Monthly Round Up: April Adventures

April is a bit of a celebratory month as it is my blog’s birthday, Aftab’s blog birthday and my wedding anniversary! We also celebrated Aftab’s birthday, Angie launched her YouTube Channel and Emma booked a hell of an amazing trip after going full time on the blog and starting a brand new chapter. As you can imagine in true Angles style, we celebrated over lots of Mojitos, Pornstar Martinis and Champagne.

We kicked off the month with a Sunday breakfast with a seriously amazing view at Aqua Shard with Emma, Aftab and Christina. Over some champagne cocktails and seriously good food we had a fabulous catch up. If you haven’t been to Aqua Shard yet it is a must for either breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner or cocktails!

 

Full of energy after our wonderful breakfast, on the same morning, Aftab, Emma and I headed to Paddington train station where we met fellow blogger friend Angie. We were off on a very special trip which was a surprise for Aftab and now we can reveal that we played Prince and Princesses at Bovey castle! I hope you enjoy reading the tale of our stay as I wrote it in a very different way!

Photo credit: Angie

We had the most wonderful time and I fell in love with Devon so much that I returned again later in the month, as you will see. If you have always wanted to stay in a castle I can’t recommend it enough.

Once back and recharged after all that clean crisp countryside air, I attended a preview of the ChocolaTEA – Chocolate Afternoon Tea in collaboration with Green and Blacks launched at the Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill. I reviewed the tea here and it is definitely worth indulging in!

April was also the month of the London Coffee Festival and I explored all the various stalls and tried lots of drinks at Truman Brewery with my siblings. I love coffee and it was a great afternoon! If you missed it this year would definitely recommend going next year.

As far as High Tea’s go, I also tried a unique one at Cinnamon Bazaar called The Trader’s High Tea, which I highly recommend if you are a chaat fan. It is so reasonably priced and the dishes are a real delight.

For our 7th wedding anniversary we returned to our favourite bar, Smith and Whistle, for some cocktails before venturing to our favourite restaurant, Hakkasan, where we thoroughly enjoyed Dim Sum in the Mayfair branch.

Easter weekend soon arrived and having already eaten all my chocolate before hand I had a mini meltdown and headed straight to Hotel Chocolat to replenish the stock (which didn’t last very long either).

I was craving my all time favourite Butter chicken at Jamavar so I headed there for lunch, where this time we dined in the luxurious Sapphire Dining Room, with my siblings in tow.

This seemed to be the month of Afternoon Teas, especially chocolate themed ones, and I also tried out the limited edition Easter Special Chocoholic Afternoon Tea at the swanky new Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square. It is a stunning hotel so if you haven’t been yet go!

It was also great fun pretending to be a tourist in the area and wandering around Tower Hill. Sometimes it is great to go sightseeing in your own city just to rekindle your love with it.

Using the Easter weekend as my excuse, I continued my feasting early on Easter Sunday with breakfast at Farm Girl, where they did the cutest coffee art on our coffees. I had some baked eggs and Amit went for scrambled eggs on sourdough toast. The concept is healthy food and I loved it but Amit is not quite sold.

We also popped into the Ivy Chelsea Garden after for a coffee after a leisurely walk from Portobello Road to Chelsea. It was worth it though to see this flower wall and we were lucky to have a warm sunny day.

It was then back to work after the lovely Easter break and since I hadn’t seen Aftab in ages we decided to catch up over cocktails and dim sum so we went to Ivy Soho Brasserie for drinks and then to Yautcha for dinner. We always have the best time together!

I luckily somehow had quite a few short weeks this month and had booked Friday off so Amit and I had a weekday date night on a Thursday evening which rarely happens! We started off at Bar Boulud for drinks and decided to go for home comforts at Haandi for dinner.

It was then time to return to Devon again and this time we stayed at the Moorland Garden Hotel, which is in South Devon, close to Plymouth. We had a wonderful weekend in the serenity of the Moorlands and returned to London a little refreshed.

 

The final weekend of the month and again a long one thanks to it being a bank holiday weekend so I participated in some more indulging! We had lunch at Asia de Cuba as I really wanted a Cuban Mojito. It didn’t beat my favourite though!

It was then time to brace the mad crowds in Camden and a little queue to try the signature hot chocolate at Chin Chin Labs which comes with a massive marshmallow on top. I can confirm it was worth the wait and the walk. Chin Chin also have nitrogen ice cream in such amazing flavours. I will be back to try those!

