Brunch at HotBox

My brother and I have always been close and I like to make sure we see each other often. We both love food and eating out so we often meet for dinner but this time I fancied testing out a brunch I had heard good things about, Hotbox in Shoreditch. So on one very sunny Sunday morning, I crossed the river to meet my brother and Charlie for a feast of a brunch.

They don't take bookings and I don't like queueing so we made sure we were there for 11am when it opened. The setting is simple, long tables with benches and bar stools around the windows. It's very casual, loud and fun. They bring you bottomless coffee or tea while you get stuck in to the menus. I'm one of those people who find it really hard to settle for just one thing. I want a little bit of everything, I want to try it all. Luckily the other two obliged, sharing is caring after all.

We also got the bottomless cocktails, a variety of bloody mary's, bubbly and mimosas.

We ordered the truffle egg toast and it was as good as it sounds.

The beef rib tacos, amazingly tasty and surprisingly light and fresh.

Chicken Belgian waffles, super crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.

Fluffy pancakes with very thick cut bacon, unfortunately my least favourite.

Mac and cheese that I could happily live on for the rest of my life.

And finally the skillet smoked meat hash, very tasty and meaty.

We ate for ages, and I am not ashamed to say that we finished absolutely everything. I was determined to sample the puddings too but we were just too full. There is always next time right?

 

A Sunday morning well spent in the best company, I will always cheers to that!

I recommend giving Hotbox a try, you can check out their website here. Let me know if you loved it or loved it! 

Saadiyat Beach Club

This place is one of our favourite places in Abu Dhabi. It's a gorgeous beach club located on Saadiyat Island, on a natural beach. It's always super relaxing and you feel like you can truly unwind here. They have a gorgeous pool area with luxurious, huge fluffy towels, a couple of lovely restaurants, two bars, gym, spa, library and various different areas just to sit back and relax. It's a members club but you can also buy a day pass, perfect if you are on holiday.

We got to Saadiyat in the morning and spent the first few hours just lounging around the gorgeous pool, reading while Ibiza style tunes play in the background. Closer to lunch time we jumped in for a refreshing swim to build up an appetite. The pool is amazing!

Around one o'clock it starts to get busier as people start to arrive for lunch, from ladies that lunch to business men. We headed to the restaurant for some lunch, a glass or crisp cold white wine and a couple of games of connect four. 

I had a delicious burrata salad and crispy baby calamari, he had a club sandwich.

After lunch we retired back to our sun loungers to digest and catch the afternoon sun.

As the sun starts to set, the temperature drops slightly so we decided to go for a run on the beach to balance out all that lazing around. Saadiyat beach is my favourite out of the beaches I have been to in the UAE, probably because it's a real one. You get great views of the Abu Dhabi sky line and stunning sunsets.

This time we didn't have time for the spa, but its the perfect end for the most relaxing day. Get ready in the beautiful and luxurious changing rooms and then head out for a drink to watch the sun set over the Arabian Gulf.

They also organise parties and events so it's worth taking a look at their website if you want to visit.

On a different note, I have been considering writing in Finnish as well as English. Would love to hear your thoughts and whether you would be more keen to read the blog with Finnish text as well?

Kiinnostaisiko tämän blogin lukeminen myös suomeksi?

The World's Best Bacon Butty

I know, I know... It's a bold claim to make but I am honestly telling you this is the best bacon butty (roll/sandwich) I have ever had. Now, it's not the first time I have had it, I had one last summer and was seriously blown away. Sometimes the simplest things really are the best.

Maddock's Tea Room is a little cafe in Pennard where we did our walk. It's run by husband and wife Anthony and Pat from their home. It's warm and cozy inside and they have a display of delicious looking pastries, tarts, quiches and desserts. They have a homely menu serving honest home cooked food, simple and delicious. Their desserts are gorgeous as well, I had the lemon cheese cake last time. Maddock's uses quality ingredients and local produce where possible and everything is home made on the premises. They also offer an afternoon tea, the table next to us had it and it's definitely something for next time.

Right back to the bacon butty. It's a warm, fluffy, soft white roll filled with a generous amount of butter and lots of probably the best bacon you will ever have. The bacon is salty and cooked so that it's perfectly crispy without too much fat. You can also ask to have the fat trimmed off. The roll is so soft it almost melts in your mouth. This is a world class bacon butty, let's take a little look.

Look at all that bacon! I have mine with ketchup but you can ask for any sauce you want, or have it without sauce, I'm sure it would be just as good.

If you are ever in the Gower Peninsula pop into Maddock's for some treats, you will not leave disappointed or hungry. And after you have had a bacon butty at Maddock's, you will want to go back!