Violet Cakes

Violet Cakes

I’ve taken great delight in showing other bloggers parts of the East End lately. First up was a trip to Broadway Market with Emm in London. We had such a great time that I couldn’t wait to take someone else there.

So I timed it with my first visit to Violet Cakes in Dalston, followed by a walk through London Fields into the market then along the Canal with Manasi from In her Thirties.

Violet was great – it’s a tiny bakery five-ten minutes walk from Dalston Junction in the heart of a residential area close to London Fields. To be honest, I don’t have a huge amount to say about the place as it was freezing when we went (is it me or did winter seem to go on and on this year?) so we didn’t linger for too long. However, we did share a lovely cinnamon bun, violet cupcake and two salted oreo cookies. As we were both recovering from colds we went for fresh blood orange juice rather than my normal tea. However, the selection of teas was good and I’d like to come back and visit this bakery sometime during the week with my little one, sit outside on their terrace out the back with a book and just enjoy some cake and quiet for a while.

The goods~

Sound good? I think so.

We then went to Broadway Market and I’m pretty certain Manasi loved it as much as Emm did.

Violet can be found at 47 Wilton Way. Nearest tube is the East London Line’s Dalston Junction. All up we paid £13. 

Try me!

Gentleman loves Cake (but not this week): Sam Smith Pubs

The finest pub view in all London

Ladies and gentlemen, this week we welcome back Ed. You loved his last post so much that I’ve invited him to be a regular on here. This post has got me in the mood for summer. Apricot cider anyone? (Sorry Ed, I had to include at least one line of fruitiness in here). 

Sam Smith pubs      

When I tell people I work in a church, more often than not they assume I must be religious.

While I dig the whole spiritual side and adore the music, I really have no faith at all. In fact the closest I’ve come to an act of devotion is a pilgrimage to the small North Yorkshire town of Tadcaster.

Perhaps calling it a pilgrimage is a little strong, but since moving to London four years ago, this small town, many miles away, has been the inspiration for any number of great nights. For Tadcaster is, right at its heart, a brewery town.

Both John Smith and Coors are brewed there, but my interest is in a much smaller and far more interesting name; Samuel Smith, Yorkshire’s oldest brewery at 255 years old and more importantly, independent.

Ok, but what am I doing on Lady Loves Cake talking about a Yorkshire brewery? Well, you’re all well-used to Kat unearthing some of the very best and quirky places to eat and drink in London, and when it comes to interesting pubs, Sam Smith has the monopoly.

Inside the M25, this small brewery runs almost 40 pubs, some of them well known, each of them interesting in its own way.

It’s likely you may know Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, a favourite of Charles Dickens; or the Princess Louise, with it’s wonderful duck-under bar dividers; or the Cittie of Yorke, with its intimate booths. If you’ve been on a summer’s walk along the Thames, you may have stopped at the wonderfully situated Angel or the magnificently restored Captain Kidd for some refreshment. And if you’ve been out in Soho, chances are you will have passed the John Snow, now infamous as the scene of the 2011 gay kiss scandal.

First and foremost, all Sam Smith pubs have character.

The next thing to note is what they sell – and more importantly, what they don’t sell. In a pub world dominated by Stella for the boys and Jacob’s Creek for the girls, you won’t find any of that in one of Sam’s pubs. In fact, nothing you’ll find is branded in any way. No Carlsberg. No Smirnoff. No Gordon’s. No Walkers. Everything is either Sam Smith’s own brand or essentially white label.

This may sound odd, and at times it does seem to confuse a punter or two, but what’s on offer more than makes up for what isn’t.  All of the beers are worth a try, especially the Taddy lager and Old Brewery bitter. And some genius also came up with the Alpine lager – all the taste of a good pint but only 2.8% alcohol – perfect for school night drinking! There’s also an extensive range of bottled ciders and beers in all kinds of flavours – I’d heard of raspberry and strawberry beer, but apricot is new on me!

The best find, however, is the gin and tonic – for some reason it just tastes better than a Gordon’s and Schweppes – I don’t know why, it just does.

When it comes to food, it’s straight down the line pub fayre – nothing to write home about,  but big, tasty and cheapy-cheap-cheap. Most pubs run a similar menu, but some are slightly more gastro-conscious than others.

Some of you who read Lady Loves Cake may be regular pub-goers, and others not. All I can say is that if you’re looking for a pub which shows all the best of what a good old-fashioned pub should really be, if you see the white Yorkshire rose, you’re onto a winner.

