There is a great feeling when you have walked for hours, stumbled upon a kiosk, the type your local health clinic would probably advise you to avoid, but Imodium in hand you try the delights of this humble street vendor. Only hours before you brushed your teeth with $2 mineral water and now whatever is behind the kiosk is meant to stay there and thoughts about whether the oil has been fried more than five times does not cross your mind. Yes, when travelling we all want to try street food. At less than a few dollars a head, there is little room for disappointment. There is something to be said about the joy of eating street food; having little care for food etiquette, meeting and observing fellow travellers or locals, and shamelessly wiping your greasy hands on your jeans. More often than not it will be the one meal that pleases all your senses.

Street Food has been the trend of 2011 in London, and I have enjoyed eating at numerous farmers’ markets and food festivals during the year. Every few weeks I hear about a new street food restaurant opening. I recently tried Beirut street food at Yalla Yalla’s second restaurant off Oxford Street.

Aesthetically it does a good job: the yellow, black and off-white colours create an unusual but cosy environment.  The space is large and is composed of a brightly lit room with shared wooden tables, colorful paintings and rustic chandeliers. The concept is rather appealing: Beirut street food. However it is pretty much the same hummus, falafel, tabbouleh and halloumi that you would find in most Lebanese restaurants.

Strip away the catchy name, the convenient location and excellent décor, and you are left with poor service, small portions, average food and an unexpected diner bill of about £30 a head. My Beiruti cocktail (a mixture of gin, fresh strawberry, lime juice, sugar cane and pomegranate juice topped up with Prosecco) was probably the highlight.

Yalla Yalla attracts many people and will probably continue to do so, due to its informal setting and a trendy notion of street food. The food itself is a small part of the overall dining experience. As long as you know that before going it can make for a dining option. I doubt I will be going back there soon; as for me street food should be eaten on the street. It is very hard to recreate the same feeling and sensation one experiences on the street within the walls of a central London location.

 Yalla Yalla, 12 Winsley Street, London, W1W 8HQ, +442076374748

There is a great feeling when you have walked for hours, stumbled upon a kiosk, the type your local health clinic would probably advise you to avoid, but Imodium in hand you try the delights of this humble street vendor. Only hours before you brushed your teeth with $2 mineral water and now whatever is behind the kiosk is meant to stay there and thoughts about whether the oil has been fried more than five times does not cross your mind. Yes, when travelling we all want to try street food. At less than a few dollars a head, there is little room for disappointment. There is something to be said about the joy of eating street food; having little care for food etiquette, meeting and observing fellow travellers or locals, and shamelessly wiping your greasy hands on your jeans. More often than not it will be the one meal that pleases all your senses.

Street Food has been the trend of 2011 in London, and I have enjoyed eating at numerous farmers’ markets and food festivals during the year. Every few weeks I hear about a new street food restaurant opening. I recently tried Beirut street food at Yalla Yalla’s second restaurant off Oxford Street.

Aesthetically it does a good job: the yellow, black and off-white colours create an unusual but cosy environment.  The space is large and is composed of a brightly lit room with shared wooden tables, colorful paintings and rustic chandeliers. The concept is rather appealing: Beirut street food. However it is pretty much the same hummus, falafel, tabbouleh and halloumi that you would find in most Lebanese restaurants.

Strip away the catchy name, the convenient location and excellent décor, and you are left with poor service, small portions, average food and an unexpected diner bill of about £30 a head. My Beiruti cocktail (a mixture of gin, fresh strawberry, lime juice, sugar cane and pomegranate juice topped up with Prosecco) was probably the highlight.

Yalla Yalla attracts many people and will probably continue to do so, due to its informal setting and a trendy notion of street food. The food itself is a small part of the overall dining experience. As long as you know that before going it can make for a dining option. I doubt I will be going back there soon; as for me street food should be eaten on the street. It is very hard to recreate the same feeling and sensation one experiences on the street within the walls of a central London location.

 Yalla Yalla, 12 Winsley Street, London, W1W 8HQ, +442076374748

English writer Aldous Huxley once said “there are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception”. Sandwiched between China Town’s busy restaurants on Gerrard Street is one of these doors. A black door, with its paint stripped off, attempting to look like one of those doors that travel photographers love capturing.

