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

Monsters Edition in Edinburgh

 

If you are out and about in this beautiful northern city, there’s many places where you can indulge. Here’s a guide on how to.

Get Hyped like a good coffee addict

TCB doesn’t joke when it comes to coffee, so the suggestions here are serious business! Spread across town, getting your caffeine fix everywhere you go

The Milkman is right by the Edinburgh Train station, so it is definetely an easy spot to get to. Hosted at an old cigarrettes store, this Australian run bar is amazzzzing. Both pastries and coffee are superb. The only thing I would say is that they take their precious time to make a cuppa!

Cairngorm Coffee is very hip and trendy. A lot more spacious than the Milkman but a bit tucked away from all the buzz (it’s close to Dean Village). The most central is tiny and doesn’t have much ambiance, so TCB highly advises you to head to their Melville Place location.

Artisan Roast

Now, DID YOU SAY BRUNCH?

Brunch like a champion

At Urban Angel

Get Me There

EAT like a Londoner

Dishoom and Timberyard are two staples in London. Dishoom was one of TCB’s first discoveries in the City and so we have nothing but high praise about the place.

Timberyard is more of a coffee staple in the City, but they have up their game in Edinburgh, with a beautiful outdoor seating area and a menu that looks like proper fine dining.

SUNDAY ROAST like there’s no tomorrow

We must tell you, we weren’t super keen on Gatropubs, but The Queen Arms proved us wrong. OH MY. For starters, the pub itself is MEGA. Mega cute, Mega cozy, Mega friendly. The food is TO DIE FOR, and so is the price. This is certainly a must for us.

Now, if you want to up your game and go for the full meatlovers experience in proper gourtmet style, then we recommend Kyloe. Nuff’ said.

PIZZA NIGHT like in the 90s

Civerinos is also one of our faves in Edinburgh. Super chill vibe, the food is superb and at a really good price. Also very insta-worthy, if you are into that kind of thing. Colours everywhere!

Ready for all of this indulge? GO!

Stay tuned,

TCB xx

The West Series: Love in Chiswick

Summer is about to finish, and we are all looking sad about the fact that we need to go back to reality and get to work til the next proper holidays. 

In my case, on top of the holiday blues, I have to move out. Let me tell you, not a fun job! Especially if you have to do it twice, like in my case...

Of couse, it is all very exciting to be moving to a new place. There's vast opportunities to do so much decor and detox on your wardrobe! But this fun bit only comes right at the end, when you barely have any energy left...BUT let's stay POSITIVE! Despite no money left, there's always tones of things to do in London with budget. YAY! 

One of my favourite neighborhood visits this summer was Chiswick. It is rare that my gal team and I head west, but when we do, we make sure the trip is worth it. 

Our perfect day out started at the Urban Pantry for brunch. A tiny little aussie-inspired cafe that serves a delicioso menu for those who wake up hungry. Everything looked so great it was tough to only choose 1-2 plates! 

If the Urban Pantry is too busy, you should head down to No.197 Chiswick Fire Station, which despite its name, is a restaurant. This venue is gorgeeooous, and it even has a little courtyard where to sip espresso martinis :)

After we stuffed ourselves, it was time to walk. You guys know I don't drive (crazy, I KNOW), so I walk and walk and walk everywhere. Specially if I treated my belly to such royal meal. And Chiswick is perfect for it! We paraded the high street, stopping at Foster Books to get some new (or old) reads, Bayley & Sage and the Macken Brothers Butchers if you are in need of groceries, and Chief Coffee if you are in need of a pick me up. If we talk antiques, then The Old Cinema is your spot. And if we talk beauty, I am a sucker for Cowshed.

Of course, a visit to Chiswick wouldn't be complete without a romantic walk by the Chiswick House & Gardens. If it's a sunny day, you can even sit down, relax, and have a picnic there. 

It felt so pretty, that we played alike. 

TCB xx

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

Foodie Monster Special: Paris & Food Art

Of course my stay in Paris would not go unnoticed food-wise. C'MON! If there is something French are good at (apart from fashion) is food. Ok, sometimes too many baguettes and too much butter for some, but I am a sucker for both! 

As I was there during fashion week, it almost felt necessary to do an upgrade on my dining options and therefore we chose to have french cuisine most of our nights. 

There was only one night when we made an exception, Ober Mamma was a must. A perfect Italian in the heart of Paris, that not only has a great bar set up, its food is incroyable. Pizzas are beyond delicious, the cured meats as a starter are sublime and to top that you've got lovely waiters to guide you on your menu choices. Not to mention is the hot-spot at the moment, ofc...

As for our french bistros, we've tried many, but there are a few that are worth mentioning: 

Chez Janou for a classic french bistro, pretty chairs outside, low-light restaurant, busy as hell and serving all the french dishes you were thinking about before getting there. Au Petit Fer a Cheval has also become our special favourite for a pre or post-dinner drink. 

Les Déserteurs if you want a twist on what you would call french cuisine. It is still very french, the products are mega fresh and the display is just beautiful. It is recommended in the Michelin Guide, which is always a good indicator, however I am always afraid that I am going to leave the restaurant feeling hungry. NOT THE CASE. 

We had a set menu including 2 starters, a main and dessert (see below!) and I could not have been more happily stuffed. The waiters usually help you pair your food with wine and you are offered some cheese in between dishes, which I would highly recommend. 

Now, sweet tooths out there, I haven't forgotten you. I've been trying to be good since I will be travelling to Philippines in less than a month. But hey ho, you can't go to Paris and not indulge some sweet delicacies. As I tried to go for "healthier options" I've realised that the parisiennes have also taken on board the matcha-kraze. So much they even have a whole restaurant for it! Umami Matcha Cafe. LOVE-IT. 

Other than that and the usual suspects such as Sadaharu Aoki or Eclair de Genie, I've also found Pain de Sucre at Le Marais. A bakery and patisserie offering the right amount of sugar you need in your body!

Don't miss out...and bon appetit!

TCB xx