Review: Scarlet's, Covent Garden

As soon as I spied an email in my inbox entailed 'Boozy Brunch', I immediately knew I was going to like what it had to say.

Situated on Upper St Martins Lane, Covent Garden this new joint has taken the space left by the old bar Verve. Scarlet’s markets itself as a venue for any time of day. You can visit for brunch like we did or for a bite to eat at lunchtime. If cocktails are more your thing, visit in the evening - I’d recommend the Rum Punch. They even pull the tables back and it become a mini dance floor for you to show off your moves. There’s something for everyone from dusk till dawn!

After being welcomed with delicious peach bellinis, we oohed and ahhed at the incredible shabby chic inspired decor. It was mix-matched at it's finest. Exactly how I would like my house to be! Sitting down, I got to try my very first Bloody Mary. I have to be honest and admit it wasn't really my thing but I gave it a good go! After a long hard look at the menu, I opted for the delicious sounding Eggs Hemingway. Toasted English muffins were topped with lashings of tasty smoked salmon, a soft, perfectly runny poached eggs and two generous drizzle of yummy Hollandaise sauce. Just what I need for breakfast on a Saturday morning!

I got major food envy when I spotted the cream avocado and toast making the rounds. Just look at it! I know what I’ll be having on my next trip. The Egg Florentine also had my belly rumbling! After all that food the alcoholic ice lollies came out. I opted for the amazing Greygoose Vodka and Perrier lolly by Late Night London - what a good choice that was! 

Thanks for such a great Saturday morning Scarlet's!

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A Liverpool City Guide

Travelodge Liverpool Central

Like I mentioned in my photo diary, we were kindly put up by Travelodge. The Liverpool Central hotel was in a prime location. It was far enough away from the centre of the city to be quiet yet only a 20 minute walk to all the action. It wasn’t too far from the Cavern quarter which is fantastic if you’re a fan of the Fab Four! Our rooms were clean, tidy and spacious enough for two girls getting ready with all their belongings flung over the place. I can’t praise the staff enough. They were kind enough to book us a taxi and let us store our suitcases in reception so we didn’t have to lug them around on the last day. Hospitality at it’s finest!

Seal Street

I was recommended this strip of bars and clubs by a relative who used to live in the city. She said it was a student part of town and mostly free from the notorious stag and hen parties that frequent the city. On a side note- I have never seen so many stag and hens in one place! It’s the perfect place to have a bar crawl - so many locals which always means it’s going to be a corker! There’s bars if you fancy a quiet drink with your partner, a few cocktails with your best friend or clubs for a wild night out dancing before you come staggering home at 5am. We went back to the strip both nights for a night of dancing. 

Albert Dock

This part of town looks so beautiful in the sunshine! It’s such a lovely to place to wander around and soak up the city. There’s restaurants, bars, museums, galleries and shops all within this quarter. If you’re a Beatles’ fan, make sure you check out The Beatles Story. Feeling cultural? Check out the Tate art gallery, the International Slavery museum and the Merseyside Maritime Museum. The list is endless!

Moose Coffee

Someone recommended we sample the breakfast at Moose Coffee so who were we to argue! It turned out that Sarah knew her stuff! We had to queue for 15 minutes but before we knew it we were sitting down and inspecting the menu. My hangover self demanded the biggest thing I could find so I settled on Mano Pollo. The classic Huevos Rancheros was topped with strips of chicken. With a generous helping of fresh sour cream, spicy salsa and grated cheddar cheese, it did just the trick. The service was great and we never felt rushed.

Free State Kitchen

I've already reviewed this burger joint on the blog but it definitely belongs in this city guide. It's right by the university and has a wonderful outside garden if the sun is shining. I opted for the BBQ burger which got a massive thumbs up!

Heebie Jeebies

This multiple floored club is one of the best nights out I have had for a very long time. The music is on bang on point. A real mix of old school and modern music with lots of indie, RnB and pop thrown in. They have a fab courtyard - you'll find some right characters! It's open till 4am - if you can handle it!

The Cavern Club

I never expected to love this as much as I did. I'm not too big a fan of the Beatles but you can't help but get swept up in the history as you wander down the dingy steps. We chilled out with a couple of ciders and watched a fab 1960's cover band and a solo man who did rock covers. Before we knew it we'd be perched on a bench for over two hours and our bellies were rumbling. It's a £2.50 entry fee during the day but it's so worth it.

Do you have any Liverpool institutions to add to the list?

