Exploring the UK: how to spend 24 hours in Bristol

Last weekend I travelled down to Bristol with four of my favourite people for a weekend of laughs, food and lots of gin. It was such a lovely weekend and I'm suffering from major blues having to come back to real life. Bristol is such a fun, vibrant and great city that I thought I'd put together a little guide to make the most of 24 hours in the city

Where to eat
Bristol is home to an incredible food scene and I wished we fitted in more meals. We started our Saturday with a bang with brunch at Porto Lounge.  Located in the Fishponds area of the city, it overlooks Victoria Park. Looking to fuel up for the day I opted for the Vegetarian breakfast, but judging by noises of appreciation, the pancakes were an excellent shout. Piled high on the plate was a courgette and sweetcorn fritter, crispy hash browns, juicy baked beans, sweet slow-roasted tomatoes, sautéed button mushrooms, wood-roasted peppers, fried egg, spinach and a slice of wholemeal toast. A beauty of a breakfast and one that went down very well indeed!

For dinner we plumped for for a bite to eat at pizza and cider specialists Stable in Harbourside. I've been to the branch in London so was pretty excited to see how the two compared. It's a fantastic place to go with a group of friends as you simply wander up to the bar to order your pizza and drink - no headache of spilting the bill! The pizzas as predicted were absolutely delicious thanks to the thin crispy base and generous toppings. As a massive fan of Caribbean food, I decided to go for the special of Jerk chicken. Spicy, tender chicken, salty bacon and a combination of red onion and fresh spring onions was topped gooey mozzarella cheese on a tomato sauce base. It had a great kick to it and I was pretty sad when it was demolished.

Where to drink
We started our night with a couple of cocktails at The Milk Thistle. Hidden away in a old building and accessible only by an intercom, this classy, old-fashioned bar has a cocktail menu to die for. It felt like we had stepped back in time and set up shop in someone's living room. The staff were fab and we put the world to rights in front of a stuffed badger wearing sunglasses. As you do. I'd fully recommend booking a table here to kick off your night.

We ventured towards Harbourside and further into town to a bar called Kongs. With an industrial vibe, this bar boasts retro arcade machines, a ping pong table and table football. The perfect place to hang out with a couple of gin and tonics while laughing with friends. It had a really diverse crowd and was somewhere I could imagine spending the night. But we had a club beckoning us so we only stayed for a couple.

Like I mentioned, in a bid to hang onto our fast disappearing youth we decided to hit the town hard and ended up at Pryzm, a stones throw away from the Habourside. Full to the brim of stag and hen dos, I haven't been to a club like this for years. But it was so much fun! With seven themed rooms, five bars and two clubs, it was absolute massive but we spent our time in the cheese room dancing to the likes of Five and Spice Girls. The floor was sticky, only plastic glasses were allowed and I lost count at the amount of people who trod on my feet. But it was so good to dance until 4am with my favourite girls and really let our hair down. I was feeling pretty smug at stumbling in my friends house at 4.45am but was soon feeling very sorry for myself on the train home.

What to do
Bristol is a great place to just wander aimlessly, soaking up the quirky streets. I would definitely recommend a self-guided Banksy walking tour. We managed to spot his most recent street art above - the girl in the pearl earring. I know people have mixed views on street art but it's something I really enjoy seeing. It's just a shame some people have tried to devalue a few pieces by chucking paint over them. A walk along the harbour is also a fab way to whittle away a few hours. For only 90p you can get a short boat journey across the harbour to S.S Britain. If shopping is your jam, head to the undercover Cabot Circus for an incredible selection of shops, restaurants and bars. We actually hid out in the crazy golf to hide from the rain!

This is my second visit to Bristol and each time I visit I fall in love a little bit more. I'm very grateful for having a friend there and will try not to leave it so long before I visit next!

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Review: Indigo, Aldwych, Central London

I'm the first to admit that I don't usually venture into hotel restaurants, here or abroad. I always like to get out to explore. But when I was invited to try out Indigo at the One Aldwych hotel, I decided to see if my narrow-mindedness was holding me back. Indigo is a gluten and dairy-free informal restaurant in the heart of Covent Garden. But you would never know when you stepped inside, it felt a world away from the hustle and bustle of one of London's busiest areas.

After studying in the menu over a glass of fizz, I finally came to my decision. I wanted to try something that normal had gluten to see if it could compare. For a starter I opted for thinly sliced lamb belly, crispy shallots and pistachios drizzled with an egg mayonnaise gribiche sauce. I loved the slight kick the mustard gave with the sauce and the crunch of the shallots gave the dish much needed texture. The lamb was incredibly tender and the portion was the perfect size to start with. It only increased my appetite! My dining partner opted for the cured Loch Duart salmon with shreaded citrus fruit, creamy avocado and a sprinkling of coriander. It looked absolutely incredible and I have it on good authority that it was!

