Two and a half years of monthly visits to Lowestoft, and we have become experts on the local dining experience with all its eccentricities. Our explorations most recently led us to The Jolly Sailors in Pakefield. Booking ahead in Lowestoft is usually a good idea although it depends on your eatery (and whether they deem …
Category: Out of London
Green Owl Canteen, Loughton
Sunday = Brunchday in our house and when we heard that one of our favourite cafes, The Green Owl in Buckhurst Hill, had opened a sister eatery in nearby Loughton, the temptation to try it out was too much to resist. The Green Owl Canteen may technically fall in Loughton, as advertised, but I’d say that …
Cortijo del Cura, Freila
Our two week holiday in a peaceful Spanish cave home in Almeria was the perfect balance to the hectic pace of London. We loved exploring the ‘wild west’ style countryside and on our wanderings we were lucky to find this gem of a restaurant, Cortijo del Cura, on the shores of Lake Negratin. This is …
Comida, Kendal
A week in the Lake District and some much needed rest and relaxation. We explored the beautiful countryside, and especially the cafés and restaurants near to our Airbnb apartment in Kendal. We pigged out on some great brunches and dinners, and had tapas twice – with wildly different results. Firstly a word of advice: if …
Bettys, York
We had a week off and headed up North to visit some friends and meander around the Lakes – first stop, Bettys Tea Rooms in York. If you haven’t come across Bettys before, this is one for the Must Visit List. Founded almost 100 years ago by a Swiss pastry chef and chocolatier who got …
Green Owl Café, Buckhurst Hill
Green Owl Café and Deli is one of those local treasures that I know we should support more frequently – for brunch, lunch and more. They fearlessly compete with the likes of Costa (two branches within spitting distance) and Waitrose (opposite) giving away free hot drinks, and still thrive. Why? Because they are really, really good …
The Hardware Société, Paris
My birthday surprise was a wonderful weekend in Paris. Travelling on the Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord. Now let me tell you, when your birthday falls exactly one week before Christmas the combined present becomes the norm. The result of this means I can count the number of birthdays celebrated …
Le Petit Médicis, Paris
If you have a birthday near Christmas you’ll appreciate the pain of combined presents and being upstaged by the festive season. So I promised A. that he would have a birthday celebration to remember this year, and we set off to Paris on the Eurostar. For our first evening in one of my favourite cities …
The Courtyard, Elveden
Are you aware of the gentle rise of the farm shop and the spread of the garden centre cafe? We noticed it on a regular long car journey from London to Lowestoft. The easiest pit stop is Starbucks of course, and they have their place. If however you want a proper cup of coffee and …
The Lighthouse Diner, Lowestoft
Mid-way through a lovely long family weekend in Lowestoft, and we were looking for a morning treat to balance a week of healthy eating and exercise (OK, that last bit might be just in my head, but we really wanted a treat!). So we headed off to the North Denes, where The Lighthouse Diner sits …