Food: Ole & Steen

Whenever I'm on a break from school I try to make it into town for lunches, coffees and drinks with my friends who work in the city. It always feels quite fun to be out in the city amongst the workers - as a teacher my (delicious and much appreciated!) lunch is eaten at school, so getting out and about for a bite is always fun. Matthew, who has to get lunch every day, always thinks I'm barking when I tell him this. I'm sure if my lunch usually was queueing/Pret-agogo/meal deal bonanza I'd feel differently, but the novelty always makes me happy.

One friend who I always adore catching up with is the lovely Katy, insta-princess (the skills, you guys). So when she said she was free for lunch and fancied trying out a Danish spot, I was naturally on board. We met up at Piccadilly Circus, managed to avoid most of the tourist crush, and were soon at our destination, Ole & Steen.

Ole & Steen is a sleek and pretty bakery/cafe, with lots of seating and a cool, laid-back vibe. As we walked in the mix of clientele was a pleasure to see - Soho creatives next to grandmothers across from yummy mummies with their mega-pushchairs. 

A quick aside on the mega-pushchairs - when did these contraptions get so enormous and tricky to handle? I used to babysit and nanny back in the day and buggies were, on the whole, delightfully manoeuvrable, easy to fold, and a godsend for stashing things in the bottom basket. I'm sure there are lots like that still but so many of them seem huge and difficult to use. I had to hold someone's baby in the supermarket car park the other day while she did battle with her beast of a buggy - it took a good thirty seconds to a minute, a few murmured curses and no doubt a prayer or two for the thing to click together. What happened to pushchairs? As someone without kids I'm utterly confused - I'm sure my mummy friends will have gallons of wisdom on this and shall await further education.

Back to Ole & Steen.

The space is light and airy, with a mix of low tables, stools at bars, and plenty of solo and duo spots. When you order you walk along the display area where you can see an array of pretty open sandwiches and baked delights should you fancy a sweeter bite. I selected a Danish Blue open sandwich on rye, and Katy had boiled egg and avo on toast. All washed down with some smooth, satisfyingly rich coffee.

  

Ole & Steen is a nice, calm spot in the city, perfect for a catch-up lunch, a cup of coffee and a baked good, or to while away an hour with a good book. I'm definitely heading back for some cake action!


Ole & Steen
2 St. James’s Market,
56 Haymarket,
St. James's,
London
SW1Y 4RP

Open Monday - Sunday 

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A Taste of Taste

Last month I was lucky enough to be offered two tickets to Taste of London. I've been before and love the chance to explore some of the city's most exciting eats, so I found a lovely friend to keep me company (oh hey, Leanne!) and headed off to Regents Park on one of the sunniest days of the year! We were very kindly hosted by AEG and had a lovely time exploring the stands and the treats available, as well as picking up some goodies to cook with at home.

The sun was beaming and the queues were already stacking up when we arrived, the hot weather had everyone in the mood to quench their thirst, whether with cocktails from Sipsmith, Captain Morgan or other alcohol brands or with something a bit saintlier.

There was food of every description available, with vegan and veggie options; gluten-, dairy- and wheat-free foods; snacks and heavier fare; even an afternoon tea party, right smack in the middle of proceedings!

Leanne and I had great fun browsing, chatting to stall owners and restaurateurs and making new friends, like the flamingo above.

The small producers tent was really busy and I was very impressed with the offerings on show - from vegan mac and cheese to amazing Welsh cheeses, as well as CHURRO FLAVOURED mallows, there were loads of amazing dishes and flavours to sample.

We stopped at one of the food tents for a bite - Leanne had fried chicken coated in crispy cornflakes, while I plumped for the carrot and halloumi salad with pomegranate, pumpkin seeds and a spicy dressing - really tasty and well-balanced. The recipe for this can be found here.

 

We were far too warm for cakes (spot the two Scottish girls, right?) but I couldn't resist snapping these beauties.

As our visit drew to a close we enjoyed big scoops of delicious Movenpick ice cream under the blue skies. Taste of London is always a fun visit, and this year was no exception.

Disclaimer: Many thanks to AEG and Joe Blogs for my tickets - I received these in return for featuring Taste on my blog. Apologies for the delay, lovely folk!

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Theatre: The Girls

Picture snaffled from the official website. Because as we all know, we don't take pictures at the theatre!

