Sugar Sin

Being European I get random cravings for liquorice. And I can never find liquorice in normal British food shops. So when I went down to Covent Garden one day I knew I had to go to Sugar Sin. My Swedish friend Kristin always used to go there and now I know why. They have a huge variety of candy, sweet, sour, soft, hard, chewy, etc. Everything is brightly coloured and the place is just so inviting. 

I think I literally spent 30 minutes in there trying to decide how much of certain types of liquorice I wanted to buy. You can buy already packaged candy, or you can pick up a bag and a scooper and get as much of everything as you want. It's a fun place to go with friends and there is definitely something there for everyone. They even have gluten free sweets! 

The staff there is really friendly and will always help with any of your candy questions. Its one of the few places in London where you can find sweets from all over. Also, it is in such a convenient location. I really love the decor of the place and the cute and quirky fantasy designs they have for their bags. 

Here's their website: http://sugarsin.co.uk/

Nelly Duff Print Shop

Columbia Road is amazing for many things including cute print shops and homeware stores. Each store is the ground floor of a little house, and it reminds me of shopping in small home owned stores. East London takes a lot of pride in the independent. It being shops, cafes, restaurants, everything has its own distinct style and personnel that cares a lot about the place where they work. 

Nelly Duff is an amazing little print shop, they have a variety of different artists' work. Most of the things they sell follow a fun and bright theme. They have a wall of books and cards all showcasing London in a great light. My favourite thing on that wall was a print featuring "Beigel Bake" a store on Brick Lane. 

If I had a stable home for a couple of years I would love to get some prints from here to decorate my home. Who wouldn't want a giant print of a fork next to their fridge? To me, prints are amazing gifts, especially since it shows you know a person's taste, and it's an unexpected gift. If they had a neon elephant I'd love that for my birthday. 

You can browse through their prints here: http://www.nellyduff.com/

Brandy Melville

Having strolled down Kings Road several times I’ve stopped by Brandy Melville countless times. I love this store, they have so many cute details to decorate the place and to make it personal to the location it’s in unlike other international brands’ branches. The staff is always really friendly and willing to help but they don’t pressure you in the changing room area by letting you try on as much as you like and take your time. The decor plays on old and new, the stairs look run down in a rustic kind of way. They only do most of their clothes in one size, relying on their motto “one size fits most”. 

They also have a great selection of jewellery compared to other high street stores their items are thought out in relation to their brand and if you had the money you could just wear Brandy Melville clothes. They always play casual fun loving music to keep you in the store longer. All I need to keep me in the store is touching their clothes. Somehow they’ve found a way to make all their clothes super soft and lovely. I’ve been tempted to buy a sweater in every colour just because I know I’d look nice and feel like I’m wearing a blanket.

You can browse their collections online, but if you’re looking for some great basics for your closet that you want to last you a long time go take a look. They also have some fun and quirky items. This spring they had a top which said “you can’t sit with us” (like the line from Mean Girls). 

Here’s their website: http://www.brandymelvilleusa.com/

Lina Stores

Strolling through Soho I noticed this shop with Italian cookies in the window. So of course I walked in. Lina Stores has a huge variation of Italian food. Mostly products that are long lasting are featured in the shop. And they even have my favourite canned tuna. Having grown up with my Italian parents I like to find high quality food. Lina Stores also had a homemade pesto that was to die for.

I spent about 4 pounds on this tub of pesto. But I was able to eat pasta with it at least 4 times. And I even put it on my toast. It was amazing. The flavour quality it had was so good that I can’t wait to go back to get some more. They also have a huge selection of cheese and hams. You should see their salamis! 

If you’re not a foodie but you’re strolling through Soho, you might want to stop in to get a bottle of wine. Their wine selection is great, sadly I didn’t get to try any because I was too focused on the food. But if you’re a sucker for any slightly special sauce think of going there to get it. Because if you had an amazing dish of pasta in a restaurant you might be able to make it at home for much less and it will still be that good. 

When I go back I’m going with a huge shopping bag, and a long list of things I’m going to buy. Also, their logo is this cute light teal and white. Which I find very light and playful; perfect with the flavours of their food. 

Here’s the website for Lina Stores: http://www.linastores.co.uk/

Pass Out Clothing

I got invited to a launch party back in April that I wasn't able to attend, but I still kept up with the progress of my friend's brand "Pass Out Clothing". They make sweaters, t-shirts, raincoats, lighters, and duffle bags. Their clothes are photographed by an amazing creative photographer who shows the brand well. The models are all really interactive and everything just looks like a lot of fun. 

