Jersey Boys

So for my birthday, which was about a month ago, I decided to go see a musical. A friend told me they went to see Jersey Boys and that it was amazing, so I went to see that. Alone, on a Thursday night. I didn't want to have to drag along any friends because it was so expensive, and I knew I would enjoy it even if I was on my own. I got there about 20 minutes early, and bought myself a programme. I settled in my seat and started to get to know the characters and the actors I'd be seeing that evening. I was a little nervous about not knowing any of the songs in the musical thought. 

Later on, I was happily surprised there were a few familiar numbers and I did sing along a little. The actors really got the crowd going, and used the stage really well. Everyone was really engrossed in their performance. The only people that weren't happened to be the couple next to me, who left during the interval. I really enjoyed the extra room to place my bag though. And I was really happy to give them a standing ovation at the end. 

Seeing Jersey Boys made me want to sing and dance, and see more plays and musicals, because you really learn about their story but the theatricality of everything really stands out too. It was really fun, and engaging. It was an amazing show, and a perfect evening out. 

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

(all images in this post were taken from the website)

Machiavelli Kitchen & Dining

I wanted to go out to eat on my Birthday with a few friends so I decided to book a table at Machiavelli Kitchen & Dining. I have walked past it about 30 times and always wanted to go inside to find out if it was a store, a cafe, or a restaurant. Little did I know, it is both a store and a restaurant. Upon our arrival the evening following my Birthday we were lead downstairs to the main restaurant section. (it does bother me a bit that so many restaurants in London are on the basement level, but there's nothing I can do about it.)

After waiting on a couple of people we decided to have two appetizer trays with sliced hams and some other tasty bits. The music was fairly low, and I'm pretty sure our table was fairly loud. I really got into the Birthday spirit by being the bossy one at the table and making jokes that the waitresses weren't paying enough attention to us. But anyways, I really enjoyed my time there. Everyone seemed to dig into their food, and really enjoy it, so I think it was a good way to celebrate without making too much of a fuss. 

The restaurant itself was very cute, with napkins wrapped in string at every table and drawings of Machiavelli dotted around the place. I'd love to see if their lunch menu is different from their evening menu. And I know next time to not overlook the option of getting lasagna. 

Here's their website: http://www.machiavellifood.co.uk/machiavelli_restaurant/

Boundary

The Boundary Restaurant is a fancy French restaurant hidden on Redchurch Street. I've gone to Albion, their daytime cafe, and decided to give the restaurant a try. The dining table was facing towards the kitchen, and the table was round, giving plenty of space for the food. The service was a bit overly attentive particularly when the waitress tried to pour water into my glass by crossing over my arm as I read the menu. 

I of course get a little over excited and order the tray of charcuterie as well as my main dish of beef. And let me tell you, the beef was a very wise choice. Half the fun of the meal though is the place. The tiny little details they've got around. Like a wall full of silver trays, these incredibly comfortable chairs, the steak knife with their logo on it. And of course the little amuse bouche they brought, as well as the chocolates with the bill. 

Sometimes eating out, somewhere slightly more expensive is worth it, especially if you're sharing it with interesting people. The Boundary is the perfect place to show off a little without being too over the top. The only thing I really didn't like was the fact that the restaurant is underground. It's really common in London but I think the only thing that would have really improved my meal would have been a really good view. 

Here's their website: http://www.theboundary.co.uk/

(pictures 1 and 2 are from their website, the rest are mine)

Polpo

Once in a while I like to enjoy a day out on my own. On a Monday a few weeks ago I chose to take myself to lunch and then stroll around Covent Garden. I decided to have lunch at Polpo an Italian restaurant which recently created a lot of buzz. The exterior looks just like any other Italian restaurant but once you're inside you can smell the difference. This is what real food smells like. 

Its set up so you share food with a group, so you can taste many different things, but since it was 2pm I ordered 3 dishes on my own. I had the liver pate with sundried tomato on a slice of bread as my starter. And then I had two mains. I had to get the octopus with the broad beans because the name of the place is the word octopus in Italian. And then I also got the gnocci with tomato sauce and rabbit. All these dishes were exquisite. The menu is printed on the table cloth in front of you, and the restaurant is spacious enough for you to be able to eat comfortably on your own. 