The Girls is a show that I remember wanting to see when it opened, but always seemed to be the one that got away - when schedules didn't work, when other shows came up first, when the ticket price was out of my budget for that month...

That's a shame, as I'm a great fan of the source material (the joy that is the film Calendar Girls) and the county so beloved in the film and the play, Yorkshire. So imagine my delight when my sweet friend Lou texted to say she had a ticket going spare - I swiftly added the date to my diary and looked forward to it!

Apart from the film background I knew very little going in, but sometimes I quite like that in the theatre. For every show I go into word-perfect (42nd Street, The Lion King, etc) I've gone to see plenty of things 'cold' and rather enjoy catching a show in the raw, reacting as things arise.

The Girls is a pleasant and moving piece of theatre. I laughed as much as one expects to in a musical comedy, but what really struck me was the space and time the writers were willing to lend to the sadder, deeper, more poignant moments. The Girls is about many things - friendship, community, making a difference, but it's also about loss, and in the moments where this took centre stage it was masterful. There was a good fifteen minute stretch where I was officially ugly crying. Thank heavens for the napkins I'd taken with my dinner from Pret beforehand!

The cast of The Girls is beladen with some serious talent. The whole ensemble is good, but there were a couple of highlights for me.  It was such a treat to see Joanna Riding sing live (the Witches of Eastwick soundtrack with the London cast is one of my favourite musical theatre recordings ever) and her performance as Annie was beautiful, the real heart of the show. Sophie-Louise Dann was brilliant too, in a role which balanced comedy, pathos and confidence - whenever I see her perform (I loved her in Made in Dagenham and Bend It Like Beckham too) I'm thoroughly charmed.

The Girls runs at London's Pheonix Theatre until the middle of next month. If you're looking for an entertaining, moving night of musical theatre, you'd do well to pick up some tickets - it's a great wee show!

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Happy Monday #21

Oh yes, it's back - a quick round up of a few of the things that are making me happy right now.

1. Instagram Stories

Inasmuch as Instagram proper can drive me a little nuts with the algorithmic nonsense and non-chronological feed and bots bots bots, at its best it's a great way to share, and in stories I love sharing the little snippets of my day-to-day life. I'm cmclaire over there. Above, the chaos unleashed while I babysat a friend's child last week.

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Pizza Magic at Firezza Dean Street

One thing London is not short of is places to eat. The city is crowded with cuisines from every corner of the world, at a multitude of price points, with about a thousand different service styles.

I always think the best places, however, are those that are conveniently placed, well-priced, serving delicious food with a little flair. So imagine my delight when I turned up to Firezza on Dean Street on Wednesday evening and found a brilliant little location (smack dab in Soho, a few steps from Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road), serving tasty food at a nice price point (£7.95 or less for a pizza? Yes please, purse-friendly dining) efficiently and with a smile.

Matthew and I rocked up over half an hour early but the team were very happy to seat us straightaway and get down to business. The menu is a simple sheet of brown paper, and you make your selections then head up to the counter to order. I love to see a short, well thought-out menu - tomes with page upon page of frippery can give me the fear! Always best to pick a few key things you do well and excel than try to cram six dozen options in.

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A Tipsy Afternoon Tea with Amara

One of the things I love about blogging is the community I get to be a part of. Like any group, there can be infighting, catty moments and jealousy, but in the main I find myself small enough and old enough (eleven years and counting writing my thoughts here!) to be able to trundle along quite happily in a little Claire-bubble. Like everyone I have good days and bad days, lists I make and lists I fail to make, but in the main I cannot complain about my lot. There have been a lot of good things, but I'm most grateful for the kickass women and men I've got to meet along the way, and the cool brands I get to work with and the fun events I get to attend.

One such event happened last week, when I was one of the lovely Erica's plus ones (she's so fly she got two plus ones - bow down :)) to an event hosted by the lovely folks at Amara. Amara is already a site I spending far too much time browsing (homewares are my homeboys) so I was delighted to be able to make the event and meet the team! 

Amara have a site just full to the gunnels with beautiful, stylish homewares, so it was no suprise that they chose one of the city's chicest hotels, the Sanderson, for their event. Once there we had a little time to recover from the rainstorm outside before taking our seats for the Alice in Wonderland themed tea; The Mad Hatter's Tipsy Evening Tea, to be precise. 