Ed’s Top 5 London Sam Smith pubs:

5. The Rising Sun, Cloth Fair, EC1A

A cute pub, with plenty of board games

4. The Cittie of Yorke, High Holborn, WC1V

One of the bigger Sam Smith’s pubs with excellent private booths

3. The Glasshouse Stores, Brewer Street, W1F

Like the Tardis, bigger on the inside that you’d imagine

2. The Captain Kidd, Wapping High Street, E1W

Wonderfully restored riverside pub with plenty of history

1. The Angel, Bermondsey Wall East, SE16

Off the beaten track and without a doubt, the finest pub view in all of London

A cat which greets you outside the Angel

Find your local Sam Smith pub, both in London and across the country:

http://www.jamesgretton.co.uk/samuelsmiths/

There is also a Sam Smith pub finder app called: Find-a-Smith.

A mixed review: Bob Bob Ricard

Bob Bob Ricard

I’m never sure whether to post reviews like this – there’s been one or two times when I’ve completely regretted doing so due to the people on the other side jumping down my throat, however, I have decided that this is my place on the internet to write and I am perfectly entitled to publish my own opinions. Most of the time if I don’t like somewhere I just won’t blog about it.

The truth is though, not every restaurant can blow you away, and this is how I felt about Bob Bob Ricard.

First though, I’m going to state this: Bob Bob Ricard is my absolute favourite bar in the entire world. I love their drinks, adore the atmosphere and find it the perfect spot to have a pre/post-dinner cocktail. I was unbelievably excited when Mr Man booked us a table there for dinner on my birthday in January.

All was great upon arrival. In my “condition” at the time I actually arrived early (walking around Chelsea and Pimlico for five hours while seven months pregnant just makes you desperate to sit down and not get up for some time) and they were more than happy to let me take my seat and wait for Mr Man who happened to be running slightly late. The waiter was lovely and brought over some bread and a cucumber & apple limeade while I chilled out.

Yummy cucumber & apple limeade

Their drinks are stunning. It is the only place on earth where I won’t object to paying £7.50 for lemonade; in fact, I actually ordered two and Mr Man had a third when he arrived.

I’d spent most of my time eyeing up what is an impressive menu. I’d basically settled on having beef onglet until he thought it might be a good idea to share the beef Wellington – it did look good. The waiting time for beef Wellington is 45 minutes but that was absolutely fine, they continued to top up the bread, we were never without a full glass of tap water and didn’t pressure us into having a starter. We also ordered sides of mashed potato, carrots and parsnips.

Beef Wellington (there is more of it beside the dishes, but my picture of it was horrid).

However, when it did arrive I didn’t actually like it. I’m certain this comes down to personal preference but I’ve definitely had better beef Wellington elsewhere before. We both felt that the mushrooms in it completely overpowered the entire dish. Also, the middle was close to raw. It was certainly the rarest meat I’ve had in a restaurant before and bordered on cold. So I ate around the rareness (usually this wouldn’t be an issue for me and I’d just dig in) and tried to enjoy the flavours but still felt the mushrooms overpowered everything. The sides were fine, though it did feel very expensive for the portions we received.

Mr Man actually ate most of my meal – he usually does. Though he did feel the same about the flavour.

And voilà, it was time for dessert. Mr Man had a trio of ice-creams and I had a trio of crème brulees (Valrhona chocolate, passion fruit and Earl Grey tea). I absolutely adored these, especially the passionfruit crème brulee and Mr Man’s salted caramel ice cream.

Divine crème brulee

Then the bill arrived. This is where the shock came, and is our fault.

Neither of us saw the fine print under the beef Wellington on the menu. Price was per person not for the dish. We paid £79.80 to share one dish that neither of us actually liked. The problem for me was that most of the dishes on the menu cost between £14 and £30 so we had just assumed the £39 .90 was for the both of us. Nope. When I questioned the waiter about this he brought over the menu and there it was, in tiny pink writing (price per person). We couldn’t argue with that but did leave feeling really sheepish and that we had overpaid for what was otherwise a fine meal but one that didn’t blow us away.

So I’m left with mixed feelings about Bob Bob Ricard. I still think their service was outstanding and still adore their bar, but I won’t be back for dinner. Please don’t let this review put you off – I feel that it may have been down to our own silliness.

Bob Bob Ricard can be found at 1 Upper St James Street, Soho, nearest tubes are Oxford Circus and Picadilly Circus. All up we paid £149.50 for three lemonades, two servings each of bread, beef Wellington, sides of mashed potato, carrots and parsnips, ice cream, crème brulee and 12.5% service.

