A whistle stop tour of Brighton's food offerings

Recently I went on a weekend trip to Brighton and had such a good time! I saw the sights, was forced into watching Stranger Things (great decision) and ate some tasty food! I thought it might be quite nice to share some of the delicious things Brighton had to offer - and there was plenty to choose from. Disclaimer: This is just a quick run down of where we went over one afternoon (and the next morning), other than that I'm probably the worst person to give Brighton food suggestions but I just thought it might be nice to share where we went.

Arriving in Brighton after just a sausage sandwich and a latte on the train I was ready for something tasty, preferably with a sea view. And that's just what I got! Now because I'm an idiot I have no idea what the place is called where we ended up but you could see the pier from it. Anyway we sat by the beach with a latte and some of the best chips and garlic aioli that have ever passed my lips. Think of the most garlic-y thing there very was, times it by ten and that's how much garlic was in the dip - it was amazing! Crispy hot chips and creamy sauce sat looking out to the sea in the sunshine, what more could you ask for!

We then fancied some ice cream and after a bit of a Google we made our way to Boho Gelato. It was the end of the day so flavours were a bit limited but still delish. I went for Nutella and vegan vanilla brownie and it was super tasty, especially the Nutella. I mean what's better than hitting a giant lump of chocolate-y goodness! Perfect way to round off a seaside afternoon.

Day two on the Brighton food adventure started with a bang. Two words; Red Roaster. It's literally the thing of Instagram dreams and not only does it look super pretty but the food is also seriously delicious! We went for breakfast after a prosecco fuelled late night in a jacuzzi (long story) so heads and stomachs were a little tender but we were ready for a tasty brunch. I went for a latte and a herb waffle with bacon jam, a fried egg and bits of apple. Oh my god it was amazing. You know when you eat something and it just sings - this was one of those moments. What's not to love about bacon, apple and a whole load of waffle?! I'd love to go back as well for lunch to test out some of the other things on the menu. I was 100% recommend this, it was sensash.

As I said, just a quick little run down of where I went on my tiny travels!

Exploring Edinburgh | The most amazing afternoon tea

Just look at this. Pictures speak louder than words so here it is - afternoon tea at The Signet Library in  The Colonnades in Edinburgh.

*scroll to the bottom to see my thoughts*

This was one of the best afternoon teas I've ever had, seriously stunning. Even starting with the setting, you're sat in a library under a very high ceiling surrounded by stacks and stacks of books. It's really cool. The table was like a mirror and pretty much everything else was also reflective and looked really sleek. There were loads of different teas and coffees to choose from so whatever floats your boat, they have something for you! I went for earl grey and it was goooood.

We started with an amuse bouche of parsnip soup, a nice surprise and really tasty. Then it was onto the main event. I don't want to go into too much detail so I'll give you the highlights. The mini game pie was to die for, just a bite of delicious pastry goodness and the mini fish burger (I should stop saying mini because let's face it everything is mini) was very tasty. The bizarre star of the savoury section was the red pepper cheesecake...yeah, that's right. It sounds really weird but it worked, buttery base with a red pepper filling and a crispy pepper bit on top. Might be one to recreate at home! 

Scones were delicious - one criticism was that we could have done with a bit more clotted cream and jam but I'm sure we could have asked for more. I'm usually a little let down when it comes to puddings on afternoon teas because 1. in general there's a lot of cake and 2. I'm too stuffed from the savoury section to even think about anything else. But well-thought out selection of mini pastries was amazing. Again, the highlights were the treacle tart, like a sticky bonfire toffee in pastry and the gin and apple jelly, a nice way to end off the meal. I was also a big fan of the pumpkin spiced macaroon. I'm normally not the biggest macaroon fan but this was filled with white chocolate and it was so tasty I could have had about 17 (obviously not right then and there - I was literally stuffed to burst).

There's a general theme with my Edinburgh posts of "if you're ever in Edinburgh you need to visit insert name of establishment here" but I really mean it with this one. Such a great experience, I wouldn't hesitate about going back!

Where else shall I try for afternoon tea?

