Restaurants

Having visited two ‘other’ Ivy restaurants recently (Windsor & Covent Garden), we thought it would be a great to take Doreen to the very first and original Ivy, which has been here since 1917. Finding a restaurant that ticks all the boxes for Doreen is ….read more

Well, what a coincidence… We love this Fitzrovia venue, so Emma and I decided to buy a voucher for “Lost in Paris” experience, and use it on some random night in February. We had also gifted my daughter and Alex an experience for the same ….read more

Just a short post of Doreen’s 91st birthday meal at the Ivy, Covent Garden. A wonderful meal which was incredible value considering its location. Being her 91st Birthday we were treated by the Ivy staff to a complimentary glass of champagne each upon arrival, and ….read more

Our annual get together with Emma’s Lancaster University buddies and long standing friends found us doing what we do every year – drink far too much and have a blast. We tried to organise this before Christmas, but with diaries being jammed, and restaurants booked, ….read more

With Tony and Erin flying over from the Canadian Rockies, we managed to squeeze in a brief meet-up on the very first night of the first leg of their mini-European tour (UK, Switzerland, Italy). After their long flight from Calgary and a much-needed power nap ….read more

A London catch up It was so lovely to meet up with Karen Bird for an evening in London last night. It hardly felt like five minutes since we’d last seen each other—though in truth it was many moons ago. Emma and I travelled up ….read more

From London Bridge railway station, we did something we rarely do and hailed a Black Cab. Usually we travel everywhere in the City by bus or tube, but tonight was a little special; a long awaited and previously postponed night out with my cousin Evelyn ….read more

I really ought to take a few more pictures of the venues we go to and food we eat, but then it’s a sign of a good night when we think about this at the end. Emma and her old Lancaster University friend, Lofty, had ….read more

A beautiful sunny Friday afternoon and a nice trip to Brother Marcus restaurant in Borough Market. The place was heaving with day trippers and tourists enjoying the Spring sunshine. Being only 15 minutes from our closest train station its always nice to head here, especially ….read more

This place never disappoints and these evenings are always great fun! We popped up from The London Underground at Oxford Street Station, wandered along an empty Regent Street towards the BBC, before hanging a right at Little Portland St. We found a cosy public bar ….read more

Well, this was a Christmas gift from more than a year ago that if I’m honest I was in two minds about … A little part of me was worried that this would be full of pretentious tosspots talking about ‘notes’ and ‘body’ and trying ….read more

Very POSH afternoon tea at the Lanesborough, an unbranded high end hotel located at the site of the old St. George’s Hospital in Hyde Park Corner in Knightsbridge.  It’s a pretty awesome place. Top drawer elegance and service off the scale.  It was Doreen’s 90th ….read more

Italian – Marylebone  Another gathering of Emma’s Lancaster Uni friends and their partners brought us this time to a lovely Italian restaurant called Caldesi. It was my second time here, and as usual with this group of friends, far too much vino was consumed!  It’s ….read more

A return to Six by Nico for a six course tasting menu in celebration of Sarah’s 30th Birthday. The menu this time was Italian, with an Amalfi spin. We chose the wine pairing option, six courses with five different glasses of wines selected to complement ….read more

Tonight, in the height of summer, it seemed like the ideal time to redeem a voucher we were gifted by my daughters and their partners at Christmas. They know us well. We arrived into Victoria by train and meandered our way towards our destination, via ….read more

An exceptional night out at the Canary Wharf venue. Our second time at this small niche restaurant chain, the last time we visited the Fitzrovia venue.  We started with some “pre’s” near Kings Cross where we found a lovely wine bar called “Bar Rioja” which ….read more

PIE AND MASH – VARIOUS  Cockneys of Croydon  G Kelly – Bethnal Green  F Cooke – Broadway Market  As I am from London I couldn’t stick a post on here without a mention of my favourite East End dish, Pie and Mash. Now the problem ….read more

Paddington, Regents Canal.  Well this was a little quirky! A floating restaurant on the Regents Canal in Paddington. The weather was kind to us as we walked along the towpath in search of the barge. Emma had heard of this place from a friend on ….read more

This has got to be our favourite Indian restaurant – hands down! The menu here is nothing like you’d expect in a more “traditional UK based” Indian restaurant. It appears to draw from influences from all over the place. The main dish in the centre ….read more

The Shard, London Bridge  Now this was an experience to remember.  The views across London are spectacular and I’d certainly recommend it for a special occasion. It’s not your average place to dine. Don’t blink or you’ll miss the journey on the super fast lift ….read more

We spent the morning exploring Columbia Road flower market, this is an old market that has been going for over a century and a half in this part of London. I didn’t realise until recently that the unusual trading day was switched from Saturday to ….read more

This is a great way to enjoy a meal, tapas style and sharing dishes. We had a gift from Emma’s kids, but the staff managed to give us an accidental upgrade which meant an absolute feast of a meal which was also incredibly good quality ….read more

OK.. So the weather wasn’t playing ball, as we headed along the Southbank from London Bridge station popping into the Anchor pub before seeking out “Lumin Beach” a Caribbean themed food-shack just past the OXO tower. We headed inside (for warmth) despite the lure of ….read more

Royal Exchange  Never been here before, but walked past it many times. Again, we doubled up a trip here with a wander around London both before and after. I don’t have any photos of the food, but we really enjoyed the evening.  The location is ….read more