Attend : Woburn Coffee House

Woburn Coffee House, 21 Market Place, Woburn.

 Bank holiday weekend calls for a day out in the countryside : we visited historic Woburn, a perfect Georgian village. We were visiting to take afternoon tea at Woburn Coffee House.

 Situated in a 400 year old house on Market Place, Karen and her team have created a beautifully fresh boutique coffee house: a modern traditional interior, combining mix match crockery, and a beautiful walled garden to sip Pimms in the summer months.

 We were presented with an amazing 5 tier platter of finger sandwiches, scones, slices of cake, brandy snaps, Mille-Feuille and beautifully crafted cream profiteroles in the shape of swans.
 Whatever you can't manage can be taken home in a goody box...

Woburn Coffee Shop features a tranquil walled garden, opened up in Summer months for afternoon tea and Pimms.

 Woburn itself is a quintessentially British village - dating back to Saxon times. It's even been listed in The Sunday Times as one of the 'best places to live in Britain'
 The village has lots of cool antique shops, restaurants, gift shops, a farmers market and great scenery - all this, and only an hour from central London...

Woburn Coffee House
21 Market Place,
Woburn,
Bedfordshire.

Reservations : 01525 290050
Web : Woburn Coffee House 
Web : Woburn Village 

Attend : 'Fish & Chips', Prague

Fish and Chips, 21 Dlouha Street, Prague

 After a long weekend break in Prague, I stumbled upon a restaurant that was a pure case of right time, right place - there was nothing I fancied more on that Sunday afternoon than a good old English Fish & Chips.

 Quintessentially British in design, a rarity in the gothic architecture of Prague, this simple, stylish and modern Fish & Chip shop was both a 'take away' and a sit down restaurant.
 The simple design was paired with a simple menu, made modern with the additional serving of mini bottles of Veuve Clicquot.  

 The cod was perfect in beer batter, the chips were just the right 'chippy' chips - Gourmet Fish & Chips! The interiors had quirky takes on all things traditionally fish and chips - newspaper wallpaper, red phone boxes, soho writing and quirky 'Save Water - Drink Champagne' slogans.

 The dining area was reminiscent of London tube tiles with 60's pop art and an opulent glass chandelier centre piece. The swinging glass doors opened directly onto the street, ready for some people watching...

 Fish and Chips,
 21 Dlouha Stret, Prague
 Facebook page : Fish and Chips

Instagram : The last month

Photo Update

April - A busy month again, well I did run The London Marathon this month!
I did manage to get some other stuff in other than running and training. This is what I've been up to:

L-R: Driving over Tower Bridge, the next time I would cross this would be during the Marathon; Sweetie Darling, It's Patsy and Eddie's house, my training helped me rediscover my local neighbourhood; Registration Time, the big day finally came!

 L-R: Stylish times, spring finally came and I still found time to dress up; Cut Throat Shave, you need to look good to run, treating myself to some pampering time; Bob Bob Ricard, you also need to eat lots to run - BBR was amazing.

 L-R: Buddha Bar Prague, time to relax post Marathon; Neon Chandelier in the Buddha Bar restaurant - my first night out drinking in 4 months; Reservé, Our party table!

 Follow me on Instagram : @opulentscrawls
 http://instagram.com/opulentscrawls

Attend : Corinthia Hotel

Champagne Afternoon Tea : The Corinthia Hotel, London

 It's been a while since I've been for afternoon tea, and tea at The Corinthia hotel has been top of the must visit list for some time. So on a bitterly cold March afternoon, it seemed the ideal time to indulge in some treat therapy.

 The Corinthia hotel opened to much fanfare in 2011. The building originally opened as The Metropole hotel in 1885, and the facade retains much of its original grand hotel charm.
 Afternoon tea is served in the opulent central lobby, a light and airy space with huge hanging glass chandelier.

 The Corinthia hotel afternoon tea offers a great selection of teas, many from Tea Palace - I had 'Afternoon at The Palace' - a tea with a refreshing, light aromatic taste and the perfect accompaniment to sweet afternoon treats.

