23 on the 23rd

I wanted to celebrate turning 23 with a group of my absolute closest friends and loved ones. I haven't done something for my birthday in a long while, finding it really difficult to get everyone together at one time, but this year I was determined to have those I love the most around me. 

We celebrated at B-Soho, a great place for cocktails and pizzas, sofas and live music to dance and sing to. It's a good place to head before carrying on the night elsewhere.

I had the biggest smile on my face all night. I'm definitely framing some of these!

Barbados.

Before you say anything, I know I am one very very lucky girl.

Way way back in May - blogging has taken a backseat lately - I went to Barbados with one of my best friends.

I knew just from where we were staying that we were in for a treat. It turned out to be one of the holidays of a lifetime. It is bursting with beauty and the people are so friendly and wonderful.

I swam with sea turtles, went on a rum-filled cruise and ate as much sea food as I could possibly fit into my tummy, saw sands whiter than white and a sea the most perfect crystal blue.

I've just posted my favourite pictures from what we did including my favourite restaurants we visited, a boat cruise I would most DEFINITELY recommend and my favourite sites to see. 

Take a look at paradise. 




We saw the most incredible sunsets.

Quo Vadis, Soho

My mama was in London a little while ago (unusual for her, because she likes the quiet of the country) and I thought I would take her for a treat out on the town.

I knew she would love the understated elegance of Quo Vadis.

Greeted by the most beautiful bouquets of fresh daffodils, we knew that Spring had most definitely sprung. Also set a relaxing environment for my mother so she could chill out and feel like home after being amongst the polluted, grey jungle.

A fairly vast, sprawling dining room is hidden behind the quaint stained-glass window entry.

Ask for a table by said windows, they are the best seats!

Cute, quirky touches in the form of artistic menus are a wonderful touch, defining the personality of the restaurant. A weekly changing menu with seasonal produce means you will probably never eat the same thing twice here.

We skipped starters to save room for the dessert that we had already spied. I had lamb sweetbreads with almonds, pea and mint. A gorgeous, fresh and light dish with moist sweetbreads,

My mother chose the baked salt cod with pea, leek and potato.

And as it was blood orange season back then, we couldn't leave without sharing a fennel and blood orange salad.

For dessert my mother chose, fittingly, the mother of all desserts. Just look at that beauty!

Light walnut cake, with vanilla ice cream and lashings of chocolate and vanilla sauce - heaven.

And I had a chocolate (and booze) lovers paradise. St. Emilion au chocolat - an extremely boozy dessert (so much so it nearly knocked me over the edge after my glasses of wine!) - made with brandy in the cake and brandy mixed with macaroons in the light biscuit base. Just delicious.

A wonderful, lovely, incredible enjoyable evening. Service was a delight - having the words wanky said to you, to describe the way some talk about wine, by the waiter was a joy to fully banish any stuffy atmosphere that the linen cloths and suited and booted waiters might lend.

Super friendly and super delicious, I loved it, and most importantly, so did she :)

Quo Vadis

Bone Daddies Ramen, Soho

So I've been away on a few little jaunts here are there, just across to the Carribean (post to follow!), so I have a bit backlog of places that I have to share. Better get cracking!

It was a rainy, cold evening and after a long day at work, feeling a little under the weather, some quick comfort food was needed. Being in Soho, only one kind of food sprung to mind. Ramen. 

I love ramen and it's warming, filling properties. Having tried and tested - and loved - Tonkostu, it was now time to try Bone Daddies.

No queuing at about 7.30, (although I think one did form just after we went in) we were seated straight away at a little bar running around the restaurant. Loud and bustling, it was a fun atmosphere.

I started with some hot sake, infused with orange and cinnamon to flush away winter blues.

To start we had the most incredible sweet and sour ribs, with a deliciously mega spicy kick. Without a doubt the best thing we ate there. Does that bode well for the ramen?! We'll see….

Restaurant Reviews Mapped!

With a little help from my wonderful brother-in-law, we have put together a handy map of some of my favourite restaurants in London, along with my pictures and words.

Have fun exploring!

blow LTD: Fast Beauty in Covent Garden

Ever needed to be somewhere ASAP and not had enough time to get ready? Be it for either a very important meeting or a night out? Well there's a new beauty bar open in Covent Garden, that is sure to be the answer to your needs.

