From exploring the beauty of the Lake District, to Cornwall’s amazing restaurant scene, to cities like Oxford, St Albans and Brighton, find out the best places to travel to in England here.
Spending Autumn in London? Here are a few spots I’d recommend…
I’m home! Yes I’ve finally found a London base, for the time being at least. While travelling is a huge part of my life, I was feeling quite unsettled with no fixed address. But now, here I am typing in my new flat in London. I’ve joined a gym and found some cool locals spots – the local Asian supermarket being one of them!
It’s been lovely to explore the city again, go to events, see friends and generally live the London life! I felt very lucky to be invited to be part of Visit London’s first #LoveLondonWeekend. They invited top Bloggers and Instagrammers from around the world to explore London, with opportunities to visit some of the city’s most famous attractions, and uncover a few hidden gems too! You can check out some of the stunning photos over on Instagram here #LoveLondonWeekend.
Enjoying Autumn in Cannizaro Park, Wimbledon
So time to share a few of the places I’ve been enjoying in London as the leaves have turned red and crunchy!
I’ve only been up the Shard once before, and that time it was at night. This time I caught a bit of the magic just after sunset, as the twinkly lights started to sparkle. I’ll never get tired of views of London like these…
Incredible views of London from The View From The ShardIncredible views of London from The View From The Shard
Find out all about the best restaurants in the Lake District, including gastropubs, distilleries and Michelin starred hotels.
As we packed up, caught the train to Carlisle and hopped into our Hertz hire car, my heart was pounding. This was a trip I’d been desperate to do for a long time… and here we were about to arrive in the Lake District!
Time to check out The Forest Side, one of the Lake District’s Michelin Star restaurants.
As we drove up towards The Forest Side, it was easy to see what a totally magical spot this was. Surrounded by lush forest with rolling hills and mountains in the distance, it’s like something out of a fairy-tale. It’s also just a stone’s throw from the historic village of Grasmere with its Wordsworth connections. This was as charming as I’d hoped The Lake District would be.
The Forest Side
The Forest Side is a high-end hotel and restaurant, and as with many others in region, is perfect for those seeking a luxurious getaway. You can hike and explore the great outdoors in the daytimes, then kick back and relax in chic surroundings in the evenings. Rather than a sprawling hotel building, it’s one large self-contained house. There’s a reception, bar, large lounge area and restaurant downstairs, then bedrooms on the upper floors. Our room was large and had a lovely four-poster bed with canopy and an enormous bathroom with one of the biggest baths I’ve seen. Oh and stunning view out to the gardens and surrounding countryside!
Our room at The Forest SideLounge area at The Forest Side
The restaurant is the BIG draw at The Forest Side. Receiving an elusive Michelin Star last year, Kevin Tickle’s creative approach to food is reason to visit in itself. His passion for the Lake District’s landscape, and love of local ingredients really shines through in the menu. 90% of the ingredients are sourced within 10 miles of the restaurant, and a huge chunk of those are grown right on the doorstop in the Forest Side’s adjoining gardens.
There are several menus on offer, and as super-foodies we couldn’t resist but go for The Grand ‘Un – the full 10-course tasting menu with wine pairings. We’d be venturing through courses based on potatoes, venison, beetroot, cod, raspberry and even gooseberry! I couldn’t wait to dive in.
Before the first course arrived, we were treated to a few canapés, which already delighted in both appearance and taste! There was black pudding like I’d never tasted, a mini croquette and a pine emulsion, which brought all the flavours of the forest to our mouths. Meanwhile, the Parma ham and summer truffle was pure indulgence. A great start to the upcoming feast.
Canapes at The Forest SideCanapes at The Forest Side
While I’d hate to spoil the experience for anyone heading to The Forest Side soon by revealing every intricate detail, I wanted to share a few of my favourite courses.