 
 The selection of cakes are served on a tall 3 tier freestanding platter. My particular favorite was the chocolate sponge roll filled with dark chocolate ganache topped with a sugar rose petal. The oversized salted caramel macaron was amazing, dipped in chocolate and finished with flaked almonds.

 Afternoon tea was delicious, it's in a very grand and smart setting, yet with an overall feel of relaxation within a very calming environment. I'd love to go back in the summer and take afternoon tea in the outdoor central atrium court.

 The Corinthia Hotel
 10 Whitehall Place,
 London
 SW1A 2BD

Attend : Milestone Hotel

Champagne Afternoon Tea : The Milestone Hotel, Kensington

 I can't think of a better way to spend a post Christmas afternoon than taking a relaxing festive afternoon tea.
 Whilst everyone else was out battling to the sales to do yet more shopping, I took in the quintessentially English interiors of 'The Park Lounge' at The Milestone Hotel on Kensington Court.

 The Grade II listed building dates back to circa 1880, and the hotel today is named after the original cast iron milestone that still stands in it's original position beside the establishment.

 
The festive champagne afternoon tea menu kept all the important tradition of finger sandwiches but served with a festive twist;

 Mini squares of Christmas cake, and miniature mince pies were served alongside freshly baked scones, only bought to your table at request to ensure they were freshly baked, served with clotted cream and homemade jam.
   Finger sandwiches included a new take on a classic; round cut chicken sandwich rolled in chopped almonds.

 I loved the wooden paneled interiors of this hotel, the beautiful vintage caricatures adorning the walls. The restaurant, Chenestons, looked amazing and I'd love to go back and dine in the adjoining oratory area.

 The Milestone is like finding a hidden gem of tradition amongst all the ultra slick modern hotels in London. Located opposite Kensington Palace it feels stepped in history and definitely opulently English.

 The Milestone Hotel : Website
 1 Kensington Court
 London
 W8 5DL

Must try : Champagne

Champagne : Gold illustrated bottles

 Gold illustrated bottles appear to be a continuing trend in limited edition Champagne. Both Perrier Jouët and Piper Heidsieck currently have beautifully illustrated champagne bottles for their rare vintages.

 Piper Heidsieck's 'Rare' is very limited and made in tiny quantities compared to some of the big house vintages. The 2002 vintage is only the eighth vintage to be released in the past 30 years.
 Housed in a beautiful baroque inspired, gold grape vine tiara adorned bottle (created by Parisian jeweller Arthus Bertrand) this is a Champagne that certainly lives up to it's name.

 Perrier Jouët's 'Belle Époque Florale Edition' is the first ever limited edition bottle of Perrier Jouët's Belle Époque Cuvee. Emille Gallé's infamous 1902 original bottle is reinterpreted for the first time by Japanese floral artist Makota Azuma featuring stunning gold coloured florals.

 Piper Heidsieck Rare : Sold at Whiskey Exchange
 Perrier Jouët Belle Époque Florale Edition : Perrier Jouët Website

Dom Pérignon : David Lynch Limited Edition

Dom Pérignon by David Lynch : Limited Edition Creator

 Dom Pérignon continues to collaborate with 'creators' to ensure the house's legacy of experimentation continues.
 The latest creator to work with Dom Pérignon is American filmmaker, television director and visual artist, David Lynch. Famed for his dreamlike imagery, mystifying and surrealist elements, the co-lab David Lynch for Dom Pérignon bottle design doesn't disappoint.

Dom Pérignon : Website
Available at Roberson Wine

Attend : Maison Louis Vuitton Launch

Louis Vuitton : Men's made to order shoe service launch

On Thursday night, I attended the launch party of Louis Vuitton's made to order shoe service.

Exclusively available at the London flagship store, 'Maison Louis Vuitton' on New Bond Street, this bespoke shoe service offers up an incredible 3,000 variations of personalized shoes - ensuring every detail from shape, to leather, to finishing can be chosen by the customer.

