On the whole, my fitness level is pretty shocking. Considering I start to see double and come close to throwing up when I have to run for a train (I am never on time for trains), it’s peculiar that last summer I actually got heavily into spinning. After a taster session with the Time Out Tastemakers at Another Space in Covent Garden, I found that despite loathing every second of the 30-minute class, the endorphin rush I experienced afterwards was sensational. I was glowing, from both the sweat (it pours from your body like water from a sieve) and the elation that it was not just over, but that I hadn’t died in the process, and thus began my new found love of spin classes.

Now yes, like me just over a year ago, you might find the idea of high-intensity, unrelenting, hot, loud, painful, high-speed exercise to be Hell. And it is, it really is. But it is worth it, for the aforementioned reason above, and for the difference you see in your body after just a few classes a week. Yep, at first you might think you are legitimately dying but that will pass. I promise.

However, spinning is an expensive hobby, with most 45-minute classes costing around the £20 mark. That’s a lot of money, but I am yet to find a class that motivates me, pushes me and satisfies my cardio needs as much as a spin class does. But not all classes are the same, with different studios offering different styles of classes, equipment, instructors and even music, and it is important that before you commit to a big lump sum of cash (it’s usually more economical to buy in bulk), you find the right one for you first. Which is what I did.

So here is my round up of what you can expect from some of London’s best spin studios:

Where it all began…

Name: Another_Space

What you can expect: This was where it all began for me. Another_Space is also a yoga and HIIT studio, so there is only one room for spinning so classes tend to be busy. They offer classes before and after work, lunchtimes and on weekends. Some lunchtime classes are 30 minutes so its easier to fit one in on your lunch break, and those tend to include a free smoothie from their smoothie bar which you pre-order before your class. There are also a few 60-minute classes but I think that might kill me. The classes are super high energy, and my favourite instructor is Rachele; she’s a gorgeous and super motivational red-head who has a good structure to her classes while always mixing them up a bit. The music can be a little hit and miss at the studio, sometimes with a bit too much monotonous dance music which makes the routines a bit of a struggle.

Location: Covent Garden & Bank

Price: £20 per class (use my referral code to buy credits here)

Intro Offer: 2 classes + buddy credit for £30

Music: A mix of dance, hip-hop and pop.

Amenities: The changing rooms are stocked with Cowshed hair and natural skin products (so you can remove your makeup prior to your class). Plus GHD straighteners, dryers, hair-ties and cotton pads, as well as fresh, fluffy towels so you really can pack light. Cleated shoes are also included and they come in half sizes which makes all the difference.

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Good for beginners…

Name: BestCycle

What you can expect: Much like the other spin classes in London, you’ll be working out to loud, rhythmic music, taken straight from the charts, with hill climbs, interval sprints, tap backs and steady rides for 45 minutes. I tried out this studio earlier this year and didn’t feel overly stretched so I’d say it’s a good place to start your spinning journey if you’re nervous or a little out of the swing of the exercise game. I found this studio a little on the unfinished side; there were a few ceiling tiles missing, and the airconditioning was provided by a fan, so if you were the other side of the studio you’d struggle to keep cool. But the UV lighting is pretty cool – make sure to wear your whitest gym kit to get the full benefit.

Location: Charing Cross & South Kensington

Price: £20 a class (book credits here)

Intro Offer: 2 classes for £20 (or you could try £40 for 2 weeks of unlimited rides at the South Ken studio, or unlimited off-peak rides at the Charing Cross studio)

Music: Chart pop and hip-hop

Amenities: As soon as you finish your class, you get a cold lavender face towel which is super freshing and cooling. You can follow this with a ‘Best Blast shower’ which is a cold air blast located in both changing rooms. Think giant hair dryer but ice cold!! They also provide GHD appliances, hairdryers and high-end hair, beauty and skincare solutions. Cleated shoes are included, too.

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Where it’s all about the tunes…

Name: Boom Cycle

What you can expect: 45 minutes of extremely good music which helps you to really get into the class. Think about how much you are inspired to move when your favourite song comes on in a club (I assume this still happens, I haven’t stepped foot in a club for 4 years), that’s the effect a soundtrack like the Boom Cycle soundtrack has; you’re far more inspired to get into the routine and keep up with the beat. They also know how to start the weekends right, with Prosecco Fridays – the last class of the afternoon is followed by a free glass of bubbly. Potentially counterproductive for any health or weight loss regime you’re working on, but excellent for getting the party started.

Location: Holborn, Battersea, Monument & Hammersmith

Price: £18 per class (book credits here)

Intro Offer: 3 classes for £29

Music: Boom mostly plays a mix of pop and hip-hop, but if you have a favourite type of music you should check out their themed rides, like the upcoming 90’s Pop Princess ride, or the Michael Jackson ride.

Amenities: They supply REN toiletry products in the showers, as well as *those* £300 Dyson Hair Dryers, so if you have been wondering if they’re worth the hype and price tag, you can check them out for yourself (I’m not convinced yet… might need to book a few more classes. Cleated shoes are also included.

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Where your instructor is key…

Name: Psycle

What you can expect: This is one of those studios where your choice of instructor really affects the type of class you have. There are two studios (1 & 2) and I tend to favour classes in Studio 2 because it’s smaller, and ever so slightly cooler (there are so many sweaty bodies in studio 1 and the air conditioner isn’t all that strong) – my favourite class is run by Olive who is super inspirational and perceptive, she can see when you’re struggling and gives you a bit more attention to help you adapt to your own abilities, without being patronising or demotivating. Most classes are 45-minutes long, with a few pushing to the hour (no thanks!), and each happens to put on an incredible light show. The Oxford Circus studio (on Mortimer Street) is extremely popular after work so unless you’re super on the ball and able to book your class as soon as they become available to book each Monday at noon, expect to join the waitlists and hope for a last minute cancellation.