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Dealing with set backs

These last few weeks have been extremely tough. I feel like I've had the wind knocked out of my sails and if I'm honest, I'm struggling to get back on my feet. I feel emotionally drained and feeling like a bit of a failure. Last week I was made redundant from my job. The publication had given me the most surreal, hilarious, bizarre and incredible experiences over the last three years. Sometimes I have wanted to pull my hair out in rage but most of the time I have wanted to pinch myself thanks to all the amazing opportunities I was given. I feel so attached to the magazine with it being my first ever job in the crazy journalism world. It was the magazine that helped me achieve my dream.

But then the Tunisian tragedy happened. My parents were in the exact hotel just a week before. They laid on that beach soaking up the rays. I spoke to them via Skype in that lobby. I laughed with a member of staff who gatecrashed one of our Skype calls. My parents came home and raved about what a wonderful place Sousse was and how they had the most fantastic week. They couldn't praise the hotel staff enough. When the information started pouring in over social media, it really hit home just how devastating the situation is. I could have been scrambling to find a flight and heartbreakingly identifying my parents. I could be an orphan - it doesn't bare thinking about. What kind of world do we live in that people think behaviour like this is acceptable? How dare someone take someone's life in such a brutal way? The world is becoming such a a scary place. I can't even begin to imagine the horror those poor people felt when a man opened fired on the beach. Somewhere they were relaxing, forgetting their troubles and completely unaware.

I may have lost my job but I'm still standing. Losing my job isn't the end of the world. It may seem so at the time but something always happens to make you feel incredibly lucky.  I'm still about to give my loved ones a hug before I go to bed. I'm still able to ring them up for a chat. Whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger - certain things are sent to try us. To test our strength. I'm hoping this redundancy means that something better is around the corner. I'm looking forward to finding out what other things I'm capable of. I feel like this could be the chance for me to have a new career.  I'm going to dust myself off and become a warrior and not a worrier. Life's too short.

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Review: Free State Kitchen, Liverpool

As soon as my trip to Liverpool was booked, I set about looking for a burger joint. I came across Free State Kitchen in the student part of town which had rave reviews. Naturally I dragged my friend across town as soon as it opened to feed our slight hangovers. A burger sorts out every hangover right?

I didn't hesitate when I saw the menu and opted for the Barbecue Cheeseburger. The medium rare beef patty was smothered in a sweet BBQ sauce, smokey Applewood cheddar, carmalised onions and a yummy baconnaise. It was perfectly messy but the toasted bun held up and it didn't break apart in my hands. Always the sign of a great bun when it soaks up the juices!

The rosemary chips didn't really qualify as rosemary apart from a few specks of herbs. I couldn't taste any rosemary at all. But they were still tasty. Crunchy on the outside by soft on the inside is always a winning combination.

I always struggle to find great burgers outside of London - #burgersnob – and while this wasn't the best I've ever had, it had me rubbing my belly with glee after I finished. It was delicious and I'd recommend checking it out if you're ever in that part of the world.

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A Liverpool photo diary

Last weekend I was very kindly invited by Travelodge to try out their hotel in the heart of Liverpool. Armed with my best friend, wine, glad rags and lots of gossip, we were up bright and early to catch the bus from London. Despite the journey taking a nightmare 10 and a half hours - we could have flown to NYC sob! - we didn't let this dampen our spirits.

We arrived at about 8.45pm so quickly ordered some pizza and poured some wine to get ready for a night on the tiles. Liverpool is a cracking night out! Once again I'm going to do a separate city guide with all my favourite haunts. It was a great weekend spent dancing, eating too much and basking in the sunshine. I really didn't expect to love the city as much as I did. The people were so friendly and there's so much to do. I even got swept up with Beatlemania despite not being too much of a fan!

It was so lovely to spend a few days away with a friend who I really don't see enough of. I can't believe we're celebrating 12 years of friendship this year - how did we get so old?!

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Dinner with Strada

Last week I was kindly invited out for a blogger dinner with the Italian restaurant Strada. We were treated like Queens! Alongside free-flowing prosecco and white wine, we were given canapés and three courses in front of one of the city's most famous landmarks - London Bridge. It was such a wonderful evening and so lovely to get to know like-minded bloggers who are obsessed with food!

I have to be honest and admit that I tend to stay away from most chain restaurants as I think the food scene in London is of such a high quality, it seems a shame to go somewhere with mass produced food. But I will eat my hat! Strada has bucked the trend and is producing fresh, tasty food for its customers.

We were given plump green nocellara olives to start. Next up was a fresh caprese salad consisting of creamy buffalo mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, basil and a generous drizzle of olive oil. The perfect dish to help soak up the summer! Then I tried Burrata for the first time draped on top of proscuitto ham with crunchy toast - my favourite of the tasters. Creamy risotto and tender rare steak followed. Finally we were presented with a crispy veal covered in crunchy breadcrumbs. My belly was already feeling full and then we were told we would be treated to a three course meal of our choice. Wow!

