Tag: sundowners

48 Hours in P A R I S

May 23, 2022

Paris; A beautiful city full of charm, elegance, history, art, architecture, fashion, food, nightlife and of course, LOVE. This weekend me and my boyfriend spent two days exploring this magnificent European city for ourselves. With only 48 hours in town, we didn’t waste a minute and managed to cover most of the most famous hotspots whilst sampling the best of French cuisine and soaking up the glorious early summer sunshine.

Taking the Eurostar from St Pancras on Friday evening, we found ourselves in the centre of Paris within a matter of a few hours. Having booked through the Eurostar with hotel combo deal, we checked into our lovely 4* boutique Hotel Mademoiselle, only a 5 minute walk from Gare du Norde train station.

Waking up fresh from a good nights sleep following our journey, Saturday morning we strolled the streets of the local area and grabbed a quick breakfast at a cute corner cafe.

We then headed straight for the Eiffel Tower where we found this famous side street Rue de l’Universite for that picture perfect photo.

A quick whip around the supermarche and we had ourselves a throw together French style picnic by the river overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

From there, we walked to the Champs-Elysees for an afternoon browsing the shops before we reached the Arc de Triomphe.

Following the madness of the tourist spots on a Saturday afternoon, we stopped by Cafe De Paris for an early evening drink in the sunshine and much needed rest from our feet.

A quick stop back at the hotel to freshen up and we were ready for a night out in Paris. Destination Moulin Rouge, an iconic landmark I had to visit during our stay and only a 10 minute Uber from our hotel.

This area was buzzing on a Saturday night, so we found a local brasserie where we could sit out on the street with our dinner and soak up the those Parisian nightlife vibes. Our night continued into the early hours with cocktails and a traditional Nutella crepe for desert at 2am!

Sunday late morning, we made our way over to Le Recrutement Cafe for brunch with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

We then decided to spend the afternoon on a hop-on and hop-off bus tour around the city, a super easy way to navigate all of the tourist spots in one day.

The Louvre was a highlight with its stunning modern architecture juxtapose to the grandeur of the surrounding historic buildings.

Back at our hotel that evening, we enjoyed sundown drinks with an exquisite charcuterie board amongst the gorgeous French aesthetic of their courtyard at Hotel Mademoiselle.

We had to see the Eiffel Tower by night, so for dinner we went back to the river for a delicious Italian at Firmine.

The light show is on the hour every hour until midnight, so we had cocktails at the nearby Frame Brasserie from where we had views of the Eiffel Tower.

For the final light display at midnight, we had front row seats in the park for undisrupted views of this incredible spectacle. It felt like a dream seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle by night, showering the city in golden hues; simply divine and tres romantique.

Before we new it, Monday morning rolled around and it was time to hop back on the Eurostar to London. This was a whistle stop tour but we certainly made the most of our time here and emersed ourselves within the Parisian culture. I have fallen in love with the vibe of this exciting city with its chic style and vibrant charm; we will be seeing you again soon Paris, merci beaucoup ❤

Dubai Diaries; My Hotspot Hitlist

January 23, 2022

With our feet safely back on UK soil last Tuesday, I’ve been spending this week catching up with myself following our dreamy whirlwind of an adventure in Dubai. We certainly made the most of our 10 day holiday and experienced so many of the wonderful things this vibrant and exciting futuristic city has to offer.

Having researched extensively through blogs, vlogs and influencers prior to our visit, we knew all the things we wanted to pack into our time there and everyday was another thrilling experience.

Given the extensive amount of things there are to do in Dubai, I thought I’d share my favourite hotspots and activities which are in my opinion an absolute must do when visiting the city.

Starting with one of the most popular areas of Dubai for tourists and expats, Dubai Marina offers a fabulous array of beach bars, restaurants, shops and residences.

After a walk along the beach, we stopped for lunch at a great little English inspired bar The Scene by Dubai Mall overlooking the Marina. Here we had our new fave cocktails which we discovered on our trip, passionfruit Mojitos!

From the beach you are looking across the bay at Dubai Eye located over on Blue Island. Later that evening we then met an old friend of mine nearby at the popular beach club Bla Bla and enjoyed the nightly drone show and fireworks.

He recommended we go to his favourite restaurant for dinner over on Blue Island called Alici. So after drinks we walked over the footbridge to our dinner spot as we admired Dubai Marina skyline lit up at night.

Arriving at Alici for our 8:30pm reservation in the name of my friend, we were greeted with a glass of champagne each upon arrival.

Overlooking the Dubai cityscape, it was the most fantastic dinner spot along with the most attentive and friendly of service. With mediterranean inspired cuisine, we were also treated to complimentary starters of burrata and beef carpaccio which was just exquisite.

