PAESAN PARTY

I recently attended the relaunch of Paesan, a rustic Italian bar and kitchen, on the corner of  Exmouth Market and Farringdon Road. I never realized that they had an underground bar until that day, with its exposed brickwork, bare bulbs and wooden planked floors and bar, and some groovy wood-panelled private booths which are available to hire for larger groups.
I was welcomed by the fabulous ladies, Kelly and Elissa, and the charming manager, Josh, who kindly handed me a chilled glass of prosecco before I made myself comfortable in our private little booth.

  

It didn't take me long before I ordered my first cocktail for the evening, going straight in for the Toblerone, for obvious reasons... - made with Kahlua, Baileys and hazelnut liqueur and finished off with a topping of cream and swirl of honey. Like having a liquefied dessert.
 I was also happy to see that they had a lychee martini on the menu - anything with lychee in it is definitely up my street.
The Ber-Jito Royale was a decadent twist on a mojito - a more colourful and  fruity fresh blackberry blend of Havana 7 rum, Creme De Mure, prosecco, fresh lime and cranberry juice. I think that definitely counted as one of my 5-a-day. 
The Cucumber Margarita was another favourite, recommended by Kelly, which was a summer twist on the classic cocktail, topped with a paper umbrella for that tropical touch.

 I would have happily ordered the entire cocktail list, but I thought that I would stay sensible, especially since we weren't quite halfway through the work week yet.

Moving onto the much anticipated arrival of the food, where we were first served a couple of sharing platters of charcuterie, cheese and antipasti, which didn't last very long as we all dived in from multiple directions.

The mains from their regular menu are divided into pasta, meat and fish, with five choices in each category, alongside a selection of small plates and sides.
We were able to sample a few of these that evening, on sharing platters.
Pasta is probably not the easiest dish to be shared amongst ten hungry mouths, but I did manage to get a little taste of the 'hand cut' pappardelle with braised rabbit and wild mushrooms which was really rich and sumptuous, as well as the tasty orecchiette with nduja and panchetta. 
The other dishes that we tried were a fennel sausage with lentils, fritto misto and the steak tagliata, before we finished off with some dessert.

Rosemary & sage pecorino, fennel salami, coppa, chargrilled artichokes

Arancini, Panelle chickpea fritters, soppressata piccante, prosciutto

We moved on to the bar for the final bit of the evening where a colourful concoction of shots were laid out for us - a pretty cool party trick to pick up if you want to impress some friends when you have your own little cocktail party.

I'm amazed that my camera has at least managed to produce some half-decent photos despite the low lighting. 
I would be interested to come back for more of that rabbit and wild mushroom pappardelle and those Toblerone cocktails.
Their Sharing Cocktails also sound pretty tempting, especially the 'Poppin Corn Candy Crush' which has a scoop of salted caramel ice cream and topped with popping candy and popcorn (!) - a dream cocktail made for sweet-tooths like me.
For those of you who work in the area, you may be glad to know that their 'Happy Hour' runs from 5-8PM where you can get great deals such as 2-for-1 cocktails and £3 glasses of house red/white wine. They are also open until 3AM on Fridays and Saturdays  for those who like partying on through the night...
You can find out more about Paesan on their website.

The Cheekster, signing out x

SCENTS OF SUMMER AFTERNOON TEA, INTERCONTINENTAL PARK LANE

 I have often walked past this iconic site, peering in rather discreetly and enviously through the glass windows, as guests lounged leisurely whilst sipping dainty cups of tea.

Wellington Lounge at the five-star Intercontinental London Park Lane, is indeed a much sought-after location in the heart of London. Beautifully located on the site of 145 Piccadilly, the Queen’s former childhood residence, it offers a delightful view overlooking the Royal Parks and iconic London landmarks. I had heard good things about their decadent afternoon teas, hence, I was quite excited to finally experience it for myself.

 

We were seated by the window, the usually stunning view slightly dampened by the wet weather, but our spirits remained unfazed as we sunk comfortably into the ample sofa chairs. The interior was light and airy, with a blend of contemporary and nature-inspired designs that transported us to a calm and serene sanctuary, a vast contrast to the grim-looking weather outside – the 'predictable unpredictability' of British summertime.

However, no matter how short and temperamental the British summer may be, it truly is a wondrous sight when the sun breaks through the clouds, and flowers are in full bloom, flourishing in all its glory.

 

The Afternoon Tea menu at Wellington Lounge takes inspiration from its bountiful surroundings, and undergoes creative transformations with the changing seasons whilst utilizing the best of British ingredients. Scents of Summer Afternoon Tea is a collaboration between InterContinental London Park Lane Executive Chef Ashley Wells and Edward Bodenham from Floris London, British Family Perfumers since 1730. This limited edition Afternoon Tea is a sensory journey and celebration of the beauty of British summertime, which depicts the harmonisation of perfumery expertise and culinary skills. 

We were given a brief history and explanation of the venue and menu by our friendly waiter, Luigi, who then kindly made a few recommendations of teas to pair with the menu. The first two teas that we ordered were the 'First Flush Darjeeling Okayti Estate' which had a beautiful floral aroma, and 'Ti Quan Yin Top Fancy Oolong', a deeper and richer tea with musky notes.

