Birthday Cake, Cocktails and Comfort Food: The Drift Bar

Last night I celebrated my 19th birthday with some of my absolutely lovely London chums. It feels like just yesterday that I FINALLY turned 18, but now i'm over the hill... One step closer to being 19, The Sequel.

Like, a proper grown up.

To celebrate my birthday, I had initially planned to head to Ping! in Earls Court, but unfortunately it was full booked. Struggling to think of somewhere new and exciting to try, my lovely flatmate Harriet (of Rsplndnt and Discover and Escape) told me about this gorgeous little bar in The Heron Tower called The Drift Bar.

Harriet is turning 21 next week, and the lucky ducky is being treated to a celebratory meal at Duck and Waffle, also housed in The Heron Tower (nearest station: Liverpool Street). Anyway, while doing a touch of menu-research she spotted The Drift Bar and told me about their broad menu and, most importantly, their Skinny cocktails. As you can imagine, I was sold.

The restaurant is charming and relaxed with a constantly buzzing atmosphere, even on a bitterly chilly Tuesday night. It is full of slick City sorts and bright young things looking to have a good time without blowing the budget. 

This contemporary but cosy place is a lovely refuge from this vicious January cold, and the perfect way to really indulge. 

I am a stickler for a lovely, sweet cocktail, but i'm less fond of the inevitable calories. The Drift Bar, thankfully, offer a selection of lower-calorie cocktails ranging from the sweet but tangy Skinny Porn Star (my choice) to the Skinny Mojito. C'est magnifique!

The Princess Sparkles cocktail is a popular choice at the venue, and my reliable sources have informed me that it is, indeed, delicious. 

Another little touch at The Drift Bar is that each table is scattered with little Oyster card holders- perfect for poor little souls who have lost their Oyster card holders (moi.) I scooped up a couple, but don't tell anyone... The card holders also include a little info about the Slim or Sin offer for this month which is just fab. For £10 you can go Slim with a skinny, no-carb burger with low-cal wine or you can be naughty and Sin with a hefty, hearty burger washed down with a bottle of beer.  

The cocktails are pretty reasonably priced, cheap by London standards, but I must admit that I spent nearly as much on drinks as I did on food... So be careful! The delicious cocktails range from around £6.95 to £9.95, so great for relaxing at the weekend. 

The service was great- efficient but not rushed- and our waiter was lovely and friendly which always makes the occasion that teensy bit more special. It's a great way to spend an evening as you have time to actually enjoy your meal, rather than having it thrust upon you only to be ushered out at 9.00PM.

 (Wahaca, I love you, but please let me take off my jacket before delivering my churros and bill.)

The menu boasts a number of delightful smaller plates for sharing. From duck and hoisin pancakes through to crispy fried prawn lollipops and hearty, warming soup. I suggest you get three or four to share if there is a larger group of you. 

I'm a total squid fanatic, so I was excited to try The Drift's offering, but was slightly disappointed. The crispy squid was tender and the dipping sauce nice and hot, but the squid itself lacked seasoning and spice. I am not sure i'd order it again. It's not in the London Squid Edit 2013 (coming your way soon... not really though.)

If you can't overindulge on your birthday, when can you eh? Though every detoxing bone in my body was urging me to plump for a naked salad, the duck and hoisin flatbread was calling me, and I think I made the right choice. It was really more of a pizza and i'd be lying if I said I ate it all... It was HUGE. Unless you are really hank marvin, I would suggest sharing a flatbread if you can- or perhaps ask to take it away in a doggy bag if you can muster up the courage to ask for one! It was fantastic value for money though at £9.95 and is the perfect comfort food in this weather. I'd been craving duck for a while and this meaty concoction with a sweet, sticky sauce was just the ticket. 

They offer a number of main dishes, sharing boards, flatbreads, burgers and sandwiches so there really is something for everyone and I guarantee that you will NOT leave without a food baby. I was carrying twins. 

The lovely Nicole (of Pink Flamingo Kisses) opted for a duck club sandwich (bitchez love duck) on fruit bread which she thoroughly enjoyed, though couldn't eat it quite as elegantly as she might have hoped. 

The puddings are ridiculously naughty, but delicious all the same. At least the salted caramel and roasted plum sundae has no calories...

As it was my birthday treat, I was offered a complimentary brownie, which I had to pass on after, you know, eating a duck. I tried to swap it for a cheeky cocktail but that was not possible, sadly, so I bought myself another.

It's my birthday and i'll get drunk if I want to. 

My favourite treat of the entire meal had to be this Skinny Rose Martini which was delectably sweet. It was strong, but syrupy and rosy, it tasted like a Laduree macaroon- absolutely beautiful! 

