Dark Sugars Chocolate

When I'm in London I tend to walk down Brick Lane at least once a week, a few weeks ago a new and intriguing chocolate shop opened. The first thing I noticed was of course the chocolate truffles in the window. After that I looked up at the name of the place, Dark Sugars Chocolate. The store has a very earthy look, all the chocolate is propped up on these amazing pieces of wood. 

Sadly for the relaxed shopper going there on a Sunday means its really really crowded but I was able to distract the guy behind the counter long enough to get a hot chocolate. And let me tell you, not only are they incredibly kind and friendly but their hot chocolate is amazing. I wasn't very adventurous so I went for the plain hot chocolate, but next time I'll pick something a little more "out there". They have all the normal coffees but their selection of hot chocolates are amazing, you can get it with chilli, cinnamon, and a bunch of more exotic flavours. Their cups are tiny, but I really didn't mind, it's worth the money for the amazing after taste you'll have in your mouth all day. 

I'm really excited about going back, but all I can do for now is fantasise about how amazing it was, and plan when I can get some more.

Here's their twitter (their website is still in the making): https://twitter.com/DarkSugars

Pop Art Design Exhibit at the Barbican Centre

London has so many galleries that always have temporary exhibitions, one of the few I was able to make time for was the Barbican Centre's Pop Art Design Exhibition. I've always been a fan of pop art, especially when I notice it in my day to day life. I just recently regret not buying an Andy Warhol Campbell Soup t-shirt. 

Getting to the Barbican centre is really easy, you just follow the signs around the tube station and you'll be there in minute. I really like it there because I feel like there's an atmosphere of appreciation, everyone is here to expose themselves to a little culture and no one is in a hurry. When getting to the gallery floor I left my belongings in the cloakroom and that was my biggest regret. The top floor of the exhibition was really cold, so I didn't spend my time reading all the information about each room. 

I went in thinking of how the Art was interpreted in Design and there were some pieces that really impressed me. In one section there were television advertisements from the late 60's and early 70's which were really fun to watch. The show had a good flow; every room had a time period or movement within Pop Art. 

I recommend you go with a few friends, wear a sweater and stare in awe at the bright colours and absurd forms which became the most memorable shapes of this time in art. 

Here's the Barbican Centre's website: http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery

10 Greek Street

I’ve had to have dinner in Soho a few times and every time I drag people to number 10 Greek Street, hoping that they’ll have a table free. I’ve only eaten there 3 times, but every time I’ve left wishing I could eat there again. The food is very European, but in the right way. They source their ingredients well and even a plate of their carrots would be amazing (if they served that). 

They have a very Mediterranean feel about their food and they combine flavours very well. Its not cheap, but generally you spend 30 pounds per person with a glass of wine. The ambiance is lively around meal times, but the last time we got there at 14:45 and the place was starting to get a little quieter. If you want to enjoy food but can’t handle a loud room go during the afternoon, they serve smaller dishes at this time but everything is still amazing. 

The room is decorated very simply, the sides are lined with black tables, but the front and back walls have small with tiles on them. When you walk in you can already smell the amazing food, and after you order the wait is never long. They’re very nice about splitting the bill and they’re not the kind of place that tries to rush you out if you’ve finished your food.

The menu is written on blackboards around the restaurant, and the drinks menu is a little scroll placed in-between the table’s cutlery. Next to the cutlery there is also a dish of salt and a bottle of olive oil, showing their Mediterranean feel. 

Here’s their website: http://www.10greekstreet.com/

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/

Milan: Museo del Novecento

During my two weeks off in August I also got to go Italy. During this particular pit stop, Charlotte and I spent less that 24 hours in Milan, but we were able to enjoy some food, shop, and even see a museum. We chose to go to the Museum of the 1900's, or the real Italian name "Museo del Novecento". 

The museum has an incredible permanent collection and there was also a temporary collection showing some pieces by Andy Warhol which I hadn't yet see, and I've seen a lot of Warhol. 

The building was really amazing, it was a modern new building attached to a very old Italian building. The combination of the two was incredible. And when you looked out of the modern window you got to see the Duomo, the biggest cathedral of the city. 

The coolest thing about the museum was that they mentioned White Chapel Art Gallery, in one of the posters. Here's their website; http://museodelnovecento.org/

If you're ever in Milan you should go!

