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Review – Afternoon tea @ Terre a Terre

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My cousin Katy and I enjoy spending time together in Brighton so when she said she had never been for a full afternoon tea we decided we must go for her birthday celebration and Terre a Terre hit the spot.

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I had visited before for dinner with my Husband in February for my own birthday which you can read about here.

We were seated in the front of restaurant rather than the main dining room so we could feel a little bit of a breeze on a very warm Sunday afternoon.

We both had the vegan afternoon tea, which started with the savoury plate.

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The Thai rice balls were definitely the most flavourful and not like anything I’ve tried before. I do love a good Chinese bun and this marinated tofu one did not disappoint!

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For our first dessert tier we had –

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I loved the sorbet, an unusual addition on an afternoon tea and the sweet dukka really set it off.

On tier two there was –

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The alcoholic milkshake was a lovely addition and Katy was really taken by the peanut caramel truffle.

Lastly we had –

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The scones were really nice, not dry at all – helped I assume by the tea soaking! The coconut cream tasted quite acidic to me, almost like coconut yogurt. We had this all washed down with some very fragrant Jasmine tea.

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The service was a little bit slow on getting our savoury course out but we did overhear our waiter complaining to the kitchen so we were assured this wasn’t standard. At £22 each I think this was great value for money. We had our taste buds tantalised and we were well and truly full by the time we left and managed to roll ourselves back up the hill to the train station!

I would definitely recommend this tea for any celebration or just a fab day out!

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Plumes x

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Review – Afternoon tea @ Terre a Terre

Round up of the week’s food 160814

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I’ve had a great week watching some amazing Olympic performances and enjoyed some lovely food.

On Monday I was planning on trying Fry’s falafel burger as I had bought some the week before. However I soon discovered my Husband had scoffed the whole packet so I had to settle for a traditional burger instead!

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On Tuesday I went swimming with Mum and she had made a lovely lentil shepherdess pie served with asparagus.

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On Wednesday my brother came over and we had sausage and mash. My brother said he really enjoyed these Dragonfly Foods Soysages and he’s not great love of soy/tofu based stuff so this was a high accolade indeed!
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On Wednesday we had a lazy dinner of bits and pieces as we were feeling really hot.

On Friday we had arancini made with a red pepper risotto. I usually have panko breadcrumbs in the cupboard and they give such a good crunch.

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On Saturday I met my cousin Katy in Kent with my Mum to visit the FRIEND Animal Sanctuary which you can read all about here. We stopped in at Lakeside shopping centre on the way home to get some lunch. We had pie and mash from Sainsy Pie and Mash they do a root vegetable pie and a soya mince pie. We all went for the soya mince one. Katy and I both love bubble tea so we were pleased to see an outlet at Lakeside. I got a pina colada which was lush!

For dinner I made a teriyaki and ginger vegetable stirfry, I also got a pear and lychee cider from Aldi by Swedish brand Alska which are clearly labelled vegan.

Today Katy and I headed down to Brighton to have afternoon tea to celebrate her birthday tomorrow. I will write up a full review later but here’s a taster!

I am now very tired and have felt very emotional watching Max Whitlock win two individual gymnastics titles (Floor and Pommel Horse)!

Hope you have a good week!

Plumes x

Round up of the week’s food 160814

Review – The Gallery Cafe

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I hadn’t been to The Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green for a number of years after an incident with a frozen hash brown, but I thought enough time had passed for me to try it again – sadly I was disappointed.

I ordered the vegan nut roast, a soya matcha latte and a piece of carrot cake. After queuing and paying I returned to our table. I looked at my receipt and I had been charged £9.95 for my nut roast when the menu board stated it was £8.50. I went back up to the till to rectify the error, the server said it was the board that was wrong but gave me the difference back and then corrected the displayed price.

I sat down with my matcha latte and after a few sips I thought it tasted a bit funny. I took it back up to the counter to make sure it had soya milk in it. The barista apologised profusely as she had put dairy milk in it and made me a fresh one. The other server told her that matcha lattes always have soya milk but apparently she didn’t know. When I sat down with my correct drink it was lovely. If matcha latte is available I will always choose it!

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My mum went for the Ethiopian stew, which had chickpeas, peanuts, apricots, raisins and vegetables. It was served with brown rice, vegan yogurt and salad. I had a little taste and it was really good.

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I appreciate food can come out at different times but my Mum was on her last bite when my nut roast made an appearance. So effectively I watched her eat and then she watched me eat! The serving of nut roast was huge and had a crunchy crust on it. It was a bit difficult to get into but I think that was more due to a blunt knife than the nut roast itself. The roasted new potatoes were crisp and peppery. I enjoyed the asparagus and the greenest but unfortunately the runner beans were very stringy and practically inedible. The other issue I had was as the meal had been served in a dish rather than on a plate I round it difficult to cut up the food.

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Lastly, the carrot cake! I was given this when I paid at the till and it had been sitting on the side of my table looking at me for a long time by the time I got to eat it! It was lovely and moist and the frosting was tangy and sweet. The only negative was that it wasn’t as spicy as I would expect but it was still a lovely cake.

