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/

Onesto: Luxembourg

Spending most of my summer in Luxembourg meant that I got to eat at some of the places I loved when I lived here full time. One of the best places to eat near the pedestrian area of the town is "Onesto". They advertise themselves as a pizzeria but they have so much other good Italian food too. Being Italian I rarely want to go out and order a dish of pasta so I always opt for things I can't make at home. Last time I went there with my friends Katie and Caoimhe, I had "frittura mista di verdura", meaning, fried and sautéd vegetables. They were cut really thin, and they were perfectly salted. I loved it. 

One of my favourite Italian dishes is fried zucchini (or pumpkin) flowers. I know it sounds weird, but you have to try them. Onesto serves them as dish of the day occasionally, and they stuff them with cheese before they fry them. Its amazing.

Another thing that is super cute about Onesto is that they have an external terace hidden in the back of the restaurant. Its like a mini oasis, you can see a few other restaurants and the back of some buildings from your seat. Its the perfect place to catch up with friends. And another super cute detail is that the chairs are all multicoloured. 

Here's their website: http://www.resto-onesto.lu/

TGI Fridays

When I was in Nottingham my friend Tatiane took me to TGI Fridays, because I said "no way" to Wagamama's (I've been there way too much). Walking in I already notice the obsessive American theme and the blasting music. They sit us down in a booth, and hand us the menus. While choosing what to eat I notice the different American memorabilia scattered through the restaurant, and the moving images on the Televisions. We both ordered fajitas and large coca-colas. 

The staff was all really polite and served us everything well, even checking on us if we wanted more free refills of cola or if we needed different sauces for our food. The music was all quite catchy and fun, making the ambiance good, and it was nice to not be close enough to hear the conversations at the other tables. We were both really tired and when the food arrived we didn't say much. But I think the amount of food given was good and they gave the right amount of tortillas for the meat and dressing given. Also the salsa wasn't too spicy so I could actually put it on my food. 

The food was good for a stop on a Saturday afternoon, and I know they have a TGI Fridays in Leicester Square in London too. So if you're looking for a place that will accommodate a big group of people for affordable tasty meals you can go to them. Here's the website: http://www.tgifridays.com/

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

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/

Blackbird Tea Rooms

At the Frock Me! Vintage Fashion Fair there was also a Tea Room set up. The people running it were the people from Blackbird Tea Rooms from Brighton. They came all the way to London for the event. The waitresses were dressed in little polished outfits, and you had to wait in line to be seated. Each table had a perfect frilly table cloth and the bar was lined with different cakes. 

I studied the menu and finally decided to have my first English muffin. It was with ham, cheddar and tomato chutney. It came with a salad and I tried to eat most of the salad before touching the English muffin because I knew that if I ate the muffin first there was no way I was going to eat the salad. 

I drank a ginger beer which I really liked because it had that little kick that sometimes you need. The room the tea room was set up in had a long brown wooden bar, and a sofa for the people waiting. This was a side room of the Chelsea Town Hall. It was nice to be seated near the fireplace of the room because even if the fireplace wasn't on you could look at all the intricate detailing in sides of the fireplace. 

It took us quite a while to be served but we're glad we waited because everything was delicious. Here's their website: http://www.blackbirdtearooms.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

The Diner

The Diner is a really cute American style restaurant, you can also go there to play pool, or just drink. You don't really have to go there at meal times because they serve a set menu at all times of day which is really good for me because I'm always hungry. They have a few different branches but most recently I went to the one in Angel. 

I have had their milkshakes, and they're really good, but recently I tried their Root Beer Float. That is a drink with Root Beer, but with two scoops of vanilla ice-cream as well, because the ice-cream interacts with the fizzy drink really well creating a sort of milkshake consistency. Their french toast is incredible, but sadly not as good as the one at The Breakfast Club. However it's also yummy because they drench it in maple syrup here. I love their burgers. 

With my Float I got a cheese burger and it was amazing. All the layers fit together perfectly and I had a bunch of mouth watering bites. I tend to have a big problem with burgers, the yummier they are the more I get of them all over my face and hands. I had a really good time there, and my friends spoke in Swedish with the waitress which gave me a more homey feel. Also, the five of us fit pretty comfortably in the booth we were given, and the table wasn't too wide so we didn't have to scream across it to let our friends hear us. Overall, it was a good and quick meal, I think next time I just want to go there for a drink and let the ambiance of the place soak in. Here's their website: http://www.goodlifediner.com/

Elbows

 

When going to pick up my pottery from pottery painting we stopped by a cute cul-de-sac nearby. There was this adorable little french style cafe called Elbows. It wasn't too windy so we decided to sit outside. I walked in, assuming we had to order at the bar, but we didn't. They then brought us out menus and asked us what we wanted. 

