Welcome back to two of London's great houses: part 1, the Queen's House.

2016 has undoubtedly had some bad moments, upsets and losses so I've been seeking solace in my home town. London cheers me up every day with sights that lift the mood and as Samuel Johnson said ' when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life'.  Samuel was clearly from a different age and surely meant women as well!  So exploring London is how I lift myself up and although new experiences are good fun, I really enjoy welcoming back old friends. 

This year we saw the return of 2 of London's great houses, both wonderfully refurbished. The Queen's House in Greenwich and the impressive Banqueting House on Whitehall. 

Part 1 brings you the Queen's House which was designed by prominent architect Inigo Jones and completed in 1635. However, it had taken 20 years to build during which time the original Queen it was built for, Anne of Denmark, had died! She was the wife of James 1 and it was their son, Charles 1 (more of him later in part 2!) who gave this beautiful building to his wife Henrietta Maria. This elegant building was the first in the classical style in England and would have caused quite a stir at the time. King George lll bequeathed it to a charity in 1805, as he preferred to be in Kew Palace, and it become a school until 1934 when it was taken over by the National Maritime Museum. 

Reopened in time to celebrate its 400th anniversary, the house has undergone a wonderful restoration which incorporates new work and showcases its famous art collection.  There is so much to enjoy here but top tips to look out for are: the Great Hall; the geometrical floor; the gold leaf in the ceiling by Richard Wright; the tulip staircase; the painting of Queen Elizabeth 1; and, the collection of fabulous paintings.

As you arrive, the elegant proportions of the house greet you:

The Great Hall is Inigo Jones's perfect cube and retains most of his original features.

The marble floor uses black Belgian and white Italian marble in a magnificent geometric pattern.

Richard Wright, a Turner prize-winner, used the theme of gold leaf, found throughout the house, to add a feeling of lightness to the Great Hall. The original paintings were removed and taken to Marlborough House and Wright's work responded to the house and its tradition of the highest level of craftsmanship. 

The tulip stairs are so graceful with these wonderful curves which are captivating  They were the first staircase in England to have no central support, as each step locks into the next so supports itself.  The original blue has been restored on the ironwork in a striking contrast the the pale walls. 

The painting of Queen Elizabeth 1 is the newest acquisition in the collection was saved for the nation this year by public donations where it can be enjoyed in person although the light in that room makes it a little hard to photograph! Elizabeth was born here, as was her father Henry Vlll, so it is particularly important that this painting has returned to her first home. This was painted just after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, a campaign planned by the Queen and her advisers, here at the Queen's House. 

There are numerous fine and famous paintings in this collection along with some more modern pieces, as well as some fascinating artifacts. Here are just a few to whet your appetite:

Van de Velde The Younger 

Painting of a kangaroo by Stubbs who had never seen one! 

A room called Face of War with 'ordinary' navy men 

LS Lowry

Richard Eurich 

Canaletto 

 This bust of Galileo has a hidden nook which is said to contain a piece of crimson velvet, a relic of his academic chair!

As you leave, one of Greenwich's great views faces you so take a moment to relish the symmetry and grandeur of the Old Royal Naval College. 

There is a great deal to enjoy at the Queen's House and amazingly it's free to visit! 

For more info about visiting the Queen's House,  click here.

Keep an eye out for part 2, the Banqueting House  - coming soon!

Bye for now,

Sue

@itsyourlondon

www.itsyourlondon.co.uk 

A luxury dessert tour of London

I was looking forward to a massive sugar rush when I was booked on a Luxe Dessert Tour of London. We met in London's most famous meeting spot, by the statute of Eros in Piccadilly Circus, although it's not Eros but his brother Anteros, but that is another story.... 

It was raining so umbrellas were up and raincoats pulled tight but our guide Lynton was full of energy and enthusiasm and was determined to make us forget the weather.  Our two and a half hour tour around London's posh shops was a great way to explore the area, learn about its rich history and taste some wonderful treats. Our tour was a new one from Intrepid Travel's Urban Adventures and we were delighted to be trying it out!

