The London Food Hotspot: TAB X TAB

Back with what I do best: writing about brunch. It's been a while since I shared my favorite brunch spots in London. I always love to try out new bakeries and cafés - almost as much as writing about them, so I thought it was time to share one my favourites.

In the heart of Notting Hill, on Westbourne Grove to be exact, is where you will find TAB X TAB. An airy café where you can try the most delicious coffee, brunch and cakes. It's close to my other faves Sunday in Brooklyn and Granger & Co, so you will always find a good place if either one of these places have an long queue - which always happens on the weekend.

As it was an early Spring day, we took a spot outside to soak up the sunlight and enjoy the warmer temperature. This weather also calls for iced lattes, so that's exactly what I ordered.

Besides my shot of caffeine I went for the creamy mushrooms and scrambled eggs on sourdough toast with some avocado on the side. I never used to be a fan of mushrooms when I was a kid, but I have really grown to love them over the years and this dish was no exception. I loved the creaminess of the dish and I have tried to recreate it at home, but failed miserably every time. My friend ordered the sando (which at the time was with chicken) and also loved her dish.

Overall, I loved my stay at TAB X TAB and will definitely be back for more brunch soon. The food is amazing - can't wait to try their French toast - and being in Notting Hill it's close to all the other gems that the area has to offer.

Have you been to TAB X TAB?

The London Food Hotspot: Sunday in Brooklyn

New York has a special place in my heart - together with pancakes - so Sunday in Brooklyn was a café I had to visit. It was one of those places that I wanted to go to when I was in New York, but since the city has so much to offer I never managed to make it. 

The café originally began its story in Williamsburg, NY but decided to open up their first international café in London after their succes in the US, and since travelling is still a bit difficult at the moment I am very happy to experience a little bit of New York, even if it's only for two hours.

Located in Notting Hill, close to other favourites such as Granger & Co and Tab x Tab, it's the perfect spot for weekend brunch, cozy dinners and early breakfast. When you set foot in the café you immediately get an airy feel with bright windows, earthy tones and lots of plants. Add a suburb menu on top and you have a killer combo that translates well to every country. 

On weekends it can get a bit busy, so after an hour or so we were given a comfortable seat near the big window. I already knew I wanted to try their famous hazelnut maple praline pancakes with brown butter and ordered a latte on the side. My friend went for the egg sandwich and a mocha. 

The food arrived quickly and I must say that it was a really good pancake! It kind of felt more like a cake with lots of Nutella and I immidiatly regretted getting two. There is an option to order one, two or three pancakes and since I thought one looked a bit sad I went for two. Safe to say one would have been fine as well, but if you ask for a box you can take the leftovers with you - which is what I did. The egg sandwich was also really good, so overall we really enjoyed our meal there. 

If you are looking for brunch with a New York feeling, Sunday in Brooklyn is the place to go. I really enjoyed my time there and would only wish it wasn't as busy on the weekend, but I guess other people must be a fan of it too. Hopefully I will be able to visit this café in New York soon, but until then I am happy that we have this spot right here in London.

Have you been to Sunday in Brooklyn already?

The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: TOKI

Coffee was never one of my go-to drinks. Don't get me wrong I like the warm and cozy taste, but the dependence that people have on the drink wasn't something that I wanted for myself. A couple of years ago during summer I was working on my thesis and got this obsession with iced almond latte's. For three days straight I would drink about three large coffees a day - I made them in this mason jar that I had - and I felt like the typical student, sweating away over uni work and drinking coffee to keep going. On the fourth day I woke up feeling the grumpiest I have ever been and immediately stopped. I think that's the closest I have gotten to having that 'I need my morning coffee' feeling that people always say they have. Plus I felt like it didn't give me more energy at all so I switched back to water and tea.

