Coffee shop : The Fields Below, Kentish Town, London

I stopped by for a cappuccino (was pretty good). More of a take-out than a 'dine in' cafe, which created a bit of an odd atmosphere. Located right by Kentish Town West overground station, this tiny hipster cafe seemed by far the nicest in the area. 

Time of visit: Lunchtime on Friday, May 2014. 

Bar/restaurant review: Wahaca, Southbank, London

What's the curbappeal?

- the unusual architecture: its made of interconnected colourful ship cargo containers.

- the simple (but stylish) beach-shack style interior

We just popped in for drinks but the food looked great 

With love,

Ms. Curbappeal x

Polite notice : all photos © Curbappeal 2013

About town: Peckham, London

Restaurant review: Shake Shack, Covent Garden, London

What's the curbappeal?

- hip stateside burger joint, now in London 

- delightful sunny patio (queue early to get a seat!)

- drool-worthy burgers

- I had the double shackburger, fries and shackmade Lemonade - all yum!

I'll definitely be back!

With love,

Ms. Curbappeal x

Polite notice : all photos copyright curbappeal 2013

Cafe review: WH (the 'Watch House'), Rotherhithe Village, London

What's the curbappeal?

-Quirky cafe set in a beautiful churchyard/park

-Those yummy cakes (see photo)

-Lovely area (Rotherhithe Village, Rotherhithe) - very historic. The Mayflower set sail closeby in 1620 and the local pub (also named The Mayflower)  is from the same period. Lots of period buildings closeby. 

Ps. Curious about its name, the Watch House? Back in time, it was used to watch for grave robbers at St Mary's Church, opposite the cafe. Interesting!

Some photos from my iPhone 

With love,

Ms. Curbappeal x

© Curbappeal 2013

Ruby's Diner, Palm Springs, California

 What’s the Curbappeal?

- The classic 1940’s American diner styling: think bright red vinyl booths with white Formica tables, soda fountains and colourful ’40’s poster art and memorabilia. It made me smile J

- The menu: as well as serving the usual ‘burgers and fries’ there’s a host of unusual items… and they all come with a calorie count, which is a nice touch. At breakfast choose from ‘Skinny Eggs’ (590 calories) or Ruby's French toast combo (930 calories). At lunch or dinner choose from the calorie-tastic Cheeseburger (740-1020 calories) or opt for the skinnier Double Deluxe Udi's® gluten free burger (706-749 calories). Whatever you choose, I highly recommend the Hershey’s chocolate deluxe shake for dessert J

With Love,

Ms. Curbappeal x

P.S. here’s some photos from my Canon SLR...

Polite notice: all photos copyright Curbappeal 2013

Café/Restaurant Review: Norma’s, The Parker, Palm Springs, California, USA

What’s the Curbappeal?

- An uber-hip all-day diner within The Parker hotel 

- Designed by famous US-stylist Jonathan Adler whose motto is 'colours can't clash'- a point beautifully illustrated around the diner and the hotel: it’s a divinely-done temple to kitschy-camp mid-century interior design.

- Inside – the brown leather chairs and booths work with the white-washed exposed brick walls to create a calming environment. Set outside is a chic patio with a colourful orange, red and white canopy with hanging white Chinese-style lanterns. Sat here, you overlook the large lush gardens of the Parker hotel - well worth a stroll after indulging in Norma’s delights…  

- The menu focuses on indulgent comfort food. Come hungry to appreciate the generous but delicious portions!

- Even after a fantastic ‘Norma’s Eggs Benedict’, the 'Norma's doughnuts' (filled with lemon custard or blueberry jam) were just too hard to resist: soft and fluffy with a generous gooey filling. Mmmm! I also tried ‘McCann’s Irish Oatmeal Brûlée with Sautéed Green Apples and Red Pears’: sweet sautéed fruits and just the right amount of ‘Brûlée’ topping, heavenly.

- If you want to spoil yourself, there are some truly decadent dishes. Ones that caught my eye include ‘Seared Rock Lobster and Asparagus Omelette’, ‘Foie Gras Brioche French Toast With Asparagus and Mushrooms’ and ‘The Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata with 10 oz. Sevruga Caviar’. It’s not your normal kind of diner…

….perfect for a long, lazy and indulgent brunch

It’s on my shortlist for Curbappeal’s ‘Most Fabulous’ 2013 awards: ‘Most Fabulously Uplifting Hotel Diner’

Some photos from my Canon SLR…

Polite notice: all photo’s copyright Curbappeal 2013 

Restaurant review: Mister Parker, The Parker, California, USA

What’s the curbappeal?

- Mister Parker is the more formal dining space in the uber-hip Parker Hotel. It describes itself as 'a deconstructed formal hangout for fops, flaneurs and assorted cronies.' 

- The restaurant has a private-members-club like feel, with its low mirrored-ceiling, wood-panelled walls, subdued lighting, dark green leather booth seating and white marble fireplace.  There’s also an eclectic mix of modern and vintage paintings and ornaments and a statement white grand piano. 

- The French cuisine includes classic Foie Gras or Escargots to start, followed by beef or duck or rack of lamb.

..…Some photos from my Canon SLR….

Polite notice: all photos’ copyright Curbappeal 2013