It's the little things | What makes me feel good

I have to say I was a little bit late in deciding what to write for today's post (note to self: take pictures in bulk). The nights are closing in and my motivation is on a downhill slope before Christmas BUT as I'm determined to share my infinite wisdom with the world (ha) I thought now would be a good time to share the little things that make me happy. 

Just a disclaimer before we begin: I'm very easily pleased.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this before but a couple of months ago my dad made me a bath bar and yes it is as amazing as it sounds. Basically a plank of wood that sits on the bath, it has changed the game and I can now relax with a glass of prosecco whilst watching something on my laptop without ending up with a twisted back from my old 'chair by the bath' set up. There's a slot for my laptop, a cut out for a glass of prosecco to fit snugly and a pint glass spot. It's probably one of my most loved items and it makes getting in the bath even better (it's also added an extra half an hour to my already hour long efforts - oops.)

Winter scents bring me great joy. As much as I like a fruity candle there's nothing better than a reed diffuser that smalls like a Christmas tree or body butters that make me feel like Santa's going to spring into action any minute. I've been having the debate with myself about when its acceptable to start filling my room with festive scents and I decided on Sunday that it was time. It's lifted my mood three million per cent and I can't wait to continue smelling like a bag of tinsel for the next couple of months. Personal favourite scents are Red Apple Wreath by Yankee Candle, Vanilla Chai by The Body Shop and Peppermint Snowflake by Partylite.

I love soup. It makes a huge difference to my day if I'm having soup instead of salad. I'm not the biggest fan of veg (when I say that I mean I wouldn't pile it high on my plate if I was at Toby Carvery) but when it's blended together with delicious spices I'm all over it. Butternut squash is a personal favourite of mine but tomato soup will always hold a special place in my heart. Anyone with Madeline Shaw's A Season of Beautiful Eating should definitely try the sweetcorn and squash soup. The prep takes a bit of work but it is really easy to make and tastes amazing!

An amazing TV drama is probably top of my list. I'll keep it brief because I've expressed my love for a number of shows on this blog (*cough* Happy Valley, Granchester, Endeavour *cough*). Becoming invested in a programme to the point of obsession is something I live for. Like now even thinking about Happy Valley makes me feel excited! 

Side note: Visiting TV filming locations makes me ridiculously happy.

What makes you feel happy?

Exploring Edinburgh | Food

When we went to Edinburgh we were greeted with so many options for places to eat. It was like a foodie haven and I was totally ready for it. As with finding places to visit, there was a lot of research on trip advisor, top ten lists and word of mouth before we had a list of places we wanted to try out. We didn’t over do it with eating out but we managed to sample some amazing places! I’m going to split them into meals and hopefully give you a few ideas of where to eat should you find yourself in the Scottish capital.

Brunch

Why not start with the best pancakes I’ve ever eaten. Ever. 

I’m a huge pancake fan, they’re my thing at the moment and I was determined to find an amazing brunch spot for one of the days. There were plenty to choose from (like seriously so many) but we settled on Loudons . With so much delicious sounding to choose from in a light and airy atmosphere this place was insane. It was a little bit pricy (just under £10 for pancakes) but the portion sizes are huge and really sets you up for the day. I went for the American Style pancakes with bacon, baked banana and topped with syrup and cocoa powder and an earl grey tea. There was plenty of sauce which was delicious and sweet, the banana was tasty and the actual pancakes were pillowy and soft. Also the bacon was crispy which I’m all about.

I wouldn’t even hesitate in going back here again, it was to die for. I truly memorable experience.

Tea (dinner/evening meal)

This meal was both amazing and bizarre. I think my mum and dad heard about Locanda De Gusti from a friend so off we went one night. Two buses and a short walk later we were stood in front of this small space filled to the brim with people in what I’d describe yas someone’s lounge. But in this random room on a random street was a totally delicious and memorable meal. An Italian restaurant with no pizza in sight it’s definitely an experience but one that’s worth having. I went for a seafood starter with mussels, scallops, prawns, squid and probably other things that I’m forgotten. Cooked to perfection it came with a chunk of bread to mop up the juices - not going to lie I was totally sold on the starter for the bread alone. As it was such a meaty starter I went for simple ravioli for main. The buttery was nice and buttery (duh) and the ravioli was delicious. Simple but not boring, and I’m usually someone who gets bored of pasta dishes if they are a little same-y. I was totally stuffed but I also really wanted a pudding so I went for a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso. It was just like coffee ice cream and it was the perfect way to end an amazing meal.