Fast forward to me stumbling upon TOKI. A small café near the Haarlemmerdijk in Amsterdam. Usually when I am out and about I always order a chai latte, turmeric latte or green tea, but at TOKI I wanted to give it another shot - mainly because they serve the coffee with a tortoise spoon and it would look so good in pictures. I ordered an oat latte and a slice of their banana cake, and sat down in their airy space full of terrazzo tables. It was a Friday after all so I opened my laptop to do some work - it was a Covid free world back then - and observed the people around me. It's a proper local café where you can do bit of work on your own, meet friends for a chat or grab a quick coffee to go. When the latte and cake arrived I wasn't disappointed at all. I LOVED the coffee, which was surprising to me and the cake was the cherry on top. The creamy topping and moist cake go so well together and I enjoyed every single bite as I sat there typing away.

Since then - this was december 2019 - I have been back a couple more times and always go fo the same combo: an oat latte and a slice of banana cake. I know they have plenty of other baked goods and lunch foods, but once you try the banana cake you honestly don't want anything else. The staff has been super friendly and helpful every single time I've been there and even when it's busy - people in Amsterdam love coffee -they pay attention to every little detail. 

I'm very sad that I cannot visit Amsterdam as much as I used to, but when I am there I always pay TOKI a visit. On your own or with friends, I'm sure you will love this gorgeous space as much as I do. They also opened a café in Berlin which has the same kind of relaxing atmosphere as their big brother in Amsterdam. So if you are ever in Amsterdam - or Berlin - don't forget to go for a coffee and banana cake break at TOKI, I'm sure you won't regret it. 

Have you ever been to TOKI?

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The London Food Hotspot: Franks Canteen

With the lifting of some restrictions on the 12th of April coming closer in the UK - which is also my birthday, lucky me! - I want to put more focus on cafés where you can eat outside. I'm actually very excited to go out for food again and have a drink at the pub, so this will be perfect to get me - and all of you - excited. Today I want to put the spotlight on everyone's favourite: Franks Canteen.

Hidden away in Highbury is where you will find this local gem. I actually visited the café back in October 2020, right before all the restaurants had to close again. The café itself is very tiny, with only a few areas where you can sit, and all the way in the back you will find the counter with fresh cakes, chocolaty babka's and local ingredients for you to purchase.

We found a spot available outside and immediately sat down at a mint green table with matching chairs - already a plus in my books. We had a closer look at their menu, my friend had been there before and couldn't stop raving about the croissant French toast - yes you read that right - so I couldn't resist ordering that as well, accompanied with a fragrant green tea. 

Whilst chatting away and catching up, the food arrived fast. The sugary French toast is served with mascarpone, syrup, bacon and a lemon wedge - a perfect combination if you ask me. The croissant flavour was really surprising as I never even thought about creating French toast with a buttery pastry, but this definitely changed my mind. 

I demolished it as it was the first thing I ate that day and sipped my tea taking in the neighbourhood surroundings. It's not the best French toast I have eaten in London - that crown is for Burnt Toast in Brixton - but I will definitely return to Franks Canteen for the cozy vibes, good food and minty chairs.

Have you ever been to Franks Canteen?

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The Manchester Food Hotspot: Ezra & Gil

If you are doing a bit or research about where to eat in Manchester, Ezra & Gil is probably one of the most named placed on the web, and there is a good reason for that: it's bloody amazing.

On a cold Sunday morning - when eating out was still a thing - my friend and I decided to try out Ezra & Gil after a successful Saturday before at Eveline café. When I set foot in Ezra & Gil a warm, cozy feeling got over me and it immediately made me feel at home. It's a huge space with warm, brown splashes of colour, massive tables, comfy window seats, the smell of food and the sound of laughter that fills the air with so much joy.

We got our hands on a window seat and quickly had a look at the menu, sweet or savoury: they have it all. My friend and I both decided to go for the French toast and we we're happy that we did, alongside my chai latte - which was the best - I enjoyed the fluffiness of the bread and the sweetness of the mascarpone topping.

One thing I love the most about window seats is to look outside and watch all the people go by. Manchester has an interesting mix of people and it's nice to see such a different culture, compared to London and Amsterdam. We went out for dinner the night before and were honestly quite shocked with the drinking culture - 7pm looked like it was 1pm in Shoreditch haha - but that didn't spoil the fun for me as Manchester is full of cute vintage shops, red brick buildings and lots of art.

It's a perfect weekend getaway, especially from London on the train, and I'm looking forward to visit again soon when the pandemic is over to discover even more hidden gems and to pop into my new favourite café for a chai latte :).