On most occasions I do not knock on random doors or put my hand through Soho’s letter boxes. Though the cocktail world is small and the secret bar scene is even smaller. So when a friend from New York mentioned that this rather curious door leads to some of the best cocktails in London, I happily knocked, waited, put my hand through the letter box of this door and walked up a rather dark narrow stair case.

The Experimental Cocktail Club is split across three floors within an eclectic backdrop of brickwork, blue kitsch sofas, a log fire and ornate wallpaper. Whilst there is little natural light and the owners have gone for dark colours the choice of mirrored tables and ceilings opens the bar up and makes for quite an intimate setting. It actually works well together. Looking around, the bar attracts all sorts, but most importantly those who want an unusual and delicious cocktail and are willing to spend £10 for it.

The beauty of the menu is its length; a choice of 14 cocktails. Each one is different, experimental and intriguing. The French owners have done you a favour by narrowing the choice down, but choosing from 14 great cocktails is hard. I went for the “Kota Ternate”; a mix of plantation Trinitad rum, Niko’s spiced tea, a mix of spices, coconut and Ceylan tea, Batavia arrack, fresh pineapple, lime juice and milk. Smooth and subtle. The exotic blend of ingredients makes you feel like it is Summer even when it is gloomy outside.

Next time I will try the “Saint Germain Des Pres”; Hendrick’s Gin, St Germain liquer, elderflower cordial, Thai chilli tincture, egg white, fresh lime and cucumber juice. The bar is going to introduce a rotating menu where every two weeks one of the cocktails will be a new experimental addition.

The bar operates on a 50% reservation and 50% walks in system. If you are planning on making a trip here, especially if you want to escape the crowds of this weekend’s Carnival I would book in advance.

13A Gerrard Street, W1D 5PS, London, +447825215877

I was reading an article in the FT weekend about how the Michelin Guide is now “dismissed by some as a relic of a bygone age.” Francois Simon of Le Figaro could not have put it better. “Today people consider the table a place where they want to feel at ease, to be self indulgent, to have sexy people, to have good food, life and interesting things. But not these very serious dishes and all those boring things. Each time I see a Michelin star in a small town I say, well, that’s a boring place, and it always is.”

A friend and I were driving through old Amersham, and wondering where to stage our much over due chat. We, like Francois Simon described, wanted a place where we were at ease, indulge in a good breakfast and spend the morning philosophizing over our lives. Seasons deli seems to be the social hub of old Amersham, so trading in sexy for local, you will definitely hear your local gossip over breakfast, lunch, evening tapas or from just buying a fresh focaccia or bread.

Breakfast at Seasons deli is great. Informal, busy and huddled around small tables at the back of the deli. From a choice of muesli, pastries, omelets, panini and salads I chose the huevos rancheros: poached eggs with guacamole, salsa, cornbread toast and sweet chili sauce.

Located on Market Square, a quaint street home to some unique boutiques, it’s worth taking a stroll in old Amersham and having breakfast or lunch at Season’s deli.

Seasons Deli, 6 Market Square, Old Amersham, Bucks, HP7 ODQ, +441494728070

When to go

Imagine this; being serenaded by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s understudy: Faiz Ali Faiz, an hour later dancing to Aurelio’s impressive guitar work backed by traditional Garifuna hand drums, a delicious wood fire oven pizza later being mesmerized by Rodrigo y Gabriela and then to finish it off listening to the outstanding Senegalese artist Baaba Maal underneath the stars. For the 29th year running the Cotswold is home to WOMAD, an eclectic combination of established and upcoming world artists from Pakistan to Cuba. For 3 days at the end of July, every year thousands gather at Charlton Park and move from one breath-taking concert to another. The great thing about WOMAD is the atmosphere. From children to pensioners, hippies to working professionals, people lying on the grass listening to the music or swinging their hips like a pendulum out of control. It is a place for all. Fascinating music and hours of dancing requires good food. Being a vegetarian I could not praise WOMAD enough. Every vegetarian option the world has to offer was at WOMAD, often made from organic ingredients.

Where to stay

If camping at Charlton Park amongst thousands of festivalgoers is not your thing, then the neighbouring towns of Malmesbury and Tetbury have some lovely cottages and bed and breakfasts.

(Photo courtesy of Unique Home Stays)

We decided not to go for the full festival experience and took to the comfort of Barbara and Jonathon’s 19th century home, Manor Gardens, in Malmesbury. The collection of art, statues and wall hangings in the manor is a reflection of the couple’s strong background in Kenya. Whilst the manor itself was stunning, what made it an absolute pleasure to stay here was the hospitality of our host Barbara.

