Leaving London: Antipodean transition

Over recent months, my London diary has taken a backseat as it seemed somewhat daft to be blogging about London when in the midst of planning to leave this great place.

My T and I have been planning to do a working holiday in Australia for some time, and now its all come together. We have got the moneys saved, the flights are booked, the things insured, our other things stored and our bags are pretty much packed. So you won't hear from me for a while on here, but hop over to my other blog (hoping there's a link over there somewhere!) And you will be able to see  more about our adventures in the southern hemisphere!

More Al Fresco Frolics - Frank's Cafe

This may be posisbly the most over-used phrase of the summer, but what the heck is up with the weather?! Autumn is trying to take over and just when you think that the pathetic excuse we've had for a summer is over, the sun comes out blazing  and your wardrobe dilemmas continue to exponentially increase. I've essentially crippled myself with back ache of late because of the growing size (and weight) of the handbag I've been hauling around so I can be prepared for all eventualities. I was in boy scouts after all.

It's not an overstatement therefore to say that we Londoners have been clinging on to summer as if our lives depended on it. To that end, I am continuing on the theme of al fresco destinations in London that don't often crop up on the 'top 10' list but that are definitely worth a visit, even if we just have to face the fact that it's not really summer anymore after all.

A few weeks ago, it was Becca's birthday celebrations and I was excited to hear that Frank's Cafe was the venue of choice. I'd heard about it before but being an East London girl, Peckham Rye is not a frequent destination for me. In fact, I'd never really been there before except once by accident when I got a night bus in the wrong direction but the less said about that, the better.

Frank's Cafe is on a carpark rooftop about a minute's walk from Peckham Rye station, a short hop on the overground from London Bridge. It's confusing, you have to follow a red line I think. Don't do what I did and go up the first set of stairs you see, that is a fire exit for the nearby cinema, they won't appreciate you trying to get in there. Once you've negotiated the car park ramps and steps and reach the roof, you are rewarded with an amazing view of London, you can see every landmark there is from up there and it's great trying to identify them all and realising that many of them are not where you thought they were (in relation to Peckham at least!). Perhaps it would be more accutate to say, Peckham's not where I thought it was in relation to everything else. Anyway, the view is ace.

The bar itself is great too, lots of choice, lots of Campari and lots of lovely staff. They serve Greenwich Meantime, what could be better? The queues were long but you didn't wait long to get served and the food was fantastic BBQ fair. My favourite being the sweetcorn with lip-smackingly good paprika butter, something I've since tried (and failed) to recreate at home. Not having a bbq was obviously the problem. Probably. It's a really fun place and a fun time was had by all. There is an awning to protect you from the worst of the rain but it is exposed up there so take a rucksack of jumpers and blankets and those rain ponchos that tourists wear (or an umbrella) and you'll be set. 

I thought it was only open for the summer but I think it might be open all year round... so worth a visit then whenever the mood strikes except maybe not in the snow. Although saying that, in the snow I think it would be a bit like being in an Alpine lodge, albeit in Peckham but how nice!?

Gabriel's Wharf - Gourmet Pizza Company

Finally, London has seen a glimpse of summer and Londoners are clamouring to stay outside no matter what. For me, the nicest thing about the sunshine is how everyone is in a better mood and generally London feels like a reasonably friendly city for a change. Of course the other nice thing is having a meal outside and pretending that you're actually on holiday. So where is the first port of call to eat outside? Apparently the entirety of London storm the South Bank to queue for an hour to get a table as when the sun shines, I found that a whole host of south bank restaurants won't take bookings.

A quick scour of my usual London resources reveal lists of top ten al fresco restaurants in London, most of which will set you back a significant amount of cash which is not ideal. So, I've hopefully managed to find some more reasonable  options and as I try them out, will update you here about them.

First up is The Gourmet Pizza Company, Gabriel's Wharf on the south bank.

Gabriel's Wharf is a cute little enclave of shops, bars and cafes that has a really nice feel to it and the Gourmet Pizza Co. is one of the first restaurants you encounter as you enter from the riverside. It makes for a really good outdoor option with a lovely terrace alongside the restaurant and out onto the south bank as well. I rang up at lunch time on the same day and was able to book a table for dinner which was great as I had actually intended to visit a different restaurant that refused to take a booking. It was great being able to saunter to the front of the queue, if a little awkward but I have excellent death stare deflection abilities. We had a short wait for a table which thankfully, was outside. I don't think booking guarantees you outside but I got the impression that you had priority which was good. I would recommend waiting if it's a hot day as the inside temperature in the restaurant was about that of the pizza oven. If you don't book, I would guess that you would have at least half an hour wait.

