Lucie Loves

Sunday treat day! Lunch at Ladurée @harrods. A yummy Club sandwich with chips & salad and a cafe latte. I decided after my Gazelli facial at Urban Retreat Harrods, that I would treat myself to a celebratory #weownthenight 10K worthy lunch.

We found a great spot for breakfast, brunch or lunch @BirdhouseUK, Battersea, London. (Excellent coffee too!)

On Saturday, despite the blustery showers, we decided to try and find a new little London cafe to tickle our tastebuds. We searched the London Coffee Map app, (an indispensable tool!) jumped on the next 295 bus from Hammersmith to Clapham Junction and tootled back along up St John’s Hill in search of the vibrant yellow Birdhouse cafe sign.

What we drank:

• 1 x caffe latte, £2.80 - large, made with Climpson & Sons coffee beans (the Sidamo Espresso Blend consisting of 50% Ethiopian Sidamo and 50% Brazil Fazenda Paraiso.)
• 1 x hot chocolate with marshmallows, £2.70

What we ate:

1 x chicken breast, bacon jam, white cabbage & mayonnaise bocadito, £6.50

1 x Baked eggs with chorizo, mushroom, spinach, tomato and toast, £9

Verdict:

Absolutely delicious food! The coffee was very nice. The baked eggs far exceeded our expectations. They came in their cute little Labour & Wait-esq enamel milk pan, complete with little felt handle-cover. It was sooo filling but very yummy.

JMG thought his sandwich was very nice too.

We’d recommend this place for couples, families or friends looking for a (GOOD) bite to eat in quirkily designed surroundings. If you love repurposed worktops, pretty, eclectic bird-themed artwork, stainless steel and zinc industrial-style fittings with a splash of sunshine yellow colour - this is the place for you.

Birdhouse

123 St John’s Hill

 Battersea

SW11 1SZ

info@birdhou.se

http://www.birdhou.se/

@BirdhouseUK

Photography © Lucie Kerley

** If you like this post or know any other tasty London places I should try please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you! ** 

The low-down on Argentinian restaurant  @lola_simon, Hammersmith.

JMG and I recently dined at Lola & Simon, in West London. For the past 5 months I’ve been whizzing past the place aboard the number 391 bus on my way home from work. I saw the twinkling fairy lights and candles burning on the tables and thought:

“Ooh! That looks pretty and very romantic!”

So when the time came - or should I say, when JMG came down to see me - we decided to give it a try.

What we ordered:

• New Zealand green lipped mussels, cream & white wine sauce with  garlic toast (BEAUTIFUL)
  
• Spicy garlicky Argentinean Chorizo
• Spiced pan roasted New Zealand rump of lamb, sweet potato puree, chargrilled eggplant and jus
• Rib eye Argentine beef, roasted garlic potato mash and chimichurri butter.
• Apple, cinnamon and walnut empanada with homemade vanilla icecream. 
• 2 glasses of Tapiz 2009 Malbec red wine (very good wine)

Total cost: A rather pricey (for a non-celebratory weeknight) £82 for 2 people

http://www.lolaandsimon.co.uk/

278 King Street
Hammersmith
London
W6 0SP

020 8563 0300

Photography © Lucie Kerley

The BEST (and most expensive) steak pie I have EVER tasted @GreatQueenSt. Worth every penny.

I was delighted to discover upon entering the Great Queen Street restaurant that they served pie. I am a northerner. I LOVE pie.

This restaurant is very sought after. I would recommend booking a table. We were given the name of it by a friend who had had a slap-up meal here himself and felt compelled to share his enjoyment of it. However, due to the popular nature of the place, we could only get a seat at the bar, which actually was rather nice as we had a great view into the kitchen. It was great to watch the Chef’s at work.

 So, after a quick once over of the menu and a recommendation or two from the cheery waitress, JMG and I settled our minds stomachs on a steak pie, £34, to share. We were told that the pastry - a rich suet crust - was rather filling and that we wouldn’t need any potatoes to go with it. We opted for a side order of greens, £4, cabbage tossed in dijon mustard, to balance the dish out.

We didn’t regret it.

Whilst we waited for our main I ordered a delicious Moscow Mule cocktail and some potted crab to start. I’d never eaten crab before having always been a bit put off by those disgustingly pink, artificial looking, crab sticks - but being brave - I decided to give it a go… It was very very good. It had a smooth, buttery texture and taste and side of toasted homemade bread to accompany it.

As I glanced about the room, doing a bit of people-watching, I spotted Japanese business men - mobile phones at the ready - taking photos of their very own MASSIVE* steak pie. This pie can easily feed 4 people - hence the £34 pricetag - which also reflects the fantastically tender chunks of beef it contains. 

For dessert, JMG had an espresso and I tucked into a scoop of blood orange and vanilla sorbet with a side of shortbread. Soooo good. The smoothness of the vanilla contrasted beautifully with the tartness of the blood orange, it was HEAVEN.

A must go place for all who enjoy simple food, very well done.

*There was even enough pie left for me to take home and have the next evening for tea.

