lovely jubbly london

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

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.

Kate Spade London Arrives

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

Can't wait to see the prettiness in person.

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

Bubbleology London {bubble tea}

Anyone remember the bubble tea trend that swept America?

Sadly for us expats, we often miss out on such things.

Guess what Londoners?

Not anymore.

Mainstream bubble tea has finally reached our shores.

Introducing:

Bubbleology

Pick your flavour and a "bubbleologist" will create your drink. Each is made to order so you can fully customise it to your liking.

Yes, we ordered three. What? It was research.

L to R: Vanilla, Mango & Strawberry

The verdict?

We both liked the fruit tea but it was a little too sweet. Next time I order a fruit tea it will be 1/2 sweetness.

The milk tea? Loved it! Absolution perfection.

Delicious with just the right amount of sweetness.

Word on the street is come summer, they'll be serving up bubble tea with slushie ice.

What are you waiting for? Go get your own.

Be warned, you may have to wait but that is a good thing because we want them to stick around for a long while.

 

Bubbleology is located at 49 Rupert Street, London W1.

Bonus- they're open until 11.30pm every night.

Bicester Village

We went to Bicester Village many years ago when it first opened. It was a disaster and waste of a trip. I am not really an outlet person and I hated it.

I've read some more about it recently so we made the trip back to Bicester.

This time, I loved it! It has improved so much and is a dream if you are into designer labels at a lower price. 

Stores included:

Alexander McQueen, Marni, Jimmy Choo, Temperley, Ferragamo,

 

Valentino, Theory, Mulberry, Anya Hindmarch, Tod's,

Burberry, Cath Kidston, Reiss, Jigsaw, Smythson & many more...

and this little gelato stand?

yum!

The husband said he didn't want one and soon regretted it!

You'll have to excuse the poor photos- I snapped a few with my phone as we were leaving and as you can tell it was a gray day.

Bicester Village is off the M40, just over an hour north of London. The exit is having some road works so be prepared for a bit of a delay. If you make the drive, be sure to stop by Oxford as well for a little sightseeing!

A shopping express coach service from London with roundtrip adult fares from £23 is also available.

Alternatively, trains depart London Marylebone for Bicester North four times per hour and take around an hour.

Anthropologie, Kings Road

I normally shop in the Anthropologie on Regent Street but the Kings Road branch is just as lovely. The selection seems a bit smaller but it is definitely more unique with a waterfall, separate shoe shop and mini art gallery.

Spring Salad

Spring is in full swing which can only mean one thing. Time to start eating healthier meals to gear up for summer. I love filling salads for a quick dinner or lunch. This salad is a take on my favourite salade fermiere* from Paul** and the great thing about it is you just throw in whatever you have on hand.

Spring Salad

mixed lettuce (I like spinach, lambs lettuce, cos lettuce & red leaf)

fruit (sliced apple, sliced grapes, sliced strawberries or raspberries & raisins)

vegetables (shredded carrots, sliced cucumber & bell peppers)

nuts (pine or walnuts)

shredded cheese

chicken breast 

olive oil & balsamic vinegar for dressing 

 

Throw it all together and dinner is done!

 

*Salade Fermiere from Paul has mixed lettuce, shredded carrot, emmental cheese, walnuts, raisins, sliced green apple & sliced chicken breast.

** A bit of Paul trivia... One day I was out near Waterloo craving a Paul salad. I looked on my phone and couldn't find a Paul near SE1 but I remembered there was one in the station downstairs by the Jubilee line entrance. Off I went and I looked in the display and thought things looked a little different. I asked the woman if they had any salads and she tells me no, they don't make salads anymore. *insert head scratching here* I explain I was just in Paul South Ken last week and they had salads. She then explains that it's a different Paul and they aren't connected. Sure enough, I checked the website and for a real Paul, you have to find a standalone shop in London- no carts or counters in train stations nor any locations out of London. Who knew?!

***and yes, I'm such a Paul addict I even ate there in Paris! I also have the Paul rewards card.  

The Best Pick 'n' Mix

This may be subjective but if you are an American expat, there is only one pick 'n' mix in London worth knowing.

Where is this wonderful place you wonder?

Selfridges!

*the candy bars, nerds etc are all overpriced (of course!) but the actual pick 'n' mix isn't that bad plus you can add in a mix of your favourite British penny sweets