Riding House Cafe, Great Titchfield Street

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I’ve been to this breakfast mecca too many times to count but have never got around to writing about it; perhaps because everyone already knows about this restaurant, at least they seem to as it is busy all day every day. Bookings are not imperative but seriously recommended, especially if you want a decent table.

The Riding House Cafe is a modern all-day brasserie near Oxford Circus offering award-winning breakfasts and a delicious supper menu of hearty British classics. There is a private dining room available and free wifi.

I have sampled the majority of the menu, either on my plate or on my companion’s. From the extensive list, I have my firm favourites. The Buttermilk Pancakes are the perfect girly choice with berries, vanilla clotted cream and maple syrup at £7. The Orkney Bacon Sandwich in buttered crusty white bread with avocado is simply irresistible, especially with a good grind of black pepper.

Of the extortionately pricey but incredibly yummy juices and smoothies, I’d recommend the Rickshaw (pineapple, apple, strawberry and lime) £5.50 or the wackier PB & J (peanut butter, banana, strawberry and apple juice) £5.50. I promise myself every time that I will skip the juice, but never manage to resist once inside.

Coffees are good but not exceptional and with my favourite Australian cafe, Kaffeine across the road I usually pop in there after for my coffee fix.

Always reliable and tasty, Riding House Cafe remains the best of the bunch for breakfast in London.

More information here.

www.ridinghousecafe.co.uk

Bubbly Brunch, The Grill on the Market, Smithfields

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I can imagine The Grill on the Market is overwhelmed with visitors during the week, but when it comes to the weekend this amazing British bistro is eerily empty. So it seems logical that for weekends only, diners can opt for the Bubbly Brunch, a great incentive and a brilliant way to celebrate Saturdays!

All you have to do is book ahead, go along with two or more friends and each order a main course either from the Brunch or Lunch main menus. Then, like magic, (for a two hour period) your bottomless glass of Prosecco will appear, always full. With brunch courses starting at just £9 it is ludicrously good value for money!

Full of enthusiasm, our waiter was wonderfully entertaining throughout our lunch at the restaurant. He was efficient, knowledgeable and friendly, so nice that I wanted to give him a hug when we left. Even now, a week later, the stand-out service remains one of the most memorable things about my experience at Grill on the Market.

Near to the famous Smithfields Market, the produce is the very freshest and finest. After delicious garlic rub bread we had to make the difficult decision of what to have for main course. It was inevitable at a grill restaurant that we would both be wooed by the tempting assortment of steaks. Alongside the standard Aberdeen Angus steaks, Grill on the Market offer a speciality ‘Best of British’ shortlist of seasonal treats. We chose the Limousin x Galloway Fillet with Bearnaise sauce and the Red Hereford Ribeye with peppercorn sauce. Both were exquisite specimens of meat: juicy, tender, with lovely marbling and unforgettable flavour. Although I’m not usually a Ribeye fan, I couldn’t fault this cut.

One portion of hand cut chips and petits pois a la Francaise suited us perfectly – plump peas coated in indulgent buttery onion sauce, and fat soft chips to dunk in our steak juices. Along with the endless Prosecco, it was the ideal Saturday brunch.

Unable to resist we finished with two desserts from the list of classics: scrumptious sticky toffee pudding and wonderfully warm chocolate fudge cake to complete the ultimate luxurious lunch.

More information and book here.

Radio Salon, Shoreditch

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I think I’ve found a new favourite salon. In the last few years Shoreditch has grown in popularity enormously, with quirky coffee shops, independent boutiques and hip salons opening up every week. Radio Salon has something special to offer… real personality, in both the venue and the staff.

This spacious salon is located on Redchurch Street in the midst of East London activity. With a quaint cafe opposite and numerous nearby vintage stores, it is easy to spend the whole day wandering around this area. Radio has a slick modern look with clean, elegant design and fresh minimalist decor. The salon is also an art gallery, with regular exhibitions and events and ever-changing walls of work. Radio are also the flagship Bumble and Bumble store in London. Already a massive fan of this American brand of hair products, I spent a while perusing the organised shelves and admiring all the delicious shampoos, conditioners and styling creams.

The attention to detail here is impressive, I particularly loved the helpful handbag hanger clips that are secured onto the table in front of you. Soon I was secured in my protective gown and ready for my colour appointment with Sofie. We talked briefly about my desired effect, brighter and lighter dip dye, and how best to achieve it. Sofie was frank with me and explained that the tips of my hair were quite damaged and dry colour change would be tricky, but she would do the best she could.

Sofie worked her way systematically through my hair adding creamy blonde, and honey coloured highlights alternately, paying special attention to lighten the hairline. There was no time pressure which made the whole experience very relaxed, allowing me to enjoy reading Vogue while sipping my Prosecco! After a toner, the dye was washed out and I was treated to a heavenly head massage.

Upstairs Juri was waiting to cut my hair. He liked the style I had come in with, and as I was adamant about keeping the length we decided on a tiny trim, eliminating the worst split ends and making the whole hairstyle more straight and smart. I didn’t need to worry, he knew exactly what he was doing and worked swiftly. Promising me wavy locks, he twisted my hair with Bumble and Bumble surf spray and blow dried it ‘messy’. My hair seemed to miraculously double in volume.

The best salons are in Shoreditch, and after trying Radio, I think it is definitely a contender for the top spot. They offer every hair treatment, colour, cut or style you could ever want, plus an expertise and genuine passion for hair and art.

More information and book here.

www.radiohairsalon.com