Tag: London

Our dinner at José Pizarro Restaurant in London

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If you read my blog regularly you will know that I am a massive foodie. I love going out to the new restaurants and discovering hidden-gems on the dining scene. I recently joined my husband for a dinner-date at José Pizarro restaurant and today I would love to tell you about my experience.

Location:

José Pizarro has 3 restaurants in London:

  • Pizarro Restaurant near London Bridge;
  • José Pizarro Restaurant near Moorgate station
  • José Tapas Bar near London Bridge.

As I work near Monument, we decided to visit Pizarro restaurant on Bermondsey Street which is a short – 10 min walk from the London Bridge station.

Atmosphere:
Pizarro has a stylish décor and an informal atmosphere.

Diners are able to select their seats next to the window overlooking a picturesque church of St Mary Magdalen, at the bar, at the long communal table or the classic tables if they fancy a more intimate dinning experience. As we were on our dinner date, we decided to have a quiet table at the back of the restaurant which was overlooking an open kitchen so we could admire the chefs preparing our tasty dishes.

The menu:

The menu at Pizarro restaurant offers its diners a selection of tasty small and more substantial Spanish dishes, made using the seasonal products which can be served as starters and mains or as tapas for sharing.

To start with, we ordered a few tapas dishes to share from the Pica Pica and Starters menu:

  • Jamón Ibérico
  • Mushroom Croquetas
  • Butifarra negra & pulpo
  • Citrus prawn fritters

All of our starters were great but I absolutely loved the mushroom croquetas. They were the best croquetas I’ve tasted in a long time. You definitely need to try them when you visit Pizarro.

For my main I decided to have a fish of the day – Pescado del día – scallops with some aubergines. They were mouth watering and the flavours of cod and side worked perfectly together.

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My husband had a Castilian leg of suckling lamb with some mojo rojo and chickpeas. It was extremely tender and the portion was generous.

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Once we were done with our mains, it was a time for my favourite part of any meal – our desserts. I decided to be adventurous and ordered some cream cheese ice cream accompanied by some blackcurrant and camomile syrup. It was certainly different and not what I expected!

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My husband was less adventurous and just ordered some classic ice creams and enjoyed them.

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Overall experience:

We both enjoyed our dining experience. I my opinion, Pizarro is definitely one of the best Spanish eateries in London and it offers some great traditional dishes with a modern twist. The restaurant is perfect for a romantic dinner for two or a casual meeting with friends over some delicious tapas and quality Spanish wine. Throughout our meal the service was attentive and the waitress made sure that we had a wonderful evening. The restaurant is also conveniently located (especially if you travel to or work in the City of London) so I would definitely visit it again soon!

Website:
For more information and to book visit:

https://josepizarro.com/pizarro-restaurant/

Address:

194 Bermondsey St,

London

SE1 3TQ

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

My hair transformation at The Chapel Hairdressers

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Are you looking for a top-notch hair transformation? I was. A few weeks ago, I finally decided to do something about my hair to bring a bit of life and color back to it. My friend-Amy recommended The Chapel Hairdressers in London. Over the years, the salon has won over 30 business and consumer awards including being ‘Best London Salon’ (Islington) and ‘Best UK Local Salon’ (Tunbridge Wells). I decided to listen to my friend’s recommendation and give it a go.

History:

The Chapel is owned by  Amanda Dicker who decided to develop the unique Chapel experience a while ago. She started thinking about her own brand back in 1994 and during a sabbatical year to travel the world she experienced her ‘eureka moment’ that would later have a huge impact on her business. She realized the key factor that made one place more memorable than another, wasn’t its location or décor but the people and service it provided. She then decided to provide her clients with moments of great hospitality in the oasis of her salons. Amanda opened her first salon, Number 9 Colour & Style a year later. In 2001, Amanda was struck by the architecture of the old Baptist chapel that transformed Number 9 into The Chapel at Tunbridge Wells. Followed by the success, in 2007 a Victorian pub was converted into the Islington salon in London and in 2011 an old school house in Sevenoaks was a location for a third salon.

