26 June 2009

Santoré - Restaurant

A brief lunch with my fiancé at Santoré on a glorious summer's day - fabulous! The service was efficient and nice, the food (mushroom pizza) was divine and the wine was perfectly chilled. An inexpensive place for lunch or dinner with a nice selection of food.

One thing - there seems to almost been too much on the menu. It took me forever to choose but as my fiancé says, that may have something to do with me being a woman!

20 June 2009

Shore Club Miami - Hotel


Asking somebody who loves hotels to choose a favourite is like asking Carrie Bradshaw to choose her favourite pair of shoes! Miami doesn’t even make it into my top 10 destinations but I must say that the Shore Club is one of the most amazing hotels I’ve ever stayed in. Overlooking South Beach with a roof top pool, my 4-week diet ahead of my trip was well worth it!

I spent 5 days visiting Miami and stayed in an Ocean View King size room, which was good size and for someone who lives in London, the view was worth it. There are quite a few restaurants at the hotel but once I tried the sushi at Blue Sea, I was blown away and didn’t bother with the rest. I highly recommend trying the scallop roll for a taste of heaven. The Skybar deserves a special mention because it so freaking glamorous and serves the most amazing martinis (just don’t go swimming afterwards!).

My advice is not to take Miami too seriously – it’s very glitzy, superficial and fun. A bit like an episode of CSI and I rather expected Horatio Caine to show up at any given moment!

14 June 2009

Blue bar

Chic decor, excessively priced drinks, good service and highly unsuitable for the weekend due to the size. Pretty cool, though definitely not a regular spot.

Jimmy Choo - shopping

I miss the Draycott Avenue branch – it was intimate, friendly and they knew me there... ah, the good ol' days! I actually like this branch though. They are so professional and smiley (even the door men smile!). The thing I love about JC shoes is that they are always consistent – no matter what the style is, a size 37 always fits (unlike other brands).

Call up, ask them to send you something/put a pair on hold and it’ll be done with no issues. Again, you’re paying for the fabulous shoes/bag AND the service. Worth every penny!

Mildred's - restaurant

I was so hyped to go to Mildred's (despite the ridiculous no-booking rule) and after the first time I raved about it to anybody who would listen! Went a second time and found it mediocre. Third and final time was just plain bad. When the food is all smell and no taste, something is wrong. I'm in no hurry to get back. This was all in the space of 6-8 weeks, so absolutely no consistency.

On the upside, staff members are really friendly, enthusiastic and clearly know the menu inside out. Plus everything is labelled clearly for those who may be vegan, coeliac, lactose-intolerant and so on.

2 June 2009

Jo Malone - Perfumery

So proud of this British brand. The packaging is so glamorous, luxurious and the staff at this store are multi-lingual and very helpful.