Hello there! I've been a little absent of late...if I'm honest, this thing called life got in the way! But I'm BACK and oh look here is ANOTHER food post...what can I say, I eat a lot! I promise there will be lots more dreamy shopping posts and beauty bits up very soon. For now...let me take you on a special and pretty epic experience I had this week. It was pretty much the best Monday you could have wished for. Krispy Kreme invited a few of us to the Ham Yard Hotel (if you haven't been there you must go!) for an intimate sit down four course dinner...but with a twist! Yes, as you may have guessed, every course was made up of one of their new limited edition chocomania doughnuts, plus a paired cocktail.
My friend Sam has always been raving on about Bob Bob Ricard in Soho. Every time I walked past I thought the place looked rather intimidating, and somewhere where older gentlemen went to have fancy whisky! Not sure where this presumption came from but it probably had something to do with the gold themed exteriors and great-gatsby-esque decor!
Anyway, I decided to book dinner here after hearing a few other people had loved it.
I dressed up in my finest even though it was a Monday, and slicked my hair back due to a bad hair day! I love this dress and have had it for a few years, it always comes in handy for occasions like these.
The restaurant has cute little (but spacious) booths that look like train booths, and every booth has a clever little 'press for champagne' button!
The crystal glasses were so beautiful I wanted to steal them
The walls were adorned with intriguing portraits and unique one of a kind wallpaper...if you only look at the surrounding walls you'd have a feeling like you were in someone's old vintage home...
AMBIANCE *****
Bob Bob Ricard is a restaurant with an English and Russian menu, with mostly Russian staff. It's probably a little strange that they have this mix, as the decor and ambiance to me was more reminiscent of 1920's American glamour. The details all around were beautiful to explore, with old Victorian portraits, bespoke patterned wallpaper, marble tables, curtains next to every booth, and gold tones and brass well, everywhere! They definitely spared no cash when building this place. Although it looks like a playground for the richest, there was a mix of restaurant goers there including people just having cocktails at the bar, and the overall ambiance was warm and enjoyable.
SERVICE *****
As we entered Bob Bob Ricard, we were greeted by a friendly doorman, and a hostess at a reception area where our jackets were taken. They then took us to our booth, and made sure we had something to drink straight away. I have to mention that a few people have said the service here is not great, and I had a very different experience. The service was impeccable, the staff friendly and attentive, and the food came quickly.
OK I couldn't resist!
DRINKS *****
I'm not a wine connoisseur but Bob Bob Ricard claim they are known for the best value fine wine and champagne list in the UK. We opted for a signature cocktail which was great, and a couple of other drinks during the meal. They had a vast choice of drinks and am sure there was something for everyone on the menu so thumbs up.
The sides we ordered with our beef Wellington were soft mashed potato and mashed peas
The gravy perfectly complimented the beef
FOOD ****
For our starter we had the Waldorf salad (image above) which had bits of endive, celery, apple, grapes, radish and roquefort cheese, and was served with honey dressing. The cheese was a little overpowering but we survived.
The best part was the main - we opted for the beef Wellington for two, 48 day aged, which took 45minutes to be made. Every minute of the wait was worth it, as this beauty was one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted. The scotch beef was cooked to perfection (medium rare) and wrapped in pancake and pastry but was so, so soft. The whole thing was very filling and I wish I had space to eat the whole thing!
One thing I didn't really like was the amount of blue cheese on the starter, and the general look of the plates. I felt that for the atmosphere, style and price of the restaurant, the plates were a little on the cheap side, surprisingly. Something else that bothered me was the fact that there was foie gras in the beef wellington, but this was not mentioned on the menu. I was a little upset that I had just eaten that without knowing, even though I was actively trying to avoid ever eating it.
For dessert I chose the Bob Bob Ricard Signature Chocolate Glory - I love a dessert that entertains! It was pretty cool - the waitress delivered a shiny gold ball next to a few raspberries and gold leaf flakes on to the table...she then poured hot dark chocolate on top and voila - the ball opened to reveal bits of chocolate brownie, mousse, meringue and passionfruit orange jelly. As you can see below, it was pretty damn good as I polished that plate!!!
Bob Bob Ricard also has a stunning Club Room where you can dine in an even more extravagant, intimate atmosphere with entertainment near you. You can book via the website but you will need a minimum of 4 guests in your party to book here.
A meal for two at the restaurant with two drinks each, bread, one starter, two sides and desserts costs around £200
I've always wanted to go to a chocolate making class, and finally got to do it a few weeks ago with My Chocolate. Best thing about it? We got to learn how to make cocktails, too!
The venue was quite big and they were equipped with every type of tool you would need, plus lots of sprinkles and infusions like lavender which I used in my truffles!
You will make a Daiqiri and whisky cocktail, as well as with some chocolate-y twists.
Easily done and looks gorgeous!
We were then taught step by step how to make smooth and rich dark chocolate truffles from fresh organic ingredients with the best quality cocoa.
You then have the option to use decorations or add anything you like, including chocolate flakes, strawberry curls or hazelnuts.
A little marshmallow found it's way into a chocolate making class!
Well we just had to eat the messy ones...
These beauties were also done by hand, with a small cutter and gold transfers on top
Ooops...
Once finished, you can wrap each truffle individually and box it to take away.
Check out their website for a variety of courses, with prices ranging from £49 for one person, or £98 for two.
The whole thing lasted around 3 hours and was great fun! It's a lovely and inexpensive gift for a friend, a fun day with mum or just something to do with your partner that's a little different!
Check out their website for a variety of courses, with prices ranging from £49 for one person, or £98 for two.
