For my 30th birthday my best friend treated me to dinner at the Deliciously Ella supper club at The Kitchen Counter, Ella’s deli in Herne Hill.
On arrival to The Kitchen Counter, which is located a short walk from the tube station, there were two long tables with benches laid up ready for diners. As we were a little bit late arriving, we took the last two places near the entrance of the deli, which suited us fine.
Hey Sweeties,
At the beginning of the month, I was invited* to try the new bottomless brunch at The Botanist in Marlow. I had recently visited and tried out the dinner and cocktail menu at the new Reading location, so I was excited at being able to get the opportunity to return to The Botanist. I also had never before visited Marlow.
Located on West Street in Marlow, The Botanist is set amongst gorgeous old English buildings containing a mixture of restaurants, coffee shops, thrift stores, and high street fashion retailers as well as more boutique offerings; I fell in love with Marlow straight away. The Botanist has a lovely large front that on our arrival was wide open so customers could sit in the open window and people watch as they enjoyed a beverage or two. My friend and I were greeted warmly on arrival and lead to the back of the restaurant to our table.
Hey Sweeties,
A couple of weeks ago I was invited to spend the evening at Franco Manca in Reading – a chain of restaurants that specialise in sourdough pizza. The team at Franco Manca hosted a special evening to let local media, bloggers etc. sample some of the menu and hand selected organic and natural wines, no logo beer and cider, and other drinks. To be honest I had never heard of Franca Manco until attending this event, so I was full of intrigue before my arrival. Now I have experienced them for myself however, I thought it only right that I share five things you need to check out for yourself if you get the chance to visit Franco Manca.
Hey Sweeties,
A couple of weeks ago I attended a pre-launch evening at Reading’s newest restaurant, The Botanist, located on King Street.
The Botanist, a concept like no other, offers an award-winning selection of botanical inspired cocktails, craft beers and ales along with an extensive dining menu.
The Botanist offers over 80 different beers and ales from around the world. The pub chain even brews two of their own ales, Passionate Blonde and Pacific Pale Ale.
My husband and I were a tad early for our dinner reservation, which was no bad thing as it allowed us to head to the bar and try out some of the extensive cocktail menu. I had happened to have a bit of a stressful day at work and even though part of me wanted to curl up at home and feel sorry for myself, an evening out at The Botanist Reading proved a great distraction.
As I was the designated driver for the evening (earnt some top wife points), I could only try one alcoholic cocktail before switching to the alcohol-free options. The menu of options was endless and if you are a gin lover then The Botanist (Reading) is definitely somewhere you need to spend an evening. As it turns out, I am not hugely into gin but I adore a Mojito and The Botanist Reading offers three versions, I decided to try the Plum and Thai Basil Mojito (seen below on the left) and I can report it was delicious.
On Sunday I took myself on a little trip to Henley-on-Thames for an afternoon tea with some fellow bloggers, courtesy of Hotel du Vin.
I had never been to Henley-on-Thames before Sunday, but having driven through it once or twice, I can appreciate how busy it gets, especially on a sunny day. Sophie from Sophie-Rose.co.uk and I were DM’ing on Sunday morning and from that conversation I made the decision to get the train to Henley instead of driving and stressing about parking. Best. Decision. Ever!
