MSH Backup

As far as Christmas traditions go, there are few more enjoyable (or perhaps more indulgent) than a spot of festive afternoon tea. It’s become a little bit of a ritual for our little group, and, particularly with people travelling from further afield, it’s always lovely to have a dedicated time in the diary for catching up over tea and cake! This year, we opted for Dominique Ansel Bakery, and their festive afternoon tea option- which served up a plethora of treats which were as flavoursome as they were photogenic:  Starting with the savoury, we tucked into a unique, Christmas tree shaped version of sandwiches, individually filled with salmon, egg salad and turkey, as well as wild mushrooms- delicious, and well worth the gold and silver tinted lips! Next up, scones served warm at the table with the most adorable jam and cream stars- injecting another lovely festive touch. Finally, the sweet treats, including a mince pie snowman, caramelised apples served with a cinnamon ganache and a...

There are few things which make the working week more bearable than a mid-week feast! As a matter of course, I usually prefer to head straight home after work (Thameslink life!) and leave social stuff for the weekend. However, last week, with Lily back in town for a limited window, a gang dinner was the order of the day- and reminded me of just how nice it can be to forgo the rush hour commute in favour of a sedate evening of fabulous food: This get together marked my first visit to Breddos Tacos, and boy was it worth the wait! Tucked away just off of Regent Street, their Carnaby branch is small but perfectly formed, with a well concealed downstairs offering a lovely and intimate backdrop- perfect for a long overdue catch up! The service was also fantastic, with our waiter offering recommendations of which dishes to order, most of which we took up, and which definitely did not disappoint! I opted for the tuna tostada, as well as the chicken and belly pork tacos- small enough so as not ...

One of loveliest things about having a blog is the fact that I’ve come to meet some of my closest friends through being a part of this collective online community. Whilst I do miss the early days of blogging, where it was always lovely to put faces to names at events and the like, I’m more grateful that I can properly articulate through a keyboard that I’ve encountered some of the loveliest people ever through the internet. In fact, this weekend I’m preparing to head to Ireland with some of them, and it’s always a joy to make time for catching up, especially when various international paths cross at the right time. One such instance occurred a few weeks ago, when Elodie was in London for a week or so- affording the perfect opportunity to venture to a new brunch favourite in the shape of Hally’s in Parsons Green: There are fewer pursuits which feel like more of an indulgence than starting the week with a spot of brunch, but with a Monday out of the office it seemed like the perfect opti...

It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve posted a foodie roundup on these pages, but a few weeks ago the perfect opportunity to try somewhere new cropped up. With Elodie in town, Hannah, Sophie, Michelle and I decamped after a sweltering day to Bao in Fitzrovia, a destination which well and truly ticked all of the right boxes, both in terms of the delicious dishes on offer, and the chance to have a good old natter amongst ourselves: With so much good eating on the menu, it was tricky to narrow down what to have, but I opted for three freshly prepared buns: classic, confit and beef shortrib. Expertly prepared, each was a flavour sensation in its own right, melting in the mouth and leaving me wondering if I could order another round of the same! Other highlights on the table included chili langoustines and a fried bao (heaven!), as well as bone marrow rice. All in all, a dining destination which I’ve bookmarked for a return visit already.  Have you eaten out anywhere exciting recently...

Working in the middle of London, it's really easy to become a creature of habit and only visit a series of places on rotation at lunchtime or at the end of the day. Given that I'm usually up against the clock as far as downing any form of food is concerned, it's always lovely to carve out some time to indulge properly, especially at the end of a busy week. The perfect opportunity to try somewhere new came up a little while ago, with a post-work visit to a Covent Garden gem: Sweetheart Cupcakes is a small but perfectly formed little bakery which sits on the lower level of Covent Garden Market, and is somewhere which I've been meaning to pop into for as long as I can remember - especially as they offer such a broad variety of bakes. Although the cafe itself is quite compact, there's a myriad of options on offer to satisfy even the sweetest of teeth, with seemingly limitless options served on rotation as well as more traditional offerings, such as afternoon tea. It was...

