Casa Morita, Brixton

We stumbled upon Casa Morita in Brixton Market when we were in London last month to see The Postal Service at Brixton Academy. We were spoilt for choice in terms of the range of eateries but it was a busy Sunday afernoon and places were starting to get busy. We were both in the mood for Mexican and noticed that Casa Morita had some tables free. In we went!

The restaurant is small and welcoming with colourful decor. Little pots of chilli sauce and cutlery tins decorate each table. The 'door' opens onto the market walkway and there's a fun, if not slightly 'hipster', atmosphere about the market itself. The menu at Casa Morita is small but each of the dishes sound tasty. I went with a chicken enchillada served with refried beans. It tasted far better than it looked! It was very flavoursome and not at all heavy. 

Drink prices were reasonable (around £6 for a cocktail). I had a mojito, which was nice enough. M had a beer cocktail called a Michelada which was made up of his beer of choice, tabasco sauce, salsa and lime (I think). He wasn't too taken by it in the end. Serves him right for ordering the most obscure drink on the menu!

For us, the only thing that let Casa Morita down was the service. I liked the relaxed atmosphere but the food took quite a while to arrive and we'd ordered some tortillas to start, which we didn't get, and my drink was brought over after we'd more or less finished eating. 

I'd go back to Casa Morita because their food was delicious, the atmosphere was good and it was nice to eat more authentic Mexican food, rather than the 'American Mexican' I've become more used to. I'd just make sure I had a bit more time to spare!

A Review: The Ampersand Hotel

In December we stayed at The Ampersand Hotel; a new, luxury hotel in London's South Kensington. Enter a grand Victorian building, just a few steps away from the tube and you're met with the vibrant, contemporary design and friendly atmosphere of this boutique hotel. Our beautiful ornithology inspired room was spacious and full of little personal touches, including a rubber duck in the shower, Miller Harris toiletries, a bedside bird dictionary, complimentary soft drinks, and countless vanity items. The hotel is in a perfect central location. It's on the doorstep of the National History Museum, the V&A, and the Royal Albert Hall, and only a short walk down leafy streets and you're in Knightsbridge. Despite its location, our room was quiet with little noise from the street.

I wanted to share some of the photographs that I managed to snap during our stay.

We loved our stay at The Ampersand Hotel and enjoyed a great meal at Apero Restaurant and Bar. The chef even joined us at the table to give his (excellent) menu recommendations! After our night at the Albert Hall, we went back to Apero to sample their cocktails. The Rose Caryatid (prosecco, Martini Rosato, pomegranate and rose water) was gorgeous. 

I hadn't planned to write anything up and so there are some beautiful details in the hotel that I haven't been able to show here. The Ampersand's website showcases the hotel, including the stylish Drawing Room. Check it out! Since we stayed at The Ampersand Hotel, their reputation seems to be increasing (no causation implied!). It now features on lots of 'best places to stay' lists and was recently listed a Mr & Mrs Smith hotel. I would definitely recommend a visit to The Ampersand Hotel, or even just a trip to their Drawing Room for afternoon tea. We were too busy being London tourists to try it, but it looked pretty yummy. We're looking forward to planning our next visit, whenever that might be.

Happy at... Christmas Markets

Christmas time! I love festive fun, but this year work has been so hectic and I am feeling the most disorganised I have been at this stage in the Christmas countdown. 

This year, I had 'pinned' countless Christmas crafts but, sadly, they are still on a rather long to-do list with little chance of getting any airtime this year. Never the less, I have not let this squash my festive cheer and I have been thrown into the Christmas spirit through visits to two full-of-festive-fun Christmas markets. 

First, me and Mr. went to London for the weekend. I had arranged the trip as part of my wedding anniversary gift, where I took inspiration from this post on Find Joy in the Journey, to create a 'year of dates' gift. We travelled down early Saturday morning and checked into a new favourite hotel, The Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington. We had tickets to see Jools Holland and his rhythm and blues orchestra in the evening and so spent the day admiring the displays in Harrods, Liberty's and Selfridges. All beautiful with far too many tempting potential purchases. On Sunday, we educated ourselves at the National History Museum. Next, we headed towards Hyde Park for London's Winter Wonderland Christmas market and spent the afternoon drinking mulled wine, browsing the stalls and chomping on bratwursts. Lots of festive fun!

My second Christmas market trip was a bit further afield. Last weekend I travelled across to Germany to visit a friend who now lives and works over there. After an early morning flight to Munich followed by a two hour drive, I arrived in beautiful Nuremberg. It was great to catch up with my friend. I hadn't seen her since a month or so after the wedding and there was a lot to catch up on over a good Nürnberger bratwurst with sauerkraut and mustard lunch.

I had heard a lot about the scale and spirit of German Christmas markets, and Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt in Hauptmarkt Square didn't disappoint. The market was split into different sections and included a children's market, Kinderweihnact, with a beautiful traditional carousel, Santa, and steam train. The wooden stalls across all areas of the market are filled with all sorts of lovely handmade items and edible treats.   

When the plane landed at 11am the temperature was announced at -7 degrees celsius. With the wind against us in the market, we of course found it necessary to warm ourselves up with lots of yummy glühwein, in these cute little cups! I managed to pick up a bottle to bring back and me and Mr. had it as we put up our Christmas tree!

It’s impossible to come back from snowy Nuremberg's Christmas market and not feel the Christmas tingle! I would definitely recommend a trip to Nuremberg, and to the city's Christmas market. Just be sure to remember your thermals!