A taste of Calcutta at Paro in Covent Garden

Nearly seven years ago I had the absolute pleasure to review City Spice in Brick Lane. It's still one of my favourite restaurants, and I make sure to take friends to it when they're visiting London. However, it's not very central and I'm not often in Brick Lane these days. So I am thrilled that its executive chef, Niaz Caan, has opened a brand-new Indian restaurant smack-down in the centre of town: Covent Garden. Paro officially opened its doors in October and it's already buzzing.

The Best Christmas Fairs in London + Ticket Giveaway

It may sound a bit early to start mentioning Christmas but I can't help it guys, I just love the season of joy so much. And with the first festive fair starting at the end of the month – the time has come for me to start planning which seasonal outings I'll be adding to my diary this year, which is a huge part of the fun in the lead up to 25 December. The first event to hit London calendars is the Spirit of Christmas Fair in Olympia and not only am I rounding up my favourite fairs to hit up this year I also I have an opportunity for one lucky reader to win two free tickets to the first one of the season!

Honey Bee Afternoon Tea at Dalloway Terrace

My friend Laura from Laura Patricia Rose and I do love a good themed afternoon tea. I think my favourite one we've tried together is still the Autumn Afternoon Tea at Emmeline's Lounge in the Conrad London St. James hotel, but the Honey Bee Afternoon Tea at Dalloway Terrace – a location beautifully decked out in vibrant flowers and buzzing bees befitting the tea's theme – has got to be a very close second.

West London Wonder: Strawberry Hill House & Garden

I love exploring London but one thing I'm not nearly doing enough off is going beyond zone three to discover the wonderful things the outskirts of the city have to offer. Especially West London is an area I don't tend to venture to much as the journey from my North London home can be on the longer side. However, there are many awesome places to discover, which have been handily combined into the West London Wonders trail. The first one I got to experience recently is Gothic Revival castle Strawberry Hill House in Twickenham.

MinaLima's New Exhibit Celebrates The Secret Garden & Other Classics

You know those intricate designs in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beast films? Wanted posters, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes labels and school books? They're all created by design duo Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, aka MinaLima. The wizarding world isn't their only forte though, and at their House of MinaLima store and exhibition space you can admire their magical creations alongside animal artwork and beautifully illustrated classic novels. And alongside their brand-new book The Secret Garden, they've launched a stunning new illustrated classics gallery.

An Authentic Taste of Italy at Venerdi in East London

Pizza, pasta, panna cotta... Italy gets all of the best foods starting with a 'p', apparently, but you don't have to make the trek all the way down to the sunny south to be able to sample some of these delicious dishes for yourself. Most of us will be familiar with the many Italian chain restaurants London has to offer but while they're convenient for a quick bite, they lack an authenticity that can really transport you to a sweltering hot Mediterranean day. Cosy restaurant Venerdi in East London's Hackney brings the essence of real Italian food right onto our doorstep with the deep flavours of fresh home-made pasta, quality buffalo mozzarella and the most scrumptious white pizza steeped in cheese and truffle you'll ever have.

A Local's Guide to London on a Budget

London is often perceived as an expensive city by tourists and locals alike. But having lived in the English capital for 8 years almost to the day (oh my god, where has the time gone?!) I can tell you that while on the surface some things may seems unreasonably expensive (and one thing that REALLY is are the rent and house prices, yikes), there are plenty of ways to enjoy all the great art, culture, food and drink London has to offer on a budget too. Whether you love to stroll through a museum, enjoy a quirky pop-up, are a die-hard foodie or you're a bit stagey, you'll find something in this guide by a local filled with top tips and experiences on how to enjoy London on a budget!

Dinner at The Elephant's Head in Hackney

Known for its hipster residents and eclectic mixture of shops, Hackney has become one of the most liveable areas in London in recent years. The East London borough han't only had a boom in independent coffee shops and artisan cafes but the restaurants have seen an evolution too. One such a foodie destination is the Elephant's Head – a traditional pub, restaurant and cocktail bar wrapped into on – which after a series of incarnations has recently returned to its Hackney hot spot under its original guise.

Literary London: Harry Potter Walking Tour

It's no secret that I'm a huge Harry Potter fan. In fact, the majority of my Literary London posts so far have been Potter-themed, from House of MinaLima (three times) and the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play around its corner to the unmissable Warner Brothers Studio Tour. One wizarding must-do I had not yet checked off the list though was a Harry Potter walking tour of London. Focusing on filming locations rather than book-related references, I finally got a chance to experience it this weekend. While most of Britain was glued to the telly for the royal wedding, I was wandering through sunny London spotting obscure wizarding locations.

