Miriam "kleine maus" W.'s Profile

It's not always easy to get a spot to sit at the Zetter Townhouse (so call ahead if you want to imbibe here) but whenever I've been able to snag a seat here I've enjoyed the place quite a bit. The cocktails are creative and carefully crafted. The space is softly lit and comfortable making it a nice place to hang with friends, or that single, special someone.

The blood marys are worth noting: the Townhouse's rendition is lovely.

The small eats menu will tide you over though I didn't find any of the snacks - pan fried Halloumi, grilled vegetable dip - particularly inspired. However, the maple syrup and curry spiced cashew nuts do deserve a shout!

Eating lunch in dimly lit pubs isn't really my style but for the quality of Fluid's chicken katsu curry I'm willing to do it. Their dumplings and seaweed salad are also noteworthy and the fact that it's never rammed at lunch make Fluid a good spot if your lunch involves a catch up conversation.

The couches are comfy and the lone server is perpetually sweet and accommodating. Not a lot more I could want out of my midday meal, except maybe to feel I'm not still surrounded by last night's excesses at the bar...

The first thing you'll notice when you step inside Nagoya for lunch are the numerous Japanese salarymen types at the tables. I registered this positively and my dining companion (himself once a resident of Japan) felt the same way.

If you're after a bento, kaarage chicken or kitsune udon, Nagoya's a solid lunch spot.

On my last visit the wait for my soup was strangely long and my lunch partner got his food a full ten minutes before I saw mine. I hope this was a one time thing. Another thing that gave me reason to pause: they charge for green tea, which no self-respecting Japanese restaurant should do.

Still, the kitsune udon is fairly priced, tasty and comes with a few pieces of sushi. Some of the details need honing but I'll definitely return to Nagoya.

The Natural Kitchen's become my new lunch go to; I love their abundance of fresh, seasonal salad boxes, sandwiches and various mix and match meal selections.

Today I partook in their falafel and fresh hummus meal box at lunch which comes with two salads. I picked a Greek salad and another with Israeli coucous, spinach, mangetout and butternut squash. The falafel was slightly dry but the hummus was faultless.

I must give a special shout out to the tuna and cucumber sandwich - line caught tuna and mayonnaise with sliced cucumber on granary bread - which is nothing short of superb.

The Natural Kitchen's the place you want to lunch if you've been indulging too frequently in pub (or other) excesses. Their good for you food won't make you feel like you're sacrificing taste or interestingness.

Everything about Sen Viet screamed disaster, from the blurry, unappetising photos which comprised the menu (seemingly taken with a first generation mobile phone camera) to the incongruous waitstaff to the restaurant's location opposite the Travelodge and nearly next door to the Holiday Inn in the spirit lacking stretch of road between between King's Cross and Farringdon.

But our options were limited given the time (past ten o'clock) so Sen Viet it was.

"We can always get a kebab on the walk home," I said with forced cheer. Thankfully, that would not prove necessary.

We ordered the ch giò, shaking beef and a small bowl of spicy pho. We were delighted when the ch giò arrived with enough lettuce to wrap every last piece (that never seems to be the case.) The tender and savoury shaking beef came atop a bright salad. We got a side of steamed rice with it, which I'd do again. The pho was less impressive but the previous two dishes were good enough to return for.

If ever there was a case for not judging a book by its cover, Sen Viet is it.

Their salads are freshly tossed to order and come atop your choice of cos lettuce or mixed leaves. Sadly both greenery choices were a little limp on my latest visit.

Against my own better judgement, I ordered the falafel mexicana salad (falafel, cheddar, sweet corn, mixed beans, coriander, tortilla chips). Given the lack of made to order salad options in London, I'd rate this one as pretty decent. I longed for the brightness I'm accustomed to in salads (see: Ptooch on Leather Lane) but all in it wasn't awful. And I appreciated that the salads at Tossed are available in two sizes (the smaller was perfect for me.)

Those expecting the brilliance of California produce - such as what one might find at Mixt Greens or the like -  would do well to give up on Tossed now. But if you're hankering for a salad that you can get assembled on demand, it's a fine place to check out.

Moved into new digs today and set out straight away to sort myself out with a proper katsu curry. Cha No Ma's made me homesick for Clerkenwell. Their rendition featured dry, chewy, fatty meat. The curry itself was better and the potatoes were a welcome addition, but the sorry state of the katsu just made me sad.

I also got a small side of the broccoli salad which gave me some hope for Cha No Ma. It's likely I'll give their bentos a go soon; fingers crossed they're better than the katsu curry!

After a couple of failed attempts (read: truck not there/truck not open), I finally made it to Lucky Chip on Saturday. The stars seemed to align: we got a table, the sun was out and the temperatures warmed up enough for us to remove our jackets whilst we tucked into our burgers.

We three got a cheeseburger, a Kevin Bacon and an El Chappo, plus one order of naked fries to share. The fries came before the burgers and were first rate, though possibly a tad over salted. These fries are hand cut, skin on, serious potato action. But don't go expecting mayonnaise (my favourite fry accompaniment) because they haven't got any here, just ketchup and mustard.

Expect to get down and dirty with your Lucky Chip burger, it's a juicy mutha and if you're not careful you're gonna be wearing some of its drippings. Despite this, the bun held up right to the end. The pickles on my cheeseburger were cut crazy thick so if you're not a gherkin fan you should probably ask for yours without.

The only thing we wished for were beers to wash it all down - I saw sodas on offer but no beers.

I would rate this burger below Bar Bouloud and above the Hawksmoor. Regardless, it's certainly one of the best London's got.

I love Filippa K.

Earlier in the year I found a fabulously simple yet versatile dress here that quickly became a wardrobe staple - I wear it to work, out with friends, with a blazer over top and it's also great on its own.

I even wore it to the symphony (it received rave reviews from my concert companion.)

Though I've spent less time paying attention to the menswear offerings at Filippa K, I will say that from what I've seen the same reason I like the brand for me holds true for dudes:  stylish, quality, simplicity.

Pretty much just what you'd expect of Sweden.

As a hotel, this place is well outside my budget but I've really enjoyed the two dinners I've had here.

The vibe of the Lydmar is warm and inviting - excellent cosy Swedish design is in full effect: flickering candles, soft blankets, scores of books, yet it feels anything but cluttered.

On my first visit the server convinced me of the fish over the cheeseburger. Now having had both, I know she was right to recommend the fish. The cheeseburger's average whilst the fish is remarkable.

The Lydmar works equally well for a business catch up meal as it does for a small group dinner. I can also see it being a great date spot.