On the Bab is a destination which has been on my lunchtime radar for what feels like absolutely ages now, and I’m ashamed to say that it’s taken me so long to visit, especially given that I only work about a two minute walk up the road! This oversight was thankfully put right last Friday, as I headed along for a lovely lunch date- the perfect excuse to try their menu for the first time: The menu offers exactly what you need for a speedy lunchtime pit stop, with kimchi and Bibimbap on offer alongside signature steamed buns. I opted for the spicy chicken and spicy pork options which were absolutely delicious- perfectly prepared and deliciously seasoned without being too hot to handle. As well as that, they arrived super speedily after ordering which makes them a brilliant fast food option- especially if you’re opting for a takeaway too. And, if that wasn’t enough, they’re under £5 each too- what more could you want for your midday meal?! It’ll come as no surprise that I’m already plannin...

It's a shame to admit, but over the last couple of months I've become a real creature of (very boring!) habit in terms of eating out- predominantly due to not having all that much time (or spare cash!) to get to anywhere new, or try anything more experimental than the old favourites which I've come to rely on so regularly for a quick and easy pit stop. Now that summer is well on the way, however, the promise of visiting some freshly opened options is one which I'm determined to keep- so watch this space for updates on that front! Heading away from my usual haunts, I recently caught up with Hannah for a quick spot of lunch in Clerkenwell, heading to the Sarona Eatery to sample their brand new menu- complete with 25% off: Offering a small but perfectly formed Middle Eastern menu, Sarona Eatery is the ideal spot for sampling a variety of delicious sharing plates and catching up amidst a really relaxed atmosphere. We ploughed our way through a selection of dishes which cam...

One of the best things about working slap bang in the middle of London is the sheer variety which it offers, whether that’s in terms of the myriad of sights to see, spectrum of shops or plethora of new foodie haunts which pop up so regularly. If anything, I sometimes find myself well and truly spoilt for choice for lunch options during the week, which is why I always tend to prefer exploring new haunts at the weekend- as well as having more time to enjoy them, it means that my bank balance can breath a sigh of relief! One such recent exploration comes in the shape of Eat by Chloe, which has recently opened just off of Drury Lane: A few years ago, I think it would have been difficult to imagine an exclusively vegan food outlet occupying such a prominent position in the heart of the West End, but such is the power of the ‘wellness’ movement I suppose! The first UK branch of this US-born chain is definitely made with the Instagram generation in mind- complete with statement neon signs, sh...

I don’t know about you, but by the time the weekend arrives, there are few things I enjoy more than spending Saturday scouting out new foodie favourites. Gone are the mornings of trekking to Oxford Street (these days I can think of nothing worse!), supplanted instead with leisurely wanders and perusing the menus of some new dining discoveries. Last Saturday, before heading to the theatre, Hannah and I made a pit-stop at 40 Maltby Street to sample their small but perfectly balanced selection of dishes:    With a tiny menu served out of an equally tiny kitchen, 40 Maltby Street is a wonderful option for a leisurely weekend lunch, but somewhere it’s worth arriving at early to avoid the queues which build up as the neighbouring market gets busy. We selected a handful of dishes to share between us- celeriac croquettes which were wonderfully flavoursome, and pork rilettes served with fresh bread baked by St.John- one of the most moreish dishes I think I’ve ever tasted! We also sampl...

Regular perusers of these pages will be well aware of the fact that one of my favourite pursuits in life is eating. Whether it's rustling up something at home or visiting a new restaurant, there's always something lovely and relaxing about enjoying something truly tasty- especially when it's something which is for a good cause too. You might remember that I visited Spring at Somerset House for the first time about a year or so ago, shortly after it had opened. Since then, the team there have launched an evening Scratch Menu- a specifically curated selection of dishes made from ingredients which would otherwise not be used- with the aim of drawing attention to how much food is wasted around the world every year...enough to feed over 800 million people! Last week, I was lucky enough to pop along to sample the menu and enjoy the ambiance of this beautiful venue: With the dishes on offer on the Scratch Menu changing every day, you're guaranteed something unique, perfectly p...

If I'm being honest, by the time Friday usually rolls around, I'm always eager to dash for the train home, avoiding a flurry of people rushing to the airport and the general chaos of central London at the end of the working week in favour of getting home and starting the weekend in a generally more relaxed fashion; bedecked in pyjamas and settled down in front of the television! However, last Friday offered an exception to this rule, as Elodie was in town! In celebration, the gang of us made our way to Homeslice in Fitzrovia for one serous pizza party: A spot of indulgence at the end of the week is always a good thing in my book, and it doesn't really get much better than ordering pizzas which are bigger than the table which you're sitting at, does it? We opted for two twenty inch offerings, each halved into different flavour options, meaning that we could try four different toppings in total. Lamb and chorizo provided some much-needed end-of-the-week sustenance for the...