Location: 

The Chapel Hairdressers is located at 3 prestigious locations in UK: Tunbridge Wells (flagship salon), Islingon, Sevenoaks. In addition, international guests in Verbier can have their hair done in the stunning scenery of the Swiss Alps.

As I live in London, I decided to visit The Chapel located in the heart of London in Islington, just a stone away from a tube station.

Services: 

The Chapel‘s vision is to provide all its clients with the best experience possible. The salon vision is to assign the best expert stylists to collaborate in confidence on each guests new cut, colour and style using only the best hair products from the companies such as Redken, Kerastase, Shu Uemura, Olaplex and Purelogy.

Appointment:

I decided to refresh my hair color and when I contacted The Chapel a friendly receptionist invited me for a skin test which was scheduled for 48 hours before my coloring.

Before my skin test appointment started, the receptionist brought me a drinks menu. Whilst relaxing at the beautiful lounge, in no time I received some sparkling water and a mince pie. After a few minutes, I was welcomed by a friendly stylist – Sian. She listened about what I wanted to achieve during our coloring session. We had in-depth conversation devoted to understanding my individual requirements where she provided me with her expert advice and showed me some images of how my hair could look like. We agreed for me to have some highlights to brighten me up and bring out some natural color. After the consultation, Sian conducted a skin test and applied a couple of drops of hair colorant onto my skin.

My follow-up appointment was scheduled 2 days after the initial consultation. As soon as I arrived, Sian welcomed me and took me to the lounge to confirm my requirements and what I wanted to achieve.

In the meantime, a friendly receptionist offered me a drinks menu and as it was almost Christmas I decided to have some mulled wine. The Chapel has four areas for each stage of the visit Relaxation, Education, Service and Tailored treatments (REST). On ground floor there is a reception area, lounge, bar as well as a treatment area for washing, cutting and styling.

On the lower ground floor there is a washing / coloring area and a relaxing lounge.

We started my appointment by coloring so Sian took me downstairs and prepared: a gloss to bring out some richness to my natural darker tones and refresh them, as well as a solid lighter color to add some lighter tones.

Whilst Sian was applying the mixtures, we were talking about her background, Christmas and our holiday plans-it felt like we knew each other for ages. Once my hair colorants were applied, Sian invited me to relax at the lounge whilst my color was developing. In the meantime, she prepared a few ‘potions’ (Olaplex and Kerastase treatments) to minimize the negative effects of coloring and restore the health of my hair. After 20 minutes, when the color developed, Sian washed it off and applied the treatments to my hair. Once, my hair was washed, Sian took me upstairs to cut and style my hair. As I was going out after the appointment, she applied some loose curls to my hair. When she finished, I looked like a new me and my hair looked fuller, healthier and I really liked my highlights.

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Prices:

The Chapel prices are calculated by time rather than individual treatments and they depend on the chosen stylist to create a more flexible bespoke service to its Clients. It also helps guests understand the cost of each appointment in advance. My highlights and cut appointment lasted 3 hours, by Sian told me that women’s cuts average an hour, while more complex cut and colour treatments can last 2-3 hours or upwards.

Final thoughts: 

I loved ever aspect of my hair transformation appointment at the Chapel. Although, it’s not cheap, the salon offers a personalized service and my hair looked amazing so it was worth every penny. In addition, whichever stylist you choose, they will be with you throughout the appointment to answer any questions you might have. I am already looking forward to visiting again and seeing Sian as she’s been wonderful.

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If you are interested in booking your hair transformation, please visit The Chapel’s website:

https://www.thechapel.co.uk/

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Pauline

CAKE Restaurant Payment app

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Do you live or work in central London? If you do then I would like to tell you about CAKE – the new payment application for Londoners. I decided to give it a go as I go out regularly and the application promises to make it easier to enjoy London’s best restaurants and bars.

