Nadir and I finally managed to get away for a quick trip together this summer, to London, for his cousin’s 40th birthday celebration. The fact that we still know people who are turning 40 was reason enough to celebrate:) The weather was relatively good even though it rained one day during our trip.

We pretty much ate & drank our way through London at some incredible restaurants and bakeries. Whenever I’m in London I loooove discovering new bakeries because nothing, I repeat, nothing in the world tastes like the desserts in London ... and Paris ... and St. Tropez ... let’s just say England & France! Oh and Lisbon too! One of my faaaavorite bakeries in London and apparently everyone else’s too now, given the queues (I know, so British of me) around the block, is Peggy Porschen. It’s an instagrammers wet dream (oh come on, you know me, so please let’s not get our knickers in a bunch), with the most exquisite flowers surrounding the entrance doorway. Situated on the quiet & super chic Ebury Street in the posh neighborhood of Belgravia, PP looks and tastes (not the bakery… the baked goods) divine.

So, I have this ongoing list that I compile of new and/or highly recommended restaurants in some of the cities I like to visit frequently. With the list in hand we arrived at a new-to-me bakery on Connaught Street called, Saint Aymes that was started by two sisters. Their inspiration? Grandma & Wes Anderson!! I believe, they have already received “The most instagrammable cafe” title & with good reason. It is literally a purple & pink floral paradise. When there you MUST order the Unicorn Latte. It’s a single shot pink or blue (I choose pink, of course) flavored latte topped with whipped cream, 24ct gold and a marshmallow. Yum, yum, yum!!!

Other than shoving our faces with pastries we did eat at some fabulous restaurants too some of which I’ve listed below. And given how wonderful I am I’ve added some more to the list based on my previous visits to London:)
Hmmm... what else? Ohhh, Berkeley Hotel’s (Baark-ley please) Blue Bar. In loooooove - with the decor, ambience, service & drinks. Nadir and I had a date there every night. I know, it sounds dumb given that we were together the entire time for 5 days but we decided that we HAD to go to TBB (you got it - The Blue Bar) every night for a quick drink, snack or even tea one day:)

And last but not least I dragged my hubby to the Azzedine Alaïa exhibition and installation at the Design Museum. Fashion orgasm x 100 would be an understatement in describing this couturier’s timeless creations. From the Tunisian-born’s first show in 1970s to his final one just before his passing in 2017, Alaïa’s work has generated excitement and respect. Throughout his time as a designer he remained focused solely on the demands of perfecting his vision, not on market demands. It was particularly moving to see one of my favorite designer’s work on display - talk about a legend!!! He was a designer who believed in eternal beauty, not fashion’s constant fluctuations. Even Nadir was mesmerized … till I started harassing him for more pics:))

Some of my favorite places to eat in London: Sketch, Gymkhana, Amaya, Ottolenghi Nopi, Ottolenghi Belgravia, Jamavar, Chiltern Firehouse, Bagatelle Mayfair, Dishoom, Trishna, Park Chinois, Sexy Fish, Isabel Mayfair, Zuma, Casa Cruz, Fortnum and Mason for tea, Blue Bar at The Berkeley for cocktails.

Thank you as always for visiting & reading my blog post! Lots and lots of love from the stirrer;) Hugs, Sobia