OOTD: Red dress

Outfit:
Red sleeveless dress: Tu at Sainsbury's (similar)
Leather espadrilles: H&M (similar)
Yellow and blue canvas watch: Timex* (similar)

Happy Friday! I just don't know where this week has gone, it's been so busy that I feel like I haven't had a chance to breathe. I feel so out of sorts and not quite sure where my head it at. With On Blackheath music festival planned for the weekend, its not going to slow down any time soon. But we sleep when we're dead eh?

A little throwback to my four days in Prague with this outfit post. I really can't believe I've been back nearly a month. It's funny how quickly you settle back into a routine! This was taken at Prague Castle as we wandered down Golden Lanes. A cute collection of wonky multi-coloured houses with lovely little shops inside - I ended up buying a Christmas decoration. In August. I think I ended up wearing this dress about 3/4 times during my two week break. It's just so easy to throw on and thanks to the thin material, drys out very quickly if the heavens open. In fact, I haven't really stopped wearing it at home while it's been sunny either! Keep an eye out for an abundance of Prague posts coming soon as I slowly make my way through photos - it was a beautiful city!

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Recipe: The ultimate chocolate cake

Hobbycraft got in touch and told me they had a challenge for me to undertake. I'd seen these gravity defying cakes all over Instagram so was very excited to try and attempt one for myself. I used a Nigella recipe for the chocolate cake and decided to go for a mixture of white and milk chocolate for the decoration. It didn't come out as neat as I had wanted but I like to think it has a bit of rustic charm! The kit was quite fiddly and it takes a lot of patience to make it work - definitely set aside a few hours for the decorating. In hindsight, maybe white chocolate was not the best shout because I used milk chocolate to stick them to the pole and it showed up. But the end result looks so cool and it's such a showstopper so it's well worth the time and effort.

Ingredients
200g plain flour
200g caster sugar
1 tsp of baking power
1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
40g cocoa powder
175g baking margarine
2 large eggs
150ml sour cream

Icing
75g unsalted butter
175g at least 60% dark chocolate
300g icing sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
125ml sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping
2 bags of white chocolate buttons
1 bag of chocolate buttons
1-2 pack of white chocolate fingers
1-2 pack of chocolate fingers

Method
1. Line and grease two round cake tins with butter and baking parchment. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.

2. Put all the cake ingredients into a food processor and pulse into a thick batter.

3. Divide the batter evenly into the two cake dishes. Pop in the oven and cook for around 10 minutes before covering with tin foil and cook for a further 15 minutes,

4. Once you have checked it is cooked, take it out and let it cool down.

5. Meanwhile, make the icing. Melt the chocolate and butter in a pan on a low heat. Once melted, leave to one side to slightly cool down.

6. Sieve the icing sugar into a large bowl.

7.  Add the golden syrup, vanilla extract and sour cream to the chocolate mixture. Pour the mixture into the icing sugar and whisk until smooth.

8. Once the cake has cooled down, follow the instructions on the gravity defying packet. Once it has been put together, cover the entire cake with icing.

9. Using alternative fingers, cover the edging with chocolate fingers before topping it with the white chocolate buttons. Using both the different colours. Keep one of the empty packets.

10. Using the leftover icing, carefully dot some on the back of the button before sticking to the tube, making it look like they're falling down.

11. Using the icing, smear a line around the top of the empty sweet packet and secure to the top of the tube so it's slightly covering the line of chocolate buttons. Hold tight for a while so it sticks.

12. Stick in the fridge for a bit if you want to help harden the icing. Then tuck in!

I would love to know if you attempt this so please do tweet me. Happy baking!

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Restaurant review: Palm Vaults, Hackney, east London

Palm Vaults has exploded over Instagram this summer. Hipsters have fell hard for the dusty pink and mint green interiors alongside the endless pots of green ferns, cacti and palm trees. I popped along to see if it lived up to the hype and embrace my inner hipster. Hidden away in the depths of Hackney on Mare Street, the cafe couldn't look more out of place if it tried but that's the charm of the area. It's a tiny place with only a handful of tables scattered around. So keep in mind you may have to wait for a table if there's more than four but they do offer a takeaway service.

Palm Vaults certainly isn't cheap. I paid £4 for a freshly squeezed orange juice and £8.50 for a small portion of crushed avocado on toast topped with halloumi. I begrudge spending that much in places because they are trendy. I don't agree with having to put up with prices because they are in London - it's possible to get food in the capital of insanely good quality for a reasonable price. If I'm happy with the food then I won't complain about splashing the cash. But the portion was pretty small and the toast was a little too crunchy. Overall it was a bit of a disappointment which is a shame as London has an abundance of incredible brunch options and I was so desperate to like it.

