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Eating My Way Through London: Afternoon Tea at Ladurée, Covent Garden
Ladurée Covent Garden is renowned for its exquisite French pastries and delicate macarons, which take center stage in its afternoon tea menu. Ladurée originate in Paris, where they started out baking their famous double-decker macarons in 1862. They’ve since shipped them all over the world, with cute little shops popping up everywhere. I wanted to plan an afternoon tea to celebrate a special occasion and the afternoon tea at Ladurée seemed perfect. I am a lover of French cuisine, so embraced the opportunity to enjoy a quintessentially English past-time with a French twist. I also liked the fact that the vibe was more low-key than other afternoon teas I was…
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Bistrot Pierre, Nottingham: Something a little fancy
Up until recently, I honestly thought that Bistrot Pierre in Nottingham was a one-off. I visited a few years back, and it has stayed in my mind as probably my favourite Nottingham restaurant since then. I remembered the excellent quality of the food and how the flavour really hit the spot. But actually (as you probably already know) Bistrot Pierre is a chain, with restaurants in Derby as well as Nottingham. I was excited to get a chance to visit again recently and see if the restaurant is as good as I remembered. We visited late afternoon on a Sunday and had no problems getting a booking. The restaurant felt…
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Eating My Way Through London: Casse- Croute
After my flirtations with Greece and Persia, it seems like I’m turning back to French cuisine. Visiting Casse- Croute makes you feel like you’re dining in a French village. It may not be the cheapest, but it’s not ridiculously overpriced either. Casse- Croute, simply put, is fab. Situated in the thriving area of Bermondsey, it is small, and authentic. The chalkboard menu (changed daily) only has nine things on it, everything is in French and it feels like you’re being invited into someone’s dining room. It was a hot summer’s night when we visited and the place was crowded, despite it being a Monday (it was also my 31st birthday).…
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Eating My Way Through London: Bellanger
Bellanger has the feel of a neighbourhood place, rather than a trendy London eaterie. That might be due to its location in the twinkly, cosy section of Upper Street in Islington. Apparently Bellanger is ‘inspired by the Alsatian brasseries of Paris’. If you’re not down with Alsatian dining, then expect to be a little more familiar by the end of your visit. During my visit with friends a few weeks ago (Bellanger is great for dinner with friends), I had the quiche to start. It was one of the most divine quiches I have tasted. Light and extremely fluffy, it tasted like (cliche alert) clouds in my mouth. This was…
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French Pastries
Pain au chocolat and latte Could pre-Christmas coffee and pastries with friends be any more decadent? Delices, Bedford
