L’as Du Fallafel

First day in Paris is done and dusted and ofcourse I’ve already managed to tick off basically the main reason why I came in the first place.

I came hesitatingly five years ago after my mum highly recommended I checked this place out. To say I had my doubts was an understatement. I didn’t even like falafel that much and I just didn’t understand how there could be so much hype over, essentially, a sandwich. So we decided to share one and what a mistake that was. Those preconceptions shot out the window after my first bite and I wished I had got one to myself!

The bread is soft and pillowy and almost mochi-esque which provides a great contrast to the falafel which is herby and crunchy. The salad provides an element of freshness and is comprised of thinly sliced cabbage, cucumber and tomato. The aubergine is silly and smooth and in bite sized pieces to make it easier to eat. And last, but certainly not least, the lashings of tahini dressing which is cool and slightly bitter.

So, onto the technical stuff. It costs €6,50 and is definitely big enough for a meal for one. It’s filled with falafel and salad and will keep you full for a matter of hours (until the compulsory afternoon pastry break)!

Wow, I can’t believe I’ve actually spent all morning raving about falafel when I could have been at a Parisian bakery but this is the best of the best. If you find yourself in Paris, you must stroll around the alleys of Marais and get yourself a falafel. You’ll never look back!

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A City Break: Prague

What a beautiful city – truly, unexpectedly stunning. I don’t know why but in my head it was a city that seemed a bit grey, but I went and was blown away by the gorgeous weather and the beautiful architecture on every corner of the street.

The city is reminiscent of a toy town, the pastel colours of the curvilinear forms on the facades of the buildings and the gothic churches with the spires interrupting the skyline is truly an amazing sight, especially at the top of the hill around the castle district. The many bridges across the city are beautiful in themselves, with Charles Bridge being a particularly popular one as it is filled with sculptures of saints watching down on you and contrasting against the bright blue sky. Another must see building is St Vitus cathedral – a monumental Gothic church with an intricately decorated facade and the inside is filled with the most wonderful stained glass that leaves you in awe and the rainbow of colour reflects on the cold stone walls.

The Opera house is decorated with a beautiful gold detailing on the roof and theatre is another prominent aspect of the culture. The museums were filled with Czech art as well as an all star cast, featuring Picasso, Klimt and Schiele, which I must admit almost brought me to tears. The standout museum for me was the Prague National Gallery (also called Trade Fair Palace), which showed 19th and 20th century art and currently shows some works by Ai Wei Wei, which runs until 17th January 2018.

There was a plethora of food options in the city and I wasn’t disappointed once. The stand outs were Bistro 19 which have a daily changing menu of a soup, main and dessert, a special shout out goes to the apple strudel which was wonderful and cinnamon filled (and a bargain for only £1); Sushi Maru which has an amazing eel, avocado and yellowtail roll. My favourite place had to be Cafe Lounge. There was a slight Secession/ Art Nouveau feel in the restaurant with the beautiful font and warm decoration within of brown leather chairs and slightly dimmed yellow lighting. The food was outstanding and really can’t find one fault, I highly recommend the quinoa salad with pomegranates, peppers and lambs lettuce which was fresh and light; marinated aubergine with pecorino, rocket and capers which was a salty delight and the aubergine which melted in your mouth; and the fried cod with chunky fries and homemade tartare sauce, the fish was so tender and the batter was light and fluffy. I’ve also heard great things about Cafe Louvre and of course the famous warm, fluffy, sweet, carby trdelnik.

Prague is definitely a place where I’ll be back and somewhere I would recommend to anyone for a short city break. Yes, there is a lot of walking on cobbled streets which definitely does make your thighs slightly stiff the next day but it’s 100% worth it for the beautiful views across the river and watching the sun set in the parks dotted around the city.

Review: Tibits

Back at it with the reviews! I love sharing all my favourite spots around London with you all so I hope you enjoy this review.

It’s strange to think I’m only just writing this review as I’ve been going to Tibits for years – their food is always packed with flavour and love how you can pick and choose what you want. (Also, a bonus that Tuesday, everything is plant based!)

I started with a carrot, apple and ginger juice which was sweet and refreshing. They have so many wonderful drinks on offer and always have specials of the day (prickly pear was the special when I went).

For the main, I obviously had to get a little bit of everything just to taste all the different things they had on offer. The highlight of the meal was definitely the smooth and smokey babaganoush, beetroot mint (delicious with the addition of mint) and the dried green bean salad. To be honest, it didn’t look or sound like the most appetising thing on the menu but the flavour was banging. Green beans tossed with walnuts and a tangy vinaigrette. Definitely something simple that I’ll try to recreate – I’m sure it would be great with a pesto dressing too.

There were plenty of options for everyone, whether you’re gluten free, dairy free or raw. There were so many delicious dishes from fresh Asian slaw and carrot salad to mushroom pie and falafel.

And of course, there’s always room for dessert! I sampled a little bit of everything but the warm sticky pudding was so decadent and delicious. They also had a range of fruit on offer as well as victoria sponge cake, rice pudding and warm berry crumble.
Thinking about all of this is making my mouth water!

Tibits
Address: 12-14 Heddon St, Mayfair, London W1B 4DA
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs: 9am-10:30pm, Fri-Sat: 9am-12am, Sun: 11:30am-10:30pm
Website: https://www.tibits.ch/en/home.html