(Photos courtesy of Unique Home Stays)

In the cute breakfast room we were served fresh fruits, fresh apple juice from the garden, homemade plum compote, muesli a la Barbara and scrambled eggs on toast.

For £50 a night for the Chapel room, with access to the moat, beautiful gardens and swimming pool, Manor Gardens is a great place to stay.

Unique Home Stays, +441637 882012

Where to eat

In the nearby towns of Malmesbury and Tetbury you are spoilt for choice when it comes to gastro pubs. Most menus are dominated by meat and fish. After a bit of searching we went to The Potting Shed.

(Photo courtesy of The Potting Shed)

Whilst the fresh food establishment features only three vegetarian options we were keen to try The Potting Shed as owners Jonathon Barry and Julian Muggridge are supporters of the Slow Food Movement. With their own vegetable patch, we are talking about a “plot to plate” distance of 30 metres. A place that has converted some of the spare land into community vegetable patches for local residents is unique and contrary to all pub clichés.

(Photo Courtesy of The Potting Shed)

Family get togethers replacing loud lads watching football, pastel colour walls and wooden floors replacing dark walls and cigarette stained carpets, retro flowerpots and fine art photography replacing posters of the local football team. I had a chilled gazpacho with watermelon and a twice-baked goats cheese soufflé on a pine nut, apple, sage and pea shoot salad. The food was fresh and appetizing; though for me to go back again I would need a few more vegetarian options.

The Potting Shed Pub, The Street, Crudwell, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9EW, +441666 577 833

(Photos courtesy of Tibits)

As a vegetarian it is very annoying when vegetarian restaurants cater for the vegetarian duck or vegetarian sausage consumers. Or worst when you see a repeat menu of the same 10 vegetarian dishes being circulated from one restaurant to another. We have good tastes and high standards, and believe it or not we are not all hippies who stroll through London with a backpack. There are few restaurants in London which try to give vegetarians an up market option. Vanilla Black is one such restaurant; but is it worth an average of £50 ahead?

We vegetarians do not want to be isolated. We want to be embraced.  Tibits on Heddon Street does just that. I was attracted to this chic boutique restaurant by its beautiful design, the laid back alfresco dining and the eclectic mix of people. On entering I had no idea it was a vegetarian restaurant.

Founders Reto Frei, and his brothers Christian and Daniel Frei do not market Tibits as a vegetarian restaurant. All three who have been vegetarians from a young age wanted to promote the “flexetarian” concept; of people who do not feel defined by their dining choices, but will choose vegetarian as another interesting alternative. Take a look around and you will find your alpha male, a couple on a date, a family, a group of trendy university students, business men and your health conscious women.

Choose from a variety of 40 dishes on the food boat. Cold salads range from taboule, fruity quinoa salad, apple ginger and fig tofu and a dried bean and walnut salad. Hot dishes cover all flavours from Middle Eastern to Greek. It is a vegetarian’s ideal pick and mix, with the majority of ingredients being organic, without additives or colourings. Tibits works on the Brazilian concept of per kilo; you pay for what you eat and not for the coriander garnishing! Once you have chosen from the delicious selection your plate is weighed at the counter and you are charged per gram. (Dinner – £2.20 per 100g, lunch – £2.00per 100g and breakfast £1.70 per gram.)

Whilst you get your food quickly there is no rush to finish it. Edmund the London manager tells me, whilst we may think the guy drinking cappuccino for five hours ought to get back to work, we would never ask him to leave. You have all the time in the world to enjoy your food, watch people pass by, or finish off that piece of work. It is rare for service to be incorporated into the fast food model, but the staff at Tibits are simply great, warm and friendly.

Deserts at Tibits are equally good. There is something for everyone from cheesecake to rice pudding, muesli with tangy cranberries to fresh fruits, and even a delicious mango mousse. Remember your plate is weighed so try not to load with only your eyes!

Only moments away from busy Regent Street, the fact that Tibits has a children’s play area with a man size black board and numerous games is an extra bonus. The Swiss trio have thought of it all, making it a destination for all, from families to alpha males, vegetarian or not!

Tibits is one of the few vegetarian restaurants I will be returning to. With a menu that changes every day there is something to look forward to each time.