Location: Oxford Circus, Canary Wharf & Shoreditch

Price: £20 per class (use my referral code to buy credits here)

Intro Offer: 2 classes for £20

Music: Dance, hip-hop and pop

Amenities: Psycle offer changing rooms with free lockers and towels. The showers are stocked with Sachajuan products so you can revive after class. There are also hairdryers, straighteners and deodorant. No make-up remover though, which is annoying if you come straight from work with a full face and don’t want to have it sweat off and clog your pores. Cleated shoes are included, and they keep a record of your size so there’s no waiting when you arrive.

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Where you can track your progress…

Name: One10

What you can expect: This is my favourite spin studio of all the ones I have tried for a few reasons. The first is the style of classes available here; there is a choice of two very different types of class: Paceline or Nirvana. Nirvana is my favourite because it is all about the beat of the music and includes really cool choreography which gives a really great cardio work-out. Meanwhile, Paceline is a lot more suited to those trying to improve their athletic performance in a competitive yet supportive setting. One-10 is the first studio to monitor progress using technology – it allows you to see your RPM, Watts (how much power is going through your legs depending on the resistance) and what level of resistance you are actually on, and means you can track your progress after every class. In the Paceline classes, these stats are shown on a screen for everyone to compare, creating an element of motivation and competition (and despair!). In the Nirvana classes, these stats are only on show to you through a monitor on your bike. This means you know how hard you are pushing and encourages you to reach targets set by the instructor, which I love. The choice of music is a lot more in line with my taste, mostly because it’s all the best pop and hip-hop bangers and I find it so much easier to get into the routine when you know the rhythm and lyrics of the song being played.

Location: Baker Street

Price: £20 per class (Use my referral code to buy credits here)

Intro Offer: 2 classes for £20

Music: A great selection of pop and hip-hop.

Amenities: Like Another_Space, the changing rooms are stocked with Cowshed hair and natural skin products, along wish GHD straighteners, dryers, hair-ties and cotton pads, as well as fresh, fluffy towels so you really can pack light. The one negative is that the changing rooms are TINY, and considering spinning is typically more popular with females, it makes for a really unpleasant and difficult changing process afterwards – there genuinely isn’t any space and means I usually restrict myself to an evening class and go home to shower, meaning I miss out on the glorious Cowshed products which I usually use as reward motivation.

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So there you have it. If you’re a spin virgin, I recommend you taking advantage of one of the intro sessions to see if it might just be for you. Some gyms include spin classes in their memberships (Virgin Active and Fitness First definitely do, but these are uncleated classes, ie: you’re not clipped in) so if you have a membership and don’t wanna spend the money on a specialised studio just yet, give one of those a go. And before you know it you’ll be on track to look just like Ariana Grande… but I’d advise against the heels and the high-rise thongs.

Well that, AND the insta thing.

As well as being incredibly photogenic, Açai Bowls are actually really bloody good for you. Unlike any other fruit, the real magic of Açaí is that it has a perfect combination of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, delivering plenty of trace minerals and essential nutrients:

• Organic: Nutrition without compromise
• Protein: For strength and sustained nutrition
• Healthy Omegas: Good fats for the brain and body
• Powerful Antioxidants: Free radical fighters that support immunity, heart health and keeps skin beautiful from within
• Fibre: Helps satiate hunger and aids gut health

It’s these incredible benefits that have given Açaí an A-list following, but admittedly, unless you are one of those celebs, you probably can’t afford to go out for breakfast daily to fork out £8 for your bowl. Luckily, you can just make them yourself at home using Sambazon, the world’s leading producer of Açaí.

Sambazon is on a mission to bring real Açaí to the UK, establishing it as a delicious health food staple, just like it is in the States, Japan, Australia and its home country of Brazil, where for many it is part of the daily diet.

Açaí grows on tall, slender palm trees in the Amazon Rainforest. It is one of the only fruits on the planet to be naturally sugar free, packed with antioxidants, and full of healthy omegas, fibre and protein.

Taking its name from its core goal, Sambazon stands for the Sustainable Management of the Brazilian Amazon. Each delicious purchase not only helps to boost health with antioxidants and omegas, but also helps to preserve the rainforest and the families that farm there, which is wonderful.

Sambazon Açaí has an exotic purple colour, creamy mouth-feel and an earthy taste with notes of chocolate. It is perfect for pairing with healthy toppings, such as nut butters, fresh fruit and cacao nibs or simply sprinkled with berries, granola or coconut shavings in a nutritious Sambazon bowl.

The bowls are ideal for enjoying as a brain and body-boosting breakfast, filling lunchtime, pre and post exercise, healthy snack or as an after-dinner treat.

To make the perfect Açaí bowl, simply remove two pouches from the freezer and run under the tap for ten seconds before adding to a high-powered blender with half a banana or berries and a splash of non-dairy milk. Add toppings (fruit, nuts, chia seeds, anything!) and serve immediately.

I made ours using Oatly Oat Milk, Barista Edition, which is quite frankly THE BEST GOD DAMN THING EVER. My flatmate, Ellie, and I get through 2-3 cartons of this a week. It is a revelation and makes your coffee taste utterly delicious and would appear also tastes excellent in your Açai bowl. You can get it from Waitrose and Wholefoods (and sometimes Sainsbury’s)

I whizzed up two pouches with a banana and a cup of the oat milk in my Breville Active Blend, before pouring it out into bowls and topping with blueberries, coconut, dried cranberries, golden raisins and granola. This is where you make it Insta-worthy.

On beautiful hot days like these, there is nowhere better to enjoy a delicious cold Açai bowl than on your balcony. I don’t think I’ve ever made a more impressive, yet simple and quick breakfast. The time consumption came with my precise decoration on the top, but if you’re not planning to photograph it to within an inch of its life you can just chuck it all on and get feasting! It really is SO easy, and incredibly tasty. It took no more than 5 minutes from start to finish.

