Upstairs at The George

Having lunch at a cozy pub on a Sunday afternoon is the cherry on top to a perfect weekend in London. This is no secret, and the reason why sometimes it is rather difficult to score a table on one of the many lovely pubs in town, especially if you want to eat at The George, the newly refurbished Victorian corner pub near Oxford Circus tube station.

The George isn’t your conventional pub. It has many hidden secrets, and we adored it for it.

Downstairs, you can enjoy craft beers, ask ales and seasonal cocktails. A local for the locals, but consider them with refined palate and a few pounds in their pockets.

Upstairs, things escalate. This 18th century, grade II listed pub features an English Sparkling Wine Bar on the first floor, among two other rooms: the main dining room and the cellar.

The Sparkling Wine Bar Room is cozy and perhaps will fill up to 6 people in it. It is powder pink and full of glam, perfect for a date with your lover or a catch up drink with some friends.

The Dining Room is classic with a modern twist. Majestic. Velvet sofas and Redel glassware. I am all in. Prior to its revamp, this very first-floor use to be the living quarters of the landlords. Now it probably sits around 8-10 tables for lunch and dinner.

The Cellar use to be the upstairs bedrooms and has now been reconverted into a walk-in fridge purely for wine and champagne. What else could one ask for?

WHY should you go? Because it is not only gorgeous spot, it is a great location and both food and wine were exceptional. Needless to say the service was on point. Be prepared to spend some £££, though!

WHAT will you get? Timeless pub classics with a focus on seasonal ingredients. Every dish is made to perfection and will give you an explosion of flavors at every mouth bite. Having said that, we were delighted with the Seafood bar and had Oysters, scallops and crab as starters and indulged on a beautiful beef roast followed by icecream to top it off.

WHEN should you go? Anytime really, but I do love a leisurely Sunday lunch.  The George is opened from 12-11pm every day, and Fridays and Saturdays it closes at midnight.

WHERE is it? 1 D’arblay St, W1F 8DG London

Bon appetit careless readers,

TCB xx

The Barbary Next Door

5 years ago I told you about my absolute favorite restaurant in London, The Barbary.

This week, I come to you with even better news, they now have a sister, and it’s even better than the first child.

The Barbary Next Door has opened, as the title says, next door to The Barbary. Even a more intimate space than its original restaurant, this foods of the world venue is catering for 10 lucky adventurers.

We had the opportunity to test this out this week and we were instantly in love.

WHY? Let me start with the service. From the moment we walked in, we felt welcomed. The bartenders, the waiters and the cooks, they all seem to have a great time working there and they transmit that to us with their service. They provided us with great detail about the food and wine we were about to try and provided us with lots of suggestions, something that we appreciated.

In an era were hospitality staffing is suffering, getting this kind of service was a great plus.

But let’s talk about the star of the night, the food.

WHAT SHOULD YOU GET? All the food was otherworldly, and even better, inexpensive. A menu meant to be shared, with lots of African, Middle Eastern and Iberian influences. We had all of the snacks on offer, the pita bread, the oysters, the quail eggs. What a great start. All of it followed with Afghan bread and an assortment of savory dips that we couldn’t stop eating until they were fgone.

Then we tried the fresh seabream sashimi paired with a citric salad that worked marvels. To top it up, we had what was probably the best grilled chicken we’ve tried in a year and an oxtail tagine to round things up.

Are you bought in yet? Then here the logistics:

WHERE TO FIND IT: : 16A Neal's Yard, London WC2H 9DP

OPENING HOURS: Tuesday to Saturday from 5 to 11pm. Happy Days!

Enjoy careless readers,

TCB xx

Ave Mario

Is there something more religious than a good dish of pasta? For the people behind Ave Mario, the new Italian from the Big Mamma Group, this is of biblical matter. 

From the splash of colours to the Sicilian crockery, the provocative neon lights and Raffaela Carra on repeat, this is one of our new favourite spots in the city. 

As we walk into this Italian extravaganza, we can´t help but think of the exuberance and OTT culture that we associate with Italians. And let’s be honest, we love it. 

The decor and music is on point, the waiters are local Italians and so is the people behind the kitchen and the food, let me tell you, is delicious. 

Big and tasty portions are on offer, and we particularly loved the truffled pasta and spinach pizza, but you won’t be disappointed by any dishes here. Save some space for dessert as you’ll be impressed by the gigantic stracciatella gelato on display, amongst many other goodies. 

If you are feeling hungry and would like to party, there’s also a set menu for 50gbp available. You’ll have food come afterwards, but you will a happy bunny nevertheless. Treat yo selves!

Now on to the serious deets…

Where is it? 15 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8QG,

Average price with a glass of vino? 40 GBP per person (including service)

When can you go? As many times as you like Monday to Sunday from 12:30-3pm and 5-10.30pm

Enjoy my careless readers, 

TCB xx

Claridges, A Deluxe Tea Time Experience

It seems difficult to believe we’ve made it all the way to December this year, but here we are, Christmas is upon us! And so we thought it was time to celebrate.

Some traditions never fail, and celebrating life and good times at Claridges should be one of those traditions. Even if it is just to admire their beautiful Christmas tree, a visit to this luxurious hotel in the midst of the London buzz is a serious must.

A symbol of British tradition, style and luxury, the 5 star hotel never fails to deliver. We were lucky enough to squeeze ourselves into one of their last Afternoon Tea of the Christmas season and we were delighted with the outcome. The service, the attention to detail, and the food itself was superb, let me tell you.

We were greeted by their friendly, and whilst we were sipping on a beautiful glass of Perrier and listening to a beautiful piano on the background, we were paraded with the most indulgent set of finger sandwiches, which followed the most beautiful pastries I’ve seen in a long time. They were both pretty and delicious.

As if we didn’t have enough, when were set to go, we were greeted with some goodies to take home, and so my dreamy experience lasted a bit longer.

It was a very Cinderella moment, one that I suggest you experience too.

Stay safe careless readers,

TCB xx

Alto by San Carlo, La Bella Vita at Selfridges

I am not going to lie, I’ve been disappointed a few times when visiting Selfridges' rooftop bar and restaurant for a drink or a bite. I’ve always felt it was lacking a good customer service and food that was up to the standards of the department store. My perception has now changed. Their Italian restaurant, Alto by San Carlo, delivers above and beyond the Italian life that we all want and desire.

WHY should you go? Because you’ll be transported to La Bella Italia. Is there anything else you would aspire to in life? As you get off the elevetor that takes you to this award-winning rooftop, you’ll enter a forest of lemons, which precedes you to this whimsical restaurant, where local produce meets local Italian chefs. Customer service is above and beyond and quality-price is on point.

WHAT should I get? I am a big fan of eating things out I would not get or cook at home. Having said that, I would still pick a couple of Italian staples as a snack for starters, such as the tomato bruschetta, caprese salad or burrata. As a main, I can’t recommend enough the lobster spaghetti. I’m always a bit skeptical when ordering these type of dishes as restaurants tend to provide small portions of lobster. Little did I know that my pasta would come INSIDE the lobster itself! Taste, presentation, quality and quantity was perfection. To round things up, we finished our lunch meal with a delicious tiramisu. Mamma mia!

WHEN to go? Everyday from 12-11pm

WHERE is it? At the top of Selfridges, hun! 400 Oxford St, Marylebone, London W1A 1AB

Average price per person (including a bottle of wine for two and tipping): £45

Don’t miss it. It’s worth every single penny.

Buon Appetito

TCB xx