You can pay or split your bill all in one app.

Firstly, you can plan where to eat by browsing the places nearby or see a full list of places where you can pay with the app when you tap ‘Explore’.

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As soon as you are sure where you would like to go for your meal or drinks you can contact the venue to request a table.

There is a good selection of restaurants and bars to choose from. Some of the restaurants that CAKE collaborates with are:

  • Rum Kitchen
  • Bunga Bunga
  • Tonteria
  • Lima
  • 100 Kensington
  • Aroma Italia
  • Bar American

As my husband loves Indian food, on Tuesday we decided to book a table at Cinnamon Bazaar located in Covent Garden.

The experience:

After we had our meal at Cinnamon Bazaar we let our server know that we wanted to pay with CAKE. The payment was simple-when I opened a tab in the app and showed my reference number to my waiter who then connected my bill to the app. The payment amount owed was shown in the app and when I approved it the payment was made. There was also an option to split a bill with other dinners which would be really handy if you went out with friends.

Overall experience:

I really enjoyed using CAKE app as it gives anyone opportunity to browse and pay for your meal at many local cafes and restaurants. In addition, the app offers you the possibility to quickly split your bill if you decide to use it while out with your friends.

Hope you enjoyed reading this review!

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Pauline

Charlotte’s Web Jewellery – perfect anniversary gift

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Lots of you are asking me for an advice on what to get for your partner’s birthdays, anniversaries etc. As my 1st wedding anniversary approaches, I am also struggling to find something that my husband will like and enjoy. On another note, I have recently helped my colleague to find a perfect anniversary gift for his wife from Charlotte’s Web Jewellery collection.

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Designer:

Charlotte’s Web began to create her own bespoke collection of jewellery and clothing after one her trips to India. She started promoting her range during the intimate jewellery parties and on the London markets. Charlotte’s passion for travel, adventure and fashion is reflected in her designs.

Collection:

Charlotte´s Web jewellery collection aims to aid mindfulness and creating contemporary yet bohemian style pieces which have strong spiritual connections. She uses the powerful gemstones, which have been recognised for centuries as having healing, empowering or calming qualities means that our jewellery is not simply designed to enchant the eye, but to sustain personal strength and growth at the same time.

Charlotte´s Web jewellery collection includes pendants, earrings, rings, bangles. All pieces are created consciously in India by talented local craftsmen who are treated well and fairly paid.

Charlotte’s collection is perfect for a gift especially if you are celebrating an important milestone in your marriage.

  • 7th Year – Copper – there is a lot of jewellery in Charlotte’s collection that features copper.
  • 25th – Silver – all of Charlotte Web’s jewellery is handmade from Sterling Silver.
  • 30th – Pearl – Charlotte uses Pearls in a lot of her designs.

Who is it for?

Charlotte´s Web’s jewellery pieces can be worn by anyone. Her pieces are modern, chic and combine unique, enchanting designs with well-being. I ordered a couple of items from the website:

  • Rajput half hoop mixed metal earrings.
  • Rajput mixed metal spinning charm necklace.

They are both made from sterling silver 925 including posts & butterfly backs, Brass, Copper & Turquoise. They arrived in a lovely white box and were wrapped up some black tissue paper.

Prices:

Charlotte´s Web’s jewellery collection is reasonably priced and offers a great selection of gifts ranging from £25.

Please refer to the website for more details.

Website:

https://charlotteswebuk.com

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Pauline

SkinHealthSpa Facial

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Ultimate Facial at the SkinHealthSpa in London Bishopsgate

Today, I would like to tell you about the ‘ultimate facial’ I had at the SkinHealthSpa in London.

I was welcomed by a friendly receptionist who asked me to fill in the customer’s information card and then invited me to sit in a lounge located on the second floor. A few minutes later my beauty therapist – Lenka picked me up from there and we went to the treatment room located on the first floor.

