The (great) Portland

Clean lines, warm colours and minimal design. Rich flavours, kind people and great food. This is my definition of modern luxury. The luxury you feel comfortable in. The luxury you want to share with the person you love. The luxury that embraces a loud laughter, an impromptu kiss and a vivid chat. This the luxury of the Portland.

xO

Take a(n) (egg)break

Smiley faces, your kitchen's plates and your mum's food. Everything feels familiar, comfortable and cosy in there. You want to get that corner table by the window and meet your friend that you haven't seen for so long. You want to order a big cup of coffee and spend all your morning reading magazines and trying different flavours and textures. You want to have an Eggbreak from everything. 

xO 

My favourite word in a plate

Ethos. Such a beautiful, meaningful and deep word. Perfect for a place with vegetables in frames, pans and plates. For a place with clean air, fresh light and healthy food. For a place that hosted our lunch, away from the office, somewhere in the woods.

xO

Drink your milk

There; where the waiters are kind, friendly and smiley. There; where the cake has a drizzle of lavender on top. There; where the water comes with lemon and mint. There; where your table is showered with sun. There; where you choose to get lost with your beloved friend. There; at Milk. 

xO 

Ivy league

Impromptu dinner in the middle of a chic bistrot. A bottle of wine, a friend you had missed and colourful frames on the walls. We picked up from where we left off - thoughts and stories and memories. Over the tablecloth, the healthy dishes and the candle. We feel elegant, classy and special. Thanks to the vibe, light and ambiance of Ivy Cafe.

xO

Mix and Max

You know when you walk in a place with personality. It has a unique vibe. Every detail has its reason to be; the lights, the flowers, the music. The menu, the loo, the mugs. You haven't discovered it; it chose to welcome you in. And you're lucky. That you happened to spend an evening in Max's sandwich shop. 

xO 

(Kensal) Rise and shine

A variety of breads on the counter, colourful bunting in the garden, a retro radio playing in the ladies'. Big windows looking on a tiny road, dried flowers on the tables and a back room that we need to come back to.

The richest avocado on toast, a flower in my salad and a delicious soda bread with butter.

Please make yourself at home in my Parlour.

xO

Art in your plate

A farewell brunch. Where you celebrate the excitement of new beginnings, the warmth of the shared moments and the good wishes that you put in her pocket, as she goes. In an artsy place. Where you celebrate colours, art on the walls and light through the ceiling. Where you drink juice with a striped straw, you play ping pong while waiting for your food and you grab your bottle of bubbles from the sink. At Cambridge Street Kitchen, on a day when G made us set our alarms early. And it was totally worth it.

xO

Oh my Lord

The God of small things. This is the God we worshiped today. With beloved friends, loud laughs and delicious food. In the centre of London we found our haven: a place of quiet, peace and good vibes. Exactly like a temple should be. In Nopi we found God today. In its Mediterranean flavours, brass details and well-rounded napkin rings. This God shall we worship every day to come. 

xO

Bring Your Own Dog

That was it: the loveliest pub in the whole wide world. Where you stumble across a proud Molosser, a cheeky Terrier gets his biscuit served before you even order your food and A. makes new friends. And where you enjoy your wine, you nibble* and you feel merry. Because being surrounded by these beauties can only make you happy. In The Albion, with the kindest waiters in London - check in their pockets: they would always have a little delicacy and a warm stroke for their most precious clients.

*I had the smoked haddock with baby potatoes, a mustard sauce and a poached egg on top. And I'm now dreaming of it. Top points go to the hearty cheese board with which we finished off our dinner on a high note.

xO

Flowers in your cocktail

Old flower pots, blurry pictures and cloudy mirrors. Weathered luxury. You are in your grandma's dining room. You can smell the plants that she just watered, savour the slow-cooked stew that she just took out of the oven and hear her telling you not to go too close to the fireplace - you can enjoy it from afar. But then, would your grandma put flowers in your cocktail and crispy bacon next to the liver on your plate? Well, this is why we will always have B&H Buildings. 

xO

On the gymfloor

High ceiling, brass details, atmospheric lighting. And on our table, hearty hot-dogs, delicious puddings and bubbly wine. Earthy colours, marble floor and hanging flowers. And in our corner, laughter, girlie chat and a birthday candle.
This is a gym in disguise: a historical building dressed up to host special days and nights. Isn't this how a German Gymnasium looks like?

xO

With a pinch of Salt

(Happy) New Year, (cool) new post, (fresh) new beginnings. With the same (beloved) friends, in the same (beautiful) neighbourhood, with the same (energetic) vibe. Thankfully. Because there are places, people and things that are just great. They make you feel just right at, around and with them. And if this is not the best way to begin the new year, then what is it? Best wishes, from the Salt House.

xO

Places with benefits

There are places (and friends) with benefit(s). The benefit of love. 