I must admit that it did go to my head a little bit, but thank goodness for that as it provided me with the ultimate defence from the biting wind on the way home: the cosy coat of vodka. 

My sweetie pie flatmates made me a lovely Red Velvet cake (with half fat philly- coz they are cute!) and to round off my lovely evening I blew out my candles and made a wish.

What did I wish for? That'd be telling...

GOSLING. 

Gift Guide: Sweet Tooth

So, in a stark contrast with my previous gift guide (ahem, here) I bring you something a little sweeter.

A lot sweeter, actually!

Terrifyingly, the average person puts on a maahooosive five pounds around Christmas, but who can blame us when there are so many gorgeous treats around?! It really is rather difficult to stay in those size 8 skinny jeans when faced with a selection box and copious glasses of champagne... Lord help me!

Anyway, there are very few girls- or, indeed, boys- who would not thank you for something sweet on Christmas day so here are a few suggestions that are sweeter than honey.

Who? The sweet tooth is pretty much any boy or girl who goes gaga at the thought of a big bag of fudge or weak at the knees when faced with the Selfridges food hall (me? of course not...)

What does a sweet tooth love? Chocolate, biscuits, cup cakes, marshmallows, meringues, baking, sweet smelling goodies, gummy sweets, macaroons, cocktails- if it's sweet, they shall take it. 

Aah, easy peasy, so what's out there this Christmas?!

1. Hotel Chocolat The Yule Buche Collection (with slate) £25
2. The Biscuiteers Little Shoes Tin £30
3. Lily Vanilli's Sweet Tooth Cookbook £8 from Amazon
4. Black Cherry Candy Cane 99p each at Mrs Kibbles
5. Salted Caramel Drinking Chocolate £6.50 by Artisan du Chocolat
6. Laura Mercier Creme Brulee Candle £29
7. Art of Mallow Salted Caramellow Marshmallows (available here- such lovely flavours!) £2.75
8. Individual Alternative Mince Pie by Hotel Chocolate- so tasty!
9. Gingerbread Cookies white chocolate fusion bar £3 at Artisan du Chocolat
10. Harvey Nichols "Fashionista" hamper- £75 (contains chocolate toffee, chocolate and nut biscuits, red berry tea bags, Baci di Nama chocolate hazelnut biscuits, marzipan fruits, wild flower honey, pink grapefruit marmalade and sauvignon blanc)
11. Fauchon Macaroons and Champagne gift set €37

Bubbledogs: What The Fizz?

This Friday I made my second attempt to eat a hot dog at the new "it" NYC-style diner-come-champagne-bar, Bubbledogs in Fitzrovia.

Bubbledogs sits just along Charlotte Street and it's unassuming exterior belies it's popularity, well it would do, were it not for the jaw dropping queue that has formed outside Bubbledogs almost every single day since it's opening. 

I have queued for fashion shows, I have queued for S Club 7, I have queued for nightclubs but I have never, ever, queued for hot dogs... I have never actually eaten a hotdog that didn't come from the cafe at Costco. 

I must be honest when I say that this review is a tale of two halves... I am torn. My fast food craving was more than satisfied by the meaty New Yorker hot dog accompanied by deliciously salty and moreish sweet potato chips, but my poor legs and shoulders, cowering beneath the weight of my big fat laptop, were less than pleased. It left me wondering, if I am brutally honest, was Bubbledogs worth the wait?

Lets start with the POSITIVES, shall we?.. I'm a glass half-full kinda gal, especially if that glass is full of champagne.

* THE GOODS

Everyone who knows me knows that i'm a sucker for Champagne (Cava and Prosecco will have do me during my university years, though). I am crazy for a glass of ice cold Pol Roger and nothing cheers me up quite like a glass of champagne. Bubbledogs was always going to be a winner with me on this point. They pride themselves on offering a list of grower champagnes as opposed to conventional big-name brands, which is refreshing and rather exciting in London. While the fizz options are not cheap, they really are worth it and, in true Shona style, I preferred my bubbly to my hot dog... It had been a long day, okay.

*THE FOODS

The dogs themselves are moreish, decadent and of the utmost quality. Sitting in the warmly lit diner-style eatery, you are presented with a clipboard with several pages of champagne and cocktails, and one page detailing the food options. Each hot dog comes with an option of pork, beef or vegetarian so the menu caters for all. The hot dogs themselves are meaty and indulgent, the buns are soft and doughy and the toppings maketh the dog. I went for the New Yorker with fried onions which was just up my street when smothered in mustard and sweet ketchup. Two of my companions went with the Jose Dog which comes with avocado, salsa and soured while the other opted for the naughty Sloppy Joe dog which is smothered in chilli con carne and cheese. There were no complaints! There really is a hot dog for everyone. The others that really appealed to my inner Bruce Bogtrotter were the Fourth of July, wrapped in bacon and oozing BBQ sauce, the Trishna Dog with juicy mango chutney and fragrant coriander and the shameless Breakie dog served with a fried egg, bacon and my beloved black pudding. 

