Category Archives: Drink
Win Dinner for Two and an Overnight Stay at The Tommyfield London Pub
Located just five minutes from London’s Waterloo and owned by Renaissance Pubs, The Tommyfield now fully embraces its coaching inn roots by becoming a luxurious city crash pad as well as a cracking London local. Tempted? Keep reading to find out how to win a free night’s stay plus dinner for two at this ace Kennington pub! Continue reading
Restaurant Review: Granger & Co Clerkenwell
I had a lot of fun during my recent visit to Granger & Co Clerkenwell. Aussie restauranteur Bill Granger’s latest restaurant in a selective global portfolio – which includes a well established eatery in Notting Hill along with outlets in Sydney, Tokyo, and Hawaii – features a playfully palate pleasing menu served in a comfortable and lavishly spacious dining room. Here are a few highlights from my dinner. Continue reading
Breakfast Recipe: Red Eye Gravy with illy Espresso
Red eye gravy is a classic comfort food sauce from my home in the American Deep South. Usually served with ham or bacon, it’s about as easy and affordable to make as it is delicious. The main ingredients are grease … Continue reading
Good Stuff – Imbibe Live Edition
Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you … and in this case mostly to sip all from my meander round this year’s Imbibe Live – the “innovative and interactive annual exhibition for anyone who sources, buys or serves drinks in the licensed on-trade.” Enjoy. Continue reading
4 Foodie Festivals in Italy This Summer (OneTravel)
Anytime is a good time to visit Italy, especially if you are a foodie! And this summer promises a delicious array of events for folks keen to have as many gourmet experiences as possible during their Italian vacation. Here’s a … Continue reading
#TennisCrazy? Here’s a Chance to Win Your Very Own illy Coffee Machine
All you’ve got to do to be in with a chance to win your very own espresso machine is to follow @espressoCrazy on Twitter. Yeah, that’s it. The giveaway has been going on since Wimbledon kicked off and will continue until the 2014 tournament ends. So you’ve got a few more days to play but only just! Continue reading
My Basel: Taking the Make My Switzerland App for a Spin
Obviously you’ve heard about Switzerland’s stunning panoramas of and from its mighty Alps. But for my first of hopefully many more visits to this friendly little Alpine nation, I found the views shared via a handy Swiss app to be a real wonder to behold as well. The free to download app, called Make My Switzerland, is available via Google Play and Apple’s App Store and offers a wealth of insider knowledge about the things that savvy locals love best in seven Swiss cities – Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, and Zurich. I gave the app a whirl over an especially fun weekend in Basel, and I’m more than happy to recommend the city and the app to anybody keen to explore a delightful and compact destination that’s big on culture. Continue reading
Win a Discover the Origin Hamper Worth £60 Filled with Quality Food and Wine from Across Europe
Over the past few years I’ve been “discovering the origin” of five of Europe’s yummiest creations: Bourgogne Wines, Parma Ham, Douro Wines, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, and Port, five fine foods and wines with Protected Designation of Origin status. It’s been a lot of fun and definitely one of the most delicious topics I’ve ever written about. To celebrate the arrival of summer, a time for picnics and dining alfresco, I’ve teamed up with Discover the Origin to share more than just my words and offer one lucky reader a hamper full of exquisite products for free. Keep reading to find out how to play for a chance to win. Continue reading
4 Freshly Brewed Blogs about Coffee (espressoCrazy)
Wake up, smell the coffee, and read something stimulating. Here’s a quartet of blogs I’ve been perusing recently and thought might be worth highlighting here with the espressoCrazy community. All four blogs are dedicated to that most inspiring of topics: coffee. Continue reading
Good Stuff
Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Continue reading
Experiencing the World Cup in London (OneTravel)
Okay. The World Cup is on! And, save a vacation in Brasil, every sporty London is as excellent a place to experience the footie action as anywhere. It’s also a city that likes to take the spirit of these global … Continue reading
Grecotel Pallas Athena: Great Boutique Hotel in the Heart of Athens, Greece (OneTravel)
I’ve just returned from a long weekend in Athens, Greece where I had a fantastic time exploring this ancient and buzzing city full of all sorts of contemporary charm. In fact, I’ve been raving about the trip almost non-stop since … Continue reading
‘Make My Switzerland’ App Helps You Discover Top Tips from Locals (OneTravel)
“Choose a city, pick your mood, discover top tips from our locals.” That’s what a relatively new Make My Switzerland app offers visitors hoping to achieve maximum Swiss delight – whether aiming for alpine heights, lounging by the lake or … Continue reading
Win a Carnaby World Cup Shopping Spree + Dinner for Two at Whyte & Brown