My favourite Blogs and Vlogs this month

In April, I experienced severe travel envy and nostalgia whilst my bestie Aftab toured Lisbon. If you are planning a trip to the Portuguese city (which is seriously amazing), you can read about the 5 Things that surprised Aftab about Lisbon  as well as the Sheraton Lisboa, where he stayed for part of his trip. The restaurant at the Sheraton Lisboa has a panoramic view of the city and some seriously amazing food and you can read about the Creative Classics Aftab ate here.

If SilverSpoon London wasn’t already an addictive blog to read, she has now launched a YouTube channel which is fabulous. Make sure you subscribe and watch her videos. My favourites so far are her Maldives Vlogs and her family stay over Easter at Coworth Park.

If you love Paris as much as I do, you will love reading about Emma’s solo adventure to the city of lights where she had the perfect day! It makes me want to head to Kings Cross St Pancras now! I loved her post about our brunch in the London clouds at Aqua Shard and the serious tub goals at The Scarlet Hotel in Cornwall.

Maggie from Planes and Champagne has making me want to book a spontaneous trip to the beach all month with her posts about her AMAZING stay in the Maldives. She pampered herself at an Underwater Spa in Huvafen Fushi (yes underwater!!) I loved her post about the Hideaway Bliss at Huvafen Fushi and just made me want to head there straight away. Once back, she indulged in a fabulous afternoon tea at Hamyard Hotel and you can get pastry envy here.

What did everyone get up to in April? I would love to know in the comments section below.

Binny xx

 

 

Cocktails at Bar Boulud at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

Located at one of the most enviable addresses in Knightsbridge, the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park is home to Daniel Boulud’s French Bistro style bar and restaurant, Bar Boulud. He also has venues in New York and Boston.

Now the Mandarin Oriental has some fond memories for me as when Amit and I were in the early stages of our relationship we decided to spend one new year’s eve celebration there and it was a truly luxurious experience! Sadly this was well before I started my blog so I didn’t even think to take room photos at the time. We had such a stunning room and we stayed hydrated with a bottle of chilled champagne and were snug from the freezing temperatures outside. It was truly marvellous.

Knightsbridge, I find, no matter what time of day it is, always seems to be busy with tourists, either keen to shop or window shop at some of the finest stores in the vicinity. Bar Boulud, as we discovered, is an amazing sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the mad rush outside and we felt relaxed the moment we stepped in. We had decided to have drinks there before moving on elsewhere in Knightsbridge for dinner. It is rare we get to spend a weekday evening out together so it was fabulous.

Greeted with welcoming smiles and friendly hosts, we were shown to our table with swift service and given the cocktail and wine menu to peer through. We weren’t pressured for time at all and loved the ambience, as well as the fact that it was so spacious and that I could see the bar and watch the bartenders mixing drinks and theatrically shaking cocktail shakers.

Now the signature cocktail at Bar Boulud is the White Cosmopolitan, which is served with white grape juice in lieu of cranberry juice. It is rather special as it also comes with a flower frozen in a floating ice ball. I didn’t personally order this but had drink envy at a neighbouring table who had ordered it! I had a good reason not to on this occasion because there was also Champagne Mojito on the menu which is what I went for! I will try the White Cosmopolitan when I next visit the bar.

The Champagne Mojito was utterly delicious and I usually prefer my Mojitos classic but the addition of champagne just made it that much more special. It was a lovely drink and I would definitely be back for it! Chairman’s reserve rum was the base rum used for this cocktail alongside the usual mint leaves, lime, soda water and for that extra sparkle, champagne.

Amit had wanted a more manly drink so he chose a Venezuelan Old Fashioned, which was really well mixed and tasted so good! This was a blend of Diplomatico reserve rum, averna chocolate bitters, orange bitters and demerara sugar. We both somehow ended up having rum based cocktails so we are definitely a match made in heaven 😉

The drinks were excellent, as was the service. The restaurant is adjacent to the bar so we could see the various dishes heading towards the eager and excited diners as well as catch their aroma, which made us want to come back on a different day for dinner to try the food as it smelt really good.

Bar Boulud is an ideal place to catch up with friends or work colleagues or to relax after a day of shopping or battling the crowds outside. It is also lovely for a date night as we found. If you happen to be in the area you really have no excuse not to drop in for a tipple.

