Category: Restaurants

Our dinner at the Grill Restaurant at Amba Hotel, London

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I visited Amba Hotel Marble Arch in London for the first time, a few months ago when I went there for my afternoon tea with my friend Sylwia. I had a lovely experience last time so I really wanted to go to The Grill restaurant for a dinner with my husband. We decided to book it for our second wedding ‘lunaversary’-yes, that’s right we are married for 2 months now. Time flies!

So let me tell you a bit about The Grill restaurant located at Amba Hotel.

Venue and location:

The Grill restaurant can be found on the first floor at Amba Hotel Marble Arch -just off Oxford Street in central London. It is easily accessible by public transport and the nearest tube station-Marble Arch is around 3 minutes away. It is perfectly located in the very heart of London’s glittering centre. If you decide to go to central London in order to get some gifts for the upcoming Christmas then you should definitely visit.

Times:

The Grill restaurant is open 7 days a week. Lunch and dinner are served from midday until 10 p.m.

Atmosphere:

We reached Amba Hotel Marble Arch at around 7 p.m. The atmosphere and staff were both pleasant. On our arrival, we were acknowledged by a friendly receptionist who then asked one of the waiters to take us to our table. The lights were dimmed, there was a relaxing music playing in the background and we were taken to sit at the candlelight table which provided a perfect setting for our romantic dinner.

The menu:

Once we were comfortably sited, our friendly waiter offered us to start our dinner with a glass of champagne. A few minutes later, we received a chilled glass of bubbly each and then we started considering what to pick for our dinner.

There were a lot of nice dishes to choose from so it took us a few minutes to decide what we would like to have:

Starters:

To start with I decided to have some cured Smoked Salmon with Horseradish crème fraiche and wild rocket. It was delectable.

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My husband had some classic Prawn Cocktail with tempura king prawn. It was presented beautifully and was very tasty.

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Mains:

For our mains we both selected the items from the charcoal Josper Grill.

I decided to have 35 Day Dry Aged Ribeye Steak with peppercorn sauce. As a side I decided to have some rosemary and Parmesan fries and buttered spinach. My main was simply delectable-steak was cooked to perfection (just as I like it) and sides complimented my dish faultlessly.

My husband had some British Lamb Cutlets with mint sauce. Again-his lamb was very tender and he loved it.

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Desserts:

As some of you know, I have a very bad sweet tooth so I decided to have a Pecan and Maple Syrup Tart with honeycomb ice cream. My dessert was mouth-watering.

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James decided to be healthier than me and had some fresh strawberries with clotted cream.

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Dress code:

The dress code at The Grill restaurant in Amba Hotel Marble Arch is smart casual. I decided to wear one of my pink Prada dresses with a pair of Jones kitten hills.

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Overall experience:

The Grill restaurant at Amba Hotel Marble Arch offers a welcoming atmosphere, friendly service and great quality food. I would definitely visit again. You should definitely go there next time you are shopping on Oxford Street if you wish to have a nice, reasonably priced meal.

In addition, The Grill restaurant will be running a special ‘seasonal’ set menu that will be available throughout December 2016 (excluding Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve)

If you are interested, than it will be served from midday to 10 p.m. and you’ll get a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, followed by a three-course meal for only £39 per person.

Website:

http://www.amba-hotel.com/hotels/united_kingdom/london/marble_arch/restaurants_and_bars/the_grill.html

Address: Bryanston Street, London W1H 7EH

I hope that you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Our lunch at Dessirier restaurant, Paris

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On our last day of our mini-moon in Paris, we decided to have a lunch at one of the best fish and seafood restaurants – Dessirier. The restaurant was firstly opened  in 1883 by Louis Dessirier and his small Parisian café became a big oyster bar and the Cadoret family was running it for 5 generations. In 1996  chef  Michel Rostang  took over  ‘Dessirier’ and refurbished it completely  with a help of the architects Hélène and Olivier Lempereur, upon Michel Rostang’s 2 passions, cooking and contemporary art. Today the restaurant stands out as one of the best fish and seafood restaurant in Paris and celebrates its 20 years old offering its emblematic dishes, still going with seafood rigorously selected and whole fish to share.

Location:

Dessirier by Michel Rostang is located just a minute away from Porte de Champerret tube station and around 15 minutes walk to the Arc de Triomphe.