It's called Blow LTD and it's situated in a convenient central location in Covent Garden. Basically, they can make you look like a movie star in 25 mins.

The blow dry craze never really took off here, even with bars like Hershesons blow dry bar, it was either too expensive for us or took too long. British women have never really taken that much time to pamper themselves, unlike the Americans. We look after ourselves, but not too much.

Blow, however, leaves us with no excuse not to look after ourselves. It brings the concept of fast beauty to London. Whereas places like Hershesons and other blow dry bars only specialise in hair, Blow LTD leaves their competition far behind they not only blow dry your hair in 25 minutes, they can also do your makeup in 15 mins and do your nails at the same time as your hair. You can go in having just rolled out of bed and in about 40 mins you can exit looking like a Goddess. 

Let me talk you through the concept. Blow has a menu, from which you can choose one of 9 styles, everything from up-dos to super sleek hair, plus one or two seasonal specials. The most popular styles are the "Luxe", loose waves, and the "Beach Blow", which is tighter waves. Then choose your makeup, natural, evening or party and then choose the kind of nails you want. 

I visited Blow and decided to go for something I would never normally have, a Starlet blow, which is like that Veronica Waves look. A real classic movie star.

Staff were very friendly and it did only take 25 minutes to complete. 

#nomakeup #selfie The Starlet in progress....


From the side, this hairstyle is stunning. They plait your hair tightly and clip it to one side so it stays in position. It's an absolute dream.

Blow is not just a beauty salon. They consider themselves a beauty bar. Fantastically, they also stock all the products they use on you, so if you love a lip colour or a blush, you can buy them in store too. They stock amazing cult beauty brands, like Jouer, Lord and Berry or GlamGlow, brands that were previously only available online or abroad.

I walked out feeling like a true 1930s Hollywood movie star. I just know I will be revisiting Blow LTD again when I'm in need of a transformation before that night out, or simply in need of a little lift in the form of a quick pamper.

Check out their website here blowltd.com to see the products they sell and the styles they do, or to book yourself an appointment!

Iberica, Marylebone

Someone told me that they think Iberica is better than Barrafina. Blasphemy I thought, Barrafina (and Jose) is the best Spanish restaurant in London. I have to check this out.

With a few outposts now Iberica could be considered - eek- a chain. They have two restaurants in Canary Wharf, another in Farringdon but I visited the restaurant in Marylebone, not far from Marylebone high street. One thing that might please some, you CAN book at these London restaurants!

The tapas restaurant is open and spacious set over two floors. Details like wood and glass and classic Spanish tiles have been carefully thought out to create a beautiful and lively surroundings. 

The first thing I noticed about the menu is that they have tried to modernise traditional spanish tapas food. They have taken the classic spanish flavours, grilled sea food, cured meats and chorizos, and updated them and put a modern twist on them.

Sadly I did not try the green Canarian mojo, but whatever it is, I want some of that mojo.

We ordered a different kind of sangria, containing prosecco instead of red wine. Interesting!! Also came in very cute jars.

Food: starting with fried chorizo lollipops with pear aioli. Lovely and not too greasy.

The best thing we ate, the squid ink risotto with cuttle fish, prawns and aioli sauce.

This was delicious, asparagus, manchego, onion confit and truffle oil. I'm a sucker for truffle.

Lamb sweetbreads, two way egg and roasted red pepper.

Serrano ham croquettes.

Crispy confit of Segovian suckling pig, apple puree and frisee salad.

Yes, we ordered a lot. Yes there were just two of us. But we still wanted dessert.

La tarte de la abuela, a kind of chocolate mousse.

All very lovely and I had an extremely enjoyable night. I admit after I came away I was on a high and thinking "Yep, that was delicious. I like that more than Barrafina too!" However, as I've had time to reflect upon the meal, as lovely it was, the modern style of tapas that they do is not making me yearn for more. There is no stand out dish that I still dream of, unlike the sobrosada on toast with duck egg from Barrafina. 

Those stronger, punchier flavours of classic tapas, which maybe more simple - for example grilled prawns with aioli and chilli - linger in my memory a lot more than the now seemingly bland flavours of Iberica.

Try it, you will like it, but it won't leave you gasping for me. I'm back off to Barrafina.