The venue is gorgeous and the drinks are really good. Both the wine and cocktail menu are extensive and the service is excellent. I had a superb time at Bar Boulud and will definitely be back. Thanks for having us!

For more information on Bar Boulud visit their website here.

 

 

My 11 favourite London Hotel Cocktail Bars

The best part about living in London is there are so many fabulous cocktail bars to choose from, and some of my favourites are housed inside luxury hotels. In the name of research (!!) I have tried lots of them and here are my favourites. I couldn’t cut my list down to ten so you have 11 choices instead!

I will caveat that at the majority of them I had a Mojito but I did try some other cocktails at some of them too. I have chosen these based on factors which include ambience, atmosphere, deliciousness of the cocktails and service and are listed in no particular order.

1. The Blue Bar, The Berkeley

With its plush, trendy interiors, the Blue Bar at the Berkeley is a really swish venue with delicious cocktails. It is all blue too! My favourite cocktail was the Toffee and Bubbles. The drinks are colour coded and it is definitely the place to bring a date to impress them!

For more info: The Blue Bar

2. The Connaught Bar at The Connaught Hotel

Ask anyone and this bar tops so many people’s favourite bars lists in London and I can see why! The Mojito was pretty damn good! It has won many accolades and is housed inside the iconic Connaught Hotel.

For more info: The Connaught

3. The Artesian Bar at The Langham

The Artesian is one of my favourite and most picked drinking establishments and as much as they perfect the Mojito, they also do some quirky cocktails too which are served in treasure chests, by example, and with so much flair and theatrical style. Perfect place to escape a crazy shopping day away from Oxford Street.

For more info: Artesian Bar

4. The American Bar at The Savoy

I visited here with some friends and we all ordered our classic favourite drinks and each one was just perfect and spot on! This bar tops international best bar lists and it is much deserved. I loved how the waiters were all so dressed up in tux’s and you would feel like dressing up to go here! Perfect for a special occasion.

For more info: The American Bar

5. The Churchill Bar and Terrace at The Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill

This is the first time I have seen a Mojito served with so much snazziness and it was definitely worth it! My friend had the Raj Mojito, which had some chillies in it, whilst I opted for the classic and we both enjoyed our drinks thoroughly. The comfy sofas were a massive plus point and the living room style charm meant that we could have sat there for hours!

For more info: The Churchill Bar and Terrace

6. The Amaranto bar at the Four Seasons London Park Lane

This has been our choice of venue for pre-dinner drinks on many the occasion and it continues to draw us in with its trendy vibe and superb service! It is an oasis away from herds of tourists in Mayfair and the perfect venue to catch up with friends. The food in the neighbouring restaurant is really good too!

For more info: Amaranto Bar

7. The Arch Bar at the InterContinental, London Park Lane

The best place to people watch from whilst enjoying a really good cocktail! They do a mean Mojito and they also do really good Pornstar Martinis, as the Dynamic Duo have tested rigorously! Lovely place to pop in for a drink and maybe then have dinner at Theo Randall’s restaurant after too.

For more info: The Arch Bar

8. Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood London

I adore the decor in the Scarfes Bar in Holborn and its library feel. It has a grand vibe with comfortable seats, a long bar that you can sit at and they serve some really good indian food too! It has a quintessential British feel and it is housed at the Rosewood London, which is such a beaut hotel. Go to the Mirror room first for brunch and then pop in to the Scarfes bar after for some refreshments!

For more info: Scarfes Bar

9. Smith & Whistle at Sheraton Grand Park Lane

Smith & Whistle is my secret absolute favourite from the list and is always my top choice when in the area for a quick drink or a pre-dinner tipple. I adore this bar and if you haven’t been you have got to go! It has a Mayfair mystery theme to it and has such a lovely relaxed and casual vibe for Mayfair that you feel like you are going home everytime you go in!

For more info: Smith and Whistle

10. The Courtyard Bar and The Long Bar at The Sanderson Hotel, London

The perfect spot for G&Ts or a glass or two of champagne – love the vibe in the Courtyard, especially on a bright day, you could easily forget you are steps away from the madness of Oxford Street! If you haven’t had the afternoon tea here yet it is a must!

