The Londoness


Born in Paris.

Made in London.

Teller of London Tales.

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Food and Drink

London Restaurant reviews: Get the London lowdown on some of my favourite restaurants, bars and cafes. Afternoon Tea in London may also make its sweet, savoury and bubbly appearance.

Strawberry Hill House Cafe, museum cafe London

Cake at the Museum: Strawberry Hill House Café in Twickenham

Last updated on November 9th, 2021One of my favourite places to have some cake and tea is in the Great Cloister overlooking the gardens of Horace Walpole’s Gothic fantasy at Strawberry Hill House. It’s a charming museum café from which you can stare across the Walpolian gardens where Georgian London’s great and godly once partied….

Brilliant restaurant

Restaurant Review: Brilliant in Southall

Last updated on May 2nd, 2023What’s in a name? I’m in Southall to review Brilliant restaurant, and my greedy fingers are crossed that it’s as brilliant as it says it is. Apparently, it’s King Charles’s favourite Indian restaurant and it seems Boris is also a fan. And with “Curry Queen” Dipna Anand at the culinary…

Sticky Mango review

Sticky Mango – Restaurant Review

Last updated on October 22nd, 2020I have a real loathing of places which refer to themselves as London’s “best-kept secret,” but Sticky Mango actually deserves the accolade. It’s not wedged into Southbank’s busy arteries which overflow with humdrum chain restaurants. Instead, this Waterloo outpost is quietly but conveniently located on Coin Street, close to the…

POMONA’S Notting Hill | Review

If you’ve ever wondered what a rainbow might look like inside a restaurant, head over to Pomona’s. This Notting Hill restaurant is dishing out the happy pills with its vibrant colour pops of turquoise, coral, red and zesty lemon set amongst leafy greens. And it’s not just the sunny decor that lifts the spirits. The…

best bookshop cafes in London, London's best bookshop cafes, independent bookshops London

Best Bookshop Cafes in London

Last updated on March 12th, 2021Is there anything better than a good book and a slice of cake? I think not. London has some enchanting bookshops where you can practically curl up with your favourite tome and tuck into a delicious slice and a cuppa. Here are 12 of the best bookshop cafes in London….

Restaurants in London, Historical restaurants in London, Guide to London restaurants, top London restaurants, best restaurants in London, where to eat in London, eat like a Londoner, special places to eat London

My favourite London restaurants

Last updated on February 18th, 2021Want to eat like a Londoner? Here are some of my favourite restaurants in London, the ones where you might see me hanging out. There’s everything from Michelin star restaurants to London historical haunts, tasty fish and chips joints and even an Indian cafe where you can eat famous bhajias….

Victorian Tea V & A, V & A Tea review, Museum Tea London, prettiest tea rooms in London, William Morris London, historical tea London

Victorian Afternoon Tea at the V & A Museum

Last updated on June 1st, 2018The Victorian Afternoon Tea at the Victoria and Albert Museum had me at seed cake. These two words always bring my childhood back in a whoosh of nostalgia wrapped in a cocoon of Englishness. If seed cake was good enough for Bilbo Baggins and his Unexpected Party, then it’s good…

Harry’s Dolce Vita, Harry’s Bar, Knightsbridge

Lunch at Harry’s Dolce Vita in Knightsbridge

Last updated on August 16th, 2020Harry’s Bar. Don’t you just love those two words? It instantly brings to my mind the bitter taste of a pomegranate-coloured Negroni, Harry’s style, in Venice. There really is nowhere else in the world where I would rather sip my favourite drink. So, imagine my excitement when I heard Harry’s…

Afternoon tea Houses of Parliament

Afternoon Tea at the Houses of Parliament

Last updated on February 3rd, 2020The Palace of Westminster, or Houses of Parliament as it’s commonly referred to, is one of London’s ultimate tourist hot spots, even if Big Ben is hibernating for the next three years whilst he gets a makeover. When I first arrived in London in the late 1980s, I would count…

Afternoon Tea Buttery Café Burgh House Hampstead

Afternoon Tea at Burgh House

Last updated on May 15th, 2022Burgh House in Hampstead may not be on everyone’s radar, but it should be. It’s one of London’s darling house museums, and it’s a de-lovely place to have Afternoon Tea. The Autumn ‘what’s on diary’ is bursting with music recitals, wine and cheese tastings, Halloween and Christmas events and much…

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