Restaurant review: Franco Manca, Belsize Park, north London

Pizza is my favourite and Franco Manca is my favourite pizza joint in London. Nothing else comes close for me and I love the fact they now seem to be springing up all over the place. After the first branch opened in Brixton Market in 2008, the brand has gone from strength to strength. I introduced Gem to their delights of the pizza when she popped down to visit London for the day.

So what did I go for? Always the number 4. Salty home-cured Gloucester Old Spot Ham, creamy mozzarella, buffalo ricotta, soft wild mushrooms and juicy tomatoes on a chewy, sourdough base. Crisp on the outside yet soft in the middle, the base is the star attraction of the show. Especially when dipped in the gorgeous chilli oil on offer. Paired with their own brand cider, it was the ideal lunchtime treat.

Franco Manca is always so reasonably priced, always so delicious and the staff are always so attentive. For a cheap eat but without any compromising on taste, it always gets a gold star. Those who say London is an expensive place to eat clearly don't know where to look.

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Exploring London: Keats House, Hampstead, north London

When Gem came down to London to visit over the Bank Holiday weekend, she suggested a day out to Keats House in Hampstead. This part of north London isn't a place I visit to often so I was game for exploring it a bit more. It turned out to be an insightful and fascinating afternoon!

Dedicated to the memory of the poet John Keats, we arrived just in time for a tour which I highly recommend. I'm not as much of a fan as Gem so I wasn't too up-to-date on the background of Keats. The tour guide was very enthusiastic and really knew her stuff. It's owned by the National Trust and costs £6.50 to visit - I think tours usually start at 3pm.

On a nice day it's a wonderful place to sit in the gardens - which are free - and think back to John Keats. His life was tragically cut short at 25 and he never fulfilled his potential. His work was only actually in publication four years before his death and he never really had an success until after he died. 

It still amazes me that decades after I first visited London as a child that there are things that I still haven't seen. Make sure you pop into Keats House next time you take a stroll in Hampstead!

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Restaurant review: Chick N Sours, Seven Dials, Covent Garden, Central London

Chick n Sours has been on my to-visit list for ages but like so many restaurants in London, I just had't made it round to visiting. They're popping up quicker than I can visit! But Elodie came over to London for a visit so it seemed like a great excuse to get all the girls together for a feast of chicken, laughter and gossiping. I left wondering why on earth I had left it so long to visit...

We entered to dark mood lighting - a blogger's nightmare-  and banging indie tunes, immediately putting us in a good mood. After consulting Hannah for advice as she had been before, we ordered an insane amount of food to keep us busy for the next two hours. Sadly I didn't try any of the cocktails as I'm on a budget but they're definitely on my list for next time!

Keen for all the chicken, we ordered hot crispy chicken wings covered in an addictive sweet sauce, straight up chicken tenders tossed in seaweed crack and spicy Szechuan aubergine sprinkled in sesame seeds for the token veggie dish. The chicken was succulent, the coating was deliciously crisp and the flavours were punchy. They all provided a great introduction to the menu.

As soon as I saw the K-Pop burger on the menu I was sold. Sandwiched in between a toasted brioche bun, the tender Korean chicken thigh was coasted in gochujang majo and chilli vinegar. The finishing touch was lashings of fresh Asian slaw and lettuce. It was an absolute beauty of a beast. The other dishes on the table included house fry served with unusual pickled watermelon and seaweed crack, and the guest fry coasted in a sweet and sour sour sauce with a soy pepper and pineapple garnish. A few bowls of fries and a selection of inventive dips completed the meal.

We all left nursing very full bellies and sore jaws from laughing too much. Chick n Sours was absolutely delicious and I really can't wait to go back again. The food was superb and it arrived nice and quick, leaving us with plenty of time to gossip during our two hour time slot. Make sure you book in advance and come feeling hungry. You will want to order EVERYTHING!

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Restaurant review: Dip & Flip, Brixton, South London

Dip & Flip had been on my list for an age but as the restaurant are based in south London, it somehow slipped under the radar. South London is so far away from me - east London represent! - that I very rarely make it across the river. But last weekend we were on the Victoria Line and thought we'd make the detour to Brixton to finally tick it off our list.