For mains we both went for pasta, I had a tuna dish whilst my boyfriend had the lamb ragu. Another delicious course finished with the second drone show and firework display of the evening over the marina!

I would have to say this was up there as one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Beautiful setting, 5* service and delectable food. To finish we were even spoilt with another complimentary course of homemade truffles and freshly made pistachio cream cannolis.

I was so very grateful for my friends goodwill and kind gesture to ensure we were well looked after for our meal at Alici – a must visit for a romantic dinner date setting in Dubai.

Next up on my hitlist is making sure you spend a day at a rooftop pool in Dubai. With many throughout the city to choose from, I thought the views from our hotel rooftop pool at The Gevora amongst those towering buildings was pretty insane.

The Gevora hotel where we stayed is in fact the tallest hotel in the world and located in the trendy and lively financial district. We went for dinner at the Highest View Lounge up on The Gevora rooftop for our final night, a perfect location to soak up that glorious Dubai cityscape by night for one last time.

With a minimum spend of only £30 each, this restaurant is very reasonable for such breathtaking views. I had a delightful fillet of seabass with truffle mash potato and stir fried veggies – a much needed healthy meal after all the food we’d consumed on this trip!

Just across the highway from our hotel was another great rooftop cocktail bar Level 43 Lounge. Again for only £30 minimum spend you are treated to one of the best views of Dubai by night accompanied with live music and fabulous cocktails too of course.

It was an absolute must that we visited old Dubai and the souk markets during our stay. Once we found the less touristy part of the spice souk, it was so peaceful strolling around the stunning streets with their ancient architecture and magnificent mosques.

The spice souk sold traditional homewares including gorgeous lamps and pots as well as spices too. I couldn’t resist grabbing a pair of garishly decorated handmade leather pointy toe slipper shoes. I was having a Carrie from the Sex and the City movie moment when she’s in Abu Dhabi and buys the shoes for ten dollars at the souk.

If we’d had more time this day we would’ve liked to have taken a water taxi over Dubai Creek to the gold souk. Otherwise, I would say a leisurely stroll around the spice souk one morning or afternoon is the best way to take in the local culture.

We had to get back to our hotel as that evening we had sundown drinks booked at Jetty Lounge over on Jumeriah Beach.

Located within the One & Only hotel complex, we arrived via a little buggy to our sunset cocktail reservation at 5:30pm.

Every sundowner in Dubai is a breathtaking spectacle and the Jetty Lounge is definitely the best spot in town to take in this magical moment whilst sipping a cocktail or two.

Delicious cocktails and picture perfect views of the Dubai skyline twinkling at dusk, it felt like we were in our own private oasis as we admired the deep pastel hues of sundown.

Following cocktails on the jetty, we made our way over to Dukes Hotel on the Palm where we had 8pm dinner reservations for Ula.

With its casual chic ambience and live DJ playing chilled tunes, we had another beautiful dinner at Ula with yet more views of Dubai skyline by night.

Simple yet super tasty food, I had a greek salad with rosemary frites and my boyfriend had a classic margarita pizza – the best he’s ever had he said!

The moment we stepped foot in Ula I knew I had to visit this place by day. So, on our final day in Dubai we went to Ula beach club to soak up the sun in style one more time.

With it being our final day, we went all out and had a boat trip over to the Burj Al Arab at noon.

From here we hired a jet ski and went for an hour long ride around the Palm and over towards the city centre of Dubai.

I rode on the back of my boyfriend’s jet ski and it was such a great way to explore the Palm. Having seen it from the air too in the helicopter, this allowed us to get closer to the main attractions including the Burj Al Arab and famous Atlantis Hotel.

After our exhilarating time on the jet ski, we had a golden hour boat ride back to the beach club. It was the ultimate way to end our adventures in Dubai.

So those are my top recommendations for anyone visiting Dubai. Of course there was also the desert safari, helicopter ride and beach clubs which were all highlights too, there’s just so much to do! It was a long awaited trip we had planned and it didn’t disappoint; I’ll never forget the many magical moments and memories we made together…until next time Dubai ❤

Dubai Diaries; Desert Dayz

January 12, 2022

You can’t visit Dubai and not take a trip into the desert, it truly is a unique experience worlds away from the cosmopolitan city life. Before our trip I did my research and booked with Rayna Tours Dubai for a desert safari including all the best activities out in the sands and it didn’t disappoint.

With pickup arranged from our hotel at 3pm, it was an hour drive into the desert where we began the tour with dune bashing… not for the faint hearted, it’s not far off being in a bumper car!

We then stopped off for some photos in the heart of the desert where we got classic fun jumping pics together. Our guide then showed us around the desert camp where we setup base at our table ready for the evening of entertainment ahead.