I ordered a chicken and avocado sandwich and a latte. And my friend Daniella got a mozzarella and tomato chiabatta. Both dishes arrived with salad, but it wasn't one of those ugly boring salads, this was one I actually ate, and usually I hate salad. This salad had beetroot, tomato, cucumber and zucchini mixed in with the salad leaves. 

It wasn't an expensive restaurant, I think I paid about 9 pounds including a tip for the really good service. It was a really relaxing lunch, the kind you have when you want to have a picnic in the park but its too crowded there. Its in such a nice area and it gives you a sense of community in a crazy place like London. 

Here's the link from tripadvisor, since the cafe doesn't have its own website: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186338-d3277754-Reviews-Elbows_Cafe-London_England.html

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/

Food For Friends

Food for friends is a vegetarian restaurant in the Lanes in Brighton. Their menu has a lot of varied food, curries, gnocchi, tofu, cheese, and other things that you do not necessarily associate with being vegetarian. I didn't even notice it was a vegetarian restaurant until I walked in and it said so on the menu. They had a huge variety of drinks, nibbles, starters, mains and desserts. It was quite a formal place based on the way they displayed their food. 

The sauces are spread out evenly without a drop out of its place. The waiters are very polite, and the tap water jugs have cucumber in them to give the water some flavour. The ambiance is very warm, welcoming but also clean and well presented. The food comes quite quickly, and everything looks like a work of art. It being late for lunch, my friend Daniella and I eat rather quickly but still being able to notice all the flavours in the food. The rice given with my coconut curry is spiced perfectly to match the main dish. Whereas Daniella's gnocchi have a light sauce drizzled over them and just a slice of Parmesan cheese on each one. 

The bill comes with a cute little survey card, and I fill it out promtly, knowing that I'd love to come back and eat something else because there was so much I wanted to taste. 

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

Angel Food Bakery

Walking through cute tiny roads in the central area of Brighton we passed by Angel Food Bakery" which happened to have several really well decorated cupcakes in the window. I couldn't stop myself from going in. Everyone was so friendly, even if it took me ages to decide which flavour I wanted.  All the cupcakes looked incredible, but so did this huge Victoria sponge cake. It was so difficult to choose.

In the end I had a lemon meringue cupcake, which had lemon-y custard stuff in the middle too which was really good and unexpected. The shop is so cute and small but there's enough space on the bar for them to show off all their cakes. There are nice little bar stools for the customers to sit on while they eat their cake if they wish to eat in. 

Generally in the UK they charge you more if you want to eat in, and this place was no different so I took my cupcake to go, and I devoured it in the middle of the road before heading into an art shop near by.

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

Nordic Bakery

In soho in front of a beautiful square garden there is the Nordic Bakery. The colours of the bakery are very grey and blue, and there are big wooden tables in the eating area. What I liked the most about it was that we were able to get our food and drinks and go enjoy them in the garden across the street. And when my friend needed the bathroom they remembered that he had just been there so they didn't make a fuss about him going to their loo. 

I got a cinnamon bun/roll and it was incredible. They're better warm but it was so good and sticky in the right places. Its not like an American cinnamon swirl, there is no icing, but the layers of the cinnamon bun were squishy and crunchy, you just want to eat it forever. They also have savory foods too, mostly with salmon and herring. They display all their food really well, so if you go in just wanting a coffee expect to leave with food too. Its very hard to resist their food. 

They also sell Nordic food cook books and other cute stuff. I know next time I'm in soho I'm stopping for a savory treat, cause I only got to enjoy the sweet treats last time. 

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

The Breakfast Club

Throughout London there are a few restaurants named "The Breakfast Club". They all have yellow doors, old school interiors and amazing food. My friend just told me that on the internet there are bad reviews for the Breakfast Club, which makes me really sad, because its an amazing place. Their burgers and breakfast food is incredible and so are their homemade juice combos.

I frequently go to one near Spitalfields market, because that's the closest one to home, but I've also been to the one in Soho and the one in Hoxton. In the Spitalfields one there is a fridge door that leads you to the bar, if you just want to go for drinks but there's also a big seating area before getting to the fridge door. The menus are really varied for a burger and breakfast place but if you go after 5 pm the bigger breakfast menu is not going to be served any more.

They have a couple of really cool light up signs throughout the venue, as well as a traffic light showing when food is ready to be served to the tables. Sadly, I've never tried the dessert menu because I always happen to stuff my face before I get there, but the desserts I'm seen all look really good. I'm just a sucker for french fries. I love love love fries.

Here's their website if you want to take a look: http://www.thebreakfastclubcafes.com/