Bottomless boozy brunch at Avenue, St James, London

There is no denying that bottomless boozy brunches are still gaining popularity – the idea of combining brunch (one of the best meals of the day) and booze is a wonder child. The good news with them increasing in popularity isn’t just the fact you have legitimately have prosecco with  your eggs benedict or a bloody Mary with your pancakes, but that places are doing them bigger and better!

Just after Christmas I blogged about Shoreditch’s Forge and Co. Great prices and a decent helping on the bottomless prosecco for two hours!

Well today I am going to blog about Avenue, in London’s St James area. 

Brunch at Brickwood, Tooting Broadway London

After a particularly heavy birthday celebration one Saturday night courtesy of my friend Frenchy, we went to refresh ourselves with a brunch in Tooting Broadway Market.

I used to live in Tooting Bec a couple of years ago but it has developed since then, with cute cafes and brunch places popping up everywhere. 

Our chosen venue was Brickwood, tucked in the corner of the market.

A boozy brunch at Forge and Co Shoreditch

Who doesn't like a weekend brunch?
Who doesn't like a weekend brunch that also involves booze?
Lots of booze at that - unlimited in fact!

unlimited prosecco at Forge and Co 

Boozy brunches are the thing right now. I love it!

I went to one a few weeks ago with the Boy and the girls from home, to Forge and Co in Shoreditch, London. Eggs Royale with bubbles, what's not to love? 

The "Wine Rooms" wine bar, restaurant and wine shop, Fulham, London

As I prepare to move out of Fulham, I am making the excuse to go back to some of my favourite haunts. I first blogged about Fulham Wine Rooms last October but had to rre-blog about it with an update from my latest trip to say goodbye!

The Boy first took me to the Wine Rooms in Fulham, a gorgeous little restaurant with a wine cellar feel, on Fulham Road, as it had been somewhere I had been wanting to go since I moved to the area in 2013! There is just something about watching patrons sitting there chilling with their wine and enviable food in this cosy setting – I needed to be a part of it!

seating on the pavement - how continental! 

If you go in the warmer months, you'll be treated to the French doors still opening on to the pavement - perfect for people watching and catching the last of the day's breeze. But when they do shut, you’re locked in to this cute, cosy and rustic place with a great ambiance and murmur.

enjoying my South African grape back in October

Staying true to its name, there are 48 options of wine available by the glass, and plenty more by the bottle, so you will not be short of choice! 

Toy Shop, Putney (pulled pork, skin on fries and manwiches)

Last week, after we woke up particularly hungry after We Are Festival (which was amazing by the way) we decided that our hunger for carbs could only be satisfied by some heart food in the form of burgers and chips. Cue our trip to The Toy Shop, in Putney.

the open front makes perfect people watching! 

This is somewhere I have been meaning to go for ages, since I moved to the area in September actually. Every day I pass the row of tempting eateries on Putney High Street and one by one, I am determined to eat my way through them.

Losing my Caribbean virginity at Jerk City, Wardour Street London

Something amazing happened last – I tried my first ever Caribbean food! I have been meaning to try this cuisine since I was at uni where there was a little Caribbean restaurant about 4 minutes walk from my house. Then again, when I was living at Tooting Bec, there was a little deli on the walk to Balham that was so close to my house yet still I never quite made it there either.

excited for my peppered steak!

So finally, I have tried Caribbean food....and I love it!

I am not one for chilli or spice so was a little nervous as I thought I was about to have my taste buds blown off but this was less horrible spicy and more delicious spice. The flavours in Caribbean food are the kind where you can tell that they have used a wonderful combo of spices and marinated it for ages.

so much to choose from! 

Cubana latin american restaurant, Waterloo, London

Due to a mini emergency my dad has had to make a trip to London (he normally lives in sunny Cambodia) so whilst it isn’t the best timing for me (I have a LOT to do before I go on my South Africa adventure this weekend), I took the opportunity to see him.

I had to squeeze my dad in between my work, and seeing as I had a meeting in Waterloo 7.30pm this evening and his train gets in to Waterloo station, the meeting place was obvious. At the end of Lower Marsh road, near to the station, there is a restaurant called “Cubana” that I have walked past a thousand times but not yet ventured in to, so this was the perfect place to meet my dad for a spot to eat. Even more so as they have a cocktail happy hour 5-7pm, everyday!

enjoying the happy hour and some Cuban food

The restaurant is a Latin American theme, serving up a mean mojito and South American dishes. I love a restaurant with bit of a theme under any circumstance and I am a sucker for a bit of novelty and fun. The theme of this place is obviously Cuba, and that is reflected in the colours, designs and art work, as well as the menu. The restaurant is bright, bold and cheerful, seats and tables sporadically scattered about the place and on various levels, creating a fun mismatched vibe to the place.

this place is bright...

