Calling All Coffee Addicts: London Coffee Festival

This year the UK's largest coffee and artisan food event returned back to Brick Lane's Old Truman Brewry to celebrate London's bustling and vibrant coffee scene. Being a massive coffee enthusiast and having never forgiven myself for missing out on the event last year, I left every virtual reminder possible in hopes of getting my hands on some tickets this year round - I have the likes of iPhone reminders and post-it notes to thank for this!
For those of you that are not so crazy about coffee, or are unaware of this exhibition, London Coffee Festival takes place just in time for the UK's Coffee Week (May 4th - 10th). Featuring over 250 artisan coffee and gourmet food stalls, live demonstrations, workshops, live music and art exhibitions, LCF is an unmissable event for coffee lovers and those working in the coffee scene.

Coffee Master Competition Finals

'Hyde Park' inside the exhibition where live music and DJs performed whilst coffee lovers sipped away

The festival kicked off to the public on Friday 1st May through to Sunday 3rd May with three 3-hour daily sessions - brunch (10am-1pm), lunch (1-4pm) and tea (4-7pm). Myself and a friend purchased tickets for the lunch slot on Sunday, so we took ourselves to Brick Lane and waited in line for the start of the exhibition. Upon scanning our tickets and arriving inside the Old Truman Brewery we were greeted by barrista's handing out official LCF tote bags filled with goodies - this, I was extremely excited about! We then proceeded from stand to stand, trying various coffee blends, teas and artisan bakery bits.

Obviously I made a friend from the Starbucks stand! I even bagged loads of goodies and had tasters

A few drinks stood out to me and one of them was a 20 hour steeped cold brew from Starbucks - only available in small batches at 20 UK Starbucks', this cold brew is made by steeping coffee grounds in cold water for hours on end. This slow method makes the drink far less acidic and more smoother, unlike the result of ordinary cafetiere/boiling water brew method. Another Starbucks favourite of the day was the 'Mintspresso' -  essentially a double espresso, a handful of fresh mint leaves mixed with sweetener and poured over ice. The mixture was then shaken in a cocktail shaker until the ingredients became a 'muddle', it was then poured into a glass and topped with sparkling water. If you like a cold brew, like myself, and a fan of mint then you should give this drink a go at home. The incredibly kind barista talked me through the whole process, and let me have a go at making my own. Very easy drink to make!

Waiting in line for my espresso martini!

Ladies and gents, may I introduce you to the Martini Espresso Bar where I tried quite possibly one of my favourite and most delicious alcoholic cocktails to date! Blended with coffee liquor, an espresso shot and topped with vodka that has been distilled in the Czech Republic. 

What's a day out without indulging in some mouth watering street food? I was surprised when I found out the exhibtion had a whole section dedicated to artisan gourmet food and pop-up food stalls. There was food courtesy of Arancini Bros, Herman ze German and St John Bakery. Being the bratwurst fan that I am, I had to opt for Herman ze German. Their menu had a range of bratwursts from pork, smoked pork, veal, beef and veggie options - I went for the 'chilli beef', which was served in a brioche roll with ketchup and mustard and topped with sauerkraut and crispy onions (totally wanting to relive this delicious moment).

I would totally recommend this festival for anyone debating to go next year, I'm sure I'll be paying the exhibition a visit every year from now. A very interesting, exciting and tasty day. Let me know what your thoughts were if you went this year, I'd love to hear of your experiences!

Saina
xo

OOTN: Vamp it Up

Ever had to whip up an outfit in a matter of minutes due to an unexpected call from the girls? Here's a quick outfit post showing you what I wore to dinner and drinks with friends a couple of nights ago. The theme for this outfit was much like all my other outfit posts - vampy meets Morticia featuring bold, dark lips and statement jewellery. Essentially, this outfit is a pair of structured trousers with a simple vest chucked on top. Yet with the use of statement metals, chunky heels and bold lipstick this outfit is brought to life, making it appear much more 'effort like' than it actually is!

By wearing statement jewelry we create the illusion of an accessorized outfit - the mixed textures of metals and gemstones on clothing brings character and luxury to a somewhat simple outfit. This gorgeous necklace was purchased in Zara (for £19.99) a couple of years bag, yet I still find myself reaching for it all the time. This is a great example of how luxury can be brought to your style at an affordable price. Although this exact necklace is no longer available, high street stores such as Topshop and H&M do great alternatives. Here are some of my current favourites:
Oval Stone & Tassel Necklace, Topshop
Bar Chain Choker, Topshop
Metal Mesh Necklace, Zara
Fringed Necklace, H&M

I've gotten a few weird looks whenever I dare to go out in these platforms - but contrary to what these bad boys look like, they are the most comfortable pair of 'heels' I own! The height in the platform at the front of the shoe evens out the height of the heel - essentially making it feel like you're wearing a flat shoe with height (does that make sense?). The whole of your foot is raised rather than just your heel, therefore taking the pressure off the front of your foot. These booties were purchased from Topshop a while back, but I've listed similar (and cheaper) options below:
Chunky Stack Ankle Boot, Asos
Lucy Peeptoe Heel, Boohoo

Outfit Details:

Vest, Trousers & Necklace, Zara

Chunky Heels, Topshop

Longline Blazer, H&M

Lipstick 'Living Legend', Mac

Saina

xo

Park Middelheim OOTD

Hello lovelies, here's a rather quick outfit post that I wanted to share with you guys from my recent trip to Antwerp, Belgium. Another city break can only mean one thing, another blog post added to my pending list of European ventures to write about.
Once again, my outfit is pretty much all black. I think my love affair with my dark wardrobe is a losing a battle for those who keep suggesting 'colour'. So let's just go with it, accept it and move on!

