Restaurant review: Honey & Co, Fitzrovia, central London

Middle Eastern food is fast overtaking Vietnamese as my favourite cuisine to eat, so I was all over it when it was suggested we pop to Honey & Co to try their breakfast. For a mere £16.50, the table is presented with a selection of meze, breads, olives, pickles, cereal, yogurt, fresh fruit and homemade jams. Then everyone gets to choose their own eggs. It's one of the best value breakfasts I've had in London. The amount of food included is INSANE.

Highlights for me included the incredible addictive ashura grain cereal packed with sweet caramelised nuts topped with tart greek yogurt, the creamy hummus drizzled in olive oil and the delicious green Shakshuka with two Cornish eggs boasting a blinding orange yolk. I wish I had room to have it all over again. And again. And again.

A tiny restaurant tucked in what seems like no man's land in central London, Honey & Co is like eating in someone's living room. It's a tad annoying that you can only have the table for 90 minutes as I believe Middle Eastern food should be drawn out to be enjoyed. But alas, that's what you get when you dine in such a popular restaurant - we booked brunch three weeks in advance. The food was absolutely delicious, the staff were attentive and now I'm frantically trying to get my hands on their cookbook to try out their recipes at home.

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Hotel review: Hotel Grand Ferdinand, Vienna, Austria

As we were only in Vienna for a couple of nights, I wanted to make the most of it by booking us into a really nice hotel. Enter Hotel Grand Ferdinand. Located about a 15 minute walk from the centre, this sleek and stylish hotel couldn't be in a better location. Boasting three restaurants and a rooftop bar, there's no need to really leave it either if you don't want to. It seemed like the perfect hotel for us. And it was.

We booked the smallest room which worked out about £130 plus 13% tax and a local city tax when you check out. What it was lacking in size, it certainly didn't lack in style. The quirky suitcase minibar was a lovely touch and I loved the opulent marble sink against the cool white and grey colour scheme. The bed was comfy and the open plan bathroom helped to make the room feel bigger. We certainly didn't feel cramped. It was well worth the money and was lovely to have a little bit of luxury in such a beautiful city.

We made it up to the rooftop infinity pool one night which was slightly surreal looking out over at the the Viennese skyline. Ordering a G+T, I remember feeling so carefree, emotional at being able to travel and incredibly lucky that I live in such a diverse and cultural continent. When I got the bill, I didn't quite feel so lucky then so keep in mind that the bar isn't cheap but definitely stop for one! Towels and dressing gowns are provided which is a lovely touch.

I can't vouch for the restaurants as we didn't eat there but if you ever find yourself in Vienna, definitely book yourself in for a few nights of luxury. I will certainly stay here again if I ever find myself in the Austrian city.

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Recipe: sweet potato and chickpea vegetarian stew

I'm trying to make a conscious decision to eat less meat and adapted some of my cookbooks to be vegetarian. I find it encourages me to be a lot more adventurous with my meals as it's so easy to just go for meat, potatoes and veggies. I omitted the chicken from the original recipe and bulked it up with more beans and vegetables. It was delicious and even better the next day when I had the leftovers for lunch. Definitely something I'd rustle up again.

Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson's Chicken Cosimo

Feeds 6

Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of plain flour
1 bag of chopped butternut squash
1 can of butterbeans
1 can of chickpeas
1 large onion
500ml of vegetable stock
1 pinch of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
1 teaspoon of sweet paprika

Method
1. Pour the olive oil into a large casserole dish and cook the chopped onion until soft but not quite browned.

2. Stir in all the spices and flour before popping in the sweet potato and butternut squash. Cook for ten minutes.

3. Pour in the chicken stock and give it a good stir. Bring it to the boil.

4. Once boiled, add the drained chickpeas and butterbeans. Give it another stir.

5. Pop the lid on and put it in the oven for around 25 minutes until the sweet potato is tender.

6. Take out the oven and leave it for ten minutes with the lid still on. Then serve. I enjoyed it with some crusty bread.

As always I would love to know what you all think and do send me a tweet with a picture if you make it!

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A whirlwind winter weekend in Paris

A few weeks ago I went on my first trip of the year to Paris. I managed to snag some bargain Eurostar tickets for my mum's christmas present and conveniently booked it for my birthday weekend. Two birds, one stone eh? It was my mum's first time to Paris and first time on the Eurostar so I was pretty excited to show her around. It's always so lovely to see something through someone else's eyes for the first time.

We were in the French capital for less than 24 hours but we packed in a hell of a lot. After pulling into Gare Du Nord station, we jumped straight on the metro to dump our bags at our hotel. Hotel Cervantes was the perfect location for us and did the job for one night. A 15 minute walk from Galeries Lafayette department store and a 20 min metro ride away from the Eiffel Tower.