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So let me tell you about my treatment…

From what I heard from Lenka the ‘Ultimate Facial’ was initially developed for one of SkinHealthSpa’s long-term following celeb’s who was looking for: ‘something to combat the grime of make-up, shoots, studio lights and London grime’. The client loved it so the clinic manager decided to introduce it to all clients. The facial is used to treat lines and wrinkles, acne scarring, pigmentation, skin surfacing, pores, dead and tired looking skin and can be used on all skin types.

Skin Health Spa’s Ultimate facial takes around one hour and combines 3 treatments and light massage to finish:

  • Microdermabrasion Treatment
  • Balancing Enzyme Facial Treatment
  • Transderm Treatment

My therapist started by removing my make-up and then completed the balancing enzyme treatment. Following from that, she performed the microdermabrasion treatment which removed all dead skin cells and exposed a freshly looking skin. At that point she started my Transderm treatment. It was definitely my favourite aspect of this facial as she massaged a beautifully scented serum onto my face using the Transderm equipment. Lenka explained that: ‘Transderm is an alternative to injections for all mesotherapy applications, mainly skin rejuvenation on face, neck, chest and hands and cellulite treatments.’ My treatment was finished by a light facial massage and at the end my therapist applied some serum, moisturizer and sunscreen on my face.

Result:

My skin looks fresh, relaxed and the small lines from under my eyes appear reduced. I would definitely recommend this facial to anyone as an extra treat when you want to look your best. I will definitely visit SkinHealthSpa again in August before my wedding as like all the brides I want to look my best on that special day.

The only unfavorable feedback that I could think of is that the treatment room didn’t quite look as exclusive as I expected and the lights weren’t dimmed. It felt more like being at the dentists office rather then at the elegant spa. On the other hand though I went there for a facial and I was unquestionably impressed with the result and how my skin looks like now after the treatment so I guess that’s all that matters.

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Price: £145 for a single treatment or £390 for a course of 3 treatments.

SkinHealthSpa also offers a range of other treatments so check out their website for more details:

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Clinic address:

SkinHealthSpa City Treatment

12 Brushfield St., Bishopsgate, London. E1 6AN

http://skinhealthspa.com

Hilton Garden Inn, London Heathrow

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2 weeks ago, I was traveling with my husband for Easter to visit my parents. As we had a very morning flight, we decided to stay at Hilton Garden Hotel near Heathrow airport.

Location:

Hilton Garden Inn Hotel is located on Eastern Perimeter Road, 5 minutes walk from Hatton Cross station (Piccadily line).

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Facilities:

Hilton Garden Inn Hotel has a 24-hours reception and Business Centre, complimentary fitness center, guest laundry, baggage storage, a full-service restaurant and a room service. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property at no extra charge. You can also use Foreign Currency Exchange and 24 hr Pavilion Pantry Market.

When we arrived to check in at 9 p.m. there was a long queue of guests waiting to be checked-in so it seemed to me like the hotel management was facing some staffing issues…

Room:

The room had a simple décor and there were some pictures of famous London monuments displayed in various places around it. We had a flat-screen TV, safe, mini-fridge and blackout curtains and coffee & tea making facilities. Our double bed was comfortable and there was also a small coffee table and chair to sit down or relax after a busy day.

The bathroom also had a minimalist, white décor and some toiletries were provided.

Overall:

Hilton Garden Inn Hotel has a good location for anyone catching an early flight or arriving late at the Heathrow airport. It is located around 40-minutes drive from the central London so it is not ideal if you wish to do a bit of sightseeing though. 

Address:

Eastern Perimeter Rd,

Hatton Cross,

London, TW6 2SQ

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

BARREtoned classes in Notting Hill studio, London

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I am on a mission to transform my body in 8-weeks. As my personal trainer once said: ‘to maximise your results you need to balance your diet and exercise’. I ordered my 8-week body plan and decided to join BARREtoned studio in Notting Hill in London. I attended my first BARREtoned class yesterday and I was really impressed.