What are your favorite spots in Manchester?

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The London Food Hotspot: Burnt Toast

Since living in London I have been on a mission to try out the best brunch places in the city and although I'm currently not able to go outside to have brunch, it wont stop me from sharing my favourite cafes in the city. The gem in today's post is without a doubt one of the winners. Of course I'm talking about Burnt Toast, a cosy café right in the heart of Brixton.

I never visited Brixton before and I was pleasantly surprised with the unique vibe and colourful atmosphere. For a Saturday afternoon the queue wasn't too bad and we waited for around 20 minutes - which for London standards is actually a steal. You are seated outside, which isn't too bad in the summer time. I haven't tried it in the colder months, but I'll do anything to eat this French toast even if it means I'll be cold for the rest of the day - that's what tea is for am I right?

Burnt Toast is famous for their French toast, so that's what we ordered. And despite the name of the café, the actual French toast is not burned. I almost chose the pancakes (which I heard is AMAZING as well), but something in me said that French toast was the way to go and boy how I was right. I went for berries, my friend went for bacon and when the plates arrived, all covered up in maple syrup and honey comb, I knew I made the right choice. Taking that first bite was something I never experienced before with French toast. The bread seemed to have caramelized whilst baking and the combination of flavors was superb. In combination with my green tea, the lovely weather, friendly staff and good company you can say it was one of my best brunch experiences.

Once this epidemic is over you know I'll be running over to support this café and eat a plate - or two - of their French toast and probably the pancakes too.

Have you been to Burnt Toast before?

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The London Food Hotspot: SUNDAY

If there is one café that I have loved during lockdown it's SUNDAY. I visited this place for the first time a couple of years ago when I wasn't even living in London and I was just visiting for a few days - even then this café was super popular, and for a good reason.

The café SUNDAY is located in Barnsbury near Highbury & Islington station, hidden away off the main road, but still a not so hidden gem. On weekends it's known that there is at least an hour waiting time to get a table - I know this, because I was in that queue - but in the end, once you take a bite full of fluffy pancake you forget all about that. The cafe is small, yet cosy and it's the friendly neighbourhood café that everyone loves and I can definitely see why. They also launched their own brunch book last year with their famous recipes and I'm very happy to have added that to my cookbook collection.

Ever since the lockdown happened, I have been craving their pancakes and since all I do is walk and go for coffees I didn't mind the exercise from Hampstead all the way to Islington. I've actually done this twice already since the first stack of pancakes only made me want it more. I ordered the pancakes with caramelized banana - obviously -, an oat chai latte and a slice of their blueberry crumble cake. The pancakes are super fluffy and remind me of the pancakes I had at Bubby's in New York City. The blueberry crumble cake was amazing too and I definitely prefer that over the coffee & walnut cake that I had last time. 

I also highly recommend the courgette fritters, which is usually the dish that I go for if I am in a savoury mood - or to share when I'm with a friend. Every time I've been there the people that work there have been super friendly, which makes me like the place even more. 

It's save to say that the pancakes from café SUNDAY are my favourite in London and I will probably go for a walk again this weekend to get some more, either in Barnsbury or here in Hampstead where they have their second location (it's currently closed because of the pandemic). In these crazy times it's important to support your local cafés and I will 100% keep doing that!

What is your favourite café in London?

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The Utrecht Food Hotspot: Frenchie Café

 One of the best things about living in The Netherlands is that everything is close by. Within three hours you are already leaving The Netherlands, so it's nice to be a tourist in your own country sometimes.
I thought it would be nice to change the Amsterdam scenery for a bit and go to Utrecht. I met up with one of my friends there and we had a big old catch up with lots of food, as you do. We first ate pancakes at a café that I will talk about soon and after that we walked to the newest hotspot in town: Frenchie Café.

It's not like we were hungry but when I am in Utrecht I like to do as much as possible, since it's not a city I visit regularly. So there we both went, to see what all the pink velvet fuzz was about.

