Life Lately – Exploring London – Food, Drink & Events

Here’s a round up of what I got up to in January featuring restaurants and blogger events:

Rucoletta

Sam and I visited this cosy Italian restaurant near St Paul’s Cathedral because we bought a Groupon voucher for a three course set meal for 2 people for £20 – such a bargain!

I’d definitely recommend this restaurant, the waiters are welcoming and friendly. The Strozzapreti pasta dish was incredible, it comes with pancetta, tomatoes and chilli so it has a bit of a kick to it, but it’s not too spicy. I also really liked the Bruschetta and the Tiramisu.

Location: 6 Foster Ln, London EC2V 6HH

Cocktails at the First Dates Restaurant – Paternoster Chop House

After our dinner at Rucoletta we walked over to the Paternoster Chop House which is where First Dates is filmed. It was pretty busy when we arrived around 9pm so we didn’t manage to get a seat, but we ordered some cocktails at the bar. I went for a Sloe Gin cocktail and Sam had a Pornstar Martini which was delicious. The restaurant didn’t look the same as it does in the show, it looked a lot smaller and darker but was still a nice place to go for drinks.

Location: 1, Warwick Court, Paternoster Row, London EC4M 7DX

Pago Strawberry Juice

Pago provide premium fruit juice, Pago was created in Austria and now provide juice all over Europe. I’ve been trying out their Strawberry Juice, it’s a flavour I don’t see that often in the UK but would love to see more of.

I like the glass bottle it comes in and think its the perfect size to fit in a lunchbox. The fruit juice tasted fresher than other fruit juices I’ve tried, it was also sweet but not overly so. It did taste of berries but not that strongly of Strawberries. The only other Strawberry Juice I’ve tried was at a restaurant in Budapest and this tasted more of Strawberries but it probably had lots of added sugar in it. Overall I like the juice and I’m keen to try out their other flavours.

Some of the others flavours they have are Rhubarb & Pear, Cloudy Cherry, Multivitamin Tropical and Pink Grapefruit.

I haven’t tried it in any cocktails yet but think this would be great in a Bellini!

Very Valentines Event

At the end of January I attended Very Valentines Day Event, it was a fun evening showcasing lots of new lingerie launches. The event had a DJ, canapés and drinks. They also had a Pic ‘N’ Mix for beauty products which was amazing, I got to pick up a new foundation by Max Factor and a Bourjois blush and lipstick. They had brands there such as Boux Avenue, Ann Summers and Wonderbra, I also got a fab goody bag from Freya with a black babydoll camisole.

London Blogging Event

This was London Blogging Events first ever event and it was founded by bloggers Ana De Jesus and Giulia Smith.

I love attending blogging events, its such a good way to meet new bloggers and brands. Brands such as Urban Veda, Debaere, The Turmeric Co and Flame-Lily. Throughout the day they had masterclasses such as “How to approach brands” and “How to become a full time blogger” I always find going to talks very inspiring, its such a good way to learn some new tips and tricks.

Everyone who attended got a goody bag with their name on and a personalised cupcake which was a really nice touch.

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