Dinner at the Corinthia Hotel

Good evening lovelies!

I have been living in England for few years now, but this year was my first Halloween out of the house! My designer friend (the design power behind Four Corner Interiors) and I decided to make it a night to remember. The weather was great and we wanted to get the fine taste of London. So, my friend picked the Corinthia hotel and we had such a lovely time *mashAllah*

Spooky exterior fit for Halloween

The lobby.  Can you see the pumpkin center piece & of course the fabulous chandelier?

I loved their flower arrangements and the little plants around the space. In general their interior style was chic old English with a contemporary twist with the chandeliers and accessories.   

I liked the seasonal decoration they had. It made it feel Autumn like. The little pumpkins and the colourful leaves were a nice touch. 

Very Autumn

Their contemporary chandelier

My favourite table in the whole place

My friend and I called and reserved a table 48 hours ahead and asked for a halal option and they made it happen! They brought fresh halal chicken just for us and we had the chance to switch any plate on the menu to be chicken. They had good looking fish options too. 

North Hall Menu

The bread was warm and fresh and the food was REALLY delicious. 

I had the chicken and risotto. That chicken we ordered was really tender and just so good! I also had a side starter of quinoa salad which was the best one I had in a while. We enjoyed the food very much. We were disappointed in their deserts selection. Most had alcohol in them, so we didn't have any, but they looked quiet nice.   

SO GOOD!

Overall, it was a lovely place for a once in a while splurge. 

Ladurée Parisian Tearoom in London

Happy Wednesday! 

Hope everyone is having a lovely day. I was very blessed to spend my afternoon at Ladurée. One of my favourite spots in town plus its central location -the Harrods branch- makes it great to meet people from all over London. 

Ladurée is a French brand with a rich history and a charming story. It was established by Louis Ernest Ladurée in 1862 as a bakery, but an unfortunate fire burnt down the place. It was reopened in 1871 as a pastry shop with fabulous paintings by the famous painter of the time, Jules Cheret. 

Paris was becoming a more of a destination for luxury, art and literature. Ladurée's wife, Jeanne Souchard, came with the idea to turn the pastry shop to a tea salon. The first of its time. Then the place was handed down to family and each added to its development and growth. Their delicious macaroons were introduced by Ladurée's cousin, Pierre Desfontaines in the early 20th century. 

Later, it was bought by David Holder and his group in 1997, where it was promoted and taken internationally (more on the story on their tumblr website). 

The interior design of the place is a mix of simple and elegant. The white and the pastel colours gives the place its simplicity, but the chandeliers and the sculptures gives the place its elegancy and class.  

Their deserts were a work of art and looked and tasted divine. 

Their macaroons have the perfect texture!

There are three main seating spaces. The first two spaces are facing the deserts bar. One is downstairs and the other is just above it upstairs. The third space is inside the sculpture room with the black velvet. I like the third space the most. 

Their menus and cutlery are in pastel colours as a continuation of the branding. The menu had some good choices and my highlight was that their meat and chicken was halal! That made my day! It's a luxurious cafe in Harrods, so the menu prices match the location. 

I had their jasmine ice tea, but couldn't drink it without the added sugar syrup and lemons. The waiter made sure I enjoyed it. I liked that a little extra bit of care. 

I ordered the mini burgers and they were really nice. 

Then came tea time! I tried their speciality tea with cinnamon and orange blossom *perfect blend for fall* that complimented the desert well. We ordered the Ispahan. It was a "smooth rose flavoured macaron biscuit, rose petal cream, fresh raspberries and lychees" This one tasted SO GOOD! Light, the right level of sweetness and the rose petal cream was amazing! We also ordered the chocolate cake; Tentation. It was very chocolaty, rich, moist and full on. I think these are my two most favourite deserts they have.   

Update: the Harrods Laduree branch is very UNfriendly towards kids. I took my almost three year old nephew there and they didn't even give us a baby seat and they tried to let us leave when we got there by saying the waiting will take long when they had tables available. I was very disappointed.  

The Ambrosia Bistro

Saturdays are great for lunch with friends! Today I did exactly that. My friend the MD of Four Corner Interiors suggested a lovely place for a girls day out; The Ambrosia Bistro at the Verta Hotel in Battersea. It was such a nice place for a relaxed, classy meal. What made it even nicer was the fact that all their menu was halal and they had few mocktails! The atmosphere was inviting and quiet. I liked the interior of the place. It was Chinese inspired in the art works with a contemporary twist in their furniture selection. The service was spot on. We ended up staying there for few good hours. Let the pictures speak for themselves! enjoy. 

The cacti look great on the table! My friend brought them as a gift for each one

The menu! You can get an idea of the prices

Who can resist a virgin Piña colada? 

The mouthwatering starters 

my delicious main

A desert was must after few hours! Their chocolate crème brûlée was one of the best ones I ever had!
Their Darjeeling tea was quiet nice as well 

We headed to the lounge to check out the interior design 

Overall, it was a great choice and we had a very nice experience. I would surly go there again on a special occasion. It's fine dining so it's more of a treat than a weekly affair. 

Alounak Persian Restaurant

Yesterday the weather was very typical London. The first half of it was CRAZY rain, but the second half was full of sunshine! Thankfully, I was out for the second half. I met up with a friend and started the afternoon with a visit to the Leighton House Museum and followed by the loveliest dinner at Alounak Persian Restaurant. It was in Notting Hill Gate. My friend and I were starving by the time we got there and it was such an amazing treat!  

Address: 44 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5SH

The decor of the place was really cozy. You enter and the first thing you see is the traditional bread oven and you get a whiff of the freshly made bread and your mouth instantly water. I loved the various geometric patterns around and on the door.    

The choice of light and ceiling treatments fitted right in, but they were minimal, which made the place feel a little darker than necessary.

The big glass traditional lights over the till/beverages area are really nice and add a very traditional touch to the place. 

The food was GORGEOUS! very delicious and super filling. We had appetisers too, but couldn't wait to devour them and I didn't even realize I didn't take a picture till they were gone in my tummy.  

The place was very comfortable and their service was lovely, which made my friend and I stay there for few hours! I think we were there for nearly three and a half hours. We Had their cardamon and mint tea, which was heavenly. Their desert were also delicious. It was well worth it.   

Beautiful pots. One had the strong tea and the other had the water to lighten it up

I highly recommend the place and will be surly going there again.