Frenchie Café reminds me of London so much. With the round marble tables and long pastel pink couch it's like I am eating cake at Saint Aymes or Feya. We took a seat at one of the tables in the middle and had a look at the menu. Unicorn pancakes, avocado toast, acai bowls and freak shakes: This place is brunch heaven! 
We ordered a fresh ginger tea, a cappuccino, a cupcake and an acai bowl (you know, to be healthy). The food arrived fast and was presented beautifully with gold cutlery and everything. It made me love the café even more. The acai bowl was delicious and the cupcake (made by Life of Pie Amsterdam) was very tasty. We sat there chatting away when all that's left were some cupcake crumbs.

The prices were completely fine compared to the London cafés I mentioned earlier and if you are ever in Utrecht (escaping all the tourists in Amsterdam) I highly recommend having a seat on the pastel pink sofa and ordering all the brunch foods!

What is your favourite brunch food?

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The London Food Hotspot: Dominique Ansel Bakery

The ice cream that is taking over the world right now is from Dominique Ansel Bakery and you must be living under a rock if you have not seen a glimpse of this watermelon soft serve with dark chocolate seeds on social media.
It was just my luck that I visited London around a rather sunny weekend, which means that I basically stuffed my face with ice cream all day -no complains here-. Starting off with this fruity creation from Dominique Ansel.

The Bakery is located a few meters away from Peggy Porschen Cakes -the other pink gem full of carbs and sweets-, so my friend and I started our sweet tooth journey there and then walked over the floral building that is Dominique Ansel Bakery. 
At 10:59 precisely we walked into the shop and after having a look at the menu we saw that the watermelon soft serve is only served after 11:00. The guy behind the counter started laughing that we were here at exactly the right time, but I swear that we didn't plan it. I was not going to say that we just stuffed our face with cake and tea at the pink café next door and this was the next stop on our food travels -I mean I love eating, but I have a little bit of dignity left, you know-.

The soft serve is made from fresh watermelon juice, sugar and lime juice. They swirl it around in a fresh slice of juicy watermelon and imitate the seeds with dark chocolate look a likes. The What-A-Melon Soft Serve doesn't come cheap and with £6,50 takeaway/£7,70 eat-in, it will be one the most expensive ice creams I have ever eaten. 
After way too many photo opportunities outside I took a bite and a sweet, watermelon explosion is what happened next. Because of the hot weather it started to melt quickly and I was very happy with the little boat it was served in. Till the juice actually started to drip through the boat. I took a few bites of the watermelon and threw the rest away since pink dots where dropping on the pavement and my shoes. Doesn't mean that I didn't like the ice cream any less.

If you are in London on a hot sunny day -or cold and rainy- and are in the mood for something sweet I highly recommend popping into Dominque Ansel for some watermelon or other baked goods that they have lingering around. I know I will next time I'm around!

Have your tried this amazing soft serve already?

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The London Food Hotspot: Saint Aymes

Every week a new café pops up in London and I always make sure I have a look. Now this café has been around for a couple of months, but since I wasn't in London I could not pay a visit. Luckily I went to London a couple of weeks ago and I could finally tick it off my list. It's insta famous for their lovely flowers, pastel coloured drinks and yummy baked goods. I could only be talking about Saint Aymes.

Saint Aymes is located in St. George's Fields (close to Marble Arch tube station) and you easily spot it in the street. The purple flowers and black & white tiles make it stand out amongst the other cafés on the block.

It was surprisingly quiet when we arrived so we took a table outside, ordered our things and started snapping some pics. We ordered a blue unicorn latte, a Marie Antoinette pink hot chocolate, a unicorn cookie and two macarons. Not going to lie: it was expensive, but since the drinks come with 24ct gold it's justified, I guess? 

The hot drinks and sweets arrived fast and with the gold cutlery and unicorn glamour it instantly makes your photo look amazing. The service was really good too and I think the guy who helped us already placed the items in an 'Instagram worthy picture way' on the table.  The drinks were very pretty and the macarons were so tasty. It's definitely one of those hidden gems that you would not know about if you hadn't seen it on the gram.

Besides coffee and sweets they also serve pancakes, bagels, salads and other yummy foods. I would highly recommend having a look at Saint Aymes if you love Instagram worthy cafés. And even if you don't, it's worth the visit.

