Restaurant review: Bluebird, Chelsea, west London

Chelsea is a part of town I very rarely venture too. In fact, I can count on one hand how many times I have been there. But since I started working in west London, I'm determined to explore more of the area. Which is why I jumped at the chance to try out the new menu at Bluebird when they got in touch. My mum came to meet me after work and we had the most wonderful girlie evening full of gossiping, cocktails and good food.

Set in the heart of the Kings Road, the new a la carte menu in the first floor restaurant has been given a new lease of life by executive head chef Liam Smith-Laing. To start, we were recommend two cocktails as we scanned the menu. I pumped for The Botanist. Using one of my favourite gins as a base - The Botanist - the cocktail was refreshing but with a slight sour kick thanks to the campari. My mum opted for The Chelsea Flower served in a twee vintage milk jug. Once again a gin based cocktail, this also boasted fresh raspberries, apple juice and pomegranate liquor.

After lots of discussion we decided to share two starters. Huge crispy tiger prawns with an addictive aioli sauce and flavoursome queen scallops with spicy chorizo and apple crumble. We fought over those delicious prawns! The batter was light and crisp and the aioli was so creamy. After scoffing the starters we were excited to taste the mains!

I heard lots of good things about their seafood so for the mains I opted for the charred mackerel fillet, salty pancetta and borlotti beans in a tomato sauce. A really good sized portion, the fish was cooked to perfection. My mum decided to try the Norfolk lamb rump on a bed of merguez and bulgar. My mum loved the Middle Eastern inspired favours. Despite feeling pretty full, we still decided we have a little room to try their desserts!

I went for salted caramel profiteroles with a decedent warm chocolate sauce. Oh they were delicious. So light and fluffy with a great crunchy outer. I could have eaten double the amount! My mum's dessert wasn't very photogenic and I struggled to get a decent picture but, take it from me and her that it was incredible too. Topped with creamy ice cream the winter crumble was the ultimate comfort food. And the perfect end to such a great meal!

Bluebird was such a lovely evening out. Despite being fancy we never once felt out of place. We were blessed with knowledgable and friendly waiting staff, delicious food and a fantastic atmosphere. It's not cheap but if you're looking for somewhere to celebrate a special occasion then it should be top of your list.

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Restaurant review: Snaps & Rye, Ladbrooke Grove, west London

Three months later and I'm still going on about my trip to Copenhagen so when Hannah suggested we try out the Danish restaurant Snaps & Rye, I was more than game. Based in Ladbrooke Grove, the restaurant specialises in brunch and lunch but does a set dinner tasting menu from Thursday to Sunday. Priced at £35, it included four courses and changes weekly with a choice of meat or fish. Nice and intimate, the restaurant is full of Scandic-chic interiors. Hairpin chairs, maps of Copenhagen and a sleek neutral colour scheme. The perfect place to whittle away a few hours enjoying good food and company.

This time we started with a bite-size treat of what I believe to be smoked haddock on a piece of rye bread. Not pictured because it was soon wolfed down! Rich and flavoursome, a great introduction to what was to come. The first course was deep fried egg on a bed of green beans and pickled mushrooms, topped with parmesan cheese shavings and a sprinkle of watercress. With a perfectly cooked yoke, the dish was simplicity at its best. It was so well put together and was a joy to eat.

Next up was smoked duck paired with artichoke, apple, red cabbage and rye. Delightfully fatty, the duck was tender and intensely flavoured. The crunchy red cabbage salad seemed to be the perfect accompaniment. For the main, I opted for the flash-fried smoked eel in cider, mustard, kartoffel and a ham crisp. The spicy mustard sauce was delicious and the eel was deliciously juicy. Such a great dish, one I would never have put together but one that I couldn't get enough of. Finally for dessert it was a divine rich, gooey chocolate brownie topped with yogurt and berry compote.

Snaps & Rye was one of the best places I've eaten at in months - I can't sing its praises enough. The food was incredible, the portions were generous and the staff were very friendly. I couldn't fault the food and it was such great value. I love the fact they change their menu weekly so I can't wait to go back and try some other dishes. The brunch menu is calling my name!

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Review: Egg Break, Notting Hill, West London

I've been working West for nearly two months and it's a part of town I'm not too familiar with. So when Hannah suggested we meet Lily for dinner in Notting Hill to try a new restaurant on her list, I didn't argue. It was about time I started to explore the area!

Enter Egg Break. Egg Break is a newish venture by Soho House that specialises in eggs. Funny that. It's taking a break for a while but will be back in business in February. Keep an eye out for the re-launch.

First things first. The service was pretty poor. They look an age to take our order despite us three being the only people in the restaurant bar a table of one. Our cocktail order was delivered after our food arrived once we had prompted our waiter. We complained about the service charged added on at the end because we didn't think the meal deserved it. In their defence, they look it off without any complaints but never really apologised for the poor service. Enough of the negativity, did we enjoy the food?

Yes we did. Very much so. Just as well really otherwise it may have been a disaster. I opted for the juicy pork belly, a flavoursome fennel sausage, spicy sriarcha mayo and peppery rocket in a soft, sturdy bun. All topped with a perfectly cooked fried egg. The runny yolk effortlessly melted into the spicy mayo, helping to create a fusion of flavours. For the sides, Hannah and I were greedy little piglets and opted from the creamy avocado topped with sea salt  - how can something so simple be so tasty?! - and crunchy miniature hash browns. I'm still dreaming about those hash browns.

Would I go back? Yes, I'd love to try their breakfast. Sometimes service can be a little hit and miss and hopefully by February they will have nipped this in the bud.

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Places to stay: Lancaster London

A few weekends ago I had the pleasure of an overnight stay in Lancaster London through work. It was such a pleasure that I've decided to blog about it too!

Based just a few steps away from Lancaster Gate tube station, the hotel is in a superb location. It overlooks the superb Hyde Park. We stayed in a room on the 18th floor and were rewarded with stunning view of the city. You could literally see for miles!

If you're after a few nights of luxury, you've come to the right place. The staff were so helpful and really couldn't do enough. We had a handwritten note in the room from the manager and a cheeky trio of delicious macaroons to scoff. The bed? Oh that bed! It was huge and so comfortable with massive soft feather pillows. I didn't want to leave the room. We were even treated to a special turndown service when we ventured back to our room after dinner. It was so lovely to see our bed covers pulled back and a pair of slippers next the bed ready to pop on. It's the little things that make a stay feel so special. The hotel isn't cheap but for a special treat you can't go wrong. It's a great location in London and you're within walking distance of so many highlights.

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