It's always time for cereal...

If you are visiting London and want to eat somewhere unique, different and quirky, then look no further than this post!

I'm a big fan of cereal but I do get bored of having shreddies every day. But, if you visit the Cereal Killer Cafe in either Camden Market or Brick Lane, then prepare to be blown away.

On a busy sunny day in London, we headed to the Camden branch of the cafe. The menu is laden with a vast array of cereals from all over the world.

If you fancy chocolate, honey, smore's or peanut butter flavoured cereal, you will find it here. The amount of cereal's on offer is mindblowing, and trying to choose one comes with difficulty.

I opted for one of the cereal cocktails, where you get a mix of different types. Mine was called the 'Lion King', which was a bowl of chocolatey/caramel sweetness. It even came with caramel milk, however I'm one of those weird people who prefers eating cereal dry and opted out of the milk.

If you think this cereal won't fill you as a meal, don't be fooled. The medium sized bowls don't look like much, but in real life, it counted as my lunch.

My advice would be to eat in, where you can choose to sit on a bed whilst you eat. If you are an 80/90s kid, you will be transported back to your childhood bedroom, complete with Spice Girls wallpaper and beany baby's.

The prices are expensive for cereal, but when you think about the types of cereal and the overall experience, it really isn't overpriced at all.

BBC Good Food Show

Last weekend I got the chance to go to the BBC Good Food Show as well as the Bakes and Cakes show.

Now these are two of my favourite things: Baking and Food.

So as I arrived in Olympia in London, I was immediately greeted to free samples of kinder chocolates! From then on, I knew I was going to enjoy this!

The Good Food show has a huge variety a stalls, selling everything from local food to the latest culinary products. The main motto of this event is try before you buy! There was no need for lunch as I filled my stomach up on everything from fudge, chocolate to curry and falafel. Don't forget the vast array of wine, beer and cider to sample as well!

Of course these food stalls are selling there products, many of which aren't easily available in supermarkets. Also, they are all of high quality and are not excessively priced which means you are getting your moneys worth.


Unfortunately I was too full to fit anything in, but the things that caught my eye were the homemade sausage rolls which looked amazing, as well as the unique flavours of fudge. Also, in the smaller yet still amazing cakes and bakes section, there were so many delicious cake stands selling everything from giant donuts, cupcakes to macarons. Think borough food market but all sweet things!

The ticket also included a chance to watch many well known TV foodies participate in cooking demonstrations and interview panels. It gives you the chance to find out their tips and tricks, as well as gaining an insight into their favourite foods and how they got into cooking/baking.

Of course, the main man of the show was Paul Hollywood, who showed us how to bake bread and make a chocolate and cherry roulade in the supertheatre. I believe Mary Berry was there on the other days it was on, so if you are a fan of the Great British Bake Off, this is definitely the event to attend!

If you are a foodie, this is the place to go and I highly recommend it. I love baking so this was the part I enjoyed the most, seeing all the decorated cakes that looked like pieces of art! It also gives you the chance to receive so many discounts on baking equipment and accessories from independent brands as well as bigger companies like Lakeland.

You could easily spend the whole day here and it was a really valuable experience for anyone who has a passion for cooking or baking. The BBC also hosts a winter and festive show, as well as various other themed ones around the country. And best of all, they are great value for money.

A Weekend Up North

Last weekend I had the pleasure of travelling from the South coast of England all the way up to Liverpool!

Having only ever been to the northern cities of Sheffield and Manchester, which was only to look at the universities, I have never really explored anywhere around that area.

Forgive me if Liverpool isn't North to you, but considering I'm from South East england, anywhere that far away is North to me!

I met my friend in Liverpool after a 4 hour train journey there. We stayed in the Novotel in the city centre which is a stunning hotel with the best location, and even has a pool! We managed to get a really great deal using booking.com, so check this out for the best value deals on top hotels.

 I recommend staying near the Liverpool One shopping centre, as it's right in the centre of the city and all the attractions are within walking distance.

So, the first thing to do when we arrived was to of course go explore the shopping centre! It has a fantastic array of high street shops from Primark, New Look, Topshop to the more upper end shops like Michael Kors.