Bottomless Brunch at Bounce: Ping Pong, Pizza & Prosecco

I'm a huge fan of brunch (so much so that last week I had a double brunch weekend!), and I love discovering new restaurants that put on a scrumptious spread. Especially if they give their own twist to the traditional brunch, and that's exactly what Bounce has done. They offer unlimited pizza, Prosecco and Ping Pong madness for two whole hours and I had the opportunity to check it out for myself this weekend.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition at the Natural History Museum

We're incredibly lucky in London to have a wealth of museums and art galleries on our doorstep. Regardless of what you're interested in, you'll be able to find an exhibition to suit your tastes. I love discovering new animals facts and nature pictures, so the stunning Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum is one of my annual staples on the cultural calendar. Not only is it a gorgeous exhibit to visit, but the captions underneath each photo provide fascinating insights into exotic locations and animals, making it a very educational outing for all ages.

London in Spring: The Columbia Road Flower Market

We may have had snow in London as recent as this past weekend, but meteorologically speaking spring has already started. Sure, we tend to go by the astronomical calendar but even then it's only another few days until the season of daffodils and blossoms kicks off. With the unseasonably cold weather recently it's been even harder than normal to find spring in London (Wisteria Hysteria is a little while off yet), but there is one London staple that you can visit all year around and looks particularly delightful in spring: The Columbia Road Flower Market.

Wyld Afternoon Tea at Mondrian London

I love my themed afternoon teas, having enjoyed an autumnal tea, a Beauty and the Beast one and another in a library in the last year alone. So when my birthday came around last month and it was time to decide on a place to go, needless to say afternoon tea was high on the list. There were a few different location that all sounded great (and I will be checking out this year so stay tuned) but the one we went for this time around was the botanical tea, and it was delightful.

Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic Exhibit at the V&A

It's been a while since I added a new entry to my Literary London series and so I was very excited when I heard about the Winnie-the-Pooh exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum (better known as the V&A), which makes for a great addition to any book lover's London itinerary. The honey-obsessed Pooh Bear and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood are mostly known for their Disney adaptations, but they originated from a series of written stories. Created by A.A. Milne and based on the tales he told his son Christopher Robin (who inspired the character of the same name), the books date all the way back to the 1920s and so there is a rich history there that has been captured delightfully within the exhibit at the V&A.

Christmas at Kew Gardens

When I lived in South London I had a membership to Kew Gardens and I loved visiting during different times of the year; in spring to see the beautiful gardens in full bloom, in summer for a relaxing picnic with a good book, and in autumn for a crisp stroll while surrounded by reds and yellows. But somehow I'd never visited in winter time. Now living in North London, unfortunately Kew Gardens is quite a trek to get to and I haven't been in years. But when a friend invited me to join her on a preview night of Christmas at Kew my festive senses started tingling and I was more than willing to make the journey down to check it out.

A Tale as Old as Time Afternoon Tea at The Town House

Themed afternoon teas are all the rage right now. Whether you'd like to try something autumnal or a touch of Wonderland, there is an afternoon tea to suit every mood. The latest one to join the ranks is the A Tale as Old as Time afternoon tea at Town House (though this isn't the first one to take inspiration from Disney's Beauty and the Beast I've tried), which was a particularly well-thought out menu with intricate details of the classic animated film reflected both in the food choices and the place setting. We even had the real Mrs Potts and Chip looking on while we tried 'the grey stuff', alongside Lumiere lighting our table and an adorable little edible Cogsworth as a part of the sweets selection.

How to Spend an Autumnal Day in London

Last October I was in Vancouver and the bright autumnal shades were out in full force. Spending this season in London isn't quite basked in the same kind of colourful scenery, however there are plenty of autumnal things you can see and do in the English capital as well as I have discovered in recent weeks. If you're also looking to make the most of the autumn time in London, here are my top tips for the best seasonal outings in the city!

Autumn Afternoon Tea at Emmeline's Lounge, Conrad London St. James

I have mentioned many a times before that autumn is my favourite season, and with the leaves turning beautifully bright again my friend Laura and I planned a proper autumnal day in London last weekend. I'm posting a blog on all things autumn you can enjoy in the city soon, but one of the things we did was so cool (and photogenic) that it deserves its own post: Autumn Afternoon Tea at Emmeline's Lounge in the Conrad London St. James.

Trying Japanese Biscuits! (Japan Centre Haul)

In the last couple of weeks my Twitter feed has been flooded with people sharing their excitement over the opening of Japan Centre on Panton Street. I initially thought it'd satisfy all my Japan dreams by being stocked with fluffy toys, anime-covered homeware and kawaii galore, but actually it was a supermarket and not even the first London location at that, I'd just been completely out of the loop until now. Nonetheless, I made the most of my visit and stocked up on some Japanese biscuits to try, which were cute, colourful and extremely yummy.

Luxury Chocolate Workshop at MyChocolate With Red Letter Days

Chocolate is most definitely in my list of favourite c-things (alongside Canada, cheese and Christmas). Whether a solid bar to nibble on, a spread to upgrade my sandwiches with or a rich liquid to cosy up with on a rainy autumn day; I love my chocolate in all shapes and sizes. However, I don't often stand still by the process that makes all the chocolate I devour so scrumptious. Until I was given the opportunity to attend an actual chocolate making workshop courtesy of Red Letter Days and MyChocolate, where not only we got to make our own truffles, giant chocolate button and cocktail but we learned some nifty facts along the way too.