Go West!

"You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." - Samuel Johnson, 1770's. 

The trouble with living and working in London is that you fall into a routine. For most of the week, the only areas I really see are around my office in St Paul's or on the way home from the Tube Station in Mile End. As much as I love working in the heart of the City, sometimes it's easy to get stuck in a comfort zone and not really venturing out of it. Therefore, when some friends from university came to visit for the weekend, it was a perfect excuse to go and explore the West End. 

The first place we went to was Vista, a rooftop bar overlooking Trafalgar Square. The views were breathtaking; from the crowds around the fountain, to Nelson's Column, the London Eye, and the Houses of Parliament to name a few. The only drink to fit the occasion was a cocktail. I went for the 'Vista Boulevard'-  an enticing combination of watermelon liqueur, fresh lemon juice and agave syrup, charged with vodka and topped with ginger ale and a marshmallow. The cocktails there aren't cheap, so I recommend getting a 'long' drink and making the most of it. Another great place nearby is Searcy's at the National Portrait Gallery, again with amazing views, along with a chance to browse the fantastic works of art. 

Next, we headed into Soho. There is so much variety here, from the theatre district at Leicester Square, to Chinatown with the beautiful red and gold decorations lining the street. However, we decided to head to Kettners, a place that is so much more than a bar. There's lots of different areas - a brasserie, a cafe in which to have champagne and cupcakes, and a cosy seating area with antique furniture and booths that can be booked for large groups. I had two cocktails here, the first was Lilly's Lemonade (pictured). However my second one, Kettners KP, was amazing. It involved tequila, pear, almond syrup and lime, and the glass came with crushed almonds around the rim rather than salt - this is the best variation of a Margarita I have ever had. Again, this place isn't cheap but at the same time, it's not the Ritz; I recommend visiting straight after payday. 

To soak up all this alcohol, we walked through the buzzing streets of Soho and on to a Mexican restaurant called Wahaca. The chain was created by a previous Masterchef winner, and focuses on street food rather than your average Tex Mex. There were 7 of us in total and so we went for a huge array of tapas (small dishes) rather than a main meal each. Highlights included soft tacos with slow cooked pork, in a Yacutan marinade, topped with pickled red onions; grilled steak tacos with chipotle salsa and cheese; chorizo and new potato quesadillas; smoky caramelised chunks of sweet potato.

Overall, the weekend exploring Soho was fabulous. There are art galleries, museums, bars, clubs and restaurants. However, for me, it's a once in a while thing as you definitely pay for the location. Sometimes, its totally worth it.  

Yaasica Lucia XXX