Jenikya's Blog

A friend and I went to enjoy bottomless brunch at Pizza Pilgrims in Liverpool Street last weekend. We had bottomless pizzas and margaritas (with the option of Pornstar Martinis and mocktails). I love the spicy margarita drink, so this was a "must visit' bottomless brunch for me. The brunch included different pizzas, cocktails, and a dessert and lasted for ninety minutes.

Pizza Pilgrims in Liverpool Street is located between Liverpool Street and Bank stations below Tower 42.

It was a humid day, and we had mocktails and the margaritas to start with a margarita pizza.

I was celebrating my birthday early. They also served a selection of dips with the pizza, but these were mayonnaise-based, and I don't like mayonnaise.

We received the following pizzas: margherita, hot honey double pepperoni, nduja, mushroom and truffle, and marinara.

We had a couple of Proseccos.

Because it was my birthday, they brought a tray of tiramisu out. I don't care for this dessert as it tastes like coffee, but they sang to me and had candles.

I enjoyed the bottomless pizzas and spicy margaritas at Pizza Pilgrims. There was only one other table celebrating with bruch with us.

I went to see "The Producers" last month at Garrick Theatre, just around the corner from Trafalgar Square. I was not sure what to expect as I did not read up on the plot beforehand. The story is about two men who want to produce a production. A washed-up theatre producer meets an accountant to produce a play, but they want to produce a play that will flop for tax reasons, after getting others to fund their show. The story takes place in the late 1940s or early 1950s and contains a lot of humour around the Germans in the 1940s.

I recommend this show as it had an element of humour and a historical (but still relevant) story.

A new sculpture by Banksy has appeared at Waterloo Place in central London, which is between the mall and Regent Street (Saint James' end). The sculpture is a political message, such as many of Banksy's works. It shows a marching figure holding a flag, but the flag has blown into the face of the marcher to blind them as they appear to step off of the plinth. I visited it today.

I captured another photograph of Banksy's signature.

Paul "Don" Smith, who is known for the "banker" or "tap man" stencil has also made a mark on the plinth.

At the moment, there isn't any calls to move the sculpture, so please go and visit it. 

Earlier this spring, Elephant Parade, part of Elephant Family, hosted a new elephant sculpture trail at Battersea Power Station to coincide with the Easter break. The train took place during from the end of March until the end of April, and I went to have a look last month. Elephant Family raises awareness of the elephant and ensuring that their habitats and wildlife is protected. The sculptures raise awareness and charity for these causes.

There were over twenty designs of elephants on display. This isn't the first time that they had a trail in London as there had been several in the past.

All of the elephants were easy to access around and inside the power station, although with the multiple levels in Battersea Power Station, it did take some time to locate the ones inside. It is a good day out to explore Battersea Power Station, and I also saw the Sunday market during my visit.

I am a little bit behind on my updates, and as I was looking back through my photographs, I discovered several that I have not gotten around to posting yet from the winter months. It did seem like a long winter this year as the weather was not great. Looking back on it, I did manage to do a few things to break up the time. As always, I enjoy the colour at Covent Garden with their seasonal floral displays.

Before the holidays, I had a trip to The Chocolate Cocktail Club again, and I had their seasonal cocktails.

Of course, I decorated for Christmas.

I had a Christmas lunch with turkey and vegetables.

Eastcote House Gardens always decorates the pine tree, so I got some photographs of this.

Ruislip's Duck Pond Market also had some festive markets set up for the holidays, and I bought some seasonal treats.

I loved the little edible flower pot cakes.

My friends and I also enjoyed a roast Christmas lunch together.

Of course, I always enjoy the local decorations.

The movie "Wicked 2" was out in the cinemas. I did go to see it. Everyone was talking about it.

At the beginning of January, I went to the HotWheels "Monster Trucks" event at the O2. That day, planned tube strikes meant that this took all day to get there and back, making a long day in a cold and gloomy month.

While I was at the O2, I went into the ice cream cafe "Snowflake" and had an ice cream.

In early February, I stopped by my friend's cafe for lunch, tea, and dessert.

