Restaurant l'Indyana, Nice

I recently went to l'Indyana with a girlfriend for lunch and it made me wonder why a) I don't go more often as it never disappoints and b) how this place is still a secret, mostly frequented by French professionals.

Dinner at Monaco's Hotel Hermitage

Belle Epoque style at Hotel Hermitage

I had the fortunate experience of dining at the Hotel Hermitage in Monaco a few weeks ago. An example of "Belle Epoque" at its finest, the Hotel Hermitage sits just behind the Hotel de Paris and the Monte Carlo Casino.

Galette de Rois

A.K.A. 'King Cake'. This is what we ate last weekend and because the weather was so lovely we actually changed the location from my extremely snug flat to a picnic on the beach :-).

Tapas tasting

I was in London the other week and my fabulous mates brought me to a little tapas restaurant called Barrica on Goodge Street they thought I would enjoy. I was a bit puzzled at first why we traipsed up through Covent Garden, Soho and Charlotte Street from Embankment and when I enquired they said "because we think you'll love it."

*sigh* I love it when my mates know me better than I do. A glass of excellent Cava was a good start followed by Iberico Pork (Jambon cedo - like thick Parma ham), and Chorizo. The boys had the ham croquettes which looked scrummy but I stuck to deep-fried Pablo peppers which I adored. I ordered a second plate. I also had melt-in-the-mouth aubergine that was chargrilled, served with fresh goat's cheese and drizzled with a honey dressing. If ANYBODY out there can tell me the secret of keeping a slice of aubergine soft in the middle and chargrilled on the outside PLEASE let me know! I'm thinking I'm going to have to sacrifice a few aubergines on my quest to find out!

We finished with a selection of cheeses and a glass of sherry. I know a thing or two about sherry and can honestly say this has got to be one of the most extensive sherry menus in London.

I'll share the reason for me bumming around in London with my mates in my next post!

Healthy Helpers: Energy-Boost Snacks

Apologies for my absence as of late. St Tropez, Somerset, London and life have been a bit hectic lately! So much traveling has put me off my balance slightly and I'm noticing a huge dive in my blood sugar levels in the late afternoon. So I glibly grab for a glass of rosé and a handful (or three) of pretzels. Fine for the short-term but this can't go on.

Good Mood Food

I am a firm believer in the theory that we are what we eat and that food can nourish not just our bodies but our emotional well being as well. Different foods have different effects on us and they have the ability to change our internal chemical balance, improve sleep, concentration and libido. Pretty cool really, if you know which foods do what and why.

Rave Brunching

The new craze to hit New York, Rave Brunching, is my idea of heaven! Swanky venues including the exclusive Plaza Hotel host raves that begin at noon, have you dancing by tea time and tucked up in bed by 10pm... How very civilised! If you would love to rave away the sunlit hours but you don't have the funds to fly to NY to sip Krug and nibble on delightfully delicate caviar canapés, never fear.

Hosting a Fabulous New Year's Eve Party

It’s holiday time and it is a fact that during this period, surrounding the shortest day of the year, our creed has stubbornly held onto what we see as our historic right to party our brains out.

As we all know, partying reduces stress levels, improves dance moves and provides you with a fabulous excuse to get your flirt on!