Date night this weekend with my boyfriend was at our favourite local destination for cocktails, Sky Bar at the Aviator Hotel in Hampshire. We love everything about this place, from the stunning feature staircase and glamorous bar overlooking Farnborough Airport, to the extensive menu of extravagant cocktails which every time we visit, we always say are the best we’ve ever had…and I know my cocktails!
Arriving at 8pm, it was a buzzing Saturday evening at the Aviator Hotel, so we were lucky to get a table in the bar. I was drawn to the sweet sounding honey and ginger based cocktail which came in an extra tall glass, complete with a honey dipper and garnished with a cute flower.
This decadently sweet concoction got a 10/10 from me, I was in honey heaven. Meanwhile my boyfriend went for his usual choice the ‘Air Mail’ which is a variation on a classic whiskey sour. Date night was off to a fabulous start!
Upon every visit to the Sky Bar, I can never resist an outfit photo on their iconic spiral staircase. On this occasion I wore my green ruffle bandeau top, black split hem flared leggings, green knotted mules styled with my cute little gingham shoulder handbag and usual gold jewellery to complete the look.
Whilst there is a brasserie in the hotel which we’re yet to try, they also serve food in the Sky Bar offering a varied selection of starters, salads, burgers, pizzas and other classic British dishes. I was craving a simple chicken Caesar salad, whilst my boyfriend opted for a Margarita pizza and honey drizzled chicken wings. Everything was delicious especially the honey wings, but there’s a number of other tasty looking salads on the menu which I’ll have to try next time, including a Mexican style rice salad or poke bowl, both right up my street!
Full of indulgent cocktails and wonderful food, we headed home to finish our date night with a movie. We watched Slumberland on Netflix, a heart-warming film which we enjoyed with some wine and popcorn – a perfect end to our perfect date night ❤
After four holidays abroad this year, my boyfriend and I opted for a fun little staycation in Brighton this November. We spent two days exploring the wonders of this glorious city down by the coast of England.
Arriving at midday on Thursday last week, we got settled in our room at the Square Townhouse hotel located on New Steine Street in the heart of Brighton. We loved our little room the ‘Bubble Snug’ and we couldn’t have been looked after better by the staff at this gorgeous boutique hotel complete with chic, art deco inspired interiors.
That afternoon we ventured out to explore the centre of town and the famous Lanes which were all right on our doorstep. We stopped by a cute coffee shop which happened to be next door to the Ivy Asia, so being somewhere we’ve been wanting to try, we made a reservation for that evening’s dinner.
After coffee it was nearing sunset time already, so we headed to the beach for a sundown stroll along the shore. Stunning scenes but it sure was very blustery, I almost lost my hat numerous times!
A walk along the pier is a must when coming to Brighton too. Back in the day I would visit my sister who went to university in Sussex and we would always take a trip to the pier, it’s a kids dream!
Now as adults the novelty has worn off and the precarious, rickety looking rides don’t seem as appealing. So soon enough we headed back to our hotel for some downtime in our super cosy room and an aperitif from the bar, before getting ready for dinner.
I wore my new White Fox Boutique chocolate colour playsuit, over the knee boots, gingham blazer, long trench coat and a beret to complete the look. Feeling tres chic for our dinner at the Ivy Asia!
With reservations at 8:30pm, we arrived a bit earlier to enjoy a drink at the bar first. The place was buzzing and the opulent interiors were just exquisite. Everything about The Ivy restaurants is always such a magnificent experience, from the amazing decor and detailed place settings, to the attentive service and killer cocktails.
The dinner spread we chose was on point and everything so tasty, it was all divine. We had chicken satay style skewers, tender stem broccolini in a tahini sauce, hot and sour plum flavoured chicken, sticky jasmine rice and a platter of sushi of course.
The look of love for my tuna maki roll, I was in heaven! A truly wonderful and memorable experience at the Ivy Asia, highly recommend for a special date night or evening with the girls.
The next day we woke feeling fresh and ready for another day strolling around Brighton. I wore my new Zara aviator jacket with flared jeans, Grenson Boots and my beret ready for the chilly, windy weather.
I love exploring cities on foot and Brighton really is perfect for strolling around and getting lost in the Lanes. Every corner you turn there’s another street to explore lined with historic buildings and wall murals. Brighton is the place to be for artists and creatives alike.
Following lots of shopping and walking around town, we headed back to the coastline for sunset and enjoyed a coffee at Brighton Beach Club during golden hour; simply sublime.
As dusk drew in and the lights of Brighton Pier lit up, we made our way back along the seafront to our hotel before dinner.
We had 8pm reservations at Burnt Orange, a grown-up, late-night hangout with a menu centred around seasonal ingredients cooked predominantly over fire and designed for sharing.
From the brilliant reviews and tapas style dining which I love, I had high hopes for our evening here.
Seated at the counter-top overlooking the kitchen and bar, we had the best seats in the house. What a fantastic atmosphere seeing the kitchen at work and the head chef plating the dishes in front of us, we could even do some window shopping to decide on our dinner choices.
To start we had the wood fired flatbread and my absolute obsession when it comes to tapas, padron peppers. Smokey, salty and sweet, absolutely delicious!
For our mains it was a superb fillet of flamed sea bream with basil yoghurt and a mango dressing for me, and the BBQ chicken thigh with watermelon hot sauce and kohl rabi slaw for my boyfriend.
To accompany our dishes, we shared the indulgent skillet-baked potatoes drizzled with herb cream and sheep’s cheese. Wow, I need to recreate these at home.
And not forgetting our favourite vegetable side, broccolini, and this pimped up version charred and finished with a lemon tahini dressing was a winner.
We both agreed this was some of the most flavourful food we’ve ever had and a fabulous dining experience we won’t forget. Burnt Orange gets a 10/10 on all counts from me given the outstanding service, bustling ambience, great drinks and exceptional food!
So that was our whistle stop two days down in Brighton exploring the best of what this eclectic, fun and friendly city has to offer; thanks for having us Brighton ❤
Happy Sunday! We’re well and truly into the winter months here in England as I sit writing this at 4:30pm and it’s already dark… whilst I am definitely a summer girl at heart, there is something so comforting and heart-warming about cosying up inside on these long winter evenings.
For me winter is all about the good TV and film which comes out this time of year, enjoying indulgent food (in particular a cheeseboard of course) and going to the pub to sit in front of the fire with friends whilst lapping up the red wine and maybe even a cocktail or two.
November also brings with it firework night alongside my Mum’s birthday too, so for our family it’s always a time to celebrate. A yearly tradition has evolved recently where my boyfriend and Dad have the time of their lives letting off the crazy firework boxes from Costco which is both exciting and terrifying!
For my Mum’s birthday celebrations on the 6th November, we went over to my brother and his wife’s gorgeous newly renovated house in Bromley. They have a wonderful entertaining space there now with an open plan dining kitchen area finished with touches of Scandi style furniture and details; I particularly love the deep fern green kitchen cupboards and marble work top.
They always put on an incredible spread of food and on this occasion we were treated to a classic, hearty chilli con carne with all the accompaniments which was delicious. They also made this Mexican inspired salad including a mix of greens, asparagus, avocado, a creamy homemade dressing and heaps of parmesan. I need to get the full recipe, I’m obsessed!
We had a fabulous day celebrating Mum’s birthday. These special moments with family are so precious and I can’t wait for more fun times together as we dive into the festive season ahead ❤
Dani Aneka 