The new spring menu at Cafe Rouge

When Cafe Rouge invited me over to try their new spring set menu, I couldn't say no to them could I? So I gathered my (very) pregnant friend who is now glowing for an early evening dinner to catch up on all the gossip and remark at just how we've managed to have the first baby in our group of friends. It was the perfect remedy for the Monday blues.

I'm a huge fan of fish so I had to plump for mackerel pâtè made with creamy crème fraîche and a hint of spicy horseradish. A side of pickled cucumber and a couple of slices of toasted rye and carraway bread finished the dish off. The portion size was perfect with the two slices of bread being the ideal amount to smoother on a generous layer of pâtè. My friend opted for a salty ham hock, pea and mustard terrine with a shallot and raison chutney paired with a couple of slices of toasted rye and carraway bread. It got her seal of approval from the first bite!

Still with mussels on my mind from my trip to the South of France, I went for the French classic of moules and frites. The creamy white wine sauce was absolutely delicious and perfect for dunking chips. I looked on envious at my friend's double cheese and sundried tomato tart, hoping to sneak a bite! Despite having groaning bellies we both went for dessert, determined to take one for the team. A couple of scoops of salted caramel ice cream for me and a light lemon mousse with a crunchy almond  tuile for her.

Service couldn't have been better and the menu was varied with something for both veggies and meat eaters to tuck into. Available from 12pm until close every day, it can be enjoyed any time of day. It's a great option if you're in the West End and need a quick meal before you pop to see a show. Thank you so much for having us Cafe Rouge!

Read more

A weekend in the South of France

Like I mentioned in my Marseille post, we spent the day in the port city before getting the last train back to Elodie's hometown. We didn't see much as we got into Sanary-Sur-Mer around 11pm. Plus we were too busy fawning over Elodie's incredible pink house. Yes a pink house. The dream eh? We retired to bed just after midnight, looking forward to doing some more exploring the following day. 

We had a lie in before getting ready and walking down to the beach for a breakfast filled with pastries. It was just as glorious as it sounds. After hitting up what was said to be the best bakery in town, we found a bar to tuck into. My sugary brioche and cheese and ham croissant were amazing. Still dreaming about that croissant actually. After what seemed like hours of gossiping and drinking orangina, we decided to check out the (ridiculously windy) beach as we cheered on Michelle taking some outfit snaps.

After a slow walk into the centre of town we realised that Elodie actually lived in some sort of alternative Disney town and started to regret not coming over sooner. Have you seen the cinema below?! We walked passed a bustling farmer's market filled with delicious looking plump vegetables, tempting creamy cheeses and traditional biscuits. Surrounded by tall palm trees and basking in 25 degree heat, I could hardly believe this was just a short flight away from home.

Elodie gave us all a tour and we being the fickle bloggers we are, we fell in love with every single winding street we stumbled across. That architecture really is something else. The French Riviera really captured my heart. After climbing to the top of a hill for a cracking view of the town, it was time to go home as Elodie had an fun afternoon planned for us in Hyeres. More on that in another post!

Read more

The Zara summer dress you have to buy

Outfit:

Gingham and floral shirt dress: Zara (similar)
Light wash denim jacket: Primark (similar)
Black double strap sliders: Birkenstock

I first spotted this Zara dress a good few weeks ago and fell in love but I had to wait until payday to finally make it mine. It finally came around and it become mine just in time for my weekend trip to Marseille. I snapped a few outfit snaps on my phone for Instagram but it was so well received I thought I would blog about it! It's probably my favourite purchase of the year and is the perfect holiday dress. Made from lightweight cotton, it's easy to fit into hand hand luggage and easy to dry out if you have to wash it while you're away. It's a great length and the two splits at the side stop it from feeling frumpy. I love the bright clashing patterns and the short sleeves are great if your shoulders are prone to a bit of sunburn like me. It's something that will definitely be coming in my bag for my July trip to Poland as well as frequently appearing on my body as we accelerate into the summer months.

Have a look at some more floral dresses below.

Read more

How to spend 24 hours in Marseille, France

Marseille was somewhere that was never really on my list and only really came to my attention because it's about an hour from my friend Elodie's hometown. We flew into there for the day before making our way down to the coast to where she lives. Now I've been? I absolutely loved it and would love to venture back to explore some more. We managed to squeeze a lot into our 24 hours there and here is how you can too.