That evening we headed over to the restaurants in Liverpool One, and there is a big selection to choose from, ranging from American to Thai cuisines. Most of the restaurants here were chains, which is good for quick and cheap eats. We ate at Chaophraya, a Thai restaurant where I decided to be adventurous (for me anyway) with what I was ordering and opted for duck, which is something I never usually order. It was amazing, and definitely recommended!

After we took a stroll to the Albert Dock to see it at night, as well as getting a glimpse of the Liverpool wheel at night with all the lights on, before heading to a bar for some cocktails. The bar we stumbled across was hidden down some steps on Colquitt Street, but it had the nicest cocktails, was cheap and had shots out of chocolate cups! What more could you want?! Plus it had a really nice and chilled atmosphere which was a perfect way to end our first day.

Visit Bar Bodega for great cocktails

Day 2 was full of city sightseeing. We started off in Albert Dock, having a look around the shops before going to the Beatles experience. Of course, Liverpool is famous for being the birthplace of one of the greatest bands in the world, and even if you aren't the biggest fan of the Beatles, this museum is still so interesting and not badly priced!

Luckily I was a student so I could get in for only £11 on a concession rate, but even the full price is only around £15. This includes admission to the museum with a personal headset, so you can take your own time and listen to what you're interested in. The museum took around 1 hour and a half, and was a poignant tribute to the rise of the Beatles.

The experience didn't stop there, as the ticket includes admission to another attraction over by the pier head which includes an interactive 4D show. If you have time it's worth checking out, but if you don't want to head over there then you wouldn't be missing out.

After learning about the lives of the Beatles, we headed over to where it all began, Mathews Street, to see the Cavern club where the Beatles used to play. Around there are loads of independent pubs that are perfect for that Saturday afternoon drink.

Mathews Street

We also headed up the Radio City tower to get a 360 degree view of the city. This is great on a clear day as you can see across the Mersey, and sometimes as far as Wales! Plus it was only £5 so it won't break the bank balance!

With all the walking, we headed over to Bolt street, which is filled with loads of independent cafes and restaurants, as well as the usual chains. We decided to go to Central Perk, a Friend's themed coffee shop for some coffee and cake. It's quite expensive but the theming is cool with the typical sofas plus they play friends episodes all day! I also bought a huge carrot cake which was delicious, but was way to big so I couldn't finish it all!

Liverpool Cathedral

Next stop, we wandered up to the cathedral before making our way back to the hotel for a pre dinner swim. This time we ate at Albert Dock in a really nice restaurant which I can't remember the name of! But I definitely recommend checking out the restaurants around there as there are some really nice independent ones which aren't badly priced! Plus there is a really nice atmosphere to have a walk around after all the consumption of great food.

Our Saturday ended with a night out on the town. Liverpool's nightlife is notorious for being amazing, and it certainly didn't disappoint. You will find an array of bars and clubs, all situated around Concert Square, and there is something for 18-50 year olds! Expect lots of hen and stag does though.

After a busy weekend, it was time to head back south. Liverpool is truly a great place to visit and you can explore the whole city in just a weekend. Everyone is so friendly and there are lots of things to do and see for all ages. Whether its a historical and educational visit, or a night spent dancing away, check out Liverpool!

View from the Radio Tower

Review: Jamie's Italian and Afternoon Tea at Bill's

So this week was mine and my dad's birthday, so I wanted to review two places that I went to:

Jamie's Italian

For my dad's birthday, we went out for a meal at one of Jamie's Italian restaurants in our local town. This was a small location so it was the Trattoria version, and had only recently opened. I've been to the Brighton Jamie's Italian for my 18th birthday and the food was amazing (definitely recommended), but I always see it as a pricey restaurant to visit on a regular basis.

As this was a birthday, we decided to treat ourselves and splash out. The Trattoria menu basically incorporates the most popular dishes of the normal Jamie's Italian restaurants, therefore it's a miniature version. Luckily they had the dish I was eager to have again, the Tagliatelle Bolognese. It is basically spaghetti bolognese, and although it doesn't sound adventurous, I can guarantee it's one of the best tasting bolognese I've ever had!
There are other delicious italian dishes that I sampled from the what the rest of my family ordered, such as the Porcini Fettuccine, the special risotto for that day was amazing, and my mum tried the italian beef burger. All of these tasted amazing and I would happily eat any one of these dishes.