The Book of Mormon

In June I had the wonderful opportunity to go see The Book of Mormon with my friend Daniella. Her and her old flatmate had bought the tickets, but her flatmate had to move back to the USA before being able to see the musical, so somehow I was lucky enough to tag along with Daniella and see this show. Since seeing it Daniella has bought tickets for her mum, brother and brother's girlfriend to see it with her again. 

The queue outside the theatre was really long, and the excitement was building up, to go and see this play. The theatre is huge, but that's not what we really care about, even if the snacks I bought in between the two acts were ridiculously expensive. Once the show started everyone was dying of laughter. Every step was perfectly rehearsed and every note was sung in perfect time. 

One of the things I loved was that the group of singers all sang in perfect harmony, and it is rare to hear that done correctly. I had no expectations when walking into the theatre because I had only heard that it was going to be good, I didn't actually know what it was about. So I think I'll leave it at that for you all too. For me, the songs stuck in my head for a long time after I saw the show, and I loved everyone in it. Every role was cast perfectly, and the band was so perfect I wouldn't have it any other way. Its really a show worth watching. Even at its insane price, and I'm sure that every seat has a good view. Because honestly it doesn't really matter as long as you can hear all the lines. 

Here's the show's website: http://www.bookofmormonlondon.com/home.php

(All the photos in this post are taken from the gallery on that webpage)

Nizuni

Generally I don't eat out in Bloomsbury, but I made an exception when my friends told me that they had been to an amazing sushi restaurant. How can someone pass up sushi? My friend Daniella booked the table from her phone, and we were seated on the first floor of the restaurant. The staircase has a really beautiful fountain in one of the walls, and the other decorative details are really nice. 

Looking through the menu was really difficult because everything seemed good, and i almost wanted to get one thing from each page. I ended up getting miso soup, chicken dumplings, and salmon and avocado rolls. Everything was incredibly tasty as well as beautifully presented. But I think what I liked the most is that there were very different people all enjoying the food and talking without anyone looking or acting superior, everyone was just there for the food. I love the way food can bring people together in that way.

I know I'm going to go there again, maybe when my wallet isn't so empty. 

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

Somerset House; Tom's Kitchen

In gross grey weather its always important to cheer yourself up. So I went to the Somerset House to see some art and have some lunch. The day my friend and I went was 2 days before the new exhibitions opened so there was almost nothing to see, just something about Picasso's blue period (I can't stand Picasso anymore, so we avoided that) and something about limited edition designed rugs. So obviously we went for lunch first. 

The biggest eating area in Somerset House is "Tom's Kitchen" which is an incredible restaurant. Its not cheap, I only had a main, and sparkling water and I spent 20 pounds, but the food was just amazing. The flavours are aligned perfectly. I had papardelle (A sort of wide and flat spaghetti type pasta) with butternut squash, roasted pine nuts and roquefort cheese. They also brought us out some bread while we waited and it was really really good, we devoured it. 

The service was impeccable, and they wrote on a pink slip in the menu that one pound would be added to our bill to support cancer research because in the UK May is "cancer awareness month". I think its a good way to make people take part and donate because otherwise we forget, or we don't have cash on us when they ask for our help. 

Anyway, back to the point, the restaurant was incredibly good, I want to go back again, it was one of my best eating experiences in London. 

Here's a link to the restaurant: http://www.tomskitchen.co.uk/somerset-house

Solera

Solera is an incredible tapas bar on Sydney Street in Brighton. My friend Sophie told me to go here, and I will never ever doubt any of her food choices ever again because it was incredible. In fact it was so good I didn't even take many photos cause I was too excited to be in there, eating. The tables are small wooden tables, and you still on square wooden stools. Each table already has plates for each seat, and your cutlery so you're ready to eat. The menu is a laminated paper, but everything on it makes your mouth water. 

The food is all Tapas. This is a style of eating from Spanish culture, the food is all served in smaller portions but you are able to eat more and therefore you taste more things. My friend Daniella and I ordered 5 dishes to share between the two of us, and a jug of Sangria. And I'm sad to admit but we went a little overboard with that whole jug of Sangria. But overall everything about this place was good, there was nothing I didn't like. I was just sad to leave, and annoyed that I didn't have any change to leave a tip. Now I just need to find a good tapas bar in London. Here's their website: http://www.solera-brighton.co.uk/