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The cafe was packed, so it’s obviously very popular. Have I just been unlucky with my food the couple of times I have been here? I went with my Mum both times and she didn’t have an issues!

Have you been to the Gallery Cafe? What did you think?

Plumes x

Review – The Gallery Cafe

Review – rootcandi

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My cousin and I had an amazing day out in Brighton this week, which you can read all about here.

Before heading down I’d seen lots of positive things being said about rootcandi and the pictures on their instagram feed looked amazing. We have eaten at their sister restaurant Iydea a number of times and always left happy so we thought we must give rootcandi a go.

It’s situated in Western Road, a part of Brighton I’d never ventured into before and did seem a bit removed from the other vegan options available in the North Laine area. Although the walk did help our food go down on the way back!

The restaurant is bright and welcoming and we were greeted by the restaurant manager Reeshi. We were taken through the menu which included four tapas set menus from all different parts of the world and the lunch menu. We decided to go for the lunch menu and wereally impressed with the number of dishes offered and most of them for under £10.

We went for the Beetroot burger which was served with courgette fries and a garlic mayo dip. As we were sharing everything we took one burger and half a bun each. The burger was tasty, chewy and moist. The fries were crispy and light and really went well with the garlic mayo.

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We also had a cauliflower, romesco and mushroom dhal which was served with rice, naan and pomegranate raita. The curry was very flavourful but was a tad on the spicy side for me and if I had it again I would ask if it was possible to have it with less chili. The rice complemented it perfectly and the naan which was infused with rosemary was a real treat!

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While we were eating we heard the manager speaking with another table and he said these were two of his favourite dishes along with the Mushroom Wellington so I think we went with right choice! We decided against dessert but I think I would definitely go for it next time.

If I was down in Brighton for longer it would be nice to come back in the evening for the full tapas menu.

I was really impressed with the food we had and for under £20 it was a bargain. I’d definitely recommend it.

Have you eaten at rootcandi? What did you think?

Plumes x

Review – rootcandi

A weekend in Brighton

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I decided to spend my Birthday weekend in Brighton so we could eat lots of yummy  vegan food, have a good rummage in the flea markets and vintage shops and being only an hour outside London it is easily accessible by train.

We arrived at around 13.30 on Friday to a drizzly and windy Brighton, not that we were expecting much from a weekend in late February and headed straight to VBites for lunch. You can read all about it here.

We then headed to the White House where we were staying in Kemp Town which you can read about here. After we put our bags down and settled in we headed to the pier to have a look at the amusements and what was going on before it got dark.

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We were treated to a wonderful display by some small black birds. They were flying in formation getting very close to the sea and then flying over the pier. More birds kept arriving to join in and there must have been over a thousand in the end. Everyone on the pier were taking pictures and it a great spectacle we were glad we got to see.

After this we headed back to the  hotel to get ready to go out for dinner at Purezza. You can read what we thought about it here.

After dinner we went back to the hotel and I was very pleased one of my favourite shows was back on TV – Googlebox! This is not a guilty pleasure and I am unashamedly a fan!

Saturday we got up and headed into town. We didn’t get very far before we came across a flea market on St James Street that we had a good look around. We considered visiting the Pavilion, but we had both been before so we instead headed to the Lanes. We looked round a antique weapons shop that had lots swords and guns in it. I think there get a lot more visitors than customers as most of the items on display were very expensive. We then had a good look around Choccywoccydoodah and their amazing examples of chocolate work.

We then went to the North Laine area where we went around another flea market and I may have bought a present for someone.

I bought a vintage dress in To be worn again which I was really pleased with. It fits really well and I love the colour and the length. Sorry my head isn’t in this photo, its difficult to get the whole dress in without covering my face!

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We had lunch at Burger and Cocktails, I think Ollie was craving meat as he had a bacon cheeseburger and I went for a kale and avocado salad.

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I then had a little splurge in one of my favourite shops, Infinity Foods and got a few treats for once Lent has finished. I am a bit worried after six weeks with hardly any sugar I will have lost a taste for it!

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Ollie really want to go on  the Brighton Wheel, I wasn’t too enthusiastic as I am not a lover of heights but I was a good sport and agreed to go on. It was a very windy and our pod was rocking quite a lot. It turned out Ollie was the more scared out of the two of us and even the commentary by Steve Coogan couldn’t comfort him!

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After that I headed to Black Mocha (formerly Chocaffinitea) to meet up with my friends Fee and Ollie. Fee and I went to primary (elementary) and secondary school (high school) together and have now known each other over 26 years! We don’t get to meet up very often, but I always enjoy it when we do. I ordered a pot of Earl Grey tea although the signature black mocha comes highly recommended. I must give it a try when I’m not fasting from both coffee and sugar!

 

Fee and Ollie bought me some lovely sounding tea for my birthday and it gives me an excuse to buy a tea strainer!

I headed back to the hotel for a shower and freshen up before we had dinner at Terre a Terre. I really enjoyed it and you can read my full review here.