I was able to enjoy the food, read some of my book, chat with the neighbouring table and even have an amazing affogato. An Affogato is pretty much just a ball of vanilla ice-cream in a large coffee cup, covered in an extremely hot espresso shot. The coffee melts the ice-cream but not completely, and this way you don't have to add sugar to your coffee. Overall, my experience at Polpo was really good, if I ever miss authentic Italian food I know where to go. 

Here's their website: http://www.polpo.co.uk/

Urban Outfitters

When first moving to London I was so happy I was going to have access to Urban Outfitters. As a teenager I used to order their clothes as a birthday treat because they were so expensive and the shipping costs were high. So when I got here I started raiding their sales rack. They always have a amazing items on sale, and even the ones that aren't on sale yet still catch your eye. 

I love that they have homeware as well as a strong range of accessories. There are quite a few Urban Outfitters shops in London, and I feel like its always a slightly different experience at each of them. The closest one to my house is all on one floor, and it is fairly small but they have a great range of items and the staff there is really nice. The changing rooms are made out of old wooden door, which adds that little bohemian touch I would love to have in my every day life. 

I've been tempted so many times to buy a huge collection of things from there, but I've somehow managed to hold myself back every time. One day I'll go on that shopping spree, and buy all the homeware and all of the clothes, maybe some shoes too. Overall, I think its a cool an quirky store where you're likely to find something a little bit more different from the other high street stores but still something that would go with all of your other clothes. 

Here's their website: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/uk/index.jsp

MJM Showroom

My friend Gabi and I were walking around Shoreditch when a cool door caught our eye. This door then lead to a staircase inviting us up. When we got to the first floor the room opened up, and we were in a showroom. Specifically the MJM showroom. The MJM showroom is there to display the designs of Makin Jan Ma a Hong Kong designer working in London. The showroom is also his studio where he creates most of his pieces. 

As part of his degree he created a story, with 5 different characters and his clothing label is a continuation of that project. Each collection belongs to one of the 5 characters and shows a part of them very vividly. In the future he plans on creating more characters for his different lines. I really enjoyed visiting the showroom, even if I can't afford any of the clothes. There were small things placed here and there that reminded me of Hong Kong. They also had some insanely beautiful flowers to brighten up the place.

Overall, I had a great time there, I've signed up for their mailing list just to see where this creative mind goes, and hopefully one day be able to afford something from one of his lines. The lady working there was very kind, and she told us the whole story about him and why the designs are the way they are. To me this is a really strong label with a very clear vision, I love it. 

Here's their website: http://www.mjm-store.com/engine/shop/index.html

Motown Desserts

Motown Desserts is a cute little ice-cream shop right off of Whitechapel High Street. My flatmate Emily and I went there one evening because we had an ice-cream craving and we didn’t want to get some from a supermarket. So I suggested we go to Motown. 

Sadly on the outside it doesn’t look particularly good because it’s covered in scaffolding. But the inside is quite quirky. The bar is covered in old vinyls, there are comfortable brown armchairs in the seating area and a huge light up sign showing the way to the seating downstairs. 

The ice-cream itself was really inviting. So I chose to get a combination of creamy, chocolatey flavours, and a separate mango sorbet. I tried their cookies and cream, honeycomb and a hazel-nutty flavour that I can’t remember the name of. My favourite was the hazelnut flavour because it had soft hazelnuts laced throughout the ice-cream. Their flavours are very thick and vanilla-y so I don’t recommend going crazy like we did by getting so many flavours. The mango sorbet was a perfect refresher after all that cream, its really worth trying. 

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

Costa vs. Starbucks

Coffee in London isn't that big of a problem, there are so many beautiful independent cafes that you could have coffee from a different place every day. But when going to airports, or shopping centres, or smaller English towns you have to make a choice, Costa, or Starbucks?

I'm a little biased because my flatmate works at Costa, so when things expire on a Monday she brings them home for us to have. I may have had one too many chocolate twists. When I look for good coffee I go for Costa, because they only use their coffee once to make espresso shots. Whereas Starbucks uses theirs more than once, so the coffee is weaker. But if I'm going for iced, or sweet, its Starbucks all the way. 

I think the Costa food is slightly better, especially when looking at their fresh baked goods. Starbucks does have amazing carrot cake though. The Costa tea is better, but they don't entertain you by spelling your name incorrectly on the cup.