Trays were brought, beladen with miniature cocktails. The cherry liqueur, orange marmalade mini espresso martini and the dark chocolate and raspberry liqueur mini martini were flavoursome, creamy delights, but I especially adored the teacup cocktails comprising spicy mango syrup and Falernum rum infused with hot Mad Hatter tea and pear and rhubarb liqueur infused with hot Mad Hatter tea. The delicate fruit and floral flavours were exquisite! As well as these we sipped Perrier-Jouet bubbles aplenty as we chatted and giggled the night away.

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Wine tasting with Divino in Vino

Last week I was very kindly invited along to a wine tasting with the team at Divino in Vino. The older I get, the more inquisitive I get about wine, its history and provenance, the flavours you can explore and the many types of wine you can enjoy. So the chance to attend a wine tasting (along with a bevvy of lovely bloggers who I always enjoy catching up with) was a golden one.

We met in Pidgin, the most delightful little restaurant in Hackney (and owner of its very own Michelin star). We were to take over the premises to be guided through a six wine tasting by the lovely Silvia, a wine expert who has been working in the field for several years and whose passion and expertise inspired her to start Divino in Vino, to arrange wine tastings that help people to explore the many wines available.

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The Diner, Islington

It is a truth universally acknowledged that I love me a trip to The Diner. In a city jampacked with food options, it's my frequent go-to for tasty comfort food and fun cocktails - from burgers to nachos to margaritas there are always a bunch of good things on offer. So when I was invited along to see the newly refurbished Islington location, along with some of my faves (oh hey, Erica, Jas, Charley & Charlie), you know I was all in, right?

I've always liked the Islington branch of The Diner - it's such a great location and a frequent brunch spot for me and my girls. The new refurb looks amazing - I love the bar in the middle of the restaurant, it really opens up the space, as well as giving you somewhere to wait if you're early for your table. The outside of the room is covered with booths, perfect for that Americana vibe we all love at The Diner!

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Happy Monday #....20 (I think?)

Last year, when I was away from teaching for a while I got really into posting my Happy Mondays each week (inspired by the lovely round ups of good bloggy friends like Katy, Jasmin, Charlie and Charley, amongst others). Then came January and the whizz and whirl of a new term, and realistically I knew the series would have to fall off the radar.

But today finds me on a chilled Monday (it's been a day of reading, lesson planning, laundry, trash TV and housework) and with plenty to be happy about, so I thought I'd revive the format. Something I'm intending to do from time to time, cause heck, this is my space and I shall use it as I see fit. :)

(While I have you, thank you for all the kind responses after this post. I feel so lucky to have such kind people around me!)

1. Cooking

How lovely it is to have time to cook up some new recipes. The recent sunny weather has me dreaming up quick dinners, big salads, and refreshing cocktails. Pictured above, a quick lunch of mushroom risotto topped with Santini tomatoes (so tangy and fresh).

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I Love Your Blog: Vicky Dalton-Banks

While I love being a lifestyle blogger, I like to read blogs of a million different types. From books to food to fashion to travel there are so many awesome people writing great things, taking amazing pictures and creating compelling, interesting content. What a delight it is to be a small cog within this realm!

One of my favourite foodie bloggers, as well as a great traveller and truly a 'must click' for restaurant recommendations here in town is the lovely Vicky Dalton-Banks. I've been reading her blog for about two years now and I adore it, and I've been lucky to become friends with the lady herself through a series of food events and the wonder that is Pizza Club. I was delighted when Vicky agreed to be part of I Love Your Blog, and hope you enjoy her interview below.

Pretty lady! All pictures from Vicky's awesome blog :)

How long have you been blogging?

I've been blogging for 2 and a half years and probably love doing it more than ever!

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Pizza Club at Firebrand Pizza

One of the true delights of blogging has been the many wonderful people I've met. Inspiring people, clever people, funny people; amazing writers, photographers and wits; dear friends and kind souls. I'm always amazed at how fortunate I've been in the people I am lucky enough to call my blog-friends and the many joys they bring to my life.