Have you already been to Saint Aymes?

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The NYC Food Hotspot: Citizens of Chelsea

 Right in Chelsea, NYC you'll find the cafe with the most suiting name: Citizens of Chelsea. Although you are in New York it could easily be Copenhagen or Amsterdam with the cool European café vibes and it was probably one of the best cafés that I visited whilst in New York.

Citizens of Chelsea is located on a corner and because of all the windows it's a light and airy space. One side is all for to-go orders, because are you a real New Yorker if you don't have an almond cappuccino to go?
The other side is made for people who like to have a sit down brunch and there is plenty of room to sit. Also a big communal table in the middle which makes it a perfect café for solo brunch. Or grab your laptop and make it into a work - I basically only watch memes - sesh!

I sat down at the large wooden table and had a look at the amazing menu. As a sweet tooth there was only one item that I wanted and that was the Belgian waffle. Of course I ordered an almond chai latte alongside it and that makes it the perfect NY brekkie.
As you can see by the photo above the waffle looked absolutely delicious. I loved the way they decorated it and the Nutella powder on top made it even better. My chai latte was pretty good too and if I lived in New York I would be here every weekend to get my brunch game on.

If you are ever in New York or live there - lucky you if you are - I highly recommend to pop in for a delicious brunch or quick coffee to go. The staff was really friendly too and I'm just a sucker for an Aussie/Scandinavian style café. Please take me back!

What is your favourite café in The Big Apple?

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The NYC Food Hotspot: Big Daddy's

One of the things I wanted to cross of my New York bucket list was eating at an American style diner. The kind that you know from the movie Grease where you can eat burgers and drink pink milkshakes in a cute booth and pop a coin in the nearest jukebox to play your favourite old school songs. New York probably has a few of them, but I decided to visit Big Daddy's on the Upper West Side (they also have a location near Gramercy Park) and it made all my Riverdale Pop's Diner dreams come true. 

Since it was not that busy I was able to sit in a blue booth -bucket list moment check!- and the old school vibes and incredible decor made it a real 'I can't believe I'm in New York' moment. Their menu is huge with so many kinds of pancakes, eggs, shakes and other yummy stuff. They do burgers and mac & cheese too, but since I was there at 09:30AM I thought pancakes were more fitting. After contemplating for what seemed like forever I went for cookie dough pancakes and a cotton candy milkshake -doesn't that sound like THE dreamiest breakfast?-. I know that a heavy creamy milkshake is more an afternoon kind of snack, but since I was only going to eat there once on my trip I felt that I had to pick the best things on the menu. What even are calories?

The pancakes were freaking delicious. Don't have other words for them. If I can even produce words to describe those fluffy babes filled with warm chocolate chips and cookie dough. The shake was so pretty too and tasted amazing. Save to say I didn't finish my enormous meal. I probably ate 1,5 pancake before giving up and sipped on my free water -which I LOVE btw, here you still have to pay for a glass of water, like what?!- I also want to give a shout out to the waitress who gave the most amazing service and was so nice. Big Daddy’s is one of my faves now.

If you are looking for a real American diner experience I 100% recommend this place. It totally looks like you have stepped in a movie set of Grease with music, booths and decoration included, the food is amazing and they give large portions too. I will definitely come back next time I'm in New York!

Read about my New York trip here!

Have you ever been to New York?

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The NYC Food Hotspot: The Wild Son

On a cold but sunny Sunday I finally went to the West Village in New York to get the true ‘Friends’ feeling. The buildings there really make you feel like you are in New York –just in case going to the Empire State Building didn’t-. I also saw the building where Monica's apartment was in the show and as a person who has watched all 10 seasons a million times it was a real pinch me moment to be there. 

Now Sunday in NYC is known as a busy day brunch wise. All New Yorkers go out for their pancakes, bacon, eggs and smoothie bowls and I was simply not prepared for how busy it was everywhere. I basically walked from spot to spot to see if there was not a queue somewhere and that's where I entered The Wild Son: a cute and cosy café in the Meatpacking District.