It's really a toss up. I tend to go to London City Airport and they only have Cafe Nero once you've passed security so I never get coffee there. What I love about Costa and Starbucks is that they complete each other. What one is lacking the other has. I want a Frappuccino on some days, but on others I just want a Mocha Latte. I guess I'll never be one of those people that order the same things over and over again. I just need to mix it up a little. My best compromise is to alternate between the two. But if I need coffee for my 9am class, I know I should go to Costa. I'll have Starbucks as my afternoon pick-me-up. 

Here's the Costa website: https://www.costa.co.uk/

Here's the Starbucks website: http://www.starbucks.co.uk/

(They are listed in alphabetical order)

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/

Skylon Mixology Masterclasses

My friend Klaudia and I attended the Skylon Mixology Masterclasses last Monday. The classes are held from 2pm to 4pm and you get to discuss with a bartender the whole time. We arrived a little early and got seated at a table with some nibbles and glasses of water. After talking to our bartender we decided we wanted to learn more about Whiskey, Tequila and Gin. He brought out bottles of all the key Whiskeys in their collection explaining why they were different based on country of production and flavour. Klaudia then decided she wanted to make a Whiskey based drink. So he brought out a cart with all the items she would need to make the drink. 

We each took turns learning about the drinks we were interested in, and making them ourselves with his instructions. I learned how you're supposed to properly shake a shaker and a few other small tricks of the trade. It was a really good way to spend the afternoon, gazing over at the Thames, enjoying a drink and learning something too. The location is beautiful and it's the perfect place to bring a date on a special occasion. The staff is very polite, helpful and kind. They were constantly refilling our water and were really attentive the whole time we were there. 

The class is free, but you pay for what you drink. Both Klaudia and I spent 25 GBP each. It was worth the money, I learnt so much and I actually think I'll use the skills I learnt again in the future. Now if only I hosted a cocktail party and I had a shaker. 

Here's where you can book a place: http://www.skylon-restaurant.co.uk/offer/monday-mixology-masterclass/1327

Wright Brothers

Walking around Spitalfields I noticed that there was a new and slightly different restaurant. So one Sunday I brought my friend Dominique to discover what it was. It was Wright Brothers, a seafood restaurant specialised in lobster, crab, pretty much anything with a shell. We got there at about 5pm and sadly the kitchen only opens at 6 so they offered us a cold menu. After deciding we didn't want to share oysters we settled for brown crab. 

They served us bottled water and I got a sweet and sour juice to go with the food. While we waited we had some amazing brown bread and our crab was right in front of us before we knew it. I started by digging into the shell, letting Dominique have the claws, and off we went tearing the poor crab apart. The meat in the shell was strong in flavour and thick. When I got to opening up the legs I struggled with opening them and had a whole leg land in my lap. Lucky I was still wearing my napkin. The meat from the legs was a lot more tender and it contrasted greatly with the meat from the shell. 

After sharing the crab both Dominique and I were quite full so we called for the check. Overall, I really liked Wright Brothers. They had perfect calm music to go with the lighting and atmosphere of the place. I loved sitting at the bar and being served food. The staff was really friendly and kind, I was genuinely happy to leave them a tip. I already know I have to go back to try their hot food.

Here's their website: http://www.thewrightbrothers.co.uk/

Rough Trade East

I first went into Rough Trade back in 2011, with a group of girls only interested in taking a quirky picture in their photo booth. But since then I've spent time browsing their book, cd, and vinyl collections always with awe. Recently I was even able to enjoy coffee there on a Sunday afternoon. I love the atmosphere there. Everyone is doing their own thing, but it feels like a community. Everyone placed together because they love music and books.

The staff there is very helpful and kind. Even if you don't know what you're looking for they somehow point you in the right direction. And they're very attentive when making your coffee too. Their loudspeakers play a variation of good music that puts you in the mood to browse even more. I could probably spend a small fortune there after hours of browsing. I was instantly intrigued by their books but I had just bought 4 others that same day. 

Overall, what ever you're looking for, they will have it. And if they don't they'll tell you where to get it, or order it for you. If you ever have some time to kill and you're in the area, I recommend you browse their collections, grab some coffee and enjoy the atmosphere. It's the type of place you can enjoy with others as well as on your own.

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

(they also have 2 other stores in west London, but the one off Brick Lane is the biggest)