Tibits, Heddon Street, London, W1B 4DA, +442077584110

(Photos courtesy of Store St Espresso)

Good things can come out of missed opportunities. Having turned up to a breakfast event one day late, I had to make the most of my early morning presence in a part of London I hardly ever go to. Just a few metres from the Senate House near Goodge Street, I discovered Store St Espresso.

From the moment I entered I was sold. Manu Chao playing in the background, a clean white minimalist deco that was warm and inviting, concrete floor complemented by metal lamps and wooden tables. There was a sense of calm and peace on entering. No one shouting tall skinny latte or grande americano, no one pushing and rushing and no FTs and blackberrys making up the makeup of this little gem.

Things are slow at Store St Espresso and that is why you go there. You patiently wait for your fresh macchiato or roasted vegetable pastry garnised with feta and perhaps read your book whilst things are made freshly for you.I was surprised by the number of people who actually took the time to sit down, enjoy their coffee and read. That is the way breakfast should be had. I went at 8am when it was quiet. I assume this place gets quite busy during the lunch hour.

I have yet to try the coffee. I am sure that even if the friendly staff at Store St Espresso can’t do a marocchino, a regular cappuccino will be good.

So would I go again? Absolutely. Would I take a detour to work just to have the lemon polenta cake and enjoy a good quality tea in the calmness of this cafe? Yes!

Store St Espresso, 40 Store Street, London WC1E 7DB, 020 7637 2623

Want a bit more than chai and baklava? Backhaus in Nisantasi is a trendy coffee shop with a huge spread of pastries, deserts and even main meals. You can also find a few international dishes which are of a good standard. If you like German bread they have that too!

I suggest you sit outside on their terrace (wearing big sunglasses if you want to fit in with the crowd here) and watch the world go by. The only problem I found was understanding the extensive Turkish menu. No tourists in sight and no English menu – a good indication that Backhaus is where the local people of Nisantasi go for a coffee, breakfast or lunch.

Backhaus, Valikonagi Cad. akkavak Sk. No:12, Nisantasi, Istanbul – Turkey

London is simply wonderful right now. Spring has finally come, the sun is out and people are actually quite friendly! Looking across my window from work, onto the London eye and the Jubilee gardens I am reminded why I am back in London!

Southbank was buzzing yesterday, full of people tasting the delights on offer at the Southbank chocolate festival. OK, so it was not quite like the Turin chocolate festival. But to my surprise London too has some great artisans. Take Damian Allsop, who has reinvented the art of chocolate making.  As the Brits start stripping down to skimpy clothes and waiting to get into their bikinis, the guilt factor of consuming  sugar, butter and cream in one mouth full starts to kick in.

Not with Damian Allsop’s great handmade chocolates! Damian has removed the butter and cream often used in chocolates, and has used water to unlock the true flavour of chocolate. The result: a very light, pure and refreshing taste with hints of basil, thyme, mint, early grey, jasmine tea or pear aniseed. £13 for a box of 12 chocolates that is normally served at Michelin star restaurants is totally worth it. Can’t make it to Sout bank this weekend? Don’t worry you can find these gems at Fortnum and Mason, Libertys or Selfridges.

Tucked away between the usual suspects of bakers, Easter egg overloads, hot chocolate stands and enormous cookies, I found “Artisan du Chocolat.” There cannot be anything more satisfying than finishing work and then cracking a truffle of chocolate that oozes out a sensational puree of passion fruit. After “testing” about 5 truffles of the No 14 limited edition sea salted caramels I was prepared to splash out on these luxury truffles packed in a beautiful box.

I felt like I was buying Chanel, choosing from their collection of No 1 and No 14! These delights were created for Gordon Ramsay’s Claridges. If you’re not planning a trip their soon, check out their online shop or one of their stores in London.

The chocolate food festival is on until this Sunday (10^th April), with a number of chocolate theatre workshops. Not sure I would recommend a special trip here. However if you are in the area and are a chocolate lover – then it is a must!

Quilon in Westminister is a true gem of a restaurant. Chef Sriram Vishwanathan Aylur’s South west coastal Indian menu is progressive yet deeply connected to his roots. It is quite rare to find black cod and tempered asparagus on the same menu as masala dosa and avial.