When I went inside I already saw an empty chair at the window which is honestly my favourite spot when eating alone -one word: people watching!- I settled myself and had a look at the menu. Even though they had a lot of yummy things I could only order one thing and in the end I went with pancakes. I kind of have an obsession with ordering anything sweet for breakfast, like waffles, French toast, smoothie bowls and… pancakes. When discovering this café on Instagram the pancakes also looked amazing, so I ordered a tea -again classic me- and the Insta worthy buttermilk pancakes with berries. 

The Wild Son is everything you want in a café. It looks super cosy, the staff was friendly and the food was reasonably priced too. Besides the fact that it was still very busy, the food arrived fast, and I was just thinking about my time here in New York as I demolished those fluffy carbs and saw the people crossing the street outside.

Now I've eaten a lot of pancakes in my life, but these ones have to be in the top 3, because oh my, those were good. The fruit, the syrup and the pancakes obviously were perfect and I ate it all.

The Wild Son is perfect for eating alone, eating with friends or even to catch up with your parents. It has that cool New York City vibe, is packed with locals and really close to the High Line. Perfect for a walk after all those fluffy pancakes!

Have you ever been in NYC? What is your favourite brunch place?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: Vegan Junk Food Bar

I love me a burger and fries. Shake Shack is my bae -do we still use that word in 2018? I don't know but it fits in this particular situation- and whenever I go out for dinner I usually end up in a burger place -or sushi, looooove sushi-. I am all about trying new things and when I heard there was a vegan burger place in town I was all for that. I am not vegan but do like to whack out my vegan cooking skills from time to time and trying out vegan burgers and Dutch 'bitterballen' was something I just had to do.

Vegan Junk Food Bar is quite new to Amsterdam and already has two locations: a small burger bar near 'Vondelpark' and a proper restaurant in the neighbourhood 'De Pijp'. Due to a mix up I went to the restaurant and my friend was at the burger bar. So I hopped on a tram to go and meet her. I think I recommend the place in De Pijp, just for the fact it's a bit bigger. The burger bar was very light though so better for photos. It's just whatever you fancy really.

I ordered the normal VJFB burger and my friend had the double burger. The normal burger consists of: plant-based beef, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red, spring & fried onion mix, pickles and VJFB sauce. The double has an extra patty, jalapeños and fried onion rings. With that, we also ordered Parm Á San and Truffle fries and some Amsterdam Bitterballen. The food came fast and I have to say it was so freaking good! The burgers by itself looked totally Instagrammable and tasted even more amazing. The fries were to die for and the bitterballen actually tasted almost the same as the real deal. I have had some vegan burgers before -even tried to make one myself- but I have never tasted something like this. I think even a meat lover will like this place and that is saying something. 

A lot of people still think of vegan food as boring and I love that the Vegan Junk Food Bar is kicking ass to prove the opposite. Safe to say it was one of the best burgers I've ever had in my life. The sauce, lettuce and everything worked so well together. The only downside is that it's a bit pricier than your usual Shake Shack combo, but hey it's all worth it knowing that you are eating all the plant based goodness!

Have you ever tried a vegan burger? What are your thoughts on them?

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The Copenhagen Food Hotspot: La Esquina

In March, of this year, I went on a mini trip to Copenhagen and Sweden with one of my friends that lives in Sweden. I was in Copenhagen for two days, but we had full packed days with all sort of exciting sightseeing’s and lots of delicious food. It wouldn't be me if I didn’t have an entire list of trendy food places at the ready and so the first thing we did after dropping of our luggage at the hostel was eating at La Esquina, a cute café that I found online.

La Esquina can be found in the Østerbro neighbourhood. It's a small café with a nice chill vibe and is mainly visited by locals. One of the reasons why I like to make a foodie hotspot list is that this way you actually go to places that you would've never accidently stumbled upon. I don't want to be the kind of gal that eats in the touristy areas and I'd rather much blend in with locals and see different parts of a city.
We were at La Esquina around 2 PM and there were plenty of seats available. We both sat down in the cosy cushions and ordered a lot of food, including a Belgian waffle, grapefruit and avocado sandwiches. The menus were in Danish, but funnily enough we both could kind of guess what everything was. We also ordered these fresh mint, ginger and lemon drinks which were extremely spicy but so tasty. It all arrived quickly and we ate and chatted for at least an hour I think. The food was good. Anything with avocado on it is fine by me and as a sweet tooth I loved the waffle. Denmark in general is pricy, so basically all the food is too. When I'm on holiday I don't think about it that much and since everything is in Danish Krone it's harder as well. I do kind of calculate but not in full detail.

