Claridge's Afternoon Tea

I'm a traveller. 

I love exploring new pastures, tasting eclectic cuisines- hop, skipping across the pond is quite frankly my favourite hobby [and the best form of cardio I'll have you know.]

However, I'm a British girl at heart. I love meandering around the city, complaining about the weather- whether hot or cold, hanging punting in the pub... well you get the drift- and what more British an activity than afternoon tea at that too at a truly iconic British institution-  Claridge's. 

Suffering from this sweltering heat [see what I mean about complaining no matter what the weather] we decided to do the pilgrimage up New Bond St to seek refuge at the holy ground that is Claridge's. 

And what better way to cool down than a restorative glass of the good stuff...

One [three] glasses of restoration later, we made our way through the marble clad foyer

And so began the Afternoon Tea feast...

First up: a selection of delectable sandwiches; it was a tie between the Severn & Wye smoked salmon, brown shrimp butter, & rock samphire on rye bread and surprisingly the Cucumber, crème fraîche 

& rocket on white bread. 

Accompanied by Raisin & Plain Scones- at which point my British heart was chanting it's finest rendition of "God Save the Queen"

After quite literally sandwich loading- it was time to shift the focus...

Oh sweet heaven. 

Quite literally brimming with happiness, and sugar, we waddled back on to New Bond Street to commence an intense shopping marathon in the height of British Summer. 

What's your favorite British tradition to partake in during the summer?

Ayoush London

I love St Christopher's Place. 

A sneaky little alleyway that leads into an oasis of shops, restaurants and cute little eateries

It's all very Lion, The Witch, The Wardrobe and Narnia-ish! 

But steer off the beaten path, take a left at the northern star [metaphorically speaking- there's not ACTUALLY a Northern Star here] and you'll stumble across one of my favourite places  in London- one that I've been frequenting all too many times recently! [Yes it's that good.]

Now whether you're after a catch up with friends over a Hookah pipe or in the mood for a North African Chow Down- Ayoush London will cater to your every need! On this occasion, I was catching up with the girls! It'd been a while since we'd broken bread over a concoction of gossip about boys, toys and current affairs [both literal and lateral.] 

With the promise of a game of puff, puff, pass in the near future, we took our seats inside the restaurant, ordered our beverages of choice and began our feast! 

Having been to Ayoush an uncanny amount of times, I can confidently say that they are home to one of the best calamari dishes in London. 

Roulades of the freshest Calamari sprinkled with Moroccan spices- a MUST order if you're eating anywhere near this restaurant. Or just in general- WARNING one portion will not be enough... you most definitely need two it is that good! 

The Mussels Chermoula was not as spicy as I would have hoped, but still didn't stop me from wiping the plate clean with the fresh pitta bread that was bought from oven to our table by my favourite, overly boisterous Arabic waiter! 

We roared over tales as the wine was poured all too frequently- that's the thing about Ayoush... the service is wonderful! 

For the main event, we shared a deliciously tender Shish Tawuk...

and the Mezze Selection...

And one more thing guys... The Baba Gannough is Ba-Ba-BANGING! Definitely ask for an extra helping with a bat of an eyelash, and I'm sure you're lovely waiter will be more than happy to oblige!

Full on conversation [and ofcourse the delicious food] we wandered over to Haymarket for a round of cosmopolitans and a childhood throwback at Planet Hollywood. There really is nothing better than catching up with the girls on a lazy afternoon! 

What has everyone been up to this weekend? 

Sun-day means Fun-day; London in the Sun

The temperatures soared in London and a smile has been firmly cemented on my face. 

There's something about the Capital City when sunshine's beating down on it's overly crowded pavements, reflecting on the glass laden buildings of The City and heating up that wonderment of a tin can that zips us around the city underground [OK that part's not so great].

When the sun is blazing there's only one accessory that you can't leave home without- your bestfriend. So that's exactly what I did- I grabbed my partner in all things criminal and fabulous and headed down to start the day at The Reform Social & Grill in Marylebone to test out their much talked about Gentlemen's Afternoon Tea [albeit very VERY early afternoon at this point].

A more boy friendly of this traditionally delicate tradition- I was intrigued as to what the menu would be...

The Savouries were delicious. From Left to right; a steak and snail open sandwich, fish fingers on a bed of mushy peas and the gloriously simple but delicious- sausage roll. [We may or may not have ordered 3 rounds of these]

The Sweet platter included Lemon pound cake, Braeburn Apple turnovers, Norfolk Treacle Tart, Baked Jam Rolly Polly [not only fun to say but delicious to eat], Bananas & Custard and a selection of Traditional fruit scones. 

