Parisian dining in London Town

One of the best things about London Town, in my humble opinion anyway, is that you are constantly discovering amazing new places; be it museums, independent shops, hidden parks or in the case of this weekend - amazing eateries. That's one of the reasons why I love this city so much. I never know what I'm about to discover, it's like being a tourist all over again! This past weekend I met up with a good friend for a late lunch and she suggested Brasserie Zedel, which is slap bang in Piccadilly. After having a peruse on the site I was up for it as it looked like proper French food and not the touristy stuff like snails or frogs legs that I assume isn't as widespread in France as one would think! So off I set with no clue of what to expect and ended up having the most brilliant taste of France (literally) smack bang in the middle of London.

You enter the Brasseries through a very unassuming little cafe with only a few tables and what looks like the most amazing tasting croissants - I most definitely need to return soon to try one of those! We headed through the cafe to a corridor lined with the most brilliant French posters and made our way downstairs to a very Moulin Rouge looking lobby that opened up into the most surprising room - the restaurant. The restaurant is a cavernous room that I can't believe I never knew existed under the streets of London. It's got massive marble pillars and huge bright lights and tables and chairs fill the space. There are also gorgeous red velvet covered booths and a grand piano with a pianist to provide wonderful background music. The place really is the most surprising of venues. I can't believe it's only just been bought to my attention - amazing.

So that's the restaurant, now what about the important bit, the FOOD! I have just one word for you: sublime! Really everything that I tasted was exceptional. From the freshly baked bread and crispy fries to the delicious Croccroute de la Mer and succulent chicken in champagne sauce and then on to the scrumptious tarte tatin, the food was just perfect! I opted for the Croccroute as I had no clue what it was and I thought I should try something new (to me at least) and it was definitely a good choice. It was a selection of really fresh fish - mussels, salmon and trout - in a creamy sauce on a bed of sauerkraut and new potatoes. Not something that I would have chosen if I knew what it was as I once had a very bad sauerkraut experience, but this meal was so delicious I may be converted to such a delicacy. I honestly can't fault the food at all. It was all delicious and seemed to have been kept faithful to the French recipes.

Even though the room was fairly cavernous and every table was full on Sunday afternoon it wasn't an overwhelming restaurant at all - you didn't feel like the noise was overwhelming or like you were eating in a massive air hangar, which is prove that they have got the vibe right. As for the cost, we had two courses and drinks and it was £25 each, which isn't cheap. But when you remember you're in central London and you've just had the most scrumptious French food you can't really complain. Plus it's such a great experience, it's worth every penny!

If you've never been to Brasserie Zedel and you fancy a little taste of France when you're next in London I highly recommend it. After all anywhere that has their name embroidered on the serviettes has to be worth a try right?

So tell me have you ever had a similar experience and discovered somewhere just round the corner from you that transports you to an entirely new country? It can't just be me!

A weekend in the Peak District (part one)

Happy Tuesday everyone and welcome to another installment of the Travel Tuesday link up with Bonnie and Co. I hope your bags are packed and ready to head off on another adventure? Today we're off for to the wonderful Peak District to relive my recent trip up there with my sisters at the end of January. The three of us decided on a four day weekend adventure to celebrate the end of youngest sisterling's (Bex) university exams. None of us have spent a lot of time in the Peak District and it's not far from where Bex is at university, so we thought it was the perfect time to explore this wonderful part of the UK. so without further ado, here's what we got up to...

We started with a bit of food and a shop in Sheffield on Friday as it's what sisters have to do when they meet up after a couple of months - it's basically the law! Wagamama's, Starbucks and Primark were in order and they were delicious, warming and lacking in purchases respectively! Once we had some sustenance in us we headed to the spa town of Buxton. It was not the nicest car journey mainly due to the fact it was absolutely torrential rain and high winds. Not ideal when one is driving up steep hills and along windy roads.

Thankfully we arrived safely and still in the light and were won over by gorgeous Buxton and our even more wonderful flat for the next three nights. The flat consisted of the most gorgeous kitchen and bathroom, a snuggley living room and two gorgeous bedrooms. The decor was stunning and I loved this little spot in the master bedroom - if I could have gotten away with stealing the chair I would have snuck it back to London!

On our first night there we did the food shop, played multiple board games and nattered constantly. It was complete and utter bliss!

The weather on the Saturday was absolutely dismal (torrential rain, high winds and snow!) so we didn't want to stray too far from the flat, so instead we donned our wellies and strode into Buxton (5 minutes walk) to explore. We discovered the beautiful Cavendish Arcade, which is full of beautiful boutiques and is where the original springs (that makes Buxton famous) were situated. What makes the Cavendish Arcade so beautiful is that a lot of those elements still exist - the beautiful blue titles, the glorious vaulted ceiling of blue and green glass and one of the original chairs for lowering people into the baths. It really is rather wonderful!

After rummaging in numerous charity shops we stopped off for coffee and cake before heading back to the flat, via the famous Buxton Dome. The Dome is a stunning building and the name refers to the magnificent domed ceiling in the University of Derby building - the Dome itself is the largest unsupported Dome in all of Europe! Sadly I only managed to get one rubbish picture of the Dome as there was a university open day going on but it was a truly stunning site!

After a day of exploration we spent yet another evening eating, chatting and game playing - plus the addition of a couple of films. I finally watched Despicable Me 2 and, of course, I adored it. The minions were even more irresistible this time round!



Right I think that's where I'll leave you for today, as otherwise this post will be LONG! Check back next week to find out what we got up to on our final two days in the Peak District, including the wonderful village of Castleton and the most scrumptious brunch!