Please, if you’re wanting something a little bit different with delicious food then pay Locanda De Gusti a visit, you won’t regret it.

Afternoon tea

Two words: the best. Stay tuned for next week’s post when I’ll go into more detail. Trust me it’ll be worth the wait!

What is your favourite thing to eat for brunch?

One of the best meals ever | Bar Iberia Nottingham

Prepare yourself for one of the best tapas meals ever. I know, bold claims, but it's true. When I popped down to Nottingham on my visit a couple of weeks ago we went out for a meal and cocktails. Wanting to try something, we settled on Bar Iberico in Hockley. They didn't take bookings but because we really fancied tapas and wanted to try it out we risked it and turned up at 7.30pm on a Friday. There was no issue, we were straight in and there were plenty of tables free downstairs (however I would say by 8pm it was pretty full). The place itself was really cool. Lots of wood which made it feel cosy and at times it did feel like you could be eating delicious tapas abroad. 

There was plenty to choose from on the menu without it being overwhelming. There were three of us there and we got eight dishes in total, which worked out great for us. We pretty much all of the dishes, the only thing we left a lot of was the patatas fritas (we ordered two portions, we only really needed one). We went for:

Patatas fritas - two portions

Calamari

Chorizo

Sweetcorn fritters

Crispy chicken

Garlic and onion tortilla

Cheese board

First up, I didn't touch the cheese board but that's because I don't like raw cheese (as in cheese that isn't cooked and on like a pizza or something). Everything else I dabbled in and it was ALL delicious. My favourite were the sweetcorn fritters, they were sweet and crispy, a winning combination. The chorizo was also great. Lots of chunky pieces that were filled with the usual delicious chorizo flavour and they weren't at all chewy. Portion size wise there's plenty to go around. The crispy chicken was a perfect example of this - it was never ending! But because they were in smallish bowls we weren't over faced. Speaking of the crispy chicken that was amazing. Sticky and sweet but SUPER crispy on the outside and moist in the middle. I can't describe how good all of this was. I'm sure my friends agree with me, everything was delish.

Seriously if you're ever in Nottingham and fancy an amazing meal out, give this a go. Chilled atmosphere, buzzing vibes and delicious food. Win win win.

I'm heading off to Edinburgh in a couple of months, if anyone has any food recommendations of where to go please let me know!

Castle and cocktails | What you should do in Nottingham

Nottingham will always hold a special place in my heart. It's where I spent three years of my life, on and off, making new friends, seeing new places and wandering around the streets after a few too many proseccos. So, I was very happy to find myself back there last weekend visiting one of my friends who has been there for the last 12 months doing something intelligent (go Nisha go!). When we arrived in the city it felt like we'd never left, like returning home. So I thought that this would be a good time to share a few of my 'must do' things if you ever find yourself in Nottingham.

Robin Hood Statue

So we're starting at something which I didn't actually visit until last weekend (I know, three years in the city and I didn't visit a statue which is just sat there). It's very close to the outside of the castle so you could go and pay Robin a visit and then go into the castle. He also makes for a very nice photo opportunity. Also somewhere to quickly pop when round here is

Coco Tang
Exposed brickwork. Dimmed lights. Underground. Got your attention? Probably not but hear me out anyway. Coco Tang is a cool cocktail bar that has something for everyone and makes a really good night out, from casual drinks to big celebrations. It's plonked in the middle of a row of shops and you would probably walk past it if you didn't know where to look. Once in you go down some stairs and are greeted by a dance floor, heavy house music and  We used to go all the time at uni, especially in first year, and if you decide to give it a visit I'd recommend going for a Toblerone. It's creamy and chocolate-y and something a bit different to your usual fruity drink. Although, this time I went for a Rhubarb Spritz and that was good too - quite strong but tasty.