...and bold

Ping, Earls Court, London - ping pong and cocktails

This Saturday the girls and I headed to Ping on Earl’s Court Road for my housemate’s boyfriends birthday. Whilst I was still shattered from skiing last weekend (I am seriously getting old!) I was keen to go as I had heard so many people rave about this place. Earl’s Court doesn’t really strike me as the place to find a good night out but Ping is just a stone’s throw from Earl’s Court tube.

seriously good cocktails 

We arrived there at 8pm and it was already buzzing with people eating, drinking and playing ping pong! Yes, not only does this place offer food and drink but it also offers you the chance to make a tit of yourself playing ping pong!

Swan Lake - the Ballet

Last night me and the Boy did something a bit different to what we would normally get up to on a Saturday night. We went to the ballet! I know what you are thinking – how sophisticated!

We had said for quite some time now that this was something we wanted to do. He had never been to one and I have only been to the ballet twice – once when I was a little girl and more ‘recently’ when I was in Australia with my now housemate Charlie. But that was way back in 2009 and after consuming far too much cheese and wine beforehand, we got far too comfortable in the bar we were in, meaning that we had to run a mile or so to the theatre. We only just made it time (literally by seconds), nearly threw up the said cheese and wine (dam deep fried camembert) and then spent 20 minutes of the first act panting like an animal trying to recover our breath (dam being so unfit back then).

This ballet experience was much more successful!

"Burger and Lobster", London - simple concept, fun taste

I did it! I finally made it to “burger and lobster” (Mayfair)

Me and the Boy went the other day, after meaning to go there for months, since it came highly recommended from my housemate who went there for a first date. After months of not having the time to go (wedding, homelessness in between renting, new flat, manic work load etc) and a failed attempt with the girls one Saturday at 6pm (a 3 hour wait can go stuff itself thanks to the no booking under 6 persons policy), I went this Tuesday. 

I have had a few days off this week to spend some time with the Boy who has just come back from a three month deployment so we decided it was probably best to try and go midweek and for an early dinner to avoid the disappointment of a killer wait. And we were right. 4pm on a Tuesday and we walked right in and had our meal served to us in about 10 minutes.

Why the quick service?...

"Lush" spa, tailor made massage

My birthday may have been two months ago but I still haven’t cashed in the beauty treatments that the Boy bought me as a present. So this weekend I had the first of three treatments, my “tailor made massage” at the Lush Spa on Kings Road in London. 

I have always been bit of a fan of the Lush products but didn’t even realise that they had a few spas! They also have places in Kingston, Poole, Leeds, Edinburgh and Liverpool. They also have some in Japan, France and Korea in case you fancy popping there!

I am bit of a beauty treatment junkie and do like to indulge in one every couple of  months, so I like to think I know my stuff about what makes a good treatment.

lush spa treatment room

I can honestly say that this massage treatment was one of the best I have ever had, not just in terms of the massage itself but he experience as a whole – it was truly unique, relaxing and self-indulgent! This is the crème de la crème of pamperings!

The garden museum cafe, Lambeth

I just made a lovely lunch time discovery – the garden museum cafe, on Lambeth Palace Road. A small cafe with indoor and outdoor seating that offers busy Londoners a spot amongst the trees that takes you away from the office.

welcome to this cute cafe and museum 

small garden at the cafe

Sensational butterflies – live butterflies at the National History Museum

I love butterflies. Always have. So when I heard that the National History Museum was hosting a live outdoor butterfly house, I insisted to the Boy that we had to go to this exhibition. And that he was paying. He was terribly excited.

So Monday afternoon, before I closed the book on the chapter of my life that was the wedding, we had one last day before I trekked back to work and we headed off to the “sensational butterflies” exhibition.

Betty Blythe, 1920s vintage tea room - dress up and cakes!

With my mum now living in Cambodia, I missed both her birthday and mother’s day this year, so as she is now back in London for my forth coming wedding, I thought I would treat her to a surprise. I booked us an afternoon tea for two in Hammersmith, with all the usual trimming such as triangle sandwiches with the crusts cut off… but vintage style! It was at Betty Blythe, a cute tea room, filled with nostalgia, where you get to dress up in 1920’s inspired bits and bobs!

how cute is this! 

getting in to the spirit of it! 

Dress up and cakes… a perfect combo!

Before the sandwiches and cakes even started to arrive, we had already delved into the opportunity to try on everything – from hair pieces to top hats, to gloves to garters.

delve in to the drawers...

Sofra Turkish restaurant, Covent Garden

I adore Middle Eastern food and for me, it is one of my favourite cuisines. Today I went on my friend’s recommendation and had an amazing dinner at “Sofra” a Turkish restaurant on Travistock Street, in Covent Garden.

spacious conservatory at Sofra