10am: If you catch the early morning flight from London Stansted you'll land in the city just before ten. Catch the airport bus into the centre, jump off at the train station and make your way towards the beautiful old town - La Panier.

11am: Take your time getting lost down the windy, cobbled streets and browsing the many unique and independent shops to buy some souvenirs to take home. I'd recommend a quick pitstop to La Grande Savonnerie, home of the city's famous soap Savon de Marseille, and UndARTground, a cool concept shop where I treated myself to a cool wall print as seen on my Instagram.  Make sure you make a quick detour to the gorgeous Centre de la Vielle Charité. Once a charity shelter, this beautiful neo-classical building with pretty olive trees is the perfect place for a wander and take shelter from the sun.

1pm: You'll want to take full advantage of those harbour views so make sure you book a meal at La Poulpe in advance. We went for their great value lunchtime deal of a starter, main, dessert, glass of wine and cup of coffee for 28 euros. I enjoyed perfectly cooked squid to start, meatballs on a bed of wild rice smothered in a tomato sauce for my main and a banana and chocolate hybrid cake for dessert. Washed down with a generous glass of rosé, it was a great meal to kickstart my French adventure. After lunch head to Glacier Vanille Noir to try the infamous black ice-cream made from squid ink. No need to screw your nose up as it tastes just like vanilla ice cream. What's a holiday if you don't have two desserts eh?

2.30pm: After that big lunch you'll want to walk it off. So take a stroll along the beautiful harbour in Vieux Port and laugh at the mad selfies you can take in the Pavilion, a huge mirror. Once you begin to get bored, prepare yourself for a trek up a hill to the MuCEM, a cool building that looks like it's made from lace. Here you'll have a cracking view of the city, enjoy a quick drink pitstop in the cafe before continuing your sightseeing.

4.30pm: For somewhere a little different, take a stroll through the French African quarter of Noailles. An Aladdin's cave of interesting shops selling beautiful African-inspired crockery, on-trend straw baskets for a fraction of the price of those in high street shops, delicious looking food and various knick knacks you didn't think you needed until you spot them. It's full of hustle and bustle making a great alternative view to the city.

8pm: Now it's time to grab dinner. Au Bout Du Quai is a cool, instagrammable place that wouldn't look out of place in Miami. I adored the vibe, the staff were friendly and accommodating and the food was absolutely delicious. Once again you'll be rewarded with views of the harbour. I fully recommend the local clam spaghetti. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the clams tasted so fresh and delicious. I didn't want the dish to end!

10pm: We never got the chance to take advantage as we had to catch the last train home to the coast but make sure you take advantage of the cool cocktail bars for a few drinks before retiring to your hotel room or apartment.

Bon voyage!

Some pictures taken from Michelle as my camera ran out of battery half way through the day!

Read more

How to update your garden for the summer on a budget

Out of our new house, our garden is probably the best 'room' we have. It's in pretty good shape with some decking that just needs a lick of paint. Just as well with the weather is starting to hot up... I can't wait to spend more time out there. We can't afford to spend a lot of money to spruce it up so I've been keeping my eye out for little knick knacks that help give it a new lease of life. I'm thinking lanterns, cushions and quirky accessories with a bright, slightly kitsch theme. Basically anything that possibly looks a bit tacky... Fishpools,  Matalan, Homesense and ASDA have a great selection of different bits and bobs. Have a look below to see what I have my eye on...

1. Puffin cushion - Maison Du Monde
2. Plastic flamingos - John Lewis
3. Pink hanging pot - TK Maxx
4. Rattan dining set - Fishpools
5. Malamine dinner plates - Debenhams
6. Bistro set - George at Asda
7. Pineapple cushion - Maison Du Monde
8. Pineapple LED lights - John Lewis

How would you update your garden on a budget? I'm always after some tips!

This is a collaborative post with Fishpools

Read more

Four places I'd love to visit for a country weekend away

I say this time and time again but I really do need to explore more of the the UK - there really are some Great Little Breaks to be taken advantage of.  I have a list as long as a piece of string but as soon as I look into booking a trip, I automatically start booking flights. I really need to make more of a effort to see more of my home country. Here are my top five places I'd like to visit for a country getaway from the Big Smoke - one day I'll make it here!