I ordered a t-shirt for myself and a sweater for my sister. Not only are the clothes really well priced (12£ for a sweater, yes please) but they're really comfy. The t-shirt I chose was the perfect amount of girly and my sister's sweater really suited her. 

They do free global delivery too! The package took about 9 work days to get to my house in Luxembourg which is actually faster than my last ASOS order. And when I opened the package my shirt was wrapped in a cute little printed cloth which made me even happier. It felt like I was opening a present even if I had bought it for myself. 

I think their clothing line will continue expanding since they just came out with a new set of t-shirts. Check it out. Here's their webpage: http://www.passoutclothing.com/home.html

(Look them up on Facebook too!)

Mr. Buckley's

Mr. Buckley's is a cafe I found on my way to Broadway Market and I told myself; I have to have to pass by here again for brunch or something. I went there with a friend one day purposefully and all I remembered is that the seating area was up a little staircase that you could see from the window. 

Walking in I hoped they had good food, and drinks. I had a simple ice-coffee for drink, and looking through the menu which wasn't too cheap but neither too pricey I chose the brunch skillet. I didn't want anything with bacon, because I knew I was going to have it again soon. So this was the healthy option. After all there were potatoes and cheese, it couldn't be too bad; the dish had all the major food groups. 

Once it arrived I was really excited to dig in, because they actually serve it in a skillet. And I did, I think I barely talked to my friend throughout the whole meal just because I was so busy eating the food. I think its the kind of place you can even go there alone and relax waiting for an amazing breakfast. Maybe I'll do that next year. I really recommend it, just so you can have a slightly different breakfast experience. It will be a taste-y one, and the staff is really nice too. 

Here's their website: http://www.mrbuckleys.com/

Pitfield

Pitfield is a really nice home decor store that doubles as a café. Its really cute, welcoming and the food is really delicious. The people who work behind are all French, and to me that means they must know something about food, as well as their coffee. Because the French, the Spanish, the Portuguese, the Greeks and the Italians know about food. We have a saying "We live to eat" whereas the others "eat to live". We look for the joys in food, and I think that's what makes me a foodie too. 

I walked in with a few friends, and we went straight to ordering food, I hadn't had anything to eat yet that day. I got a salad, but not one of those weird leafy things. I got a mix of feta cheese, tomatoes, olives, and olive oil as well as cold pasta. And as an Italian I usually stray away from cold pasta salads, but this one was incredible, it almost made me wish I had only gotten the pasta part of it. 

I loved the inside of the place too, because there was a random bronze octopus in the corner and there were loads of cute little details. The section of it that was a store had really strange colour combinations, it was kind of eclectic but somehow everything looked like it was in style, and it fit. Maybe that's just because the place is in Shoreditch. 

Here's the website of the place: http://www.pitfieldlondon.com/

Also do you think I should start including mini maps to show the locations of the places? Comment to let me know what you think.

Zedel

Just off of Piccadilly Circus there is a sign for a "Brasserie", this is where you find Zedel. Zedel is a very special eating experience especially if you care about aesthetics. You walk into a dark bar room and follows signs and arrows leading you down a staircase. When nearing the end of the staircase you see a huge glass chandelier. It really catches you by surprise. 

At the bottom of the stairs you have to choose a room, we chose the Brasserie room but the other options are the "Bar Americain", "The Crazy Coqs" and the "ZL Cafe". Each one has different ambiances and different food and drinks. When walking into the Brasserie we got a little nervous, because after passing the door the room opened up into a huge marble ballroom filled with people dining. And we hoped we didn't need a reservation. The Concierge gave us a card and told us to wait at the bar until a table would be ready for us. So we joined the crowded bar and ordered some wine for the wait. Feeling a little under dressed we looked around trying to catch a glimpse of the food. After about an hour or so we were seated. 

The menu was very French, and I overheard a woman say that they change it every time she's there. We decided it was worth getting a starter and a main because how often are you in a beautiful ballroom having dinner? I got some paté as my started because its one of my guilty pleasures. I just love how good paté tastes. And as a main I got duck confit with lentils.

I think what I enjoyed the most about this dinner was that I had food which I love and it was up to my standards. Of course we didn't pass on dessert therefore we each ordered a creme brule. This was when we should have stopped, and maybe gotten one to share. The creme brule was delicious but it left us feeling much too full, uncomfortably so. Other than leaving the restaurant with the impression I was about to explode it was an incredible meal. It wasn't even too pricey, I think I spent around 35 pounds for the whole meal and the wine at the bar. I will definitely go there again, I just need a new food-loving buddy.