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Location:

BARREtoned studio is based in a fashionable Notting Hill area, within a close proximity from the Royal Oak, Westbourne Park and Notting Hill stations. I work in Westbourne Park so I was looking for a place to exercise before or after work so after discovering that the studio is located not far from me, I decided to give it a go and try their classes.

Facilities:

BARREtoned has 2 exercise studios (1 upstairs & 1 downstairs), reception where you can grab some water or snacks, shower rooms and lockers so you have all need in there.

Classes:

When I found out about BARREtoned studio I wanted to know how they differ from all other studios I’ve previously been a member of. What intrigued me was a claim on BARREtoned website that the classes can rapidly produce visibly toned muscles and increase the body’s ability to burn fat. In addition, BARREtoned workouts aim to tone and strengthen your entire body, with particular attention paid to improving your posture and balance.

BARREtoned classes are running throughout a day and range from a quick 45-minutes lunch classes to 1 hour full-body workout classes. They are suitable for all skill levels.

Yesterday, I attended a standard 1 hour morning class. BARREToned has quite a few different instructors-my class was lead by Qin.

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When I arrived, before my first class started, I bought some BARRE socks with and had a quick chat with the instructor. The instructor (Qin) explained what I should be expecting during the class and the concept behind BARREtoned. She was extremely friendly, smiley and made me feel welcomed and excited about my class.

The class was performed at the ballet barre and on mats. We were all using small controlled movements to work each muscle group to exhaustion. There was also a lot of stretching involved. At moments, my whole body was shaking and almost giving up but it felt great to push myself beyond my limits.

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Verdict:

If you are tired of your regular gym routine and classes then you should definitely register at BARREtoned studio and try one of their classes. Either a 45 / 60 minute high intensity, low impact, workout will target all the muscles (even the ones that you forgot about). I am astonished as I thought that I will be really sore today after my super intense workout yesterday but surprisingly I am all fine as during you are focusing on very small muscle groups and stretching them throughout the class.

The most important tip I can give you though is to have fun, enjoy it and try to exceed your limits. I will be definitely returning back and I am planning to join one of their workouts that take place on Wednesday evenings which are followed by a wine tasting.

Address:

BARREtoned Ltd.

Notting Hill Studio
12 Chepstow Road
London, W2 5BD

Website:

http://www.barretoned.com/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, London Heathrow

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A couple of weeks ago, I was on a business trip and came back to London during late evening.  As I was flying for my skiing break in less than 8 hours from arriving back, I decided to stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Heathrow.

Location:

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Heathrow is located on a Bath Road in Hounslow. It is only 10 minutes taxi drive from London Heathrow Terminal 3 and around 15 min drive from terminal 5.

Atmosphere and Facilities:

The hotel has an informal atmosphere.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Heathrow has a 24-hours reception, baggage storage room, restaurant and a room service. Wi-Fi is available throughout the property for an extra charge.

The room-service offering is quite limited. There wasn’t much to choose from so I ordered a burger. It was £16 pounds and honestly speaking I would never order it again. If you stay at this hotel then it might be worth checking their restaurant offering. Alternatively, you could walk to one of many restaurants available on the road.

Room:

The room had a simple, modern décor. The double bed was comfortable and spacious. My room also had a flat-screen TV, safe, mini-bar and blackout curtains and coffee & tea making facilities.

The bathroom also had a modern décor and some Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries were provided.

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Overall:

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Heathrow for anyone travelling from the Heathrow airport. It is located around 45-minutes drive from the central London so if you wish to do a bit of sightseeing then I would probably recommend you to stay somewhere more central.

Address:

745 Bath Rd,

Hounslow

TW5 9QE, UK

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

Our dinner at Jackson + Rye, City, London

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Last week we had our dinner date at Jackson + Rye restaurant in London City.