Guest post: Jen takes afternoon tea at the Old Government House, Guernsey

Old Government House Exterior Image credit: Red Carnation Hotels Media Library Picture reference 8036462

This week we welcome my friend Jen Merritt, a Canadian ex-pat currently transitioning from life in London, England to Guernsey. You may recognise her on here as ‘Canadian Jen’. She holds both Canadian and French nationality and takes advantage of her passports to explore Europe as much as possible. After seeing a Bailiwick of Guernsey ad for Social Workers in a recruitment magazine, she decided steadfastly that she had to visit the island. Two reads of ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ later, she had booked a ticket and consequently fell in love with the island. Visit her blog – She Went Away – where she writes about her travels around the UK and beyond and to see what else she has been up to lately.

Afternoon tea at The Old Government House, Guernsey

The Lady Loves Cake is the subject of many a girl-crush amongst us London Expat Bloggers, and so when she asked me to procure a guest post for her lovely blog I was eager to agree. The difficult part, of course, was to determine the topic of my guest essay – something that would meld my own interests with a topic akin to the theme of Kat’s blog, and of course not wanting to recreate anything that has already been covered. After a few months of pondering the dilemma (and yes, I do mean months – it’s not everyday that one is extended this delightful invitation) I have finally come to a resolution that fits both my own sense of blogging style and the need to appeal to you, dear readers. As such, I bring to you today’s guest post all the way from my soon-to-be-home, Guernsey (in the Channel Islands). Welcome to Afternoon Tea at The Old Government House.

First and foremost, I recognise that many of you may not have read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society or have heard of the Channel Islands, let alone Guernsey. Let me give you the briefest of geography/history lessons: Guernsey is an island located 50 kilometres (31 mi) west of France’s Normandy coast and 120 kilometres (75 mi) south of Weymouth, England and lies in the Gulf of St Malo (thank you Wikipedia). The island of Guernsey has a total area of 63.4 square kilometres (24.5 sq mi) and a population of approximately 65,000 people. Although the streets and houses all have French names, native Guerns speak English and have British accents – partially attributable to the fact that they are a Crown Dependency, but also perhaps because whilst occupied by the Nazi’s during the second World War, Guernsey French was all but eradicated resulting in the loss of this native tongue. Guernsey is also well-known as the origin of the Guernsey Cow, which can be spotted across the rambling interior meadows and makes a delightful range of dairy products.

The infamous Guernsey Cow from Jen’s Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/persephonesawakening/7980517895/

Lesson complete – hopefully you feel slightly more educated and enriched. Now, as for the important bit – the Afternoon Tea. 

The Old Government House Hotel and Spa came recommended for tea when I asked the Guerns over Twitter. I learned that it has operated as a hotel since 1858 but was originally the officer residence of the Governor of the island from 1796 – 1842. Shortly thereafter it became known as a posh place for Victorian society to chillax (as Victorians were wont to do) until 1940 when the big bad Nazis arrived on the island and made the hotel their General Staff Headquarters for five years. Despite the turnover of hands, it remains a building full of character and elegance. 

In 1957 Old Government House Hotel played host to none other than Her Majesty – the Queen (of England!) – at luncheon. In 2013 Old Government House Hotel played host to a group of North American Expats – for Traditional Afternoon Tea. Our tea was served in the Sir John Coward Lounge, which was luxurious and opulent and we were treated to our service by a dashing French man who took our coats and humoured my inadequate level of French (“Je vous en prie, Madamoiselle”).

Sitting area in the Sir John Coward Lounge

We had a plethora of baked goods from which to chose as well as some tartes aux fruits, which isn’t typically on offer at Afternoon Tea. And is very very good. The clotted cream is a bit less clotted and a bit more whipped, which is something of a disappointment for one who loves her cream gooey and thick, but I can forgive the Guernsey Cows on this one occasion. Whilst we went during the winter (January, to be exact), in warmer temperatures guests are invited to take tea outdoors in The Olive Grove and gardens of the hotel which is something I would very much like to do when it warms up. Perhaps I will offer to host Lady Loves Cake.

Finger sandwiches, freshly made scones and a glorious array of cakes and delicacies served with a selection of speciality teas along with the finest Guernsey cream.

If you are interested in sampling some fresh Guernsey cream (and Afternoon Tea) at The Old Government House, arriving isn’t quite as easy as hopping on the Jubilee Line to Central London. However, Guernsey is only a 45 minute flight from London Gatwick Airport and it is well worth a weekend break. I enjoyed my trip to Guernsey so much that I am moving my life from London to this little peace of island paradise. Check out the official Visit Guernsey website for inspiration and drop me a line on my own blog if you plan on visiting – I may soon have some local tips to share!