For more info: Sanderson Hotel

11. The Donovan Bar at Brown’s Hotel

I can’t believe how long it took me to discover this fashionable bar and boy is it a gem in Mayfair! I love the quirky presentation of the cocktails, the fun vibe, the ambience and it is the best place to forget a bad day or celebrate milestones over some excellent drinks. This cocktail was The Photographer and just loved that it was served inside a Camera Lens. The drink was Chase Marmalade mixed with Cointreau, fresh lemon juice, mango juice, fresh strawberries, fresh blackberries, homemade raspberry syrup and a few drops of Donovan bar Bitters. NOM NOM NOM

For more info: The Donovan Bar

There you have my favourites! What are yours? Would love to know in the comments below.

Lunch at The Bel and Dragon in Windsor

I really look forward to Sunday lunches and one Sunday we drove up to Windsor to have lunch at the Bel and Dragon restaurant. It is located so close to Windsor Castle, residence of the Queen, that we couldn’t resist  a stroll around the Castle before heading for lunch. As it was January, it was lovely and quiet compared to the summer, where it is buzzing with tourists. Top tip! Visit in winter!

When we arrived at Bel and Dragon, I couldn’t help falling in love with its historical charming look and luxe cosy interiors. It has actually been serving food and drink since the 11th century – how impressive is that!

I was really excited about the food as the Head Chef Mo and Group Head Chef Ronnie Kimbugwe, formerly Sous Chef of Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, have created a menu serving modern British cuisine with the freshest seasonal produce, all of which is sourced locally.

Also, the house champagne is Laurent Perrier! How perfect and fitting for such a gorgeous venue. I of course had a glass of Brut whilst Amit tried the signature Bel Bloody Caesar which is a blend of Clamato Juice, Sipsmith Vodka, Manzanilla Sherry, Lime, Fresh Horseradish & A Mix of Spices.

It was a particularly chilly day so I was more than happy cosy in our lovely corner in the Bel and Dragon!

Now I am a Burrata-holic so if any menu features a Burrata dish there is no doubt that it will be ordered. This version blew me away, not only with its stunning presentation, but the mix of flavours, all fresh, colourful and so refreshing. It was a lovely light starter and perfect and have to admit, exceeded my expectations of what I thought it would be like.

The dish is described as Marinated Beetroot & Burrata with Basil Pesto & Toasted Pine Nuts. If you are a Burrata fan definitely get this dish!

For mains, I also ordered a Vegetarian dish, and it was a Rocket & Parmesan Risotto with drizzles of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It was superb and I loved the peppery blasts I got in the occasional bite. Sunday comfort food at its best. Lately, I have found myself eating more and more vegetarian dishes and not sure why! However, if you are a Vegetarian and want to visit Bel and Dragon, there are plenty of amazing choices on the menu.

Amit was more about the Rotisserie section and chose the Roasted Suckling Pig with Crispy Crackling and Spiced Apple Chutney. This was definitely the perfect Sunday Roast meal with all the trimmings such as gravy, potatoes (which I stole), salad and vegetables on the side. He thoroughly enjoyed his meal.

We did order a side of Savoy Cabbage, Crème Fraîche & Crispy Bacon, which was delicious too.

Dessert though. OMG heaven. We went for a zesty choice and had the Caramelized Lemon Tart which came with a generous helping of the most divine Clotted Cream & a side of  Elderflower Berries. You could also have a shot of Homemade Limoncello with it, which Amit gleefully had. Absolutely decadent dessert. We were really full from lunch so could only brave sharing one but the rest of the pudding menu was amazing too! Next time we will definitely try the Warm Chocolate Fondant served with a Blackcurrant Sorbet.

Our lunch was so enjoyable and quite a gastronomical experience. It was one of those where we didn’t know just how good it was going to be so when the food arrived we were wowed! I love the country and historical feel to the restaurant, the friendly service and the family friendly vibe. It had a lovely ambience and if we lived closer, it would definitely become a firm favourite for local choices for weekend lunch.

They also serve afternoon tea so should you be visiting Windsor and fancy a special treat, why not pop in for something different! Its location renders it perfect for a day out in Windsor exploring the sites and then popping in for some amazing food. I know we will be back soon!

For more information click here.

There are other Bel and Dragon restaurants around the country in Churt, Cookham, Godalming, Kingsclere, Odiham and Reading so if any of these are close to you definitely go for a meal!