All Sambazon products are 100% organic, Fairtrade, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free and Kosher. The packs are available in the freezer aisle at Whole Foods Market, Tesco and Ocado for RRP £4.00, far cheaper than ordering in a cafe, and as the packs are nice and compact, they don’t take up much room in your freezer either. ideal!

Of course, if you still can’t be bothered to make your own (lazy much?) you can grab a Sambazon Açaí bowl to-go in Whole Foods Piccadilly, Kensington, Richmond & Fulham. Just head to the juice bar.

And remember, its AH-SIGH-EE, not AH-KAI.

Soft launches allow for diners to enjoy a new restaurant frivolously, usually with a 50% food discount in exchange for an open mind and forgiveness of any discrepancies in the cooking or the service. These are pre-launch practise runs, after all. Critics rarely dine during a soft launch, and influencers are usually invited in on a specific press day, so this really is the time to book if you want to be one of the first through the door.

Currently still in its soft launch phase, with the official launch scheduled for this Thursday 24th May, is Neptune, situated within what was previously the Russell Square Hotel and now known as The Principle. Neptune is a modern seafood-focused restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, offering thoughtfully sourced British seafood from their oyster bar as well as the highest quality British produce from their wood-fire grill.

The Grade II listed dining room is exquisite, like something out of a Wes Anderson film, with high pillars stretching up to an ornate peach ceiling, decorated with beautifully detailed statues that look over the tables. The chairs are velvet and sit on a wooden floor; there are fabric chandeliers hanging across the room and delicate lamps providing a warm light over the tables. In the centre is a pewter-topped bar that serves elegant drinks and offers a natural, low-intervention wine list.

My oldest pal Janey and I dined last night, at a table by the window. I ordered a glass of orange wine (£7) to begin the evening as we looked over the menu, which is filled with intriguing and seasonal dishes, many of which took our fancy. The wine was smooth and intriguing, with a bit more body than a pale rosé (my usual colourful wine of choice) but not as much as a pinot or sauvingnon; an in-betweeny wine, if you will.

On the starters menu, it was a tough call but we both chose to begin our meal with the Asparagus & dippy egg (£11), a simple yet outstanding dish with beautiful fresh asparagus and an egg, mixed with herbs and cream served within its shell. The egg tasted like nothing I’ve tried before; the yolk was golden, the white like a creamy, sweet mousse and the asparagus crunchy and buttery; the perfect dipping implement.

For my main, I chose the Slipsole, with seaweed butter, white asparagus and capers (£24); a soft, tender fish not too dissimilar to the meatiness of monkfish, the skin was lightly seared, as was the asparagus. The saltiness from the capers was harmonious with the sweetness of the brown shrimp, both of which were peppered across the plate.

Janey meanwhile had a second starter, the Lobster salad (£18) with peas, sorrel and kaffir lime. As plates of food go, this one was beautiful and elegant; the pink flesh of the lobster matched the romantic hues of the room, and the peas were vibrant and fresh.

The great thing about soft launches is you can very easily justify a dessert; Janey and I only needed a glance before deciding what we wanted to order. Her: the chocolate sorbet (£8) arrived rich and smooth in two perfectly formed balls, while I ordered the Citrus tart (£7) with a quenelle of burnt marshmallow cream which looked like a herbed butter. The glossy tart was a sunshine yellow and had a lip puckering sourness to it, held within a crisp, buttery pastry case. It was beautiful but towards the end, my palate was beginning to tire of the tartness, which is when the marshmallow cream really came into its own.

We finished our plates and requested our bill, and were thrilled at the pleasantly small number residing at the bottom of it – the true blessing of a soft launch! Of course, the test of a soft launch is whether the guest would have been happy paying the full price of their meal anyway, prior to the discount. Well, admittedly I would rarely order a main dish to the value of £24 so perhaps it’s an unfair question, but knowing the quality of dishes at this price, I would say my Slipsole fit the bill very well. Janey’s lobster salad, however, was small for £18 and far better suited to the price after the discount – but as is the way with lobster; an extravagant and over-priced ingredient at the best of times. As is usually the case, the drinks weren’t discounted, but with glasses on wine starting at £6.50 and cocktails from £8, I would say the drinks are certainly of good value, and if you’re looking for a pleasant spot for a cocktail this is a beautiful venue for such an occasion.

Neptune has been described as the coolest new restaurant in London, and it certainly deserves the attention it’s going to get when it officially opens later this week. It’s certainly a special occasion venue – suited to dates, birthdays and celebrations – for people who love elegant and cleverly cooked seafood.

As soon as Smoke & Salt was given a glowing review by Time Out in March, it shot straight to the top of my to-try list. Naturally, it went to the top of a lot of other people’s lists, too, so on my first attempt at a reservation-less visit, my friends and I were regrettably turned away (walk-up tables of 6 are always a long shot!), so for attempt number two, I booked my boyfriend and I a table online on one of the first hot days of the year. The earliest we could get a reservation was 9pm, but it was worth staying hungry for.

We were seen to our table within the shipping container and shown the menu. Diners can opt to go with the a la carte, or the extraordinarily good value £25 7-course tasting menu. We went with that.

It’s worth noting that the menu at Smoke & Salt changes regularly, and has done since that first visit, however, their unavailability doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be spoken about now (just in case they make a return!) The tasting menu of early April included a beautifully warm and fresh Sourdough accompanied by smooth, light and creamy whipped butter, salted and decadent, demonstrating how some of the simplest dishes can be the most heavenly. Luckily this is a recurring treat on every menu.