I went to Kerala for the first time last December, and I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth and the hospitality of the local people, that is significantly distinct from the more northern regions I have travelled to. From the minute we entered Quilon we felt a very similar warmth and hospitality. And I am not just talking about the attentive waiter. The waiters at Quilon really have a personal desire to make sure your every need is met, you choose the best food for you, and you simply enjoy your meal and experience at Quilon. Seconds after my dinner partner had bit into a chilli and the eyes were signalling for some sort of palette soother, a waiter had brought us a home made yoghurt with fresh pomegranate and pineapple.

For starters I would definitely try the mini masala dosa, which is a thin rice and lentil pancake filled with tempered potatoes and served with sambar. This is quite well complimented with the crispy fried cauliflower tossed with yoghurt, green chilli and curry leaves. A perfect combination of traditional South Indian dishes.

To cleanse the palette we were served a hot spicy Rasam in an aperitif glass. Rasam is a traditional South Indian soup, prepared with tamarind juice, tomato, lentils and spices. Unlike traditional palette cleansers this was more heart warming than refreshing. Nevertheless I love Rasam so I could have happily had 2 more glasses!

If you are as indecisive as me or simply want to try everything, I suggest ordering a combination of four curries that would make a Thali. I went for the crispy okra, coconut with asparagus and mange tout, avial (battons of snake gourd, long beans and carrots cooked with ground coconut, green chillies, cumin and yoghurt) and lastly mango curry.  The asparagus and mangetout was more like a salad than a curry, but it complemented the flavours of the stronger curries quite well.

The lemon rice (basmati rice tossed in lime juice, curry leaves, split bengal gram and pure ghee) accompanies all four curries well. I also tried the delicious appam, a soft centred lace edged pancake, which is made facing the guests. If you want to try something quite different try the egg white paratha, which is whole wheat layered bread topped with beaten egg and cooked on a skillet.

The problem with wanting to try everything is that it leaves little room for desert. The deserts themselves sounded so tempting, ranging from lentil cappuccino to hot rice kheer. If you want to keep things light on the stomach I would suggest the baked yogurt which comes in a set of three: lychee, mango and orange. The baked yogurt is delicious. All three flavours are fresh and natural, and once wrapped around a creamy homemade baked yogurt…it is just heaven!

I could not recommend Quilon enough. There is a reason why Quilon has been awared amongst many awards a Michelin Star. For approximately £35  – £40 a head,  Quilon offers everything a perfect meal should, great food and above average service. Do not have high expectations of the decor that the likes of Porte des Indes impress restaurant goers with. Even though Quilon is part of the Taj group it has a modest yet elegant back drop.

Quilon, 41 Buckingham Gate,  SW1E 6AF, +4420 7821 1899, London

So here I am, back in London. 2 years of incredible food, wine and people have flown past me. First few weeks back and I have learnt to just accept that cappuccino, vino rosso and a carb filled dish will just not be the same! Lets not even get into men and general fashion senses…that will require a face to face conversation!

Spoilt by great brunches at places like Globe in Milano, I was in search of a great brunch place in London with enough vegetarian options to satisfy a food snob and a vegetarian family with high standards. Ottolenghi in Angel, with smaller deli’s in Nottinghill and High Street Kensington, is a vegetarian’s paradise. As soon as we entered, my eyes were already eating, my mouth was watering, and I had already planned to order everything that was beautifully presented on the open food display.

Yotam Ottolenghi, has really brought to life fresh, healthy food perfect for a feel good Sunday brunch. For lunch you can select three to four salads, ranging from roasted butternut squash with soured cream, paprika and coriander  to roasted root vegetables, fennel and red onion with horseradish and lemon thyme.

There are about 10 delicious and varied salads to choose from, so there is plenty of choice!

There are a few vegetarian main dishes and cold fish and meats, but rest assured the meat and vegetarian dishes are really kept apart and on different tables.

Make sure you leave room for deserts. I felt like I was in food paradise and having an affair with my low sugar low carb promise. If you can resist the temptation, then you just don’t deserve to eat here! I recommend the rhubarb cheesecake with a hint of ginger…just divine.

So for about £20 a head, choose three to four filling salads and a seductive desert.  I recommend the Angel branch for the true Ottolenghi experience. I felt the Nottinghill branch was too rushed, small and simply did not have as much choice.  I am really looking forward to having dinner at Ottolenghi. If you can’t make it to London to eat at Ottolenghi, you can buy Yotam’s fantastic cook books or follow his weekly vegetarian column  in The Guardian.

So London does have some great food places. I am really looking forward to discover more of them!

Ottolenghi, 287 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 2TZ, 004420 7288 1454