I’m a big fan of the humble potato. I saw an episode of Masterchef recently where the chef showcased how many amazing things you can do with potatoes – it can be a star rather than a side! The first course at The Forest Side did exactly that. The heritage potato was served with a white chocolate emulsion, charcoal and mint. There were pops of saltiness, then minty flavours with a rich smoky undertone. It was served with a dry white wine from Syria (a country I never imagined to be producing wine, particularly in the current political climate) which complemented it well.
From Borough and Brixton to Camden and Hampstead, there are food markets selling delicious street food ALL over London!
Time for a blog filled with foodie joy! Food markets are one of my favourite things on the planet. I try to visit them in every destination I visit. From bustling Barcelona, to small towns in Guatemala and the buzzing night markets of Indonesia – they’re all different but give you a truly local vibe.
London’s food market scene has been growing and growing. We don’t want to buy fresh produce to take home, we want creative cuisine from around the world… and on a budget.
We are so lucky to have food from pretty much every corner of the planet available too. These days it’s no surprise to see Chinese baos next to authentic Mexican tacos and Indian rotis. Infact, it’s pretty rare to see a standard hot dog or burger!
So, with the street food revolution in full swing, it’s time for a quick tour of London’s top street food markets. A trip to any of these makes a great day out in London. I’ll be sure to update as and when new places pop up too!
Over 100 stalls sit under Borough Market‘s open roofed structure just south of the river. Along with great produce – cheese, bread, cider, fresh fish and meat, your nose will be guided by delicious smells of venison burgers, Lebanese falafel, goat stew, Indian vegetarian street food and some of the most delicious scotch eggs around!
Opening Times: Borough Market’s main market is open Wednesday – Saturday although there are some stalls there on Monday and Tuesday. Address: Borough High Street, Borough, London, SE1 9DE. Nearest Tube: London Bridge
One of my favourite discoveries from the last year, Maltby Street is compact, away from the main tourist areas, and has more of a local vibe! There are cute restaurants and bars on each side of the street, then a whole range of stalls down the middle. There’s tonnes on offer, with Korean fried chicken, Canadian poutine, oozing cheese toasties, tasty gyozas and gourmet brownies oozing with salted caramel to name a few.
Opening Times: Saturday and Sunday only. Address: 41 Maltby Street, Ropewalk, Southwark, SE1 3PA. Nearest Tube: London Bridge
Hampstead Market showcases the very best in fresh produce and delicious foodie treats. From huge barrels of olives and gooey burrata cheese, to fresh ravioli, gigantic savoury tarts, waffles and some of London’s best macaroons, whatever you’re in the mood for, there’ll be something waiting for you!
Opening Times: Saturdays only from 10am – 3pm. Address: Hampstead Parochial School, Holly Bush Vale, NW3 6TX. Nearest Tube: Hampstead
This part of Hackney has quite a mix on offer, including cute shops, galleries, vintage stores and of course a top farmer’s market! The main market day is Saturday, when you’ll find the likes of Fin and Flounder (who serve lobster brioche creations), top burger stall Black Bear Burger, and Nonnas Gelato (where anything is possible when it comes to ice cream!)
Opening Times: Saturdays only, from 9am – 5pm. Address: 38-44 Broadway Market, London, E8 4QJ. Nearest Tube: London Fields or Cambridge Heath overground or a bit of a walk from Bethnal Green.
I found this place by chance one lunchtime, and was over the moon! Away from the touristy Covent Garden market, this one is run by Startisans – a company that puts together individuals who specialise in artisan foods. The food options are plentiful, and once inside it’s hard to resist the curries on offer. They smell so damn good! The quiches and tarts were also fab, but you can expect different people hosting stalls throughout the week, so it’s worth going back on different days.
Because singing your heart out while covered in glitter and tipsy on bottomless cocktails is ALWAYS a good idea!
It’s pretty rare that my school friends and I ALL get together in one place these days. With my constant jet setting, one of my friends living up north, and busy lives, we’ve got used to our annual Christmas shindig and catching up individually throughout the year.