For my starter I couldn't help but opt for the Spring Veggie Bruschetta on such a warm evening. Peas, spring onions and soya beans were mixed with creamy ricotta, mint and a squeeze of bitter lemon. It was the perfect portion size and the soft cheese went brilliantly with the crunchy slice of bread. For my main I chose the Cavatappi Genovese. El dente corkscrew pasta was smothered in basil nuts, topped with crunchy pine nuts alongside a scattering of soft new potatoes and fresh green beans. Delicious! I never wanted the bowl of pasta to run out! Finally for my dessert I wanted something light to counteract such a huge meal! The lemon sorbet was a no brainer. It was incredibly refreshing - just the ticket to end such a fantastic meal.

I joined the head chef of the restaurant to attempt to spin my own pizza base. He certainly made it look a lot easier than it was. Simply covered in a tart tomato sauce and nutty pesto, the pizza was divine. It tasted all the better knowing that I spun it myself. Not bad for my first attempt - but lets look over the fact it looks slightly oval!

I finally got the train home with a full belly, feeling a little merry and armed with an amazing personalised Strada apron. It was a lovely way to see out a Thursday - thanks for the invite guys! Big thanks to Angela and Felicia for catching me in action too!

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A Luxembourg City Guide

Bock Casemates
Way back in 963, a fort was built around Luxembourg. Within this was a 23km long network of casemates housed a community underneath. Soldiers, horses, bakeries, kitchens, workshops and slaughter houses were all buried underground. 17kg of the tunnels still remain this very day. It's an amazing, unique experience to walk around deep underground and imagine what it was like hundreds of years ago. Make sure you stop and peer out of the gaps for amazing views of the city. Be prepared for the tunnels to be very narrow and for lots of stairs to be climbed.

Philharmonie Luxembourg 
This stunning modern building hosts various musical events throughout the year - it's home to the incredible Philharmonic Orchestra of Luxembourg. We luckily managed to catch them in a free open air concert so make sure you try and grab tickets to see them at the concert hall. They give you goosebumps!

Chocolate House
If you have a sweet tooth, you'll be in your element here. Word of warning, when you choose you cake, make sure you share - it's the size of your head! The delicious cafe is situated right outside the impressive Grand Ducel Palace. You can opt for lunch upstairs or sit outside and soak up the views. They have so many flavours of hot chocolate to choose from and lots of sweet treats to nibble on. It's a lovely place to rest your weary feet after a few hours exploring the city.

Hotel Le Chatelet
At only a 15 minute walk from the city centre, this family-run hotel is in the perfect location. It's far enough to be in a quiet area yet close enough should you want something a little more lively. Buffet breakfast is also included which is great to help get you started for the day. Pastries galore! The airport is only ten minutes away by car - perfect!

Brasserie Neumunster

This restaurant is situated in a remodelled ex prison and church near the old town of the city. At lunch time they offer a lovely free jazz concert in the courtyard of the abbey. Afterwards there's a buffet on offer where you can eat until your hearts content! I obviously treated myself to a fair few plates. It's a lovely place to just sit back, relax and enjoy some superb music. It gets extremely busy so get there early before the music starts at 11am.

If you're planning a trip, make sure you visit www.visitluxembourg.com for some great tips! 

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A Luxembourg City Photo Diary

I have to be honest and say Luxembourg City was never really on my radar but when a press trip popped up, I was intrigued. I decided to go for it because it was something a little out of ordinary, a country I didn't know too much about and a few days away soaking up the vibe of another city. I'm very glad I decided to go!

I had such a lovely three days away and it was such an interesting country to learn about. There's not too much to fit in but I think that is part of it's charm. You can really take your time taking in the sights. Sometimes it all gets a little too much when there's so much on the itinerary. Taking a walk around the old town is wonderful thanks to the architecture being so pretty. There's just something about buildings steeped in history. One thing I love about Europe is that the walls really do speak. You don't always get that history elsewhere. I fully recommend a walking tour so you really get to know the city inside out - it has such an fascinating history.

We were lucky enough to go during their annual free musical festival. Listening to opera from a live orchestra whilst eating dinner outside was genuinely a highlight in my life - it honestly gave me goosebumps.

I won't say too much about recommendations as I'll be putting together a city guide in the next few days. Luxembourg City is the perfect break away if you enjoy good food, good wine and the slower pace of city life. Sometimes it nice to take a step back and just enjoy plodding along at your own pace.

This weekend I'm in Liverpool, June is turning into a very busy month!

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