Go for a meal
Nottingham has some AMAZING places to go and eat. I think I remember them telling us during our first week of uni that Nottingham has the most cafes, bars and restaurants per square metre than anywhere outside of London - don't quote me on that but there's definitely loads. From chains to independents there's something for everyone (plus it also has Deliveroo which is just what absolute dreams are made of). Some of my favourite places to eat in Notts are Fat Cats, Dinos and George's. 200 degrees is also a really nice cafe. Last weekend we went to Bar Iberico in Hockley and I cannot even tell you how good it was. There will be a post coming soon about my full thought but *spoiler alert* it was pretty special.

Market Square
The poster image of Nottingham. Market Square is just an empty space that houses the Christmas market in winter and, as I found out this weekend, a beach fun fair situation in the summer. Although there might be nothing on when you visit, it's just something you should probably do. Also there are shops nearby so why not.

(If you go to uni in Notts) Ocean
Just trust me on this one. Dress up as a lifeguard, go on your bar crawl of choice and enjoy. You can thank me later.

Rose gold, podcasts and seasonal eating | July Favourites

Beauty

I have fallen in love with the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette all over again this month. I dip in and out of love with this palette but I'm seriously obsessed. Everyone knows how pigmented and bendable Urban Decay eyeshadows are so I'll gloss over that, these shades are beautiful. So easy to just slap something on on a workday but it can also do a nice, pink-ey smokey eye. My favourite way to wear it before shooting off to work is Trick on most of the lid, Buzz on the outer lid and Limit in the crease. If I'm feeling I bit fancy I'll smudge Blackheart into my upper lash line. I'm still debating whether I need the Heat Palette in my life but for now I'm pretty happy using this.

Bit of a small and random favourite but I haven't liked a lip balm this much in a while. It's the Palmer's Coconut Oil Lip Balm. It's hydrating, comes in a handy stick and smells and tastes amazing. I'm obsessed with this scent and I think I need to try more from the Coconut Oil range, smells like heaven and holidays!

Food

After listening to the episode of 'At Home With' (more on that later) with Madeleine Shaw, I thought I'd give one of her books a go as I liked the sound of eating well and eating what's in season. So, after a couple of weeks of looking in all my local shops (to find that we were looking in the wrong section, well done) I finally got my hands on it. It being A Year of Beautiful Eating. I am so impressed with this and I think I can say the rest of my family are too! The recipes are pretty easy to do (I say that but my mum has made both of them) and so tasty. I can't wait to make more and I've just recently bought her second book and can't wait to try recipes from that one too!

Lifestyle

I've listened to a few podcasts over the years but none as religiously as 'At Home With'. I've been hooked on every episode, even when I had no clue who the guest really was, and it was so entertaining I was longing for more when the 30 minutes was up. My favourite episode was Giovanna Fletcher but after listening to the one with Kate La Vie I've become a massive fan of her blog. As an avid follower of Anna and Lily I'm really pleased it has gone well for them and I really hope it comes back for a second series!

I bought the Nina Perfume from Nina Ricci when I was on holiday last month and this scent has just become the staple summer scent for me. Sweet but not sickly and in the cutest bottle it will brighten any sunny day.

One week ago today I decided to bite the bullet and finally watch Riverdale. Oh wow am I glad I did. It's the perfect mix between a gripping crime drama and a high school programme. I only had a brief idea of what it was it was about so I kind of went in blind and I was hooked from the first five minutes. I cannot wait for series two and if you haven't watched it yet, please do, you won't regret it and it won't take up too much of your time.

I'm in serious need of another series to binge, any suggestions?

Trick | Buzz | Limit

The most Instagramable Coffee place - Tamper Coffee

This place was one of the most cool places I've ever been. Cool in the fact that I imagine cool bloggers to go there, have a latte with a fancy pattern on the top and instagram a perfectly flat-layed photo. Oh the dream! Anyway, my brother shared this little gem with me and my mum when we went to drop him off at university. It's called Tamper Coffee and is on Arundel Street.

It looks like nothing from the outside, just a wooden door that you would walk past without giving it a second look. But as soon as you step inside it's like you're hit with cool vibes. So much wood and exposed brickwork, I love it! There was also such a buzz inside it was full of people, weird when we had just come from a dead quiet street. We had to wait about five minutes for a table but everything else came super speedily.

