February Social

I've decided to start a monthly series featuring what I've been doing. The weeks are going past so fast that I just don't have time to blog about everything individually. Just how is it nearly March already? But I've had fun so I feel my shenanigans don't deserve to go undocumented. Here is what I managed to do in February - it seems I spent a lot of time in Brixton!

Strada, London Bridge
At the end of January - it's nearly February! - I was invited to an evening with Strada at London Bridge. They were celebrating the end of Dry January and showcasing their selection of non-alcoholic drinks. And lots and lots of delicious nibbles. I was very impressed! I didn't even know there was such a wide selection at the restaurant and drinking them make me realise that you really don't miss out when you opt out of wine. I'll definitely be looking out for the sparkling non-alcoholic prosecco next time I'm there!

Bloc Party, o2 Academy, Brixton
Bloc Party are my favourite band in the world. 11 years this 50 Cent and Sean Paul loving, Von Dutch hat wearing girl stumbled across Silent Alarm - stolen from her brother - at my friends house. We put it on and it changed my life. This fast and furious band with fierce political lyrics and cracking riffs just spoke to me. Even now Helicopter still gives me all the feels as it did when I was 16. Silent Alarm is my all time favourite album - nothing beats it for me. As always the band were a pleasure to watch. This now skinny jean wearer, guitar loving, converse wearing and indie girl owes them a lot.

Fish, Wings and Tings, Brixton
This Caribbean restaurant in Brixton Market has been on my to-try list for a very long time. Afro-Caribbean food is by far my favourite cuisine so I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to try this place. We had a spare hour of so before a gig so decided to finally tick it off the list. I opted for incredible codfish fritters with a milky sauce - so soft and addictive - with curried goat for my main course. Served with homemade slaw and a pineapple chutney-type sauce, it was pure comfort food. I'm desperate to go back and order that jerk chicken - just look at that sauce!

The Lion King, West End
My sister-in-law got extra brownies points this year when she took me to see The Lion King for my birthday. Can you believe it's been at the west End for 17 years?! Crazy. It. Was. Incredible. Emotional, entertaining and awe-inspiring. Within minutes I'd completely forgot I was watching actor in costumes and was transfixed. It felt like I was watching real animals in Africa. I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

Bukowski, Brixton
With our first choice for dinner fully booked, we picked this burger joint on a whim. While it's not the best burger I've ever had, it was a good shout. The puck nuggets were the best thing about the meal - I could have eaten them until I went pop. Deep fried duck and pork nuggets smothered in Korean spices with a spicy Kimchi dip. Yeah like I said, I could have eaten them forever. Keeping in with my recent avocado obsession, I pumped for The Californian. A juicy beef patty was piled high with crunchy lettuce, spicy chipotle mayo, Monterey Jack cheese, crispy bacon, a tomato, red onion and creamy avocado. Just as good as it sounds! The avocado was a revelation in a burger and something I'm keen to repeat soon!

Hozier, o2 Academy, Brixton
On the same night as Bukowski, we had a date at the Academy to see Hozier. Take Me To Church was one of my favourite songs of last year. The Irish star has such a haunting, soulful voice that sounds absolutely beautiful live. It was such a chilled out, enjoyable gig and I'd definitely be booking up tickets again next time he tours.

Read more

Review: Duck and Waffle, Bishopsgate, London

Back in January I booked my boyfriend and I a table for brunch at Duck and Waffle for our anniversary. It felt like it had been on our list of restaurants to try forever so celebrating nine year together seemed like the perfect excuse. Not that we often need one to eat out...

Located on the 40th floor of the imposing Heron Tower, Duck and Waffle is famous for it's incredible views over the Big Smoke. It's also famous for it's signature dish which is of course what I opted for.

Starting the breakfast off with a spicy Bloody Mary and a refreshing mimosa, we finally settled on a full English breakfast for my boyfriend and the signature dish for myself - with a side of BBQ spiced pigs ears to share. So how did the food perform?

Incredible! The crispy duck leg confit was perfectly crisp, tender and juicy. No mean feat! It providing a great contrast to the mustard maple syrup and the sweet fluffy waffle - sweet and savoury at its finest. Topped with a fried duck egg, I not surprised this dish is so popular.

The house special got a massive thumbs up from my boyfriend - a man who believes a Full English is a food group. I can confirm those hash browns were a game changer and I may have nicked a bit of his cumberland sausage - ooooh saucy! I loved the fact the portions were decent. Expensive restaurant sometimes tend to be a bit under-generous and you can leave feeling you need a macdonalds on the way home. Those pig ears were a revelation and something I'm desperate to recreate. Incredibly addictive and tangy, they were like a skinnier and better version of the humble pork scratching.

Despite being suitably full and after having a discussion about how we needed to stop eating out so much to save money, we obviously opted for dessert when the waiter came over!

Dried fruit, crunchy granola and Greek yogurt was my boyfriend healthier option whereas I opted for the selection of homemade biscuits to fill my dessert belly. The homemade ginger nut had the ideal mouth of crunch and a suitable kick - exactly how I like it. The biscuits finished off what was probably the best brunch of my life.

It certainly wasn't cheap - costing £85 for a two course breakfast with a cocktail each - but the service is impeccable, the food is delicious and the view is out of this world. There's something about looking over London that makes me feel a little emotional. I feel so darn lucky to work and play in such a fantastic city.

Read more

OOTD: Little black dress

Outfit:
Black crepe midi dress: Zara (similar)
Ombre midi coat: ASOS (similar)
Burgundy leather ankle boots: Next (similar)
Black leather Bayswater: Mulberry

Not the most ground-breaking of outfit but when all else fails, the little black dress always succeeds. It's foolproof when you're having a breakdown in front of your wardrobe struggling to know what to wear. I always like to add a few splashes of colour if I'm going for the all black everything look. This time I opted for burgundy. Again. One day I'll promise I'll stop wearing this coat and these boots so much. Maybe when spring finally arrives. It is coming right?!

I've been making a conscious decision to slow down recently. Clearing my diary and just concentrating on myself. The early nights aren't quite happening but I'm feeling a lot better in myself. I think I was trying to cram in a bit too much, eager not to get FOMO and spending too much money. I love working in the city but commuting is tough. I think you forget how much travelling knocks you for six. So I've been spending the last week - and probably this week! - obsessively watching Dickensian, eating spaghetti on toast, taking candle lit bubble baths and reading Game of Thrones conspiracies. Pretty much perfect.

Read more