If I don't go away somewhere during a Bank Holiday I always feel like I'm missing out...so I made sure I did lots this time round even though I stayed in London.
And the best thing about this city is that you can explore something new every time...
On saturday morning I made myself some scrambled eggs on sour dough bread, with a side of avocado topped with lime juice (the best combination ever, try it!)
I got this pretty plate on Portobello Road and it always makes my eating experience that little bit nicer :)
I then went to Tesco and bought some pretty tulips...I'm not a fan of them but these looked great and I like the vibrant yellow colour.
The glass bottles are from Homesense and a little Deli on Stroud Green Road where you can top up your wine.
I met my lovely mama at Warwick Avenue for the boat show, and luckily the weather was great all day. The Little Venice canal is a short walk from the tube station, and great for a short walk. The festival was filled with families and beautiful boats on display, as well as independent stands with food and other bits and bobs to buy.
The people who live on the colourful canal boats opened up their homes to us and we were able to take peeks inside where I saw lots of cute vintage kitchens and bedrooms.
We got some ice cream and continued walking down the canal...
On sunday my boyfriend and I decided to check out the Hackney Flea Market on Church Street in Newington Green (North East). We specifically went to check out the vintage market but ended up staying in the area for a few hours to explore.
I found these pretty vintage embroidered coasters for £5 at the market. You can also find similar ones on eBay.
There were lots of cute little cafes down Church Street, as well as shops, flower shops and gastro pubs where we stopped for some food and a good old Pimms!
We had a booking at Angel's Screen On The Green (Part of EveryMan) cinema so decided to walk from Newington Green to Angel...where we came across this small antique homeware shop on Essex Road called Mr All Sorts.
Apparently Harry Styles from One Direction shops here, so we had to take a look and see what all the fuss is about. It was full of randomly placed nick nacks, lights, large letters and all sorts (true to its name...) and the owner was really friendly. Definitely a good one to checkout once in a while to see what new stock he's got.
After some shopping in Angel's Camden Passage, we had another Pimm's and headed over to the boutique cinema Screen On The Green, to see Blue Ruin (2013). This cinema is AMAZING!!! There are 2-person couches instead of seats, with foot rests and tables. There is a bar behind you where you can buy some food, drinks and pop corn so we slightly overloaded on everything!
It was so comfortable and cozy, I will be coming back!
We drank Pimms (again...) with edible flowers, ate the most amazing carved meat I've ever had, and gorged on the most amazing thick-cut chips I've ever had (no joke)!! The peppercorn sauce was pretty amazing, too.
Then came this EPIC pudding...don't think anyone expected such a dramatic presentation which was served in front of us, but it was pretty awesome.
The chef laid out a greaseproof piece of paper in the middle of the table, and proceeded to bring parts of the pudding over to us as we watched.
He placed the grilled pineapple, strawberries, thick chocolate ganache (yum!!!) and vanilla yoghurt mousse on the sheet, and sprinkled it with popcorn to finish.
You wouldn't be surprised to hear we finished the entire lot. I would highly recommend this pub for a sunday lunch!
You may have figured out by now that steak is somewhat of an obsession...I seem to go to a lot of steak restaurants, or just order it wherever I am...in my taco salad, in my pasta, in my pie at work....
Gaucho has got to be one of the finest steak restaurants in London, and the coolest thing about it is the whole experience...It's an Argentinian restaurant with the best Argentinian beef cuts...mmmm
Chandeliers, high ceilings, dimmed lights and big windows...makes you feel like you are in a mini modern manor house
The round booths are great for big parties
AMBIANCE *****
Really love the atmosphere in the Graucho restaurants...a dark place like that isn't for everyone, but there is something about this and having steak that really appeals to me...maybe I feel like I am in another dimension!! STK also have the same sort of ambiance...dark, sexy and alluring...and makes you really focus on your food rather than silly things going on around you.
SERVICE ***
The service was good, but a little slow. This may have been because we were situated on the balcony area and it was really busy downstairs, but we shouldn't struggle to find a waiter when we need one. Some of the best restaurants I have been in always have someone around to tend to all the tables so this would have been great. Our food took a little long to arrive as well, but when it did, boy was it delicious and worth the wait!
After our starter of chorizo sausage, we ordered our steaks and sides...
Yummy soft potatoes
Juicy!
DRINKS**
I had a mojito when we arrived, and some juice as I don't like to drink alcohol with my food. The mojito was great, but a little too strong for me unfortunately. Some people prefer it that way, though! The cocktail menu looks great, but is a little complicated and doesn't have your familiar ingredient mixes on it which kind of intimidated me...so I went with the safest option!
FOOD*****
For the starter, we had the Argentine chorizo sausage served on a grilled Romero pepper. It was much bigger than I expected, but delicious and went really well with the pepper. They also serve the infamous empanadas (rolled pastry with fillings) so would definitely recommend trying them!
For our sides, we ordered the soft, chunky chips and spinach. Both were absolutely delicious.
Then comes the best bit...there are several different cuts of meat, and the waiter brings you all the raw options on a wooden plank, explaining thoroughly what is on offer including what kind of marinade you can choose. I picked the Churrasco de lomo, a spiral cut sirloin steak marinated for 48 hours in garlic, parsley and olive oil (just the sound of that makes you love it before you even try it!). As you can see in my photos, it was devine. Succulent, soft, juicy and not at all chewy. The piece was quite large and so delish that I didn't really need any sides!
Strong cocktails, not for the faint hearted like me!
Gaucho also have private dining rooms, lots of wine, and cookery classes!
A meal for two with drinks, starters, sides and mains costs around £150
125 Chancery Lane, WC2A 1PU (More locations available across London)
