walking in a Hyde Park Winter Wonderland...

The countdown has officially begun. The 'C' word can now be be spoken, although with slight apprehension, due to the fact that it has, as always, crept up on me. So to welcome the festivities in style, I decided to jump right in and Christmas it up to the max. Enter Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland. We are talking ice skating, the main man Santa, Angels gorgeous Christmas market, scary ass rides and lots of yummy food, all in gorgeous surroundings. It's free to enter with add-ons for things like ice skating, the observation wheel and the circus...yes, i said circus!

Scream if you wanna go faster!!

Now here comes the food bit...the German's do it best...

Mishkin's

Thanks to Russell Norman's endless imagination and ambition, Londoner's have another exciting restaurant to feast at. If you are yet to sample this guys style, then you have some good stuff to work through. In a little over 2 years, we have gratefully received Polpo, Polpetto, Spuntino, Da Polpo and now, from TOMORROW, Mishkin's. This new venture is kind of like a New York Jewish deli meets East End caff, but with cocktails! Sounds good, no? And we are talking proper comfort food here...salt beef, meatloaf, duck hash... Feast your eyes on their twitter pics to start the salivation process. Oh, and one more thing. Another new edition to the Norman empire...reservations! Get calling now - 0207 240 2078.

The Prince's Pop-Up

I was really intrigued when i heard about the Start pop-up sustainable restaurant at Lancaster House, especially as it's not normally open to the public (by the by, this is where The Kings Speech was filmed...). So, the man and me decided to have a bit of a nosey on Friday night. Now, i'm becoming a little dubious about pop-up's as they seem to be, hmmm, well, popping up everywhere. But as we walked through St James Park, (debating prices of the bordering houses - including a certain palace...) we knew we were in for a treat when we heard the sweet sounds of acoustic music and laughter drifting from the grounds. So, first of all, there were no queues - just brilliant - and second of all, the place was dreamy! Imagine a warm summer's evening (well actually it was bloody freezing but i'm using some artistic license here), delicious food, amazing local lager (freedom - too good), live music and great company to while away an evening with - sounds good, no? The decor was kind of a cross between old British colonial and a cool Brighton brik-a-brak shop, really inspiring and all reclaimed stuff as well. Everyone seemed to have their own leather sofa to sink into, which definitely contributed to the relaxing vibe that oozed from the marquee into the night. There was also the option of a more formal dining experience inside the house, which looked gorgeous, but this was just perfect for a Friday night wind down.

Apologies as this post is kind of posthumous...the pop-up ended on Friday. But keep an eye on the Start website, for more events and celebrations around sustainable living. These guys are on to a great thing here.

all the food was organic and locally sourced. The yummyness you see is a potted crab and smoked haddock scotch egg platter and a ham hock terrine platter with pickled cherries - sounds odd but surprisingly delicious! Lots of yummy noises were made - always a very positive sign!

the Big Easy

After working up an appetite at Chelsea Flower Show last week,  I was in need of some hearty sustenance. Floral photography can be very tiring and after 18gb's worth of hard core snapping, only something meaty was going to cut it! Cue, Big Easy. A wonderful establishment on the Kings Road that is all about big food and delicious cocktails! It's worth booking ahead as an hours wait at the bar can get very messy, once you get a taste for their margaritas!  But seriously, the vibe here is great so you won''t mind the wait too much, especially once the live music starts...Margaritas + acoustic rock = good times! 

Then there is the mouth watering food. We are talking lots of meat and great seafood, American stylie. My challenge was baby back ribs, slaw and shrimp. The waiter didn't think i was up to it...and annoyingly I proved him right! Man, I was still dreaming about those 3 remaining ribs the next day. I'm planning on redeeming myself with the 'Big Pig Gig' challenge....see below for details. Next time, I will not fail!

this place is full of character and i just loved all the little quips and sayings dotted around....

A taste of Spain

Head down to Regent Street this Sunday for a real foodie treat, as once again the much loved A Taste of Spain festival hits London. Now, me and the man are planning a Spanish road trip this summer, so are holding out for the real thing, but that didn't stop me lusting over the press release in the paper today. Paella, pulled pork, patatas bravas...what yummy sounding 'P' words!

P.S Credit goes to the man for the paella - a themed supper to celebrate Barcelona's Wembley triumph last week (any excuse!). And yes there were only 2 of us eating... and yes I did have paella for my breakfast and lunch the next day! It would have been a crime to waste it!

Fortnum and Mason windows