Would I go back to Palm Vaults? It's a really cool place with a quirky vibe. The staff are friendly and I fell in love with the interiors. I would definitely pop in if I was in the area for a leisurely drink and would like to try some of their sweet treats. But I wouldn't eat brunch there again. I like value for money and I just don't think this offers it.

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OOTD: Red smock dress

Outfit:
Red smock cold shoulder dress: H&M (similar)
Poppy red Lily: Mulberry
Pony hair black chunky heeled sandals: New Look (similar)

This is quite possibly one of the most unflattering things that I own but also the most comfortable. Priced at under £15, I spotted this a good few months ago in my lunch break and purchased it immediately in preparation for my holiday. I wanted clothes that were light, loose, comfortable and easy to pack. This ticked all the right boxes. One of my favourite purchases this summer! I can tell it's going to be a style staple whenever sunshine decides to appear.

I wore it out for a lazy Saturday brunch in east London with my favourite gal pals. Elodie and Lauren were visiting London so it was a good excuse to try somewhere new and catch up.  It felt like they had never moved away! Don't you just love a Bank Holiday weekend?

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The must-see attractions in Budapest

Fisherman's Bastian
Located on the Buda side of the river, this neo-gothic viewing platform overlooks the banks of the River Danube. It takes its name from the fisherman who used to defend this stretch of the city wall in the Middle Ages. Offering stunning views of the city, this was my favourite thing I did. It was such a beautiful place to sit down and soak up the city sights. The view of the Hungarian Houses of Parliament was breathtaking. If you only have time to do one thing in Budapest, make sure it is this!

House of Terror
Communism is something I had a vague insight too but it's always Nazi Germany that you learn about in school and having spent quite a long time visiting Western Europe, it is part of history that is so prominent and you tend to visit. But since Communism had such a profound effect on Eastern Europe, I was desperate to get a better knowledge. After the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989/90, Hungary finally become independent and able to stand on its own two feet. It's hard to believe that Hungary has only become its own country and free to make its own choices for a quarter of a century. Set in a building that has a dark history, the museum focuses a lot on the 40 years of communist rule. It's harrowing, heartbreaking and intense. Lots of videos are scattered around with accounts of victims from the regime. They were so unbelievably sad and really hit home just how lucky I am to live and grow up in a country such as the UK. In the basement there is the original prison where hundreds of people were detained, tortured and murdered - I got the chills as we saw the gallows where so many people met the end of their life. It's not a cheerful morning out but one that I feel is so important to get a feel of Hungarian history and understand how the city has risen from the ashes.


St Stephen's Basilica
This Roman Catholic Basilica is absolutely stunning. The architecture blows your mind. As someone who isn't particularly religious, I always make sure to visit places of worship during trips away. They are always so ornate and feel at peace wandering aroundl. This was ridiculously busy but worth a trip anyway. I wish we had gone to the top of the dome for a view of the city but alas we didn't have time. So I'd definitely pop that in your itinerary if you visit.

Hungarian Houses of Parliament
We never got the chance to take a tour but spend many a time wandering around the outside in awe. It such a beautiful imposing building. Overlooking the Danube, it is one of Europe's oldest legislative buildings and the largest building in Budapest. There's a few cute cafes in the surrounding area that will make a great place to settle down, rest your feet and have a coffee while people watching. It looks even better when the sun has set and it's all lit up, showing off.

Shoes on the Danube Bank
Constructed in honour to the Jews who were murdered by the fascist Red Cross during WWII, this memorial located on the Pest side is worth seeing. Hundreds of men, women and children were told to line up along the river bank before being shot and falling into the river. The iron shoes represent all that was left behind. The memorial is just across the road from the Hungarian Parliament.

Szechenyi Baths
Located in City Park, these thermal baths are the most famous in Budapest and the largest in Europe. As you can tell by the popularity. There are probably less touristy ones but I wanted to tick these ones of my list.  Opening in 1913, the baths get their water from two thermal springs. The outdoor pools reach temperatures of up to 38 degrees. It's quite expensive to visit and I'd recommend going early and making the day of it. They offer sun beds and a snack shop so you can easily spend hours dipping in and out of the 18 indoor and outdoor pools. They also have a party on a Saturday night but we didn't have the chance to visit then.