I think La Esquina is one of the best cafés where I ate during the trip. The staff was friendly, it wasn't busy, the food came fast and it was delicious too. If you want to blend in with locals and eat some delicious food then you have to visit this spot on your Copenhagen trip too.

Also, this is my last post of #blogmas -yes I know I'm a day too late, but to be fair I have been on time the entire month of December-. I really liked creating a lot of content and being on it every day. I always fall in and out of love with blogging, but this month has definitely sparked up the love again. I love writing and creating nice images and I want to be more regular with posting too. For now I'm going to take a well-deserved break and enjoy Christmas. Happy Holidays and I'll be back soon with new content!

Have you ever been to Copenhagen?

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Glitter Lattes at Palm Vaults

One of the hypes of 2017 is definitely glitter. When it comes to fashion, make-up and hair, glitter has been a huge trend for a couple of years and now it's made the crossover to the weirdest thing ever: food.

You think glitter is only there to spark up your occasional rainbow cake or boozy champagne, but it also looks dazzling in coffee, who knew? A small coffee shop in the UK started this phenomenon -literally my entire Facebook feed was trashed with articles about it- and of course other coffee shops couldn't wait to jump on the glitter train and one of those cafés is Palm Vaults.
Words can't describe how much I love Palm Vaults. It's a small independent café in Hackney, London and it makes all my #foodiegram dreams come true. The food and drinks look amazing, taste even better and the interior is to die for. Now Hackney is not that close to the city centre. I first took the bus which was obviously a mistake since it took forever and on my second trip I changed to the Overground. On my last trip I didn't have time to travel that long for a glitter coffee, so I was happy to discover the fact that Palm Vaults has a little pop up in the Fiorucci store in Soho. 

I'd never heard of the brand Fiorucci before but when I walked inside it looked really cool. Lots of colours, lots of prints and the perfect store to have a Palm Vaults bar. A friend and I wanted to grab a quick latte in there, so we took a seat at the marble tables and had a look at the menu. We both went for a tonic latte in 'Velvet Rose' (beetroot, rosewater, agave and oat milk) and 'Blue Magick' (blue algae, ginger and coconut milk). You are probably thinking: what the heck is a tonic latte? Well, when I ordered it I also had no idea, I just knew that they were pastel coloured and looked too cute to drink. Sprinkle some glitter on top and my day is made. They were quite expensive though, four pounds for each latte with an extra charge for the glitter, but since I was on holiday and I wanted to know what the sparkly fuzz was about I happily ordered it.
After taking about a million photos -has to happen with this drink- we both took a sip. I didn't know what I was expecting but I also knew that this was not going to be my new favourite drink. I had the blue one and I can't even describe what it tastes like. A bit weird and funny, not gross, but not super tasty either. My friend didn't like her rosewater latte at all and after a sip I understood why. It was like eating a bouquet of roses, but weirdly enough I didn't hate it. Also you don't taste the glitter at all, so no worries about that!

We chatted for a long time and after our lattes were finished we payed and walked through Soho for a bit. If you are in London I definitely recommend going to Palm Vaults -do choose a normal latte for your sprinkle of glitter- and also grab a bite to eat whilst you’re there. I know their cakes and smoothie bowls are so tasty and well presented. Can't wait to hop back on the Overground to Hackney whenever I have a glitter craving!

Have you ever tried a glitter latte before?

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The Barcelona Food Hotspot: Trópico

When in Barcelona it's mandatory to have brunch at a cute, summery café. Well Trópico is the answer to all those hotspot prayers. It was the café where I had my first official Barcelona brunch and I could not have wished for a better place. 