Our first stop of the day was the Arc D'Triomphe. I'd seen it a few times but never managed to walk to the top until that weekend. After struggling up the stairs - convinced my mum was going to stop breathing at one point - the view we were rewarded with was beautiful. It's my favourite thing I've ever seen in Paris and looking out at Paris' most famous landmark was pretty special.

Then it was off to Galeries Lafayette, again something I had never done. We wondered around marvelling at the stunning dome before reading the food section to take some goodies home. Sadly we couldn't stay long as we had a dinner reservation at Corsican Le Wagon Bleu. On my mum's bucket list is riding the Orient Express. So as the next best thing, I booked a restaurant in an old Orient Express carriage. It served delicious food, good wine and didn't break the bank. A great choice! We very nearly went straight back to the hotel room after drinking a bit too much wine but we decided to jump back on the metro to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle. I am so glad we did as it was the perfect end to the trip. I had such a wonderful weekend away with my mum and made me think why I don't do it more often. We're already planning out next trip!

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How to style a stripy shirt

Outfit:
Blue stripy shirt with embroidery: Zara (similar)
Black distressed ankle grazer skinny jeans: New Look (similar)
Grey tailored coat: New Look (similar)
Faux snakeskin skater shoes: Vans (similar)

Who knew such an urban oasis existed in central London? During a farewell trip to Lily's flat for an annual picnic - good luck in Dubai! - a few of us snuck out to snap a few outfit photos. Those pesky bloggers eh? What a treat it was to finally go to the Barbican conservatory. I loved it and hoping I can make it for afternoon tea very soon.

I know I've made a schoolboy error featuring this grey coat in two consecutive outfit posts but I just can get enough of it. It's such a great length and I adore the two splits up the side. I spotted it in the sale before Christmas and managed to blag it as a present. Since having an offer accepted on a house, I've been manically sale shopping because I just can't justify spending too much money on clothes. It's amazing what you can find! ASOS have a great sale section all year round and Love The Sales has 500 retailers all in one place proving you don't just have to wait till January to grab a bargain!

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Restaurant review: Bar & Block, Kings Cross, north London

Despite the huge regeneration scheme Kings Cross isn't an area of London that I frequent too often. My Essex train comes into Liverpool Street so naturally I spend a lot of my time in east London. But when an invite popped up to to try out the new Bar & Block in that part of town, I took it as a sign that I should head north and catch up with Kim. And I'm very glad I did!

Located just a five minute walk from the station, the specialist steak restaurant looks slick and welcoming. After being ushered into our booth, we were almost immediately presented with some addictive beef-flavoured popcorn. After pouring over the cocktail menu, we decided to opt for the refreshing gin smash cocktail. A lovely light choice to go alongside our starters. 

The juicy meatballs were covered in a tangy tomato sauce and topped with gooey melted cheese, Served with crusty ciabatta bread, this was just the right size for a starter and had me looking forward to the main course. My dining companion had creamy mixed mushrooms on two slices of ciabatta topped with a poached egg. I have it on very good authority that this was great too. It certainly looked it!

Given that it was a steak restaurant I opted to go for the butcher's block. This changes daily and I thought it would be good to try something I hadn't had before. On this particular day it was short rib topped with samphire and served alongside beer dripping chunky chips and chimichurri sauce. The meat was tender and the chips were beautifully crispy on the outside yet fluffy on the inside. Kim went for the slow-cooked pork belly on a bed of wholegrain mustard mash with a smattering of rocket and apples. This looked divine and got the thumbs up!

Despite declaring we couldn't eat another thing, we took one for the team and ordered another cocktail - strawberry mojito - and poured over the dessert menu. As soon as I clocked the churro sundae there wasn't any other option. It was a monster when it appeared! Two gigantic churros were on top of vanilla and chocolate ice cream, clotted cream, brownie chunks and biscuit bites. Drizzled with a toffee sauce, it was pure indulgence. Kim's apple and blackberry crumble looked divine too.

Bar & Block is a great addition to the buzzing Kings Cross restaurant scene. There's something for everyone on the menu - even if steak isn't your favourite thing - and portion sizes are pretty decent. Our waitress couldn't have been more helpful or attentive and really made the restaurant experience all the better. Thanks for having us guys!

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How to wear leopard print heels

Outfit:
White shirt: H&M (similar)
Grey tailored coat: New Look (similar)
Grey skinny ripped knee jeans: New Look (similar)
Leopard print pony haired shoes: Lotus*

I've mentioned before that leopard print in my jam so these Lotus shoes were a welcomed addition to my wardrobe. Thanks to the comfortable midi heel, they're the ideal shoe to go from day to night. Comfortable to wear all day to work and then smart enough to go out in the evening for a few drinks. What more could you want? To make sure they pack a punch, I've paired them with a simple crisp white shirt and a classic grey tailored coat to let the shoes be the talking point. I always think statement shoes really help to bring an outfit up a notch. That and a slick of lipstick!

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