This was followed by the Sprouting broccoli and the New Potatoes, complete with the optional additional Wiltshire beef heart. The latter also remains on the menu, and thank God because it is outstanding. The potatoes are soft and fluffy, and the gorgonzola offers a rich saltiness, while the chimichurri provides a sharp and additive tang that tickles every corner of the mouth. When it comes to the beef heart, it is worth getting over any squeamishness you might feel at the thought of it, because it really is beautifully succulent and flavourful.

However, the champion dish of visit number one was the broccoli, which is quite possibly the best God damn vegetable I have ever eaten in my life. My boyfriend was convinced the only way this beautiful, lightly al dente stem tasted so good was that it must have been basted in a rich, flavourful animal fat (because logic dictates no vegetable can actually taste better than meat!) but alas, it was simply the outstanding seasoning and cooking that can be credited for this stand-out dish. I may start a campaign for it to return.

Best not to dwell too much on the past, of course, as the new menu for May also features some incredible dishes that left me swooning in my chair beneath the terrace’s patio heater on visit number two.

The asparagus, for starters, is a gorgeously fresh plate of seasonal delights (Asparagus season officially starts on St George’s day, dontcha know) accompanied by feta, horseradish and hazelnuts for a clever mix of textures, while the Imbhams Cornbread with wild garlic has a light consistency, and though crumbly and delicate, wasn’t too dry or mealy, but I would say it lacked the same excitement and innovation of the other dishes on the menu.

The Market Ceviche for the night was seabream, with a sweetness provided by chunks of rhubarb, and a little heat offered by scotch bonnet peppers; an incredibly light dish with a sharp, zingy bite.

The final two dishes of the night were the marvellously tender Pig Cheek which melted away in the mouth with its jelly-like layer of rich, salty fat and soft, juicy flesh, alongside crunchy onion rings and bloody mary hot sauce; and the dessert of Banana & Miso, made with chocolate tofu, banana custard and miso jam which spilt our table of four down the middle, with me on the side that wasn’t a fan on account of the textures and peculiar bitterness of the chocolate. The only negative of both visits and one I’m happy to forgive and forget due to the rest of the meal being so spectacular.

To wash the food down, the Rhubarb Tommy was a refreshing, summer cocktail made with tequila, rhubarb and thai basil. The intense and addictive sweetness was balanced out by the punch of tequila, but it remained extremely (and dangerously) easy to guzzle down. If sweet cocktails aren’t your thing, you can always opt for the ‘Smoke & Salt modern IPA’ with its citrusy, floral notes.

I don’t often return to a restaurant so quickly after a first visit, but Smoke & Salt have got something really special about them and I just can’t get enough. The food is truly special and the service passionate, helpful and informative, and my curiosity will be forever alert for the new seasonal menus to come, so I guess they have a customer for life in me.

Photography courtesy of Smoke & Salt

So imagine how distressing it is to now have a boyfriend who loathes his birthday. When I asked him what he was doing for his birthday this year, he informed me he’d be ignoring it. Can you think of how horrifying that was for me, for a self-proclaimed birthday obsessive to hear that the person I have chosen to romantically associate myself with doesn’t like my favourite thing in the world?

Not one to accept such a travesty, I made it my mission to change his mind and help him see the light when it comes to birthdays, so last weekend I curated a day full of birthday celebrations for him, and it started with a bottomless brunch at Señor Ceviche.

Exclusive to Charlotte Street, the bottomless Brunch Banquet encapsulates the epitome of Peruvian dining. Diners can enjoy unlimited Para Picar & Ceviche, a BBQ dish of their choice and many more Peruvian delights, not to mention free-flowing peach Bellini’s and Red or White Wine for an hour and 45 minutes.

If you're one of the wise brunch-goers joining us for unlimited ceviche and para picar today, we think you deserve an early morning teaser of what's to come! Plus our new #vegan BBQ dish will be making its debut ✌️

A post shared by Señor Ceviche (@senorceviche) on Mar 10, 2018 at 12:56am PST

My fella and I arrived for brunch at 1pm and we got stuck into all elements of the bottomless brunch straight away. The first of many peach bellinis were served to our table and we eagerly sipped (gulped) at the sweet, fruity bubbles while we looked at everything we were going to enjoy on the menu. With the exception of the BBQ section, all the food is bottomless. You can order and re-order the entire menu until your heart (and belly) is content, which we certainly did.  This is the most wonderful way to introduce yourself to these bold and exciting flavours if you are new to the world of Peruvian cuisine.

The small plates of food began to arrive at our table and we dug in, greedily – firstly to the crispy baby calamari, the spicy and messy hot wings, the slow-cooked pork belly squares and the mushroom and sweet potato tequenos.

The slow-cooked pork was the winner of this round, with the most beautifully succulent and sweet meat beneath a caramelised, fatty lid which melted in the mouth. The sweet potato puree that sat beneath it was smooth and smokey and though this dish lasted all of two mouthfuls, it certainly made an impression – so much so that we ordered it again. Along with another round of peach bellinis.

The ceviche dishes began to arrive, with a BBQ Jerusalem artichoke, fennel and samphire ceviche fighting the corner for the vegetarian offering, accompanied by a beautiful purple corn cracker which helped us to scoop up the remaining aji Amarillo tiger’s milk which sat at the bottom of the dish, having already worked its magic flavouring the rest of the ingredients.

Of course, no brunch is complete without the addition of avocado, which came with the Nikkei Ceviche dish, served alongside yellowfin tuna and sea bass which was beautiful and full of a tangy almost pickled flavour. We ordered this again, too. Along with another round of peach bellinis.

