Before I start the proper review for Fed by Plants, let me get a few things out of the way first… When I say beach… …it’s not really a beach, but we’re going to pretend it is… And it’s labelled a beach on Google maps, who am I to argue with that? After all, there is a sliver of golden sand, and little waves (wavelettes, really) from passing boats. There’s a great view, too. And Fed by Plants is not on the beach, as such. And it’s not really fish, either. It’s tofu, or rather, tofish – brilliant! So basically, this headline is clickbait. (Are you hooked?) …the chips are real, though. So, only 6 ..read more

Croydon! It has a bit of a reputation, and some of it is even good. There’s post-war architecture aplenty, and more Victorian architecture than you’d maybe expect. It has links to the archbishops of Canterbury that go back several hundred years. It’s the birthplace of Tracey Emin and Kate Moss. It’s home to the Brit School, UK’s leading school for Performing Arts and Technology. There’s some fantastic street art, though, alas, not as much as there used to be. It was London Borough of Culture in 2023. Also, there are at least 7 tattoo parlours each a few minutes’ walk from each other. Make of t ..read more

Notting Hill is known for quite a few things: Portobello Road market, Notting Hill carnival, and rows upon rows of colourful houses (oh so pretty, oh so expensive!). It’s also known for that book shop in that movie, of course… …but it’s another bookshop I want to talk about today. Notting Hill Book Exchange: books and lots of comics On the stretch of road that leads to Portobello Road, you’ll find Notting Hill Book Exchange, one of the coolest second-hand bookshops in London. It used to be called Notting Hill Book and Comic Exchange, before the Comic part was moved into its dedicated store nex ..read more

Are you looking for the best hot chocolate in London? I got you. And it’s easy to find!. The best hot chocolate in London is the hot chocolate at Knoops. Yeah, I realise this sounds like a press release, but I can guarantee you it’s not. Knoops are not paying me for this post (I wish!), and I don’t even get free chocolate (oh, how I wish!). So then, why is this the best hot chocolate in London? So why is Knoops the best hot chocolate in London? Because… customisation. You can basically fine tune your hot chocolate to be exactly what you want. First, you have 18 cocoa percentages to choose from ..read more

Tokyo Diner is a Japanese restaurant on the edge of Chinatown and is one of the best loved restaurants in London. It’s often described as “iconic” (but what isn’t, these days!). It was established in 1992, which in restaurant terms means it’s positively ancient. Tokyo Diner is sometimes described as quirky, for 2 reasons. One: it’s probably the only restaurant in London that doesn’t take tips. Two: it’s probably the only restaurant in London with its own webcam. Oh, and the food is pretty nice, and – by London standards – pretty reasonably priced, too. The Tokyo Diner menu The menu at Tokyo Di ..read more

Charles Dickens is the man who invented Christmas, so what better time than Christmas to visit the Charles Dickens museum? “A Christmas Carol” was published in 1843, and one could say that Christmas would never be the same again. OK, slight exaggeration maybe, but who hasn’t heard of Ebezener Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the 3 ghosts of Christmas? Of course, the Charles Dickens Museum is open year-round, but at Christmastime, the museum adds special Christmas touches to its displays and put on special activities. Christmas décor at the Charles Dickens museum In the dining room, the table is set for f ..read more

Wondering what London shop windows look like at Christmas? Here’s a small sample. Harrods had the most amazing diamanté dress by Celia Kritharioti, Harvey Nichols had disco ducks (don’t ask me), Liberty had tents (tents????), Fortnum & Mason was made up like an advent calendar (it was lovely), and Peter Jones in Chelsea had carnivorous flowers and giant purple fur baubles (wait, WHAT?????). If you like this post, maybe you’d like to subscribe to the newsletter, for updates, exclusive content and the occasional special offer? I will never spam you or sell your data, I promise. Here’s my p ..read more

Have I mentioned pizza on this blog? I think I might have, once, in passing. It’s time pizza got its own post! Let’s start with Circle and Slice, though no doubt there will be more pizza restaurant reviews to follow. Circle & Slice is a casual independent pizza restaurant in Whitechapel. Great pizzas and more, cheerful atmosphere, and very reasonable prices – a good spot to know! Circle & Slice: practical information Address: 11 Whitechapel Rd, London E1 1DU Website: https://www.circleandslice.co.uk/ Circle & Slice on Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qFJSMkLwM3Dt8ss1A How to ge ..read more

After the charity shops of Pimlico, and the charity shops of Battersea, here’s one charity shop in Archway. Yes, just the one, but it’s a really good one. Archway, in North London, is mostly known for 3 things: Dick Whittingdon and his cat; the Archway viaduct which give its name to the tube station, and in turn, to the area; and the Archway Tavern. If you want to know a little bit more about these…well, that’ll be another blog post. (Soon, I promise). For now, let’s talk about thrifting in Archway. There are actually 4 charity shops in Archway. Rather handily, they’re all within minutes from ..read more

Search “best cinnamon buns in London” and you’ll find no end of lists: “the 10 best cinnamon buns in London”! “London’s best cinnamon buns”! “The 25 best cinnamon buns in London in [whatever the current year is]”! “The ultimate list of the best cinnamon buns in London”! And so on. But you know what? There is no need for a list. I’ve found the best cinnamon buns in London. The very best cinnamon buns, the absolute very best. No, really. The best cinnamon buns in London are the ones from Buns From Home. Buns from Home: practical information Website: https://www.bunsfromhome.com/ Opening Hours: O ..read more