Fortunée The Fortunate

How cool is this: an outdoor 20-square meter screen has been installed in Bromley Market Square for a live coverage of Wimbledon tennis championship!  And the massive screen comes with a cute fenced garden-like area, composed of deckchairs, fake lawn, and even a little bar which serves some refreshments and snacks.  Located on the pedestrian section of the high street, it’s a lovely way of ending a shopping session (good timing since we’re in the sale period)!  This free event runs this year from July the 10th until the 16th. It's apparently the second year it's happening, let's hope it will continue! 

This is something I wish I had known the few times I visited London before moving to the UK: it did take me a while to understand it. At that time, this campaign didn't exist (I only started seeing these useful signs in the underground a few months ago).  I'll even go further than what the sign is saying by advising people to buy an oyster card instead of a travelcard when they visit London, even just for a couple of days. And this advice is even more valid if you're staying in Central London and might prefer walking or taking the bus instead of the tube. The Oyster Card either works as a season ticket (weekly/monthly/yearly) or on a pay as you go basis. With the pay as you go system, you top up the amount that you want and the journey price is deducted at the end of each travel (just "remember to touch in and out", another campaign everywhere in the tube). The reason the oyster is as good if not better than the travel card, is the capping system:

After all this time trying to book a table, I finally managed to go to Ceviche – Old Street , by just walking in, on a Thursday evening around 6. We only had an hour to eat, after that it was fully booked, but it was enough to have a proper meal! Peruvian Ceviche is a trendy dish made of raw fishes. You can have ceviche in many restaurants in London. However, the most popular ones are the one you from the 4 Peruvian restaurants founded by Martin Morales: Ceviche Soho, Casita Andina Soho, Andina Shoreditch, and Ceviche Old Street. I tried Casita Andina a few months ago (see my post here ) and absolutely loved it, so I had high expectation when I walked in Ceviche Old Street. The two venues are quite different: Casita Andina is cosy and intimate, Ceviche Old Street is big and spacious. It is located in the former Alexandra Trust Dining Room building, built in 1898, which offered cheap meals to East London working classes. The building was abandoned for a long time and hosted raves

The days you had to queue for 15 to 30 minutes in Brixton to get one of Franco Manca's delicious sourdough pizzas are fortunately long gone! Indeed, there are now several branches across London and even a few outside of the capital!   I discovered  Franco Manca  5 years ago. It was the 1st food spot I tried in my now, favourite area in London: Brixton... At that time, this was the only Franco Manca in London and I don't think anyone outside the people living in South London, knew about this small restaurant... Then, a couple of years after, their only branch became overly famous and you could end up having to queue for 30 minutes to get a table (as bookings were not possible)!  Imagine how delighted I was when, 2 weeks after I moved to Bromley, they opened a restaurant less than 10 minutes’ walk from my flat! It's conveniently located, in the centre, near all the main shops and restaurants and in between Bromley 2 main train stations! This branch is very sp

There are a lot of markets in London where you can find all sort of things and also, many specialised in Vintage stuff. But I believe I discovered the most off the chain and quirky one:  Haynes Lane Market ...   I am not going to lie: I am not a massive fan of vintage and 2nd hand stuff. I like modern and brand new. So the only reason why I went to Haynes Lane Market is because my mother, on the other hand, loves vintage stuff!  Located in the Crystal Palace neighbourhood, Haynes Lane Market is quite a walk (around 15 minutes) from both Gipsy Hill and Crystal Palace train station. Plus, it is in a quiet, narrow street; so there is no way you can end up there unless you plan to: a true hidden market!  I can't even begin to describe the place! When they say, " All things vintage and collectable " they literally mean E-VE-RY-THING! You know, all these small stuffs you have at home, should throw out, but keep for no reasons? Well, now you have a r

Once summer dares to come, I believe people should stop meeting up for a coffee and start meeting up over an ice cream :D  I love ice creams and particularly gelatos (even during winter). I tend to go to the same place but this time I decided I should find something different.  I found out about Marine Ices on Instagram and decided I had to try it despite the distance from where I leave (this is how much I like ice cream). Their parlour (as they call it) is only a few minutes’ walk from Chalk Farm tube station and it is supposed to be an institution, as they make authentic gelatos since 1931.  And the gelato was very nice: not too sweet and full of flavour! I had plenty of flavours and other desserts to choose from:  gelatos, sorbets, sundaes, cakes, waffles, milkshakes... A true paradise for someone with a sweet tooth.    What I love about the place is the number of seats they have. There are 2 floors with plenty of tables & chairs and the top floor has a cu

When I was younger, cookies were just dry biscuits you'd find in supermarkets. First time I visited England and tried Millie's Cookies, I understood that it was meant to be slightly softer than what I was used to. The true epiphany happened once I tried Ben's Cookies … This was back when I was working in Bath; my colleagues used to treat themselves occasionally with Ben's Cookies boxes. And it became a real treat to me since.  Ben's cookies' cookies, Are nOt jUst cOOkies: they are more like cakes. Unlike the cookies I was eating when I was little, they are so meltingly soft and spongy that I am sure you don't even need teeth to eat them. When you're lucky enough to have them warm or straight from the oven, the chocolate chunks are melting and chewy.  You can choose between many flavours, from normal chocolate chunks to more unusual like ginger or dates.  What is also very convenient is that you can buy tins of 4 or 8 cookies: the cookies wi

