6 of the best places to eat in Copenhagen

Copenhagen is a foodie's paradise. Hands down one of the best cities I've been to for food. There's such a insane collection of different cuisines to try from street food markets to more fancier sit down restaurants with tablecloths. Being lucky enough to spend almost the majority of the week in London stuffing my face, I've turned into a bit of a food snob and rarely spend time in a city that compares. But the food scene Copenhagen was incredible and completely rivalled my 'home' city  - it's easily in my top two of cities I've eaten in. So what did I manage to eat?

1. Fleish
As soon as I discovered The Meatpacking District, I knew that I wanted to spend a lot of my time eating in the area. One restaurant that grabbed my attention was Fleish and I booked us in for an evening meal immediately. This butchers slash eatery has a busy open kitchen and industrial decor vibe. My boyfriend and I are massive meat eaters and really appreciate good quality cuts so this seemed right up our street. Being the greedy little piglets we are, it took us a total of 10 seconds to spot the seven course taster menu and order it. It. Was. Incredible. Easily one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Ever. Consisting of various dishes including ham-wrapped asparagus, rich bone marrow, zesty scallop ceviche and rare steak medallions. The portions were surprisingly generous and the high quality meat was insanely tender. Each bite melted in your mouth, was bursting with flavour and made us hum with pleasure. Copenhagen is not cheap but if you don't mind splashing out, pick this restaurant. You won't regret it one bit, it's worth every single penny.

2. Nose2Tail Madbodega
We both like to be pushed out of our comfort zone when it comes to eating out, eager to try different foods we've never tried before and different cuisines that we've only read about in books. Copenhagen's first sustainable and organic steakhouse is based on the 'nose2tail' concept meaning that every single part of the animal is used. They have three specials on the menu, a meat of the day, an innard of the day and a fish of the day. After choosing to sample the plank, we feasted on a selection of board of different local meats, lashings of mustard, addictive pates and a basket full of bread, alongside a huge slab of pork crackling. Delicious! For the main we decided to ask for the innards of the day which turned out to be veal liver. I'm going to hold my hands up and admit that I didn't fall in love with this. It was a bit too tough and dense for my liking, I prefer chicken livers. But it wasn't horrible in the slightest and was just down to personal taste. It came with a pile of homemade coleslaw, crispy potatoes, roasted tomatoes and garlicky green beans. It is a really cool concept and the atmosphere was buzzing. Definitely one to eat at if you're a big meat fan.

3. Paper Island
Copenhagen Street Food calls this industrial estate near the harbour home. Getting it's name from the paper storage facilities, it's only here until 2017 so make sure you get in a visit quick! It had endless stalls offering everything from potent mojitos to Korean fried chicken. During the evening the place comes alive with live music but during the day it's a really cool place to hang out and eat your way around the stalls before settling down outside along the canal. It's very similar to Street Feast  night market in London. The prices are similar to that too, you're looking at dishes or around £7-10 for a main dish and cocktails are about £9.

4. Mad & Kaffe
For brunch I'd been hearing a lot about this cafe in the Vesterbro district. One word of warning is to arrive early because we ended up waiting around 45 minutes for a table on a Sunday morning at about 11am. It was well worth the queue but sometimes it's just nice to get seated straight away. They do a great mix and match brunch menu during the morning. You can pick from 3, 5 or 7 items - simply mark which ones you want on the menu with a pencil and hand it over to a waitress. I pumped for the avocado in chilli sauce with baked almonds, organic Vesterhavs cheese with fruity marmalade, creamy scrambled egg with chives and fried mushrooms, organic fluffy white and rye bread and spicy fried chorizo sausages. Paired with a fresh orange juice, it was the perfect sized breakfast to fuel lots of walking!

5. Torvehallerne KBH
Boasting over 60 different stalls selling a variety of different dishes, fresh produce and drinks, this food market is the perfect place to enjoy cheap eats without compromising on the taste. Similar to Borough Market in London, the market is a great place to explore. Make sure you take a stroll around the whole place before deciding what to have. Already addicted to the Danish smorrebrod - or open sandwich - we decided to opt for the only stall selling the dish. Piled high with generous toppings of fish, ham and coronation chicken, we eagerly tucked in and declared it absolutely delicious. The one above topped with ham, roasted tomatoes, egg and chives won for me. We obviously had to pick up a Danish pastry for the road too.

6. Schonnemann
This was the surprise of the bunch for me. The restaurant was rated very highly in my Lonely Planet book and kept popping up time and time again during my research. Rightly so, as the three sandwich sample we ate was so flavoursome. They offer over 110 different types of smorrebrod and is a lunch time only restaurant so get there early around 11.30 or book a table. We hadn't a foggiest what to order so decided to go for the set menu paired with a glass of beer. In Denmark, the herring is supposed to always be eaten first and you go from left to right. I couldn't recommend the set menu enough and it was a great introduction into the Danish tradition. The waiter was extremely helpful and friendly, making the whole experience a hundred times better. Definitely one to add to your list!