The Old Government House Hotel and Spa
St Ann’s Place
St Peter Port, Guernsey
GY1 2NU. Channel Islands

Afternoon Tea: £15.75 per person

Thank you Jen! I can’t wait to come and visit you. In the meantime, I will read your adventures with envy and compare them to the Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society greatly. 

The Riding House Cafe

The Riding House Cafe

It’s not often you like a place so much that you find yourself back there at exactly the same time the following week. Having been tipped off about The Riding House Cafe by the wonderful This City Life London (check out her blog, she’s fab) and knowing that Friend N was going to be in London for her last visit for quite some time (she’s gone back to the other side of the world for a while, that makes me desperately sad but we have a knack of building in a pay-day cocktail sooner than we think we will) I booked a table for two in March.

N loves brunch and cocktails, I love brunch and cocktails. Great minds really do think alike. We were on the same page when we came out buzzing from our (non-alc) brunch at Riding House.

Fluffy pancakes and delicious juice. Yes please.

Their brunch menu has a good mix of sweets and savouries so N went for the chorizo hash browns and I went for my usual pancakes with a side of bacon. Both were outstanding and we gobbled down every mouthful perhaps a bit too quickly. Portion sizes were really good and we kind of rolled out of the place at the end of our meal.

Chorizo hash browns

The atmosphere was buzzing and the service on both times I went was some of the best I’ve seen in London, particularly for such a busy place.

I went back the following week with S, G and R. This time I decided to pace myself and just went for the poached pear with Greek yoghurt and granola along with another breakfast cocktail. Both were delicious and I still left full and very happy that the service was just as good as the week before.

Poached pear with Greek yoghurt and granola

You have to book a table in order to make it for brunch at the Riding House Cafe. Go and book now – this is a London secret that’s quickly becoming not so secret. Sssssshhh…

The Riding House Cafe can be found at 43-51 Great Titchfield Street, on the corner of Riding House Street (funnily enough). Both times we paid £13-15 each and left full and very happy. One to keep on the list. 

Favourite London by Gentleman loves Cake: the Delaunay

The Delaunay – look at that stunning cake selection!

Ladies and gentlemen, I need to take a few weeks’ break from blogging while I get used to my new situation. Don’t worry, I still have plenty of London adventures coming up for you over the next few months, but in the meantime I’m handing you over to the occasional guest post along with a few scheduled ones. 

Let me introduce you to my friend Ed, a former colleague who loves food possibly more than I do, loves London as much as all of us, has a great day-job that I’m jealous of and happens to be hilarious and single, making his way around London’s best establishments while also maintaining a love of cat videos. You can find out more about him via his blog The Cat’s Clause or follow him on Twitter where he muses on all sorts.

The Delaunay

I’ve always quite fancied a trip on the Orient Express, gingerly winding through central Europe, taking in the views from my private cabin and dressing up to be served breakfast, lunch and dinner in one of the fine dining cars.

However, as it is not 1935 and I am neither rich nor 67, I feel this is something I should put on the back-burner for now.

Luckily, I have the Delaunay to satisfy my cravings for an inter-War Neverland in the heart of London. As soon as I leave the touristy bustle on the corner of Aldwych and Drury Lane, I am entering a very modern slice of the past.

Met by the efficient and suitably haughty maître d‘, I am led past a table full of glass-dome-encased-cake and into a grand dining room of central Europe – all panelled walls, mirrors and shiny silver cruet sets.

Welcome to the Delaunay; the grand European café restaurant.

Posh napkins

I think it’s fair to say that my musings on this stunning eatery in the heart of town will help add a much-needed Y chromosome to the pages of Lady Loves Cake. While I can’t deny the appeal of a pastel-blue cupcake with a delicate rose-scented icing (à la Bea’s of Bloomsbury), that’s not what this place is about. The food is unashamedly big and bold.

Let’s start at the start…breakfast. The first time I visited the Delaunay, I was going through a particularly greedy phase of my life. The black and white puddings topped with a fried duck egg seemed the obvious choice. This was pure protein on a plate and washed down with plenty of coffee and more toast than I have ever seen, I felt enormously satisfied. My body loathed me for the trauma I had put it through, but I chose to ignore it.

True to its mittel-European leanings, the breakfast menu contains a large selection of Vienoisserie and a coffee menu which includes Wiener Kaffee (large espresso with whipped cream) and Einspänner (a long espresso with steamed milk and whipped cream). Pancakes, waffles and bacon sandwiches are all present and correct, as are a brace of croques: monsieur et madame! You can order your omelette in any number of ways and the kippers come grilled or curried. There are even a few healthy options, but we don’t need to dwell on those.