Like the place where you celebrated your 30th, where you cried over your life photo-album and where you talked words of truth and love with your university friend. These places (and friends) no matter what they do, say or are - they always hold a special place in your heart. 

You just love their way of being and carrying your precious memories. 

One of them is West36.

xO

The Wild Life

Flowers and coffee is my favourite combo. Even better, coffee with flowers. Or coffee in the Wildflower café.

Working on a Sunday is an odd combo. Which is certainly improved if you add coffee. And flowers.

You take your laptop and treat yourself to a slice of yummy cake, a cup of aromatic tea and the view of a window with blossoms - in pots and vases.

And suddenly your Sunday has a better colour. And a nicer scent. That of flowers.

xO

My two pennies' worth

A fried egg, five crispy strips of bacon and a spoonful of BBQ sauce are the fuel of imagination. I promise. They help brainstorming, they set the tone for a happy Friday and they remind you that being creative is an attittude. Tables with flowers in a glass and people with notepads and pencils. That's the vibe in the Black Penny.

xO

You make me feel

Slightly paraphrasing Maya Angelou's quote: I'd never forget how a place has made me feel. Sometimes you just don't care that the cake is not the best-in-town, that the tea is a normal tea and the coffee is a standard cup of (nice) coffee. All you care about is that the place has been what you wanted it to be for you and your best friend to catch up, exchange your summer stories and promise to each other that the autumn ahead will be utterly bright, like your holidays. Take a seat in Violet Cake's little yard and a sip of your drink. And begin your story.

xO

In the back garden

It's the place where you celebrate your nameday, the pub where you want to take your little brother for a pint, the garden where you can laugh your heart out. It's the let's-grab-a-drink-after-work place with your friends, the pub where you can take your friend's puppy for a walk, the garden where you wish you could be every time the sun sets in the summer. It's the Freemason's Arms and it has a back garden.

xO

Roof-top up

There are some places where you can just "come as you are". Some places where you can let your hair down, laugh loud and enjoy the fresh breeze. Some places where girls meet boys, boys play nice music and people let balloons fly. Some places where you give birthday hugs, eat chocolate cake and see the sky changing colours. Some places like Netil360. 

xO

Brunching in the rain

A place that looks beautiful in the rain, is unquestionably pretty. A place that is run by gentle people with warm smiles, is undeniably lovely. A place that you've seen in light and dark and you've loved both times equally, is indisputably charming. It's Lisa's and we're going there for brunch again soon. Undoubtedly.

xO

Parklife

There are these people who carry a special vibe. Who shine a bright aura. And make you feel at home. They live far, but they're close friends. They see you rarely but they think about you often. Catching up with them is precious. And deserves a walk in the park that gets you a beverage and a nibble in a restaurant that is simple, clean and genuine. Like Fields Bar & Kitchen. Like them, D.

xO

Spring nights had me a blast

This is another post for another city. A city that is not just close to my heart; a city that has rather defined and formed my whole heart. 

This is a post with some flavour of Athens in May; just a spoonfull, just a taste. Of the vibe and scent and people that make Athens such a special place.

Every city has a story to tell. A story that is carefully and respectfully kept in its museums' protective walls. The Museum of the City of Athens is hidden in King Otho's first home. And this home has a wonderful garden. Where Black Duck café is now located. Where you drink your coffee under the shadow of Amalia's palmtree and you feel excited. In the same way as when you discover a treasure in the cellar. Please make sure to ask for Leonidas' guided tour upon arrival. Or stay in the shadow...

Every girl has some interesting stories to share. And meeting your girlfriends to share those is a serious job. Which cannot happen anywhere. It can only happen where it feels right. Where you open the menu and think that there is not enough time to taste everything. A bottle of wine and a 3-hour dinner later, a big hug and a promise that we won't let us miss each other again. Because we loved the place, the food and the way they made us feel in Cookoovaya.

Every new place has a story to write. And the guys at the Pure Juice Bar definitely narrate a colourful, fresh and happy story. D and T behind the counter, mixing pineapple with orange and kale with avocado while chatting, laughing and offering hand-made cookies and cake. You get your juice and you get the vibe. 

