Fortunée The Fortunate

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 s...

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 ...

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...

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...

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.