Three such wonders are my Pizza Club buddies, Emma, Connie and Vicky. From a series of throwaway tweets in the middle of 2016, Pizza Club was spawned, and now every month or two we get together to eat pizza, try new flavours, and catch up on the goings on in our lives. On this occasion we were kindly invited by Firebrand Pizza, a sweet little pizzeria a hop, skip and jump from Marylebone station.

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The Life Goddess, Fitzrovia

I love finding little spots in town that are great for lunch. In this busy, bustling city, it's so great to find somewhere where you can pull up a chair and enjoy a delicious meal on a lunchbreak or of an evening. Imagine my delight, then, when I met up with the lovely Charlie and we headed to The Life Goddess in Fitzrovia for lunch a little while ago.

This little gem is a true delight, nestled away in the heart of the city. Part deli, part restaurant, it was the ideal place for a catch up over great, fresh food.

I settled upon the slow roasted pork belly with rosemary potatoes and salad...

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Brunch at Boondocks

Whatever your personal feelings about Valentines, February 14th is all about the love.

How fitting, then, that my blogging calendar has me writing about something I truly love today (I love many things, but today's topic is definitely one of them!).

Brunch.

I love brunch. The options, the chat, the cocktails, the coffee. There's something so delicious and inviting about spending time over a meal with friends, family, loved ones, and a long brunch is a charming way to catch up and check in.

I've passed Boondocks, on City Road, a fair few times since it opened. With a fair few friends living and working in Old Street, Hoxton and Shoreditch, it's a part of town I see often. I also love a bit of southern-US comfort food, so it was very much on my radar to try. Imagine my delight, then, when the lovely Katy said she'd been invited along to sample their new brunch menu. And that she had a plus one. I love it when the universe conspires to bring me, breakfast food, and dear friends together.

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Exploring the Royal Museums, Greenwich

Last month, I was lucky enough to spend a day out having adventures with the lovely Emma. We brunched at Big Easy then we spent an enjoyable afternoon exploring some of the wonderful museums over in Greenwich.

Our first stop was the National Maritime Museum. I've been here several times on school trips, but on this occasion it was lovely to explore without having to pause every few moments to do a headcount (I'm such a triple-checker when I run school excursions!). The museum is light and inviting and full to bursting with the most fascinating pieces which chart the naval and sailing history of our island nation. 

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Big Easy, Canary Wharf

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to get to hang out with the lovely Emma and do some exploring here in town. Once we settled on a date, we quickly formulated a plan - brunch at the Big Easy in Canary Wharf followed by exploring and culture at the museums in Greenwich.

As the picture demonstrates, I was super excited to try Big Easy - I've been meaning to do so for ages but this was actually my first visit. I love me some southern-US food so was excited to head on down and try. The Canary Wharf location is lovely, easy to get to, with bags of space and great light, so all in all it's a blogger's dream!

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Casa Brindisa, South Kensington

A photo posted by Claire Roper (@cmclaire) on Dec 24, 2016 at 2:05pm PST

On Christmas Eve I had the unexpected treat of having Matthew around. As he usually works over the Christmas and New Year's period  he's ordinarily in the office, but as Christmas Eve fell on a Saturday we got to spend the whole day together. It's my favourite day of the year, so it was lovely to get to share it with him.

As I was so excited I decided to plan a few treats for the day - I dearly love a treat. I booked us both tickets to Carols by Candlelight at the Royal Albert Hall and planned for a walk and some cocktails too. We also decided that we'd pop out for lunch before the concert at 2.30pm - as I'd be cooking for most of Christmas morning I was excited to let someone else take up the pots and pans the night before! We had a look at the available restaurants near the Royal Albert Hall and decided on Casa Brindisa, a small chain I'd heard of but which I'd never visited. We both thought tapas sounded great (it's a real family favourite) and it was close enough to the venue that we could get there in good time and enjoy the meal.

We were seated promptly at a comfortable table and soon furnished with Estrella and water.  The restaurant was nicely busy but by no means jam-packed - the days around Christmas lend a real calm to London venues as many people decamp for the festivities. As is traditional for tapas, we selected a few items and shared the wealth. We ordered the dados de manchego, the pan de coca, the croquetas de jamon y pollo, the patatas bravas y aioli, the pimentos de padron and the ensalada de pato.

The dados de manchego were just as expected - sharp yet creamy, served with a little honey to cut the tang. The pan de coca was gorgeously tomatoey and tasty, with a slightly chargrilled flavour. I adored the croquetas - it took all my self-control not to order another round; they were simply delicious.

