Soho's Secret Teashop!

Because I haven't done a cafe blog in about a week a while...?

So this is really just a little side snippet of a much larger post (which is coming soon) where I show some friends around the biggest and best spots of London. 

Now, I've been giving relatives and friends tours of London for years now, yet I still never get bored of it. Those sights definitely aren't just for tourists to enjoy! However, having been a tourist myself, I can definitely say that whilst experiencing all the big spots is a must-do and an absolutely amazing experience, I feel that one of the ways to truly experience a city is by doing a handful of events that only Londoners do. The less traditional sights, the more obscure locations and the quirkier experiences is what truly makes a city. In my opinion anyway.

So, bearing that in mind, as well as the fact that I had only a weekend to show all of London's wonders off, I decided that Soho's Secret Tea Room would be the perfect way to make this experience for my friends that little bit more personal for them. After all, is there anything more quintessentially British than a Victorian styled tea shop with jazz music playing in the background in the middle of Soho?

However even I wasn't expecting the cafe to be as wonderful as it was! Tucked away behind the Palace Theater, above a random pub, you can truly appreciate why it's a 'secret'! 

With an array of delicious cakes and selection of loose leafed tea, we took an hour or so out of our London Tour to just rest our feet and recuperate for a while, with the knowledge that we were part of the few who knew about this wonderful place! 

And for all of those curious as to where it is, click here to be transported to the website :)

And that's it from me today, so I hope you enjoyed reading this and until next time!

xxx

Harris and Hoole Gig!

Yes! Finally! Another performance blog! It really has been too long...

So for those of you who know me, you probably also know that I absolutely love singing. For those of you who have lived with me, you probably will have noticed that I sing pretty much all the time. But when Rohan and I started singing together a few years ago, doing acoustic covers of songs we liked, we had no idea that we'd end up actually performing any of the stuff we'd practiced! 

It started last April, when I was, as per usual, to be found catching up with a friend in the lovely cafe, Harris+Hoole, a wonderfully quirky chain of coffee shops which manage to somehow pull off the atmosphere and vibes of an indie cafe, with all the perks of being a chain! (Like the fact that there are a few of these little beauties scattered through London is just something that makes me really happy)

This was the first gig we had ever done, so naturally the pair of us were pretty nervous before we got there (not to mention the fact that I had managed to sing myself hoarse earlier in the day...), however there really was nothing to be worried about! Once we met the manager and got set up next to the open window and art work, the relaxed atmosphere of the cafe really started to sink in and I knew that this would be an amazing and fun experience. 

Our set included a huge mix of songs, some fast, some slow, a lot by Ed Sheeran, and I think that it all went down rather well! Here was the playlist:

• Gold Rush - Ed Sheeran
• Titanium - David Guette ft. Sia
• Fallen from Grace (Fish Face) - Leddra Chapman
• Cold Coffee - Ed Sheeran
• Sexy Dizzy - Leddra Chapman
• The City - Ed Sheeran
• On Your Side - Rohan (original song)
• Flaws - Bombay Bicycle Club
• She Looks So Perfect - 5 Seconds of Summer
• Fallen (Unreleased Song) - The Lumineers

Although we were originally supposed to be playing for an hour, we didn't have quite enough songs in the first place. That added to the fact that we were both still a little nervous also meant that we rushed through the songs a little and so we only ended up spending about fourty minutes or so singing. 

However the audience were more than complementary, some of whom actually came from the back of the cafe to listen to us sing! 

The manager was also an absolutely amazing host, offering us free beverages for the duration of our stay and even inviting us to go back and perform again in a couple of weeks! How crazy awesome is that??

Needless to say we jumped on that opportunity like our lives depended on it and so will be returning to the Southgate branch of Harris+Hoole for another gig in a few weeks time (28th June, for all those who are interested). Hopefully after a little bit more polishing and learning a few more songs, it'll go just as good, if not better, than this time!

Anyway, a HUGE thank you to everyone at Harris+Hoole, I hope you enjoyed the music as much as we enjoyed performing it and another thank you to everyone who came and supported us. It truly meant a lot to me that you guys could make it and you really made performing that day not only a bazillion times easier, but also just such a wonderful experience.

And that's it for now, so I guess until next time~

xxx

The Teacup Kitchens Adventure

That time my friend and I tried to find a cafe. And failed miserably. 

The Bonbon Chocolate Boutique was a cafe that I stumbled upon roughly this time last year whilst I was (as usualy) getting lost in the Northern Quarter section of Manchester. On that day, I vowed that I would go back to eat there. 

And then I forgot about it. 

So it wasn't until recently when my friend recommended a strange but beautiful chocolate cafe she has found on Northern Quarter that my interest was rekindled. She gave me a raving review of how beautiful the atmosphere was and great the chocolate tasted, describing the experience in such detail that I was absolutely itching for an excuse to go again myself. 

And that was when my friend called to arrange a catch up. I quickly used this opportunity to suggest the Bonbon Chocolate Boutique, hoping that I would finally get the opportunity to visit this mysterious and somehow all encompassing cafe. 

Well, dear reader, as I am sure you have noticed, this post is not entitled 'the Chocolate Bonbon Cafe' however instead is called 'the Teacup Kitchen'. So it is no stretch of the imagination to predict that we did not, in the end, venture to the magical bonbon cafe.

We did try to find it, googling addresses and post codes, trying to match up the scenery with the one photo I took last year but to no avail. Google took us to one place, google maps suggested somewhere else and their website let us to yet a third location. And after an hour of wondering, we had seen many cafés, but no sign of the Chocolate Bonbon. 

(Outside the teacup kitchen)

Giving up with a heavy heart, we went into the nesrest cafe we could see, and that was when we stumbled into 'The Teacup Kitchen'. 

And this is the point where our luck changed. For the Teacup Kitchen is no mere cafe. It is the mother of all cafe's. With a huge variety of teas, coffees and other assorted hot drinks, the presentation of this coffee house in particularly is wonderful. 

With quirky menus which include a small pull out menu of specials to the little timers that come with most herbal teas, the Teacup Kitchen encompasses all the quirkiness that the Northern Quarter has to offer, along with all the pomp that comes with getting afternoon tea in the first place.

After having spent a good half hour perusing the selection on offer, I eventually decided on the Red Velvet cake, along with Chai Tea. 

One of the better decisions I have made in my life. 

(Don't forget the pinkie!)

The Chai Tea was served with a selection of frothy milk, honey and sugar, ready for you to choose and included free refills of the tea. As for the cake... Well at £4, I was expecting to get a lot, but even my expectations here were more than exceeded! 

It.was.humungous. 

I have really never been served a cake that big from a cafe in my life. Well worth the money, it arrived on a nice patterned plate, with a dainty fork (which had a sharp(ish) edge so that it doubled up as a knife!!!) and a whole lot of deliciousness. 

I was simply amazed at the service and quality of everything there was to offer in this cafe, and I have not been able to shut up about it since. Although slightly expensive, the Teacup Kitchens is well worth a visit for anyone who loves tea and/or cake, for the sheer experience alone more than pays for itself. The atmosphere is also welcoming and friendly, which is again something I really appreciate about smaller cafe shops. 

And although I was unable to find the glorious Bonbon Chocolate Boutique, I was not in the least bit disappointed with my latest find. 

Although seeing this sign which refences the BonBon cafe has confirmed to me it's existence and someday, I shall find it again. ;) 

And that's it for today. I hope you enjoyed reading and if you ever find yourself parched for some tea whilst in the Northern Quarter, definitely check out the Teacup Kitchen! It will be well worth the visit :) 

Until next time! 

Xxx