a secret passage...

Having lived in Islington for nearly 2 years now I must say it is one of the nicest areas of London in my opinion. Although I know the area quite well there are hidden treasures around every corner which makes it a great place to discover on a Saturday afternoon. I love walking from Highbury and Islington down Upper Street to Angel which is full of wonderful cafes, restaurants and boutiques. One of my favourite restaurants is the Turkish Cafe Galipoli which serves gorgeous authentic and reasonably priced dishes. I would really recommend the meze platters which you can share over Turkish coffee or mint tea on a lazy weekend. 

One of the best parts of Islington is Camden Passage, a street running parallel to Upper Street. With a number of markets containing trinkets and jewellery and lots of vintage shops and cafes this is one of London's hidden treasures that you cannot miss. It is also home to some art shops, frozen yoghurt parlour and luxury chocolate sellers. One of my favourite places is The Breakfast Club which serves amazing food, smoothies, juices, coffee and cakes in a shabby-chic environment. It is a great place to eat for Sunday brunch and a chat with friends to soak up your sins from the night before. I look forward to more trips around this part of London soon.

What are your favourite places in London? Have you explored Camden Passage?

Hasta pronto!

Em x

joe & the juice...

OK! So I can't keep it in any longer. I have to share with you one of my new favourite places to go for a catch up with friends on the weekend. I can't take credit for having discovered this place first hand as it was recommended by a friend, but it really is a cool and different take on the average coffee places I know that I'm fed up with. The big cafe chains (Starbucks, Cafe Nero, Costa etc) are all very similar and you can sometimes feel as if you are just another big sugar-free vanilla skinny latte (my drink of choice) on their conveyor belt of mass produced and bland coffee. Joe & The Juice on the other hand, is a breath of fresh air in the cafe world. 

Situated right next to Oxford Circus Tube Station (281 Regents Street) Joe & The Juice is a Danish company with two locations in central London (the other on Broadwick Street). What I like about this place is as well as serving coffee (the Joe in Joe & The Juice if you will) it also does the most amazing fresh juices you could imagine. With a menu of around 15 different combo juices (try the Hangover Heaven with freshly squeezed orange, elderflower and mint - bliss!) they make the drink up then and there for you. Drinks come in two sizes and I recommend the bigger size as it's better value for money at around £4.50 compared with £3.85. Also try their special ginger shot for a welcome kick if you need an energy boost without the caffein. 

You can then enjoy your coffee or juice in a really relaxed and friendly atmosphere. With cool music and comfy sofas to lounge on, this is a place where you can spend hours chatting away without anyone batting an eyelid. Service is friendly and all the baristas/juicers are (dare I say it) rather easy on the eye! For such a central location I'd say everything is reasonably priced so it's well worth a visit on a weekend afternoon. I know I will be returning ASAP!

Hasta pronto!

EJ x

P.S Thanks for the pictures Tom!