Our guide in full flow

Our first stop was Fortnum and Masons, but not before we'd heard about Hatchard's, London's oldest bookshop which has been serving readers since 1797, including the Royals who get their books here. Opposite, if you look carefully you can see  Albany House, which has been home to London's posh bachelors since 1802 including Lord Byron who'd pop over the road to Hatchards to sign his books. No need be a bachelor these days and rumours are that Terence Stamp is a current resident.  On to Fortnums, famous for being the Queen's grocer, to lust after all their beautiful goods and their luxury hampers in particular. I wonder which ones the royal family enjoy with a cup of Fortnums famous tea. 

Extra-ordinary biscuits 

Glace fruits

I'd love this hamper for Christmas

 

Tea, Fortnums style 

We popped into the Royal Academy for some interesting history nuggets and a photo opportunity with an original red phone box, K2s as they are known to the experts. 

K2 phone box 

On to Burlington Arcade for our first tasting treat from the famous Parisian macaron shop, Laduree, which sells the most beautiful creations in a vibrant range of colours and flavour. They are just the right side of chewy with good amounts of filling and wonderfully moist. Burlington Arcade was the first glass covered shopping street in the world and is the epitome of elegant retailing with its own guards, called Beadales, who look a bit stern but are happy to pose for a photo. Dating back to 1819, the arcade's shops have offered top class discrete shopping to the stars of the past and present and to the Royals. 

Macarons from Laduree

Guarding Burlington Arcade 

Elegant Burlington Arcade

On to Godiva Chocolate shop on Regents Street to taste these top end Belgian chocolates and enjoy their displays. We wove our way into the heart of Mayfair, passing by Saville Row to hear about the Beatles last concert which took place on the roof of their office building until a neighbour complained about the noise and had them shut down!

Pretty in pink 

Chocolate snowmen 

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Our guide made sure that we had plenty of stories to entertain us as we walked around this fascinating part of London, he also pointed out signs and buildings and even found things that this London resident hadn't seen before, including these signs on the Bag O Nails club: 

Popping into Kingly Court,  walking through Liberty's and strolling down Carnaby Street, we got a real feel of Soho, its history and place in pop culture while taking in the luxurious feel of every inch of Liberty's.  Then it was on to our final stop where the chocolate went into overdrive! The eccentrically named Choccywoccydoodah is full of extraordinary chocolate creations and is a feast for the eyes. We snuck up the back stairs to their secret room on the top floor where the highlight of our tour was their chocolate feast.   Plates of chocolate cake, dark, light or triple chocolate as well as a variety of brownies greeted us and we dived in without much restraint.  The room itself is a delightful fantasy garden and the staff were extremely friendly, passionate about their chocolate and very cool people.

That's some wedding cake!

Fantasy chocolate pieces: 

Massive chocolate pony

Art deco style cake 

The fantasy garden room:

And now the chocolate feast - there were several plates of each of these!

This was an enjoyable tour and we certainly had our fill of chocolates, while learning a good deal of London history from our entertaining guide. 

Find out more about this tour and how to book here and more about Choccywoccydoodah here.

Bye for now,
Sue
@itsyourlondon
www.itsyourlondon.co.uk 



*** Full disclosure: as is customary in the tourism industry, I was offered to try out this tour at no cost to myself.  This did not influence my review. 

London restaurant and bar reviews

The restaurant scene in London is a constant delight with new places opening all the time. I do my best to try out as many new restaurants as possible while not neglecting my old favourites. This blog post will take you on a short tour around just a few of the wide variety of places I've tried out over the last few months around London. .

Barraka

The area around Spitalfields, just east of the City of London, is a busy set of streets offering a huge variety of food options from the top end such as Galvin La Chapelle through to the pop up food markets by the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.  I was invited to check out Barraka, a couple of moments from Liverpool Street station, specialising in Mediterranean Street food. We were offered the chance to try out their tasting plates as well as their freshly made salads - these salads came with a goodly portion of meat from the hot plate, although halloumi options are also available. 

Barraka is well worth a visit for their range of tasty meals and for their warm welcome. Food is made to order and even their dips are made in house, giving familiar items such as tahini, a twist to the usual taste. Chips, a constant favourite, came with extra bite and soon disappeared and then we enjoyed watching the chef at work at the hot plate preparing our main. dishes. Barraka means 'blessing' in Moroccan and for this restaurant team, good food is their blessing to you!  My tip: make sure turn up hungry as portions are generous!