Trópico is located in the neighbourhood El Raval, a few streets away from La Ramblas, the most popular street in Barcelona. The café has a few themes when it comes to interior design. At first you enter this tropical orange room, followed by a palm leaves dream and at the end you'll find a more spacious room with lots of light. The tropical orange room is honestly the best thing in the world, so obviously that's where we sat. They have these cool bamboo tables, colourful tropical pillows and plants everywhere. It was hard not to fall in love with the place. -and ask the number for their decorator-

My friend and I both ordered pancakes -there are also acai bowls and eggs Bennie on the menu, but it wouldn't be me if I didn't order something sweet- and I ordered a fancy smoothie to go with it. It was called the 'Thai Dragon Tail', a bright pink smoothie covered in banana slices, coconut flakes and dragon fruit. The food came quite fast, which was nice because we were both extremely hangry. The pancakes were good, fluffy but a bit sticky and covered in cream cheese, fruit and syrup. I do think of myself as a pancake expert when it comes to brunch and these ones were very good. Sugary and fluffy make all my pancake brunch dreams come true.
The smoothie was good as well; a bit thick so the cute straw didn't really help, but I still enjoyed my first Barcelona brunch a lot. The price of the food was cheap compared to other European cities I've been to. The pancakes were €7 and the drink was €5,5. Coffee is pretty cheap in Barcelona so if you prefer a good latte over a tropical pink drink you'll be as happy as can be. 

I 100% recommend coming here on your Barcelona trip. It gives you those holiday tropical vibes that makes you instantly relaxed, the food is great and there are always enough tables. They also do dinner, so if you can't squeeze Trópico in for brunch you have to dine here. Ooh and don't forget to take a few snaps whilst you're there!

Don't forget to check out my other Barcelona hotspots like, Brunch and Cake by the Sea, LULU and Eyescream & Friends.

Have you ever been to Barcelona? What is your favourite hotspot there?

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The London Food Hotspot: Daisy Green

London is packed with brunch places. I have a list in my phone that keeps getting longer because I discover so many cafés that I want to visit through social media. One of those cafés is Daisy Green. The funny thing is, is that my sister and I stayed at a hotel near it and walked past the café a million times. I always thought it looked cute and I thought it was hilarious that the café was actually on the list. I'm quite oblivious really, so I definitely need to pay more attention next time.

Daisy Green is part of the Daisy Green Collection, a bunch of cafés around London, like Beanie Green, Timmy Green and Darcie & May. Most of them have the same kind of menu, but each restaurant has a few specials too.
Daisy Green is located near Marble Arch station, just behind Oxford Street. I have eaten there twice now and it's the perfect start to a shopping day. They serve Aussie brunch and Bottomless brunch, as well as coffee, pastries and takeaways. Upstairs you’ll find all your takeaway desires. There is also a small bar near the window where you can sit, sip your hot drink and watch the people walk by. Downstairs is where you’ll find the secret 'Alice in Wonderland' esque indoor garden which is absolutely amazing. There are golden and marble tables everywhere, flowers on the ceiling and a weird bunny head in the corner, which at first I thought was weird but with each bite of my food I loved that fluffy head more and more.

Both times I have ordered the same item on the menu: coconut bread French toast. I'm quite boring when it comes to ordering food. One look at my Instagram and you know that all I eat are pancakes, French toast, waffles and smoothie bowls. I’m a huge sweet tooth so I just can't help it to order the yummiest and sweetest item on the menu, it's who I am. My sister has tried the 'fancy bacon roll' and 'two free range eggs' (with charcoal bread!) -she is not as boring as me with these things- and she loved both dishes a lot. For drinks I tried the 'vegan nut smoothie' and the 'yogi berry smoothie'. That last one was too sweet for my liking -yes even with me that can be possible- so go for the vegan nut smoothie, some fresh OJ or a good cuppa coffee.

Everything about Daisy Green works. It has that funky hippy vibe, is loved by locals, but not too busy, which means you will always find a table available, the staff is lovely and the food is very tasty. Next time you are shopping on Oxford Street, this café has to be your kick start of the day, or a pit stop when you are tired and need to give your feet some rest after spending all your money on stuff you probably don't need. If you need more London brunch inspiration I also created a post with my favourite brunch cafés in London. Click here to read it!

What is your favourite brunch place in London?

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