Chestnut Bakery

Located where Dominique Ansel used to be, Chestnut Bakery is offering its passersby for a beautiful shelter where to indulge into the most pretty and delicious treats. Lemon meringue lovers, please continue reading.

WHY should you go? Because not only this is a beautiful cafe with lots of space for you to take a day ‘working from home’ away from home but also a bakery that isn’t joking around with their offering. Lots to choose from and all delicious.

WHAT should you get? Literally anything and everything. Pastries come at a steep price of 3-4£ each but they are soooo worth it, you’ll probably leave with some to take home. Their zata’ar and Gruyere croissant is a savoury delight and so is their pastrami and mustard option. Their signature lemon meringue croissant is not only pretty but also a sugar dream and there’s a peanut butter option for the lovers of these rich spread.

The selection of breads is vast and equally excellent. Their infamous charcoal & olive sourdough is worth a try and their multi-seed and zata’ar bagels also a must take home.

Average price: 7GBP for a pastry and a coffe. Breads start at 4GBP and bagels are 1.25GBP a piece.

WHERE is it? 17-21 Elizabeth St, London SW1W 9RP

WHEN is it open? Eeeeeveryday from 8-6pm

Saint Aymes, a whimsical cafe in Marylebone

If you are a lover of all things whimsical then Saint Aymes is just your place.

It felt straight out of a Middle Eastern fairytale, but we felt like queens, and that is reason enough to visit this pink girl cafe in Marylebone.

WHAT will you get? Lots! For only 18GBP you’ll get a very decent brunch in a beautiful afternoon tea stand or if you want to go all out, then it’s 45GBP for the actual afternoon tea (not many savoury options there, though). Drinks are pricey but worth trying some of their swanky milkshakes, and one thing is for sure, in any of the options your food and beverages will be sprinkled with edible gold, and that is lush. Exactly what you need to brighten up your day, am I right?

There were only a few drawback I would highlight. Given how conscious I’ve become about the plastic problem we have globally, seeing an entire restaurant/ cafe covered with plastic flowers did not seem right. We should use less plastic, not promote more use of it! More over, the food was good, but not other worldly.

WHEN to go? Everyday between 10 and 7pm

WHERE is it? 59 Connaught St, St George's Fields, London W2 2BB

Average price per person for brunch: £25; for afternoon tea: £60

Enjoy it while it lasts,

TCB xx

34 Restaurant for an EXTRA Christmas

34 is SO EXTRA

And we love it.

If you like all things Christmas, London certainly has a great present for you this year, 34. I’m afraid that’s not 34 presents but rather 34 as one restaurant, providing you the Christmas spirit that you were so eagerly looking for. That, and uncountable baubles spread all over the place. If you pair that with yummy food and outstanding customer service, you are served.

WHAT? Richard Caring (Soho House, Annabel’s, Scott’s) latest restaurant opening has not disappointed, providing delicious fish and meat dishes as well as delicious salads. We decided to have some raw fish as starter and tried the bass & shrimp ceviche, which we must say it was outstanding. The Yellowtail sashimi followed and our mouth was watering, and when the Dover sole came our life was complete. Our wallet was empty but our belly was full of life. As if we didn’t have enough, we finished our meal with home made doughnut balls paired with three dipping sauces. YUM.

WHY? If you are a fan of all things pretty, yummy food (though probably predictable) and excellent service, this is your place. We were thinking about it and looking at the pretty pictures for quite some time!

WHERE? Mayfair, of course. To be exact: 34 Grosvenor Square, S Audley St, Mayfair, London W1K 2HD

WHEN? Any day of the week (yikes!) from 12pm to 11pm

Bon appetit, my dears.

Average price per person (with a bottle of wine for two, including tipping): £80

TCB xx

We Found Gold in Notting Hill

Gold in Notting Hill

Who would have thought there was more to dig in Portobello Market still?

WHAT IS IT?

A three-storey house serving yummy Mediterranean food in the midst of Portobello Road & Market. You would miss it between all those trinkets shots if it weren’t for its crazy eye looking facade!

WHERE IS IT? 

95-97 Portobello Rd, Notting Hill, London W11 2QB

WHY GO?

Because as you step food in here, you are transported far away from the crowds outside. Everybody is gorgeous and you feel gorgeous as a result. A dark area for intimate gatherings and a cozy conservatory on the back for those wanting a relaxed meal with friends. It feels like a jungle out there! The food is an explosion of flavours (our favorite) and the customer service is superb, very attentive. 

On our latest visit we started with a glass of Moet (like any good feast would) and few of the starters on offer, of which we highly recommend the aubergine with ricotta. Oh Mamma. For mains, the rabbit tortellini transport you back to Italy and the grilled chicken with ham, nduja sauce and sourdough bread makes you feel naughty and great. Finish up with the raspberry cream dessert and a coffee and you’ll be done for the day. 

Little peace of advice: if you like long meals with no rush, then this is your place. Book one of the last services for lunch and you’ll make it to dinner time without even realising! That happened to us. 

WHEN TO GO?

If you thought it couldn’t get any better, you wait for it. Gold is open ALL week from midday (noon) to midnight all week! And Friday and Saturdays til 1am! Pleasure to your ears and belly.

Enjoy my dears, 

TCB xx

J'adior Pret-a-PorTEA

J’adior my friends

and Pret-a-Portea.

The hottest and most awaited exhibition of 2019 (at least for the fashionistas out there) has opened at the V&A. Yup, that’s Christian Dior, designer of Dreams.

