Shake Shack

On a very cold evening my friends and I decided to treat ourselves to a little Shake Shack. I'd been wanting to go since they announced their opening in the UK (back in June). So we all went to Covent Garden to have a taste of the most talked about American food. Being handed the menus in the queue the anticipation was killing me, and I couldn't focus on what I wanted to order. I must have changed my mind between a hamburger and a hotdog about 15 times. One thing I was sure of, I wanted to taste one of their "concretes". 

Concretes are what Shake Shack calls ice-cream, and trust me, you want to get one. I think I went a little overboard on what I ordered, I got a hotdog, a double (large) concrete, cheesy fries and a true old school lemonade. Actually all of us got cheesy fries but thankfully the others got to try the burgers for me. The food was really yummy and I honestly didn't expect to be able to eat a hotdog so gracefully without getting half the sauce on me. 

Sadly, the biggest section of their seating area is outdoors and at this time of year its very hard to sit and enjoy a full meal outside. By the time I got to my concrete I was frozen. Trembling I ate spoonfuls of the stuff until I couldn't bare with the cold any longer. I hope that in the future they invest in some outdoor heaters because the coldest months are still to come. 

Overall I was happy with the service and the food, everyone was really nice, and I love tiny things like having your name put on your order so they don't just yell a number at you. I'm looking forward to enjoy some of that ice-cream in the warmer months, I'll have to go back for a milkshake sooner than that though. 

Here's the website for the Covent Garden "store" (the first in the UK):  http://www.shakeshack.com/location/london-covent-garden/

The Book Club

The Book Club is a place I’ve been wanting to go to since this summer, and finally I went! I met one of my friends for coffee which ended up being for drinks and we chose to go to The Book Club as our first stop. The Book Club is a place I associate with being relaxed and productive. They have free wifi, and they serve breakfast, lunch and brunch. 

But what attracted me most to this place was the fact that they have different activities they put on as well as having a gallery and a ping pong room all in one place. You could literally spend the day there. Strewn around on the tables are drinks menus so of course we were attracted to their cocktails. It being 3pm on Saturday we decided it was socially acceptable to have just one drinks, after all it was the weekend. 

The ground floor was all decorated with hat related photographs and decor. The ceiling in fact was covered in hats varying from white to black. There were just so many little details placed around that I loved and made me wish I went there more so I could have time to notice them all. Maybe I'll start working on my assignments from there. It's one of those places that is somehow perfect for when you're alone and when you're with friends. 

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

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

Benugo

When going for coffee with a friend I saw the Benugo store in Covent Garden so of course I suggested we go inside. I’ve gone to Benugo many times at their St. Pancras branch. I always remember how amazing their sandwiches are and I hoped their drinks were just as good. 

The shop is set up as a deli, you queue for your order, and then you take your order on a tray to the seating area, or you can simply leave with your order. I chose to get tea and a Banoffee Muffin. We headed down the stairs and found a big seating area with loads of cute tables. 

The fact that Benugo is open until 8pm on week days is great, cause you can go for a quick snack or drink before heading home, or out to something else. The Covent Garden store is greatly located because its far enough from the shopping that you don't end up spending all your money on shopping.  

I love their food, their muffins are amazing, lightly crunchy on the outside and super moist on the inside. And their sandwich bar is set up like a gourmet version of Subway allowing you to pick from the best and most tasty ingredients for your sandwich. Just writing about it makes me want to go and get one. 

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

Gem Bar

Gem Bar is a nice wine bar near Regent’s Street. I have only gone there a few times, but every time I’ve chosen a good tasting wine. The drinks are not cheap but if you just want to relax after a day of shopping or you have an hour to kill before going to a show near by its a very good place to go.

The staff is very friendly and they are keen on recommending different wines. The music isn’t too loud so you can still have a conversation. The interior is very modern with sleek booths on one side and nice tall bar tables in the centre of the room. 

I’ve had some great moments here because the place gives you the impression you’re the only people there and no one is listening to your conversations. I can’t wait to go back again… I just need a wine drinking buddy! (They do not only serve wine I’m just a very big fan of their wine collection especially when you compare it to other bars around London)

Here’s their website: http://www.gem-bar.co.uk/

Paul Smith at the Design Museum

I didn’t even know London had a design museum until I saw that there was a Paul Smith show going on there. Close to Tower Bridge the design museum is easy to get to, and there’s a cute little walk from the bridge to the museum through a boutique filled alley. The building is huge and white, and it has its own café. 

The staff is conveniently placed, showing you where to walk to get to the show. The first section of the Paul Smith Exhibit explained the start of his career in Nottingham and showed the size of his first shop. There were some beautiful sketches showing how he came up with the key ideas for his brand that are still seen in his work today. 

The biggest room of the exhibit showed a wall of inspirational things that he collected and used as his muse for different collections. Part of his studio was replicated for the show as well. My favourite room was the one showing some of Paul Smith’s collaborative work. He has done many designs for bicycle companies as well as many small projects with different companies such as designing a car for Mini. 

I really enjoyed the show because it allowed me to see his creative vision much more. Paul Smith isn't a designer I know well but the exhibit allowed me to get a good snapshot of the process behind his clothes and all of his other work. 

Here’s the museum’s website: http://designmuseum.org/

Ping Pong Dim Sum

I recently went to Ping Pong to eat DimSum with my parents for the first time. The decorations are a bit dark and dreary and the lights are very dim but overall it has a very restaurant-y ambiance. You look through the menus and then write down what you want to order on a long order sheet which you then give to a waiter. Overall, there are some random ways to order food in chain restaurants in London, maybe that’s why I should avoid them. 

I ordered a pink lemonade which was amazing, very sour, how lemonade should really be. And I think we ordered about 12 dishes for the 4 of us. And we got dessert at the end as well, of course. They bring out the food whenever its ready which is perfect for me because I was really hungry. The spring rolls are really yummy, especially with their sweet and sour sauce. 

They brought out all the steamed food at the same time, and within second our table and plates were covered in food. The staff was really friendly and sweet helping us with any thing we didn’t understand and bringing us extra tap water when ever we needed it. My dinner experience was really good, we ate really quickly and it wasn’t over priced either. Next time I  want DimSum and don’t feel like going to Chinatown I’m going to Ping Pong. I also heard they do “all you can eat” sundays. Yum. 

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