Last Saturday, I finally got to try Pizza Pilgrims and I was very excited as I had heard a lot about it!  They sell Neapolitan Pizzas (not that I would be able to tell the difference, had they been from Milan or Rome...) and you can have it in or to take away. It is a very popular place for pizzas and they now have many restaurants across the city. I went to the one in Kingly Court, near Carnaby Street and I thought the place was very cool – I loved their wall decoration made of pizza boxes from several other pizzerias, including Franco Manca.    They have a lot of tables inside but you can also choose to seat outside. The prices are reasonable and the restaurant was relatively quiet for a Saturday around lunch time, which is very pleasant in that area.     They offer a good selection of vegetarian pizzas (nice... but not an option for a carnivore like myself), however, I ordered a Margherita with extra prosciutto (typical) and the pizzaiolo was nOt stIngy At All with the pr

For all the shopping addicts who, despite the amount of clothes they already own, won't be able to control themselves once they get to Oxford Street but will feel very guilty spending this much time and money on superficial stuff rather than intellectual ones (and I am describing someone I know very well: @ Nonolita , this post is for you), I know the perfect place where you can take a break from the shopping and eventually nurture your mind and spirit...  Located a few minutes’ walk from Oxford Circus Tube Station, The Photographers' Gallery is a gallery only dedicated to photography with various photography exhibitions throughout the year. It is spread over 6 floors with a cafe on the ground floor and a bookshop in the basement. The bookshop sells photography books, print sales and gallery exhibition's publications. The cafe has a very good reputation and seemed to be a good place to escape Oxford Street buzz.  Good news for people who think that after all the mo

Country Pubs are one of the things I really got used to after a few years living in the UK and I love everything about them. They are nice and cosy when the weather is not good but also perfect for when the sun is out. Bathampton Mill is a riverside pub in Bath, along the Avon canal, which is perfect under any weather conditions. They serve pub food classic and have a large garden overlooking the river (beautiful scenery), with plenty of seats, which is a perfect set up to chill out in the sun.  Garden We went there on a warm sunny day and got food and drinks. Sunshine in the West Country meant I had to have a pint of cider – Mortimer’s Orchard, a nice fresh medium cider – and I went for an English classic: the Sunday roast chicken (s erved with goose-fat roasted potatoes, braised cabbage, honey-roasted parsnips, buttered kale, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire pudding and gravy, sounds like poetry to me) , which was deli

I am sure you might end up one day in busy Liverpool Street Station feeling peckish but fancying a quieter and more relaxing environment than the buzzing train station to grab some food… And I know exactly the place where you should go!  A few minutes (if not seconds, depending which exit you take) walk from Liverpool Street Station, is Broadgate Circle, a hidden dining spot where you’ll certainly find something to satisfy your hunger. It is ideally located if you’re exploring the City or heading toward Spitafields Market, and with a lot of seats outside, it is a good spot to enjoy a bit of sun. There is a wide choice of restaurants, from France (Aubaine) to Lebanon (Comptoir Libanais) to Japan (Shoryu Japanese); you can even find the unmissable Franco Manca! Although it was around lunch time,  when all the other food spots in London were packed,  the place was incredibly quiet on this Early May Bank Holiday, so perfect to escape the crowd.  Broadgate area has a

Amongst all the live music places I have been, this one has the most  unique atmosphere. Located minutes away from Camden tube station, the Jazz Cafe  is a fantastic live venue which focuses, not only on jazz, as the name would suggest, but also on soul, funk and R&B. You have everything you could be looking for to have a delightful night out: food, drinks and music! The venue is split into 2 floors: the ground floor with 2 bars, the main stage and a good sized standing area, right in front of the stage, and the upper floor with some seating and a great view of the stage.  The whole place is pretty small for a gig venue, so quite intimate, which makes it even more special and  I particularly liked the exposed brick walls decor!  That night started with a tribute to The Neptunes Greatest Hits, performed by some talented singers and an amazing band, and ended up with a disco/soul/funk party.  Johnny Voltik Performance They have great artists performing all

I just ate these pastries that I brought back from St-Rémy-de-Provence. I had previously tasted it when I was living in Avignon but had forgotten how good it was!  They're called " Navette " and are usually found in the Marseille/Provence area. It is a cylindrical sweet pastry, shaped like a navette boat. There are different types of Navettes. These ones, that I got from Maison Bergese Patisserie, were Orange blossom flavoured and simply delicious!  So, if you go to St-Rémy-de-Provence (see my previous post) make sure you stop at Maison Bergese to grab a bag of Navettes. They have both a patisserie and a boulangerie in St Rémy, and sell authentic traditional homemade Provençal delights which are much appreciated by the locals.  

During summer, a lot of outdoor cinemas are taking place across the city. Last year I tried the Somerset House one! I didn't love the movie - Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn, not really my kind of movies - but I enjoyed the whole atmosphere.  They will be doing it again this year, between the 10th and 23th of August.  Tickets are available in May.  The line-up will include  My Neighbour Totoro and I haven't seen this Ghibli movie yet , so I am really looking forward to it!  Picture by S.K.