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Recipe: smoked mackerel and chive quiche

The summer may have been a bit hit and miss this year but you've still got to take advantage of the hot weather when it appears! One of my favourite things to do when the sun starts to shine is to eat al-fresco. A dish that always reminds me of summer is a quiche. This time I opted for a smoked mackerel and chive dish from one of my favourite cookbooks, Faye Makes It Easy. I actually almost followed this to the letter which is very unusual for me but everything from Faye's cookbook is great the way it is.

Paired with some refreshing Galvanina*, the quiche went down a treat! Offering organic flavours - in beautiful embossed bottles - such as Red grapefruit, Ruby orange, Sicilian clementine and Sicilian lemonade, the 100% fruit drinks are absolutely delicious. My personal favourite is the Sicilian Clementine - so fruity!

Ingredients:
1 pack of ready rolled shortcrust pastry
2 large eggs, beaten
200g smoked mackerel fillets
100ml milk
200ml half-fat creme fraiche
I bunch of chives, chopped

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees for a fan oven/ 220 degrees/gas mark 7.

2. Roll out the pastry and line a small tart dish, roughly trim the edges. Prick the base a few times with a fork and blind bake - with baking beads and a sheet of parchment paper - it for 15 minutes.

3. Remove the paper and beads once baked and brush with beaten egg before baking for another five minutes. Set aside once cooked.

4. To make the filling, take the skin off the mackerel, tear the fish into little pieces and scatter over the pastry base.

5. In a large jug, whisk the milk, eggs, creme fraiche and chives with a couple of grinds of pepper and a few pinches of sea salt.

6. Bake for 25 minutes on a baking tray until the top is golden and set.

7. Cut into wedges and serve with a fresh salad - I've gone for roasted vegetable and goats cheese - and a homemade potato salad to up the carb intake!

Please do let me know if you make it, simple drop me a tweet!

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OOTD: blue chevron shirt

Outfit:
Blue chevron shirt: Boohoo* (similar)
Beige midi trench coat: ASOS
Distressed blue denim jeans: F&F (similar)
Gold pointed leather loafers: Topshop
Poppy red Lily bag: Mulberry

This is a weekend staple for me. My shirt collection is slightly getting out of control. It's a simple, comfortable outfit that's perfect for mooching around town and meeting friends. The holes in these jeans are getting bigger and bigger but that's exactly how I like them. I'm dreading the day they fall apart on me. I wore this for Hello Kitty afternoon tea with my favourite blogger pals but more on that gem later on in the week. These gold leather loafers are the most comfortable pair of shoes I own. They were an absolute pain to break in and I think my feet weeped for about five days. But once that was over, they fit like a glove so it's worth taking on the pain for a while. Something to bear in mind if you feel like taking the plunge!

Today I am off to Copenhagen for three days and am so excited to finally visit Scandinavia. I booked the trip for my boyfriend's birthday so looking forward to eating out way around the city and coming back 10 stone heavier. We're going to try and take it easy to make sure we come back relaxed. Which means no ridiculously early alarms and lots of lounging around the apartment eating Danish pastries. Most of the trip is planed around food stops but we do have a few must-visits on our list. See you on the flip side guys!

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Recipe: cous cous, rocket and feta salad with harissa dressing

I've only recently become a salad convert. I used to avoid them like a plague but I think I just hadn't experimented much. Warm vegetables, cous cous or pasta, leaves and a good dressing is what works for me. A little bit of cheese makes everything ten times better too! Lakeland sent me a handy Kilner salad on the go airtight jar. With a small metal cup that slots in the top, it's the perfect trick to combat a soggy salad. No more sacrifices for lunch at work!

Ingredients:
1/2 bag of mixed salad leaves
100g sweetcorn
50g cous cous
100g feta cheese

For the dressing:
1/2 teaspoon of harissa paste
A pinch of sea salt
3 tablespoons of olive oil

Method:

1. Cook the sweetcorn in a pan with boiling hot water. This should take about 10 minutes. Let it cool down.

2. Cook the cous cous according to packet instructions. Let it cool down.

3. Layer the heaviest items first. So start with the cous cous then the sweetcorn, and salad leaves.

4. Put the chopped feta cheese in a separate tub.

5. To make the dressing, mix all three ingredients together and pour into the silver dish that slots into the top of the jar.

It couldn't be simpler! It's a really filling salad for a work lunch - the salty feta cheese and spicy harissa work perfectly together. As always, I'd love to know if you make it so please do tweet me.

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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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