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Review: El Camion Mexican Restaurant, Soho
5 MayComing from a much smaller city than London, the idea of every pub and restaurant being a chain was a fairly foreign notion to me when I first moved to London. I would often stumble upon what I believed to be hidden gems, only to be later dismayed to find out that these seemingly unique places had multiple manifestations of itself dotted across the city.
Nonetheless, despite the horror of there being more than one of this restaurant, Himself and I found outselves hiding out from the rain in one of their window seats last Sunday.
We each ordered a portion of tortilla chips with salsa (£2.95) and burritos, mine with black beans (£6.30), his with beef (£7.30).
The tortilla chips were tricoloured and the salsa as not quite as spicy as I would have liked, but had an excellent tomatoey richness.
As for the burritos, well, I’m a sucker for anything with black beans, and there was just the right amount of coriander.
Overall, for cheap eats and tasty food, El Camion definitely makes me make an exception for my no-chains quasi rule. Service is fast too and the servers are friendly, so whether you’re looking for a quick bite on your lunch hour or a lengthier meal and margaritas with friends, give this Soho eatery a try!
For a full menu and details, visit http://www.elcamion.co.uk
All photos taken by Laura Hanna-White
Tags: burritos, food, london, mexican, restaurants, review, soho
Silly things spotted in the National Gallery gift shop
4 MayLast week I trip to one of my favourite spots in London, the National Gallery. Browsing the gift shop, I spotted a bunch of things I could probably only describe as tat, but two items in particular caught my eye:
Rope Doorstopper:
For the grand total of £35, you can have the privilege of having this fine doorstopper in your home. Or you could head down to the docks and scavenge some worn out rope from one of the ships. Your call.
Jubliee Mug:
With half of London’s shops selling Jubilee regalia, it’s hardly surprising that the National Gallery is getting in on the act. This fine mug commemorating the event will set you back a regal £40.
“Forty pounds?! For a mug?!” you might ask. Well, it IS inspected by Sharon. Oh, well then…
Tags: art, england, gallery, gifts, jubilee, london, queen, shopping, useless tat
Something for the Weekend – Outdoor Yoga
14 AprLike most people, I work Monday to Friday and come Saturday morning, can usually be found in bed, with no intention of being moved any time before noon. However, if you’re one of those strangely active people that enjoys being up with the lark, even on weekends, or if you just fancy getting out and about, then perhaps this is the thing for you!
Outdoor yoga classes take place every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday mornings in Finsbury Park, and at only £5 a pop, you have no excuse really.
For more, check out: http://www.mindfulmovements.co.uk/classes-in-the-park.html
Tags: activities, finsbury park, london, outdoor, weekend, yoga
Review: Callooh Callay, Shoreditch
13 AprA line from Lewis Carroll’s Jabberywocky poem reads: “Callooh, callay, oh frabjous day!” The poem also goes on to make reference to a Jubjub bird.
Having heard about Callooh Callay cocktail bar in Shoreditch, and that within it lay a secret, hidden bar called the Jubjub Bar, I assumed it would be Alice in Wonderland-themed.
I visited Callooh Callay/Jubjub bar last night, and I’m sorry to say that it was more tacky 70s disco vibe than a decadent Wonderland.
I had seen pictures of the place before visiting, and it’s significantly smaller than I imagined – I can see why a reservation is necessary. My friend and I were led to our table to the Jubjub bar, which lies beyond the wardrobe at the back of the front bar.
We were presented menus disguised as cassette tape inserts, which was a nice touch. we ordered our cocktails from the menu that apparently changes every week.
Looking around the bar, I was sorely disappointed – Callooh Callay does not live up to its reputation. The decor was cheap and tacky looking, including shiny curtains placed about the room, disco balls, sparse walls and visible piping on the ceiling. This wasn’t so much shabby chic as just plain shabby.
The drinks were fine, but nothing spectacular, and certainly not worth the £17 it set us back for two cocktails.
Overall, Callooh Callay is an excellent concept with terrible execution. My advice? Give it a miss and head to your local – you’ll thank me for it.
http://www.calloohcallaybar.com
Tags: bars, callooh callay, cocktails, drinking, going out, london, night, nightlife, review, shoreditch
Souvenir from Seattle
13 Apr
Last October, I went to Seattle to visit my family.
One of the days that I was wandering around the city, I happened upon an adorable japanese shop called Daiso, where I picked up this mug for a dollar.
It might not scream “Seattle”, but I love it and it still reminds me of a lovely holiday.
Tags: cute, holiday, Japanese, kawaiii, Seattle, shopping, souvenir, travel
Creepy Property Listing of the Day
12 AprAre you a single lady?
Would you like to live with a creepy guy who sits in his room “writing” all day?
Then this is the place for you! On offer is a bedroom in a house, seemingly owned by aforementioned writer. Make no mistake, he doesn’t want you there, and this isn’t “a house share as such”, but rather “a room with access to the kitchen”. Splendid!
If you have a significant other, forget it. In fact, if you have any friends, don’t even bother, buddy – our writer friend doesn’t approve of dinner parties or people visiting.
In fact, if you’d just give him the money, but not live there, well gee, that’d be just swell.
LADIES ONLY.
See ad here: http://www.daft.ie/searchsharing.daft?id=562684