A breakfast coffee

The brunch menu retains some of the breakfast items but introduces a lot of fayre from the main à la carte – a wonderfully extensive list including wieners, schnitzels, caviar and coupes.

But it wouldn’t be Lady Loves Cake unless afternoon tea made an appearance. Starting at just £9.95 for the basic cream tea (choose from scones or crumpets), the Delaunay really doesn’t price itself beyond the reach of the ever-growing crowd of afternoon-tea-istas. The full tea (sandwiches, scones, cakes) sits just above £20 and the Champagne version is just £10 more dear. What you get is a fine spread in an even finer location and the most delicious Battenberg I have ever tasted – absolutely worth the price. Of course, you can just do what I do and have a buck rarebit instead!

Buck rarebit and scones

I really do find it difficult to fault the Delaunay. The younger brother of the well-respected Wolseley (where I have nearly dined, but that’s a long and sad story), it ticks all my boxes of what dining in London should be. While the à la carte menu is certainly worth investigating, it is the breakfast and tea which will get you returning again and again.

This really is the Orient Express between the two Wars; just a little more spacious and without the view.

The Delaunay can be found at 55 Aldwych, WC3B 4BB. Nearest tubes are Holborn or Temple. Opening hours and menu times vary. 

Fancy seeing more of Gentleman loves Cake? I think we should invite him back for more guest posts. What say you readers? 

Afternoon tea – nom nom nom nom nom…

Afternoon tea at Corinthia London

Whitehall Place’s Corinthia Hotel

Readers, as you know, I’m the London-based contributor for the High Tea Society. I honestly think this is the best privilege I’ve had from starting this blog (obviously with the exception of the amazing people I’ve met through it) and it was only confirmed yet again when I got to review the Corinthia Hotel’s afternoon tea back in January. This post is a slightly amended version of my review that appeared first on the High Tea Society’s website (which contains a much more detailed account of the afternoon). 

One of London’s newest hotels it has taken the finest elements of traditional afternoon tea and put a modern twist on it. I cannot speak highly enough of the Corinthia London.

The view from our table – beautiful!

The entire experience was an absolute delight on the senses and we were treated with such care and attention without being overwhelmed. The hotel, set in the heart of London, a skip hop and a jump from Westminster, Whitehall, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, the West End and the National Galleries, is beautiful and it is quite clear the amount of thought that has gone into every detail – this is very much reflected in their afternoon tea experience. 

Illuminated by a spectacular “Full Moon” Baccarat chandelier designed by Chafik Gasmi, the Lobby Lounge is beautiful and overlooks a maple-lined courtyard which you could sit in during London’s warmer months. It is modern and fresh and, on the day we visited, was filled with the most exquisite orchids.

The afternoon tea began with a plate of finger sandwiches served on artisanal bread and a choice of tea from a very good selection supplied by Tea Palace. We chose the Japanese Gyokuro Asahi and Chinese Oriental Berry along with a glass of Laurent Perrier NV champagne. These were followed by a selection of perfectly sized warm scones and a selection of English fancies.

Tea & sandwiches

The quality of the food was excellent. The sandwiches include a selection of Loch Var smoked salmon, cornfed chicken with ale mustard, egg mayonnaise with watercress, roast sirloin beef and cucumber with goats cheese. The scones were small and perfectly formed, making way for a beautiful selection of cakes, which for us were stunning.

These creations tasted incredible and looked perfect.

Cake stand

For us the highlights of the afternoon tea were the roast sirloin of beef and creamed horseradish finger sandwiches, for which we actually requested more. The scones were perfect. The range of desserts and slices to select from is wide but if we had to choose a favourite, they would be the rhubarb cheesecake and the chocolate mousse log, though the mandarine almendine certainly made us gasp with joy.

The food was of high quality and easily competes among the finest of London’s more traditional afternoon tea establishments.  

Scones

The cakes included a selection of English fancies which included the following (amongst others):

Mandarine Almendine

Rhubarb cheesecake

Rum Baba

Chocolate log

Blueberry Éclair

Mille Feux – Lavender

Chocolate Tower with Passion Fruit Jelly and Chocolate Fudge

Pear Shot Glass

‘English fancies’

More English fancies

Overall, we felt this to be a very unique experience in the heart of London; the Corinthia can easily compete with the best of London’s afternoon tea establishments. No points of detail have been spared in making the atmosphere feel really special, the food was lovely and the service was great. Very highly recommended. 

We were guests of the Corinthia London. Afternoon tea at the Corinthia ranges in price from £21 for cream tea up to £39 for afternoon tea, to £49 and £58 per person should you have champagne and what type of champagne you choose.