Foodie Monsters Special: Barcelona

Foodie Monsters

Barcelona Edition

 

I am lucky to call Barcelona my home. I spent almost my entire life in this beautiful city and despite now being a Londoner (10 years and counting!) I love going back and endure on everything that the city has to offer. And Barcelona has a lot to offer: culture, entertainment, nature and food are some of the things that quickly come to mind.

We get asked a lot about the foodie scene in this cosmopolitan city, so it was only a matter of time that we would deliver on your requests.

A #FoodieMonsters Special like no other. A Foodie Guide for my home town, and you can easily access it on your computer, tablet or on the go on your phone. Don’t miss out!

https://bit.ly/Foodie-Monsters-BCN

Pro-tip: Make sure you scroll through the whole Google Maps List to see all our pinned spots!

Our Selection for Brunch

Our Selection for (Healthy-ish) Lunch

Our Selection for Tapas

Our Selection for (Fancy) Dinner

Kentish Town Treasures

Its a Sunny Sunday in London and everybody is in a good mood. Inevitable, I felt inspired to write you about our lovely day in North London. One that you could probably enjoy too, in the future.

Going out for long walks and cycling has become the norm, and I must say we quite enjoy it. I do miss wearing heels, but those days will return soon. In the meantime, walking/cycling to a new cafe or restaurant, where we can grab some goodie goodies, is my new favorite pas time. And believe it or not, if the sun is shining, you could spend all day doing that. We tell you how.

09:00 - 11:00AM RELAX - Wake up and enjoy a Cuppa whilst preparing to go out. What are you going to wear? Where are you headed? How are you going to get there? It’s beautiful out there (hopefully)!

12:00 SET OFF - Today’s choice is Panadera, a filipino bakery from the owners of the infamous Mamasons ice cream parlour two doors down. I could go on and on about this place, but it’s better if you read our review here. If you’ve already eaten, just grab the ice cream. It’s totally worth it.

Now if you are not feeling your sweet tooth, you still have got choices around. E.Mono is a staple Turkish grill and kebab restaurant in the area and Franco Manca’s pizzas never fail to disappoint.

13:00 PICNIC - Once you’ve pick up your goodies. Where are you going to eat? If you are walking, we suggest heading to Primrose Hill, whilst if you are cycling, we would suggest heading to The Hill & Pergola Gardens off Hampstead Heath. It’s off the beaten track and it’s a beautiful spot where to sit back and relax.

15:00 TIME TO HEAD BACK

15:30 PIT STOP - Did you think that was it? Surely you still need some more goodies to take home? We are becoming quite the cheese, wine and charcuterie connoisseurs these days and the Autentique Epicerie & Bar in between Kentish Town and Tuffnell Park is a nice stop where to grab some of these. If that isn’t enough, a few blocks down you’ll also encounter the Theatre of Wine, a quirky wine shop that is also a fabulous place to taste some delicious stuff.

Enjoy and stay safe

TCB xx

Biscuiteers To The Rescue!

Hello Careless Readers, how are we doing today?

I am feeling the blues but fear not there’s lots to be happy about! I got my NYC trip cancelled last week and I decided to make the most of it.

How? Playing kids again.

And what do kids like? Eating, drinking, drawing, playing and repeat.

That’s exactly what I did. Where? Biscuiteers.

Our favourite suggestion for 2020 so far!

A British owned business, Biscuiteers started by husband & wife Harriet Hastings and Stevie Congdon realising a huge gap in the market for stylish and customised biscuits. Who needs flowers when you can send biscuits? they said. Now more than 10 years later, not only they have quite the emporium, they also have two Biscuiteers shops in London providing you with the cutest crafted biscuits and the sweetest and most relaxed afternoon teas I’ve been to date. They also run a DIY cafe where you can make your own biscuit creations and workshops where you can become a Biscuiteer master.

Needless to say my partner in crime and I were in awe with the idea and so off we went to try all of this out over the weekend.

After a wholesome hot yoga class in Brixton, we headed our refreshed selves to Northcote Road where the Biscuiteers have their second residency. We hadn’t even walked in and we were already excited. The facade of the shop looks like a drawing, as if you were going to immerse yourself into a fairytale by crossing the door entrance. And it kinda was like that. We were greeted by super friendly people at the shop who attentively showed us to our table and our biscuits to be made! It was tough but super fun and we were quite happy with the results!

As we were letting ourselves into the biscuit drawing world, we were sold on the idea of an afternoon tea, and whilst sipping and eating cakes, we finished our pieces. The afternoon tea is great quality price, a fantastic selection of sweet and savoury cakes with an addition of a macaron to finish off. Our favourite was without a doubt their take on a savoury cheesecake with onion chutney, which I believe is a new addition to their menu.

A definitely must-try of 2020. Wel’ll be back for more!

TCB xx

Mad Hatter Meetings at Sketch

Breakfast at Sketch

#SpanishGalsDoItBetter

It’s 8 o’clock on a Monday Morning, and Patricia and I have decided to kick start our week with a banging breakfast at one of London’s Iconic venues: Sketch.