So as far as food is concerned, Jamie's Italian is highly recommended for good tasting and flavoursome italian dishes. One thing I was disappointed by was the lack of a cocktail menu. The last time I had visited I had this delicious cocktail called the Florence Fizz, but due to it being a Trattoria restaurant, it wasn't included in the menu. But I did try the non-alcoholic cocktail called Citrus Crush which was soo good and made up for the other drink being absent.

Citrus Crush

Tagliatelle Bolognese

Overall, it was a nice meal out, and the atmosphere as well as the staff made the evening really pleasant and enjoyable. The decor was kind of old fashioned italian, and the toilets were amazing! Worth a visit! This was the perfect place for a birthday meal. My only fault for it are the prices, which aren't that much higher than the usual high street restaurants, but when drinks are incorporated it can become pricey, and dessert was out of the question. For a special occasion, this place is the perfect location to eat.

Bill's Afternoon Tea

Onto the next review, for my birthday I decided to go up to London for afternoon tea but as I had done this before in a fancy hotel, I wanted somewhere cheap. I came across afternoon tea at Bill's restaurant in Covent Garden. For only £9 something, it was perfect as I didn't want to pay excessive amounts for the location. When we arrived the location of the restaurant is in St Martin's Courtyard which is nestled in the side streets of Covent Garden and is in a really prime and pleasant location.

Bill's restaurants are very nicely decorated, and it was pleasant to sit down and enjoy the experience. When afternoon tea came, they gave us two stands for 4 people which included a selection of traditional finger sandwiches (around 3 per person), 4 mini cakes (brownie, strawberry and cream shortbread, lemon and poppyseed sponge and a marshmallow) plus two scones with jam and clotted cream. The food was nice and the mini versions meant we could eat all of it and still feel full up. Afternoon tea is a sugar overload though, so we were buzzing off sugar for the rest of the day!

Selection of mini cakes

Scones

The tea supplied was plentiful (I had 5 cups, that combined with all the sugar was a bad combination), and there is a selection of many different flavours. For £12, you can also upgrade to a glass of fizz.

English Breakfast Tea

It was good for the money and I wasn't expecting anything more, however I felt like because it was cheap then it was what we were getting. The staff didn't really know that we were there for afternoon tea even though we had booked it, and they gave us general menus to start with. We always had to go up to get there attention (we weren't handed any cutlery to cut the scones or cakes with) and I felt like I should have paid a little more for a better afternoon tea experience. Groupon always offer deals for not much more money and having afternoon tea whilst everyone around you is there for lunch felt kind of wrong. The atmosphere was very loud and it was difficult to have a conversation. In a hotel setting, it's usually in a high class restaurant so you do get the high tea experience, and this was lacking.

My advice is as a casual tea place, yes go to Bill's, but if you are looking for the classic and traditional 'High Tea" experience, then do it the proper way and book into a fancier location.

Saturday Treat

I thought it would be nice to post discoveries that I have made in case anyone lives nearby and would like to check them out for themselves.

After a hungover Saturday there is only one cure and that is to eat cake! My friends and I ventured to a local cafe by the sea that we had heard good things about. The cafe is called the Tenth Hole and is located in Southsea. First impressions were good, it was oozing with cuteness. It was also very busy which means that a lot of people have discovered this amazing cafe.

I ordered a cappuccino and a cake. I went for the massive chocolate fudge cake as I needed a sugar fix and it was amazing! Best chocolate cake I have ever tasted. It was a little too big for me so eat in one go  but the best part is that you can request a box to take it home with you for later. The prices are not bad at all, once in a while this is the perfect treat. Their selection of cakes are so good. There was scones as big as your hand, giant macaroons, every kind of cheese cake, chocolate, sponge cakes and loads more.  They also do breakfast and lunch and the menu looked very good. Will definitely be making another trip there.

If you are ever in Southsea/Portsmouth and want a little treat, go to the Tenth Hole. I highly recommend it and you won't be disappointed. 

Meanwhile, enjoy this picture I took :)

http://www.thetenthhole.co.uk/