Our meal was complimentary but all views and photos are my own.

 

Impress your guests this Christmas with a Martell Cognac 4th Course Food Pairing

Christmas time is my favourite part of the year where you get to spend time with friends and family over good food and drinks and I am always looking for different ways to raise the bar and impress them with new dishes and fusions.

Sometimes after a great meal you still want to feast on delicious but light food while you may be drinking, and this year Martell, one of the oldest Cognac houses, has collaborated with Cordon Bleu trained chef Luiz Hara for a different take on Petits fours known as the 4th course.

I wanted to try out one of the recipes created by Luiz Hara pre-Christmas so I could recreate it on the day and had a go at making the Pears, Roquefort and Almonds with Martell Soaked Raisins, which sounded like a dreamy combination.

It was so simple to prepare and there was no cooking involved – all I had to do in advance was soak the raisins in the Cognac. It was a great excuse to crack open the bottle and have a few sips too!

This 4th course food pairing was so easy to assemble, and a dish you can definitely prepare in advance and impress your guests with and relax at the same time.

It was absolutely delicious and the Martell Cognac soaked raisins were a huge hit with my other half.

If you would like to have a go making this pairing, the recipe, courtesy of Martell and Luiz Hara is as follows:

Pears, Roquefort and Almonds with Martell Soaked Raisins

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients:

• 4 pears
• 200 grams Roquefort cheese, crumbled
• 50 grams whole or flaked almonds, lightly toasted and crumbled
• 100 grams dark raisins soaked in 75ml Martell Cognac

Method:

1. Soak the dried raisins in the Martell Cognac for a few hours (preferably overnight) until they are plump and juicy.
2. Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler and cut them into quarters, making sure you remove the core.
3. Top each slice of pear with the crumbled Roquefort cheese, toasted almonds and a few Martell soaked raisins on top.

The other pairings include Iberico Charcuterie and Cognac soaked prunes, as well as Christmas Pudding Ice cream.  Keep an eye out on my Instagram over the festive period for sneak peeks of more 4th course pairings with the hashtag #Martell4thCourse.

If you have a go recreating this dish over the festive period would love to know in the comments section below!

Martell VS is available from all major retailers in 35cl, 70cl and 100cl bottles.

For more information on Martell and The 4th course head over to http://www.martell.com/en-uk/ or search for #Martell4thCourse.

Disclaimer: I was sent a complimentary bottle of Martell VS. I am a Cognac lover and all views are my own. Recipe is courtesy of Martell and Luiz Hara.

 

My 5 favourite bars in London for a classic Cuban Mojito

The Mojito is one of the world’s most popular classic cocktail, and a favourite of both Ernest Hemingway, who spent many days in La Bodeguita del Medio sipping mojitos during his time in Cuba, and mine, and this is the drink I order (majority of the time), whenever I want to relax and unwind.

So where in London can you be guaranteed to have a delicious Cuban Mojito?

W Lounge at W London

With uber stylish,  Contemporary decor, and ultra comfortable seating, the W Lounge is a lovely chic bar to enjoy really good cocktails in a vibrant and trendy venue.

Check out: http://www.wlondon.co.uk/w-hotel-bar

 

Drake and Morgan Kings Cross

With classy and unique decor, this spacious bar, spread over 2 floors, is a really nice venue for a catch up with colleagues, friends and to have some decent and delicious cocktails. Located in Kings Cross, a few minutes walk from the underground station, it has a really nice atmosphere and vibe.

 

 

Check out: http://drakeandmorgan.co.uk/kings-cross/

The Artesian bar at the Langham

Voted the world’s best bar for 4 consecutive years, it is easy to see why with cocktails made with quirky but classy drama and one of the best Mojitos I have had in London. I love the relaxed vibe despite being located in a 5 star hotel, with neighbouring restaurants such as Roux at the Landau.

I love this bar and it is always the one I think of going to whenever I am near Oxford Street.

 

Check out: http://www.artesian-bar.co.uk

The Connaught Bar

With a luxurious upmarket feel, beautiful colours, and ultra stylish decor, The Connaught Bar in Mayfair, at the 5 star hotel, The Connaught, did have the best Mojito I have had in London. Not surprising as it has won many accolades, such as World’s Best Cocktail Bar.

