Luncheon, The Harwood Arms : LOCAL LOVES

I am full to the brim. 

I am absolutely full to the brim from a lunch I had YESTERDAY. 

My lovely best friend Arabella's dad celebrated the big Six-Oh yesterday. He very kindly invited me along to the party and when I found out that it was going to be at The Harwood Arms I was over the flippin' moon!

Tucked away in a residential area of leafy Fulham The Harwood Arms has only been around for a couple of years but has already earned itself a cracking rep - it is the first and only London pub to be awarded a Michelin star. Yep, pretty special.

They describe themselves as a' rural haven' so for those country folk amongst you this is the ideal place for a special meal. Famed for their game and wild food the venison is actually shot by the owners of the pub. The menu is meticulously sourced and selected so you really are getting the best of the best....hence the price tag. But don't worry, if meat isn't necessarily your thing, the vegetarian menu is equally delicious and I can personally vouch for that. There were 14 of us at the lunch so I got a sneaky peek at pretty much the entire menu...

Treacle cured smoked salmon with smoked cod roe, whisky jelly and watercress

Roast Berkshire partridge with salmi, creamed livers and game tea

The atmosphere is so relaxed and fun, they've managed to keep the 'pubby' vibe whilst serving top notch grub and this is just my cup of tea. I love a luxurious meal but hate stuffy quiet restaurants - I need a bit of noise and silliness. There was quite a gap between the courses and I really liked that, it meant we all had a chance to swap seats and get the gossip from the other end of the table.

The birthday boy heading up the table

Then the main courses descended and all conversations ceased....blimey, they were good. Arabella is still harping on about the veal she had - it's a two person dish so she recruited her brother and got stuck in.

Now, it's not just full on five hour lunches that The Harwood Arms specializes in (yes, we were there for FIVE hours) - you can just pop in for a drink, plonk yourself down in front of the fire and enjoy a swift scotch egg if you like. They always maintain that they are a pub and not a restaurant so keep things nice and relaxed - dogs are welcome and there's a rowdy quiz night on a Tuesday.

But let's not digress - there's pudding to talk about! Yum. Just yum. That's all I can say really.

Pear cooked in Earl Grey with almonds, sherry and burnt butter ice cream

Brie. What a babe.

The birthday boy was very jolly after our mammoth meal. The staff really looked after us and made the day so, so brill - thank you if you're reading! 

So this lucky lunching Londoner thinks that you should...

- Get yourself over to The Harwood Arms - it's got it just so fantastically right, luxury nosh and a chilled vibe. Book me a table for life.

N.B. Nearest tubes are Fulham Broadway and West Brompton.

Island Retreat, Hayling : A STONE'S THROW AWAY

So, I started the weekend just gone feeling TERRIBLE after a pretty raucous night out in South West London. It started as a very civilised affair at my place - I made makeshift salmon blinis [wholewheat bread, a dollop of cream cheese, a slither of smoked salmon and a squeeze of lemon juice] and sour dough bruschetta, which we washed down with prosecco...

....then gin and tonics....which I particularly enjoyed...

....then after arriving at the club - mojitos...more gin, coronas, jagerbombs....you get the picture.

But what better way to bust a hangover than a trip to the seaside! My lovely friend Sophie has a little beach house on Hayling Island. Her extended family own a small strip of coast and a little private beach - dotted along the edge of the water are sweet wooden bungalows. Everyone knows everyone and it's a lovely atmosphere.

The girls and I jumped on the train to Sophie's family home just outside of London to pick up the car, sipping some medicinal pepsi and regretting that final drink. Awaiting our arrival was a pretty fantastic lunch....

Ice cubes made out of crushed berries - such a lovely idea.

After demolishing plate upon plate of lunchtime goodness we piled into the car and bombed down the M3, listening to Bastille far too loudly, windows down, blowing away the cobwebs. As soon as we arrived we were straight out onto the water in kayaks, on paddle boards and in a dinky little rowing boat. I'm not going to lie - I am an appalling rower - so I commandeered the kayak and then got rowed around a bit. Bliss.

Now, Guest of the Weekend Award goes to the lovely Lucy – seen above in a fetching yellow kayak. She selflessly took all her clothes off and waded out to sea when the rowing boat escaped. Granted, the water was only waist-deep so flashing her bra to all and sundry was a little unnecessary but we enjoyed the impromptu striptease nonetheless.

My personal rower

I haven't quite mastered the 'Graceful Disembark' just yet - soaking wet jeans!

We had fish and chips for sups and practically rolled into bed for a sea-air induced slumber.

In the morning, feeling mightily refreshed after a good sleep, great vats of tea and piles of toast with marmalade, we set off on a walk around the island and it looked like everyone else had had the same idea - sailors, golfers, windsurfers, fishers - you name an activity, we saw it! We tripped over sand dunes and pebble beaches, through woods and down little foot-worn paths.

After a spot of crabbing on the harbour wall and a lunch of scrambled eggs on toast and apple crumble with lashing of custard we reluctantly packed up and headed back to London a little sun kissed and very relaxed. It was such a lovely twenty four hours, the perfect way to spend the last weekend of Summer. I love London with all my heart but sometimes you do need to step out of the bubble.


So you can probably guess what my Londoner suggestion is this time folks....

- GO TO HAYLING ISLAND! It's a stone's throw away from London - from Waterloo the train takes an hour and fifteen minutes to get to Havant, the nearest station to the island, then it's a short ten minute drive. Apparently there's also a bus, the 31A, which takes just under half an hour. There are lots of holiday homes on Hayling so book yourself in, or just go for the day, and blow those cobwebs away!