The Bandstand

As a dog owner, I spend a lot of time on the common walking him. Clapham Common has a bandstand as its centre point and it has become a bit of a thing for us. On a very chilly but sunny day we wrapped up warm, fluffy jumper and the biggest scarf I could find, and walked Nano to the bandstand. Nano loves the park, it makes me happy just watching him running around.

Coat: Zara

Jumper: JZD

Scarf: H&M

Jeans: Hollister

Boots: Cara London

Sunglasses: Missoni

The bandstand the perfect place to stop for a sit down in the sun. It's a lovely place to have a chat and share a coffee, it's perfect for people and dog watching and in the mornings it's the perfect place for training my personal training clients as it's well lit.

What people don't often know about the bandstand is that the cafe there is not just a cafe. It's a lovely Italian restaurant with delicious fresh dishes, excellent coffee and italian ice cream. It's the perfect spot for lunch, but make sure you wrap up warm as it's much nicer to sit outside.

It's called Cafe La Baita and from the outside it doesn't look fancy or overly exciting, the inside is basic with a few tables. The food how ever is always delicious. Their seafood dishes are exceptional, all the seafood is fresh from a local fishmongers in Clapham south. Their daily specials vary depending on what they got from the fishmongers that day. My absolute favourites are the spicy seafood pasta and the mussels. Simple but divine. I brought my mom here for a sunny lunch last summer and she practically licked her plate. They also do snacks such as paninis and healthy options such as grilled chicken breast with a fresh salad. I promise I will do a post about the food once the weather warms up a little.

I had a very busy week so these little breaks from work and running around help me unwind and relax. In the winter it's so easy to stay indoors snuggled up with a cup of tea or spend all day in the office without even seeing the sun but it's so important to get a dose of fresh air and sunshine, I guarantee it will make you feel refreshed and energised.