 

Check out: http://www.the-connaught.co.uk/mayfair-bars/connaught-bar/

Smith & Whistle

Your Mayfair Local. Well at least mine if I am around Green Park! I love this bar, with its theme of detectives, mystery and missions, and it is such a lovely relaxed space, with amazing service. There is also an outside seating area if the weather plays ball!

Located at the Sheraton Grand Park Lane Hotel, it is a fantastic bar for fun catch ups with friends, family or work mates. The mojito is pretty spectacular too!

 

Check out: http://www.smithandwhistle.com

If you have had a really good Mojito in London I would love to know where (in the name of research) so let me know in the comments below!

Coconut Water and Mint Ice Cubes

In the heat it is so important to keep hydrated and if you don’t like drinking plain water, here’s an idea to spruce it up in a healthy way without cordials or mixers.

I have simply filled an ice cube tray with Innocent coconut water with a pinch of chopped fresh mint leaves in each slot and frozen these.

All you then simply do is pop a couple of Coconut Water and Mint Ice Cubes into your glass or bottle and not only will the ice keep your drink cold, it will infuse the water with the flavours of the coconut water and mint. Delicious!

Keeping hydrated is very important because, aside from preventing you from getting dehydrated:

1. It boosts your mood
2. It prevents headaches
3. It helps keep your mind sharp
4. It helps digestion
5. It helps keep your blood pressure relatively normal

What are your favourite ways to stay hydrated?

This post is in collaboration with Innocent Coconut Water, which is best served chilled.

 

Cocktails and Yorkshire Puddings at Reform Social and Grill

One evening Amit and I found ourselves at the Reform Social and Grill, at the Mandeville Hotel  to try out the cocktails made by the head bartender, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

You can enjoy  cocktails in the gorgeous eclectic bar area, as well as food in its slightly more upscale restaurant, with gorgeous leather interiors, and which serves an all day dining menu, breakfast, afternoon tea and brunch. It is a fabulous venue for both drinks and food.

The ambience is cosmopolitan and relaxed, and its location next to the prime shops and restaurants, make it a perfect spot for a cocktail (or two) and to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the neighbouring areas.

Maciej, Head Bartender, (also known as  Magic), was so lovely, inspiring us with his background and talking to us about his favourite drinks. At the end of the evening I was convinced I needed a degree in Mixology!

He made us both a cocktail each, which are currently not on the menu, although if you want to try them he will be more than happy to make them for you.

Mine was “Holiday memories” and so delicious I practically downed it in a couple of (big) sips. It was a mixture of Gin, Falernum, Melon Liqueur and lime juice. This is exactly the kind of drink that would transport you straight to the beach and I may even choose it over (can’t believe I am saying this) Mojitos.

Amit wanted a more manly drink, and his was rum, bourbon, campari and vermouth bianco, which he really enjoyed sipping.

After enjoying our drinks in the contemporary and tranquil bar, we headed to the main restaurant to try the Yorkshire Pudding Menu, which has proved so popular that it is now a permanent fixture.

 

 

 

Yorkshire puddings are the best part of a roast dinner for me! This Yorkshire Pudding menu, at a game of two halves, £8 for 3 savoury and £8 for 3 sweet versions, is a total game changer!

The savoury trio of Yorkshires  are filled with salt beef and horseradish, hot smoked salmon and cream cheese, and cheese and truffles.

They are massive but you have got to save some space and try the dessert ones, although I could only manage one!

With flavours such as chocolate and caramel, clotted cream and jam, and banana and custard, you’d have to be bonkers not too!

The banana and custard one was epic!

Amit went for the catch of the day, with a side of garlic mash, which was delicious too, although he did steal some of my puds!

 

The location is fabulous and absolutely love the chilled but gorgeous atmosphere. I will be back again for cocktails and Yorkshire puds because OMG AMAZING!!!

Homepage 2

The Mandeville Hotel
Mandeville Place
London
W1U 2BE
Telephone: +44 (0)207 935 5599

My meal was complimentary but all views and opinions are my own.

The Blue Bar, The Berkeley Hotel

I love hotel bars, especially classy, alluring, sharp and sexy ones, and the newly refurbished Blue Bar, at the Berkeley, has just become my new favourite in Knightsbridge, an area full of opulence, splendour and amazing hotels, restaurants and shops.

