2 & 4 - De Beuvoir

This little delight is just what I've been looking for. A cold war modern furniture shop (fairly well priced too - I was tempted more than once but its tricky to carry an angular sofa and walk a dog at the same time) with a rather special little cafe on the side; cakes treats and quite good coffee made even better by charming service and a thoughtful bowl of water for the milly pup.



Just off the regents canal 2&4 makes a perfect pit stop when the towpath cafe is too busy for solitude.



Maybe bring your friendly man with a van along too!



Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
Powered by ShowMeBlogger.com

Trinity Stores - Balham

For such a long standing part of London's food establishment I'm ashamed to say today was my first visit to Trinity Stores in Balham. I needn't worry, Wednesday afternoon and the place was alive with happy customers, floral clad kids and passers by. A wonderfully original selection of dry, fresh, chilled and alcoholic goodies. I bought teas and tisanes, biscuits and pies. None of which I needed and all of which were irresistible. The true heart of Balham.

The Old Post Office Bakery - Clapham

At last we can call off the hounds, to my ambassadors routing  the suburbs you can go home now, the search is over.

We have succeeded. Today the crown has passed over.

Ginger Pig you longer hold the title of 'best sausage roll in the world'. The title is moving on.

It's a long way to go but if man can conquer mountains I can brave the South Circular.

The humble sausage roll is a thing of beauty, easy to make but next to impossible to perfect. Yet down on Land or Road in Clapham it has been done.

Welcome to the throne ..... The Old Post Office Bakery



.

Franks - Peckham Multi Storey Carpark

Not knowing that Franks was above us it came as such a refreshing surprise. An urban beach-like bar but without the sand and Europop. Perfect. 

After climbing the ramps of the Peckham Multi Storey Car Park, with ever increasingly impressive works of sculpture building to a crescendo on on the rooftop, a Campari and some nibbles felt like a dream come true.

Of all the Galleries in London this space is not only the most intriguing (can a Car Park in Peckham really live up to expectations?) and the most inspiring (proof that Cities are more interesting in economic down-times) but also the most rewarding (this art coupled with that view creates uplifted souls)

We treated ourselves to a light brunch of Heritage Tomatoes on Toast, a classic south London greasy spoon dish, made delicious by ingredients alone, a few glasses of sunshine filled Rose and a Campari. We giggled like young lovers with our find and the Milly Pup ran from ankle to ankle dining on under table scraps of loveliness. She ran free after the large arty crowd of both rich and fashionably poor heckled me to 'let the puppy run free man!'

The best afternoon I've had in many many Sundays.

Already a treasured memory and already booked for next Saturday night. Lets pray for lots of sunshine followed by an epic thunder and lightening storm. Franks is the perfect place to watch the weather and smugly enjoy the fact that South London has all the best views.

Website: http://www.hannahbarry.com/ and http://www.frankscafe.org.uk/



.

The Black Lab - Clapham

It's not open yet and it's a famously difficult street to retail from but good luck to the guys at 'The Black Lab' in Clapham. I popped down to taste the mana this afternoon and it was closed for staff training. A good sign in itself!

Next time for sure.

Ellen Dunham-Jones - Retrofitting suburbia

Ellen Dunham-Jones: Retrofitting suburbia Video on TED.com

Watch this Video.

The big idea? Retrofitting empty suburban big boxes for the benefit of you and me. Would not an empty IKEA make the greatest farmers market? Could we not turn the hundreds of vacant woolworths into libraries? Should we not retro-fit deserted estates into huge playgrounds? Can't fault the idea really.

Also see the Detroit Urban Farming Movement!

Gelupo - Soho

Following on from romance at Polpo and memories of many a weekend spent splashing around in Venice, nothing could be finer or more fitting than a short stroll over to artisan ice cream maker Gelupo.

A Blood Orange Granita with Chocolate Sorbet piled on top. Almost Heaven! - although the Rice Ice came pretty close too, as did the many, and avaialble to all, free samples.

Oddly the owners also feel the need to add a small grocery and kitchenwares section to the back of the almost finished Gelato. Whilst I often find these attempts at retail misplaced I can't deny that a freezer full of suasages handmade for the diners of Bocca de Lupo got me very excited.

So go eat an ice cream, enjoy it, and then take a sausage or two  for a cut price Bocca experience at home.

Polpo - Soho

Birthdays in London can be wonderful nights especially if surprises booked by others. This year my delicious wife didn't book anything, Polpo don't take bookings. Just rock up, drink while you queue and prepare yourself for something quite magical - a bacaro in the middle of town and in a building previously occupied by Venetain God Canaletto (and what a blessing finding this must have been for the estate agent sourced to find a perfect location!) This is now my favourite restaurant in London. Not only is the food prepared perfectly and priced simply but aussie Kevin is an incredibly loving waiter. Although he is far prettier in real life than my hasty photo!

You'll notice I blog more about experience and service than food itself but isn't that the point of eating? Great food and bad service is a route to a bad night out, yet average food and great service can create a customer for life and unforgettable evenings. Is that not after all the secret what we hanker after? Memories.
Polpo has hit the holy grail however; great food and great service.

I'll never forget. Happy birthday to me!