lovely jubbly london

Sunday

I'm Loving {January Edition}

Call the Midwife

The BBC's newest drama set in the 1950s. Why did I wait so long to start watching it?!

 

 

Spiced Roasted Chicken by Gourmet

Delicious, quick and easy! Double up on spices and add some wine to the deglazing process and you've got a winner.

 

Cold Weather

Call me crazy, but I do love cold weather in winter. I want a winter that feels like winter. If it would only snow...

Bespoke London Street Signs

The London street sign is an icon we all know and love. I remember when I first moved to London looking in my A-Z to see if there was a street with my surname.

There is. Oh, how I wanted it for myself! 

Luckily, you no longer need to do anything illegal to have your very own street sign. You just need the money!

Thanks to TFL's new service, it doesn't even matter if your name is a real street or not. Best of all, these are real genuine signs made by the same people who make the ones you see all over London.

If trains are more your thing, they even offer railway signs.

Aren't they amazing?

For you fellow expats, these would be great souvenirs to remind you of your time spent in this glorious city. 

TFL Bespoke Signs

All pics from TFL

London Loves...

London fashionistas are uniting in their love for a particular Zara handbag. No matter where you go, you're sure to spot one.

Famous fashionistas also love it.

Source: theglitterguide.tumblr.com via MCL on Pinterest

{sorry for the blurry pictures- while I'm crazy enough to snap photos of strangers, I do try not to get noticed}

Monki

Have you heard of Monki? Owned by H&M, the line is described as a cross between Scandinavian sensibility and Japanese quirkiness. The first UK concession has opened at Selfridges and is sure to succeed with its low price points.

Monki can be found on the ground floor of Selfridges London. 

Marks & Spencer Foodhall Overhaul

If you know me at all, you know how much I love M&S for groceries. When I read that they were overhauling their foodhalls again, I was a bit unsure. The last change they made (introducing other brands) I didn't like so I wasn't sure whether this new improved foodhall would impress me.

Well, M&S, you did it. The first of the new foodhalls is at the High Street Kensington branch and I love it. Deli counters, made to order fresh pasta and specialist international food items combined with tradition own brand products make this M&S something special.

Fashion Friday: Forever 21 London

Forever 21 opened while we were in Portugal and I finally made my way down there last week unsure of what to expect.

I was surprised to find three floors of bargains. Prices were actually comparable to what you would find in the US. Bracelets were a couple of quid and most clothing was around or under £20. London fashionistas have definitely found a new mecca.

Kate Spade London Arrives

For real this time- so long pop-up, hello London.

Can't wait to see the prettiness in person.

Fashion Friday: Summer Sales

The summer sales have officially started and it's turning out to be trouble!

Harrod's pre-sale started last weekend for its loyalty card holders and when I went in on Monday, most shoes were already gone in my size. Tomorrow the sale will officially begin and my salesgirl said they will bring back things not currently in store. She said if you can brave it, definitely stop by. I'm still debating whether to brave the crowds (they start lining up super early) or wait until Monday when things have died down.

Luckily for me, she was super helpful in that she told me most boutiques on Sloane Street had started sales on Monday too. I headed straight over and hit the jackpot at Tod's.

You know how expensive everything is in the UK compared to the US? Well, not Tod's. Tod's is actually cheaper in the UK! When I got back to work, I looked up the shoes I bought on American websites and the exact shoes I bought at the boutique in London were cheaper by at least £60 per pair even though they were on sale in the US too. 

While every designer boutique has started their sale, the only other designer I looked at was Ferragamo. Even comparing sale prices, shoes are slightly more than in the US but it is negligible at around £20 per pair. I adore their classic Varina flats and the summer colours are on sale. If I wouldn't have bought so much at Tod's I probably would have bought a pair.

As for the rest of the department stores: 

Harvey Nichols started their sale during the week whilst Selfridges started theirs last weekend and have quite a bit online too. John Lewis and House of Fraser also started their sales but the selection was quite picked over. If you are good at digging for deals you might get lucky but, quite honestly, the biggest bargains of the summer sale are designer items not high street.

Now go forth and shop!

Bar Boulud

Daniel Boulud* is my mom's favourite chef. Her favourite restaurant in NYC is Daniel and we also go to DB Bistro quite a bit. So when she came into town recently and wanted to go to lunch near my work, I knew just where to take her.

Located inside the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge, Bar Boulud is quite popular during lunch. I would highly recommend a reservation if you go on a weekday.

We arrived at 12.30pm and were told we could only have a proper table for 1 hour or we could sit in a lounge type area with low tables and seats.

We took the table for an hour and sat in the back room you see above. Next time if I don't have a reservation I will ask about sitting at the bar overlooking the kitchen. Saying that, we were in no way rushed or asked to hurry.

My mom ordered the asparagus with duck breast and crispy eggs and said it was delcious.

I ordered one of the burgers and it was without a doubt the best burger I have had in a long time. I will be back soon for another. I think this may be the best burger in London.

 

Bar Boulud

Mandarin Oriental

66 Knightsbridge

London SW1

tel: 02072013899

 

*Daniel is pronounced Danielle

Image of Mandarin Oriental and interior shots from Daniel Boulud