Shop London: Celestine Eleven

Located firmly in the heartland of Shoreditch hipster heaven is this little gem of a concept store "Celestine Eleven".

It's founded by Tena Strok and it's best described as an alternative luxury store. In there you can both pick up a cute little number by Meadham Kirchhoff  and have a class of dynamic yoga. Art lovers can pick up a photography book or two and there's also an apothecary selling all kinds of luxurious lotions and potions.

So if you like to cater to your mind as well as to your body when shopping, don't forget to pop in "Celestine Eleven" next time you're in East London.

Celestine Eleven

4 Holywell Lane

EC2A 3ET London

*The photos were taken by me and originally appeared in "Gloria" magazine.

 

 

Eat London: Wild Goose Bakery

We all know that I love my cakes. So there was no one happier than me when a new bakery opened a stone's throw away from my house. Yay! The Wild Goose Bakery is located in Leytonstone, East London and is run by a very knowledgeable and friendly husband and wife team. 

The minute you walk in you can tell the bakery is a labour of love for them; simple, artisanal homemade food and lovingly sourced tea and coffees are all on the menu. There are breads, soups, cakes, brownies and much more...

The decor is simple but cute and the food is delicious.

I had a lemon and strawberry cake which was perfectly moist and tasty as well as the delicious latte.

I know East London is a bit off the beaten path for most people, but if you do happen to be in the neighbourhood, do try this family run bakery. 

I wore:

Necklace: oNecklace

Sweater: ASOS

Watch: Olivia Burton

Jeans: Mango

Bracelet: Ottoman Hands

Shoes: Zara

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Don't forget to stop by my Twitter and Facebook to say "Hi". :) Have a great weekend, everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

Eat London: Kipferl

The other day I decided to venture to my old stomping ground of Angel, Islington. I used to live there for well over a decade before moving to suburbia.  Whilst there, I spied an Austrian cafe: Kipferl.

"Look, an Austrian cafe!"; I said to The Husband.

"Hmmmpf...."

"They'll probably have sausages there."; I continued

"Well, in that case, let's go in."

So in we went.

Cafe is light and airy and serves traditional Austrian fare. They also do all day breakfast and brunch which is always a winner in my book. Mind you, don't expect the full English; their breakfast is a strictly continental affair.

I had a mountain cheese omelette with walnuts as well as a Linzertorte (more nuts! yay!) and a coffee. The portions are not huge, but they are satisfying enough. Linzertorte in particular was just yummy. If you happen to be in Angel, this is a nice little option for a quick snack or cake and coffee (or both if you're a greedy so and so like me).

I wore:

Blazer: Zara

T-shirt: POP Cph

Necklace: Kenneth Jay Lane

Jeans: Mango

Sandals: Zara

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Rings: Dogeared; Kris Nations

 

 

 

 

 

Eat London: Belgique

Living in a far, faaaaar corner of deepest, darkest  East London has its benefits (Epping Forest, quiet streets, village like atmosphere), but it also has its drawbacks. Namely, not very many decent places to eat. Sure, I can hop on the tube and be in Central London in 20 minutes, but sometimes I just don't feel like it. So thank God for Belgique, a small East London/Essex only chain of Belgian brasseries. I love going there for breakfast, brunch...or just tea and a cake. Their cakes especially are delicious and it's worth mentioning they have a selection of goodies to buy and take home too (biscuit spread, anyone?...yummy). So, if you find yourself in the area, do pay them a visit. Your waist won't thank you for it, but your tastebuds will. 

I wore:

Sweater: J.Crew

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Jeans: Mango

Sandals: Zara

Bracelet: Fiorelli

Rings: Dogeared; Kris Nations 

Necklace: oNecklace

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whitstable & Canterbury Tips

 

Canterbury Eat:

Chocolate Cafe 

A nice little selection of savouries for your lunch and, of course, all manners of chocolates, cakes, waffles, and hot drinks for your tea and dessert. The portions are a little bit on the small side, but everything is delicious. The decor is sumptuous too. Lovely little place.

 

Whitstable Eat:

Cafe Quayside 

This is a cute little retro food stall located in the Whitstable Village Harbour Market right by the harbour. They have a range of meat and vegetarian options as well as nice selection of cold drinks. Portions are generous and their sandwiches and wraps are delicious.

Day Trip: Whitstable & Canterbury

My Mum decided to visit the other day.  Since she visited London many, many times before, The Husband and I decided to show her some of the other charms England has to offer.

"We should take her to the seaside. She's gonna love it!"; I exclaimed.

"Hmmmm...she lives in Croatia; their seaside is a bit better than the English one."; reasoned The Husband.

"Nonsense! She'll LOVE it."; I repeated.

So off we went in our car. Destination:Whitstable, a charming seaside town on the Kent coast and only an hour drive from London.

The weather was nice and the skies were blue.

"Look, Ma...this is Whitstable!!!"; I extended my arms dramatically towards the general direction of the beach.

"This is the beach??????"; asked Ma.

"Um, yes!"

"It's CATASTROPHIC! They swim in THIS?????? The English?"

I guess she was not too impressed.

"I told you so."; smirked The Husband.

"But, Ma, look how charming it is...."

She was having none of it.

The town itself fared a little bit better. She loved all the quaint little wooden houses and converted fishermen's huts; she also loved a humongous sandwich we ate from one of the seaside stalls and all the flowers in bloom.

After the excitement of Whitstable, we headed towards Canterbury with its beautiful Cathedral.

"Very nice Cathedral. Shame it's an Anglican one."; she observed.

Ma is, of course, a staunch Catholic and there was no pleasing her.

We rounded off our day trip in Canterbury's "Chocolate Cafe".

Ma ordered a cake and a coffee.

"This cake is miniscule. One gets much bigger portions in Croatia."; she said.

"Well, perhaps the English are worried about their blood sugar levels."; I suggested.

"Hmmm...."; she said none too convinced and bit into the cake: "It's delicious, though."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explore London: Borough Market

As you all may know by now, I'm a foodie. And one of the best places for foodies in London, is Borough Market , one of the oldest and largest food markets in London. I go there to get quality food and ingredients, gawp at people (I can't help it, sorry), enjoy the atmosphere and kill homesickness by shopping at Taste Croatia. My other favourite is Karaway Bakery which sells the most amazing Russian breads and pastries. So, if you find yourself in London, give it a go. Try to avoid going on Saturday as it can get very crowded. Of course, with all this food on display, you're bound to get peckish.  Avoid "Fish!" restaurant in the market itself; I found it overpriced and not particularly good (the fish was overcooked and not well seasoned). The better option is to sample directly from the market stalls or, if you prefer to sit down, try one of the many restaurants just outside the market itself.

 

 

 

 

 

Postcards From Dorset II

No, I haven't gone to the Caribbean;  this is England though I'm not sure I can quite believe it myself. Who would have thought that under layers of grey, fog and rain lies THIS! Durdle Door beach is just a short walk away from Lulworth Cove in Dorset where I was staying. It's part of Britain's Jurassic Coast which is UNESCO World Heritage Site. Water was a tad chilly as you would expect in England, but I still braved it.

I wore:
Bikini: Accesorize

Vjera Vilicnik dress giveaway is still running. You can enter it HERE .