Buda Castle
Perched in the Buda Hills, this beautiful castle over looks the river Danube. Now housing works of art, it's a beautiful, short walk up a hill offering great views of the city. Can you tell I'm a sucker for a view?! The castle district is a great place to spend an afternoon and it's not too far from Fisherman's Bastian so you can kill two birds with one stone.

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The top five restaurants to visit in Budapest

As always, food played a big part in our holiday in Budapest. It's actually quite a hipster city filled with little bakeries, vegan and vegetarian options and trendy brunch places. Ice cream is also huge so make sure you hunt out the shops for a few scoops of the good stuff - especially if you need to cool down. Here are my top five restaurants I would wholeheartedly recommend because life's too short to have a bad meal right?

Karavan

Nowadays I prefer going to a street food feast than a sit down restaurant. We are so spoilt by the street food scene in London. There's something about the sheer amount of choice and the greedy little piglet in me likes the fact you can eat more than one thing. We stumbled across this courtyard filled with various street food vendors next to the ruin pub Szimpla Kert and it was buzzing. We took it as a good sign and decided to try it out. I went for a cottage cheese and ham burrito which was nice but didn't blow me away. But the cheese and chicken nachos did. Oh my gosh, they were insanely good. My friends went for the burgers and said they reminded them of Five Guys. It's a great place to go if you're on a budget or planning a night out. It seemed most British people were drawn to it too as it seemed every single person had a familiar accent - guess us Brits do love our street food!

Da Mario
Usually when I'm away I like to stick to the local food but sometimes you just fancy some pizza. Who am I kidding? I always fancy pizza but my boyfriend isn't keen so I don't have it that often. So when he suggests it I have to take advantage. We had organised a trip to see the Hungarian Parliament and a walk along the Danube and after spotting this place in my Lonely planet guide book, I decided it had to be worth a shot. I opted for a gooey cheese based pizza topped with parma harm, cherry tomatoes and a mountain of rocket. It was absolutely delicious. The chewy sourdough base was cooked to perfection, the toppings were generous and the thin base soaked up the stringy cheese. For four pizzas and eight cokes, the bill came to about £50. Service was friendly and attentive and it has a lovely outside terrace to watch the world go by.

Menza
A little bit of a higher price point, this slightly swish restaurant offers a modern twist on Hungarian classics. While the price is more expensive than other eateries offering local food, the portions are huge. Certainly no need for starters if you're looking to save money! It's located on a great strip full of buzzing restaurant and bars. The Hungarain beef stew with homemade noodles was a delight. Full of tender cube of beefs in a spicy tomato sauce, the dish was delicious and a great introduction to the local cuisine.

Stika
Brunch is such a massive deal in London that I feel we are kinda spoilt. Therefore I find some cities don't quite live up to the expectations. After a little research I came across this all day breakfast place in the Jewish Quarter. It's a little off the beaten track and in what seems like a very local area but it's worth the hunt. We pumped for the Hungarian breakfast with crispy streaky bacon, perfectly poached eggs, a addictive wholegrain mustard sauce, spicy Hungarian sausages, crusty slices of bread and a bundle of salad leaves. I'm still dreaming about those sausages. Similar tasting to chorizo, they had such a delicious kick to them.

Cirkusz
Beware to wait a while if you visit here - it gets very busy! Once again located in the Jewish Quarter, this colourful little restaurant does a brilliant brunch. The lunch menu looked pretty darn good too. The flaky, warm croissant was the best I've ever tasted! We were all nursing a little hangover so went for the recovery breakfast. A giant concoction with crispy bacon, creamy scrambled egg, cherry tomatoes, spicy sausages, green salad leaves and a croissant served with fresh orange juice. It's not a budget option but is still very good value for money compared to home!

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Hotel review: Brody House, Budapest, Hungary

I'm usually one to do holidays on a budget. Cheap flights and cheap apartments so I can have more than one holiday a year. But for this trip I wanted luxury and boutique hotels. So during my weekly browse on Mr and Mrs Smith to see how the other half lives, I stumbled across Brody House. The slightly dilapidated interiors, quirky little features and perfect location had me hook, line and sinker. When I realised the price worked out about £60 a room, per night, I knew I wasn't going to stay anywhere else. Just keep in mind that you will get charged a city tax and VAT upon checkout so you don't have a nasty little shock like we did. But despite this, I still think it offers great value for money and we all deserve a little treat once in a while don't we?