Meat-wise, the Kizami Tiradito ceviche dish was a long plate of thin, lightly seared rare beef with a wasabi salsa, ponzu onions and crunchy enoki mushrooms. Each slice was tender and juicy, with a light lip-smacking tang. However, the real meat came from the BBQ section of the menu, from which we were allowed to choose one dish each. My fella chose the Flat Iron Y Nikkei Uchucuta – a papaya marinated flat iron steak with pickled shiitake mushroom and uchucuta sauce – a spicy accompaniment, starring fresh green parsley, mint and coriander. It was perfectly pink, visibly juicy and almost melt in the mouth tender. We washed this one down with another round of peach bellinis.

While my choice was the intriguing Corazon de Red – a plate of grilled beef heart with sweet potato mayonnaise, ají panca (a Peruvian red pepper), botija olives and mint. These beef hearts were succulent but not as tender as the Flat Iron. The red peppers on the top were sweet and made the dish a beautiful one to look at prior to devouring… with another round of peach bellinis.

On top of all of this, there were also side dishes (just in case you weren’t already filled to the brim) We casually grazed on these, which included crisp Patatas Fritas (sweet potato fries) and Charred hispi cabbage with burnt butter, garlic miso and roasted pecans, while we finished the rest of our “main course”.

Thinking the food portion of our brunch was over (with only ten more minutes left of our bottomless booze window) our dessert suddenly arrived… with another two rounds of bottomless bellinis for good measure. This dessert was a Chocolate & Maca brownie with a dulce de leche ice-cream scooped on the side. It arrived with a slightly less than desirable presentation… not too dissimilar to something one might see streaking across a toilet bowl the night after a hot curry. We might not have made this observation had we not by this point been totally pickled! With a few bites of the rich dark chocolate accompanied by the smooth, creamy ice-cream, we were defeated, with only enough room for one final glug of bellini before paying the bill.

The bottomless brunch banquet is priced at £39 a head, though luckily for me, I was in possession of a 50% off offer with my ‘Nudge’ membership. If you dine out a lot, this is quite a good thing to join. For £12 a month you get access to a whole host of excellent deals like this one, from soft launch deals or secret menus and exclusive dishes. For £19.50 each, my chap and I ate 16 plates of food and drank what felt like 257 bellinis each (though it might have been 6, it’s all quite a blur now to be honest) and we spent the rest of the day at a perpetual level of sozzled.

Unfortunately, he still hasn’t arrived at my level of excitement and glee when it comes to birthdays, but I do have a brunch convert on my hands. After a sudden epiphany after the first 4 bellinis (“oh so *this* is where all the women are on the weekends!!”), he is already keen to find the next bottomless brunch for us to enjoy together. I’d repeat this one in a heartbeat. Even without The Nudge deal, it’s excellent value for money and a wonderful way to experience a feast of Peruvian flavours.

But things might be about to change. My fella has, by his own admission, begun to broaden his gastronomic appreciation thanks to my obsession with eating out and trying new places, and he’s kind enough to let me choose where we go for dinner on date nights, which means the list is starting to get the attention it deserves.

Temper Soho is my favourite restaurant in London. I’ve been three times and each time has been as excellent as the last. While I’d go again in a heartbeat, for our most recent date night I wanted to try something new. So instead, we went to Temper City… you know, to really mix things up.

Temper City is the second of Neil Rankin’s Temper restaurants. While the first was about meat and tacos, this one is all about curries cooked on open flames using creative ingredients. It’s also very big on gin, with 20 different types of gin to be sampled.

The curries, cooked on the open flames in the middle of the restaurant, draw on influences from all over the world, but with several big nods to Scotland (where ironically my fella was relocated to just a few days after our visit) thanks to Neil’s roots.

Our reservation was for just before 7, which meant we were able to take advantage of the very generous happy-hour which runs until 7.30pm. I had the house G&T made with Beefeater gin garnished with blood orange, which was a delightful £4.50, while he had a beer (from a bottle with a very artistic french bulldog on it), served in a cute half pint tankard which made him feel like a giant, for the same price.

The menu is interesting, and like Temper Soho, has been designed to let you order multiple delights so you can sample as much as you want. The starters sounded intriguing, and there was no chance we were going to pass up the opportunity to try the Korean Haggis (£6.50). It arrived in a bowl, made with finely diced duck, with a subtle sweetness spiced up with a Korean curry paste and topped with cooling radishes and spring onion. Obviously, this isn’t haggis in the traditional sense, but the appearance isn’t too far off and it tasted fantastic. On the side, two cooling lettuce leaves that I used to spoon the “haggis” into my mouth. It was glorious.

We asked our waitress to help us when it came to what we should order for the mains. I had read in a review that the Dry Goat (£12) was a must-try, and she concurred, and then pointed us in the direction of the Pork Rib with XO Glaze (£12) which we duly ordered and then we chose a few of our own – Dashi Chip Shop Chicken (£7) and some chips and curry sauce (because the Scottish influences are real!).

All of these delicious meaty dishes came served alongside a Thali Plate which came with paratha, temper mix, spiced fried potatoes, turmeric pickles, yoghurt & tamarind sauce, peshwari dust, fresh herbs and two grilled chillis… more on those later.

The best thing to do was create a mouthful with a little bit of each element to get an explosion of flavour. The peshwari dust was my favourite on the plate, sweet and light, like crushed watsits, and the fried potatoes which looked like shoestring fries were crispy and fun. The Pork Rib (void of bone and packed with succulent juices) was generously large and easy to share between the two of us. The Chip Shop Chicken was probably the most tender chicken either of us have ever tried, and the silky, creamy sauce it arrived swimming in was a delicious dip for the paratha (which is a flatbread cooked upon the bbq; floury, puffy and delicious.)

The Dry Goat was, as expected, the hero of our order. ‘Dry’ is an extremely unfair description as it was anything but! Rather it is juicy, sweet and aromatic. It arrived almost shredded, making it easy to sandwich into the paratha, along with a scoop of yoghurt, chutney and a pickle or two.

