Date Night; The Guildford Townhouse & The Ivy Asia

If you’ve been here for a while, you know that I love getting dressed up in a cute outfit and going on a fancy little date night with my boyfriend. So this Saturday night we booked one of our favourite spots for a romantic dinner complete with all the vibes and also tried a new bar for pre-dinner cocktails.

For the occasion I wore my white Zara miniskirt, asymmetric gold ring detail taupe coloured top, Next square toe nude mule heels, my By Alona pearl necklace and an ASOS khaki oversized clutch bag to complete the look.

It was another warm summers evening so I wore my Miu Miu statement sunglasses for the short walk to the bar and didn’t need a jacket all evening.

First stop was The Guilford Townhouse which has recently been taken over and renovated by the Coppa Club chain. We headed up to their rooftop where you’ll find The Burton Bar, a cocktail bar with style, substance and lively evening energy.

My cocktail of choice was a classic Margarita and we enjoyed our drinks in front of the glamorous feature bar in the super comfy, plush sofa seating.

It wasn’t too busy at 7pm, but I imagine it’s the kind of place that’s more popular later in the evening when the DJ sets start at about 9pm. With its elegant interiors inspired by the 1920s art deco style, this was the perfect setting to enjoy a cocktail and set the vibes for night ahead.

Our reservation at The Ivy Asia was at 8:15pm, so we made the short walk up Guildford Highstreet to Castle Street where the Ivy is located. My heels might have been quite high, but I swear by the Next forever comfort range which are always the comfiest and easiest to walk in heels.

Every inch of The Ivy Asia decor is exquisite and so beautifully aesthetic, even the bathrooms are a must visit when you’re there.

The restaurant was buzzing on a Saturday night with a live DJ and even a live electric violinist walking around the restaurant floor to entertain guests, how brilliant!

Whilst the gorgeous emerald green luminous flooring might grab your attention first, never forget to look up at the wonderful ceiling murals and pretty cherry blossom flowers overhead.

Having been quite a few times to The Ivy Asia now, we had a good idea of what we wanted and one thing that was top of our list, was the golden aromatic half duck traditionally served with the pancakes and all the condiments including hoisin sauce.

I had to have a plate of their fresh house-made sushi so I opted for the spicy tuna sesame roll.

The cucumber peanut chilli coriander lime salad was also a must for me and it didn’t disappoint. The creamy nutty sauce combines so well with the fresh crunch of the cucumber, whilst the chilli adds a subtle hint of spice.

My boyfriend also ordered the chilli noodles, wok fried greens and Gochujang glazed chicken which he really rated and remembered as another highlight from our last visit.

We ordered well and savoured every bite of our delectable Asian spread.

Needless to say we didn’t hold back and definitely over ordered, so we took our leftovers home in the fanciest doggy bag I’ve ever seen, how adorable!

The Ivy Asia is always such a brilliant option for all occasions from date nights and girly dinners, to birthday parties and celebrations, vibes are on point and the food is divine.

To find your closest Ivy Asia and experience all the fun and glamour for yourself, checkout their website here.

Bali Diaries; Love From Canggu

With Valentines Day on the horizon, I was excited to make the most of it here in Bali and plan a romantic date night with my boyfriend at some of our favourite Canggu hotspots.

Every romantic evening in Bali begins with sunset drinks, so at 6:30pm on Friday we headed down to The Lawn for sundowners on the beach with a view.

I wore my new Flook The Label maxi dress with this stunning cutaway detail in my favourite colour of the moment, chocolate brown. To accessorise I wore my Seaside Stories gold plated shell necklace, matching gold shell earrings and Abbott Lyon statement gold bangle.

Once sun had dipped below the horizon and dusk was upon us, we went around the corner to Billy Ho for more drinks and nibbles.

We discovered Billy Ho when visiting Canggu last year, so with its sophisticated ambience giving uptown New York vibes, I thought it was the perfect V-Day romantic evening spot.

For an appetiser we shared the smokey edamame beans and the vegetarian dumplings, absolutely exquisite paired with a glass of bubbles too.

My boyfriend was craving pizza for dinner, so we headed to one of the best pizza spots in town Luigis.

We shared a classic margarita pizza and green leaf salad with balsamic vinegar. Simple yet delicious and satisfied that pizza craving perfectly.

To finish the evening of bar hopping around Canggu, we went to Santanera rooftop for a nightcap. This was our first time here and it was buzzing on a Friday night. Spread across three floors it has a cool, lofty vibe whilst still feeling intimate and exclusive.

It was a perfect Valentines date night in Canggu complete with scenic sunset drinks, refined appetisers and even some classic home comfort food in the form of a very cheesy pizza.

With love, from Canggu Bali ❤

14.02.24; Be My Valentine

Celebrating Valentines isn’t something we’ve always got involved with, however with it falling on hump-day this year, it felt like the perfect excuse for a midweek date night at home.

My boyfriend surprised me with this gorgeous bunch of red roses and the cutest card with a pop-out teddy bear.

Inspired by some stunning hairstyles I’d found on Pinterest, I decided to try putting my hair into a French Roll and it turned out so well. It was giving chic and sophisticated vibes for our date night, I’m obsessed.

I set the romantic mood in our dining room with candles and music whilst I set the table ready for dinner. It’s the little touches that make dinner for two at home special, like using our nicest gold cutlery with lovely napkins and putting condiments into aesthetic serving dishes.

It was midweek Mexican night, so we made our favourite burrito bowls with a side of chilli cheese nachos and all the dips of course. A bottle of red wine, candles lit and dinner served, we felt like we were in our own restaurant.

Mexican feast devoured, we moved to the lounge to watch ‘How to loose a guy in 10 days’, a romantic comedy classic perfect for V-day night.

I love a cosy date night at home and this was the perfect way to spend our Valentines evening together; simple and fuss-free, yet super cute and romantic ❤

Book Club; Me Before You

This year I am challenging myself to read more books and reduce so much screen time spent mindlessly scrolling Instagram in exchange for reading. I have always loved getting lost in the story of a good book, but over the past few years it isn’t something I’ve been making enough time for. Together with my friend we have decided to do an informal book club in which we recommend each other books and discuss what we have been reading. First on my list was Me Before You by JoJo Moyes, a fantastic suggestion from my friend as I found myself unable to put this book down. A truly captivating love story with a heartbreaking twist, Moyes writing flows without sacrificing on detail and description to fully emerse the reader into the narrative.

My next read will be Normal People by Sally Rooney, a gift from my brother and his wife for Christmas. I’m excited to get stuck into another novel and continue my goal of reading again this year. I’m not setting out to read a certain number of books necessarily, but instead easing myself back into the literacy world with some enjoyable reads before I consider delving into the more heavy topics.

‘Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body; it keeps the imagination stimulated, active and alive.’