Some hotspots...

...for breakfast, lunch and a coffee break.

Lunch

I guess most of you were queuing to get a table at Polpo once. In the evening it's just horribly busy, but if you go during lunch time you will easily get a table. Especially during the week, on the weekend they just open around 12pm anyways. It's a nice place to enjoy good Italian food, reasonably priced. We ordered a pizza with mushrooms, smoked salmon, salad and sliced flank steak. Everything was super delicious and enough for two people (perfect to share).

Breakfast

I usually go there for drinks in the evening. The atmosphere is great, and they have some good cocktails at Dean Street Townhouse. But also during they day the restaurant/bar at Dean Street Townhouse is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious breakfast or lunch.

Egg White Omelette 

Coffee break / Perfect place to study

Recently I am looking for new hotspots to study, as sitting at home can get quite dull after a while. Yumchaa in Tottenham Street seems to be the ideal place: they have a  lot of space, a big choice of cakes and sandwiches. Plus some very good coffee and even one of my favourite drinks: matcha latte. Furthermore they have big and small tables, where people sit around working on their laptops. The working environment is very nice, plus essentials like coffee and cake are not even a stone's throw away.

Matcha Latte

The Fat of the Land

The Fat of the Land is a Spanish restaurant in the heart of Marylebone, which just opened last summer. Especially in summer it is a lovely spot for having lunch, as they have tables outside, where one can enjoy the sun almost all day. I go there quite often to have a 'sunny' coffee or some tapas. The staff is very friendly and the ambience is welcoming. The restaurant/pub has two floors, the pub on the street level has a rustic charm with dark wooden tables and garlic and ham hanging in the windows. The upstairs restaurant is a bright, spacious room with huge windows, brick walls and oversized lamps. The food is specialized in Catalonian cuisine and offers delicious and nicely presented tapas and other Spanish delicacies. 

Gitane - London

You know those unforgettable girls city trips? Those you keep talking about over and over...? For me one of those city trip is definitely New York City. There was one small café we did really like and had amazing breakfast, called Café Gitane (NoLita). So to take a trip down memory lane I met my friend for coffee at Gitane today, this time in London instead of NYC. 

Gitane is a lovely Persian and Middle Eastern café with delicious food and lovely staff. I love those small cafés with a wooden counter, fresh and delicious food, good coffee, where you can sit and chit chat with friends in a cosy atmosphere. 

If you need a relaxed break, Gitane is the place to go! Close to Oxford Street, right next to busy and famous Kaffeine. I'm already looking forward to spring time...sitting on Gitane's cute purple chairs outside in the sun.

Gitane 

60 Great Titchfield Street

London W1W 7QF

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Caramel Syrup

Selfmade caramel syrup! For a perfect Caramel Macchiato or on top of vanilla ice cream...
And you just need to things: sugar and water

250 g of sugar and 250 ml water

This is how it works:
Put the sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat and stir gently until the sugar dissolves.
Take the pan off the heat and slowly add the water...but be careful, the mixture is going to foam up! Better take a step back until the mixture cools a bit down. Then whisk until the caramel sauce is smooth.
Pour the syrup into a glass mason jar and let it cool down.
And READY!