 The newly unveiled bespoke shoe room also allowed customers to complete their look, with a belt made to order in the exact same finish as the chosen shoe.

 The Maison laid on an incredible night, with displays from Louis Vuitton's own artisans. A highlight was meeting one of only two craftsmen who individually hand stitch Louis Vuitton's soles using the traditional Goodyear, Norwegian and Blake methods.

 Another artisan showed how individual coats of colour are applied layer upon layer to the leather, creating that rich, deep colour and sheen.

 Of course, being Louis Vuitton, the Dom Perignon champagne was free flowing. The accessories area was turned into a fully stocked bar mixing classic cocktails.
 Martinis were served by a suave bartender from Baroque at The Playboy Club, perfectly shaken and finished with a twist of lemon.

 I also managed to get my hands on the new Electric Ankle boot in calf, a black shiny, buckle and lace up boot that I've been lusting after for a while now - I'm really looking forward to wearing these...

 Other highlights included shoe shiners from Burlington Arcade who were on hand to polish up guests shoes, expert packers were available to demonstrate how to pack the perfect trunk. A true night of pampering for all guests, including the dogs. (I didn't manage to get a photograph of the pearl necklace wearing Pug!)

Maison Louis Vuitton
17-20 New Bond Street
London
W1S 2RB

Must try : Champagne

Newly discovered Champagne

 Discovering some new Champagnes; 'Beau Joie' - a copper armor clad bottle of a Champagne, and the new trend of White label Champagnes - 'Moet & Chandon Ice Imperial' and 'Lanson White label'.

'Beau Joie' is a relatively newly launched Champagne, and yes it's mainly about the show off bottle; a copper wrap that is claimed to keep the Champagne cool out of an ice bucket, but really I think it just looks incredible.

 On the actual Champagne side, it is a 'grower' Champagne, and a 'zero dosage', both of which are emerging trends in the Champagne market (as I discovered at 'Battleground Champagne')

The other emerging trend is the new 'White Label' -
 Moet & Chandon were first of the mark with 'Moet & Chandon Ice Imperial' designed to be drunk over ice from a balloon glass. Exclusively available poolside, so I've yet to find this in a shop
 'Lanson White Label' is described as fresh, zesty and refreshing - a more informal style of Champagne, again recommended to be served in a wine glass rather than a flute, it's more suitable for day drinking (I like!) and ideal for the addition of fruit, to further enhance the flavors.

 Hopefully I'll write more when I've tried them!

Links:
Beau Joie Champagne
Moet & Chandon
House of Lanson

Chase : Elderflower Liqueur / Rhubarb Liqueur

Chase : The finest Liqueurs

 A while back I discovered Chase Vodka (see previous post here) 

 Since then, I've been on the look out for other unique spirits in Chase's range. I've now added two of their finest liqueurs to my collection:

 Chase & Elderflower - The finest Elderflower Liqueur

 Chase & Rhubarb - The finest Rhubarb Liqueur

 Both are made using Chase Vodka - the finest potato vodka in the world, with the addition of the true rich flavours that come from Chase's beautifully ripened and carefully selected fresh fruit. There are no artificial flavours nor heat methods. They are the perfect compliment to champagne or cocktails.

 I came across these new additions to my liqueur cabinet whilst over discovering Borough Market and the surrounding area. Laithwaite's Wine is a cavernous wine cellar stocked full of interesting wines, champagnes and spirits. 

The spirit section at the back quickly drew my attention, mainly due to the vast amounts of interesting spirits piled high on tall wooden shelves...

 I'll be back at Laithewaite's Wine soon to stock up on some more interesting spirits, and make some inspiring cocktails too.

 Laithewaite's Wine : Stockists

 Chase Distillery : Home of 'The World's Best Vodka'

Construct : Cocktail Sunday

Cocktail Sunday : Classic Champagne Cocktail

 A simple, yet elegant and impressive cocktail - that depends purely on it's ingredients. Champagne, A sugar cube and Bitters.