We devoured every last bit of food on our plates. About halfway through I was about to take a bite of the charred green chilli when the waitress stopped me and advised it was better to eat that one at the end of the meal because it was “quite spicy”. I ate the red chilli and enjoyed the sweetness and warmth of the spice so didn’t think much of taking a big bite of the green one at the end, as recommended, expecting more of the same. This is the first and only time thus far in our relationship that my fella has seen me cry. The spice was so intense I could feel my pulse in my ears. I suddenly felt hot, as though I had plonked my face onto one of the flame grills in front of us, and no amount of over-dramatic fanning was cooling. My taste buds were screaming and his laughter also didn’t help.

We didn’t get a chance to sample the desserts but as Temper Soho serves one of the best puds I’ve ever tried, I have high hopes for what this place can create.

Just a few weeks ago it was announced that a third Temper will be opening in Covent Garden, with fire once again at the centre of the kitchen but this time a focus on pizzas. Of course, that will be another restaurant added to the never-ending list, but the chances are we’ll be back here again before then because my chap is desperate to try their steaks (sitting at the bar means you have constant food envy as you can see every dish going out!) and I’m also super keen to take advantage of their Saturday lunch deal (one the first Saturday or every month) which includes bottomless bloody mary’s prosecco and mimosas as well as a quiz. That right there is the dream!

Last weekend was our inaugural London Bloggers Brunch. A miserable, freezing rainy Saturday, we all met in Chelsea at Megan’s, a very cute and quirky Meditteranean cafe just a few minutes walk from Chelsea Football Club where in the Summer, diners can enjoy their food al-fresco, or in the winter, beneath the un-retracted canopy in the courtyard fitted with patio heaters – that is where our table could be found. There is gingham, and flowers snaking their way across walls, and while feminine, it doesn’t actually alienate a male clientele.

As a big group, we got to enjoy the set menu – but we started, of course, with some bubbly.

Prosecco, the drink of our generation, was the fizz for the table and Megan’s happen to have their own personalised branding which is super cute, and they serve it in proper champagne saucers.

We ordered coffees once the last drop of fizz had been drunk, most of us opting for a flat white. Disappointingly they didn’t have soya or oat milk (I’m doing that thing where I make a conscious effort not to drink dairy at the moment) and I’m not a fan of almond or coconut milk in my coffee.

With all our beverage needs accounted for, the food began to arrive. A veritable feast of beautifully fresh and buttery pastries; croissants, pain au chocolat and pain au raisins were piled high, golden brown and perfectly shiny, alongside rich chocolate brownies and salted caramel filled biscuits.

On the savoury side, a platter of baps containing either egg and bacon or avo and halloumi – the perfect bap combos.

Finally, to complete the brunch feast, a bowl of sweet and crunchy granola and thick pillows of natural yoghurt. I love granola and this one, in particular, was delicious with chunks of dried fruit, though it could have done with a drizzle of honey to sweeten it up a little.

One of the great things about being out with other bloggers is there is no shame in taking ALL the photos of ALL the food from every angle possible.

This set menu was priced at £19 each (they gifted the prosecco to us, though a bottle is usually £28 each) and the coffees were all an extra £3, We had so much food that we each ended up taking a doggy bag of pastries home with us (which my friends and I later enjoyed at the pub!) making it all brilliant value for money. Service was a little on the slow side and it took a while for some requests to be met, but all of that can be forgiven as the food and surroundings were glorious.

I left before most of the group as I had some pub plans, but we’ve already planned our second #LondonBloggersBrunch for next month. If you want to follow the other gorgeous gals in the group, follow the hashtag on Instagram, and to book yourself a table of your own for brunch at Megan’s, head over here.

This is a super little spot for a relaxed brunch with friends, old and new, and good news – it’s pooch-friendly, so you can take your four-legged friends along for brunch, too!

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I last went to Australia on my gap year almost 10 years ago. I spent only 2 days in Melbourne, one of which was taken up by a tour of the Neighbours set, much to my utter despair, having not watched the soap since the 90’s. I was excited to return and get a real feel for this city that my best pal had left me for.

One of the things I knew about Melbourne is that it is a hub for amazing food and I couldn’t wait to experience the best of what it had to offer.

Breakfast & Brunch Spots

On day one, Milly and I popped out for breakfast. I had already managed to partially defeat the jet-lag and was keen to get my bearings. We headed to The Mayday Cafe around the corner from Milly’s home in Richmond, where I ordered their delicious chia seed based breakfast bowl ($16), decorated for Instagram with freeze-dried strawberries, macadamia nuts, kiwi, granola and banana.

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Melbourne is a bit of a health hub, so Acai bowls and delicious juices are easy to find. One banger of a cafe that serves both of these is Pressed Juice, which we visited in the CBD (Central Business District) one weekend. The temperature was beginning to soar, and an ice-cold smoothie bowl was exactly what we needed. I ordered a Mango & Coconut smoothie bowl ($11) which was topped with crunchy granola and a dried pineapple ring, and washed it down with a Smooth Peanut Butter smoothie made with Cashew Mylk
Banana, Peanut Butter, Dates, Raw Cacao and Vanilla Bean; thick, sweet and indulgent ($9.50)

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Back in Richmond not far from the girl’s place, is Reunion & Co where we all went for brunch one Sunday. Though service was a little slow and disjointed, the menu was exciting. Livi ordered a plate of juicy mushrooms on toast which she raved about for the rest of the afternoon, while Milly, Kate and Tessa all had bagels and I went for one of the sweeter dishes: Banana Bread with mixed berries, kiwi, more banana, super sweet caramel and a generous scoop of peanut butter cream cheese on top (approx $17) The banana cake was moist and fluffy, the fruit sweet and juicy and the cream cheese velvety and rich.