On to the food, pizza is the obvious choice given the restaurant name! They are all reasonably priced and excellent quality and they offer a range of specials too. On my visit, I had a starter of bruschetta followed by a bacon and goats cheese pizza which was delicious. I was anxious about the level of service in the jam packed restaurant but they know what they're doing and we were served promptly by a very friendly waitress. The food didn't disappoint and it all arrived very swiftly. I mean it's pizza so it was nothing life changing but a good spot to enjoy some wine, pizza and a good amount of judging people watching from the terrace. So next time you're looking for somewhere to eat outside, give them a try and hopefully you'll have as good a time as I did.

They like to grind it in Shoreditch - Shoreditch Grind coffee

London's had a well documented 'coffee revolution' in recent years, with a seemingly ever increasing number of independent coffee shops cropping up all over the city. Good news for the independent businesses and good news for coffee loving Londonahs. More recently and somewhat controversially, the big chains have been upping their coffee game as well, which is no bad thing either but I think a big proportion of Londoners would rather opt for their local indie joint than generic chain. 

We're so lucky to have the variety that there is in London and I quite often find myself on a coffee pilgrimmage of a weekend. This has been made much easier since lovely T bought me a beautiful book, 'The Independent Coffee Book' (London edition). This fantastic little book has info on over thirty of London's independent coffee shops, helpfully divided into London regions with maps included too. What's more they also tell you the type of coffee machine each place uses and whether the company roasts their own beans or not. You don't get much better than that. It's also perfectly handbag sized so I've made a habit of taking it with me of a day when I'm out and about. Keep an eye out for it as it's well worth the purchase. T even wrote little notes in mine giving reasons why we need to go and visit them, which is just amazing. Folks, take note - the book is an excellent gift for the coffee lover in your life - added notes make it so much more personal.  I'm hoping that they're able to release an updated version very soon as it seems that there are many cafes that have opened since its publication that could definitely be featured.

Recently, a particularly hungover Sunday called for a bike ride and some fresh air. Then it started to rain. As everyone in the country knows, it hasn't stopped since. It's rained all April and we're STILL in drought apparently, how can this be?! Anyway, as one not in the know about the ins and outs of our ground water levels, my mantra of 'we need the rain, we need the rain, we need the rain.' is beginning to wear thin.

So it was that shelter was needed and nourishment, well, a bonus as it was the perfect opportunity to visit Shoreditch Grind. Though not featured in the aforementioned book, it's a great little coffee shop just off Old Street roundabout, perfect to dip into if you're waiting for a friend at the maze that is Old Street station.  It's housed in a old building, apparently called The Roundhouse and I really like their old cinema style sign in front, I think they change the message every so often too which is nifty. I'm pretty sure it used to house some kind of mobile phone store before being empty for some time and the cool coffee joint took over in timely fashion because it's slim pickings for decent coffee around there as far as I'm aware.

Promoting themselves as East London's favourite coffee shop, I had to investigate this bold claim, and if the expansion plans mentioned on their website (into the courtyard at the rear of the building) are pulled off, then they may well clinch it. They don't roast beans themselves but have them roasted to their own specifications and they have a beautiful La Marzocco coffee machine for those who know how this can make a world of difference between coffees.

The coffee was  really great and well-crafted as expected and the service was  very friendly. They are clearly enthusiastic about quality coffee AND pastries. A vital mix! My only (minor) issue was the weird stools by the window. Not comfy! They look cool and are an obvious design feature but what happened to nice squishy seats in which to sink and hide from the downpour outside? The decor is spartan but that does work with the whole feel of the place and the 'normal' chairs probably do better on your behind but are still lacking in desired squish factor. I think it's a trait of East London coffee shops to not have sofas... but correct me if I'm wrong. That said, it's worth perching on those ridiculous stools for some of the best coffee in the area. The desire for squish was likely stemming from my hungover state after all. Shoreditch Grind is definitely well placed to serve a wide crowd from Shoreditch hipsters to the local office types and long may they continue to do so, it's definitely earned a place on my mental map. 

The Riverfront at the BFI

Trying to find somewhere to eat dinner on the Southbank a few days before Christmas is a nightmare, especially when short of time. The whole area bursts with families rewarding themselves for a successful day's shopping or about to see a show at any one of the venues nearby.
My T was taking me on mystery date a few nights before Christmas and we met up near Waterloo at about 6pm. Eventually after a futile attempt to queue at old faithful Giraffe, we gave up and ended up a few doors down at the Riverfront at the BFI. Behold! There was no queue (well, two people waiting in front of us equates to no queue when compared to the hordes at Giraffe). The difference was also in the welcome we received, we were unequivocally dimissed from Giraffe, even when asking if it was possible to eat at the bar, where we could clearly see seats were available. At the Riverfront on the other hand, we had a big smile from the chap on the door (concierge?) and were reassured that we would be seated within five minutes or so as some people were finishing up. True to his word, we were seated and able to order immediately having perused the menu while we waited.