 

 

Our immersive experience soon began as Luigi placed the three-tiered stand before us. In his hand was an elegant bottle of Floris fragrance, which he sprayed from above, releasing clouds of mist which carried wafts of freshly cut grass. On the top tier, placed upon a tuft of fresh green grass, were a couple of shots of healthy-looking palate cleansers, made up of wheatgrass, gooseberry and strawberry pearls. Instead of the usual rectangular-cut sandwiches, they were presented in scroll-like shapes, and the standard white and brown bread replaced by vibrantly coloured infused breads, with an intriguing assortment of fillings.

We hungrily dived in for the hearty bergamot infused cream cheese scroll which had a particularly generous amount of smoked salmon, served on bright yellow lemon bread – my favourite of them all, knowing how much I love salmon. Next was a lighter rose pickled cucumber with mascarpone cheese on Peruvian bread. The pink peppercorn and thyme chicken served on tomato bread had a nice hint of spiciness, followed by an interesting honey roast pumpkin crumbled feta served on spinach bread - a nice combination of textures and flavours.

Our empty plates were then cleared and replaced with warm mini sultana and wholemeal scones, served with classic Devon clotted cream and wild strawberry jam, as well as a pink peppercorn lemon curd and an Earl Grey infused butter. We paired this with the 'Lapsang Souchong Falcon' which had a distintive smokey flavour, and the light and sweeter 'Jasmine Yin Zhen'.

It was eventually time for the finale, as Luigi placed an elegant array of cakes, presented in a way to celebrate the quintessential English Garden, paired with another lovely Floris fragrance which carried subtle scents of Jasmine. Our much awaited champagne flutes were topped up with bubbly Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial Champagne, a perfect accompaniment for this sweet course. We were informed that everything in it was edible, with the exception of the marble tray that it was served on, of course – my fingers caressed the cool surface, just to double check.

The selection looked absolutely stunning, and we were initially a bit hesitant to ruin this work of art, but our appetites got the best of us as always, and we began with the bite-sized Jasmine tea cakes, followed by the flower-shaped bergamot macarons. The grapefruit tart topped with violet cream was as delicious as it looked, garnished with some delicate edible flowers. The Peach Melba mousse was encased within a sweet white chocolate shell which released the creamy and moist contents as we bit into them. We picked and nibbled on the fresh summer berries to refresh our palates in between and munched away on the chocolate garden stones – my dining companion stared dubiously at the stones whilst I convinced her that they were indeed edible. There was also a corner scattered with dark chocolate soil with some long squiggly pieces, that we were both debating over whether they were supposed to be twigs or earthworms. They were really tasty nonetheless. My favourite amongst them all was undoubtedly the 'Flower Pot', the centrepiece which consisted of a rose water and pink peppercorn jelly with wild strawberry mousse served in a chocolate 'Terracotta' pot. I could potentially develop more of an interest in gardening if my garden was made up of such tantalizing edible delights – but then again I'm not quite sure how sustainable that would be with my constant sweet tooth cravings...

The ambience was relaxed and unhurried as we picked away at the remaining bits of chocolate and sipped the last drops of champagne, our appetites thoroughly satisfied.

Scents of Summer Afternoon Tea is priced at £45 per person, and is available until 27th September 2015. Gluten free options are also available upon request. Beside this limited edition afternoon tea, they also have a Royal Tea option, priced at £35 per person. 
Bookings can be made via this link.

The Cheekster, signing out x 

The review was conducted on behalf of afternoontea.co.uk

 

AN EVENING WITH SHEERLUXE & LONDON GRACE

This was my second time attending a Sheerluxe event, after the last one at Jo Hansford where I got a lovely wash and blowdry, alongside prosecco and canapes, and an awesome goody bag to take home.

Every girl deserves some pampering every now and then (I personally wouldn't mind having it more often...), and who could resist the temptation of two of my (many) favourite things: nails and cocktails.

London Grace is a nail bar, cafe and bar, which offers no nonsense, high quality nail treatments, as well as coffee, wine and fizz. 

The place is very clean and welcoming, and is split into two levels, with a snazzy bar on the ground floor.

There were shelves where they had their products on display - described as 'Free From Nasties', such as Toluene, DBP, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin and Camphor.

This also happened to be my first time venturing into Putney - it is quite a trek from where I live, which is approximately an hour away, but thankfully not an overly-complicated journey.

I was one of the first guests to arrive, knowing me and my obsession with punctuality, and was greeted by the friendly Sheerluxe team and Kirsten, the founder of London Grace. There were some charcuterie, cheese and antipasti sharing boards from the London grace menu laid out on the counter, and we were each given two drink tokens for our Sipsmith cocktails.

Arriving early meant that I didn't have to wait too long for my manicure, as my nail technician, Claire, efficiently set up the table ready for me to be seated.

The manicure on offer that day was the Hunky Dory, which included a shape, cuticle tidy and polish. We were shown a few different options of nail polishes - I usually go for pastel pink colours, but in the end I decided on a bright pink which was more fun and summery. Many of the other ladies also seemed to be going for bright and vibrant colours. 

The summer cocktails served that evening were from British drinks-masters Sipsmith and Fever-tree tonic - cool, refreshing, and perfect for a warm summers evening.

 Overall it was a pleasant evening, and I walked out contented with my bright pink nails, and another goody bag, filled with full-sized London Grace nail polishes, Fever-Tree tonic, Ozone Coffee, Doisy & Dam chocolate and Teapigs matcha drink.
You may find out more about London Grace services and products on their website.

I'm already looking forward to the next Sheerluxe event, which based on what I've been told is going to be just as fun - in the meantime, I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for the next Reader Event notification to pop in my inbox ...
You can subscribe to their newsletter via sheerluxe.com

The Cheekster, signing out x