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London

St John’s Wood Restaurant Review: Soutine

June 20, 2019

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There’s a special kind of magic when a group of people gather around a table – all the way from a humble cup of tea, through to intricate tasting menus that titillate the palates. Soutine is elegantly in the middle, a Parisien corner of Salon de thé, a St John’s Wood restaurant in a glorious period building. Disclaimer: We were invited guests of the newly opened Soutine but as ever, all dreamy pastel metaphors are very much my own.

We gathered, a group of four expats – talking of life, love and kettles (long hilarious story) over a table filled with delectable dishes.

Where to stay in Cappadocia: Our Goreme Cave Hotel

June 17, 2019

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Choosing where to stay in Cappadocia was a tough decision. I’m not being hyper dramatic when I say that I probably spent more time choosing this hotel than I did when I was choosing a wedding dress – and in the end, I made a decision via the less than scientific method of asking Mr Kiwi for two favourites, and flipping a coin. (The hotel, not the dress.)

Cave Hotel Cappadocia Adventures of a London Kiwi

I love staying in quirky hotels – but they have to carefully tiptoe the line between bland and kitsch, and suit our travelling style. I adore the hotels that have a keen sense of place (it’s also a bonus when they come with animal custodians like our stay with Jasper at the Scarlet Hotel in Cornwall or the Pygmy goat neighbours in Austin, Texas) and are lovely to come back to at the end of the day.

Luxury Afternoon Tea in London: The Grosvenor House Hotel

June 9, 2019

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The lushly appointed Grosvenor House Hotel has a lounge in which you’ll want to linger a little longer, overlooking the leafy boughs of Hyde Park. Especially when the table in front of you is set with a glass of champagne and afternoon tea winks at your from it’s silver stand. Disclaimer: We were invited guests of the Grosvenor House Hotel, but all dreamy metaphors are very much my own.

Every element of the decor and delectable tea stand are a poetic ode to the tree boughs across Park Lane – they seem so close that they’re almost touchable.

7 of my favourite informal London restaurants

June 5, 2019

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It’s late in the day. Your tummy is rumbling, but you can’t face the thought of first deciding what to cook, working out where to get the ingredients from and then HORROR OF ALL HORRORS cook it in the correct order for a nice dinner. So, I’ve put together this list with 7 of my favourite informal London restaurants.

Think of it as a dinner time gift from me to you (and then probably back to me again because my blog is a sterling memory keeper for those days that I can’t remember anything.)

Aqua Shard Floral Five Menu – Summer Teas, Cocktails and Desserts

May 24, 2019

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I’m going to keep this short and sweet. The days are lengthening, the Royal London parks are heavy with blossom and there is that indescribable feeling of summer in the air. To celebrate this – and as an ode to the Chelsea Flower Show – Aqua Shard have launched their Floral Five menu. Disclaimer: We were guests of Aqua Shard – but I visit often on my own dime. (I think this is really important for authenticity!)

They’ve collaborated with the botanical maestros at Camellia’s Teahouse who have created five unique tea blends featuring British flowers, which have in turn been incorporated to accompanying cocktails and desserts.