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As I was on holiday with my best friends, my happiness levels were pretty high, but they did begin to dwindle in the final days so we headed to the Serotonin Eatery where their ethos is based around eating a plant-based diet to ensure the body, mind and earth all function at their best. This is a restaurant-cum-wellness and exercise centre, and the menu has been encouraged to promote health and happiness. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable about their food and happy to talk you through the menu. While Livi and Kate enjoyed the Medicinal Waffle, I couldn’t resist the Positive Pancakes made with dehydrated organic ground banana flour, served with house-made banana nice-cream, berries + coconut yoghurt, topped with organic agave, fresh strawberries + roasted almond (approx $22). The pancakes were light and fluffy, the compote sweet and runny and the “nice” cream sweet and fresh. I also added a quenelle of peanut butter on the side for good measure, and one of their fruit “bluices” made with pineapple, strawberries, banana + orange.

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Lunches & Dinners

I had good intentions for 2018 and was hoping to take advantage of Veganuary to try and cleanse my body of all the pigs in blankets I ate over the holiday, however, I didn’t want to restrict myself while on holiday. Luckily Melbourne is the kind of place that welcomes veganism so it was quite easy to order vegan when we dined out (most of the time!) One spot in particular which caters for Vegans and Veggies is Vegie Bar on Brunswick Street. Mills, Livi and I went there one evening for supper and found it difficult to choose between so many excellent options on the menu. I shared a starter of Jack “fish” Tacos ($10) ended up opting for the Baked Gnocci, Vegan and gluten free Gnocchi with cumin spiced cauliflower, heirloom carrots and zucchini, served with a zesty chermoula pesto, golden raisins and crushed pistachios ($20) but it was Livi who chose the dish of the day with a rich and full bodied laksa, with fragrant lemongrass, turmeric & coconut broth filled with rice noodles, oyster mushrooms, bok choy, tofu & crispy tempura eggplant. Topped with crushed peanuts, Asian herbs & an aromatic chilli oil. ($19).

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One afternoon we made the journey down to Mornington Peninsula so we could spend the day baking ourselves on the beach. The journey was a mild nightmare because of track closures over the holidays (it took 3 buses, a tram and 2 trains to get us there) so we were famished by the time we arrived, and we made a bee-line for The Winey Cow for lunch. Their all-day menu is packed with delicious brunch favourites and East Asian inspired dished (including a bao-bun burger that Kate enjoyed) but I opted for the Crispy calamari, pickled sweet chilli, watermelon, citrus aioli, milk roll ($22). This sweet, soft roll was stuffed with perfectly crisp calamari which was caked in golden breadcrumbs and topped with plenty of sweet, refreshing watermelon. It doesn’t sound like it should work, but it does.

In the pursuit of decent vegan food (and wine) we headed to The Corner Hotel (Hotel means “pub” in Australian, apparently!) on one of my first days, where tables can be found beneath a canopy of greenery and an open roof. This place doesn’t look like much from the outside (in fact, it looks a bit miserable and sad) but it was actually so glorious we returned again later in my holiday. Needing to line our stomachs we ordered food, and I chose the Jungle Chicken Salad ($18) but went for the vegan option, where chicken was replaced by avocado. With wild rice, dates, chilli, onion, herbs, almonds coriander mojo, this was one of the tastiest salads I have had in some time, and extremely filling even without the meat.

Drinks

The shitty thing about Winter is that rosé isn’t a drink you can really order in London, and that’s where a trip to Australia in January really came in handy. Chasing rosé season to the other side of the planet, my first sips of the pink stuff came at The Corner Hotel with a bottle (or 5!) of Bertain et Fils Rosé ($45) which was pale, light, dry and refreshing.

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Another excellent rosé can be found on the roof of Naked For Satan which provides decent views of the CBD and much more of Melbourne. For about $11 a glass you can get a glass of Spanish rosé to be enjoyed while you watch the sun go down. 

Onto a different pink tipple: before heading down the river on a boat tour one afternoon, we got ourselves a table on the floating pontoon of Arbory Afloat. With the temperature up in the late twenties, we all were gasping for something refreshing and decided to try the local Melbourne Gin Co. G&Ts which came garnished with pomegranates and elderflower Fever Tree tonic.

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Melbourne doesn’t really do shitty coffee, and dairy alternatives can be found in all cafes because Veganism is totally accepted there. In Reunion & Co, I enjoyed an utterly delicious Iced Chai Latt, sweetened with honey and with a spice of cinnamon. Other excellent coffees can actually be found for $1 at Seven-Elevens and local IGA stores, too. Good for budgets, though dairy free isn’t an option there.

And finally…

Australia is known to be a fabulous destination for wine lovers, and on the hottest day for two years, the girls and I went on a tour of some of the Yarra Valley’s best and most beautiful vineyards with Chill Out Wine Tours. The tour (approx £85 per head) included our transport to Mornington which was an air-conditioned minibus (it was 41 degrees outside by midday) and visits to four vineyards, with tastings at each and lunch at one. The tastings included small servings of 6 wines at each, with the opportunity to buy bottles of any that we were particular fans of. Lunch was a feast of pizza (mostly vegetarian options) and a dessert of brownies which we saved for the final vineyard where we paired it with a delicious dessert wine before jumping back into the van to head back to Richmond, all a little tipsy and laden with our purchases.

It was the absolute highlight of the holiday and completely worth the Sunday morning hangover the next day.

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It might be a torturous and uncomfortably long journey, but if you find yourself with the opportunity and hunger to head to Melbourne, you’ll find yourself with plenty of options to eat and drink, and you won’t find it too expensive, either. Melbourne is a great destination if you want to keep to a healthy or considered diet, or if you happen to be vegetarian, vegan or obsessed with rosé. It was a delicious holiday and a perfect destination for any foodies looking for adventure.