 An elegant Champagne I discovered whilst in France : Canard Duchêne - Grand Cuvée Le Victorieux - Charles VII. An impressive bottle; a complex, refined and elegant Champagne.

 
 Bitters: A great travel kit to ensure perfect cocktails on your travels, containing 5 different bitters. I used 'Jerry Thomas Bitters' - these bitters reveal citrus and dried fruit aromas which unite with the spicy flavors of cloves, angostura bark and cinnamon.

 Classic champagne cocktail recipe in 'Make - Guides & Recipes'

 Champagne
 Website : Canard Duchêne 
 Bitters
 Website : The Bitter Truth
 Stockists
 Website : Selfridges
 

Japanese Garden : Afternoon Tea at Blakes, South Kensington

Afternoon Tea : Blakes Hotel, South Kensington

  Blakes hotel has a much quoted USP: that it is 'The World's First Luxury Boutique Hotel',

 Created in 1978 by the renowned designer Anouska Hempel and occupying a group of Victorian house, Blakes is hidden behind an imposing, painted black facade, on the corner of Roland Gardens in London's South Kensington.

 The lobby throws light on the design principles of the hotel : a seductive journey through distant lands, with inspiration taken from India, China, Indonesia, Egypt and London.

 Afternoon tea is served in the Chinese Room or in the calm, outdoor Japanese Garden.

 Finger sandwiches, homemade scones with strawberries & cream and indulgent cakes are served alongside a selection of teas and a glass of champagne.

 A very modern and stylish cocktail list is shown in the Chinese Room's bar. A dark, opulent base for a modern take on a classic cocktail: 'Chinese Mojito', 'Shiso Cosmopolitan' and 'Gimlet Royale' to name a few...

 (Sadly, as the cocktail list was newly prepared, the cocktails weren't up to scratch to photograph. However, this has given me a new task of recreating these cocktails on this blog - coming soon)

 Blakes Hotel
 33 Roland Gardens, London, SW7 3PF
 Web: Blakes Hotel

Veuve Clicquot Sardine

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Champagne has been renamed and rebranded in this special edition gift set:
'Veuve Clicquot Ponsardine'

 Packaged in witty Veuve Clicquot Sardine tins, complete with ring pull opening.

 The name is a clever play on the Champagne house's history: The champagne gained popularity when Barbe Nicole Ponsardin, the widow of Francois Clicquot, took over the champagne house. Ponsardin's father liked the association with his family name and the fish so much, that he included a sardine jumping over a bridge in his coat of arms...

 This display of bottles and tins are in another giant Sardine tin.
 Seen in Harvey Nichols 5th Floor wine shop.

 Harvey Nichols 5th Floor Wine Shop - Stockists

Vinophile : Montreuil sur Mer

Vinophile - Wines, Champagnes & Liqueurs

 I visited Montreuil sur Mer (pas de Calais, in the north of France) and discovered this charming wine cellar. It's a boutique wine shop, in a modern vintage style. This shopfront speaks a thousand words...

 Montreuil sur Mer is a historic town; the buildings are all very minimal in style with beautifully painted shutters and contrasting paintwork details. (I took loads of photos and will post some examples of the window shutters shortly)

 
 Seeing this sign to the shop on the classic French Grey building was very in keeping with the town style. Then, when turning round the corner, you're greeted by the bright neon pink signature 'Vinophile' and an inviting entrance.

 Inside featured shelves, nooks, dug outs all filled with specialist champagnes. Limited editions; (Andy Warhol X Dom Perignon) Magnums; Ruinart for Euro 71 (about £57, compared to £80 in UK) and gift sets featuring branded glasses and Champagne stoppers.

 The back of the shop featured a cellar like area stocking a massive range of wines

 This wine cellar also had an extensive range of bar ware and unusual liqueurs. I purchased some 'Creme De Mure des Roncieres' and 'Creme De Frambois de Bourgogne' to add to some champagnes - I'll add some shots when I try them out.

Vinophile
2, Rue du Grand Sermon
62170, Montreuil sur Mer
http://www.vinophilie.com/