Dip & Flip are famous for serving their burgers with gravy. Have you heard of anything more perfect? We ordered a potent gin based sour cocktail to kick off the night. Then I decided on gooey cheesy chips. Covered in squeezy cheese, these were wickedly indulgent and covered in a spicy salt to give them a bit of a kick. For the main event, I kept it simple with the Dip & Flip signature burger. A medium rare cheeseburger topped with ribbons of roast beef dunked in gravy alongside ketchup, mustard, slaw and pickles. It was glorious! Probably in my top three burgers I've eaten in the capital. It was simple yet effective. The patty was perfectly cooked and the roast beef was a welcome addition. The rich pot of gravy was the finishing touch. Because we're greedy piglets, we also ordered a bowl of crispy chicken wings with a refreshing blue cheese sauce for the table to share.

Dip & Flip was well worth the wait and I'm slightly annoyed I haven't been sooner. It was well priced, the staff were very friendly and the food was excellent. It's such a shame they all seem to be south of the river but I guess I'm just going to have to start venturing further. I can't wait to go back!

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Exploring London: Barbican Conservatory, central London

Even after all this time I still discover new places in London that I have yet to visit. One of these places is the Barbican Conservatory. A little tropical oasis in the middle of the square mile in the Barbican estate.

We stumbled across this when we were scouting for outfit photo shoots. That blogger life eh? Open only Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays, this hidden conservatory is full of over 2000 species trendy cacti, lush greenery, pretty flowers and fashionable succulents.  It's a great place to whittle away an hour and they have a cafe that offers afternoon tea. You just need to book in advance. It was quite busy so I'd recommend visiting a bit earlier in the day to beat the crowds.

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Restaurant review: Sugar Dumplin, Wembley, north London

I'd been to Sugar Dumplin before in Surrey so was excited to try their London offering in Wembley. I took my mum one Sunday and we trotted off to the corner of north London for an afternoon of shopping and Caribbean food. Could there be any better way to spend a Sunday?

As we settled down into the colourful surroundings, we decided to share a couple of starters between us. The sweet potato fries sprinkled with nigella seeds and spring onions were addictive and we were both sad when the bowl was quickly polished off. We also pumped for a salt cod patty with a side of spicy coleslaw and salad. The portions were just the right size to give us a taste for more.

For our mains I chose the quarter jerk chicken served with a side salad and rice and peas. This really packed a punch which is great because quite often jerk falls short in some places. It had my lips tingling which is always a good sign! The generous bowl of rice and peas was delicious. Looking back, I wish I had ordered a half a chicken! My mum decided to go for the vegetarian butternut squash and chickpea creole roti curry wrap served with rice and peas. Again this had a good kick to it and was pretty filling.

We both took one for the team and decided to pump for dessert. My mum for a duo of creamy chocolate and vanilla ice cream and I for sweet sugar dumplins sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. They were like a dense doughnut and so moreish!

Once again my meal at Sugar Dumplin was absolutely delicious! The service couldn't be better, the food is among some of best Caribbean food I've had and the atmosphere is great. They have a branch in Glasgow, Kingston and Camberley so book yourselves in for a treat.

Thanks for having us guys!

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Restaurant review: Tank and Paddle, Fenchurch Street, central London

A emailed popped in my inbox to see if I wanted to try a new pizza place that had opened up in the Square Mile. Open Monday to Friday, newly opened Tank and Paddle offers pizza, mac and cheese and beer, making it the perfect place for a catch up with Hannah. How could we say no to the ultimate comfort food after a day at work and beat the Monday blues? Pizzas are only £5 on a Monday.

Deciding to get two pizzas and share, we opted for the special of ham and pineapple and Billy Goat's Gruff with toppings including goats cheese, red onion chutney and spinach. Simple is best in my opinion.  The stone-based pizzas had a delicious thin crispy base and a generous amount of toppings which helped them gain a thumbs up from us. The ham and pineapple just had the edge though. We also ordered a side of the smoky mac and cheese. The addictive gooey cheesy pasta was filled with lardons of salty bacon - the perfect partner to the pizza. We enjoyed a glass of Brother's Hop cider to wash it all down.

Tank and Paddle is well-priced, in a good central location and serves delicious food. A great place to whittle away a few hours gossiping with friends. Thanks for having us!

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