THINGS TO DO – sarah fynn

Summer Activities in London

Hello guys, I hope all is well! It’s been a while my last post, I took a break from blogging with everything that has been going on lately, I wasn’t in the right space to talk about anything really.

I’m in a much better place now so I’m back to blogging and I’m quite excited! With a lot still going on, if you feel up for it, here are some activities you can safely enjoy in and around London!

Swinger’s Crazy Golf

I’ve become somewhat obsessed with crazy golf, using the lockdown period to research almost every mini gold venue in London and updating ‘my to visit list’. I went to Swinger’s (City) and its one of the good ones! There’s food and drink in the same spot and 3 courses to choose from.

Summer by the river

Head to South Bank for open food, drinks and activities all summer! Summer by the river started from 10^th June and will be there for 3 months for us to enjoy. If you’re not super comfortable with indoor activities yet, this one would be great to check out.

Roofeast

This is my next place to visit! Rooftop vibes with food, drinks and games? Roofeast is very popular and very busy so booking a game in advance is essential (unlike me who tried to get crazy gold tickets 1 day before a warm Saturday!)

Ballie Ballerson

Another must do activity for me this summer, a huge ball pit, lots of pizza and drinks I can see why Ballie Ballerson is super popular. Again advance booking is essential

Make sure you’re following me on Instagram for more inspiration on beauty, restaurants and things to do in London

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I will be doing a tour of crazy golf venues and bottomless brunch this summer- stay tuned

Date Night Recommendations

What are you doing this weekend? Whether you’re celebrating Val’s day with your partner, the girls or some much needed alone time, here’s a list of places to check out. I love going out and discovering London so if you need some help, here are some of the places I have been and enjoyed, the service and food were top-notch. These places cover a range of budgets, from easy & causal to let’s slay I’m a bad B

Enjoy! ( I’ve linked the reviews I have on my blog) Also check out the Lifestyle Menu for more restaurant reviews. I’m working on my ultimate 100 places to eat( its been years in the making)

Steakhouses/American

Bueno Aires Steakhouse

Steak and Lobster ( best fries and salad I have ever had)

Steak & Co ( if you’re ready to ‘cook’ your own steak, this is it)

STK

Maxwell’s ( Try the freakshakes)

Jackson and Rye

M Grill ( hands down the best service I have had in a restaurant)

Seafood/Sushi

Fat Crab ( crab heaven!)

Sticks & Sushi ( Sushi and more sushi! and sticks for those that don’t like sushi)

Sake no Hana

Chinese/Thai

Ken Lo’s Memories of China

Thai Square

Rosa’s Thai café

Com Viet ( best food on a budget)

Chino Latino

Giggling Squid

Mediterranean/Italian/European

Bob Bob Ricard ( famous press for champagne button)

Haz Restaurant

Oxo Brassiere

Desserts

Snowflake

Bars

Manhiki

Cahoots

Jazz / Live Music

Ronnie Scott’s Soho

Jazz Café Camden

Pizza Express Jazz Club

Red Rooster ( THIS place is LIT)

Outdoor/Street Food

Street Feast venues- Giant Robot, Hawker House, Model Market

Chino Latino Restaurant & Bar Review

Cuisine – Asian

Overall- 5/5 Food- 5/5 Service-5/5 Ambience-5/5 Value-5/5

So Chino Latino is a place I have been waiting to go to for a while so when it was my girls birthday and she wanted somewhere with sushi it was the first to come to mind! Because it was last minute, I made a dinner reservation on the day- I was so happy they had some spots left! Customer service was great! I got a call to confirm my booking about an hour-ish after booking on Open Table. We arrived and we were seated promptly and asked for drinks which didn’t take too long to come. Please order the Quiet Angel cocktail if you go there! It’s so good I had two…. and a half lol. It’s’ sweet and refreshing.

For starters, we had sushi- Tenkasu roll (tuna, salmon, seabass and avocado) and Spider roll (soft shell crab, avocado and cucumber) and a portion of calamari. It didn’t take too long seeing the place was fairly busy. Presentation was on point and the sushi was really good! The calamari wasn’t the usual coated with flour and deep fried which was very nice. I didn’t have time to get a picture lol but my insta story should suffice right? (PS follow me on insta!)

Next, we got mains, I had the Red Curry Chicken with Crispy Veg and Jasmine rice. Presentation again on point. I thought the portion looked small but I was actually so full afterwards (or was that the drinks? lol) The rice was a little on the bland side: I would have added some salt lol but the flavour of the curry made it un noticeable (unless you had it alone).I tasted my friends pork ribs and honestly, they were so good, probably on the same level if not better as the ribs I had in Miller and Carter, but that’s another review waiting to be written!. The birthday girl had a fish curry and she loved it too.