Outfit details: 

Jeans - A couple of posts ago I included a pair of distressed Jamie jeans on my Spring wishlist and I found this pair in the mid-season sale for £25! Having had a check of the website they seem to have either got a new batch, or they've priced them back up to £42 (OR I was extremely lucky) find them here
Fedora - I found this little beauty in Next, and it's got to be my wardrobe favourite since. I always thought I had a somewhat big head, but all hats seem to be massive for me - except this one! This fedora fits like a dream and sits well without me having to worry about the next gust of wind. find it here
Cardigan - This cardigan was bought from River Island a couple of years ago, and I can't seem to find anything of the same shaggy material since. However, the cocoon fit cardi trend has since made it easy to replicate this look. similar style here
Bag - Although it's not really shown here, I've still been committed to my Michael Kors chain bag - it's perfect for traveling. Though, a couple of months ago I found this faux fur pom pom from River Island and I've had it attached to my bag since. similar here
Trainers - I'm still adoring my Nike Flex Runs and have them pretty much stapled to my feet everyday. Although this particular model is no longer being sold, you can find similar styles on the Nike website here

Saina

xo

Farewell To A High Street Favourite

As some of you may be aware, earlier this season the fashion lingerie retailer, La Senza, announced that the company has fallen into administration once again, forcing its UK based highstreet stores to close down. As a firm favourite of mine, this news brought genuine sadness to myself and my wardrobe, knowing that I now have to venture elsewhere for sleepwear and lingerie (anyone else dread the whole fitting process, and finding the style and cuts that compliment your body best?). Nonetheless, I'm writing this post to let you in on the ridiculous discounts La Senza stores are offering at the moment, as most stores are due to close down within the next couple of weeks!

My local La Senza is quite a big store, and yesterday I had quite the rummage through endless piles of lingerie - all retailing at under £5! (Let's have a moment to take this in...) Garments that I noticed had only been brought to the shop floor a few weeks ago are already being sold at an 1/8 of their original price. Now if that wasn't crazy enough, I noticed that whilst I was slowly but steadily making my way through the rails of bras, a sales assistant changed the sign reading 'All bras £10' to another saying 'All bras £2' - you can only imagine how my steady pace reversed to a frantic hurry with the objective of 'any colour, any style' in mind.

A sales assistant informed me that our local store is due to close down on Saturday. If I find the time (or the persuasion), I'll pay it one last visit in hopes of swooping up any discounts but to also give the iconic hot pink and black franchise a goodbye.

What are your thoughts on this high-street farewell? Any idea's where you'll be turning to now that it's gone?

Saina
xo

Series: Salad Struggles

I remember a couple of years back when I began to embrace the healthier lifestyle, the thought of dinner with friends was much more sacrificial-like than enjoyable. Quite naturally, you cannot persuade a group of people to eat at one particular place due to their 'finer healthy options'. Over time however, I have accumulated quite the list of restaurants that offer healthy options as well as being a restaurant for those who aren't carbophobes to enjoy! As part of my 'Salad Struggles' I'm going to share with you my experience at Comptoir Libanais, and hopefully show you that healthy does not need to be the same routine supermarket salad. 

"It’s food that’s affordable and easy to know – healthy, light and you can enjoy it every day of the week. Comptoir Libanais means Lebanesse counter and that’s exactly what it is: somewhere you can eat casually, with no fuss.”

The creator of Comptoir Libanais, Tony Kitous, describes his Middle Eastern restaurants as a casual alternative to Lebanese food - where street style food meets traditional dishes.  

The Restaurant:

First, let me begin by saying that once you set foot into a Comptoir Libanis restaurant, you will feel that you have just entered a mini Marrakech Souk. You will find yourself surrounded by gift boxes of baklava and Turkish delight, meanwhile traditional Arabic music playing in the background. The restaurants have added a twist on the traditional Lebanese sandwich bars, by adding a variety of colours and patterns in forms of seating decor and wall art, adding a particular vibrancy to your experience. 

The Menu: 

What I love about this particular Middle Eastern restaurant, is the menu. Although kept very traditional with the standard falafel, shawarma wraps, haloumi etc. You can instantly see the effort and creativity gone into compiling the perfect menu with the variety of drinks on offer - both alcoholic and non. I opted for the frozen mint, lemon and lime lemonade and I can assure you I haven't stopped thinking about it since! The food menu is also similar in it's ability to cater to your requirements - with a variety of both hot and cold mezze, you and your friends can opt for a Tapas style meal. This is ideal if you are not familiar with Middle Eastern food as it allows to explore the variety of tastes in smaller portions. If you would prefer a set meal you can opt for a wrap, or for an extra £1 you can receive your wrap in a platter form accompanied with hummus and salad. Here's where the healthy gets speaking, the salad options! There are a few salad choices, and I opted for the haloumi salad (extremely generous with their haloumi) with a cheeky side of falafel (I can't do Lebanese without the falafel, that would be rude..right?). 

The experience: 

I'm a firm believer of stepping out of your food comfort zone, and trying new types of cuisine on offer. Although this was by no means my first try of Lebanese food, it was my first visit to this particular restaurant and I was pleasantly surprised at how a few unique touches created a far more special experience. 

I hope this encourages you to give this restaurant a visit. Do you have any other restaurant recommendations? I'm always trying to find new places and would love to hear some of your favourites. 

Saina 

xo