We decided to kick off our activities with the quad biking where we had so much fun tearing up the sand and racing each other around – quads really are sick!

Following our adrenaline rush, we had a right laugh riding the camels. They were making some peculiar mooing noises but were very friendly and mild creatures despite my reservations.

Soon enough the sun was going down and golden hour was upon us. Every sunset in Dubai is a breathtaking moment.

With my photographer boyfriend, we couldn’t resist going up on the hill away from the camp to get some epic sundown shots.

As the evening chill came in, I layered my desert safari look with a long blouse perfect for those scenic snaps with the breeze. I felt very Arabian nights with my camel flared pants, kaki toned outfit and tied headband.

The dark drew in and it was time to head back to camp and take our seats for the evenings entertainment. We even had 2 hours of unlimited alcohol included in our package and we had certainly worked up a thirst after all the fun of the afternoon.

The performances were very impressive, from fire breathing to belly dancing and traditional Arabian dancing, it was quite a show!

Between the entertainment a buffet BBQ was served. The extensive spread of traditional local cuisine including curries, salads, hummus and freshly made bread was delicious, I even went back for seconds.

Before we knew it, the evening had come to an end and it was time to head back to the city. What a fabulous experience with Rayna Tours Dubai, I would highly recommend this package for getting a taste of all the best the beautiful desert has to offer – I’m still in a desert daze ❤

LUSH Event; Seasons Surrey

September 26, 2021

Seasons Kitchen, Farm Shop & Street Food at Lavershot Barns, brings together fabulous food and drink all wrapped up in one unique experience. From organic, locally sourced produce used to create the Restaurant and Street Food menus, to the bespoke designers from Lush Landscapes and on site florist at Lilys Flowers, Seasons Surrey is your one-stop weekend destination to unwind, shop and dine in style.

With an invite to a private event hosted this Friday by Lush Landscapes, I was lucky enough to experience Surrey’s latest hotspot for an after work cocktail accompanied with some delicious street food too. Kicking off with a glass of bubbly, we explored the gorgeous grounds designed by the team at Lush Landscapes; how idealic to sit in front of this chic fire pit with a glass of prosecco as the sun went down over the farm.

As the saxophone played into the evening, we took our seats at our table and ordered some street food from the extensive menu inspired by worldwide cuisine. From a healthy Chinese dragon rice bowl, to a German hotdog and Greek lamb flatbread, there was something for everyone. I opted for the plant based American style burger with fries – a classic which certainly didn’t disappoint.

Once the sun went down, the Ministry of Sound DJ took to the decks and I was feeling those Ibiza vibes as we sipped our cocktails amongst such gorgeous surroundings. I’m already planning our next trip to Seasons Surrey to browse some special treats in the Farm Shop and of course sample their Michelin star Restaurant.

Thank you Lush Landscapes for hosting such a wonderful event! Visit Seasons Surrey and explore all that they have to offer for yourself here – https://www.seasonssurrey.co.uk

Oxo Tower; Champagne Sunshine Showers

October 1, 2020

What would a romantic city break be without some super fancy wining and dining? So for our first evening in London I booked us into the Oxo Tower Brasserie upon recommendation from my Dad, who has held a number of work functions there and claims it to be one of the best views of Southbank and the city.

We arrived nice and early for our reservation at 6pm and treated to a welcome drink of champagne on the house upon arrival.

How lucky we were that the skies cleared and the most magnificent golden hour of sunshine showered the skies and glistened upon the city.

The Brasserie menu had a lot to offer serving up the finest of British cuisine alongside an extensive wine list. In fact it is part of the Harvey Nichols franchise, so I knew food would be top standard.

I opted for the Josper grilled spatchcock chicken, chimichurri, autumn vegetable slaw and maple glazed pancetta, whilst my boyfriend went for a classic Rib eye steak, green peppercorn sauce, mushroom pâté and green leaf salad.

To accompany the meal we had some potato wedges and tender stem broccoli and to drink we shared a carafe of French red wine, the perfect pairing to our meaty dishes.

Our meal was just exquisite and we both agreed it to be some of the best food we’d ever tasted! Service was absolutely impeccable too and my wine glass was never more than half empty – thanks waiter 😉

We stayed to finish our drinks and soak up those final few moments of sunset, before leaving to attend our post dinner cocktails at the Four Seasons.

I have to put the evening up there as one of the most beautiful dinners I’ve ever had. From the picture perfect setting as golden hour hues painted the London skyline, to the delicious food and wonderful service we were treated to, it was truly magical. A spacial thanks to the Oxo Tower Brasserie for taking such good care of us and ensuring our experience was so special.