Smack Lobster - London

If you've had a long day shopping in central London and want something quick to eat but gourmet at the same time, then you need to check out Smack Lobster.

This brainchild from the creators of Burger & Lobster is the place to go for the best lobster roll, and it's located just off Oxford Street! (not far from Selfridges!)

They have a great selection of different types of lobster rolls which include a Mexican roll (smoked chipotle mayonnaise, peppers, corn, jalapenos, white cabbage) and the California roll (cucumber, avocado mayonnaise with lime, chives, lettuce, tomatoes).  They also serve whole lobster, courgette fries and a lobster chowder! And if your in a hurry you can grab a fresh lobster salad to go from their takeaway section.

We opted for the Seven Samurai lobster roll (Japanese mayonnaise, Japanese cabbage, cucumber, pickled ginger, spring onions, togarashi spice), courgette fries and the lobster chowder. The roll was so delicious and full of flavour and came in a soft but slightly toasted bun! The courgette fries were nice and crispy and of course the lobster chowder was creamy and good enough to be eating at a sit down restaurant!

This place is definitely worth getting your claws into! :)

F & F

xx

Fischers - London

When I think about London I just imagine the days of Mr Selfridge! (it may be because I am obsessed with the series at the moment!)

But I just love the old school glamour, decor, and just everything about it.

So imagine my delight when I stumbled across a place in London where as soon as I walked in I felt I had stepped back in time.

Fischers is actually a Viennese Cafe in the heart of Marylebone high street which is indicative of Vienna in the early 20th Century. Wood paneled walls, vintage pictures, tiled flooring/walls and the huge clock in the middle of the room (which is hard to miss!) creates a beautiful warm ambiance.

We went there for breakfast but they also are open Brunch, Lunch and Dinner.

We ordered the scrambled eggs and the pancakes with maple syrup, along with some Earl Grey tea... a delicious hearty breakfast!

We can't wait to come back to try the menu they offer for the rest of the day!

F & F

xx

3 Day Juice Cleanse - Fuel Station

I believe in eating and eating well to keep the metabolism alive and feeling good and looking great!

However sometimes our body needs to reset from food and absorb essential minerals and nutrients in a way which is gentle to our systems and can eliminate bad toxins. I felt I needed this therefore thought I would try a juice cleanse.  These usually consist of 1, 3 or 5 days and I opted for the three day one as I am a beginner to this but was also looking for a challenge!

Picture from www.fuel-station.co.uk

There are a variety of juice cleanses and companies on the market which offer packages.  Many are pricey and not all deliver nationwide.  I decided to try the Fuel Station juice cleanse as it was recommended by a friend and also was reasonably priced for a first time try!

I ordered online & received a box of all my juices and instructions fairly quickly... meant there was no opting out to kick starting the cleanse fairly quickly! All juices are freshly squeezed vegetables & fruits, tailored to meet the times of days they are consumed and based on the human body's need during the course of the day.

The rules are very straightforward, the juices are clearly numbered 1 - 4 and in numerical order to be sipped throughout the day.  One to be taken when wake up and each three hours thereafter. No food is to be consumed throughout the juice cleanse for best results and plenty of water and hot water and lemon is recommended for results to be most effective.

I was hesitant at first, however I was left feeling energetic and not hungry at all as the juices are very filling.  I was not so keen on the taste of some and it was difficult to keep motivated however there was nothing to stop me continuing as I felt I didn't need the food but and I was focused.  Also I made sure to continually hydrate myself with lots of water!

Once the 3 day cleanse was over I felt full of energy, detoxed and my body felt like I did not want anything toxic or unhealthy to be put into it again!  I definitely felt I lost pounds & was not bloated at all.

Whilst the juice cleanse is good I would treat is as a good kickstart to a healthy diet and lifestyle or a good reset frequently, perhaps once a month for maximum benefits.  It is also vital to reintroduce the right types of foods slowly back into the body post cleanse.