Every teracce has some silence to enjoy. The sound of serenity. The only sound you need when you climb on the highest rock and stare at that heavenly place, called Athens. You pick a spot at Couleur Locale and you don't move. You stay there and enjoy the sun going down together with a cocktail. You try the doughnuts (pretend you're Greek and call them "loukoumades") with cheese and honey and take a glimpse of life in the light.

Every loo has a story to hide. And when you talk about its loos you know that the place is special. With quirky decoration, pretty floor and loads of interesting faces. You walk in, order your drink and take the stairs down. To the ladies' in Bios.

Every name has a day to celebrate. And that name is so dear to us that finds us celebrating it in Tomoe - the new talk of the (North side of the) town sushi restaurant. Classy, slick and with good feng shui. Amazing food, smiley people and a beautiful aquarium. Just don't miss the eggplant starter.

Every lovely night has a light spring breeze and the scent of jasmine in the air to enjoy. That night was a night for a lovely dinner, with a beloved old friend. And it was spent with F in Cava Vinifera where we tasted the best Greek wines. We captured all the aromas and moved onto the restaurant next door, where we had a lush dinner in a house that we wished was our grandparents' and a garden that we wished we could stay in for the whole night. The colours, the light, the ambiance were the best decoration for a long due catch up over some dishes that reminded me why Greece tastes of delicious food. And good food in Greek is: "Geuseis". 

And this is only the beginning. Summer is just around the corner. And you are about to book your tickets. And come find me. I'll be somewhere in the sun.

xO

View from a garden

London is stunning. You think out loud while looking at it from above. And you realise that sometimes it's good to give yourself time to admire the object of your love. Take some time, take some distance and observe it. And remember why you're here. In a garden. On the 38th floor of a building. In the green. On cloud nine. At the Skygarden. Where all the tours for someone who wants to discover (and love) London should begin.

xO

All good things come in threes

Like Drink, Shop, Do which becomes Drink, Do, Dance in the evenings. And so we did. We drank, did and danced. And we chatted, laughed and enjoyed it. With 3 friends, over white wine and platters of nibbles. In that quirky shop/bar/disco where I read this line that I carry with me since: "when you dance I fall in love all over again"... 

xO

I'm (post-holiday) blue

There is no such thing as post-holiday blues. Not when you meet your girlfriends after 3 weeks, in a garden, while the sun is setting, with 2 bottles of wine and loads of nibbles. When you talk stories and news and boys and thoughts. And when this garden is The Engineer and what's ahead is spring and sun and the best to come. 

xO

On fire

This is how you feel in your late (OK, very late) 20s in London while enjoying cocktails with your best friends in a bar with high ceiling, a fireplace, beautiful people and lovely plants. Where you celebrate your friendship, their new job, your new dress and your plans for all the glorious days ahead. This is the place to host these big dreams, high hopes and extra large love: the Chiltern Firehouse. Such a glamorous, chic, wonderful bar that makes your eyes sparkle. And that spark becomes a flame.

xO

I am...

...writing for another city. A city with lovely canals, beautiful flowers and hipster bicycles. And great places to visit.

Like the De Laatste Kruimel cafè with the most delicious warm sandwiches and the best muffins to go with your coffee. You sit in your grandma's cosy kitchen or on her balcony above the canal for morning chats and laughs and plans for the day ahead.

Which finds you walking around Jordaan and getting lost in the tiny roads around the canals. While the sun is putting a golden veil over the water, you sit on the bank of the river and order a glass of wine and chips with mayo to nibble. Preferably at Walem or Morlang. Necessarily though with your friend who you haven't seen for months. Because wine tastes better when shared with loved ones.

And after this mellow feeling that wine in the sun can only give, it's time for dinner. In Kantjil & De Tijger for Indonesian cuisine or in Trattoria Caprese just a few meters down the (Spuistraat) road for talliatele ragu served by possibly the most smiley and gentle people in town. And you bring your friends around a table with good food, which is another way of describing "bliss".

Next morning is coffee and apple pie time in Piejpe. Where you want to just sit and browse. To reflect on these lovely days and to plan the last few hours in the city. You grab a table at De Wasserette on the cobbled street and enjoy.

Upon reflection and deep thinking you are found in Brecht for a last pint and this warm feeling of visiting a home that you've been to several times before.