Offering just 11 rooms, the boutique hotel has a similar vibe to the Soho House chain. Each room is named after the artist whose work hangs on the wall, meaning every one is unique. We opted for the Ludo room and boy did we pick well. With a huge soft king size bed and luxurious free-standing roll top bath, it made coming home every night a joy. The room was huge and more than enough space for two people sharing. I loved the waterfall shower tucked behind a rickety wooden screen and the quirky little interiors that made it feel like home. The daily maid service was great and they topped up our towels every day.

After oohing and ahhing at the room, we decided to explore the hotel. And stumbled across the honesty bar. Situated near reception, there are two room with comfy sofas, board games and mix matched wooden tables. Each one boasts an honesty bar filled with every kind of drink you can imagine, nibbles, cocktail book and ice cream in the freezer. The game is to help yourself whenever you fancy but you have to write down what you have so it can be charged to your room at the end of your stay. I loved this idea and we spent a few evenings treating ourselves to a gin before we went out for dinner. The courtyard was a great place to hang out on a warm summer's evening, putting the world to rights.

The hotel also offers a continental breakfast or an al la carte breakfast. Keen to put it to the test, we had it the first morning. It was nice but it not very big and a bit overpriced for what it was so opt for breakfast in the city. The wifi was a little hit and miss which is great if you want to complete switch off. But I had a few work emails I wanted to check and it was a bit annoying.

There is a private members club about a seven minute drive away. We never made it here but I've heard it offers good food, fun entertainment and as a guest of the hotel, you get to visit for free.

This was honestly my favourite place I have ever stayed - EVER! It was homely, quirky and in a great location. It really did feel like a home away from home and I'd recommend it in a heartbeat. It's such a cool concept and one that works so well in a city keen to become hip and happening. I'm tempted to visit Budapest again just so I can have a few nights here!

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Exploring Europe: Budapest, Hungary

So I'm back in the real world. I've been back in the country a week and it feels like I've never been away at all. But I did. For two glorious weeks. Starting in reverse order, I'm going to tell you all about my trip to Budapest - the place we visited last on our Eastern European trip. Keep an eye out for the next three posts featuring an incredible hotel review - honestly the best place I've ever stayed -, the best things to do and a food guide to the city. But first things first, here is a little introduction to the Hungarian capital.

Budapest had been on my radar for a good few years so when the idea came about for an epic European trip, I made sure it was shortlisted. Luckily my friends are quite happy to go along with the flow so I scheduled in five days at the tail end of the holiday. After thorough research I decided I wanted to stay on the Pest side of the city, specifically in the Jewish Quarter. The old Jewish Ghetto. Historically poor, this neighbourhood had been touted as a vibrant hub of quirky ruin pubs, delicious places to eat and a rough and ready vibe. Naturally I was sold.

We'd spent more than three hours on a train from Bratislava, so when we arrived I was flustered. Not to mention sweaty from the ridiculous 33 degree heat and the stress of a broken suitcase that I was lugging around. We got a taxi to our hotel, dumped our stuff, went to one of the famous baths and decided to hunt out some dinner. Walking around the streets, I couldn't stop a sinking feeling. I wanted to desperately fall in love with it and stare in awe as we soaked up the city. But Budapest is dirty and grubby. It's not pretty and it doesn't capture your imagination from the first moment. We went for a lovely dinner and decided to call it a night at 10pm but on our way back we stumbled across the main strip. At 10pm, it was full of loud, obnoxious people falling in and out of bars. A traumatic amount of homeless people lining the streets alongside the revellers. I went to bed feeling worried that we had five days to fill in a place I wasn't sure I wanted to be.

Waking up the next morning I decided to look at Budapest with a clear head, determined to give it a second chance. And it lived up to my expectations. I still struggled to get over the filth and I commute to London for work! But after crossing the river over to Buda, I finally got the hype. The castle, Fisherman's Bastian, pastel coloured houses and St Matthias Church offered a completely different side to the city. I finally appreciated Budapest for what it was. It was rough and ready but it was also interesting and charming. There are are beautiful sights to wander around and some incredible views to soak up. You can tell it's a country proud to rise from the oppressive communist rule and one that is trying hard to make it's own mark. After the initial disappointment it actually end up as my second favourite place we visited - even though it was last on the list of my three travel companions! It was the city we had the most fun in, the city we have the funniest stories from and the city that we felt the most relaxed in. Thanks Budapest, I'll be back. Just maybe on my own!

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