Address:

9 Place du Maréchal Juin, 75017 Paris, France

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 1 p.m. On our arrival, we were greeted by a restaurant Manager-Philippe. He took us to our table and made us feel welcomed and comfortable. Once we sat down, he introduced us to our waiter – Francois who was friendly and attentive.

The menu:

As the restaurant celebrated its 20th anniversary since the famous chef Michel Rostang opened it and renewed it in 1996, we decided to choose our lunch from a special 20th anniversary menu.

Before we received our starters we got a small complimentary creamy pate.

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For a starter my husband had some oysters that were fresh and I ordered a marinated salmon with some fennel preserve with gravlax sauce. It was amazing and extremely tasty.

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Mains:

For my main I decided to have some fried Colbert that was served with a tartare sauce and grilled rice. James had some cod with garlic mayonnaise. Both dishes were full of flavour and delectable.

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Desserts:

It was unquestionable what I would have for my dessert as soon as I saw the strawberries and raspberries fraisier cake served with a scoop of Basil ice cream on the menu. Let me tell you, I eat out a lot but that was THE BEST Fraisier cake I have ever tasted in my life. If you like light and fruity desserts than you would definitely love it.

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My husband went for ‘Rum baba’ with nuts and red fruit  which he really enjoyed.

It was full-flavoured and great for rum lovers!

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Just before we left, I had some coffee latte which was a perfect end to this delicious meal.

Overall experience:

If you like seafood than you should definitely visit Michel Rostang’s Dessirier dishes. We both really enjoyed our lunch at the Dessirier-food was excellent, service was very attentive and surroundings were modern. The area where the restaurant is located was lively and buzzing so great if you want to visit a typical Parisian coffee or bar for a drink afterwards.

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For more information and to book visit:

http://www.restaurantdessirier.com/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Our dinner at Le Petit Pontoise in Paris, France

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After a day of sightseeing, on the second day of our mini-moon in Paris, we wanted to have some more traditional French cuisine thus we booked a dinner at Le Petit Pointoise.

I wore one of my white cocktail dresses from COAST with some Karen Millen hills and accessorized it with some silver jewellery and my Furla handbag that I took with me for our trip.

Location:

Le Petit Pontoise is located just 5 minutes’ walk from Notre Dame Cathedral in the center of Paris.

Address:

9, rue de Pontoise, 75 005 PARIS

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 7 p.m. When we arrived only one other table was taken but within 30 minutes the restaurant was full and buzzing with tourists and some regular dinners.

On our arrival, we were greeted by a friendly waitress-Boom. She took us to our table and made us feel welcomed and comfortable.

Service:

We were mainly served by Boom however there were also a few different staff members who attended our table. They were all friendly and looked after us well.

The menu:

The menu at this gourmet bistro offers an impressive selection of dishes that are all built around traditional French recipes. The Head Chef-François Récapet works at Le Petit Pontoise for more than 14 years and provides his dinners with a high quality, traditional French cuisine with a twist. Some of his traditional recipes are treasured since his childhood in Périgord and all dishes are made with fresh, seasonal products.

 

 

Starters:

To start with I decided to have some roasted Camenbert cheese with almond and honey crust. I love melted cheese so it was just what I needed to re-charge after a full day of sightseeing.

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My husband had some signature ‘Petit Pontoise’ roasted shrimps. They were cooked to perfection and tender.

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Mains:

There was a nice choice of mains but as I love fish I decided to have some Roasted monkfish with prosciutto. It was delectable!

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My husband had a Rack of lamb with some garlic crust. Both dishes were of good size and were presented nicely.

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Desserts:

I have a very bad sweet tooth and I decided to have one of my favourite desserts-Tiramisu ‘Veronese’. I love, love, love tiramisu and could have it for breakfast, lunch and dessert so I really enjoyed my little treat!

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James was slightly more adventurous and he had a fruit salad with Armagnac. He really liked it as it was served with some homebrewed Armagnac.

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Overall experience:

We both enjoyed our time at this traditional French gourmet bistro. You should definitely go there if you wish to discover and enjoy some great home-made French cuisine. If you wish to have a good-quality meal in a typical Parisian atmosphere then look no further. I would advise to book it in advance as Le Petit Pontoise is a relatively small, popular restaurant so it tends to be fully booked often (especially during the weekends and the peak tourist season).