Location:

Jackson + Rye restaurant and bar has multiple locations is London: Soho, Chiswick, Richmond , Kingston, Bank. In addition, they recently opened a new restaurant in  Guildford. We decided to visit it’s City branch which is situated just around a corner from Bank station.

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Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 6:45 p.m. When we entered the restaurant, we were welcomed by a friendly hostess who introduced us to our waitress-Kinga. She took us to our table and took our drinks order. To start our evening, I had a glass of Bellini and my husband ordered some beer.

The decor of Jackson and Rye’s restaurant is simple and welcoming. in addition, throughout our meal there was a romantic music playing in the background.

Starters:

We decided to have some Jumbo Shrimp with American cocktail sauce to share. In addition, I ordered some Crunchy Chorizo Prawns that were served with a mango chili mayo. My husband had some buffalo Chicken Wings which were presented with three homemade sauces: BBQ, peri peri & blue cheese. All starters were tasty and prepared to our liking. I loved the blue cheese sauce-it’s a pity that you cannot buy it in shops!

Mains:

For our mains we both had a steak. I had a tender fillet steak whilst my husband had some Rib Eye.

Both mains were absolutely gorgeous and cooked to perfection. They were accompanied by some Green slaw and sweet potato fries that we’ve ordered separately. As always, I really liked my sweet potato side… I could have it everyday…

Dessert:

If you read my blog regularly then you will see a trend in here. For my dessert, I ordered (surprise, surprise 😉 ) a sticky toffee pudding. It was delicious!

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My husband, decided not to have any dessert as he was absolutely full after his starter and main.

Overall experience:

I really liked the food at the Jackson + Rye restaurant. The restaurant has multiple locations around London, the service was good and the food was delectable so I will definitely visit again soon!

Address:

30 Old Jewry, London, EC2R 8EB

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.jacksonrye.com/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline

Our dinner at The Fish Market, London

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As some of you might know, I love all kinds of seafood. As a result, I was really happy to have my weekly dinner date at The Fish Market restaurant in London and I was looking forward to trying their specialties.

Location:

The Fish Market restaurant is situated just a couple of minutes away from the Liverpool Street Station so it is perfect for anyone who works in the City.

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Atmosphere:

We booked our table for 6:30 p.m. When we entered the restaurant, we were welcomed by a friendly hostess who took us to our table and introduced us to our waiter. I decided to have some champagne to start with.

Starters:

For our starter, we had a Seafood sharing platter from the A La Carte Menu.

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It was presented beautifully and I loved a selection of seafood presented to us. It included: grilled scallops, salt and pepper squid, goujons of day boat fish, garlic king prawns.

Mains:

For our mains we wanted to try some fish from the Fish Market menu. All fish at The Fish Market restaurant comes either on the bone or is filleted so you can have it cooked to your liking. In addition, you can choose to have your fish steamed or cooked a la plancha. What’s more, all fishes from the Market selection menu come with a choice of one complimentary side and sauce. I had a whole sea bream and my husband had a whole sea bass. For our sides, we ordered some creamed spinach and spiced, sweet potato fries.

Both mains were absolutely gorgeous and cooked to perfection. Sides were a nice-add on and I really liked my sweet potato fries.

Dessert:

As soon as I looked at the menu, I knew what I wanted to have for my dessert and as I love sticky toffee pudding, my choice was easy. It was nice but personally, I would want to have some more vanilla ice-cream with it. It is probably me just being greedy though 😉

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My husband, as always, ordered some vanilla ice-creams.

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Overall experience:

I really liked the food at the Fish Market restaurant. The service was good and food was delectable so I will definitely visit again soon!

Address:

16 New St, London EC2M 4TR

For more information and to book visit:

http://www.fishmarket-restaurant.co.uk/

I hope you enjoyed reading this review!

X

Pauline