Wine and canoodling in a candlelit crypt - Gordon's Wine Bar

The oldest wine bar in London (established in its present form back in 1890), Gordon’s serves up an award winning wine list and tasty nibbles to accompany. What makes Gordon’s so unique is the venue itself. A narrow flight of stairs leads you down into a dark underground cavern with scattered candlelit tables, perfect for sipping wine and discreet romantic liaisons.

The selection of wine at Gordon’s is vast and varied (as one would expect at a “wine” bar) and the prices are very reasonable. Bottles start at around £14 and glasses at £4. Red drinkers can indulge with a bottle of Rioja Siglo 1881 (£19.50), a medium bodied wine with flavours of spice, vanilla and strawberry. White drinkers might want to try the light and refreshing Vin de Pays Blanc (£14.60), a fruity and easy-to-drink white, that is nicely made into a Kir with a dash of Crème de Cassis. Gordon’s also has a nice selection of sparkling wines, Champagne, Sherries, Madeira’s and Ports. Be sure to check out their blackboard for wine specials.

For those who want some nibbles with their wine, a cheese plate to share is a great option (£11.25). Pick three cheeses from a good selection (Rustique Artisan Camembert and Cropwell Bishop Stilton are definite winners) and they will be transferred onto a platter accompanied by oven baked French bread, pickled onions, gherkins and pickle. A perfect pairing with Gordon’s lovely wines.

Gordon's Wine Bar, 47 Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NE

www.gordonswinebar.com

A floating pub with gigs, drinks and spectacular city views – Tamesis Dock

With impressive views of the city (London Eye and Houses of Parliament), this unique pub and restaurant is actually a converted Dutch barge. Moored on Albert Embankment between Vauxhall and Lambeth Bridge, guests can sip their drinks on the spacious outdoor terrace (weather permitting) or cosy themselves inside the dark, slanted and character-filled barge interior.

The vibe here is very relaxed, the service is very friendly and the drink prices are quite reasonable.

Tamesis Dock also hosts events, including some great live bands. If you sign up to their Facebook page, you can stay in the know about what’s coming up.

Tamesis

Albert Embankment

London, SE1

www.tamesisdock.co.uk

Grocery shopper’s paradise for a “whole” lotta money – Whole Foods Market Kensington

Just thinking about the bread at Whole Foods makes me salivate. This bread is no ordinary bread – it is so yummy that I will not even bat an eyelash over trekking across two tube lines to get my hands on some. The fruit and nut bread is divine. The milk chocolate hazelnut bread scrumptiously naughty. Plus they give free samples while they slice! This is why I decided to venture all the way to Kensington High Street to buy one bread roll for my dinner. Yet somehow I managed to spend £24.55 and 80 minutes in the store. I should’ve known better. Whole Foods is a foodie delight. Here you can find unique grocery items that will make your dining experience an extra special one. The food here is organic and free of artificial ingredients. Along with my roll, I found teriyaki sauce, sweet potato udon noodles, fresh goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, dried mango, espresso chocolate and more. Whole Foods Kensington also hosts weekly events including Thirsty Thursdays, where you can pair 5 wine samples with 5 food tastings for only a fiver. Despite my weakness in the food department, I am proud to announce that I managed to resist buying anything from their extensive organic beauty department.

Whole Foods Market Kensington
The Barkers Building,
 London W8 5SE
www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Deep Sea Exhibit at the Natural History Museum – Bizarre creatures from the deep (with a face only a mother could love)

Procrastination is something I do best. This is why I have left visiting ‘The Deep Sea’ exhibit to the very last minute, as viewing weird and wonderful bottled specimens is right up my science nerd alley. This exhibit is only on until September 5th, which is a shame because the fascinating specimens and interesting facts really should be a permanent part of the museum. Here are a few titbits of deep sea knowledge I picked up at this exhibition.

Fact 1:

The deepest part of the ocean is the Mariana Trench in the Pacific, which reaches a depth of 11,000 meters and is deep enough to submerge Mount Everest.

Fact 2: 

In the Twilight Zone (not the Rod Serling series, but the part of the sea that ranges between 200-1,000 meters deep) many of the marine animals have lights on their underside. This “counterillumination” is a method of camouflage. Light produced on the underside of bioluminescing animals helps them disappear from predators below. And because the top part of the animal is not lit, they are camouflaged from the prey above, as its dark silhouette appears against a black background.