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For more information and to book visit:

http://www.lepetitpontoise.fr/en/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Our lunch at La Régalade Restaurant at  Hôtel de NELL in Paris

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Two weeks ago, on our arrival to Paris we decided to have some lunch at La Régalade Restaurant at  Hôtel de NELL in Paris.

I wore one of my Karen Millen dresses with some Jones hills and accessorized it with some silver white gold jewellery and Furla handbag.

Location:

La Régalade Restaurant is located at  Hôtel de NELL in Paris. The Hôtel de Nell has designed a variety of spaces to meet the needs of every guest with luxury, discretion and quality. It is located just 15 miutes walk from Gare de North station. It is also 5 minutes away from the Poissonniere station in the center of Paris.

Address:

9 Rue du Conservatoire, 75009 Paris, France

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 12:30 p.m. and arrived just a couple of minutes before. Some would say that it was a perfect timing as I was able to take some photos before the arrival of all other dinners. As we went there straight after arriving to Paris, a friendly concierge took our suitcases and escorted us to the restaurant that is located opposite of the main reception area at the hotel. In order to get through it you need to walk through modern and spacious lobby and game room which I loved.

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What a perfect place to unwind at after a day of sightseeing!

When we entered the restaurant, we were welcomed by a friendly waiter. He offered us to choose our own table as we were the first dinners that arrived. We choose a table next to the bar area as it provided a romantic setting. Within minutes of sitting down the restaurant was full.

Service:

We were served by a few different staff members who were all professional and attentive. One of the staff members- a French waiter of Turkish origin was very friendly and had great customer service skills. He explained our menu in detail and provided his recommendations. Throughout our visit he was attentive and looked after us well.

The menu:

La Régalade Restaurant at  Hôtel de NELL serves a great traditional French cuisine with a twist. All ingredients are locally sourced and purchased on a daily basis from the local market.We choose a 3 course lunch from the special menu (37 euros per person). We had a glass of champagne to start with to celebrate our mini-moon trip to Paris.

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Starters:

Before our starters arrived, we got some traditional french pattee served with some pickles.

To start with I decided to go for some ‘half cooked’ tuna, eggplant caviar and baby roquette salad.

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My husband had a cold tomato soup, served with some fresh goat cheese, olive oil, pine nuts and Espelette chilli pepper. Both of these dishes were extremely tasty.

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Mains:

There was a great choice of mains I decided to have some Cod from Brittany, roasted eggplant and candied vegetables.

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My husband had some pork belly with a selection of seasonal vegetables.

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Both of our mains were cooked to perfection and I think that my cod was one of the best cods that I have ever tasted. I loved it.

Desserts:

Desserts are often my favorite part of any meal. I decided to go for some red fruits, verbena infusion and white cheese sorbet-it was yummy!

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My husband had some blanc-manger – a peach, peach sorbet in Bellini emulsion. It was heavenly.

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Overall experience:

We both had a lovely time at La Régalade Restaurant at  Hôtel de NELL. All food was delicious, beautifully presented and reasonably priced (only 37 Euros for 3 course meal which is very reasonable for Paris!). Service was great, location is perfect so if you are traveling to Paris anytime soon then you should definitely check it out!

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For more information and to book visit:

http://www.hoteldenell.com/index.php?cat=14&ID=14&nom=La+R&lang=eng

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Disappointing Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea at The Sanderson Hotel

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This week, I would like to tell you about my recent Alice in Wonderland Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea experience. I was invited to attend it at the beginning of my hen night celebrations last month. I was accompanied by my 7 of my best friends.

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Venue and location:

Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea takes place in the luxury, 5* Sanderson’s hotel. It is just situated between Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road stations.

Times:

Afternoon Tea is served from 12:30 pm until 4 pm.

Atmosphere:

We were seated in the corner of the restaurant. It was extremely busy, noisy and the service was extremely sluggish so my first impressions weren’t great… I love eating out and I’ve been to hundreds of restaurants before so I was quite surprised by that. We weren’t able to hear any music and to add to our misery their Air-con wasn’t working so it was absolutely boiling inside…

The menu:

Our Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea menu was hidden inside a vintage ‘Alice in Wonderland’ book.