The refurbishment of the Blue Bar was commissioned to Rob Angell, a protege of previous designer, David Collins. I love the luxe upholstery, the red and blue carpets, and the extension on the side, which is perfect for summer. It has maintained its classic look with some very upbeat and contemporary  modifications.

The design is very trendy and luxe without being ostentatious. In fact, it feels so relaxed, has an excellent vibe and ambience and is just gorgeous.

The menu is colour coded, by strength of the cocktail, ranging from green, which are the least alcoholic, yellow to mimic the hues of champagne and thus are celebratory cocktails, red for strong and classics, suited for the more adventurous palettes, and finally blue, the colour of the bar and representing their signature cocktails. What is fantastic is that there is a mocktail choice in each colour category, so if you don’t drink or are having a dry night, you don’t have to miss out on a good looking drink!

The very well stocked bar is illuminated by a light purple shade, and it is just so beautiful elegant and dreamy. I loved watching the bartenders making their drinks.

We settled into luxurious and very comfortable seats and went through the very interesting  and innovative menu to decide what cocktails to have. It was our date night so we were toasting the end of a very busy week and spending some much needed quality time together.

Upon recommendation from the waitress, Amit went for the alluring sound of Smoke and Mirrors (£21.00), which is one of the Signature cocktails.  Described as:

Indulgent with a sensory explosion of bitter, oral and oaky flavours . Michter’s rye barrel strength whiskey, benedictine, toasted cinnamon, sacred rosehip, herbal drops, madeira and sherry blend.

The best part of this cocktail was the theatrical bar tending that led to the final concoction in the very classy, and manly glass, much to Amit’s delight. It was very captivating to watch.

 

It was so much fun to watch it being made, with smoke, the use of interesting equipment and just extremely clever mixology! I was told that in the near future, the exciting production of the cocktails would happen at the table so I can’t wait to return for that!

I chose the Toffee and Bubbles (£21.00), which had sweet velvety tones of caramel and vanilla with toasted spice. It was a blend of Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva salted toffee, hazelnut and Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. The rim had chocolate which was so scrumptious so every sip was decadent. Toffee and bubbles is the perfect indulgent combination.

Just look at those cocktails! Elegant, sexy and utterly delicious.

Obligatory champagne pouring shot!

I also tried the Lady Bird, which was from the green, therefore easy going, low alcohol range, but it was so delicious and easy to drink that I think if I had 3 of these I would be very tipsy happy.

It was a blend of Ketel One vodka, goji Sancerre, bergamot, rhubarb and watermelon soda.

The Blue Bar is fashionable, swanky, uptown and chic and I envisage many more evenings spent here over some seriously good cocktails. I did have a sneak peek at the bar food menu and there was a really good choice available.

The venue is perfect for a date night, catch up with friends pre or post dinner, a business meeting or client entertainment or to celebrate a special occasion.

For more information go to: http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/knightsbridge-bars/blue-bar/

A Foodie adventure in Borough Market with my Nestle Nescafe Azera Coffee To Go in hand!

I have always wanted to visit London’s famous Borough Market, the perfect place for foodies and keen cooks, but just never managed to find the time on a weekend with so much going on all the time.

Even though I live in London, and am literally one tube line ride away on the Northern line, somehow I just could not manage to fit it in to my busy weekends.

One Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early and was determined to make the trip to Borough Market to have a look at the variety of produce available and return in time to run other errands and catch up on my blogging. Having lived in London for 11 years it was seriously about time I finally made the effort.

I showered, got ready and made my Nestle Nescafe Azera Coffee To Go. I chose the Americano cup and was amazed at how quick and convenient it was. There is also a Latte version which is equally delicious.

All you literally have to do is boil water in the kettle, peel back and remove the foil in the cup and fill water up until the line highlighted on the cup and voila! The coffee is ready and portable in its insulated cup.

This is so convenient when you are in a rush or want to save some time in the morning. I have been an avid Nescafe Azera drinker for a long time so these new cups are a godsend for me as I am constantly on the go.

My usual routine in the morning would have been to make a mug full of coffee, climb back into bed and go through my twitter feed and schedule some posts for the day, while scrolling down Instagram and Facebook to see what was going on or what I had missed. I can easily spend an hour doing this!

Instead I grabbed my handbag and coffee and headed on to the tube, enjoying sipping my coffee until we got to London Bridge and walked towards Borough Market.

