Started makin' trouble in my Neighbourhood - bringing New York to Manchester.

Whilst over in Manchester for the Jessie Ware gig, I took the opportunity to have lunch with my very good friend. We've been to cute and kitsch cafe come restaurants like Home Sweet Home/Jack Spratts/Common and loved them, but wanted to check out somewhere different.

My friend recommended Oast House or Neighbourhood in Spinningfields. It was a toughy when I'd checked out both of the menus but we went for Neighbourhood, mainly because I saw Lobster on the menu! (Next time Oast House!)

Fresh Lobsters at Neighbourhood

Happy Birthday.... to me!

In keeping with my French theme, we head back to Sheffield for my 28th birthday meal, yes 28, I'm in shock too! A recommendation from my French teacher, Cafe Ceres was the restaurant of choice, located at the end of popular Ecclesall Road at Hunters Bar.

Ceres at Hunters Bar - Sheffield

A little more on Cafe Ceres directly from the website:

"Ceres (or Café Ceres as it was known before we dropped the café bit) spent its first twelve years as a small, cosy café in squashed but charming premises on Sharrow Vale Road. We now occupy a much bigger (but still charming!) place on Hunter’s bar roundabout, only about 250 yards from our original base. Ceres has been run by us – Jean-Paul and Caroline Strappazzon – since the summer of 2000 when we moved to Sheffield from France to try our hand at the catering business. We serve good coffee, brunches and lunches, and open late for French bistro evenings 4 nights a week."

A Fancy Pants Double Trip to Hakkasan, London

My now London lovelies were the instigators for my first trip to Hakkasan this weekend as I headed on down to Landan Town for a girly catch up and festive time with friends I used to work with.

I read a bit about it prior to our trip at the weekend and knew it was a bit of a celebrity haunt too, so I was intrigued as to what was in store.

We booked the "modern Chinese" Mayfair restaurant as a pre Christmas treat  for five of us and met in the bar. Three of our friends had already arrived and were sampling the cocktail menu. I had the Kumquatcha, a Kumquat based drink with rum and fizz, whilst my friends had various lovely drinks, a Strawberry and Ginger Bellini and Black Forest Martini to name a few.

Kumquatcha - Hakkasan