Now the beverages 

...are unlimited which I warn you- are deadly [good]. Don't let the 'Afternoon Tea' label of this afternoon fool you- we did not see a drop of tea the entire afternoon. 

Fuelled by multiple glasses of champagne, we waltzed out on to the sun blazened streets to Ayoush- our next destination for a touch of Shisha in the Sun...

I love London in the Summertime- there truly is no better place... 

Just Beautiful! 

What's your favourite place in the city when the Sun's shining?

Dinner at Ting, Shangri-La The Shard

The Apple of London's skyline eye has a new addition to it. 

After months of anticipation, and constant refreshing of their online reservations page, Shangri-La The Shard has finally opened and brought with it one hell of a Restaurant- Ting. I'd endeavored to extensively stalk the new menu, so you can imagine my delight when one of my bestfriend's decided to celebrate her birthday at the 35th floor eatery.

Upon arrival at the ground floor of the Shangri-La, you're greeted by a charming man who shows you to your mode of transportation up high in the sky- also known as the lift. After the mandatory girly squeals, gossip session and champagne toasting- we got down to business. 

Now, deciding what to order for starters was not an issue- "Let's just get one of pretty much everything" was the general rule of thumb...

Up first; a unique combination of Dorset Crab, Cucumber, Mango, Tomato and Passion Fruit: 

Followed by Foie Gras accompanied by duck, cherry, pomegranate and grue

Beetroot with Goat Cheese, Truffle, Honey, Basil and Pistachio

and to round off the first course- possibly one of my favourite dishes in recent times...

Risotto crowned with Highland Langoustines, Fresh Chorizo, Smoked Paprika, and Parmesan... 

Divine. 

A few more rounds of clinking glasses, an energetic conga line singing session and a couple of questionable cups of straight vodka and we were begging for the main course. 

Cotswold Free Range Chicken, Celeriac, Savoy Cabbage, Apricot and an ingredient that quite literally made me do a double take... tea?

The aptly named- John Dory 

And no much to my surprise it is not 'Finding Nemo' related. 

The food was beautifully presented which drew out the Food Blogging spirit in every diner present.. 

Impeccable service, beautifully presented food accented with a unique burst of flavours and all served in immaculate surroundings- Ting is an experience not to be missed with your loved ones this summer.

International Eateries; Daphnes, Barbados

The combination of Island living and refined Italian food is a beautiful thing.

After a day of hard labour by the poolside 

and on the beach at the beautiful Hilton Resort in Barbados, it was time to refuel ourselves [also happens to be my favourite time of a calendar day.]

50 shades browner than when I originally hopped on the plane at London Gatwick Airport, I threw on this whistfully white ensemble;

What I wore:

Blouse; Zara

Shorts; Zara

Shoes; Kurt Geiger

Wrist Candy; Belt by Topshop

And jumped in a taxi over to Daphne’s Barbados for dinner. 

Greeted by an unassuming neon sign at the entrance, we tottered through a rather lengthy walkway to the definition of beach side dining. 

The lapping ocean danced with sprinkles of the beaming moonlight that... well you know what I mean- it was all just so pretty!

Buzzing with excitement, we sat down and our waiter immediately zipped over with a platter of breads and olives the size of my fist. 

The service was, to put it mildly, shaky at the start. Balsamic spillages across the table [que a sharp inhale of breath as I was wearing all white!], no seared king scallops available and a general bad attitude towards servicing the table... but as the waiter changed that ALL changed too!

I went for the Grilled Catch of the Day, which happened to be Swordfish, with Fondant potatoes, wilted greens and saffron sauce. What’s that saying? Caught, Hook line and sinker- yes she certainly was! It was incredible. Flaky fish, deliciously rich fondant potatoes all brought together by a lashing of saffron sauce.

Go on have a closer peek at that artichoke...

Oh yes.

I had a cheeky bite of my accomplices Roasted Pumpkin and Amaretti Ravioli with Brown Butter & Sage...

Ok well a few cheeky bites- it was equally delicious!

Desserts you say? Well Desserts backward is Stressed and this was a de-stress kind of trip- catch my drift?

Chocolate mousse with Salted Caramel Accents

Followed by Iced Berries with Hot White Chocolate Sauce.

Take my advice ladies & gents- don’t skip dessert!

Although slightly questionable if given the wrong service, the food and surroundings at Daphne's Barbados is absolutely delicious and a must visit!