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As it was a special occasion, we started our experience with a glass of pink Champagne which was lovely and then ordered a few pots of Sanderson-exclusive teas. I decided to have some iced-tea instead as it was boiling inside and unfortunately I had to wait for it to arrive for almost 45 min as our waiter simply forgot about it. When I reminded him about my order he cheekily asked me: ‘Did you order it?’ To which I answered: ‘Yes, from you…’

Moving on, a while after these initial dissatisfactions, we finally received our stand of sweet and savoury treats. They were definitely the highlight of our experience. They were all presented beautifully and they were all very tasty. I am sure that a lot of thought was put into creating these beautiful selection of luxuries.

Our savoury treats included:

  • Scottish smoked salmon, quail egg and caviar scotch egg;
  • Wiltshire ham and smoked Applewood croquet-monsieur;
  • Cornish crab and herb éclair;
  • Cucumber and cream cheese sandwich on fresh lime bread.

Our sweet treats included:

  • The blue caterpillar;
  • Wonderlands magic marshmallow mushrooms;
  • Curious carrot meringue;
  • The White Rabbit’s pocket watch macaroon;
  • Red velvet ladybird;
  • Banana bread-and-butterfly;
  • The Queen of Hearts Oreo cookie soldier;
  • Alice’s drink me potion;
  • Scones served with seasonal fruit preserves and Cornish clotted cream.

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Dress code:

The dress code at The Sanderson’s hotel is smart casual. I decided to wear my white Coast dress with some Dior sandals.

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Overall experience:

Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea in Sanderson Hotel offers you a great alternative to a traditional Afternoon Tea. All sweet and savoury treats were amazing and the only let down was the service we received. I would be happy to visit The Sanderson hotel in the future however I hope that they will put their waiting staff through some customer-service training as the service we all received during our visit was simply unacceptable for this beautiful 5* hotel.

Address: The Sanderson, 50 Berners Street, Fitzrovia, London W1

Website: www.sandersonlondon.com

Price: £65 per person excluding service.

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Pauline

 

Bringit delivery app

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Do you live or work in central London? Do you struggle to cook or get out of the office for lunch? If you are too busy or slightly lazy I would like to tell you about the new food delivery service for Londoners.

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From time to time, my work gets so busy that I do not have time to go out to get my lunch and I end up having a ton of food when I return back home. I recently heard about a new food delivery service called ‘Bringit’ and decided to give it a go. Bringit gives you an opportunity to either order your takeaways or groceries (from chains such as Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s or Dacha) from the places close to your location as well as from independent restaurant and stores in your area. As soon as you enter your postcode you will see a comprehensive list of restaurants and shops that you can order from.

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Your delivery charge will be based on the distance from your home or work and starts at £2.95. I decided to order some lunch using Bringit app on Tuesday after the bank Holiday’s break. There was a good selection of restaurants and fast-food chains to choose from.

What I like about Bringit is that you can order a cheap lunch from KFC or something more extravagant like a meal from Caviar House & Prunier so it caters at all budgets. Some of the restaurants that collaborate with Bringit and were located close to my office were:

  • Nando’s
  • Burger & Lobster
  • Caviar House & Prunier
  • Gaucho
  • Giraffe
  • Wagamama
  • Maverick
  • McDonald’s
  • Subway
  • Iberica
  • Leon
  • Crussh
  • Abokado
  • Krispy Kreme
  • L’Eto

I ordered my lunch from Leon. I love their salads but as I was busy and the closest Leon is 15 minutes’ walk from my office, I thought that it would be a great opportunity to order my lunch using Bringit.

The experience:

After I placed my order, I received a text confirming my scheduled delivery time. A minute later, I got another message, this time from my driver – Erick – to let me know that he is on his way to collect my order. His mobile phone was also included.

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When I checked my Bringit App, I could clearly see what the current status of my order was and where exactly was my driver.

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My lunch arrived, as requested, on time at midday. A friendly driver called me as soon as he was in my office building so I made my way downstairs to collect it.

Overall experience:

It was a great, quick delivery service that gives anyone opportunity to order from many local cafes and restaurants. If you are too busy to go out and grab your lunch then you should order it using Bringit. I will definitely use this service again!