Tickets for the exhibition were almost sold out (if not completely, by the time you read this), and as the city surrenders to all things Dior, we decided to embark ourselves in an afternoon of tea, coffee, friends, fashion and Dior, a lot of Dior.

As we arrived to The Berkeley Hotel, known for its fashion ‘Pret-a-Portea’, we instantly felt we were entering a princess’ dream. Name tags and Dior sketches were all over our table, and we were greeted with Dior-themed lattes. Fantasy level was ON.

As expected, as any good afternoon tea goes, the procession of food started and MY OH MY, it was delicioso. Plentiful of tea sandwiches (I believe up to 6 different flavours) and a few savoury treats preceded what we were all wanting: the Dior cakewalk. A collection of cakes and fancies from Dior’s most iconic pieces. It was so beautiful we couldn’t contain our excitement. OK, the coffee, the champagne and the company may have helped.

But in any case, if you are out and about in the city, this afternoon tea is one of a kind adventure, on that you shouldn’t miss. It’s a bit on the pricey side (£60 or £70 per person, depending on whether you want bubbles or not), but it is most certainly worth it.

As Mr Dior himself would say: “Don't buy much but make sure that what you buy is good.” 

TCB xx

Elan Cafe, The Most Wanted

We did it. We finally did it. We went to Elan Cafe. And this is our review.

Why go there? I’d suggest you go if you like all things pretty and perfect. They excel at their food presentation; so much, you feel sad by eating it! But it is GOOD.

What will you get? That will depend on what you want. Food is superb (though at times pricey, there’s a Blue Sapphire coffee at £15!) and so is its presentation, so that’s a goer. But you could get more than that if you are into girly pink instagrammable stuff. This place is like a mecca for it! But choose your location right, because each one has a different feature, and a timer on how much time you can spend on each table.

Where is it? Well, this girly and pretty cafe has become so popular since its inception in West London that they have now expanded to 4 cafes across the city! Bromptom Road and Hans Crescent (West), Park Lane (Central) AND inside Selfridges (mega Central).

When to go? You can get your sweet and savoury fix anytime between 7.30am and midnight. SWEEEEET! Unfortunately, you cannot book, so be prepared to cue for a bit.

Stay tune, pink lovers!

TCB xx

Photography by Roz Alcazar

Villa Mama, a piece of Bahrain in Chelsea

If there is a restaurant that has surprised me over the last few months, it has to be Villa Mamas. 

Villa Mama's is a restaurant in a residential street in the heart of Chelsea, delivering what's possible the best (if not only) Bahraini cuisine in town. 

WHY SHOULD YOU GO? 

To be honest, you know I like trying new restaurants all the time, specially if they have a Middle Eastern touch, so this place would be no exception. What was an exception was how amazing the venue, the customer service and its food was. Villa Mama's has created a space for those who like attention to detail. An outdoor terrace for those more adventurous and a cozy dining area indoors. They also sell their own ingredients, which I find remarkable. 

WHAT SHOULD YOU GET?

Well, that's a tricky one! The whole menu cries: TRY ME, TRY ME! And no dish failed to disappoint when we were there. Of course we follow our gut (and the waiter recommendations) and we had Khubus with Za'tar followed by Kaskhe bademjoon -a so called aubergine explosion- and kofta for starters. 

As this was our first time, we went for the most national dishes as main, which included an aromatic chicken pilaf called Machbous Deyay and their own take on Mac & Cheese called Macaronat Eid Milad, which was made of traditional Bahraini macaroni & spicy minced lamb. Needless to say, everything was delish. 

As two young ladies (including myself) waited for their meal, we also indulge on the cocktail section. We really couldn't leave without trying their infamous #millenialpink cocktail, fuelled with Crystal Head vodka, Tequila Rosé, rose, pomegranate and lemon. I mean, how could you resist such thing?

WHEN SHOULD YOU GO?  Great news! Everyday from 8 til midnight! Isn't this awesome?

WHERE? 25 Elystan St, Chelsea, London SW3 3NT

Urban Farm Girl

Farm Girl

The new place to be seen in West London

Farm girl, baby. Farm girl.

A curated space in the heart of Portobello road; Farm girl is making its way to become THE brunch spot in West London. 

WHERE IS IT? 59A Portobello Rd, London W11 3DB

WHY SHOULD I GO? Well, that's easy. 

First of all, its location. Hidden in a little alley off Portobello Rd, Farm Girl reminded me of being home by the beach, with its cute outdoor area and indoor color hues. Everything at this place is down to detail, and, of course, instagram-worthy. 

Second of all, THE FOOD. I mean, DELICIOUS. Probably the best brunch I've tried in London for a while. I traveled all the way from East to eat here! That's gotta mean something. They have shakshuka on the menu (which to me, is already a winner), plus many other brunch goodies such as avocado on toast and the likes. 

Their drinks menu is vast, with colorful options such as turmeric gold latte, matcha latte or rose petal latte. Very hipster, I know. But how cool, too! 

If you still have room for dessert, their cakes and pastries menu is mouthwatering. We scored some colored croissants while we were there and they were #freakalicious. 

Finally, customer service was great. I mean, what else could we ask for? Plugs. They also have plugs at every table to charge your iphone, ipad, macbook or anything else that is also not apple. Get yourself there, already!

WHEN? It is open everyday from 8,30 to 4,30pm and til 6pm over the weekends. As I mentioned, this place is becoming highly popular and takes no reserveations (ooooof course...) so expect a bit of a waiting line (~40min) before you get seated. It is damn worth it though!

TCB xx