*THE SIDES

The sides are INCREDIBLE. I'd happily go back for the sweet potato fries alone. They were the perfect balance of sweet and salty without being overly greasy. My only niggle? At £3.50 a pop they are rather steep for fries... But, this is London I suppose. The hot-dogs, however, are a very reasonable price, so much so that I could justify ordering two if I wasn't so figure-conscious.

*THE MOODS

It's simple, quick and has an incredible atmosphere. It is small, cosy and warm and is the perfect place to unwind with a few glasses of fizz. The concept of Bubbledogs is truly fantastic, and I totally understand the hype, but it is certainly not for everyone. 

Now let's move on to the NEGATIVES... I hate this part, i'm such a big girls blouse when it comes to criticism, but i'll keep it constructive like what Nicole does on't X Factor.

* THE WAIT. 

Now, I know that this is what one has to expect with Bubbledogs, but I really don't know whether I could muster up the strength to wait in that dastardly queue again. On my first trip we waited roughly an hour before giving up and sauntering to Dim T to wolf down some dim sum and chicken katsu, on this trip we were not even greeted by anybody at Bubbledogs, and while we knew we would have to queue, we did not expect that. The second time we came down, my suggestion of course, we waited roughly two hours before we got in. Two hours. In the pouring rain. Without any snacks to keep me from passing out. This is a little bit ludicrous, to be honest, but it is less of a problem if you are a two. I counted five couples were seated before us, despite having arrived after us. One loved-up pair who were behind us in the queue were promptly sat at the bar and had finished their meal before we were even seated. This was a little bit infuriating, especially given that there were two parties of two sat round table that could have sat us four. But we persisted..

* THE SERVICE

The service was less than impressive. While our waitress was perfectly friendly, we were not given our menus for a good ten minutes after being seated and we felt that everything was very rushed. After standing outside for two hours, i'll be damned if i'm downing my fizz and marching out! (I do take into account that I was irritable and hungry at this point, had I been less of a grumpy guts I would have been happier with the service.)

* THE TRUTH

The hot dogs were not really worth a two hour wait. More fool me for waiting that long, but I have been told by some reliable sources that there are better dogs to be found in London, without soggy socks and sore feet.

And now for the final verdict...

If it's just two of you (or more than six- in which case you can book), go for it- it's a great, unique dining experience and the food is pretty darn tasty. If you queue longer than 30-40 minutes for it, i'd give it a miss. Charlotte Street has lots of other gorgeous eateries to try out (Roka is delicious!) that won't leave you out in the cold.  

Foodie Porn: El Celler de Can Roca

MMM! I know what you're thinking, right? What a fat bitch. Yes. I ate it all. And i'm glad I did.

El Celler de Can Roca is San Pellegrino's 2nd best restaurant in the world, clutching a Michelin star for each Roca brother (3, obv). While it's not the best meal i've had in terms of taste, and perhaps wasn't the best meal of my holiday (it would have been were it not for Nu in Gerona- mmm!), it was the best culinary experience i've ever had. It certainly is all about theatre at this amazing restaurant. So feast your eyes on the Feast menu of Spain's finest restaurant. 

Fattening Up

A pretty Pav-love-a made with Scottish strawberries

My sisters red, white and blue cupcakes for Fathers Day

Summer fruit salad with almond panna cotta and lemon sorbet at Kai Mayfair

Kir Royale at Aubaine in Selfridges Shoe Gallery

Turnip Cakes at Kai Mayfair

Father's Day chocolate cupcakes with vanilla meringue icing and jelly gems

If you've been reading the blog for a while, you'll probably know that i'm obsessed with food (with good reason... read here) and now, as everyone else is honing their bikini bodies at the gym and cutting down on their favourite treats (incidentally if you're looking to lose a few pounds without going too far, read The Londoner's Anti-Diet post here), I am being told to up my monstrous 2000 calories a day to 2500, even though i'm perfectly happy with my weight at present. Mum is less so.

So, in a bid to pack in as much food as possible I am eating everything in sight. As long as it's pretty, of course. So here are some of my lovely foodie delights from the past week. If you'd like the recipe for the pav-love-a or my sisters fabulous chocolate meringue cupcakes please do just let me know!

Enjoy your gym sessions and salads girls, bizarrely I ENVY YOU.   

Friday Food Porn