Fact 3 (the one I will keep with me forever and probably share with people after a few drinks at the pub):

The warty anglerfish (quite possibly the ugliest fish to exist - hence why it was used in all the promotional material for this event) is a deep sea fish where the male is smaller than the female. The male fish uses his enlarged nostrils to sniff out a doomed female, where he then attaches himself to her and becomes parasitic, depending on her entirely for food and transport. Sounds like a few men I’ve known...

The Deep Sea Exhibit at the Natural History Museum (May 28 - Sept 5, 2010)
Cromwell Rd., London SW7 5BD
www.nhm.ac.uk

Snog Frozen Yogurt: Brighten your day with a guilt-free snog!

Their mission was to create the best super healthy frozen yogurt the world has tasted – and they have succeeded! Snog’s ice cream shops have made my life a happier little place. There was a time where guilt-free meant taste-free, but Snog has changed this. Their non-fat ice cream is made with organic yogurt and skimmed milk and actually tastes yummy. Adding to the health factor, it is also naturally sweetened with Agave nectar, which makes it low GI. Snog claims to be the first frozen yogurt shop on the UK and since they’ve come around, I’ve noticed a few other Snog wannabes pop up. Snog’s yogurt ice cream comes in three different flavours, natural (my favourite), green tea and chocolate. Once you’ve picked your ice cream you then have an abundance of topping choices to choose from. From plump raspberries to naughty mini oreos, Snoggers can mix and match for their perfect ice cream creation. The perfect indulgence. If only all my snogs were this fulfilling…

There are five uniquely decorated Snog shops around London. My favourite spot is Snog Covent Garden, 5 Garrick Street, London, WC2E 9AR

www.ifancyasnog.com

Getty Images Gallery - Captivating editorial photography

Tucked away just moments from bustling Oxford Street is London’s largest independent photographic gallery, the Getty Images Gallery. Known for their vast collection of stock photography, Getty images use this venue to showcase stunning photographic exhibitions. Along with being cost free, this gallery is attitude free. I stumbled upon the gallery mid-afternoon and shared the entire space with only one other visitor. The exhibition on at the time was taken from the Ian Perry Scholarships collection. The Ian Perry Awards give emerging photographers an opening and support in the tough-to-break photography industry. Both disturbing and captivating were the images from Rodrigo Alfaro’s collection, ‘Deaths from childbirth in Paraguay’. Also exhibited was a shockingly beautiful set of editorial imagery captured in Mozambique of a determined child caring for her impoverished AIDS stricken mother. This collection was part of the independent children’s charity, Save the Children, pairing with the Ian Perry Awards.

Love from London – A City of Stars is the next exhibit soon-to-be launched. Running from August 26th – October 9th, here you can view photographs of stars from the golden age of cinema as they experience London, from Audrey Hepburn in Richmond Park to Elizabeth Taylor feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square.

46 Eastcastle Street, London W1W 8DX

www.gettyimagesgallery.com

Sangria Bar de Tapas - Tasty tapas and potent sangria (fantástico!)

Tapas + sangria = great times. Maybe this equation is partially influenced by my top-notch 21st birthday celebration in Barcelona (where I experienced my first authentic tapas and formed many other fond and blurry memories), or perhaps it’s my indecisive nature and joy of variety that makes tapas so near and dear to my heart (and belly). I truly enjoy sharing and nibbling little portion of food that come in equally adorable little dishes.

Sangria Bar de Tapas is this small independent establishment that I often walk pass, where happy diners always seem to be. A bright side alleyway next to the restaurant means that diners can actually relish the lovely weather (when it rarely happens) and enjoy an al fresco experience. The only problem with this is the teeny tiny outdoor space can only fit teeny tiny outdoor tables – a problem when you’re ordering six plates of tapas and two giant jugs of Sangria. I should probably mention here that this gem of a restaurant offers 2-for-1 sangria (the real kind – where you can taste the orange liqueur), hence the jug duo.

The tapas dishes here are very good for London standard. Unlike mega-chain La Tasca (which sadly has disappointed me on the food front a few times), the food tastes freshly prepared sans microwave. Their yummy tapas dishes include crisp fried squid (£5.95), chorizo cooked in red wine (£5.75) and blue cheese croquettes (£5.65).  Paella is another enticing option, with a mixed seafood, chicken and vegetable pan for two (£15.95).

With reasonable prices (this is N1!), 2-for-1 happy hour sangria and tasty tapas, Sangria Bar de Tapas is a little bit of Spain in a trendy part of London.

Sangria Bar de Tapas, 88 Upper Street, London N1 0NP