Street Feast London @ Camden Town Brewery

I love hanging local, so I was happy to see Street Feast London back at the Camden Town Brewery this Saturday for a nice day of good food, good beer and more 'lympics.

After a mega swim at Parliament Hill Lido just up the road, I had the hunger of a teenage boy and the thirst of a donkey (thanks Kath?!). But by god I'd come to the right place...

In a nice little nook just by Kentish Town West overground, the brewery offers up the perfect place for a spot of street food and a beer in the sun. Joyce and I nabbed one of the brewery's classics, Hells lager - the cold crisp liquid slipping down like a sweet sweet nectar.

To eat, I jumped on the Bhangra Burger band wagon. My first experience of Baba Gupta's magic, the lamb burger folded into a wrap filled with salad, spicy goodness could not have hit the spot more. I should think it will be my first of many.


Street Feast London is ordinarily Dalston based and takes place each Friday. I've no doubt I'll be headed back to the Camden Town Brewery, however, a nice one to add to the list of 'locals'.

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Forza Win

With a love of rooftop revelry and a passion for pizza, Forza Win, the East London supper club of the Napoli inspired Pizza Pilgrims, held immediate appeal. 

With a new rooftop residence following an unfortunate shut down a couple of weeks ago, the guys welcomed us with open arms on Friday night. Open arms and a delicious Aperol Spritz - its zingy zestiness complimenting the balmy evening perfectly.

As the infamous ovens were fired up, we sat down to a simple starter of penne pasta served beautifully al dente with a light  ragù sauce and topped with parmesan. So simple, but so delicious.

Then onto the main event - the pizza. Presented as a tasting menu, we were served pizza after pizza in impressively quick succession. 

Now I've had good pizza, spoilt by the pizzerias of Firenze and Roma, but these were great. Truly great. The dough, light and nicely charcoaled, the toppings carefully sourced for ultimate taste. My favourite was the Napoli salami and portobello mushroom - the salty bite of the meat dangerously good. 

Once we'd had our pizza-fill, we were treated to a little live music from the soulful Ligers. The vibe was lovely, a rooftop of contented Londoners wrapped up in the moment. 

A little something sweet was served in the form of creamy ricotta and vanilla Gelupo topped with flakes of sea salt and drizzled with olive oil. Bloody good - I nailed mine (and Emily's).

And with that, our soirée was over and our kind hosts ushered us back down to ground level. From what I hear, places are now pretty limited, but give it a go - your efforts will be more than worth it. Failing that, the guys (and their oven) will still be appearing in the form of Pizza Pilgrims around the city's food markets. I may now be following them around on my own pilgrimage - that Napoli salami has me hooked. 

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Frank's Café and Campari Bar

Now in its fourth year, the Peckham based car park bar Frank's Café is not waning in popularity. And now I can see why...

With incredible views and some of the most reasonably priced cocktails in London, it provided the perfect place for my bestie Giz' birthday. It felt criminal that I'd never been before. 

Arriving on Friday evening, the list of campari-based drinks lured us swiftly into the weekend vibe, our selected Negroni Sbagliato (Campari, Vermouth & Gin) packing a welcome punch.

  

The uber-urban location makes for a surprisingly beautiful spot, the concrete glowing pink in the evening light. There's also a lovely sense of comradery between the drinkers, maybe from the shared glee at being in such a great place or maybe just the smugness at having made it there at all (don't underestimate the trek).

As the sun set and the view faded, pretty festoon lights came on and the vibe turned merrier still. It was only after the bell for last call had rang, and been obeyed, that we tottered back down to pavement level. Birthday girl and gang good and campari-ed and ready to dance.

With priorities elsewhere, I didn't check out the sculpture, but the Bold Tendencies Project #6 will just be one more reason to go back. 

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Netil House

I'd been wanting to go to Netil360 for quite some time now, so what better way to spend the opening ceremony of the Olympics than roof-based with a glass of wine in hand watching it all on a big old screen.