They gave us a complimentary dessert for my friend’s birthday which I think was banofee cheesecake. Whatever is it was, it tasted of bananas and cream and it was divine. Our chocolate fondant was good too. Rich, not too bitter. And the ear sorbet was refreshing and a good accomplice to the chocolate

Verdict- a second visit is pending and it will be my new spot for sushi and drinks not that I had a spot b4 anyway lol. The service was good too, amicable and efficient. I don’t think the price point was bad either, I think its good value for money. The sushi portions are meant for sharing and we had enough between us. If it’s a special occasion, I recommend you ask for a seat nearer to the windows because the views are quite nice. Chino Latino is one floor up in the Park Plaza hotel please don’t be like me and walk past it lol. It’s a straight walk, about 7-10 mins down from Vauxhall station. You enjoy live music too, although you don’t get to see the set, you just hear it.

All in all it was a good experience and I am definitely going back! They have this cool thing they do with the napkins- where they pour hot water on them and you watch them rise up. I am not sure why I found that so entertaining lol

that’s 52/102 restuarants done from my 102 resturants to eat at list!

Discovering London: Summer 2017

I’m all about experiences! Because they give you memories you cherish forever! Share that experience with a friend or loved one and you instantly build your friendship/relationship. Savour that experience by yourself and you have just gained a little bit more self-confidence and you can be proud of yourself. (I remember when I went to the cinema alone, I was so proud of myself and it was a big deal because I was one of those people who thought going to the cinema alone was ‘sad’ anyway)

Since I’m all about experiences, I like to spend time looking around for new events/activities etc in and around London. Because the norm of cinema or clubbing or restaurants (unless it’s discovering new places to eat and diff foods to try in that case yes. I myself have a list of 100 restaurants to try in London*) gets boring sometimes and I HATE with a passion routines/repetition unless it’s my skincare/hair routine lol but even that if it aint working it gotta go! I thought I would share a few fun and different activities I have discovered and hopefully these give you some ideas to go out and discover London! Summer 2017 is about to get hotter! Click on the headings to go to the websites for more info. I have also added my insider tips to help you make the most of out of your experience

Street Feast

I can’t exactly remember how I discovered Street Feast last year but I’m so glad I did. 4 night food markets around London (Lewisham, Canary Wharf, Shoreditch, Canada Water) with excellent street food and drinks and nothing but good vibes! The latest one in Canary Wharf, Giant Robot is a nice rooftop experience and it’s definitely one to check out!

Free entry before 7pm or £3 after 7pm and open till late

Insider tip- make sure you take lots of cash as some vendors do not have card machines! Make sure you stop by YUM BUM too.

Urban Food Fest

Another one for the foodies! If Street Feast has made you curious about night food markets then Urban Food Fest is another to visit! One location is Shoreditch but lots of vendors and drinks to get you started!

Free entry and open till late

Insider tip- don’t leave without dessert!

Monument Steps

If you love a challenge, why not climb the Monument steps?! 311 steps up and down and a very narrow winding path BUT you will be rewarded with nice views of London. You may break a sweat but gain for your step count( if you’re obsessed like me and keep track of it which reminds me I need to get a FIT BIT Plus what’s the point of walking if you can’t keep count lool)

£5 entry or £3.30 with student card

Insider Tip- the steps are narrow and it’s only one way up and down. Go early if you want to avoid congestion. Wear comfy shoes!

Further afield: British Airways i360 in Brighton

This is definitely worth a trip to Brighton! After/ before hitting the beach, make sure you get tickets for the British Airways i360. It’s the world’s tallest observation tower and you get 360 (breath-taking) views of the South coast! Honestly, if you thought the Cable Car in London was nice, wait till you see this one!

£14.40 online ticket in advance or £12.15 with a student card

Insider tip- you can get a glass of bubbly or tea inside. Once up, it stays there for a while, giving you time to savour the views. Imagine this at night and a proposal awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Also, go on a clear day when you can see everything it has to offer

Pizza Express Live

Ok so I haven’t been here yet but I am planning to. Very soon. I love Pizza Express (Thank you 02 Priority deals lol) so naturally, after discovering this when walking through the back streets of Soho with Yass (shout out!) we bought decided to visit it very soon. They combine live jazz and pizza plus a few drinks, what’s there not to love?

Buying tickets for a show automatically reserves a table for you. The full Pizza Express menu is available

Insider tip- since the full menu is available, try the ‘American Hottest Pizza’ oh and the Dough Balls (you may want to get the bigger portion- these are seriously moreish!)

That’s all folks! Let me know what you think of these suggestions and if you visit them too! Catch me on insta as I try to review the restaurants and places I go to but more so for beauty tips lol

I hope everyone has a great summer and MAKE SURE you try something different! Gain the experience, you will cherish it forever!

Sarah

Now to beat my face for AJ birthday dinner

Happy belated Birthday Girl!