Great Queen Street

32 Great Queen Street,

Holborn, 

London,

 WC2B 5AA 

020 7242 0622

Photography © Lucie Kerley

Snack-y food at the @RealGreekTweet, Covent Garden, London. 

A nice little place, a 5 minute stroll or so from Covent Garden tube. 

What we ate:

• Pitta with humus, topped with whole chick peas
• Prawns with chilli and garlic
• Chicken wings
• Tabbouleh salad
• Salt cod and garlic mayo
• Halloumi cheese

We had a bottle of sparkling water and I had a large glass of Merlot red wine.

Total cost: £41.40 for 2 people 

The food was good (see menu) - not mind-blowing - but tasty. However, I think what let this place down, for me, was the rather lacklustre customer service. Hmm, a smile wouldn’t have gone amiss. Has anyone else experienced this at The Real Greek, Covent Garden? Or did we just catch them on an off day?

http://www.therealgreek.com/

60 - 62 Long Acre,

London

WC2E 9JE

02072402292

Photography © Lucie Kerley

#TriedandTested Superb food at Reun Thai restaurant, Hammersmith.

Starving hungry and unwilling to travel far to find food, JMG and I headed to my local Thai restaurant - Reun - on Fulham Palace Road in Hammersmith.

What we ate:

• Tom Kha Gai Soup (my favourite dish - a reminder of my short-but-sweet travels in Thailand)
• Vegetable spring rolls
• Beef in oyster sauce with stir fry mixed veg and sticky jasmine rice
• Pad Thai chicken noodle dish

Coca cola and an orange juice

Total cost: £32.45 for two people

Great food, very fresh and fast service. Would recommend to all.

Reun Thai

100 Fulham Palace Road,

Hammersmith,

 London,

 W6 9PL 

020 8748 4881

Photography © Lucie Kerley

Want good coffee in London? Try @KopapaCafe on Monmouth Street, Covent Garden. @jmgcreative and I recently popped in for a late night coffee and a natter. Living apart makes every occasion we see one another nowadays feel like ‘date night’, which is no bad thing; you both make an effort and flirt outrageously, even after being together for 5 years.

(I love that boy.)

“Kopapa: Maori for a gathering, to be crowded, a building to store food. Kopapa is run by co-owners Peter Gordon, Michael McGrath, Adam Wills and Brandon Allen. Both Peter and Brandon have Maori heritage and along with Adam and Michael are New Zealand raised.”

So how was the coffee?

It was goooood, not surprising really as they use Monmouth Coffee Co. beans. Our beverages cost £2.90 each for a cafe latte and cappuccino. I’d quite like to go back and have something to eat there too, the restaurant, menu and open kitchen downstairs looked lovely.

http://www.kopapa.co.uk/

Kopapa Café and Restaurant
32-34 Monmouth Street 
Seven Dials, Covent Garden 
London
WC2H 9HA

Telephone +44 (0) 20 7240 6076

Photography © Lucie Kerley

East London 3 stop tour: Streetfood+Drinks+Coffee @ Boiler House FoodHall, Golden Heart pub & @AllpressE2 

Where to go that doesn’t cost the earth:

• Choose from a tasty array of world class streetfood at Boilerhouse Food Hall, Brick Lane. 

www.boilerhouse-foodhall.co.uk

Address:
The Old Truman Brewery, 152 Brick Lane, E1 6RU. London

020 7770 6028

Opening hours: 

Every weekend

Saturday: 11am - 6pm & Sunday 10am - 5pm

_____________________________

• Grab a quick pint in a proper East London boozer. The Golden Heart pub is small, but perfectly formed and plays some great music - I’m sure they were playing The Stone Roses and Charlatans when we were in there last: 

 www.timeout.com/london/bars-and-pubs/the-golden-heart

Address:

110 Commercial Street, Spitalfields, London. E1 6LZ

 020 7247 2158

 Opening hours:

 Open 11am-11pm Mon-Sat; noon-10.30pm Sun

_____________________________

• After a stroll down Brick Lane head over to Redchurch Street and enjoy fantastic coffee and cake at the Allpress Espresso Roastery Cafe.

* Note: this is one of my favourite streets around the Shoreditch/Spitalfields area as it features a vast collection of unique looking shops:  vintage, antiques, bars, enamel homeware delights, streetart, etc *

http://uk.allpressespresso.com/

Address:

58 Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, London. E2 7DP

 020 7247 2158

Opening hours:

Monday - Friday 8.00- 5.00pm, Saturday 9.00- 5.00pm, Sunday 9.00- 5.00pm

View Walking directions to Allpress Espresso Roastery, Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, London in a larger map

Photography © Lucie Kerley

Food #triedandtested by @jmgcreative, Jimi Fresh and me.

#BLOGGED | Weekend? Fancy a treat? Head to @pattyandbunjoe and devour one of their Smokey Robinson Burgers. MMM! We’ve tested ‘em for you  and they are GREAT! 

Patty + Bun 

Very reasonably priced, don’t be put off by the queue of people salivating outside clutching their hungry bellies… they’ll seat you in no time at all! The service is good, sound and very prompt. They don’t call it fast food for nothing eh? The handcut chips were delicious… so good that JMG was stealing mine when I looked up having been paying more attention to my delicious burger than to our conversation. Naughty me. Their homemade coleslaw is very good too, it has a hint of mint which goes down a treat. The chicken wings were nice, slathered in BBQ sauce which might be a bit much for some folks, but they are still worth a go.