The patatas bravas didn't arrive, alas - our waitress didn't use a pad (I'm not sure if that's policy or preference) so the request for these never made its way to the kitchen. We did try to flag this but to no avail. The pimentos (a Matthew favourite) were just right, and the portion was generous too. I loved the ensalada de pato, with a lovely dressing, gorgeous little cubes of beetroot, and slivers of tender, moist duck.

If you're in South Ken and looking for a pleasant spot for some tapas, I'd advise you to seek out Casa Brindisa - the perfect little spot for a pre- or post- museum or Royal Albert Hall feast. I'll certainly be returning; I'm determined to try the patatas bravas now!

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I Love your Blog: Silverspoon London

One of the coolest things about blogging is the community you get to be part of, a community filled with inspiring writers, talented photographers, creative folk by the bucketful and so many hilarious, clever people. I started I Love Your Blog  a few years ago as a way to celebrate some of my favourite bloggers and it's always fun when schedules work out and an interview can happen.

This time I've interviewed the lovely Angie from Silverspoon London. Angie's blog is a treasure trove of beautiful pictures, travel and food inspiration, and fabulous writing. I love her tips on places to dine here in London, and her travel posts are full of great stories, amazing locations and drool-worthy hotels! As well as being a wonderful blogger, Angie herself is an utter delight - intelligent and charming with a dry wit. I'm so pleased she agreed to be part of the series.

                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Angie (R) with Lauren from The Lifestyle Diaries. All pics in this post kindly provided by Angie.

How long have you been blogging?

I started my blog in January 2014 so it’s now been three years and I’ve loved every minute of it.

What do you blog about?  Do you have a specific goal with your blog (i.e. reviewing products, promoting a business, building a brand, transitioning into a writing / media / digital career), or is it more a record of your life?

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2016: The Review

This review is becoming something of a yearly tradition....you can find the reviews for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 , 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 by clicking through. It's always nice to take stock at the end of a year and see what's happened over the last 12 months.

Throughout the post I've added pictures (in no particular order) of a year well spent. Good heavens there are lots of pictures, but I'm so happy I have them - this year has been a precious one in so many ways, and these pictures are just a few that show how lucky I've been to walk through a busy, happy year with some fabulous folk! Kicking off with one of my favourite selfies - it's rare I like my face in pictures so I decided to include it :)

I spent several happy days exploring the Christmas lights in town

1. What did you do in 2016 that you'd never done before?

It's been a year full of new things - from travelling to new spots like New York & Boston, to my first bits of paid freelance writing, to interning, to becoming a godmother, it's been quite an unusual year!

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Happy Monday/Ten Happy Things #17

It's Monday, it's the start of the week, and I'm joining up as ever with Katy and Jasmin for a lovely, positive start to the week. I didn't do a happy Monday last week, as other responsibilities and general busy-ness got in the way but there's been plenty of happy going on, no fear!

1. Hibernating

While I've still been getting out and about, the rest of the time I've been embracing to cosy in full. What a lovely thing it is to be curled up inside a warm house as the rain lashes down outside. Such a simple, wholesome pleasure.

2. Brunch with some lovely ladies

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Theatre: The Last Five Years

Photo by Scott Rylander

One of the best things about living in London is the sheer amount of awesome theatre available to see. All across the city on a given night there are marvellous shows to watch, from big budget musicals to experimental theatre, one-woman shows to inventive interpretations of a classic play. Truly we are blessed with a surfeit of theatrical riches.

The downside of this can be that sometimes you'll miss shows, or they will simply not hit your radar. That's a great shame, as sometimes smaller, more intimate pieces can lose audiences simply due to budget, big name Hollywood or Broadway stars, or name recognition. But when we are willing to do a little hunting, to take a chance, there are some amazing gems to be discovered.

One such show is The Last Five Years, currently playing at the St James Theatre, down near Victoria. I love this venue (the last time I'd attended was to see the divine Miss Katie Brennan kill it in her show) and they always have great, vibrant productions. However, I must confess that I hadn't heard much about the show, and that's on me, much due to the reasons above. But when my main theatre buddy Shona said she had a spare ticket, I very happily trotted along.

And man, am I glad I did.

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