The main course saw me try hand rolled potato gnocchi with fresh, tender asparagus and sweet peas. I enjoyed every mouthful and didn't want it to end. The gnocchi was crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the end - it melted in my mouth with every bite. The veg was cooked to perfection and the whole dish blended together superbly. I did watch on envious as my friend's lamb rump arrived with a side of samphire, smoked aubergines, capers and anchovies.

I wasn't going to leave without sampling a dessert so chose the lemon and rapeseed cake with a hazelnut praline.  I was pretty skeptical before trying the dairy free ice cream but I honestly couldn't tell the difference - it was so wonderfully creamy.

Since my meal at Indigo I think I'm going to be a more open-minded when it comes to trying restaurants in hotels. You really shouldn't judge a book by its cover. The service was faultless, each mouthful of food was delicious and the atmosphere was buzzing. It's a fantastic place in the heart of Covent Garden to go for a bite to eat away from the crowds. Someone I'd definitely be recommending to friends!

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Review: The Prince Albert, Battersea, south-west London

There's nothing I love more than a lazy pub lunch at the weekend. But considering how many pubs we have in this country, it can be pretty hard to find decent grub. So many pubs are below par - especially in London. But I've found a corker. Enter The Prince Albert, a gastropub overlooking Battersea Park.

We walked in towards the end of an England V Australia rugby match to a rousing atmosphere. We took our seat and poured over the menu before made the tough decision on what to order. I wanted something a little lighter so opted for the grilled aubergine, creamy melted goats cheese, oyster mushrooms, spiced tomato sauce and sourdough toast with a drizzle of what tasted like pesto. The flavours went complimented each other perfectly with none overpowering the other.

My boyfriend opted for his childhood favourite of corned beef. Only this time it was a little posher! With a pate type consistency, this homemade corned beef is topped with pickled mushrooms, roasted bone marrow and horseradish mayo. It was absolutely wolfed down within minutes so I think it was a success!

For mains I decided to pump for the fish and chips after spying a gentleman eating it on the table next door. A generous Young's Ale battered cod with mushy peas, tartare sauce and triple cooked chips was the order of the day. I often stay away for battered cod as it can sometimes be a bit too much grease but I needn't have worried this time. It had a perfect amount of crunch but didn't leave a lingering aftertaste of grease as many battered foods do. The chunky fluffy chips and sharp tartare were exactly what I was after.

Always a pie boy, my boyfriend picked the chicken, leek and mushroom pie in a rich creamy sauce topped with a layer of flaky puff pastry. I managed to sneak a mouthful and can confirmed that it was absolutely delicious. The shredded chicken was tender, the filling was generous and the side of garlic bobby beans were flavoursome.

Despite declaring we couldn't eat another thing, as soon as the dessert menu was offered our ears perked up. I knew exactly what I was having as soon as I glanced down. Sticky Toffee Pudding. Topped with caramelised crispy sliced bananas and drizzled in a generous layer toffee sauce with a side of cornflake ice cream. Perfection.  I have it on good authority that the lemon macerated strawberries with Chantilly cream and baby meringues was pretty delicious too.

The food was inventive, delicious and classic - I wish we could have tried more! The staff were friendly and attentive, But a special heads up to the Italian waiter who was cracking jokes and made us feel very welcomed. Thanks so much for a wonderful afternoon guys!

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OOTD: Green midi dress

Outfit:
Green midi broderie shirt dress: ASOS
Light wash denim jacket: Primark (similar)
Pony hair black block heeled sandals: New Look (similar)
Red leather Lily bag: Mulberry

I've been stockpiling lots of summer dresses ready for my trip to Copenhagen at the beginning of July. Which really means I've been obsessively checking the new in section on ASOS and buying lots of things I don't really need. Standard behaviour. One of the things I came across during my daily search was this green midi. It was lovely at first sight. A dress that goes from day to night. Perfect for a day exploring Copenhagen before retiring for dinner in the Danish city. Its casual enough to wander but smart enough to make it look like you've made an effort. What more could you want from a dress? I gave the dress a debut during a lazy Saturday walk around Battersea Park before feeding our faces at the Prince Albert pub. But more on that pub lunch in the next post. Spoiler. It was absolutely delicious!

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Review: Street Feast night market, Dalston, east London

Street Feast has been going for a while now but I've never quite made it down despite it being pretty high up on my 'must eat immediately' list. Dalston always seemed a little too out of the way for this lazy cat but boy am I regretting not jumping on the orange line sooner. Open April through to October, every weekend, Street Feast is based in the old slightly derelict Dalton Yard. Scattered with fire drums, rickety old chairs, make do tables and a holey roof, its the perfect place to gather up some friends and spent an evening stuffing your face and drinking like a fish. I want to go every week! Top tip - share portions so you get to try more. It's expensive but what's the point in going if you're not greedy right?

