England - Travel Blogs & Travel Guides: 2025

REVIEW: Curry Cooking Class at L’Atelier Des Chefs, London

Time for a curry cooking class with a professional chef at a top cooking school in the heart of London. Plus, if you fancy a trip yourself, scroll down for a cheeky discount code!

*Unfortunately this cookery school has now closed, but if you’re looking for other Indian food activities in London, I’d recommend this Indian food tour.*

I absolutely adore the flavours of Indian food. The spices, the aromas, the powerful blend of ingredients and of course the heat! Since travelling, my chilli tolerance has grown a lot it. From fiery chillies in Mexico, to Caribbean hot sauce and the delicious spices in Indonesia, I’ve worked my way through some punchy, flavoursome cuisines. One of my favourite meals always has been (and probably always will be) curry! Whether it’s a trip to my fave curry house or mum’s homemade concoctions, it’s one of those meals I always look forward to.

When it comes to cooking curry, I’ve gone through phases. I own a lot of spices, including a special Indian spice set. Yet, without a permanent home these days, it’s gone into storage. More often, I use a couple of spices and then add a shop-bought paste, but I’m totally aware that is pretty generic and a bit of a cop out! I also discovered that my partner cooks a mean curry, and so we decided that I’m the ramen queen and he’s the curry king!

So when we had the opportunity to visit a cooking school in Central London for a two-hour curry cooking class with a professional chef, we jumped at the chance. We hoped to learn some new techniques and hopefully add some new dishes to our repertoire.

L’atelier Des Chefs is a top cookery school with two branches – one in London’s Oxford Circus and the other in St Paul’s. They offer classes from 30 minutes to 4 hours, and last year taught over 30,000 people how to cook. They cover everything from knife skills and bread making to sushi and macaroons.

L'atelier Des Chefs, St Paul's, London — L’atelier Des Chefs, St Paul’s, London

Planning to spend one day in Bath, England? Find out the top things to do, best restaurants, hotels and info in this Bath travel blog.

Clerkenwell’s Zetter Hotel is a design dream with one of the coolest London penthouse studios I’ve been lucky enough to stay in. I visited this personality-driven hotel for a special review, and discovered that along with top-class rooms, it just so happens to have a great restaurant and workspace too.

I checked into The Zetter Hotel on one of the hottest days of the year so far, and it just so happened to be a special occasion. With numerous trips overlapping, my partner and I hadn’t seen each other for several weeks… and now we had 26 hours together before we split off on our individual Canadian adventures. I’d seen some great photos of the hip boutique hotel and thought it would be a fun location for our reunion!

The Zetter Hotel: Check In

There’s a smart-casual vibe to this hotel. The lobby area was chic and urban with a huge plant motif arching its way around the lifts, retro telephone on the counter and curvy, statement architecture leading to the restaurant and bar. The staff were relaxed and friendly, and excited to describe our room as ‘the best room in the house’. ‘Wow,’ I thought! Adrenaline kicked in as we rode the lift to our top floor home for the night – room 503.

The Zetter Hotel: The Room

The top floor rooms each benefit from outside space, and our room for the night had an enormous terrace. But before I tell you about that, lets take a look at the room itself.

With Scandi-cool geometric design, funky prints on the wall, retro radio, old books and stylish lighting, it impressed instantly! I loved the way we had to go up a few illuminated stairs to reach our curved bedroom area, while the bathroom was tucked away to one side. Along with a large double bed covered in a stylish woollen throw, we had a desk area, two comfy chairs and a minibar and Nespresso Machine. The minibar was stocked with high-end snacks and drinks, and the icing on the cake were the three bottles of spirits made by the East London Liquor Company.

Whipped yogurt espuma with blackberries at Hawkyns Restaurant, Amersham

Modern British fine dining, with an almighty twist – Hawkyns Restaurant in Amersham is a wonderful addition to the town’s thriving culinary scene.

Located inside charming 16^th Century Hotel The Crown Inn, Hawkyns is Amersham’s newest fine-dining restaurant. While the dining area works the space’s original beams and cosy fireplaces beautifully, that’s where the ancient feel ends.