1. Peak District
I have this weekend planned for when I finally get to the peak District. I want to do a slow drive up there before basing ourselves in Bakewell to enjoy the country pubs. From here I want to spend a day at the gorgeous Chatsworth House before spending a day doing the Monsel Trail. The former railway tunnels along the limestone dales look so picturesque. I imagine it just can't be beaten on a sunny day.

2. Bath
I have no idea why I still haven't made it to Bath as it's only a few hours away. It's not the country as such but it's a lot more like the country than London is! I'm dying to lose a few hours in the stunning architecture, the Roman-built baths, the quirky independent shops and follow in the footsteps of Jane Austen. It seems like such a vibrant city and I'd love to see it during the festive season for the Christmas markets.

3. Isles of Scily
Located off the Cornish coast, this archipelago doesn't even look like they belong in the UK. The southernmost point of the country, the islands seem to have their own microclimate. I'd love to spend a week island hopping, soaking up the rugged coastlines, incredible locally sourced food, the slow pace of life and the interesting history.

4. Vineyards of Kent
It's my dream to spend a weekend on a vineyard but it's so expensive to go to France and Italy. I could have a two week holiday for the amount it would cost me for a weekend. But I really don't have to venture that far to tick it off my list. Kent has fast become the heart of the English wine-making industry. So Kent is where I would like to go!

This is a collaborative post with Great Little Breaks

Read more

Restaurant review: The Hanoi Bike Shop, Glasgow, Scotland

Glasgow is a great foodie city, I don't think you could ever run out of places to eat. Hanoi Bike Shop, the only Vietnamese restaurant in the city, was just a ten minutes stroll from our apartment. Vietnamese is one of my favourite cuisines to eat so I knew we had to squeeze in a trip. Boy am I glad we did as it was glorious! Hanoi Bike Shop offers small sharing places, with the dishes on the menu all as locally sourced as possible and made from scratch.

We opted for some prawn crackers and a creamy peanut butter and chilli sauce to help us pursue the menu. They recommend three to four dishes per person so that's exactly what we ordered. Highlights of the meals included spicy chilli and cauliflower bites, dense sesame seed chicken livers, a flavoursome rich pheasant curry served in a clay pot and sweet honey and crispy salted duck leg. The dishes were so moreish and light with each one just as good as the previous. You really could taste the high quality of the food served with each bite. The portions were a great size for sharing plates - sometimes restaurants can be a little tight when it comes to small plates.

It was all really reasonably priced and service was attentive and informative. It was one of our foodie highlights of the trip and I'll definitely visit again if I ever find myself in the city. It reminded me once again why Vietnamese scores so highly on my tastebuds.

Read more

Recipe: Orange layer cake

I'm a massive fan of citrus flavoured cakes so this orange layer cake was always going to be a winner.  I slightly adapted the Mary Berry recipe to cut out the glaze she suggested. Instead I just used plain buttercream in the middle. It's a really simple cake to make and it went down a treat at the BBQ I made it for.

Ingredients
225g baking spread
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp of baking powder
100g caster sugar
100g soft brown sugar
4 large eggs
Zest of two oranges

For the buttercream
150g unsalted butter
300g icing sugar

Method
1. Heat the oven to 180 / 160 fan / gas mark 4. Grease two cake tins liberally with butter and line with parchment paper.

2. Keep a quarter of the orange zest back then put all the cake ingredients into a stand mixer and mix until combined and smooth.

3. Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins. Bake for around 20 minutes but keep an eye on it as it cooks very quickly! As you can tell because it looks a little brown around the edges...

4. Once cooked, leave in tins for five minutes before taking out the cake and placing it on a wire rack to cool down.

5.  Put the butter and icing sugar into a bowl and beat until it is light and fluffy. Spread half the butter on one half of the cooled cake. Then sandwich both the cakes together.

6. Mix in the remaining orange zest with the rest of the icing sugar. Smooth on the top of the layer cake.

7. Cut yourself a big slice and tuck in!

As always I would love to know what you think of this and if you try it yourself. Just drop me a tweet to let me know!

Read more