I also started a couple of new fitness classes. The first part of the year was virtually impossible to get out and walk due to the rain on an almost-daily basis. However, it meant that my injury on my foot was allowed to heal. 

I also made Indian dishes from scratch and froze some of them. Below is a sambar, and it was really good.

Other than that, I kept busy with work and reading or listening to audio books.

I recently enjoyed afternoon tea at St. James' Hotel and Club in Mayfair. The afternoon tea is themed "The Masterpiece" based upon the artwork from famous artists, and little pastries of these "Masterpieces" were created in edible form. The hotel is located near Green Park and not far from the Royal Academy of Arts, which is possibly the inspiration for the theme. The pastries are inspired by the works of Damien Hirst, René Magritte, Vincent van Gogh, and Salvador Dalí.

Finally, we had a little bit of sun to enjoy the afternoon tea. It's starting to look more like spring, and I enjoyed the special touch of blooms decorating the front of the hotel.

I ordered the Darjeeling afternoon tea. The sandwiches included the following, and they also cater for vegtarians and other dietary requirements: ham and plum chutney, smoked salmon on rye, egg mayonnaise and watercress, and cheddar and green tomato chutney.

The pastries included a coconut-flavoured "Spot Painting" inspired by Hirst, apple mousse inspired by Magritte's "The Son of Man", pistachio, raspberry and lemon choux inspired by Van Gogh's "Sunflowers", and a dark chocolate and cherry pastry inspired by Dali. My favourite was the coconut or apple mousse.

Following the pastries, I enjoyed scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

I absolutely love afternoon tea, and the start of spring is a perfect time to indulge.

The blooming azaleas in Richmond Park has been on my London "to do" list for over a decade now, and I finally got to se them on Sunday when they are at their peak bloom. Richmond Park contains a an area known as Isabella Plantation, and this was created in the Victorian 1830s and known for the blooms in April and May. The little part of garden (40 acres) has small ponds and streams with azaleas, rhododendrons, and magnolias. There were also several little spots with bluebells.

To get to Isabella Plantation, I walked from Norbiton train station through Richmond Park. There are some very old oak trees in the park, and I saw a fox in broad daylight.

Upon entering Isabella Plantation, I saw patches of beautiful bluebells.

There are several acres of the azalea blooms in different colours, and I went to explore them and to explore the ponds.

Richmond Park is one of the royal parks in London.

This is an absolutely beautiful little area of London. I visited on a Sunday afternoon. It was busy, but it was manageable as there are several acres of woodland and azalea blooms, but I imagine that it can get busy at peak times.

CityStack is a membership that aims to support independent pubs and to discover new venues. Members purchase a pack for 25.00 pounds, and they can visit ten pubs out of a list of more than seventy pubs across London and get ten pounds off when they spend twenty pounds. This means that visiting three pubs will pay for the membership itself. I received this gift at an event a little over a year ago and used it last year. I had two packets to use. This packet specified that visitors must trade or stamp a coaster for the pub discount, and I visited all ten pubs, even the three of them that were very much out of my way. 

The Dog and Bell - Deptford

This pub is a bit out of the way. I spent more than 40.00 here in order to use two vouchers, and I had a glass of wine, two gin and tonics, a delicious Sunday roast, and a lemon tart dessert. The pub is large with a lot of seating inside and out, and it is pleasant inside with a quirky traditional pub decor. The pub hosts events throughout the year, such as a pickle festival. I went in late September on a Sunday and enjoyed the roast chicken, vegetables, and a rather large Yorkshire pudding. I would return here.

Skehan's - Nunhead

Skehan's is a family-owned and run Irish pub; the owners are from Ireland and Thailand respectfully, and both cultures thrive with the food and drink. The pub serves delicious Thai cuisine. I spent over fourty pounds here on a couple of gin and tonics and a bottle of white wine. The food had to be paid for separately and not with the voucher. I also enjoyed seeing a local cat that seems to be a regular at the pub, and the pub is situated on a hill with views over London's skyline. I would return for the delicious food.