I was impressed with Fuel Station's juice cleanse and would use them again.  I also read that the juices can also be frozen for future use if your juice cleanse does become interrupted for any reason which is also handy to know!

F & F

xx

The Garden - Hale (Cheshire)

When a good friend of mine suggested The Garden for a leisurely and super healthy lunch, I was keen to try it and i'm glad I did!

This quaint little cafe is set in the beautiful area of Hale on a road full of cute boutiques, cafes and restaurants. It's rather exciting to have an organic cafe serving earth friendly food in the north of the UK as most tend to be in the London area.

The cafe is light, spacious and airy set in neutral pastel shades and also has an outdoor seating area for those summer days! The menu was impressively extensive, making it very difficult to decide what to order as everything is guilt free!

To start, I ordered a cold pressed juice of coconut water, fresh aloe vera and fresh peppermint for a soothing juice which would help banish the bloat!

I then had the home made hummus with raw seed, black olive and sun-dried tomato cracker breads. This was presented very nicely on an au natural log of wood and was delicious!

I then had the kale and quinoa salad with a fillet of poached salmon topped with sprouts.

The desert menu looked to good to miss so to finish I ordered an almond milk cappuccino together with a berry crumble, a delicious warm comforting berry compote topped with an oat and seed crumble served with a non dairy coconut ice cream! This was amazing and has to be one of the best guilt free deserts I have tried!

To top it all off, there was a great selection of healthy snacks and treats to buy which was too good to resist!

I can't wait to visit again!

F & F

xx

Bob Bob Ricard - London

If your looking for a special place to dine in central London, then look no further than Bob Bob Ricard, which offers luxury Russian and English classic dishes.

This art deco inspired restaurant in the Soho district is the perfect place for a birthday, anniversary or just a special get together with family/friends.

The glamorous decor, dim lights and individual booths as you enter makes this a very intimate setting. Think Gatsby! Chandeliers, crystal glasses and lots of gold!

For dinner I ordered the Hand - Rolled Pasta with Mushroom & Truffle, with a side of fries.  This dish was perfectly done and so delicious.

Then for dessert the Eton Mess En Perle - which was toooo pretty to destroy! The beautiful pink ball was full of goodness - lime meringue, strawberry sorbet, raspberry, marshmallows & cream! I'm not even a huge fan of meringue but this was a winner!

The evening was rounded of with a nice fresh mint tea... perfect!

F & F

xx

Anantara Dubai, The Palm Resort & Spa

I recently went on a quick stay-cation in Dubai, to the Anantara Dubai, The Palm Resort & Spa on The Palm.

My stay was enough to sample the facilities, enjoy the food & energise the mind and body.

The drive to the resort is lovely, as it's The Palm and at the very end of the right hand side of the crescent, you drive past The Atlantis and get great views of The Burj Al Arab, Burj Khalifa and Dubai Marina.

As soon as you enter, the whole resort is beautiful and you feel like you have been transported to Thailand.

I stayed in a water villa which was beautiful, a huge room with a double bed with views of the waters and the Dubai Marina. It also had its own private terrace with sun beds.

The bathroom was also big in size, with a bath, shower and an adjoining open closet area.  I also loved that they use one of my favourite brands here, L'Occitane!

The best feature had to be the glass under the coffee table where you can see the water below. It was pretty cool! (I won't lie I was a bit nervous walking over it the first time!)

In the afternoon I had lunch near the pool, at their restaurant called The Beach House. The food here was amazing, I have never seen that much calamari in my life!

Although I couldn't fit in a treatment that evening, I did go and check out the steam/sauna facilities... and I am so glad I did! They were the best I have experienced in Dubai so far. They had so many different types of steam rooms (the salt inhalation room, the crystal & gemstone steam room and the dry herbal sauna), they were all so relaxing.

I did have a restaurant reservation at their Thai restaurant Mekong later that evening but I opted for room service instead! Whoops!

F & F

xx