The space is cool, a massive decked area looking out over the east end, space enough for a fair few London mincers and tee-pee or two.

Drinks are reasonable, with a nice mix of coctails - including the delicious alco-freezie-pops from Icely Done. So refreshing.

Access to the roof is usually only reserved for members, so to get yourself up there you'll either need to sign up, find yourself a member friend to sneak you in or go to their next party. I would suggest the Hot Tub Cinema - a movie night with hot tubs and waiter service... winner? Winner.

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Wyndstock Revelry

'Ill met by moonlight proud Titania', Oberon greets his fairy queen, and oh what a chat up line that would have made at Wyndstock's dreamy Midsummer Night's Ball last weekend.

Houghton Hall

Pulling into the grounds of the amazing Houghton Hall, the tone of the evening was immediately set - one of glamour, decadence and a nice touch of the debauched thrown in. 

The party opened with lunch (running inevitably late, we sadly missed this), followed by lawn games and tea. There was even a yoga lesson for those wanting to get their stretches in.

A girls affair, Jessouin, Em and I wandered the gardens, glasses of fizz firmly in hand, soaking up the atmosphere. It felt more as though we were at a friend's wedding than ticketed soirée and this lent the evening a lovely intimate feel.

An amazing swing band and accompanying tap dancer soon got us on the dance floor and swinging our legs like goons, working up our appetites for supper.

At 9pm we sat down to eat, long tables laid out, fellow revelers mixed and matched and ready to tuck in.

The food was good - simple, but hearty, the venison stew warming us as the night cooled.

Darkness fell and the bonfire was lit. The hot tubs nearby were opened for dipping and a fair bit of nudity ensued - not by me (somewhat uncharacteristically).

As midnight struck, we hoarded into a small nearby tent for ghost stories told by the mesmerising Giles Abbott. I'd forgotten quite how lovely it is to be told a story, and the still silence of the tent suggested that everyone else felt the same.

Fireworks called us back outside and marked the real start to the night, the impressive display perking us up and pulling 'ooh's' and 'ah's' of appreciation from the crowd.

The ultimate Fourth Wall

As the night danced on, the party moved to the woodland, where this week's Fourth Wall bar had popped up. The best saved til last, Elderflower cocktails and some neatly mixed 90's hip hop had us dancing 'til dawn. 


It was only when the sun was up that we finally traipsed back to our tent, giddy from the night's magic and wrapped in our Midsummer dream.


'Lovers, to bed; 'tis almost fairy time...'

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Pop Up Friday

The Friday feeling is near impossible to suppress at the best of times, let alone pre a mammoth 4 day weekend. And so, as home-time struck last Friday for our Queen's Jubilee, me and my work pals were nearly tripping over ourselves in our haste to leave the office.

First stop was The Fourth Wall's pop-up bar in Bedford Square. A little underwhelmed by my last visit, the leafy square setting made for a much better venue and we quickly sunk a Re-Bourne, hugely restorative in it's gin and elder flower zing - yum.

It was a one-cocktail-wonder, however, as we had tickets booked for the 7.20pm seating at the much-talked about God Save the Clam. For those that aren't spoilt, tickets were steep at £40 for 3 courses. So it was with high hopes and a hearty hunger that we arrived at what looked little more than an office block just off Hackney's Richmond Road.

Four flights up, we were greeted with mugs of punch, laced with José Cuervo's Tradicional Tequila (double yum), and  a nicely decked out space with bunting and beach huts perking up the grey London sky.

Sitting down at a long gingham clad table, our starters were served. The dish was unsurprisingly meaty, the main event,  Pitt Cue Co's links, served with a deliciously salty anchovy salad cream and paprika spiced croutons. Round 2 of the Tradicional magic only serving to whet our appetites further.

And so onto clam-time good and proper and Rock Lobsta's take on the bake. Our table was presented with a collection of coloured kids' beach buckets filled to the brim with steaming shellfish, samphire and seaweed; the seafood impressive in it's variety. We got stuck in.

