Nordic Bakery - Soho

Have you ever found a quiet place in London? Somewhere away from the tourists, the street-long shops, the noise? Nordic Bakery was my first such discovery.

Young mothers meeting friends with their toddlers clad in New Balance trainers and mustard cashmere sweaters didn't dissuade me from settling here for the afternoon. In fact, there was something quite endearing about the array of people coming in and out of the cafe. It felt like everyone was welcome, even me with all my books.

Turning a busy corner and stepping into the calm Nordic Bakery, it was love at first sight. In true Scandinavian style, the decor was kept to a minimum, but the selection of sandwiches and cakes came in abundance.

It was difficult to choose, but I opted for the brie and lingonberry sandwich. All bread here is rye, and it is so delicious you'll wonder why you ever ate any other kind (except French, of course. French bread always prevails).

I could have eaten another, but the main reason for my visit to Nordic Bakery was to try the infamous cinnamon buns. It came served on a miniature tray – very cute – and paired with a black filter coffee it was perfectly palatable, but I do wish I had trusted my gut and picked up one of those giant jam tarts, instead. 

I'd heard rave reviews about these, but they're not cinnamon buns as I know them. These are very heavy, bready and don't taste much of cinnamon, unfortunately. Perhaps that's the Nordic way, but I think I'll stick to the sugar-soaked offering my sister bakes which hits the spot every time.

I spent the next hour revising for some exams that are now, thankfully, completed and passed, and then met my friend Jess for a weekend spent in a town very familiar to me. Posts of our Saturday spent in Deal to follow soon :)

Have you been to the Nordic Bakery? If you're in Soho, I highly recommend a trip. It's such an airy, relaxed atmosphere you'll forget you're in London altogether. Find out more here.

Riverhill Coffee Bar – Glasgow

Voted Yelp's "friendliest staff in Glasgow" award in 2014. Isn't that enough to make you pick this coffee shop over all the others?

Wandering back into the city after my lunch at The Hanoi Bike Shop I headed to the Riverhill Coffee Bar. Teeny tiny inside – bar seating only – it's not really one for soaking up the morning with a good book, but for homemade food and a decent range of drinks (which, let's face it, is what it's all about), this is your stop.

I wanted the window seat, which offered a quiet view of the busy street outside, but a guy was perched, waiting, coffee in hand, for his girlfriend. My only criticism is of this 'take-away' atmosphere the Riverhill Coffee Shop emanates.

On the counter: a pleasing amount of cakes to choose from. Instinctively, my eyes went straight to the thing I'd never seen before – the nanaimo bar – but it was the salt caramel brownie I couldn't resist.

Decadent and fudgey, with generous swirls of deliciously salted caramel dispersed throughout, half the brownie ended up wrapped in a napkin to be eaten later.

 

The coffee, too, was delicious.

I liked it here. The staff were, indeed, friendly, the food and drink was yummy, and despite my fleeting visit, I think I'll go back to the Riverhill Coffee Bar to try one of their savoury offerings. I went to the Gordon Street bar but there are branches in West Nile Street and Helensburgh, too. You can find out more on their website.

These photos are somewhat unrelated - but I took them on my way to the coffee shop, and wanted to share them to show those who don't know just how incredible Glasgow is. Enjoy.

The Hanoi Bike Shop – Glasgow

Even on a grey-white day, Glasgow's architecture is so pleasing to the eye. This photo was taken just off Byres Road in the West End of Glasgow - a short subway ride from the city centre and well worth the gander away from the overwhelming bustle of shoppers swarming the streets.

It's in the West End I recall some of my fondest memories. As my dad commented on my last post - nothing beats eating a pie in a roll (sausage roll for me) while walking down Byres Road scouting out old Broons books in Arthur's shop (closed now, sadly). If you're a fan of vintage clothing, junk shops and cute coffee shops, this is the place for you. It's like nothing ever changes here, except the addition of some even more brilliant gems - one of them being The Hanoi Bike Shop.

If you know me then you'll know I am a huge fan of Vietnamese food. The love stems from trying summer rolls on my sister's recommendation a few years ago in my first visit to Pho with my then boyfriend. We were hooked, and I have been obsessed ever since. You can find these summer rolls - also known as crystal rolls or rice paper rolls - in Waitrose and M&S. My mum made them for me for my 21st birthday and they were brilliant - ingredients all available at Waitrose, too, (if you have the patience for that kind of thing).

Unfortunately, Vietnamese food hasn't quite broke the UK's food market just yet - in fact, The Hanoi Bike Shop is the only Vietnamese restaurant in Glasgow, but I'm hoping that will change soon. From light pho (a kind of noodle soup) to zingy salads, it's such fresh, flavoursome food, it's impossible not to like it. 

After much deliberation I ordered two starters: Goi Cuon - rice paper rolls with prawns, omelette, herbs, pickles and noodles and the Cha Gio Heo - crispy pork spring rolls with nuoc cham. 

I loved the summer rolls (obviously) and the fish sauce, lime and sugar dip was amazing, but I was especially impressed with the pork spring rolls - they were crispy, packed with pork and paired with the chilli dip, an absolute dream to eat.

Impressively, The Hanoi Bike Shop makes their own organic tofu - something I didn't even know was possible - and everything on the menu is made fresh to order. Beautiful, authentic decor and an array of sauces and drinks to choose from makes this place worth visiting and visiting again, bringing someone new each time to share the goodness.

It's not cheap - I paid about £12 for two relatively small starters - but it certainly is tasty and way better than any chain restaurant you'll find on the high street and for that, I'm happy to fork out a little extra.

Do you think you'll give Vietnamese food a try? I highly recommend The Hanoi Bike Shop if it's your first time - the staff were super friendly and attentive and the food is fantastic. Find out more here.