But obviously, relationships are give and take, and I can’t rely on Ellie to feed me ALL the time (apparently) so I need to bring something to the arrangement, and aside from the occasional free meal out that I’m luckily able to provide, I am going to have to up my somewhat pathetic game in the kitchen too. Living alone has mostly meant a diet of pita bread and hummus for the last year, but now thanks to Avenue Cookery School I can add pasta (and eggs benny) to my repertoire!

Avenue Cookery School reached out to me back in September to invite me to their Boozy Blogger’s Brunch which was superb, and then again before Christmas to invite me to try my hand at pasta making, but this time instead of heading to their gorgeous kitchens in Wandsworth, I’d be heading over to the kitchens by Old Street.

I arrived late, as per usual, because the Old Street roundabout is the absolute worst, and Head Chef Diane had already begun the demonstration. Luckily she wasn’t too far in so it was easy to catch up – she was showing how to mix together the eggs and flour together. Alongside her colleague (and son) Richard, she demoed how to make a pear and ricotta ravioli, showing technique required for the rolling, folding, filling and cooking. And then it was our turn.

Rolling out the dough was a fun challenge. There is a definite knack to it which Diane and Richard were able to assist with when it all started to go wrong (which was when I gave it a go) but eventually we got it right – stretched and rolled out to a thin consistency that you could just about see through, though of course, you don’t want to go too thin to avoid splitting when in the boiling pan.

Once at the right consistency it was time to create and add the filling. This was a pear and ricotta filling, mixed with a few chives and a squidge of lemon – all sweet and creamy.

We were extremely over-generous with our filling, using it all up on five ginormous ravioli which we boiled up for about 5 or so minutes!

And with the remaining dough, we chose to make tagliatelle, which involves a sharp knife and a bit of precision cutting.

The pasta was cooked and it was time to plate up for our family style dinner with the rest of our classmates. Diane had prepared for us a stunning beurre noisette sauce which was sweet and rich and filled with walnuts. With a little bit of rocket, I generously covered my pasta with it and took my place at the table.

I enjoyed three of our five ravioli (as my sous-chef was going to enjoy a bowl of the tagliatelle, too!) which I washed down with my BYOB tin of gin. The team had supplied us with some crackers as it was Christmas and some delicious sourdough bread which they had knocked up quickly (turns out it is extremely easy!) for the table. Needless to say, I was extremely full of delicious food by the end.

I’d say I feel confident enough to make my own pasta from scratch now, so I can try and give Ellie a run for her money in a few weeks when we move in together. Luckily for me, Avenue host a glorious variety of cookery classes, from Clean Eat classes to Indian Street Food, and from Dinner-In-A-Dash to Easy Canapé Making. They also have a few Valentine Specials on the horizon, and right now you could enjoy a January Detox Class.

There’s something for all levels of skill, and there is currently 15% off all January courses, so if your New Year resolution was to learn how to cook, your solution is here at a discount!

Ticking off every element on a millennial’s dream interior design list, the restaurant has exposed brick walls, copper bar utensils, filament light bulbs, rustic looking exposed pipes and dark leather industrial stools allowing customers to perch comfortably at high wooden tables. Find my Pinterest board for the bar I once dreamed of opening and you will basically find this place.

I met my pal Rosanna at the restaurant just after midday (because as per usual I was running late!) and we ordered coffees while we checked out the menu, which hosts most brunch classics including Smashed Avo & Salmon, a Full English in both carnivorous and vegetarian guises, and a home comfort favourite of mine; Kedgeree.

But it wasn’t any of those that we chose to enjoy for our brunch.

Being tempted by the mash-up of two of my favourite breakfast foods, I went for The Great British Pancake, a decadent stack of indulgent full English goodness with fried eggs, smoked bacon & sausages on top and between two of their soft & fluffy pancakes, an extremely large plate of food for just £12.

With the runny fried egg dribbling its yolk over the lightly smoked bacon, and the crisp, halved sausage which had a gentle spice, all the flavours were brought together with the sweet, fluffy pancake which sat in a soft puddle of maple syrup. With this collection of sweet and savoury flavours, with the saltiness marrying with the sugary syrup, this is a pretty glorious brunch creation. It’s large, though. The pancakes are not small, and they’re thick. I only managed to finish one, along with the bacon, eggs and sausage.

Rosanna initially had regret at ordering the obvious brunch choice of eggs benedict (£9), worrying she’d been predictable rather than adventurous, however as soon as it arrived at the table, we could both see this was no ordinary eggs benny!

Served upon home-roasted focaccia rather than the traditional English muffin, and with crunchy bacon instead of ham, the dish was beautifully presented with a velvety smooth, golden hollandaise generously dolloped atop of the perfectly poached eggs.

Of course, no brunch is complete without a tipple of something a bit stronger than caffeine.

This place has a very tempting selection of alcoholic concoctions, with classic twists on some of Londons favourite cocktails, including a delicious sounding ‘Salted Caramel Espresso Martini’ which certainly had our eyebrows raised, but it was the “Three Hail Marys” – the Brick & Liquor take on a Bloody Mary – made with home roasted beef tomato, sundried tomato & vine tomatoes, vodka, sea salt, harissa & black pepper, that we chose to wash our food down with.

The addition of sundried tomato gave the drink an edge of rich sweetness which soon melted away into a gentle spice that hit the back of the throat. It was refreshing and thirst quenching, and with the beginnings of a cold lurking I could feel it doing some good to my system. Vodka is always a good medicine.

Though London is rapidly becoming saturated with trendy spots for brunch, Brick & Liquor have proven they are worthy of their place, with their clever twists on classics helping them stand out from the crowd. There is elegance in what the kitchen serves, and flare in what the bar team creates. Prices are pretty standard in terms of London, but the portions are plentiful and satisfying, so if you’re struggling for ideas on where to get your egg fix this weekend, give Brick & Liquor a go.