It is rather unusual for us to wake up this early (we are Spanish, after all) but business calls and we like to confuse people, so why not breaking the routine and go for a fantastic banquet?

Sketch has always been one of my favorite spots in Central London. Tucked away off crazy Regent Street, this gems is to me where fashion meets art and meets food. And here I’ll tell you why.

Views from The Parlour for Breakfast

For starters, the decor is super. It’s like you are visiting an art-gallery inside of several restaurants, bars and a hip egg-shaped toilets.

Sketch consists of the Lecture Room & Library, the Gallery, the Glade, the Parlour, and the East Bar. Personally, I find it very difficult to choose a favorite room. Each one of them has a very different style and that style makes it shine on its own. I love the pink life at The Gallery and the fresh cones with tea are a killer, but then again the Glade and its whimsical yet dark forest style and food are also damn good.

The East Bar is more intimate and dark, probably great for a date and the parlour works fabulously if you want to catch up with friends while offloading yourself from shopping.

Each single detail at each one of the rooms has been thought after, from the waiter outfits down to the cutlery.

Now the food. The food is another level.

At the Lecture Room you can enjoy a Michelin-rated menu (still yet to try) whereas at the Parlour you can enjoy a casual breakfast and all-day menu. The Gallery and the Glade offer high-tea and lunch, respectively.

For the occasion, we dine at The parlour. Tea, coffees and juice were running through the table as we frantically discussed our weekend and the wide selection of eggs (hello tempura scotch egg, I’m looking at you) certainly made our day. Not to mention the pancakes, YUM.

We’ve also had the chance to go for tea at The Gallery (read our review here) and we could not recommend it enought. It will leave you wanting to come back for more tea and scones, the latter are fresh and to die for.

Jewelry from Thomas Sabo Paradise Collection; China from David Shirgley

Finally, the toilets. It’s funny to think that somebody would go to a restaurant just to check out the toilets. But believe it or not, this is what happens. And understandably so. I’ve never encountered such thing, and you should see it with your own eyes. Unisex egg-shaped toilets (with a forest soundtrack whilst you go do your thing, in case you need help), with fish-eye mirrors and bonker lighting. It’s like I’m in Alice in Wonderland all over again. How wonderful.

TCB xx

WHAT WE WORE:

Laura wore:
Uterque Pink Feather Top
Tommy Hilfiger Houndstooth Skirt
J’adior Slingbacks
Delpozo Pink Bag
Thomas Sabo Paradise Collection

Patricia wore:
Zara AW19 Total Look
Thomas Sabo Paradise Collection

Foodie Monsters LA Edition

One cannot think well,

love well,

sleep well,

if one has not dined well

So here's our favourite Foodie Monster spots at the City of Angels

Melrose

• Carrera Cafe for printed cups of coffee, including the infamous LA PLAM TREES, but also Kim Kardashian’s crying face and Ryan Gosling’s sexy look.
• Urth Caffe is probably one of the busiest places around the area; as he name say they are very ‘earth’, healthy and organic food at its best.
• For dessert lovers like moi, you’ve got one of the best ice-creams around: Salt & Straw and Carmela; the latter does a lavender and honey cup that is surprisingly amazing.
• Of course, let’s not forgot Alfred Tea Room. I mean, you could not miss this spot even if you wanted! Probably the most instagrammed café of LA, this trendy spot is perfect for pink lovers and matcha addicts.

Silver Lake & Surroundings

• Italian? Sure. Cosa Buona for authentic pizzas and Alimento for an italian menu with a twist
• Night+Market Song is probably THE best thai in town, serving street-food style dishes from the mainland
• Of course if there’s an Israeli place, I’ll go there; Mh Zh and Kismet are top choices, if you ask me
• A bit out of the way you’ll also find Salazar, serving mexican tacos to hungry customers

West Hollywood

• If you want to upscale your dining options, then you should totally pay a visit to Chateaux Marmont. Ecclectic and baroque, this place is like no other. Chilled at their indoor bar, listen to the pianist at their lounge or have a romantic meal in their garden. Such a gem! Make sure you book.
• The Beverly Hills Hotel is definitely very LA. The place to ve for certain clientele, in here you’ll find 4 restaurants with different styles. In a sunny day, I love having brunch at their Cabana Café, dipping in to their pool, which by the way, has music underwater.
• Another Night + Market restaurant here, a bit less crazy busy and with more seating area.
• Guisados is perfect for a hungover fix, all their tacos are soooo good. I never know where to choose from.

Downtown LA

Downtown LA is all about rooftop bars. The Standard, Ace Hotel, Freemans...you know, he classics.

Now if we are talking food, there’s two places, at least, you shouldn’t miss.

• Bottega Louie for that french-chic vibe. Macarons at the entrance and delicious food (incl. fire-wood pizza!) at their restaurant
• Eggslut for a perfect american-style brunch
• Otium for fine-dining/ contemporary american. Does Chef Timothy Hollingsworth ring a bell to you? There you go then.
• If you still have room for dessert, hit Astrodonuts & fried chicken. Food coma.