If I'm honest, it was quite a lot of hard work, the devilled crayfish offering up little meat for your painstaking peeling and the crab claw smashing giving somewhat hit or miss results. Having said that, there were some delicious morsels that made the battle worth it and the accompanying potatoes in smoke dripping, BBQ leeks and charcoaled corn on the cob were dangerously good.

Fingers licked and shells cleared it was time for pudding, and despite the now glacial temperatures there was no way I was missing out on an ice-cream sundae called the Fat Elvis. Sweet mama was it go-o-o-od. With a peanut butter ice-cream base, sprinkled bacon pieces and a maple-syrup drizzle - whoever Glyn is, he's a bloody genius and I only hope to visit his Screwball Sundae Bar again. Fat Elvis could very soon result in Fat Rox.

The Fat Elvis - So wrong, but SO right

Sadly the arrival of the rain forced us down from the roof top and into a nearby pub. A shame, because the DJ's were just warming up and we were starting to get a taste for that tequila... I only hope that our friends at Pitt Cue Co. and  Rock Lobsta  hold another; with a few small tweaks and a little more sunshine they'll have nailed it.

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Blue Sky Drinking - London's Best Rooftops

As temperatures soar and the flesh comes out, I think it very well might be approaching Pimms o'clock and with that the eternal search for a spot at a sun soaked bar begins.

With funds as low as they are, this Summer looks set to be more staycation than holiday-nation. But with this line up of rooftop recommendations from friends, I'm embracing Summer in the City good and proper. Long may it last...

The Boundary Rooftop Bar & Restaurant

I've been wanting to go to the rooftop bit of The Boundary for ages, ideally cosied up to some nice chap by the wood burner as the night turns chill. Follow their Twitter for opening hour updates depending on the weather.

Dalston Roof Park

Dalston Roof Park has re-opened for another year and is set to host several fun and exciting events throughout the summer, from film screenings to hot yoga. I'm going to see my dreamboats Alpines perform on 13th June for the launch of their single Empire. As part of The See Hear Club, they'll be screening Baz Luhrman's Romeo & Juliet as their film of choice - all in the open air enjoyed over a drink or three. 

Queen of Hoxton

An obvious al fresco choice, but unfrequented by me as of yet is the Queen of Hoxton. With a new frozen cocktail menu and one of the larger rooftops in town, it's about bloody time I paid them a visit. 

The Rooftop Kitchen at Alfie's on Marylebone's Church Street

More café than bar, the Rooftop Kitchen at Alfie's seems a decent way to while away a Saturday - top tanning on the impressive sun terrace over scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.  Once revived by a Monmouth cappuccino and in search of shade, there's Alfie's Antique Market just below which certainly looks worth a browse.

Tamesis Dock

When sad not to be beside the seaside, riverside will just have to do, and Tamesis Dock between Lambeth and Vauxhall Bridge looks just the ticket. A live music venue and good val pub run off a converted Dutch barge, I really like the sound of this place. Get yourself a bottle of fizz, close your eyes and pretend you're at your boat party in Beefa. Sort of.

Frank's Cafe - snap from here

Last but not least, Peckham's infamous multistory carpark roof top bar, Frank's Cafe, re-opens for it's fourth year running on 30th June. I can't believe I've still not been. Grilled squid with chilli and garlic, a Moscow Mule and a view like that - could this be heaven?

Roll on 5.30pm...

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Dress Obsessed

It's not often that I see an item in a mag, search it out online, call customer services when I can't find it and then write the date it will be available in my diary when I find out it's not out yet. But for some reason, this Mango dress had me hooked.

Sundress from Mango - £22.99

Maybe it's the dip-dye feel floral pattern, maybe it's the sunshine yellow, either way - I was a woman on a mission.


And now, with a sigh of relief, it's ordered and winging it's way to my open arms.


I want to wear it with these...

Nars matt red lippy (Vesuvio), Dominic Jones Verona ring and KG Medea sandals

Now I just need this rain to eff off.