It serves breakfast and then lunch from 12pm but there's a lot of crossover on the menu. There was a decent amount of choice, something for everyone without leaving you overwhelmed. I went for a hot chocolate and an eggs benedict, you could add smoked salmon or bacon but I wanted to try it in its 'original' form. Tick number one for this dish, perfect poached eggs. I think you can always tell a good place by their ability to cook poached eggs. Tick number two, it came with bubble and squeak. I am ALL about bubble and squeak and it was a nice addition that gave the dish just an extra pinch of tastiness. The hollandaise sauce was delicious and the muffin that everything sat on was soft and doughy. The only thing I would say about it is that there was a heck of a lot of spinach, and I like spinach, so I did take some of it off. Other than that I have to say I was very impressed and it was a delicious experience. Not much to say on the hot chocolate front other than it was really nice, not overly sweet but also not sickly. A good, simple hot chocolate.

If you're ever in Sheffield then I would definitely recommend checking this place out, especially if you want a good instagram or you're hoping cool vibes will rub off on you (no, just me?).

If there are any more places, preferably in the northern area of the country, that serves delicious food but will also do my instagram some good then please let me know!

Guess who's back!

I'm baaaack! Did you miss me? It's been around 12 months since I last typed up a blog post and does it feel good to get back into the swing again. A lot has happened in the last year, I graduated, got myself a job, got a car and most exciting of all...I've become obsessed with candles. Yeah, I know, my eyes have been opened to the wonderful world of scented things that burn. Love.

I've wanted to get back into blogging for a while but there was a whole thing where it logged me out of my account and I couldn't remember my password. But six months has gone by and I've been magically logged back into my account. Hooray!

What can you expect from me now? I mean, don't set your expectations too high but pretty much the same as before. Beauty stuff, food stuff, lifestyle things, etc, etc. I'm going to start with once a week on a Wednesday so look out tomorrow for something new!

Pierre Le Bistrot!

I'm going to make a bold statement now, this might be the best meal I've had in my three years living in Nottingham. I know, bold claims but it was amazing. If you are anywhere near Nottingham then you have to take a trip to this place. I think it's a french restaurant and it is a lovely place. Dimmed lighting inside and wood furniture gives it a cosy vibe and the relaxing music makes you feel like you are on holiday. I had such a nice time that this meal with probably stick in my mind forever.

For starter I had the calamari, which is one of my favourite starters ever. I have to say this is one of the best I've ever had. The squid was nicely cooked so it had substance but wasn't at all chewy. The bread crumbing was nice and crispy and held together well, because sometimes with calamari the crispy outside can fall off. The mayonnaise had a really great garlic flavour and there was plenty of it which was good as I hate running out of a sauce. I'd definitely recommend this starter, great flavour, perfect portion size and cooked very well. Yum!

This main was insane! I'm a big fan of chicken dishes with a creamy sauce and this was no exception. Starting with the chicken, it was extremely moist and tender but the top piece had a great piece of crispy skin which I was all about. Also there was plenty of chicken so you got a lot of meat for your dollar. I'm not really the biggest fan of peas or mushrooms but when it was altogether with this creamy sauce it was delicious. The sauce was the perfect consistency, not like soup but not overly thick and the peas and mushrooms gave it a more interesting texture. All of the mains came with roasted new potatoes and some more vegetables. I had a big of cabbage which was lovely and sweet and the potatoes were to my liking too. Crispy but fluffy on the inside. This is the dish that put this restaurant to the top of my list. It ticked all of the boxes and it has left a lasting impression.

For dessert, which I have to say I was very full and had to power through, I had a chocolate torte with blackberry ice cream and a chocolate pot. This was sensational, even if I didn't make it to the end. I was expecting the torte to come with a biscuit base, no idea why, but it was just pure chocolate heaven, like one big chocolate truffle. I also really liked the ice cream to say I'm a person who isn't a big ice cream fan. It was really creamy and had a sweet flavour that wasn't too overpowering. Now the chocolate pot, THE CHOCOLATE POT! It was literally a pot of melted chocolate-y goodness. Super sickly but amazing at the same time. I'd love to eat this dessert when I wasn't as full so I could get the full chocolate effect so I may have to return just for this reason.