Want to watch the World Cup in style? Carnaby’s a smart place to do it … especially if you’re the lucky reader who wins my latest comp: a shopping spree worth £100 and dinner for two at free range chicken and craft beer haven, Whyte & Brown. Keep reading to find out how to win along with details about all the great World Cup action taking place in the heart of Soho. Continue reading
Discovering Athens … #blogtrottersgr
Whether on its own as a cheer and cheerful city break or as a pivotal component to an extended Greek vacation, Athens is wonderful place to discover and one that I’ll be raving about for awhile. Continue reading
Dom’s Place – Traditional Turkish Food with E5 Flavour
Since moving to Clapton three years ago, I’ve seen a lot of changes – mostly for the better and particularly along the retail strip of Lower Clapton Road. One of the tastiest has been the opening of Dom’s Place, a casual little low key eatery with a pared down menu featuring “traditional Turkish food with a modern twist.” Continue reading
Good Stuff
Good Stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. RHS Chelsea Flower Show Did you … Continue reading
Win a Mixed Case of Codorníu Cava Limited Edition Bottles
Heard about the Cava Revolution? Well, here’s a revolutionary idea – a chance to win a mixed case of Codorníu Cava Limited Edition bottles for free! Continue reading
Cookery School Social
Last week I had the delicious pleasure of hosting a friendly little social event at one of my favourite London kitchens, Cookery School. My guests and I made our own tagliatelle from scratch with asparagus and wild garlic leaves as well as tiramisu. We then enjoyed a convivial and candlelit feast together tucking into our handmade creations along with a few other treats whipped up by the hard working Cookery School staff. There was plenty to drink as well and an especially ample amount camaraderie shared. Continue reading
Pizza Union, Super Fast and Budget Friendly Pizza in Spitalfields
Kemey and I dropped by for a midweek early evening dinner at new(ish)ly opened Pizza Union near Liverpool Street for a taste of its “fire-baked” and “super fast” stone oven pizzas. And? We were pleased with this all day pizza bar’s no nonsense approach to offering customers something tasty and quick at a great price. Continue reading
Win Dinner for Two at The Portman Pub & Restaurant – Courtesy of Zomato
Looking for a great night out in Central London? The Portman Pub & Restaurant near Marble Arch features a lively pub downstairs with a more subdued tablecloth serviced restaurant upstairs – not to mention an excellent menu and wine list. And thanks to a team up with online restaurant discover guide, Zomato, I’m offering one lucky reader the chance to enjoy a free dinner for two at this fine Marylebone gastropub. Continue reading
RAW, the Artisan Wine Fair, Returns to London – 18 and 19 May
RAW – the Artisan Wine Fair – is a two-day celebration of some of the best wine talent in the world. Featuring over 150 growers, RAW is one of the most exciting collections of fine, natural, organic and biodynamic wine artisans ever to come together in the capital. Their wines are pure, kind to the planet, very possibly better for your health and best of all they’re absolutely delicious. Continue reading
Ten Tastes Of Soho Tour for Foodies in London (OneTravel)
A couple of Saturdays back, I tagged along on a delicious tour through the historic and vibrant streets of one of London’s most celebrated neighbourhoods – Soho. The tour was organized and led by chef, ex-restaurateur, and host of the … Continue reading
Discover The Douro (Great British Chefs)
Chris Osburn takes us on his journey of discovery in the Portuguese regions of Porto and the Douro Valley. The trip has clearly changed his views on Port as well as all wines from those areas he visited. Continue reading
Codorníu Cava + Jose Pizarro and Ashika Mathews at Portobello Road Market – Saturday 10 May
The bright and bubbly folks behind Codorníu Cava “hitting the markets of Britain” with their Codorníu Cava Revolution to “spread the Cava love and bring the soul and vibrancy of Barcelona’s famous market – La Boqueria – to the UK.” This Saturday (10 May) they’ll be at Notting Hill’s Portobello Market from 8am to 7pm. Joining the Codorníu team will be wine expert Ashika Mathews as well as chef José Pizarro, who’ll be pairing the sparkling wine with his own tasty Spanish creations. Continue reading
Win a Bijoux Afternoon Tea for Two at The Langham London
London’s historic home of the afternoon tea, The Langham London, is preparing once again to launch its annual Bijoux Afternoon Tea with Champagne Laurent-Perrier. To be served in the refined and elegant setting of the hotel’s Palm Court, the specially themed “Summer Season” tea will be available from 15 May to 6 July and priced at £52 per person (£65 with a glass of Laurent-Perrier Brut). But guess what? Here’s a chance for one lucky reader to win tea for two for the price of a tweet. Continue reading
Infinity Brunch at Aqua Kyoto
Upscale and great value in an elegant and easy to reach locale, the Infinity Brunch at swish Soho eatery, Aqua Kyoto, would be a wise addition to your bucket list of must-do London brunches. Continue reading
5 Local Orlando Blogs to Read Before Your Trip (OneTravel)
Want to make the most of your next visit to Central Florida and “do” Orlando like a local? Be sure to check out these local Orlando blogs for up-to-date details and the latest scoops on what’s awesome (or awful) before … Continue reading