Before we left for our two months in Bali, my beloved little brown convertible Mini Cooper sadly packed in and so it was time for a new car. I was keen to get another Mini Cooper but upgrade to a sport without a soft top, given the roof leaking issues that caused electrical faults on my old car.
Searching on Auto Trader there were lots of Mini Coopers out there, however I am very particular when it comes to the colour and aesthetics of my car. My preference is muted tones but with a little something different, so the moon grey shade with black bonnet stripes and the stylish Union Jack rear lights was just my vibe.
From the John Cooper Works range inspired by the Minis racetrack heritage, she has a lot of power and looks extra sporty with the spoiler and two exhausts in the middle. I purchased her from a private seller through Auto Trader which meant I got a really good deal on the price. The previous owners had looked after the car well and being made in 2018 with only 26,000 miles on the clock, it was a brilliant find.
The more I drive her around the more I love my new little whip which is certainly a big upgrade on my old 2011 Cooper. Now that I’m thirty it’s out with my baby Bambino, and in with my classy Lady Luna Cooper S ❤
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.
Monaco is the epitome of sophistication and class when it comes to wining and dining and we were keen to experience some of the most famous and highly rated hotspots. Here is a brief review of the restaurants and bars we had the pleasure of trying during our long weekend in Monte-Carlo.
*Cafe De Paris
For 150 years, it has been the beating heart of Monaco. Standing proudly on the Place du Casino, the Café De Paris Monte-Carlo is one of the legends of the Principality. An iconic brasserie where celebrities and artists, locals and visitors alike enjoy meeting up at any time of the day, whatever the occasion, to enjoy the art of living, a coffee, something sweet, or a meal to share.
We enjoyed an aperitif at the spectacular feature bar before being seated at our cosy booth table for dinner.
The opulent interiors give art deco vibes and the rich red and gold tones add to the grandeur of the main dining room.
I had a classic Caesar salad with prawns and a side of mixed vegetables; simple yet delicious.
My boyfriend had the roast farmhouse chicken served with vegetables and baby new potatoes.
Everything was exquisite and the service impeccable as you’d expect, a 10/10 fabulous experience at the famous Cafe De Paris Monte-Carlo.
We also went back for a coffee and cake overlooking the Monte-Carlo square on a sunny Sunday afternoon and it was delightful.
*Neptune
Located on Monaco’s Larvotto Beach in a chic and relaxed atmosphere, Neptune offers a creative menu of Mediterranean flavours.
We dined al fresco on the Saturday evening surrounded by palm trees and fairy lights with a live DJ too, making for the perfect date night vibes.
To start we shared the ham and cheese croquettes which were just divine.
For main course I opted for the grilled octopus in a rich marinara sauce served on top of a crisp potato rosti, a deliciously different and tasty dish.
It was an old favourite for my boyfriend, the margarita pizza topped with sun-dried tomatoes, burrata and basil. Service was superb and the chilled al fresco atmosphere made for ideal date night scenes.
*Song Qi
On our final night we were craving a different cuisine, so we found Song Qi Chinese which looked luxurious with it’s beautiful interiors featuring silky green banquettes and flower walls.
Opening in 2014 and born from the gastronomic passion of Riccardo Giraudi, the goal of Song Qi is to provide Monte-Carlo a modern fine dining Chinese restaurant.
For entrées we shared the duck lettuce wraps and a smoked chicken hot and sour soup.
The stir-fried shiitake mushrooms and vegetables in a Piri Piri sauce was my choice for main, whilst my boyfriend had the chicken Kung Po with cashew nut and chillis and we shared a portion of jasmine rice.
Despite the spicy heat of our dishes, it was all exquisite and by far the best Chinese food we’ve had for a long time.
*Amazonica
Moving onto bars, we went to Amazonica upon recommendation from a friend as well as lots of hype about it online.
On a Friday night it was very busy, but we managed to get a table for drinks on the rooftop with a view of the Monte-Carlo skyline.
We ordered three fun cocktails including a smokey mojito, a classic espresso martini and the star of the show, a sweet concoction served in this awesome jaguar head.
Whilst the cocktails were tasty and the vibes on point for a Friday night, unfortunately we had to vacate our table after an hour and just to stand at the bar. I would recommend making a reservation beforehand to avoid this situation, but otherwise it’s a very cool and trendy place with aesthetic interiors.
*Buddah Bar
An exotic and chic venue at the heart of Monte Carlo, Buddha Bar is the trendiest restaurant-bar-lounge in the heart of Monaco. This establishment offers a decor inspired by the Garnier Opera House in Paris, with a subtle mixture of gilded mouldings, ancient sculptures and a colonial Asian setting.
We found ourselves here on the Saturday night following our dinner at Neptune for night cap cocktails. I went super spicy whilst my boyfriend chose a sweet cocktail.
Sat at the main bar area with the giant buddha statue overlooking us, this is another fabulous spot for drinks which echoes that old school money sophistication and glamour of Monaco.
*Le Note Bleue
During our first stroll down to the beach front, we stopped at Le Note Bleue for an afternoon drink in the glorious sunshine. I’d seen online this was a highly rated spot and we got talking to a local couple there with their dog who said it’s their favourite restaurant in the area.
With the French Riviera style white umbrellas and palms decorating the terrace seating, it’s the most picturesque setting for an afternoon lunch or drink on the beach.
So that’s my roundup of the best restaurants and bars we tried whilst in Monaco and there’s no denying the excellent standard of gastronomy; what else would you expect from the land of the rich and wealthy!?