Princess of Wales - Primrose Hill

Another gem is the Princess of Wales in Primrose Hill, which I visited last August. The pub has a wonderful gin selection, so I had a couple of gin and tonics, spicy margarita, chicken kebab, and brownie. I spent over fourty pounds here and enjoyed the gin especially. The pub has a lower level with street art in a "garden". I would return for the delicious gin selection.

Highbury Barn - Highbury and Islington

This pub is near where I first lived and worked when I moved to London, although I never actually walked up this direction to my knowledge. I spent over fourty pounds here on a passionfruit martini, glass of wine, chicken burger, and sticky toffee pudding. I visited the pub in October last year.

Horn of Plenty - Stepney Green

This east London pub seems to be popular with locals and students and hosts pub quizzes. I visited in early October and spent fourty pounds on drinks - cocktails, wine, and gin and tonics. The pub did not serve its own food when I visited, but I was able to have a pizza delivered (cost not included with the voucher).

Crown and Shuttle - Shoreditch

I have visited this pub before with colleagues when I used to work in the area. Apparently, it used to be a gentleman's club before it became a pub, and the pub serves a lot of different beers and always had a "hipster" vibe common with most venues in the area. I spent fourty pounds here on wine and gin and tonic and a cocktail as well as a vegetarian sandwich (panini) and chips.

The Gladstone Arms - Borough

This family-owned and run pub is popular for its Anglo-Indian food, and the food really is delicious. Live music and quizzes are hosted here, and the pub seems to have built its own community. I spent fourty pounds here on a curry pie (the English pie with an Indian twist), and it was delicious. I would return here for the delicious food.

Hansom Cab - Kensington

This west London pub was once owned by Piers Morgan and is owned by two brothers. The pub is known for its beer selection; it's a shame I dislike beer. I spent over fourty pounds on cocktails and food. There is a nice cocktail list here, and the food was tasty. I had a chicken burger and chips. I would visit again.

The Bow Bells - Bow / Mile End

This east London pub is family-owned and a typical example of an east end pub and has large televisions broadcasting sports. The decor is "homely" with old photographs on the walls, and with the bright orange frontag, the pub is not easy to miss. This pub seems to be popular with the locals. I visited it in late August last year and spent over fourty pounds on gin and tonic and food. I had the chicken burger and chips. I found the pub to be a pleasant space, although I did have to wait awhile for the food.

Hawke - Hackney

The pub is located very near to Victoria Park and seems to be popular with the community. Service was friendly, and I was shown a lot of different and unique gins, which I tried. I spent one voucher here and also ordered the food - basically a chicken schnitzel. 

I enjoyed trying these pubs and found a few gems. I also purchased another couple of voucher packs to explore more pubs or to return to some of the ones I liked. The new vouchers allow you to visit any pubs in the list of independent participating pubs across London. I visited all of these pubs in this post last year.

Miguel H. Cuar is a Spanish artist who has painted some walls in London with a unique style focused on illustration and elements of graphic design and comic books. The artist uses bright colours and abstract shapes. I captured the below artwork in London a few years ago.

In March, I had an evening out to see the theatre performance of "Cabaret" at The Playhouse (Kit Kat Club) next to Embankment station. This was my first visit to this theatre, and the story is about an American man who goes to visit Berlin in order to write a book in the backdrop of the late 1930s. There, he meets a woman working in a club, and the story has political undertones of the start of the build-up to World War II. I did not know what the story was about before I visited, and I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed it. 

The entrance to the theatre was through the basement, which made it seem that you were entering a club. I received a shot of alcohol on entry (as did everyone), and I watched the entertainers dance around the different areas inside the club. I ordered a special drink at the bar, which was topped with champagne.

The music and dancing happened whilst waiting for the show to begin, and visitors could watch in the threatre itself or in one of the communal or bar areas. I loved that they did that so that the audience could feel immersed in a 1930s club. The theatre is a little bit different in that the stage is in the middle of the room with views on all the sides, but everyone got a good view no matter where they were sat as the stage did move as well.

I really recommend this show as I enjoyed it.