Spuntino, London

I have had a couple of occasions lately on my work trips that I haven’t had any plans, shocker ! So I have found myself embracing solo-dining. It can be quite a daunting experience if you have never done it before, you want to make sure you get the right place to feel comfortable and…

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Bird of Smithfield, London

Nothing beats a nice drink at a rooftop bar on a sunny evening, and now summer is (kind of) here, a friend and I took advantage of the lovely sunshine and enjoyed a few drinks up on the roof of Bird of Smithfield overlooking the ornate Smithfield Market. I had read good things about the…

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Venison Carpaccio

Earlier this year Stuart attended the Ballintaggart Cook School outside the beautiful village of Grandtully near Aberfeldy in Perthshire. I have previously written about our stay at The Grandtully Hotel, which is owned by the Rowley Family from Ballintaggart and staying here is a lovely way to make a weekend of a cook school visit….

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The Grandtully Hotel

Back in March we finally made it to The Grandtully Hotel in Perthshire, run by the wonderful family behind Ballintaggart Farm and formerly the Supper Club Charlie and Evelyn’s table in Edinburgh. Having visited the Supper Club, I knew that their next venture would be a great one. The Grandtully Hotel sits in the little…

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The Chocolate Cocktail Club

If you love chocolate and cocktails then The Chocolate Cocktail Club is the place for you! A few weeks ago I paid a visit along with some friends to this pop up; a speakeasy style affair hidden underneath Brick Lane serving chocolate twists on classic cocktails. This pop up was only to be around until…

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The Lookout by Gardener’s Cottage

A couple of months ago a friend and I visited the newly opened ‘The Lookout’ another offering by Gardener’s Cottage and The Collective situated on Calton Hill. Our taxi driver was convinced there was nothing up there, and that the access road hadn’t been open to traffic in years but was willing to give it…

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ROVI, London

I am a big fan of Yotam Ottolenghi and have visited his restaurant Ottolenghi in Islington and Spitalfields, as well as Nopi in Soho, all of which I love.  So I was excited to learn of his new opening in Fitzrovia a stones throw from Oxford Circus – Rovi. As with all his offerings the…

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Spitalfields Art

When the weather is favourable I do like to go for a walk at lunchtime, unfortunately depending on where I am working the walk is not often that scenic. Working recently in the City in London I discovered it is a haven of art!  From regular art displays in Broadgate to the Sculptures that can…

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Porchetta

I’m not long back from a wonderful holiday with friends in Umbria, Italy. The bonus of staying in a villa is generally they will have an outdoor wood-burning oven and you just have to take the opportunity to use this to make a really tasty dinner and what better thing to cook than a Porchetta?!…

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Sevilla, Spain

I last visited Sevilla as part of a backpacking adventure travelling around Spain and Portugal about 15 years ago – I loved it and always said one day I would come back. Luckily Easyjet have started direct flights from Edinburgh to Seville, so we decided to utilise the Easter break and take a long weekend in…

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