Cheers to a weekend of the chicest wining and dining experiences in Monaco ❤
Living in the quaint countryside of Hampshire, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a pub which serves great food too. From more traditional pubs serving up hearty homemade, traditional dishes, to the fantastic array of gastro pubs offering high quality, premium restaurant standard dishes, there’s a variety of options for all occasions.
One of our local pubs The Mutton, has become a favourite of ours for date night when we’re looking for something more premium than your average pub restaurant. Having reopened following a full renovation a few years ago, it’s made its mark on the food scene in Hampshire and has become known as one of the best gastro pubs in the area.
With a 7pm reservation on the final day in August, we were hoping to dine outside on their stunning terrace with sunset views over the neighbouring fields. Unfortunately the overcast evening scuppered our hopes of an al fresco date night dinner.
Regardless, we had a wonderful dining experience in the cosy restaurant area of the pub along with my parents who joined us for the meal as well. We started with drinks in the bar area so I kicked the evening off with my go-to cocktail of choice, a Margarita.
I couldn’t resist a picture with my margs which matched the green details of my outfit just perfectly; we love a green moment ❤
At 7:30pm we were seated at our table which was a super cute and cosy corner with sofa bench seating and plenty of cushions for extra comfort.
We started with a few small plates to share including the bang bang cauliflower, the beef spring roll with pack choi and a basket of sourdough bread with smoked butter.
This bang bang cauliflower was exquisite, the perfect blend of Chinese spices without the heavy coating of batter you might expect from a dish like that.
My main course was the chargrilled sea bass served with crushed potatoes, locally grown market vegetables and a white wine sauce.
They do fish really well at The Mutton and this sea bass was made particularly special by the white wine sauce which we poured over the dish ourselves upon it being served.
My boyfriend had his usual order of the sirloin steak served with fries and this delicious salad of rocket, parmesan and pink pickled shallot.
For my parents it was the pesto gnocchi with burrata for my mum, then my dad had the sea bass too as well as a side order of the irresistible parmesan truffle fries.
We skipped dessert and just had some coffees to finish as we’d had starters. All of the food was as usual a 10/10 and service very friendly and attentive. We were enjoying ourselves so much we were the last ones out of the restaurant at 10:30pm!
Whilst I think the food is very well priced for the incredible standard, it’s the wine which tends to make the final bill on the pricier side compared to the average pub.
However we are never disappointed with our experience at The Mutton and it is amazing to have such a brilliant pub right on our doorstep for when we do fancy spoiling ourselves.
The Mutton combines creative seasonal dishes with more traditional pub favourites, all made using the very best of British ingredients. If you’re in the area you must visit The Mutton for lunch or dinner for an elevated, quintessential British pub experience – https://themuttonathazeleyheath.co.uk
Wedding season is well and truly underway and this weekend we had the pleasure of joining our very close friends to celebrate them tying the knot in style at The Shack Revolution.
Nestled in the heart of Hereford, The Shack Revolution is a contemporary wedding venue which prides itself on encouraging couples to have creativity and freedom in planning their dream wedding – https://www.theshackrevolution.co.uk
The day was truly one of a kind reflecting the couple’s fun loving hearts and beautiful personalities.
From the gorgeous pink bouquets of flowers and matching pink napkins, which we waved in the air as the couple entered their wedding breakfast as newlyweds; to the fun games including ping pong and the beer van where you could pour your own pint, every moment of the day was a joy and had guests entertained.
The three course dinner was a delicious feast, starting with seared Celtic king scallop on a bed of pea puree and chorizo.
To follow I had the vegetarian main of smoked oyster mushroom risotto with sage as well as a few of the sides including salad, roasted cherry vine tomatoes and the most decadent mac and cheese which me and my boyfriend couldn’t get enough of!
For dessert it was my favourite deconstructed Eton mess, the perfect little sweet treat to end the meal.
We certainly weren’t left hungry when more food came later in the evening too… a cheeseboard with mountains of caramelised onion chutney (we love to see it) and then stacks of fresh stone baked pizzas complete with garlic bread and truffle fries. Not forgetting also the snack table of crisps and giant sweetie jars for guests to help themselves, fuelling us with that extra energy as we danced the night away!
It’s always tricky finding the right wedding guest outfit, so me and my best friend were back and forth with lots of options in the run up to the date.
I finally settled on a sophisticated floral swing dress, something I actually already had in my wardrobe from when I worked for the vintage dress company Lady V London.
Whilst this isn’t my usual style of dress, I felt really feminine and lady like in this number and it matched the vibe of the venue super well.
To accessorise it up I wore this statement neck corsage, oversized gold flower earrings from ASOS, satin baby pink heels to match the corsage and my new olive green Moncrief shoulder bag, subtly reflecting the floral tones of the dress.
I also took my boyfriend shopping to Next where we got him this smart, pinstriped, oatmeal suit which I styled for him with the light blue shirt and satin pocket handkerchief. I think the muted blue and green tones of our outfits complimented each other well. Couples dressing must be carefully considered for weddings so as to pair perfectly for photos ❤
Needless to say that as an Events Executive, I absolutely adore attending weddings, especially when it’s family or very close friends getting hitched. Tears of joy and pride were certainly flowing for the happiness of my beautiful friends.
Nothing matches the feeling of celebrating together with loved ones and letting your hair down in honour of the happy couple, I’m still on such a high.
What a truly magical day shared with the most fabulous friends who are like family.
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 ❤
Dani Aneka 