We spent the first part of our trip exploring rural England (the Cotswolds!) on foot. We stayed at the totally amazing Barnsley House [2] (if you find a reason to splurge- stay here!) where we ate well, slept well and spent our days walking through farms, pastures and woods, befriending both locals and local sheep. We ate delicious pub food (and drank “real ale”) and had porridge with whiskey for breakfast (brilliant!). It was a really beautiful time and I can’t wait to go back.
We then moved on to London, where we spent our days wandering around museums, parks and department stores. We enjoyed learning what a flat white [3] was, and then we enjoyed drinking one. On my birthday (how much fun can be packed into one month?!) we had lunch at Dinner [4], the new Heston Blumenthal enterprise. It was fantastically good and just the friendliest most pleasant place to enjoy a leisurely lunch. Another splurge, but we were honeymooning! The “meat fruit” (look it up) was spectacular, as was the tipsy cake (which I am determined to recreate at home). For dinner that night, we ate at Lunch- just kidding! We ate at NOPI [5], the new restaurant by Yotam Ottolenghi and his crew. That meal was my favorite of the trip. It is one of the most beautifully designed restaurant spaces I have ever seen (even the bathrooms!) and I loved literally every single thing I ate. Such a friendly bunch working there that you felt right at home. This is what all restaurants should be, full of love and good energy. We also enjoyed breakfast at The Wolseley [6], dinner with dear friends at Dishoom [7], the most delicious caramel ice cream at St. John [8] and wonderful everything at Ottolenghi [9]. It was a fantastic few days.
I have an overwhelming amount of love for Paris. I don’t know what I am going to do about it. Delicious meals at old favorites like Paul Bert, La Palette, Chez Omar, and Da Rosa. Heaps of pastry from Ladurée, Pierre Hermé, Fauchon, and La Pâtisserie des Rêves. I became obsessed with the pain d’epices from Poilâne, which I was smart enough to bring back with me. This time around, the standout meal was at Vivant. It is an incredibly beautiful space and the food is simple and perfect. A starter of polenta topped with mushrooms and buffalo mozzarella knocked my socks off. The organic wine pairings were incredible (even when they got super weird), and the big bowl of raspberries we ate for dessert was the perfect finish. We spent our days eating and wandering, sometimes stopping in favorite shops. It was hard to leave.
It was the best trip and totally inspiring. I have a list of things I ate on the trip that I want to try to recreate here. I came home re-energized and happy to be back in my kitchen.