A buzzing charity.

As the chill sets in and leaves start to golden I embrace one of my favourite months of the year. There is definitely something about September, with the crisp, fresh, sunny days and autumn fashion trends starting to emerge around the capital. So with the new month, comes the new drive to try something new and this time it’s one of my main passions, food.

I have always heard great things about Jamie Oliver’s 'Fifteen' restaurant (www.fifteen.net) and it most certainly did not disappoint. If you are in to charitable giving and want to know exactly where your money goes I recommend you trot down to Fifteen, near Old Street, and suss it out. The story behind the restaurant (that opened in 2002) was that of 15 unemployed but talented young people who were taken on from the community and trained for a year by Jamie to become professional chefs. They work as chefs in the restaurant over the year and all profits go to the Jamie Oliver Foundation, which puts money back in to training the next year’s future chefs.

The food is truly incredible and every detail spells out Jamie Oliver from the funky candle holders and matching wine racks to the radiant ambiance and trendy waitresses.

Specials included mackerel (see right) with almonds, beef ragu ravioli and plenty of buzz.

What more can I say? Delicious food, fruity wine and addictive atmosphere - that’s my kind of charity.

J'adore Paris!

In a flash Paris has been and gone and I am still immersed in the smells of fresh coffee and pain au chocolate. The most romantic city in the world never fails to capture me when I visit making me think, could I be one of those commuters that travel from Paris to London daily? The quality of life there takes London down a few notches, everyone seems less stressed and more into mid morning coffee and multiple cigarettes in one of the many cafe's lining La Seine. Don't get me wrong, me and London just 'get each other', we have a mutual understanding of work hard and play hard, but I still can’t help but think what it would be like to ‘reveiller’ in Paris daily.

Everywhere you look, beauty surrounds you, from the tree lined avenue Montaigne to the chic French women strutting in Chanel through the Tuileries Gardens. Everything about Paris is beautiful. Fact. Returning to London I still feel high on French food and wine, mostly because a bottle of Bordeaux was polished off on the Eurostar. A few weeks later I am still swooning around thinking about French lifestyle when I bump in to a La Duree in the middle of Covent Garden, can this be for real? My own little piece of Paris in the centre of London?  With that I promptly sit and indulge in some well needed Macaroons..... This is what London is all about. Allowing you everything you want in one city, on your doorstep.  

The Essential City Break

Hi, my name is Emma and I am addicted to city breaks. I just can't stop myself.
This is how I intend to try and make it in a city that has insomnia. In my opinion it’s getting out the city for that 'essential' city break that makes all the difference when you need reviving. Having just returned from Vilnius, Lithuania refreshed and definitely more cultured albeit a few pounds heavier, I have a new lease on life. Aside from the travesty that is Ryaniar one of the great things about living in London is that you can fly out to anywhere at any time. So, for Eastern Europe I was bound. Wondering through the cobbled streets, paddling around lakes, finding castles and drinking £3 cosmopolitans is my idea of relaxation. Not to mention the slightly obscure 'wedding overload' with numerous brides leading their grooms astray through the Vilnius literally locking their vows in padlocks on the bridges over the river. City breaks have a way of making you feel like you have been away forever in another world when, really, a weekend is all you need. So, moving on swiftly, I’m back in London for a few days celebrating London living whilst looking ahead to Paris in a few weeks time to confront yet another one of my addictions, macaroons. C’est la vie!

There's nothing quite like brunch.....

Every time I fantasize about Sunday brunch, that Tropicana ad set in New York pops up in my head ''How do you like your eggs in the morning, I like mine with a smile.'' It opens up to the fabulous world of brunching in London, not just the Big Apple. Whether it's 'ladies that brunch' or a casual Sunday morning with the boyfriend, there is a brunch waiting for everyone. Feeling uninspired? Just check out @simplybreakfast (http://www.simplybreakfast.blogspot.com/) and your taste buds will duplicate themselves. Brunching trends in the last few years have increased dramatically as fashionistas take to the streets to indulge in fresh brewed coffee and eggs benedict with a side of gossip. The best part.....you can sleep till noon and still not be late. Whilst scouting around, like I do in London on sunny Sunday mornings, I believe I have found some of the best London has to offer. Whilst 'Tina We Salute You'(@TineWeSaluteYou) wins in the almond croissant stakes, 'The Breakfast Club' (@TheBrekkyClub) is not far behind with the Bloody Mary, Chorizo and hash browns for the slightly fragile ones. So buy the Sunday Times, turn on the French cafe music and let Sunday roll in at your own pace....easy like a Sunday morning.

Down to D.....

 

Forget Shoreditch and Hoxton, the trendies are on the move. For hidden in the depth of north east inner London (well, zone 2) is a place with so many secrets even Harry Potter would hold his hands up in awe. If you haven't already, do yourself a favour and hot foot it down to Dalston. It's so on the edge you might tip over but stay strong and fend your way among the Caribbean corner shops and numerous authentic kebab houses. I admit, a number of bars don't seem to have names, just door numbers and laminated signs on the gates saying 'NO DRUGS', but don't let this put you off. I find myself down this neck of the woods increasingly often, to enjoy underground jazz or eat at Mangal One Ockabasi, notoriously one of the best Kebab houses in London. I thought my eyes deceived me when I stumbled upon 'Kaffa Kafe' (don't be offended), the music was pumping and atmosphere buzzing.  If you fancy a razzle, look no further than Dalston Superstore and of course  Dalston Jazz Bar, where the magic happens. So undo your top button, grab yourself a Caipirinha and go with the flow, that’s how it seems to work in there. It just leaves me to say... Don't hide. You know who you are. Dalston will find you.

Countryside V City

What with Royal Wedding footage deprivation looming and the assasination of O-BL, I chose to take my refuge in Royal Norfolk over the weekend. Basking in al fresco style lunches, fine Mellasat wine and old school friends I realised how much you actually slow down when you leave the great city. People basically have to jog to catch up with your subconscious power walk, and you find yourself applying mascara when you are just popping to the local co-op to get the sunday times. It then starts to strike me, at what point do you start to realise you're turning in to a Londoner?  When you need the sirens as an alarm clock or when you start to wierdly miss the city after leaving for just one weekend? Sleeping for a seamless 10 hours and waking up to nothing but chickens clucking would put a hop in anyone's step but what about the crave for bright city lights, the constant buzz of different nationalities and 24 hour just abut anything....Just as I was unpacking and making myself at home again in the safe confines of North London I received the news of the 3rd great success story of the weekend... a promotion to the premiership for Norwich City. What a cracking weekend. Maybe my country roots do still take over sometimes.

2 days and counting...hold on tight

At the moment the entire world is intently focusing on the event that is the 'Royal Wedding'. Best of British really will come out as the hords flock to Hyde Park and Trafalga Square with their hats fastened and mostly likely way too much skin showing. So, what is it that is so fascinating about our monarchy? Is it that it gives us a much needed day off work? Are they all waiting at tenderhooks to see what the famous dress is like? Or are they (like me) keen to get stuck in to a jug of Pimms and some cucumber sandwiches whilst waiving the Union Jack high and proclaiming in slurred words how proud they are to be British??