Some years ago, the Lovely Husband discovered a tiny neighbourhood restaurant in the pretty, villagey part of Hammersmith called Brackenbury Village. It was gorgeous, sitting there in amongst the independent delis and complementary health care clinics, hidden away in this small residential pocket with the expensive Victorian houses, just a couple of corners away from the ugly transport hub that is the Hammersmith Roundabout. The ambience at the horseshoe shaped Brackenbury was cosy, and the food quite exquisite, on the one or two occasions we ate there. Sadly, it suddenly closed, was empty for a while and then replaced by a Phillippino restaurant. We often thought of it nostalgically and were truly sorry to have lost our lovely special little dining place. ...
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Now here’s a restaurant that always guarantees a good time. I grant you, I may be a touch biased. It’s just a few doors away from my home and for years, this has been our local favourite. We’ve been here regularly for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, for birthday parties and other family events, and, at one time a good many years ago, my daughter even supplemented her student income by waitressing there. It even stood us in good stead when our own kitchen was being refurbished and, for ten days or so, we practically had all our meals at Annie’s. ...
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After leaving uni, my daughter and one of her very best friends shared a flat on Prince of Wales Drive in Battersea. Despite being a challenging six floors walk up right opposite the park, it was a gorgeous sugar and spice palace, full of flowers, home grown herbs, silken ribbons, frilly knickers on radiators and impossibly high heels scattered around. Since the two petite pretty girls called each other ‘Dude’, it was soon known as Dude Mansions. Their favourite haunt was a gastro pub just around the corner, The Lighthouse, which, from time to time, was also frequented by the Royal princes. ...
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Vietnam is a simply fabulous place. Twice I have had the privilege of visiting this fascinating country. The first time we travelled to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and on to a beach holiday in Nha Trang and then, on another occasion, to Hanoi. Heavy with history, all these destinations have left me with indelible memories. There was the quite devastating War Remnants Museum in Saigon where I saw unforgettable things that opened my eyes to the atrocities of the Vietnam War, the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi, which charmingly and originally profiled the history and culture of Vietnam, the massive throngs of motor cycles in both cities, often carrying whole families at high speed, that would bear down on pedestrians like one big noisy smoke spewing monster, making you dance across the roads in an outlandish zig zag path, a prayer on your lips and your heart in your mouth. The Vietnamese people were, of course, delightful and very hospitable, the delicately boned women in their silk Ao Dais and their glossy black hair, simply stunning. And then the food! Heavens above, it is glorious! ...
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Vietnam is a simply fabulous place. Twice I have had the privilege of visiting this fascinating country. The first time we travelled to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and on to a beach holiday in Nha Trang and then, on another occasion, to Hanoi. Heavy with history, all these destinations have left me with indelible memories. There was the quite devastating War Remnants Museum in Saigon where I saw unforgettable things that opened my eyes to the atrocities of the Vietnam War, the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi, which charmingly and originally profiled the history and culture of Vietnam, the massive throngs of motor cycles in both cities, often carrying whole families at high speed, that would bear down on pedestrians like one big noisy smoke spewing monster, making you dance across the roads in an outlandish zig zag path, a prayer on your lips and your heart in your mouth. The Vietnamese people were, of course, delightful and very hospitable, the delicately boned women in their silk Ao Dais and their glossy black hair, simply stunning. And then the food! Heavens above, it is glorious! ...
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Even on a gloomy mid February evening, La Trompette in Chiswick looks cheery and inviting with its bubble shaped box hedge and wide awning. This is one of five Michelin starred London restaurants co-owned by clever restaurateur Nigel Platts-Martin. Over the last 20+ years, this astute money man has teamed up with chefs he admires and, in partnership with them, has brought us exquisite, top of the range, elegant but informal dining experiences, most of which, like La Trompette, are neighbourhood based. The Square in Mayfair and The Ledbury in Notting Hill, he owns with the talented Messrs. Phil Howard and Brett Graham, La Trompette in Chiswick, The Glasshouse in Kew and the fabulous Chez Bruce in Wandsworth, with one of my all-time favourite chefs, Bruce Poole. ...
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I have had my fair share of random snogs at Brinkleys. Way back in the day, of course, when I was very young, footloose and fancy free, and many moons before I even considered hitching up and getting married. Always thronging with people, all of whom either seemed to know each other or knew someone who knew at least five other people there, it was the go to place for young party happy Sloane Rangers, all of whom lived in frightfully jolly flat shares in Chelsea or Fulham, the braying boys with tasseled loafers and signet rings, and the pretty girls with their fragrant freshly washed tresses and their school prefect cut glass accents. This is where we all hung out and got thoroughly blotto, but still managed to look fresh faced and bushy tailed at our art gallery, ad agency or bank jobs the next morning. Oh, for our golden youth when butter wouldn’t melt in our mouths and life ahead seemed like nothing more than one big fun merry go round! ...
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Brew announces its Antipodean heritage before you even step in. Outside the entrance, Vegemite Jars are let into a glass covered footwell. The building itself, quite incongruously in this area of true Brit Edwardian residential houses and small high street shops, looks almost like an outback sheep-shearing shed. Preceded by a torch warmed, covered conservatory with a large pizza oven in one corner, you make your way inside, where some Sheila has put her woman’s touch to the interior design and given the establishment a connection to the rowing community of Putney, with oars on the wall and vintage prints of famous rowers. But make no mistake, Bruce has made his presence quite obvious too, as you eat, you can’t avoid seeing the large bone saws hanging in plain sight in the glass enclosed butchery station, and the open kitchen at the back is a no nonsense and functional tucker producing workspace. ...
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For two years, from 2013 to 2015, I lived in Baku, Azerbaijan. I loved my time in this fascinating country, which hovers on the cusp between Europe and Asia. I met many lovely people, both local and foreigners, lived in an astounding palace-like apartment in the centre of town, very close to the shores of the sparkling Caspian Sea, and had a lot of fun living the expat lifestyle. To this day, there are still some things I miss about Azerbaijan: the bright blue sky, no matter whether cold winter or hot summer, the freshly pressed ruby red pomegranate juice, so readily available at the road side for just a few pennies, and the small glossy aubergines, crackly skinned on the outside and divinely earthy/sweet on the inside, when roasted. ...
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