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Amazing Science Afternoon Tea at The Drawing Rooms in The Ampersand hotel

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This week, I would like to tell you about the best Afternoon Tea experience I have had so far this year, at The Drawing Rooms in The Ampersand hotel. I was accompanied by my husband-James as it was the anniversary of our engagement.

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Venue and location:

The Drawing Rooms restaurant is located in a 5 star contemporary hotel-The Ampersand hotel. It is just situated a couple of minutes’ walk from South Kensington Station and a stone’s throw away from famous museums such as: The Victoria and Albert museum, The Science museum and The Natural History museum.

Times:

Afternoon Tea is served from 2:30 pm until 5:30 pm.

Atmosphere:

We reached The Ampersand Hotel at 2:30. The Afternoon Tea is served in the Drawing Rooms restaurant and it can be found just off the hotel lobby, located on the ground floor. As soon as we arrived, we were welcomed by a smiley waitress who kindly told us that we can choose one of 2 available tables. We choose a table in the corner of the restaurant.

The restaurant is very charming, contemporary and offers a romantic setting to its dinners. I loved its chic and modern décor. There was relaxing music playing in the background. We were served by a few different waiters who were all friendly and exceptionally attentive.

The menu:

Once we were seated, we started assessing our Afternoon Tea options. I was impressed by The Drawing Rooms menu as it offered a range of Afternoon Teas to choose from: Classic, Vegetarian, Gluten Free or Science. As we were in the museum’s district we decided to try their Chef’s special ‘Science Afternoon Tea’.

We started our Afternoon Tea with a glass of Moët Ice Impérial Champagne and ordered some Peppermint and Jasmin teas afterwards.

A few minutes after we finished sipping our delicious Champagne our stand of sweet and savoury treats arrived. I loved how the Head Pastry Chef Mi Kyung Jeong presented all our snacks and they were all extremely tasty.

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As part of your experience, we received some additional treats in the research laboratory’s test tubes. They helped us to create our bespoke scones as we were encouraged to experiment and add some chocolate bites while we were creating them.

There was also a wooden box with a couple of hidden treats which we were able to dig out using a brush so we felt like experienced archaeologists.

Our sweet treats included:

  • Warm selection of plain and white chocolate scones, served with Devonshire clotted cream and homemade strawberry preserve.
  • Pastries: blood orange and passion fruit jelly on Petri dish;
  • mint and chocolate planet mousse with space man;
  • Milky Way macaroon and crescent fondant fancy.

Our savoury treats included:

  • chicken Caesar salad in parmesan basket;
  • cray fish, asparagus with some Mary rose sauce on focaccia bread;
  • bonbon of Portland crab;
  • goats cheese & sun-dried tomato quiche.

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Dress code:

The dress code at The Drawing Rooms in The Ampersand hotel is smart casual. I decided to wear my silver dress with some Jones sandals.

Overall experience:

I loved every minute of our Science Afternoon Tea experience at The Drawing Rooms in The Ampersand hotel. It is an Afternoon Tea with a twist so if you are tired of traditional sandwiches, scones and pastries then you definitely need to experience it. It would be perfect for families with children as it encourages fun and you can talk about science and history to combine fun and education. The Science Afternoon Tea helped me to reconnect with my inner child and I would definitely try to take my nephews to experience it next time they are in London.

Price:

Science Afternoon Tea costs £32.50 per person or £45.50 with a glass of Moet Champagne. It was worth every penny!

Website:

https://www.ampersandhotel.com/eat-and-drink-at-the-ampersand-hotel/the-drawing-rooms

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Pauline

Dinner date at Reform Social & Grill Restaurant at The Mandeville hotel

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Last Saturday, on our return to London, we went out for our first dinner date as a married couple. I recently visited the Mandeville Hotel so really wanted to check out its restaurant-‘ Reform Social & Grill Restaurant’. For this special occasion, I wore a classic white dress from Coast with some Jones hills and accessorised it with some silver white gold jewellery and my favourite Chanel handbag.

Location:

Reform Social & Grill Restaurant is located at The Mandeville Hotel, just behind the famous shopping street-Oxford Street. It is 5 minutes away from the Bond Street station and is conveniently situated in the center of Mayfair.

Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 8p.m. and arrived just a couple of minutes before. A concierge, took our umbrella (surprise, surprise-it was raining) and showed us where we needed to go. When we entered the restaurant, we were acknowledged straight away and welcomed by a friendly waiter. My new husband mentioned that we just got married a few days before and as a result we were given a great table in the corner of the restaurant that offered us a romantic setting.

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Service:

We were served by a few different staff members who were all professional and attentive. One of the staff members-Italian waiter made our experience extra special by being very friendly and his smiley face made us feel comfortable and welcomed straight away. As soon as we sat down, the chief barman-Maciej- brought us a complimentary glass of champagne to celebrate our first outing as a married couple, which was really kind touch and made our evening just a little bit extra special.

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The menu:

Reform Social & Grill Restaurant serves a great British cuisine with a twist.

Starters:

To start with I decided to go for some Crispy South Coast Squids that were served with some lemon and garlic mayonnaise and my husband-James chose some Hendricks Gin Salmon with tartare garnish. Both of these dishes were lip-smacking.

Mains:

There was a great choice of mains but we decided to try the selection from Reform Social’s ‘Josper Grill’ menu. I had a Rib-Eye Steak which cooked to perfection and my liking (medium). It was served with a side of some garlic mash and a mushroom. It was simply delectable.

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James had some minted lamb cutlets with mint yogurt and some coriander which were also very tasty. In addition, we ordered some green beans which pleasantly complimented our mains.

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Desserts:

Some of you might think that it was a weird choice however as soon as I looked at the menu, I decided to order Reform Social’s signature dessert – sweet Yorkshire Puddings selection. Who said that Yorkshire puddings are simply reserved for your Sunday roast? They were simply marvelous and I loved every single bite of these delicious puddings. The sweet selection of puddings was heavenly and included:

  • Chocolate and Carmel Yorkie;
  • Sugared Yorkie that was filled with clotted cream and jam ;
  • Banana and Custard Yorkie.

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My husband was less adventurous and chose some vanilla and chocolate ice-creams which were satisfying but boring if you compared them to my dessert.

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Overall experience:

We both had a lovely time and very really pleased with the food we chose. Reform Social serves some extraordinary, nicely presented food and is reasonably priced. Service was great, location is perfect so if you are around central London then you should definitely check it out! We finished our evening with some die-for cocktails that were prepared for us by Chief Barman-Maciej.

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Website:

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.reformsocialgrill.co.uk/

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

JAPANESE AFTERNOON TEA at Silk restaurant at Courthouse Hotel, London

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This week, I would like to tell you about my Japanese Afternoon Tea experience at Number Twelve at Courthouse Hotel. I was accompanied by my fiancé-James.

Venue and location:

The Courthouse hotel is a 5 star luxury hotel located in a Grade II Listed Magistrates Court in Mayfair, Central London. It is just situated a couple of minutes’ walk from Oxford Street Station and a stone’s throw away from the famous Liberty London department store.

Japanese Afternoon Tea is served in the Silk Restaurant. It can be found just off the hotel lobby in a classic courtroom setting. It offers innovative Asian fusion cuisine and exotic menu and it features the original judge’s bench, dock and witness stand from its days as the Great Marlborough Street Magistrates Court.

Times:

Afternoon Tea is served from 3 pm until 5 pm Monday to Sunday.

Atmosphere:

We reached Silk Restaurant a little bit earlier so we decided to have a quick drink at the hotel’s Sky Terrace Bar located on the 6th floor.

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At around 2:45 p.m. we went downstairs to start our Japanese Afternoon Experience. We were acknowledged straight away and given a table next to the witness stand. The restaurant is very charming and offers a romantic setting to its dinners. There was also a relaxing music playing in the background. We were served by Ana Maria and Jozeph who were both extremely friendly and attentive.

The menu:

We started our Afternoon Tea with a glass of delicious, sweet plum Japanese wine. I am not much of a drinker but I really enjoyed it and will definitely try some other Japanese wines soon. Very shortly after that, we received a selection of sweet and savory treats prepared by Head Chef Rajesh Parmar and his talented team. We both really enjoyed them and emptied our plater very swiftly.

