumptuous glasses of Rioja later, we finally delivered our order to our keen waiter. Roast diver Scallops and Jerusalem artichoke puree  with sea vegetables was up first, and it definitely scored big with me!

The scallops were fresh and juicy and complemented well by the smooth Jerusalem artichoke puree.

Next up, along with a phenomenal glass of wine and an equally amazing performance came the roast tomato, polenta, pine nuts, pecorino and lime. 

Admittedly, I was slightly disappointed with this dish as I was expected a lot more, quite literally, from it. The portion was slightly small for the simpler array of flavors; nonetheless it was a dish that fell far short of rocking my world.  

Next came the belowzero ‘salt’ n’pepper’ prawns basted in chilli, garlic and coriander. These were phenomenal. Crispy fried prawns in a light flavoursome batter, a must for the seafood lovers! Unfortunately this seafood lover over zealously devoured the whole thing before the thought of a picture crossed my mind, yes they were that good!

For dessert, we ordered the espresso macaroons and parsnip ice cream 

and the roast chestnut and chocolate parfait.

Both were absolutely delicious and rounded off an incredible evening.

For visitors intending to go, definitely book in advance and head down on a Tuesday evening! The live music, delicious food, fabulous drinks and buzzing atmosphere are a combination not to be missed!