Tasting plate of chicken and dips 

Another great tasting plate - love the p.ate too!

Chips, but with a bit more bite

Cooking to order 

My made to order beef salad 

Find out more about Barraka here.


Pharmacy 2 

Art and food are a great combination and when both are new to me that makes it a top experience. We headed to the Newport Street Gallery, owned by Damien Hirst to see his collection of Jeff Koons' work - yes, his own collection and the mind boggles at the thought of how many other great works Damien has in his collection! The restaurant, Pharmacy2 is a successful partner to the gallery.  I enjoyed a light and flavoursome Portland crab linguine with chilli flakes. My friend chose the brunch salad, which was an unusual description but proved a great combination of healthy and filling, topped with a beautifully cooked poached Bradock's White duck's egg.  The room references the original Pharmacy in Notting Hill with pill bottles and tablets the key theme, however it does not feel overly medical as it is a light an airy room with fun decorated windows. 

Portland crab with linguine 

Brunch salad

Walls lined with pill bottles at Pharmacy2 

Pharmacy2 windows

More on Pharmacy2 here.


Traders Wine Bar

St Katherine's Dock is one of my favourite hidden gems although as it grows as a foodie destination it's becoming less hidden so I'm happy to praise a new arrival. Traders Wine Bar, has opened up on an impressive corner site with wonderful picture windows.  Inside you can feel the history in the large wooden beams and the decorative nods to a nautical past. Traders majors on oysters, supplied by the Wright Brothers, whose fish restaurants I have enjoyed on many occasions. I'm not too keen on oysters but was fascinated to hear about the range of oysters they serve and the different parts of the country their natives hail from. My companions managed to get through several plates without any difficulty, taking the advice to chew not swallow!  I was keen to see the charcuterie and cheese plate arrive and I was not disappointed.  We were treated to a good range of hams and salamis with four soft and hard cheeses and a pot of rillettes, always a favourite.  We chose the English sparkling rose from Digby wines to accompany our food and I can highly recommend its fizz and flavour which easily competes with champagne. 

Traders Wine Bar's corner location 

Wright Brothers' oysters and Digby Wines' pink sparkling 

A fine board of charcuterie and cheeses 

Check out Traders Wine Bar here.


The Chipping Forecast

This punningly titled restaurant prides itself on being 'hook to Hill', the Hill being Notting Hill where they have recently opened on All Saints Road. I watched the site as it was being developed and chatted to the owners before opening so got a strong sense of their passion for fresh fish. 
The room has a good rustic feel and the staff are friendly and welcoming.  We went straight for the fish, cod was our choice,  and chips to test this classic dish but they do offer a range of other ways to eat your fish such as fish pie and fish cakes.   The fish itself comes from Cornwall, brought to us by small sustainable fleets and arriving on our plate in under 48 hours - their hook to Hill promise!   The cod, fried in beef dripping gives an extremely light batter which is a delight as all too often a full heavy batter drowns the fish and leaves a greasy after taste - no danger of that here. The triple cooked chips were crispy and the tartar was more like a bernaise to my taste but went well with the chunky chips. 

The rustic look of the Chipping Forecase

Classic Cod and chips 

We spotted that they are now open for breakfast and as they are just around the corner, that's a tempting offer....

Find out more about the Chipping Forecast here.


Scarfe's Bar, Rosewood Hotel. 

I've enjoyed several evenings of cocktails at Scarfe's Bar so dropped in one lunchtime to see what was on offer. I was surprised to find the menu featured curries, Indian bar snacks and kebabs which is not the classic lunch in a posh hotel 

Beans with light rice 

Dips and chicken 

Both dishes were full of delicate flavours and beautifully presented. I had the tasty beans with a portion of light rice and my friend had the sample plate with chicken, dips and beans. The bar itself is a beautiful room, by day or night and the hotel is a stylish addition to the Holborn area.  

The beautiful Scarf'e's bar 

Check out Scarfe's Bar here.



Keep an eye on my blog for more food and drink testing to come over the coming months....

Bye for now
Sue
@itsyourlondon 


Full disclosure:  I was invited to Barraka and Traders Wine bar as is customary in the travel industry but this has not influenced my views.  All other venues we paid for ourselves.