If you have any suggestions of restaurants I should visit then please let me know because eating out is one of my favourite things to do,

Bills!

Damn Abz, back at it again with the delicious food posts! Oh how I have missed looking at pictures of delicious food and sharing my thoughts on them. I thought I would start with something I have never spoken about before on my blog, and that is brunch. I've never been for a proper brunch before so this was a very exciting moment and it was a birthday brunch for one of my amazing friends which made it even more special.

If you've been reading my blog since last year then you'll know that I've been to Bills before on a few occasions and I'm a big fan but I've never tried any of their breakfast stuff. I rarely get the chance to have pancakes so I went for those with the bacon. You get three big, american style pancakes with blueberries, bananas, strawberries, bacon and a drizzle of maple syrup. This was the perfect brunch size as I was starving by the time we got there so I wolfed it down at the beginning but there was enough to fill me up until tea time. The pancakes were soft and fluffy and I liked the addition of the blueberries in the pancakes as when you cut through one it exploded like a blueberry firework! There was the right amount of fruit to pancake and I had just enough crispy, delicious bacon to enjoy. Overall I would definitely have this again in a heartbeat.

If you know of any other brunch places that you think I should try out then please let me know!

La Cachette! (Take Nine)

Another trip home another La Cachette meal so without further ado let's jump in!

For starter I went for the duck pitivier special. It was delicious. It was beautifully cooked duck inside a puff pastry casing on top of a tasty sauce. The duck was soft and had a lovely flavour of duck which wasn't over powered by any of the other elements. The pastry was crisp and well cooked and the sauce was tasty and there was just the right amount of it. The portion size was perfect and it was an all round great starter that I would definitely have again in a heartbeat!

Main course wise I went for the chicken with celariac dauphinoise, mushrooms and cabbage. This was insanely good! The chicken was moist on the inside but slightly crispy on the outside with a lovely flavour of sage. The dauphinoise was delicious, again soft on the bottom and crispy on top. It didn't have much of a different flavour to a normal potato dauphinoise but it was delicious all the same. The mushroom and cabbage were also very tasty and the portion size was perfect. I finished every last mouthful and would have gladly gone back for more.

Little bit disappointed with my choice of pud. I chose the apricot and frangipane tart with ice cream. It was all very dry. The cake part was powdery and the apricots, although caramelised, were chewy and not very nice to eat. I ate the cake with the ice cream and that moistened it a bit and when I got to the thicker part of the cake that wasn't as dry but it wasn't as amazing as the other two courses which was a bit of a shame.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen Deliveroo!

Another Deliveroo! I'm seriously going to have to stop because this is 1. Not doing my figure any good and 2. Not doing my bank account very good. This delivery was prompted by being alone the night before coming home and not having much in the cupboards. I was also really in the mood for a burger which is how I came to the decision of GBK. I've mentioned my love for Deliveroo before but I'm just going to share it again. I can't believe how easy it is to get restaurant food to your house. Amazing, if you can get it, do it!

I went for a chicken burger, which I chose to be covered in breadcrumbs, with lettuce and onions inside (I chose for them to remove the tomato which I thought was a nice touch on the app). For sides I went with skinny fries, onion rings, garlic mayo and baconnaise, which is mayonnaise with bacon in it. Let's get the bad things out of the way first. I didn't like the fries. This isn't because they were bad or cold but because they are my worst kind of chip. I like fries when they are crispy and have bite to them but these were completely the opposite. I should have put them in the oven for a few minutes to crispen them up but next time I would get sweet potato fries. Now with that out of the way let's get to the good stuff! The onion rings were crispy on the outside and soft in the middle with the batter having a bit of a spicy flavour to it making them very tasty. My dips were delicious. The garlic one was packed with flavour and the bacon was nice, all be it a bit strange, and both went well with all of the elements of the meal. The main event was to die for. The bread was sweet, my perfect burger bun, and the chicken was moist on the inside with a crispy coating on the outside. It was the perfect size and not at all greasy which can sometimes happen with burgers. I would definitely recommend this, it didn't disappoint!