I'm ashamed to say that I've never been to a movie at the BFI which is certainly something I plan to correct in 2012 but I've come one step closer now I know how good the catering is there. We had a wonderful meal that was reasonably priced and delivered with the friendliest and most efficient service I've come across for a long time. My main, slow cooked leg of Duck with Butternut Squash and plum chutney was delicious, though could have done with more chutney. Priced at £10 it was very good value and for an extra £3 I added a glass of house red. T opted for a veggie burger which I'm reliably told was very good and I can faithfully tell that the chips were excellent. For dessert we shared an absolutely fantastic sticky toffee pudding that came with cream. It was epic.
The atmosphere is great as well, the place is buzzing which is helped by the open plan kitchen and the busy bar adjacent to the restaurant. There are also nice nods to the cinematic venue which I liked, such as pictures of classic movie stars on the menus which double as your place mats and the restaurant name that looks like an old cinema sign.

The fact that we were in a hurry wasn't an issue here as the service was excellent and above all it was friendly, they must be accustomed to serving people scoffing down  a quick bite before scuttling to cinema, theatre or concert hall for a 7.30 start. Although service charge is added to every bill, there were no qualms about it as we were so chuffed to have had a two course meal in the space of an hour with such top service.
The catering is run by Benugo and the quality the company is known for is evident here. I will be going back, for a movie and to check out the other restaurant of the bfi also run by Benugo. I'm also just hoping that this wasn't a fluke visit of awesome but here's hoping they maintain this level of awesome. Watch this space.

I bloody hate pigeons.

If there's one thing I hate about London, it's the pigeons. Mostly, I accept that they are really an almost integral, iconic part of London but can't they just leave me alone?

It started a couple of years ago when I seemse to see dead pigeons everywhere. On one occasion, I was on the phone telling my friend that I was freaking out because I was seeing dead pigeons everywhere and while I was telling her, I SAW A DEAD PIGEON!!

From then on, I couldn't really cope with pigeons, alive or otherwise. More recently, my neighbour below me decided to start feeding them from her window. At first, I put up with it because I just thought maybe she had some extra cereal or crumbs to get rid of. As it turned out, it wasn't a one off, it became a regular occurrance and it got to the point where pigeons were waiting, lurking outside the flat waiting for her to open her window and flinging cornflakes out onto the street for them.

I live on the second floor, at the same level as the lamp on the streetlamp outside. The streetlamp is where the pigeons would wait, clubfooted and staring for the cornflakes. They sit there in a line, waiting for their free meal. Then, their confidence grew and they started sitting on MY window sills all the while defiling them with their diseased shits. So whenever me or one of my flatmates walked near the window or opened the window, we became a pigeon target and they would fly at us in their infinite stupidity and quest to satisfy their hunger.

After a while, I got paranoid that they were going to end up flying into my flat, flapping around and keeling over which would be my worst nightmare. T and I were away for about two weeks back in September on a trip to Canada. When we came back in the morning, walking up the road to my building there were about 20 pigeons on my window sills. I was so annoyed, not only that but by this time, other birds were getting in on the action as well, I think they were ravens. When I see pigeons in groups like that, I just feel like they're plotting something. I don't know why my neighbour decided to feed them like this, maybe she's just seen Mary Poppins one too many times (love that movie).

Fact is, they were pooping on my window sills and the food all over the pavement would surely only lead to more offensive vermin like rats coming in close proximity to the building. Eventually I asked her to stop feeding them and she's stuck to it for which I'm grateful. Although part of me misses the daily battle against the pigeons, it's a relief that they've more or less gone.  

Here it is

So, welcome to my blog about life in London. London and I have had a rocky relationship these past few months and I'm determined to get back that lovin' feeling. I've lived here for six years since I moved here as a student, and most of that time I've loved it and I still do, but recently I've become increasingly disillusioned. I know I'm not the only one and I know this deep disappointment I'm feeling isn't just about the city, it's more political than that and I'm not going to go into it here, plenty of people are doing it already. There are so many things to be fed up with or pissed off about that I've decided to write this blog as a way of helping me re-discover the city, my faith in people and an outlet for the occasional rant, of course.
My main purpose is to explore London more, the hidden nooks and crannies and to spot the little details that so often go un-noticed. Hopefully, it will lead to some interesting discoveries about London, its people and its eccentricities and maybe even uncover a few stories along the way. I want to be a bit more open to all that London has going for it, all the cultures, all the people that live here, it's so diverse. We're all guilty of being grumpy to the point of ridiculousness on the tube, in rush hour, packed in like sardines, well I am like that off the tube, a lot of the time. I am known for being pretty grumpy really, I like to call it 'no-nonsense' but really, I am a grumpy sod - I think I get it from my Dad!
I'm not going to say this will exclusively be about London, there's bound to be some other stuff thrown in but all with a London theme.