I am (in) (Am)sterdam. With S and A. And I am O(h so very happy).

xO

You promised me a veg garden

You walk into a vegetable garden: the artichokes have petals, the vine tomatoes look like blossoms and the spinach grows into a bush. Vegetables are colourful and aromatic and pretty- they are flowers in reality. You walk in La Fromagerie and you keep a note on your phone "to endorse healthy eating". You see the bags of pine nuts, the jars of honey and the bottles of olive oil and you remember how much you love the Mediterranean cuisine. You smell the hundred different types of cheese, the dried oregano and the fresh basil and you "need to get better at cooking".

You find your friends S and B and you talk 10 years of friendship, her lovely wedding and his great talent in photography. You order wine and nibbles and you talk work, dream jobs and thoughts around life over a platter of cheese and charcuterie. You hear about travels and pictures and cultures and you feel you're in the right place with the right people.

xO

Trip to the (far) east London

I packed my book and my sunglasses, I put my hair up and tucked my scarf in my coat. G sent me to Church (street) and A found me reading my book behind the flowers, in the Green Room Cafe, where life is easy, the vibe is relaxed and the babies don't cry, they just smile. We should come back here, when the back yard opens and the garden blossoms.

We then walked around and into a different era, when people were putting big white roses on the tables and were taking their tea in fine porcelain. When the girls were wearing long dresses and men were sending postcards from their trips. When people were using candles and tea was served with sponge cake. And we time-travelled with our leather suitcase: he was wearing a waistcoat and I was wearing a flower headband. And our dog was sitting in the armchair. We should come back here, at Vintage Emporium, to write poetry one day.

xO

 

Wine down

Friday night in Soho is quiet and cosy. With heartfelt conversations under atmospheric lighting with new loved friends. It has the scent of smoked ham and cheese. It has the sound of Sade and of English with that beautiful French accent. It has the taste of wine in a carafe and that of a warm, hearty Ducksoup.

xO

Breakfast on a school-day

...should be "a thing". For those chats that "cannot wait" and for those friends that you want to have your first cup of coffee with. They set the tone of your day, they make you feel that life doesn't begin only with work and they remind you that London is alive from 6am. You just need to pick the right place that will host your "business-breakfast" and your most un-business chit chat. Because who talks business at 7:45am on a Friday at Hubbard and Bell? 

xO

Enjoy the ride

That tiny place behind Waterloo. Where you dream of riding that blue vespa and let your hair blow in the wind. Where you escape to drink your tea, eat some cake and plan your next trip. Where you meet your friend before theatre and you talk love and art and life. That Scooter Caffè.

xO

That special night

On a special occasion. With a special friend. We picked the most special of places: a table in the clouds with an ox cheek doughnut with apricot jam, a bread with welsh goat's cheese and a duck leg on a waffle with mustard maple syrup. We saw the most beautiful colours - that of the sunset over London, and we tasted the fullest of flavours - that of unexpected combinations. And we toasted to the person that conceived the Duck and Waffle and everything that comes with, in and around it. And to all these: the ingredients of the special moments in life.

xO

Jump in that hot air balloon

There are some great old pubs in Mayfair and then there is Mr Fogg's. It's not a pub. Not a bar. I promise; it's his home. You walk in and you sit on the sofa, waiting for him to pop out. And while you sip your drink you're starring at that big red hot air balloon and you wish you were in there, travelling around the world in 80 days. This place tells a beautiful story. And the fact that it makes you want to be part of it, it's its success. The lovely cocktails come as a bonus. 

xO

Any given (sunny) Sunday

You order a peppermint tea and a soda bread (one of the 50-things-to-try-before-you-die), you pick a Sunday paper from the little table in the entrance and you don't read it. Because you lounge and just look around you. You enjoy the ambiance, you browse the 70s kitchen utensils in the glass display, you gaze at the neat-and-tidy young families around you and you take a note to visit the Kitchen Table, upstairs, soon. And here they are: the class of 2003 arrive. And you start the where-are-you-what-you-do conversation feeling this warmth in your heart. The warmth that you get when you're around people you've known for ever, when you taste good food and you enjoy a sunny Sunday in one of London's most beautiful pubs, the Mall Tavern.

xO

Drag me in

"Soho is so beautiful when waking up." I'm thinking while walking to work early this morning.

I'm coming from Holborn Grind. Where I had my first coffee for the day. A flat white. This place has a great vibe. It may be the good coffee, or the guy sitting next to me who designs on his laptop, or the two gentlemen having their work chat. It may be the brick wall, or the lovely barristas, or the water jug with the mint. Or maybe the neon sign. "Love is the drug." Well, while waiting for love, let's grab a coffee here - it'll do the trick.

xO