Review: Coin Laundry, Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell


Last week I met up with Kim after work to put the world to rights and try out Coin Laundry in Exmouth Market. Kim had kindly invited me along as her plus one and we settled down for a feast. Located on the corner of Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell, Coin Laundry prides itself on using seasonal ingredients and changing their menu frequently to ensure they always offer something different. The restaurant has a great laid back vibe with wooden tables, abstract art and exposed brickwork. They also had a cool basement bar with pinball machines - sadly we didn't get to try this out but there's always next time!





Kim was given a strong but delicious bourbon based cocktail with tangy ginger beer which handily came with a side of jelly beans to keep the hunger pangs at bay.  I was treated to refreshing  elderflower and prosecco based tipple. Just the right drink to help celebrate being halfway through the working week!

After lots of umming and ahhing we finally settled for creamy coronation chicken in a crispy vol-au-vent and deep fried battered marrow with creme fraiche to share. Impressed by the portions, the dishes were delicious. Garnished with grated pickled egg and shredded greens, the coronation chicken had a slight kick. The battered marrow was much more tasty that I thought it would be. The huge chunks of marrow had just the right amount of batter to stop it from being too greasy. All in all, a good start to the meal so we were excited to see what the main course would bring.





As a massive fan of curry I opted for the spicy vegetarian runner bean balti with an abundance of potato chunks, shredded greens, bay leaves, and topped with a slice of lemon. It was served with a fluffy naan and sticky white rice. I loved the takeaway novelty of the serving of the naan in a paper bag. It's the little touches like this that helps restaurants to stand out. The runner beans were soft and addictive with the sauce having a great kick. I like a curry sauce that makes my lips tingle!

Kim plumped for a huge nostalgic chicken kiev and rich cauliflower cheese. It came with a cool chewing gum to cope the garlic breath and a tiny little chefs hat on the kiev as a finishing touch. We were recommended the tomato salad and spring greens so ordered these to share. For such a simple dish, the heritage tomato salad was fresh, flavoursome and came with a zesty wicked dressing.

With such a great choice of restaurants located on the tiny strip of Exmouth Market, it can be hard for any eatery to stand out. But Coin Laundry is a solid choice. The cocktails were great, the food was hearty and the service was friendly if not a little slow at time. Thanks for letting me tag along Kim!


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OOTD: Yellow floral dress




Outfit:
Yellow floral midi dress: ASOS
Gold leather loafers: Topshop (similar)
Black cross body bag: Next (similar)

Throwing it back to the heatwave we had a few weeks ago, feels like a distant memory now eh? Look at that bright sunshine! I treated myself to this dress when I clocked it had gone in the sale. I'd had it in my saved items for quite a while and needed £20 off to finally take the plunge. The shopping gods were clearly shining down on me.

I'm on countdown now to my holiday on Monday. I feel like I've been waiting forever and it's finally here. We're going to be travelling around Eastern Europe for two weeks visiting Prague, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. I never got the chance to have a gap yah so looking forward to having a mini travelling break. I think I'm looking forward to Budapest the most as it's been on my bucket list for years. We've been lucky enough to be out there on the first day of Sziget music festival so will be seeing Rihanna - hopefully she puts on a good show. If anyone has any suggestions for things to do in the cities, I'm all ears!


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Review: Hello Kitty afternoon tea, Cutter & Squidge, Soho


At the beginning of July I joined some of my favourite girls, Hannah, Sarah, Michelle and Lily, for an afternoon of eating lots of cake and drinking endless cups of tea at the Hello Kitty afternoon tea. On offer until 31st August, Cutter and Squidge is hosting the first ever pop-up cafe in Europe dedicated to the iconic character. At £40 it isn't a cheap afternoon tea by any means but you do get an awful lot of cake and savoury treats to savour with the option to refill if you wish. Which we did. Obviously. So, what did we get to eat?



Starting with a cute milk bottle of sweet pink lemonade, I opted for a pot of white peach loose tea to keep me refilled throughout the afternoon. My eyes grew as wide as saucers when the waitress put all our treats in the middle of the table. Following tradition we started in the selection of savoury sandwiches first. Cucumber and cream cheese, hummus and pepper, cheese and red onion and salmon and chive were all on the menu. The cheese and red onion sandwiches were divine and I made sure I asked for a second round of these. The generous fillings got a massive thumbs up from me.



After we had scoffed all the sandwiches it was time to try out the sweet treats. My favourites were the sweet strawberry milkshake biskie, rich white cake truffle and the decedent Kitty's chocolate mud pie. With so many sugar-filled concoctions, it was a welcome relief to try the savoury cheese scones with delicious red pepper relish and cream cheese. In fact, I think these were my favourite part. The scones had a lovely crunch yet fluffy middle and the subtle cheese flavour help to give them something a little special. A special shout out to the juicy strawberries with a creamy chocolate dip - they were the perfect end to a wonderful afternoon.



I'll hold my hands up and admit I'm not really much of a Hello Kitty fan and only went along because I wanted to spend some quality time with the lads. But I had such an amazing afternoon and completely got caught up in the moment. The staff were attentive and helpful, the sheer amount of food on offer was amazing and despite a 1.20 hour slot, I didn't really feel too rush as they moved us to a different part of the cafe so we could continue with our nattering. It's quite a lot of money for something if you're not into the hype but if you are, you really can't miss out!

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A Essex based lifestyle blogger who lives a champagne life on a lemonade purse!

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sophie.warner89@yahoo.co.uk.

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