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 Diner

One sunny afternoon in August, I went to a walk down around Carnaby Street with a friend and she took me to her favourite place to eat, The Diner. 

I haven't been to a diner since I moved from the States to the UK few years ago and going there brought all the Denny's memories back. It made me nostalgic.  

I liked the geometric bold colour ceiling lights, which reminded me of the sixties. The bar area had a slight retro vibe with the different choice of leather-like seats. 

The lightning logo was cool and the use of it from the bathroom was funky. 

The division of the tables was cozy, but gave diners a little privacy. Some tables were on a higher level. That mix of floor heights gave the place a little extra.  

Our seat was beside the window, which was opened in a balcony style. The weather was good, so it felt refreshing. Shame about the smokers outside who slightly ruined the fresh air. 

The menu was simple and contained. It wasn't halal, but they had few veggie and seafood options. The branding of the place continued through it by using the same logo and the colour scheme. 

I ordered their fried shrimp sandwich. It was nice, but the taste was British -lol- not as American as I thought it would be. Their milkshake was my favourite thing. I had the coconut shake. It was cold, refreshing and the portion was really American! I was pleased about it. 

Overall, it's a nice place to visit if you are missing the states or just want to sample the casual American dining experience. 

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.