It was amazing how quiet the tubes were at 7:00am on a Saturday as opposed to a weekday and I really enjoyed the blissful journey with my coffee. It was actually so liberating not to be staring at my phone screen and instead just enjoying the time and coffee.

The walk towards Borough Market was so lovely and it was a bright day. I couldn’t help pausing to take in the views of Tower Bridge. It was surreal to see the city of London without its usual hustle and bustle and swarms of tourists. It was so worth it for the view!

We then continued walking to Borough Market, which was very quiet when we arrived which was fantastic as we got to spend some time walking around to see what was available, as well as chatting to various vendors.

Looking at all the different fresh produce and products I was inspired to buy some different ingredients to my usual ones and cook an Italian meal for dinner.

My absolute favourites were the different coloured tomatoes and I bought some, along with some asparagus, carrots, shallots, spring onions, chillies, garlic, olives, pesto and cheese, from the various vendors. The vegetables were all organic and the pesto was additive free.

As it had been quiet, we managed buy what we needed quickly with no queues to pay and unexpectedly saved even more time.

We took advantage of this by walking around and managed to get some closer views of Tower Bridge and an actual seat by the fountains.

The views were amazing and not obstructed from crowds of tourists, as you would probably face if you were here later on in the day.

The morning itself was lovely, which is rare for British Summer, and it was fantastic to be able to take a moment out of the day to enjoy London with my Nestle Nescafe Azera Coffee To Go in hand.

The coffee had stayed warm through most of the journey so I could still enjoy some sips of it.

The prices of the Nestle Nescafe Azera Coffee To Go are so reasonable and it is so much better than getting a takeaway coffee from a mainstream coffee shop. If you would like to try some you can purchase them here.

In each Nestle Nescafe Azera Coffee To Go box you get 4 cups and lids. You save so much time too as you can make the coffee at home and carry it with you so there is no need to wait in early morning queues to get your caffeine fix! Plus it tastes incredible which is a major plus point.

We had an equally quiet journey home and I then carried on with the rest of my day’s tasks before preparing dinner in the early evening.

It was so exciting to use all the new vegetables I had purchased earlier and I put the pasta to boil in a large saucepan whilst I prepared the vegetables. From my Borough Market haul, I used the tomatoes, chillies, shallots, spring onions, garlic and asparagus. I chopped them and then sautéed them in a pan in some olive oil.

Once the pasta was ready, I drained the water and re-added the pasta to the saucepan. I added the sautéed vegetables, the pesto I bought earlier and some salt and pepper.

I mixed everything thoroughly on low heat and the aromas coming from the saucepan were making my stomach rumble in anticipation.

The final garnish was freshly grated cheese and the olives sliced in half.

I plated it up and here it is pictured below. It was absolutely delicious! You could really taste the difference with the organic vegetables and pesto. The fresh flavours really came through just like the flavours of the coffee enticed my taste palette earlier in the morning, and inspired me to cook with fresh produce. It was so worth the trip early in the morning.

As it was a lovely warm evening, I took advantage of my terrace and ate al fresco. It was such a fabulous meal and I am so glad I finally managed to find some time to visit Borough Market as it exceeded my expectations and I had the bonus views of Tower Bridge.

It is amazing how much you can fit into your day by saving time and the Nestle Nescafe Azera Coffee To Go really enabled me to tick visiting Borough Market off my bucket list.

The cups have shaved off considerable time in my mornings allowing me to make time on other days to blog, or simply read a book to relax – something which I have really struggled to do because of my busy work and blogging schedule.

What I love most about the cups, aside from the convenience, is the taste of the coffee. It has a premium taste, is full flavoured and intense – just like the instant coffee tins from  the Nestle Nescafe Azera range.

Are you a coffee lover but struggle to find time for the things you want to tick off your bucket list? Try the Nestle Nescafe Azera Coffee To Go cups and use that spare time to experience new and different things. The feeling of accomplishment afterwards is immense.

Here is a Hyperlapse video of the day:

I will be sharing photos of my day at Borough Market on Instagram so look out for the hashtag #NescafeAzera.

In addition, I will be collaborating with Nestle Nescafe Azera Coffee To Go for an Instagram takeover of my daily quotes so make sure you check my quotes out early morning each day with #NescafeAzera.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Nestle Nescafe Azera Coffee To Go. However, all views and photos are my own.