Bank Holiday = FOOD

Hello, you may have been wondering why I haven't written a blog for a while. I have been wondering the same thing. I think it's because I lost my blog voice, but it's BACK and I have a great line up of restaurants to tempt you with.

Bank holiday weekends are about relaxing and seeing friends so I have come up with a foodie day plan covering breakfast lunch and dinner.

Breakfast - The Pavilion, Victoria Park

Tucked away in a beautiful corner of Victoria Park (east London, Mile End area) this little café is a hidden gem. After strolling around the lake on a crisp morning, there is nothing I like more than a bacon and egg sandwich from the Pavilion. I haven’t eaten any of the lunch items yet, but why would you when the breakfast selection is so good? All the food is organic and they make their own sourdough bread. There is a great selection of cakes, including gluten-free options, and their home-brewed Chai tea is perfection on a cold morning. Most of the seating is outside, but this is ideal as the café overlooks the lake.  It is expensive and the clientele mainly consists of families and dog-owners, but it has a good atmosphere and the staff are chilled-out (and really quite charmingly beautiful).

FYI– they have just opened a new restaurant in Borough Market called Elliott’s. Their wine list mainly features small artisan growers, so watch this space for a future blog post. http://elliotscafe.com/food.html

Lunch - After strolling around the park, head over to Broadway Market (still in East London between the Regent’s Canal and London Fields) where you can buy possibly the best scotch egg you will ever come across. There are loads of cafes and pubs along the street if it's a bit chilly, and the market offers a wide selection of fresh foods. There are also quite a few ethnic hot food stalls, such as Malaysian and Kenyan vegetarian curry stands. Broadway Market is also home to the famous F. Cooke jellied eel shop, which has been trading since 1900. The current owner, Bob Cooke, sells eels for £2.50, available hot or jellied and a selection of pies served with mash potato. This place is worth a visit, even if you're not a fan of eels, as the decor has been maintained to reflect it's 1900 glory.

Dinner - Meat Liquor, Welbeck Street (near Oxford Street)
They have a cocktail named after me, it’s called the Henrietta Fizz. For that reason alone I would recommend it.  Anyway, the burgers are large in size, full of flavour and not too pricey. The décor and general feel of the place is a little bit odd – not somewhere you would take your mum. It’s loud and there is an interesting graffiti design on the wall. Not my cup of tea exactly, but it works. Food is served on a metal tray so they have definitely cut costs on washing up and the service is patchy. We didn’t have to queue, but the rumours are true –the queue is over an hour long, even on a week day. I’m not convinced that it’s worth an hour of queuing so if you want to go, I would recommend arriving at 5.30 and having an early dinner, or 8.30 and having a late meal and drinks with friends. 

And there we have it, three delicious places to feast in over the Bank Holiday, Enjoy.