Today we packed up and took a walk along the prom on the way back to the station. It was extremely windy and the waves were really crashing as they came in. We managed to get on a train with about a minute and a half to spare and had a good journey home. All in all I had a lovely birthday weekend and would recommend anyone to spend a weekend in Brighton.

Plumes x

A weekend in Brighton

Review – The White House Brighton

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When I decided to come to Brighton for my Birthday Weekend we chose to stay at the White House in Kemp Town as it had been recommended by my Brother and Sister-in-law who had stayed there in October.  On booking I informed the owner Steve I was vegan and he said this wouldn’t be a problem and they were used to catering for vegan guests.

On arriving in Brighton we were warmly welcomed by Steve, Heidi and the rest of the team. We had a lovely room on the ground floor.

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I was impressed that the tea making facilities not only provided us with a wide range of teas, a couple of chocolate bars and biscuits but our own coffee maker too!

In the bathroom we had Orla Kiely toiletries and these were also available to buy. I had a look online and couldn’t see anywhere that said whether they were vegan or not so I stuck to what I had brought with me.

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We also had big fluffy bath sheets, rather than the small towels you get in some hotels and robes as well. I also really liked that there was a window in the bathroom so you didn’t need to keep turning the light on if you were just popping in there. Sometimes it can feel a bit clautrophobic when you’re enclosed in a small room! We had a lovely shower with an eco mode, which I hadn’t seen before, you can turn the power so far but to go beyond eco mode you had to consciously push a button in. The only change I’d make in the bathroom would be to put a shelf in the shower so I didn’t have to bend down to pick up my shampoo!

Outside our window we had a tree with a bird’s nest and it really nice watching the birds. I think there’s about 5 or 6 in the picture below.

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The breakfast room in the basement was really bright and welcoming and decorated with posters from the Brighton Line.

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I was served mushroom stuffed with spinach, pine nuts and breadcrumbs with toast and vegan sausages. I was also offered tomatoes and beans, I’m not a great lover of tomatoes and as I’m trying to reduce my sugar I skipped the beans. It was really tasty and filling and gave me loads of energy to hit the shops on Saturday!

I had almond milk with my tea and I thought the little teapot it came in was really cute.

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My husband isn’t a morning person and the team were very accommodating, making a bacon sandwich to take up to him on Saturday and toast with vegemite today.

Although there wasn’t a fridge in our room, guests are allowed to store food in the main fridge which I took full advantage of after stocking up on vegan goodies in town!

I really enjoyed our stay at the White House, the team made it feel like a personal experience and all the little touches were well appreciated.

If your looking to stay in Brighton make sure you check it out!

Plumes x

 

Review – The White House Brighton

Review – Purezza

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As soon as I heard about Purezza I knew I had to visit. A 100% vegan Italian pizzeria?! Yes Please! I have been looking over the menu all week and was glad we booked as they were turning people away when we showed up.

For starters we had a garlic bread to share. I quite fancied the farinata but as I wasn’t sure how big the portions would be I didn’t want to risk it! In the end I’m glad I didn’t as the garlic bread was huge and really tasty.

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For our mains we both chose stuffed crust quattro stagioni  (four seasons). These came with artichokes, olives, mushrooms and seitan salami. The cheese was lovely and gooey and oozy. I haven’t had a stuffed crust in years so was so glad I could try this out. I really liked the seitan salami although I think we could have done with a bit more on our pizzas. Ollie was impressed with the vegan cheese having never had it before.

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I really liked the look of the dessert menu, with a chocolate calzone and ice cream from Boho Gelato (which I make a point of visiting every time I visit Brighton). But unfortunately we were too full!

Purezza also serve salads, yogurts, cakes and pastries along with pizza all day.

I’d really recommend Purezza not only if you’re vegan but if you just love pizza! And make sure you book a table in advance!

Have you tried out Purezza? What did you think?

Plumes x

Review – Purezza

Review – VBites Brighton

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We’ve come away on a weekend to Brighton to celebrate my Birthday. As our train got in at 13.30 our first stop was lunch!

I hadn’t been to VBites to eat before, I’d only bought a few treats from their shop part. In the past when I’ve been to Brighton I’ve eaten at either Loving Hut or Iydea.

I was impressed by their menu with a range of burgers, wraps, sandwiches and jacket potatoes. Ollie accused me of being unadventurous when I went for a Jacket Potato with coleslaw, but it’s one of my faves and I don’t often have coleslaw as, unless I make it at home it’s difficult to get hold of vegan versions. I wish it was readily available in supermarkets along with all the other free from food! I really enjoyed my food and had a massive apple and cinnamon tea to go with it. I was suitably full and I didn’t want too big a lunch as I’d already booked a restaurant for our evening meal. (Watch this space for that review!)

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My husband went for the Southern fried burger with skinny fries. He enjoyed his food, but said his burger was a bit cold. I offered to take it back and ask them to make a fresh one but he didn’t want to make a fuss. He was impressed with his pickles inside his burger and we both commented that we can’t believe people take them out!

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I had a good look at what the shop had to offer and I’ll definitely be heading back there tomorrow to pick up some goodies when I don’t have a suitcase in tow!

Have you been to VBites? What did you think?

Plumes x

 

Review – VBites Brighton