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Friday night at The StockMKT

I heard about The StockMKT from my dear friend Rimbaud (aka the hot young chef James Ramsden). His new venture Kebab Kitchen was having it's maiden voyage last night at the second round of this foodie-dream pop up market.

So, with a hop skip and a Boris, we arrived in Bermondsey square, the sweet smells of cooking food and the cheerful cries of the stall holders reaching us before we'd even entered.


My streetfood-savvy friend, Camden (blogger extraordinaire), was quick to point out her favourites Bhangra Burger, Pizza Pilgrims and Bea's of Bloomsbury who were outrageous in their offering of deep fried brownies - oh mama.

Drink in hand, it was time to start sampling. And so, with more hungry gals in tow, we opted for a coupla scotchies to whet our appetites. Sweet lord, runny yolk and salty meat, topped with cracked pepper and a dash of 'holy fuck' hot sauce - the Egg Boss showed us exactly why these English classics are back in vogue.

Egg boss' heavenly scotch eggs

Looking for more little tasters before heading in for the main event, we got a plate of Pom Pom Takoyaki's dee-lish balls. Sadly the octopus originals were already gone, but the chicken variant was pretty impressive - like savoury profiteroles, filled with sticky meat and topped with teriyaki sauce and mayonnaise (or mayonasia as Dee-Pee coined it).

Suitably startered, we headed to the Kebab Kitchen stall, it's queue by now winding itself around the block. Unfazed, we got in line, debating the options of Suffolk chicken vs. West country lamb.

James Ramsden - one half of team Kebab Kitchen

We queued and we queued - buoyed on by the nice hustle and bustle about us and the fun live music that drifted over from the other side of the square (not to mention the blissful expressions of the people ahead of us as they took their first bites). A projection show began as darkness fell - the artwork all from a project done by kids from the area. 


An hour later and our hearts were broken as we arrived at the front to find that our friends the Kebab men were completely sold out. Lucky he's my friend - I could only be happy that he'd done such a roaring trade. But, no messing about, I'll be first in line at The Ship next month when they fire up the spit and kebab once again.

In the meantime, I've just remembered that there's a forgotten Rocky Road in my bag snapped up from the lovely girls at Yummy Boutique - breakfast of Queens. 


If it's good food and a fun feel you're looking for of a Friday evening, be sure to check out The StockMKT next time it appears. Not sure when or where that will be yet, but keep your eye on their site for more info.

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Things I'm looking forward to...

In my February lethargy I made a flurry of bookings that are now fast approaching and my goodness am I excited.

Here are a few of the plans made - get tickets, come join! I think they should be good. I've linked them up, so just click on through.


Next Tuesday I'm off to a preview of The Great Gatsby at Wilton's Music Hall - a beautifully ornate, falling down theatre out East. Excited to see the production of one of my fave books ahead of the film release later this year.

Pinched snap of the lovely Wilton's

May brings the launch of Babel a massive, immersive theatre performance in Caledonian Park. It's all pretty mysterious, but with a cast of 300 it should be quite something.


Hilariously, I have bagged myself an invite to the Buckingham Palace Tea Party later in May and what better way to make for a totally oxymoronic day than to spend the evening grooving to a nice bit of ska. The Skatalites are playing at the Islington Assembly Hall on 22nd May - get tickets here.

Ever the romantic, mid-June seats have been reserved for A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Regent's Park Open Air theatre. My favourite Shakespeare play, in and amongst my favourite London park's roses. Heaven.


June 30th brings another lovely Wyndstock - 1920's dinner and dancing beneath the stars, life drawing and midnight hot-tubbing. Last year saw me hooked and my heart stolen.

Countryside decadence at Wyndstock

And then Summer's in full swing - no further entertainment needed than a chilled bottle of fizz, strawberries and whiling away long afternoons in the park, sun on our faces and grass in our hair. Again, feel free to join - the more the merrier.

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