Everything about this place feels right for a burger joint. From the ‘slapdash hipster’ cardboard mounted sharpie pen drawings on the wall by some cool (and rather talented) street artist to the stylish pendant lamps with red flex dangling from the ceiling. I also liked the way they use brown parcel paper for EVERYTHING! Pop a Patty + Bun stamp on it and it becomes a place mat! Scrawl your opening times on it in a delightful hand-drawn typeface and it becomes a lovely door sign, or even tear a sheet off and attach it to a clip board and take table requests from the people on the street desperate to taste your brioche buns! Genius! I love that shizz.

Nearest tube is probably Bond Street - That’s the one we got off at anyway (not far from Selfridges for a spot of shopping if you fancy ogling JW Anderson’s latest Topshop collection…

Kill two birds with one stone and all that.

Patty + Bun

54 James St, London W1U 1EU

0207 487 3188

Opening times:

• Monday - CLOSED
• Tuesday - Thursday 12 - 11pm
• Friday - Saturday 12 - 11pm
• Sunday 12-10pm

Photography © Lucie Kerley + @jmgcreative

London Fashion Week fodder @SALT_WC2. A white chocolate & green tea brownie topped with 70% dark chocolate ganache the colour matches my Sophie Hulme tote and my Charlotte Taylor Parrot Scarf Silk Shirt. @ybdfashion - I ❤ you! Xx #coventgarden #london #places #food #wheretoeat #coffee

Despite the intention of being a good girl, heading to supermarket, buying food & cooking for myself… I lost my way and ended up in @nandos with a large glass of red. 

What we did last night… Birthday celebrations @Floripa with my best friends!!!!

So Brazilian street food (see menu) was the order of the evening along with a suitcase of flaming booze-laden cocktail! Woo hoo! It was the perfect way to celebrate a birthday with one’s closest companions.

We booked a table for 15 hungry people at Floripa, after discovering the place on designmynight.com, and proceeded to eat chicken, ribs and prawns until they came out of our ears.

We tottered off for post-meal drinks to The Bricklayers Arms on Charlotte Road, Shoreditch, (another pub featured on Design My Night). It has a jukebox, serves Makers Mark and attracts quite a nice young crowd! Due to there being 15 of us we thought there might be a struggle for seats together. However, we managed to coerce a couple of chaps (thanks boys!) to move to another table across the other side of the room, so that we could all natter as one big group and have a seat each!

We stayed there for a few drinks (and apple sours…) and then mooched over to Catch, off Shoreditch High Street. It wasn’t quite the ‘Catch’ it made itself out to be. Literally. The bar staff were terribly rude and despite there being a some great songs to dance to… when the clock struck midnight… we looked on A-GOG as it turned into a GRIND FEST?!?! There were literally men grabbing at the women as they passed. They then proceeded to  dry-hump them, thrusting their hips to the music, and then they moved on to the next unsuspecting girl (read: alarmingly-willing ho-bag) DISGUSTING!!! If you want to get an idea of what I’m suggesting it was like… check out this video by Major Lazer - Pon De Floor….

 However, we had a grand old evening!

Our uni lot are THE BEST! 5 years on and our friendships are still going strong! I believe maintaining these friendships may be the secret to keeping us all ‘young’.

It feels like only yesterday that we were limboing under carpark barriers, dancing like crazy people at Snobs, rescuing friends from ‘Bad Dates’ and hosting the most-impressive house-parties (if we do say so ourselves…). We are all united in the thought that we did have a bloody brilliant time when we all lived in Birmingham together, and even now, with our ‘grown-up’ jobs, our long-term ‘live-in’ partners and our ages fast becoming twenty-old as opposed to twenty-young, we are still as close as ever and make the most of our 4 times yearly meet-ups.

This time round we celebrated new jobs, promotions, an engagement and an upcoming feature in a glossy fashion mag! I’m as proud as punch of our dear friends and am so looking forward to the exciting times we have ahead of us.

And FINALLY Happy Birthday to our dear friends @solearysmith @stevejkcurley @madebyothers!!!

Thank you for the great mini-boozey cupcakes by Rayner (@letstryhard), and to our fabulous array of friends @plantsarah @marcosdot @larafugi @RozBeautique @jessica_barlow @MrChrisDeSouza @billyfinnegan & @natdunc (You were missed @jmgcreative, @sunileo86 & @leo_goddard and P).

Floripa

91-93 Great Eastern St
London EC2A 3HZ
+44 207 613 4228

http://floripalondon.com/

Photography © Lucie Kerley (and Sophie O’Leary-Smith)

Pan dan pancakes with coconut Icecream. Lunch @PhoRestaurant with @mellyt26 @sophieolearysmith @tunnelout @stevecurley84 @eiobrien. 

Pretty pictures @LaPetiteBretagn. 

Mmm! `Savoury crepes @LaPetiteBretagn, Hammersmith.