So what did we try?

Breddos Tacos
I knew these were one of my favourite street food stalls in London so managed to persuade/bully my boyfriend that these bad boys should be our first port of call. Turned out he loved them as much as me and declared them his favourite meal of the whole evening. We opted for a crispy fish taco topped with a creamy aioli sauce, radish and a crunchy chicken taco pilled up with a vegetable slaw, spicy sauce and coriander. I could have eaten these all night. Perfectly cooked, delicately flavoursome and addictively moreish.

White Men Can't Jerk
Caribbean food is one of my all-time favourite cuisines but it's so hard to do right. I had heard good things on the grapevine about WMCJ so was hoping they lived up to the hype. And they did. Just look at the delightful jerk chicken. What an utter beauty. The rice and peas alongside the crunchy slaw were the perfect accompaniment and helped to combat the fire in the chicken. One word of warning, do not put that yellow pepper in your mouth whole and eat it. Otherwise steam will start coming out of your ears and tears will start running down your face.

Mother Clucker
We wanted something simple for our last meal of the evening and how can you go wrong with some chicken tenders? You can't, you just can't. Strips of tea-brined, buttermilk dreaded fried chicken strips drizzled in a lime mayo and a hot sauce. These didn't feel like they had an ounce of grease on them and the chicken was deliciously tender. A great finale to the night.

Killa Dilla
New that week, this quesadilla track was just begging to be sampled. A smoked short rib with oozing mozzarella, a kick of blue cheese, spicy kimchi and pickled grilled red onion packed inside a toasted tortilla wrap. All served with a side of creamy avocado. The short beef was absolutely incredible and I'd have happily eaten the whole thing. But alas, I had to share. But I'd recommend you get one all to yourself.

Yum bun
A steamed bun was something else that my boyfriend had never had so I made sure we stopped here too so he could continue his food education. We decided to plump for one slow roasted pork belly with fresh cucumbers, spring onions and a glug of hoi sin sauce and another of roasted Portobello mushroom, toasted walnuts and a miso glaze. Both we absolutely lovely but the pork belly won for me. The mushroom came across a little bland in comparison.

Slider bar
A trio of bacon cheeseburgers were ordered and demolished within seconds. Slightly greasy but just how I like my burgers. A dirty burger if you will. The american cheese was generous and the crispy bacon was heavenly. The toasted sesame seed bun held together and soaked up the juices like a true champ. A winner all round.

Drinks
The Gin Store store is a must visit for any gin fiends - over 40 different types to choose from I think. Gin heaven. The Rum shack is also a good shout for potent cocktails. You heard it here. The can hatch is great if you're into craft beer.

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The perfect drinks and picnic pairing with ASDA

Now that summer is supposed to be well on its way, it brings with it lazy weekend days in the park surrounded by good food and even better drinks. With so much choice in the shops, it can be overwhelming choosing what to pack for a picnic. Luckily ASDA have come to the rescue and offers some suggestions for some brilliant food and drink pairings. And I was lucky enough to spend an evening trying them all out!

We tried a variety of different tipples ranging from tasty wine, refreshing g+ts and tangy pale ales. All the perfect drinks to take in a picnic basket and have alongside a few cheeky nibbles.

First up was the Mainbrace Indian Pale Ale paired with a hearty pork pie. I feel something so meaty needs a refreshing drink so the ale was a great choice. As an ale avoider I actually didn't mind this at all, which means it must be pretty good!

Next was the Extra Special Pinot Noir with spicy sweet chilli hummus. With hints of cherry and raspberry, the light fruity wine was surprisingly a great contrast to the fiery hummus, helping to balance out the intense flavour. I bypassed the Espartero Rioja Joven as I'm not a fan of red wine but I heard it on good authority that it was a corker. Judging by all the appreciative noises!

Now the Le Grand Clauzy Sauvignon Blanc was definitely something I could get on board with. Especially when it's paired with a delicious butternut squash and cous cous salad. The crisp, zingy wine complimented the fresh taste of the salad. A good choice ASDA!

Nothing screams summer than a ice cold gin and tonic, these handy cans couldn't be perfect for a picnic. Pop on your fancy pants and pair it with lashings of smoked salmon. If you're going to indulge, indulge to the max. Am I right?

Wine and cheese were born to be together. Soulmates if you will. So it's no wonder that the bubbly sweet Calafia Muscatel white wine is a fantastic partner for creamy roquefort. Both the intense flavours are like fireworks when paired together.

Finally no picnic is complete with a few glasses of fizz. It would be criminal to not pack some in that basket. The grand finale was Nicolas Feuillate Champagne with chocolate sponge cake filled with oodles of tiny sweets. Definitely worth a splurge if you're planning for a special al-fresco event. A perfect end to a lovely evening.

Are there any drink and food pairings that you would recommend?

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