Bills! (Take Three)

I went through a phase last year of eating at Bills any chance I could but then I think I overdid it because I just wasn't into it anymore. I'm so glad that I gave it a little break because I really loved it. I like the whole vibe of the place and I tried their pink lemonade for the first time and I would seriously recommend it, delish!

I went for the chicken burger with chipotle mayonnaise and sweet potato fries. A word of warning, it doesn't say that it comes with anything on the menu but it comes with sweet potato fries. This dish was amazingly delicious. The bread was sweet and that is my favourite thing to have on a burger. It came with coleslaw inside which was a nice touch. I love coleslaw and it was nice because it wasn't overly creamy and didn't make the bread or the chicken soggy. The chicken was crispy on the outside, moist in the middle with a delicious flavour. The mayonnaise had a really nice flavour that meant it was good to dip my fries in and to have on my burger. The sweet potato fries were amazing, crispy, soft and deliciously sweet. You also get loads to say it's just in a little can. The portion of the whole meal was spot on and I would definitely have this again!

I pushed myself a little to go for a dessert and I chose the pecan pie with malted milk ice cream. It was delicious! The pastry was thin and crisp, the pecans were sticky and sweet and it was just a nice size. The ice cream tasted like banana to me which isn't a bad thing because it was delicious and it went well with the pie. I don't think there's anything else I can say about this other than yummy!

Cumin!

Curry time! I'm going to give you a massive spoiler, this place was AMAZING! We were going to go to La Tasca for a casual Friday meal but for some reason they are getting rid of the one in Nottingham so it was back to the drawing board on places to go. A lot of suggestions were batted around but then someone came up with this little gem, in the top 20 on trip advisor, and off we were on our merry way. It's in the most random place across a main road but apparently this isn't so random because there are loads of nice looking restaurants surrounding it so they might be getting a little try soon. The staff were really friendly, the atmosphere was really nice and chilled and I'd definitely go back. No, onto the food!

We just dived straight into mains so I had a Murg Makhini which was chicken in a creamy tomato sauce with rice and a garlic naan. It was so delicious! Everything was totally to die for. The chicken was moist (hate that word but it was so moist) and tender and the sauce was creamy and had a bit of heat to it but filled with spices that would make my tongue want to explode. The rice was your standard rice but was nice all the same and the garlic naan was great. You got lots of it which I love because I love bread and dipping it in the leftover sauce. There was plenty of food but I didn't feel over faced and I lapped it all up! I would definitely come back here and try a little bit more, maybe some starters and a few more sides. I totally recommend coming here for a curry and if you don't feel like leaving the house you can get a Deliveroo which is all kinds of amazing!

Deliveroo!

Slightly different food post this week but it's a good'un! I think that Deliveroo started working in Nottingham at the beginning of this year and ever since I heard about it I've been dying to try it out. I've had the app downloaded to my phone for a while and every so often I'd browse through to see what kind of things that I had. The night I took the plunge I really fancied a lasagne and because Bella Italia is one of my favourite places to eat I thought I'd compare and see if there was any difference between a takeaway and what you'd receive in the restaurant. I wanted to get calamari but the choice of starters on Deliveroo is very limited and the only thing you can really get is bread which was disappointed. It only took half an hour for the meal to arrive and it was great because you can track your driver and see exactly where they are (stalker alert!).

I ordered lasagne, onion rings and bread with a garlic butter dip. If I get a Deliveroo again I'd just get the meal and not go for the extras. They were nice but I really didn't need them as the size of the main was enough to make me full and they weren't anything special. The onion rings were very crispy and they made me really thirsty and the garlic breads were very doughy and dipping the bread in the garlic butter was a bit messy. The lasagne, however, is a totally different story. It tasted exactly the same as if I'd gone to the actual restaurant. It was a bit weird the way it came as it was basically just plonked in the box but that didn't effect the flavour or it's temperature. It was easy to eat from the box, it was creamy, tasty and delicious, lovely. I definitely recommend getting a Deliveroo if you can and I'll try out more from some different restaurants in the future and make sure to report back!