Eating Out, London: Patty & Bun

If you live in London, you have probably heard the name Patty & Bun before. I certainly had, along with a bunch of great reviews. As the name suggests, it’s predominantly a burger restaurant but who doesn’t love a burger?

I visited the Shoreditch branch, where we were led down some very steep stairs to a tiny seating area – luckily it was quiet and we were the only ones sat down there. I can imagine it’s a bit of a nightmare if you come on a busy day!

I ordered the Smokey Robinson (pictured) as anything with caramelised onions is a winner in my eyes. The waitress came down and there was not a plate in sight. Our buns were wrapped in paper and the chips came in a separate pot. I must add, the chips come with a salt and vinegar mayo which is incredible – I would go there just for that.

The burger was possibly the messiest I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve been to Five Guys – you’d think I’d have mastered a messy burger by now. But don’t let this put you off – the burger was so tasty and the sauce/salad really complimented it. I cannot recommend the Patty & Bun burgers enough. The restaurants are really quirky too (if you manage to get a table). They do offer takeout for anyone passing by/not lucky enough to get a seat inside.

An added bonus – they serve Ting. For those who don’t know, Ting is a fizzy grapefruit drink and it is amazing. If you’re on the soft drinks, definitely order a can, you won’t regret it.

There are multiple branches around London so check out http://pattyandbun.co.uk/contact/ to find your nearest one – it’s definitely one to tick off.

Eating Out, London: Ben's Canteen

Since living in London, going out for brunch has become a regularity. Previously, I would never imagine scheduling my day around eating a late breakfast that almost always consists of avocados. Anyway, as I live in SW London, I’m always on the hunt for the best brunch spots with the weirdest menus. 

Ben’s Canteen is a great little restaurant made up of cost sofas with blankets and cute, vintage-style tables and chairs. They have branches in Battersea and Earlsfield and offer brunch and dinner menus. I’ve only ever been for brunch but would highly recommend the food. The menu changes often and offers a wide variety, from fried chicken benedict to a breakfast burrito and in comparison to some brunch spots, the prices aren’t bad. For a main, a side and a drink you’re probably looking at around £15, obviously depending on what you have.

Ben’s definitely gets the thumbs up from me!

For locations and menu information visit http://www.benscanteen.com/contact.

Eating Out, London: The Mae Deli

I like to think that I’m not a ‘sheep’ or a ‘follower’ but if I’m being completely honest, I really am. Whenever a new restaurant opens or a new food trend pops up, I always have to give it a go.

This was definitely true for The Mae Deli.

Founded by Ella Woodward, more commonly known as Deliciously Ella, The Mae Deli is a small boutique style eatery with a huge focus on healthy alternatives, natural ingredients and delicious treats.

The menu varies from the Mae Bowl – a mixture of your favourite dishes from the main menu, both hot and cold to sweet treats such as a pecan brownie or Ella’s famous energy balls.

My opinion – I wouldn’t be in a rush to go back here. I feel like the hype around the Deliciously Ella books, which are super inspiring, has created a bit of an anti-climax when it comes to the real thing. Healthy, natural foods are always expensive but to me, this takes that to the extreme with some of their juices coming in at a hefty £6.95. After living in London for a few years, I’m used to London pricing but this definitely put me off.

The light at the end of the tunnel is the sweet treats – well most of them anyway. At around £3 per slice, it’s no different to most café cakes so I was more than happy to give them a try. My personal favourite was the chocolate ganache, it was so tasty and completely natural – the gooey texture comes from avocados, who’d have thought? I won’t recommend too many of these as I think the menu changes daily, but the peanut butter slice is also great. I don't like the taste of things like Naked bars so I really didn't like the energy balls, but that might be just me. 

Overall, I was disappointed. I never expected it to be cheap but I also never expected it to be that pricey. I wouldn’t rush back there for lunch but I would put my dessert order in if someone else was heading down there.

If you're thinking of paying them a visit, the nearest tube is Marble Arch. Postcode: W1H 5BH. 

For the love of skincare

Somehow, I made it to the grand old age of 24, using only cheap face washes and calling it a skincare routine. I would wash my face once a day to take my makeup off and that would be the end of any kind of cleansing/toning or moisturising.

Surprisingly, I was never one to suffer with acne or blemished skin and never looked terrible without foundation on, but I can’t say my face felt overly clean.

While my bank account begged me to stick to this lazy routine, I stumbled across a YouTube video of DollyBowBow using Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish followed by the spritz tonic. There was something about the light and refreshing look of that tonic spray that made me go and buy it.

For anyone who uses Liz Earle, the range of products available makes it so difficult to leave with just a cleanser, and so, I bought the Cleanse and Polish, the Instant Boost spritzer and the Skin Repair Light moisturiser – all for about £45 which was the most I had ever spent on skincare.

Low and behold, a revelation was about to happen. I LOVE SKINCARE. I’m now a hoarder and can’t help but buy any brand that I see on offer.

As it was the guidance of a blogger that opened my eyes to Liz Earle, I thought I should write a short review on some of my favourite products that I’ve discovered over the last couple of years.

1.       Liz Earle, Cleanse & Polish - £15.50 (starter kit)

If you’re looking for something fresh, awakening and clean-feeling, you won’t be disappointed with this product. The smell reminds me of baby powder mixed with fresh air and clean laundry, it’s lovely and refreshing but not overpowering. For the first few months of using this product, I constantly had spots coming up on my t-zone, which slightly put me off but after a short break from the product, the spots have gone and never returned upon using it again. Used with muslin cloths, you control the level of exfoliation but make sure you regularly wash the cloths for the cleanest skin. I used this product every morning and night.

2.       Liz Earle, Skin Repair Light moisturiser - £20.25

I’ve always suffered from oily skin so out of all of the moisturisers that Liz Earle have to offer, the Light Repair was the most tempting. The smell, again, is just perfect and the product overall does a great job. It didn’t add to my oily complexion but it left my skin feeling soft and refreshed and I would definitely recommend it. I would use this product only at night after the cleanse and tone steps.

3.       Pixi, Glow Tonic - £18

I had never heard of Pixi until Marks and Spencer started stocking it and everyone began talking about it at work, especially the Pixi Glow Tonic. With mostly good reviews, I decided to give it a go – after all, I get 20% discount at Marks and Spencer so it was almost rude not to. I fell in love. Since using this product, I’ve stopped wearing foundation to work and no-one has really commented (result!). I use this product twice a day, after washing my face and before moisturising (at night), and I really do notice a glow. I’ll definitely be buying this again.

4.       Lush, Mask of Magnaminty - £6.25 for 125g or £10.95 for 315g

This product is the best thing I have ever bought, ever – in skincare terms at least. It’s a clay mask with bits in to cleanse, moisturise and exfoliate your face. You put it on, either all over or just in troubled areas of your face and leave for 6-10 minutes. It doesn’t completely dry so you can still move your face without it cracking which is a lot more comfortable. When the time is up, you wash it off. At this point, I usually wet my hands and scrub the mask into my face as an exfoliator before washing it off completely, but you don’t have to! It always leaves my skin leaving super soft and really clean – it’s great for spots too.

So not to make this post too long, I’m going to finish there for now but I’ll definitely continue to post about some of my favourite face products in the hope that you feel as inspired as I did to actually look after my skin. Yes, these products do add up, but I’m definitely open to trying any brand, not just higher price points so please let me know below if you have any recommendations :)