Attend : 'Fish & Chips', Prague

Fish and Chips, 21 Dlouha Street, Prague

 After a long weekend break in Prague, I stumbled upon a restaurant that was a pure case of right time, right place - there was nothing I fancied more on that Sunday afternoon than a good old English Fish & Chips.

 Quintessentially British in design, a rarity in the gothic architecture of Prague, this simple, stylish and modern Fish & Chip shop was both a 'take away' and a sit down restaurant.
 The simple design was paired with a simple menu, made modern with the additional serving of mini bottles of Veuve Clicquot.  

 The cod was perfect in beer batter, the chips were just the right 'chippy' chips - Gourmet Fish & Chips! The interiors had quirky takes on all things traditionally fish and chips - newspaper wallpaper, red phone boxes, soho writing and quirky 'Save Water - Drink Champagne' slogans.

 The dining area was reminiscent of London tube tiles with 60's pop art and an opulent glass chandelier centre piece. The swinging glass doors opened directly onto the street, ready for some people watching...

 Fish and Chips,
 21 Dlouha Stret, Prague
 Facebook page : Fish and Chips

Stay : Buddha Bar Hotel, Prage, Czech Republic

Attention to detail in all aspects of this opulent design hotel

I recently stayed at the famous design concept hotel 'Buddha Bar Hotel' in Prague, Czech Reupublic.

 More photos and full review can be seen in the 'Stay : Hotel Reviews' section of this blog, or by clicking here

Instagram : The last month

Photo Update

April - A busy month again, well I did run The London Marathon this month!
I did manage to get some other stuff in other than running and training. This is what I've been up to:

L-R: Driving over Tower Bridge, the next time I would cross this would be during the Marathon; Sweetie Darling, It's Patsy and Eddie's house, my training helped me rediscover my local neighbourhood; Registration Time, the big day finally came!

 L-R: Stylish times, spring finally came and I still found time to dress up; Cut Throat Shave, you need to look good to run, treating myself to some pampering time; Bob Bob Ricard, you also need to eat lots to run - BBR was amazing.

 L-R: Buddha Bar Prague, time to relax post Marathon; Neon Chandelier in the Buddha Bar restaurant - my first night out drinking in 4 months; Reservé, Our party table!

 Follow me on Instagram : @opulentscrawls
 http://instagram.com/opulentscrawls

Observe : Pearced by H.Ryder

'Pearced' : A classic tale of boy meets designer

 A couple of months ago I had the privilege of reading the first proof of 'Pearced' by H.Ryder.
  I read this in the fitting surroundings of the mysterious, far away desert retreat of 'Qasr Al Sarab' in The Liwa desert, UAE.

 Now, the published version is available to buy on Amazon for Kindle.

 Adventure, mystery, fashion, humor and more... H.Ryder has a knack for noticing those little things in everyday life; the things that make people unique and full of character, the hidden meanings in apparently simple objects, the sense of adventure in new challanges, it all makes for a great read. I'd devoured it in a couple of days...

 

 'Pearced' : A Classic tale of boy meets designer.

 Denim Guru Tharie Charles needs a new challenge, her job is predictable and she’s jumped the toughest course on her maddest horse and survived. Her interview at RANDom, the newest hottest denim brand, may prove to be the twist in the tale she’s been looking for. She’s weird, and has a talent for discovering trends, her brain makes connections others discard.

Daniel Pearce, the founder of RANDom Denim is young, charismatic, gorgeous, and her new boss. He makes no secret of his desire for her, he wants her badly... to design for Milk&Honey, the womenswear branch of RANDom. Tharie can’t resist however hard she tries, Daniels gooseberry grey haunting eyes… she is powerless, saying yes to all his questions. Daniel makes it clear he’s in charge, but Tharie is from Dagenham, no one tells her what to do, it’s just her nature. The sexual conflict between them is an incredible aphrodisiac, their charged affair leaves them learning more about themselves as they learn about each other. Can this intense attraction last?

 Desperate to discover the meanings of drawings and clues left for him his whole life, together they embark upon an adventure to unravel the meanings of the unusual imagery which leads them far away. Joined by an intrepid group of colourful characters, they scour the depths and uncover lost treasures, whilst Daniel scours Tharie’s depths and uncovers her lost treasures!


'Pearced' is available now on Amazon for Kindle - 'Pearced' Kindle
Pre-order paperback on Amazon - 'Pearced' Book
Pearced - The Blog

Observe: Alice Gabb Illustration

Alice Gabb stationary at Broadway Market

I visited Broadway Market in London's East End, it reminds me of how Portobello Road used to be - emerging craft stalls, delicious food stuffs and a great atmosphere.
 One of the stalls that stood out was Alice Gabb's stationary stall - continuing my love of re-vitalizing the art of letter writing (see Louis Vuitton's Stationary Room post)

 Alice states that her work is inspired by her love of language, British Regalia and vintage curiosities. She designs fine stationary, to try and encourage people to write more letters.
 The stationary line includes 'fine envelopes for splendid correspondence' and features hand screened monoprints of antique cartouches and frames.

 Alice is at Broadway Market every Saturday, and is also stocked at Anthropologie on Regent Street and Kings Road in London.

 Alice Gabb Illustration - Website
 Alice Gabb - Shop
 Broadway Market, London, E8 - Website

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium

Cat Cafe coming to London

Slightly off topic for this blog, but something I just had to share : Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is coming to London!

 I've seen the concept before on many of those 'look at how wacky the Japanese are' programs, and with the current trend of cats being the new cultural phenomenon - just look on every social media site out there (youtube videos, instagram posts, tumblr blogs etc) this was sure to happen in London soon.

  Lauren Pears' cafe concept is simple: Too many people in London don't have the space, time or financial commitment to give a cat a home, and therefore miss out on the pleasure of keeping a cat.

 The Cat Emporium will take rescue cats from 'Mayhew Animal Home' and provide them a safe, comfortable home. In turn humans can visit the cafe and pet the cats whilst having some tea. Vouchers can be purchased on her Shopify page.

 The project has been funded by crowd funding website indiegogo, raising £110,000 to enable the project start up.
 Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is going to be located in Old Street area of London's East End - and I can't wait to visit!

 'Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium' blog - click here

Attend : Corinthia Hotel

Champagne Afternoon Tea : The Corinthia Hotel, London

 It's been a while since I've been for afternoon tea, and tea at The Corinthia hotel has been top of the must visit list for some time. So on a bitterly cold March afternoon, it seemed the ideal time to indulge in some treat therapy.

 The Corinthia hotel opened to much fanfare in 2011. The building originally opened as The Metropole hotel in 1885, and the facade retains much of its original grand hotel charm.
 Afternoon tea is served in the opulent central lobby, a light and airy space with huge hanging glass chandelier.

 The Corinthia hotel afternoon tea offers a great selection of teas, many from Tea Palace - I had 'Afternoon at The Palace' - a tea with a refreshing, light aromatic taste and the perfect accompaniment to sweet afternoon treats.

 
 The selection of cakes are served on a tall 3 tier freestanding platter. My particular favorite was the chocolate sponge roll filled with dark chocolate ganache topped with a sugar rose petal. The oversized salted caramel macaron was amazing, dipped in chocolate and finished with flaked almonds.

 Afternoon tea was delicious, it's in a very grand and smart setting, yet with an overall feel of relaxation within a very calming environment. I'd love to go back in the summer and take afternoon tea in the outdoor central atrium court.

 The Corinthia Hotel
 10 Whitehall Place,
 London
 SW1A 2BD