The Roastaurant with McCain

A few weeks ago I was invited to visit McCain's roast dinner pop up at the Truman Brewery in Shoreditch, to help them settle the #greatroastdebate. What makes the perfect roast dinner? What's your side of choice? And what about the gravy?

Female spirits at Courtesan

Nope, this post is coming your way three weeks late... "Spirit" refers to the alcoholic kind, and "female" to the fact females are the ones behind the spirits offered at newly-refurbished Courtesan, a dim-sum restaurant in Brixton.

You can't go wrong with a cheeseboard

I'm not sure why we only really associate cheeseboards with Christmas in England. If I had it my way, I'd indulge year round - but then maybe I wouldn't appreciate them so much? The combo of cheese, crackers and chutney is my weakness; once I have one, I can't stop.

Little Shuffle Club, Shoreditch

I'm kind of crap at sports. Actually, strike that... I'm terrible at sports. I only become competitive when I'm doing vaguely well, and then I get overly enthusiastic, lose focus, and er, lose. So the launch of London's first permanent table shuffle club, The Little Shuffle Club, peaked my interest. 

A few from Lisbon

My trip was well timed. As the season changed, I said goodbye to the last quarter of the year and what it represented to me, and hopped on a plane. Three hours later, in Portugal, I felt lighter. And as the warmth hit my skin, I could breathe deeper too.

Dating diaries: my three week relationship

Sometimes the things I want to write about the most take the longest to write, and are the hardest to write. I've written this in my head more times than I can count, but as soon as I tried putting fingers to keyboard, the words dried up.

Living it large at The Lighterman

It's fun to win, isn't it? When my bezzie and I tagged each other on an Instagram post to win a meal and cocktails at this rather fancy gastropub near Kings Cross, we never actually thought we'd win. But we did, and the excuse of free food and booze came at the perfect time.

A Midsummer Night's Dream Afternoon Tea

I'm weary of defining any activity on my blog as 'masculine' or 'feminine', suitable for men or suitable for women. So I won't. But what I will say is that The Swan at The Globe's Midsummer Night's Dream Afternoon Tea (bit of a mouthful in more ways than one) is unashamedly pink, sweet, sugary and beautiful. 

Spectrum x Mean Girls

Mean Girls is a cult classic, and one my generation goes back to time and time again. Even now, about 13 years after it was released (it was the first 12-rated film I saw when I turned 12, pre 12A era), people - myself included - use particular lines in everyday conversation. 

A Curiously British Brunch at Mr Fogg's Tavern

Mr Fogg's Tavern has been on my list (you know, the one all Londoners have, of places to visit, eat or drink, which is as long as their arm?) for ages. AGES. What a joy it was, then, to be invited to try their new brunch - launching next Saturday - complete with bottomless punch.

Dating diaries: It's okay to not enjoy being single

This post is inspired by an article I read on Refinery29 a week ago. It was written by a journalist I love and usually agree with - the title and intro had me nodding enthusiastically (on the inside) - but by the middle I was lost, and at the end I was like, 'oh, right.'

Rum-tinis with Pirate's Grog

Okay guys, my apologies, I did bring my camera with me to this event but - classic - the memory card wasn't in there. So I apologise profusely for these grainy photos. But here's what went down at The Jam Tree's Rum-tini Masterclass with Pirate's Grog rum...

Fiz Bar, Lights of Soho

My first thought when I heard that Fiz Bar, London's first sparkling wine pop-up, had acquired a ten week residency at Brewer Street's Lights of Soho was "...really?" As in "really? how on Earth did they manage that?"

Croatia with Medsailors: Bol, Stari Grad, Split

The morning after what was a late one for many in Hvar, we had a quiet breakfast before setting off to our next destination. We'd heard whispers that we might not be able to visit Bol, but nothing had been confirmed yet, so we were left waiting, waiting...

Croatia with Medsailors: Vis, Palmižana, Hvar

I'm currently suffering with a severe case of the holiday blues. This time last week, I was on a yacht, exploring the islands of Croatia. The hardest choice I faced was do I sunbathe, or do I go for a swim? So in an attempt to relive my experience, here's what I got up to with Medsailors. 

Hanging out at Oslo, Hackney

I live and work in south west London. It suits me fine. I like the pace, the greenery, the pilates studios and the suburban feel of it all. But if I want to go out and explore, I always look to east London. There's always something new, something kooky, something interesting to experience.

Skyline delights at Skylight

I'm pretty basic when it comes to spending summers in London. Give me a rooftop, give me fairylights, and put a chilled drink in my hand. Ticking all of these boxes is Skylight, a new venue in Tobacco Docks. It also happens to have a 360 degree skyline to die for, and croquet.

Dating Diaries: Mr Big

We weren’t compatible. At least that much was obvious. In fact, if I wrote a list of things I did and didn’t look for, he’d tick most of the latter...

Star Wars Identities

What do you do when you get the chance to enjoy a Star Wars experience on a Bank Holiday Friday? Accept, of course. I brought along my Stepdad, a huge fan, and myself - a huge fan of Yoda, Carrie Fisher and Natalie Portman...

Chi Kitchen, Oxford Street

Did you know Debenhams on Oxford Street has restaurants in it? I didn't. But sure enough, hidden towards the back, on the right, on the ground floor, sits Chi Kitchen. It's a contemporary, Pan-Asian restaurant, with a new Laksa offering. 

A Royal Afternoon at Kensington Palace

In an attempt to prolong our birthdays, my Mum and I took to celebrate with a girly day in London. Afternoon tea was the order of the day, so we went to Kensington Palace - The Orangery to be exact - to kick things off. 

Dating diaries: Are we all looking for Luke Danes?

Luke wears the same shirt, day in, day out. And he never got the memo that wearing a baseball cap back to front stopped being cool at some point between 2001 and 2007. Or even if he did, he ignored it.

Exploring northern Mauritius

On our penultimate day in Mauritius, we explored the northern part of the island. My friend, who spent her summers in Mauritius as a child, said we simply had to visit the botanical gardens and the surrounding area, so we did.

My 25th in Mauritius

Fun fact: my Mum and I share the same birthday. Yep - as she celebrated living on this Earth for quarter of a century, she also happened to give birth to me. Last year we agreed we wanted to celebrate me turning 25 and her turning 50 (sorry, Mumma!) with a special holiday. 

Dating diaries: Silent Speed-dating

In terms of alternative dating in London - and by 'alternative', I mean dating that doesn't rely on apps - there isn't much out there. As an anti-app representative, I see it as my duty to explore what's on offer for single Londoners. So when I came across Shhh Dating (silent speed-dating), I had to give it a whirl.

Who What When Where How & Why

The Newport Street Gallery is one of my favourite galleries in London (joint first with the Saatchi Gallery). It's still a relatively hidden gem, in Vauxhall, of all places. Currently, it's playing host to Gavin Turk's 'Who What When Where How & Why'.

Misery loves company

Last week was Blue Monday. And blue, it was. Even if you didn't know it was a *thing*, you probably knew about it from the dozens of emails from companies telling you to BEAT THE BLUES with 20% off, or a free burger, etc.

Pottery fun at Emma Bridgewater

The time between Christmas and New Year is usually spent on the sofa, eating, drinking, and getting up only to get refills. You lose track of time, and fall into a lethargic state. But towards the end of the year, my mum had other plans.

Dating Diaries: See ya, Tinder

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that yesterday I did a bit of a caption word splurge and confessed to struggling with a few things in my life. If you don’t, then in short: I’m not happy, I want to make some positive changes, and I’ve deleted Tinder.