Riddle & Finns

Straight after my graduation ceremony we headed to Riddle & Finns on the Brighton seafront.

A summer of sorting

The past few months have been a bit crazy. Writing 2 dissertations, leaving uni, looking for a job, graduating, packing, unpacking, a break up, the bit after where it was decided it was all a bit of a mistake and trying to deal with everything that comes with that and really, just getting on with real life in the whole post uni haze.  

I finally graduated!

Life has been moving pretty quickly the last week weeks - update to come! But on Friday I finally graduated. I say finally as it seems to have been a long time coming! I had two years off in the end before starting uni and then a 3 year BA course and when my friends started working in hot shot city jobs as I was starting second year, I sometimes felt a little like I was playing catch up.

Here's to the night

At the end of last week I headed to one of my favourite Brighton restaurants, Bellotta. The Bar Y Tapas opened at the beginning of this year and I have already visited far too many times to count. The food is some of the best I've eaten out in a long time, the service impeccable and the menu choices are really varied. This time it was a girly trip and we started the meal with a good bottle of white and some Pan Tomaca - freshly baked bread, rubbed with garlic, oil and served with fresh tomatoes.

Then it was on to the main affair of the evening. The tapas! The restaurant recommend 3/4 dishes per person which I think is definitely about right. Patatas Bravas - potatoes with sundered tomatoes and garlic mayo - filled the table, followed quickly by seafood baskets of squid, prawns and mussels, mushrooms, white fish and serious amounts of garlicy deliciousness. The girls ordered chorizo, steak and chicken and there was barely a space on the table! Everything was fresh and tasty, the perfect kinda meal to enjoy over a good catch up.

The tapas bar is the first of its kind in the UK and totally beats to offerings of La Tasca, and most of the independents that I've been to for tapas which I often find to be a little greasy. I really wouldn't mind if Bellota opened up a few more branches, preferably in London ready for next year… please?

If you're in Brighton this little place is well worth a visit. If you're heading there at the weekend make sure you book as it does get busy and be sure to sign up online or at the bar for a Belotta card. It gives you 20% off and just makes the whole meal incredibly reasonable - how does £15 a head with wine sound? And now you see why I can't stay away!

You can check out the restaurant here for more details.

April showers bring May flowers

Tuesday was loan day and even though my loan does little to cover my rent (oh student living in Brighton) I decided that it was only right to celebrate with the rest of my course. 10 of us headed out for supper at GBK - the one here is so so good - and for cocktails at Be At One, which I'm still raving about!

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Who doesn't like monkey nuts?

Burger yumminess and skin on fat chips mmmm 

Photo op

When supper was over and we'd eaten our fill of monkey nuts, burgers, skin on chips, sides, dips… oh the list goes on… we headed over to Be At One for dessert. And obviously by that I mean cocktails! It was such a lovely Spring evening and it only served to remind me that Brighton is a great place, especially in the summer. I'm ready for London times and for uni and studying to be done now but I will definitely miss Brighton and its all of its charming boutique offerings! 

I went for a passion fruit Margarita (recipe below) and it was so good. I could have drunk five more but a presentation early the next morning meant bed was calling. I couldn't resist sharing the recipe though as this one is delicious and so easy to make. Think pretty vintage glasses and a girly night in/pre drinks while getting ready. What better way to start a night than with tequila after all?   

And the real star of the show 

Art history favourites 

A GREAT INTRO INTO THE WORLD OF THE MARGARITA...

This one really is a great variation on a classic if the thought of the salty sour of a regular Margarita isn't appealing to you. Passion fruit has pretty tart flavour to it which compliments the tequila and it is all sweetened with a sugar rim instead of salt.

INGREDIENTS

Tequila
Passion fruit syrup
Fresh lime juice
Sugar rim

HOW TO MAKE A PASSION FRUIT MARGARITA

1. 1Chill a cocktail glass with crushed ice
2. 2Add all ingredients to a Boston glass and shake with cubed ice
3. 3Remove crushed ice rim the glass with sugar
4. 4Strain the mixture into the glass

Be At One

I've found my new favourite place in Brighton. Be At One have opened their newest branch here and its fabbbbb. Everytime I've been its definitely been for more than one drink and everything we've tried so far has been yummy!

My favourite of everything that I've tried so far is most definitely the French 75. Gin, Lemon Juice, sugar syrup and something fizzy, be it Prosecco or Champagne, as is traditional. Simply shake the ingredients over ice and garnish with lemon. Incredible! In fact, its on my list to go back and have another one, or maybe two this week. If you choose to visit (they have loads of branches all over the country) download the app to get two cocktails for £9.95 - it doesn't get much better than that! 

Choocywoccydodah: Bar du Chocolat

Tucked away down a little road in Brighton, Middle Street to be exact, is the Choccy Woccy Bar du Chocolat. Choccy Woccy make the most incredible cakes from chocolate, as you'd imagine. These should give you an idea…

Towards the end of last term we all needed a bit of chill out time and some relaxation after essay deadlines. Our place to fulfil an afternoon of relaxation was of course ChoccyWoccyDoDah. Or, to be more exact, the Choccy Woccy Bar du Chocolat. A haven to chocolate, cake and incredible hot chocolates, all in an ethereal, Alice in Wonderland style fairlytale setting. You are immersed in chocolate and it really is an incredible experience.

We surrounded ourselves with huge chunks of cake, tea and hot chocolate until we could no longer see the table. I like cake but I could barely eat a 1/3 of my chocolate indulgence, the slices are ridiculously huge! My advice: visit on a very empty stomach but do make sure you visit, this place is definitely an experience!

Choccy Woccy have bars in both Brighton and London. If you haven't already, be sure to check them out! 

Wintery delights: Blackbird Tearoom

When the days get chilly there is nothing better than chilling out, catching up with friends and warming up with good food. Of course, we couldn't think of anywhere better than Blackbird tearoom in the South Lanes, and which since its opening has become a pretty regular haunt. I've blogged on it before but couldn't resist sharing a few more pictures!

And strangely enough, I want to start with the toilets! I know, I know, classy right! But it is just so unusual. You walk out of the back of a tearoom, through the cobbled garden until you find a secret little door, leading to what looks like a stone outbuilding. Creak open the door and you find this...

Now tell me that isn't cute?! Granted it is slightly chilly in these wintery months but hand folded towels, nice soap and wonderful vintage prints. My kind of loo! Now, back to the cake!

The walls are adorned with old tins, candelabras and pre-war ornaments, and each table has vintage lace table cloths to add to the atmosphere. 

The menu ranges from savoury to sweet, with the cheese, chutney and cress scone or Blackbird cakes being personal favourites. The tearooms exude quaint charm and the attention to detail is paramount. Choose either a window seat or one of the tucked away tables upstairs and this place really is the perfect choice to while away a rainy afternoon with girlfriends.

The infamous Blackbird cake - a Victoria style in style but not in sentiment! Blackberry jam really does add something amazing!

Mmm look at that sugary glory!

And this little baby: cheese, chutney, scone, hot, salad just mmmmm!

Choc orange cake, also delish - like Terry's but in cake form and definitely mine!

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