It's been a while since I've posted about my adventures in brunching, primarily because it's seemed like an eternity since I've had the opportunity to enjoy a leisurely weekend morning! Luckily all of that changed last Saturday when Amelia and I met up for some food ahead of a trip to the theatre, and, making the most of the opportunity to sample something new, we braved the rain and ventured to Kingly Court to sample the menu at The Good Egg: There's something wonderfully comforting about being able to enjoy a relaxed weekend brunch trip, especially when the weather outside is grey and gloomy. Hot on the heels of the original Stoke Newington restaurant, this Carnaby-centric branch of The Good Egg is the perfect bolthole if you're looking for a calm couple of hours, with the pale pink walls, teal tables and rose gold accents offering an instantly relaxing atmosphere. In such comfortable but well considered surroundings, you might expect the menu to suffer at the...

January, January, January. I always find this month something of a slog, particularly as it always feels so long in comparison to the rush and chaos of December. With that in mind, I always find that it's well worth putting some time and energy into planning some lovely activities to help the month seem like less of a struggle, so last Saturday, accompanied by Hannah, I made my way to the Victoria Palace theatre for a long-anticipated trip to see Hamilton ! Beforehand, we made our way to a lunch spot which we'd oath been keen to try for ages- the Tandoor Chop House: Whilst January is often synonymous with detoxing and self-deprivation, I've never thought it the optimum time to reinvent the wheel as far as eating is concerned, particularly if you, like me, still have a whole host of Christmas leftovers hanging about the house. Instead, I'm very keen to make this year a year of new flavours, and new foodie discoveries- and the Tandoor Chop House really was the perfect des...

There’s nothing quite like using a special occasion as an excuse to road test a new foodie destination, and, last weekend, in celebration of my birthday myself, Sophie, Michelle and Hannah all headed to a destination which has been on our collective radars for a little while now- Bun House in Soho. Small but perfectly formed, it offers a selection of freshly prepared Canton-style steamed buns, as well as smaller dishes which were perfect for sharing:    Ordering a selection of side dishes between us, including curried fish balls, chicken wings and noodle salad, we also all opted for an array of buns. I devoured the fish, pork and chicken options, all of which were mouthwatering and moreish enough to make me seriously consider ordering second helpings! Whilst space at Bun House might be limited to four tables (get there early!), they also offer a super speedy takeaway service, so I’m sure I’ll be popping back soon for lunch!  Have you tested any new foodie destinations rec...

As far as Saturday pursuits go, there are few things which I tend to enjoy more than enjoying a spot of lunch before heading to the theatre for a matinee- the stuff of dreams! Last weekend, Hannah and I headed to the Young Vic to see The Suppliant Women (via the Tate Modern and their swings!), and although we'd originally planned to head to Flatiron Square for some food, a sudden deluge meant we had to find some lunch a little bit closer to London Bridge. Luckily, El Pastor in Borough Market had a table for us, and was a dining destination which definitely didn't disappoint: Nestled under a railway arch in the heart of the bustling market, El Pastor offers a menu bursting at the seams with flavoursome Mexican dishes, from signature guacamole and corn chips to freshly made tacos and expertly seasoned sides. We ordered a selection of small plates, including chicken and prawn tacos, the house special El Pastor taco (the best of the bunch) and grilled corn. Suffice it to say that ...

Week to week, it's really rare that I get a chance to explore some of the lovely locations right on my doorstep. If I've got a free weekend, the likelihood is that I'll be so tired from the week just gone that I'll prioritise recharging my batteries above heading out of the house, but last weekend I was determined to make the most of some unexpected free time and visit some close-to-home-comforts. Reigate is a lovely market town just a short hop away by bus or train, and as well as being beloved as a location where I spent some of my most formative years (at college!), it's home to some great shops, a wonderfully comfortable cinema and a selection of delicious dining options too. One of my favourites is The Tea House- a favourite bolthole during my college days- so I was really excited to return over the weekend: Needless to say, The Tea House is my idea of heaven. With a plentiful supply of tea and cake, as well as a really wonderful selection of staple favourites ...