Here's their website: http://www.brasseriezedel.com/

Richmond

One rainy day in London we went to Richmond park to have a picnic under a big tree, and see the deer. We chose to take the bus to the park (371) and get off at the American University stop, near the Richmond Entrance of the park. We discussed what the defines a park, I think I came to the conclusion that a park is any area of nature/green land which is somewhat monitored and controlled by humans. As we were walking through the park towards the lake we noticed that a section of the woods had wire around it so the animals of the park wouldn't damage the plant growth. 

After enjoying our picnic under a large group of trees we walked through the path in the middle of the lake and looked at a few ducks. At this point Daniella intelligently jumped from one side to the other landing in the water making her foot soaked. So we relaxed on a bench while she tried to get dry. We then walked through  an area of the park where the deer were grazing. They were just all relaxing together, eating, pooing, you know the usual things deer do. But we were able to get pretty close to them without them getting frightened which was pretty cool. After we took about a billion photos of them we walked further on near where the young "Bambi's" were. They were a lot more scared of us than the other older deer.

We then went to relax and read our books in a shaded covered forest area, where we were lucky enough to see some bunnies pass by. I think that was the highlight of my day. The cold weather made it difficult to enjoy the nature around us, but it was fun to be out of the city in a group and see what a less populated area is like. I recommend going to Richmond, but not on a rainy day. 

Here's their website: http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/richmond-park

Exmouth Coffee

Living near Aldgate East tube station meant that I've walked past Exmouth Coffee a million times. It hasn't always been open because I tend to get home pretty late, but when it is, everytime my mouth waters due to their cakes and snacks in the window. Its hard to see what the name of this place is because the name of it is only written on a wooden bench they have outside when they're open. It looks like a black painted café with sandwiches and a lot of other food. 

Sadly, its one of those places where they charge you a little more if you eat in, so I've only eaten in once. But other than that I love them. I used to try to go there before uni to get freshly squeezed orange juice, because its the best. I think what I like the most about them is their food, but they brew pretty good coffee too. I just love that somehow their food all looks and feels healthy. If I had the money I'd get lunch there every day. Maybe next year I'll treat myself to it once a week. 

The atmosphere there is really nice, everyone seems happy to work even if they're tired. And sometimes if you're lucky you can even see some of the staff dancing and singing along to the music they have playing. Now that I've been thinking about it, I could really use one of their turkey sandwiches. 

I can't find their webpage so here's their page on yelp: http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/exmouth-coffee-company-london

Belmacz Gallery

The Belmacz gallery is a tiny little gem in Mayfair. My friend Kristin's cousin showed his work there so she was invited to the opening of their new show. The gallery is tiny, with one room on the ground floor and a smaller one below but the space is used well. The pieces are shown in the window and one along each wall, except for two smaller pieces on the largest wall. Sculpture is also well integrated into the exhibit and it is set up in a way that you can truly only focus on one piece at a time, which I really liked.

One of the organizers of the gallery (Julia Muggenburg) has her own jewelry brand and make-up brand. Her necklaces and other items are shown throughout the gallery in a metal glass display hanging from the ceiling on the ground floor and in a wall display on the lower floor. Also, when arriving on the lower floor you can peak into their offices which gave me a bit more understanding of the process behind it. 

The night itself went really well, we drank a few whiskey sodas and mingled with a few artists trying to understand their thought process behind their work. The more traditional pieces were by artists who had very strong technical skills whereas the most controversial piece (Kristin's favourite) was done by a man who programmed the whole image on a computer. He was able to create a person in 3D form digitally and then map out the shape. His friend then drew the whole image that was then mapped back onto the digital body. The other layers in the piece were also created by the artist using digital software. This was really interesting to us because it shows how much the world is changing with technology, and it was really great to see what we could create. 

Here's the gallery's website: www.belmacz.com

My Old Dutch

When Daniella was craving pancakes, one day back in December, we found this place online. We decided that before she moved away we had to go there. Its a dutch inspired pancake house, so there are blue and white printed table clothes, traditional dutch style plates and a wall with tulips printed on it. One of the pancakes is even called "Amsterdamer". 

The menu is really long and you can choose from a selection of savory or sweet pancakes. The pancakes are not made in the American way, but rather they are thinner, but thicker than the French pancakes. I chose the Italian, because It had tomatoes, oregano, mozzarella, and other cheeses. Daniella chose the Greek, which had Haloumi cheese in the dough of the pancake as well as several other toppings. Kristin on the other hand chose one with berries and ice-cream which looked a little smaller because it was folded over.

The plates were huge, but the pancakes fit on them perfectly. It was a little bit of a struggle to finish the whole thing, but at least that way I wasn't hungry later on. Also another bonus about this place, on Mondays the pancakes only cost 5 pounds instead of their individual prices written on the menu. 

Here's their website: http://www.myolddutch.com/