Several Locations: In-n-Out

A trip to LA wouldn’t be the same if you didn’t stop by at In-n-Out. I know, it's junk food! You must be thinking. But damn, these burgers are good. And there's a reason why everybody loves them.

Roll your sleeves guys, you are gonna need the energy.

TCB xx

Who needs the Upper East Side?

Greenwich Village, Soho, Nolita, East Village...anywhere Lower Manhattan, you name it, and I'll be there.

It wasn't until my last trip to New York that I've realized the more I come here, the less I need to go uptown. I mean, why would you? I get it if you want to have a cultural day but otherwise, it's too much of a subway trip. You've got everything downtown.

I could literally spend my whole day walking around Bleecker St, to be honest. Yes, it is such a cliche but I love it there. Plus there are not one but three Marc Jacobs stores. Hello? Is it me you are looking for? 

On Saturday, I had a shopping spree myself: Kate Spade, J.Crew, Coach...basically every single american brand you could think of, plus few more that I discovered on the day. There was particularly one new designer that I felt in love with: Maiyet. Their flagship store (the only one worldwide!) is fantastic, so minimal yet so cool. Their bags are to die for and I cannot wait to wear one myself! 

Of course every shopping tour needs foodie stopovers, so I had an amazing veggie brunch at By Chloe topped up with a super yum icecream from The Big Gay Ice-cream Shop. 

And when you thought this could not get any better...there was live soul music in the street. 

YOU GOTTA LOVE IT.

TCB x

WHAT I WORE:

H&M Stripes Dress
ZARA Gold Sandals
Taylor Morris ZERO sunglasses
Marc Jacobs American Flag Bag

Parisienne Foodie

 

One thing is for sure: if I lived in Paris I would definetely be in trouble. There are so many great options to wine and dine EVERYWHERE! At every single corner, wherever you are and whatever the time, you’ll always find a café, bar, or restaurant open. A place with those cute seats outside, people watching, smoking, enjoying life passing by…

Bloody hell, what’s not to like about it? 

I was very lucky to be in Paris with my boyfriend recently. We decided that the best way to get to know the city was by trying as much french food as possible. After all, isn’t Paris meant to be one of the greatest cities for it?

So, with a bit of help from my Parisien friends, I got to know where we should head to. Question is now, what are you looking for?

Looking for fashion?

Then Café Kitsuné is a must for you. Located in the gardens of the Palais Royal, this stand-up coffe bar is the best way to start your morning. Here, fashion, music and design reunite for you to have an incredible experience. Not the mention how excellent the coffee is!

Looking for trendy?

You are talking about le Kong bar. Does that ring a bell? Well it probably does if you are a Sex and the City fan, cause this is the place where Carrie meets Mr Petrovsky ex-wife. Yes, I am geek like that! But that image clicked the moment I walked into this rooftop bar.

Known by its famous interior design (and the transparent 3D chairs) and its beautiful view of central Paris, this place is the perfect fuel-stop for brunch loverss or for having drinks afterwork.

Looking for sweetness? O-M-G. We might have a problem here! The options are literally endless. Macarons, Éclairs, Chocolates, Cakes, … it was so tough to decide where to go and what to try.

But I guess my choice today will go to Galeries Lafayette. Just head to their Gourmet building (yes, you heard right, building) and you’ll find a bit of all the delicacies from Paris. Here you’ll find Éclair de Génie, where I tried THE best éclairs ever; Sadaharu Aoki and his incredibly beautiful edible creations; or macarons from Pierre Hermé, among others.

However, if you want something more peculiar and not so massified, then I would probably suggest you to go to Saint Germain des Près. You’ll find the cutest Ladurée shop (and less crowded than the one on Champs Elysées) or alternatively you can have macarons from Le Maison Richart. The latter is not so known but they have the yummiest macarons I’ve tried so far.

Looking for BOBO? Then stick around Saint Germain des Près. The neighborhood is known for its Bourgeois and Bohème (so called BO-BO) atmosphere and it is just charming to wander around the area.

In here you’ll find the infamous Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, both known as the rendezvouz of the literary and intellectual élite of the city (like Sartre, or Beauvoir) during the post-war years.

Looking for edgy?

Listen to me, you need to go to Miznon. Located at Le Marais (one of my fav neighborhoods), this local restaurant will make you feel you are rather in Tel Aviv than Paris. Filled with the cacophony of Hebrew voices and Israeli music, Miznon serves fusión dishes of Israeli and french cuisine in a pitta.

Looking for views?

And you don’t mind splashing the cash for once? Then head to Monsier Bleu at Palais de Tokyo. This bankers spot is perfect to impress whoever you are going with. Brilliant food (and desserts) and the most amazing view of the Tour Eiffel while having your meal.

So I guess you are in for a treat?

Happy travels,

TCB