Our sweet treats included:

  • APRICOT & ALMOND CAKE
  • YUZU TART- Tart made from Japanese citrus

Our savory treats included:

  • DAIFUKU – Rice cake with Azuki beans filling
  • TAMAGO – Japanese style sweet omelette
  • INARI POCKET – Honey marinated tofu fillet with rice
  • STEAMED VEGETABLE GYOZA – Hearty and flavorful dumpling
  • CALIFORNIA MAKI – Inside out sushi roll with cucumber, and smoked salmon
  • VEGETABLE FUTOMAKI- Large sushi roll filled with vegetables

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Dress code:

The dress code at Courthouse Hotel is smart casual. I decided to wear my black and white Lipsy dress with some Aldo sandals.

Overall experience:

I really enjoyed our Japanese Afternoon Tea experience at Silk Restaurant at Courthouse Hotel. It is an Afternoon Tea with a twist so if you are tired of traditional sandwiches, scones and pastries then you definitely need to experience it. Silk Restaurant offers amazing cuisine in a magnificent settings so I would definitely advise you to visit it next time you are in central London.

Price:

Japanese Afternoon Tea costs £29.50 per person and for an additional £10.50 you can upgrade it to receive a glass of sweet Japanese Plum Wine or a glass of Champagne.

Website:

http://www.courthouse-hotel.com/restaurantsandbars-en.html

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Pauline

Afternoon Tea at Number Twelve at Ambassadors Bloomsbury Hotel

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This week, I would like to tell you about my Afternoon Tea at Number Twelve at Ambassadors Bloomsbury Hotel. As my fiancé was on his stag last weekend, I decided that it would be lovely to catch-up with my friend-Karen and what’s better than chit-chat while having some delicious Afternoon Tea treats.

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Venue and location:

A Traditional Afternoon Tea menu is served in Number Twelve Restaurant, which provides a stress-free atmosphere. Number Twelve Restaurant can be found at an independent Ambassadors Bloomsbury Hotel that was built in the late 1800’s. It is located in central London and easily accessible by public transport and the nearest tube station-Euston is around 3 minutes away.

In addition, the Ambassadors Bloomsbury hotel, is positioned within walking distance of Russell Square, Euston and Kings Cross St. Pancras stations which are all within 10 minutes’ walk.

Times:

Afternoon Tea is served from 2:30 pm until 4 pm Monday to Saturday and on Sunday from 2pm until 7pm.

Atmosphere:

I reached Number Twelve Restaurant at around 1:55 p.m. and my friend-Karen arrived a few minutes later. We were given a table next to the window. There was a soft, relaxing music playing in the background.

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The menu:

As it was absolutely boiling outside (not typical weather for London), we both decided to try some ice tea infusion drinks rather than a traditional hot tea. They were definitely the highlight of my Afternoon Tea experience at Number Twelve restaurant. We received a selection of sandwiches and a stand of the sweet treats shortly after ordering our first ice tea drink. Ice tea infusions are a selection of normal tea infusions that are served over ice in a tall glass with fresh fruit. They were very refreshing and tasty – drinking them felt like having some non-alcoholic cocktails. We ended up having three delicious ice teas.

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Firstly, we had some marvellous Richmond Green Mint Mojito Tea.

Secondly, we had some Richmond Forest Fruits Tea.

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Lastly, we ordered some Richmond Peach Lemon Star Tea.

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In addition, I really enjoyed a selection of delicious cakes and pastries. Subsequently, I had a lovely, homemade scone which was accompanied by some Devonshire clotted cream with strawberry and raspberry preserve.

My friend received a nice selection of fresh fruits as a gluten-free alternative to my scones.

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Dress code:

The dress code at Ambassadors Bloomsbury is smart casual. I decided to wear navy jacket from Karen Millen, white and navy top from Next and Christian Dior black skirt. I finished my look with a pair of Kurt Geiger black hills.

Overall experience:

Number Twelve Restaurant at Ambassadors Bloomsbury Hotel offers a delicious Afternoon Tea with a twist. You should definitely visit to try one of their Ice-Teas-I loved them and they are a perfect drink to refresh with during the hot, sunny days. Number Twelve restaurant offers a British Italian fusion cuisine and is also open for breakfast and dinner so give it a go next time you are in the area. Don’t forget to have a glass of bubbly to complete your experience.

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Price:

Is very affordable – it costs £25 per person for a classic Afternoon Tea or £35 per person for a Champagne Afternoon Tea.

Website:

http://www.numbertwelverestaurant.co.uk/afternoon-tea.html

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Pauline