Day two of our London trip was all about the shopping! So. Much. Shopping. Because, if you can't buy it in London, then where the hell can you?
After traipsing up and down Oxford Street for the entirety of our morning, Mum and I were desperate for food and a well earned hot chocolate (are you getting that we love chocolate yet?). Just off of Oxford Street, down a cobbled little side street, is St. Christopher's Place which is a beautiful little haven for people watching and a welcome break from the craziness of Oxford Street. As you step through the archway you leave the frantic shoppers behind and enter a calmer, whilst still extremely bustling, square that is like something out of a film and makes you feel as though you could easily be abroad.
Being ravenous, we headed straight for Carluccio's (one of my favourite chain restaurants, FYI) and, once again, settled ourselves in the window seats because, well, it's all about the people watching.
On the specials that day was a Cherry Bellini made with cherry juice and prosecco, so Mum and I ordered one each to sip on as we waited for our lunch to arrive.
I had the ravioli, whose portion size seems to have tripled since I was last at Carluccio's! I was not expecting so much pasta but with it's light, delicate texture and simple, buttery sauce I am not ashamed to say that I polished off the lot despite thinking I wouldn't be able to manage it.
Mum went for the poached chicken salad which is always a favourite as well as being a safe bet with anyone who is gluten/dairy intolerant and the plump, succulent prunes (that I initially mistook for olives) hidden amongst the abundance of leaves provide a juicy, sweet element.
Carluccio's do offer a completely separate gluten-free menu if you want to be on the safe side, that can be found here.
As an accompaniment, we ordered the green beans (crunchy, sweet and VERY garlicky so no smooching anyone after these bad boys), and the potato gratin which were like traditional dauphinoise but with mushrooms and truffle incorporated within the layers; creamy and divine, I think we were both a bit jealous of having to share these with each other.
Rather than having pudding we opted for the mother of indulgent drink options.
Mum got the hot chocolate which is essentially just rich, melted chocolate topped with a little steamed, frothy milk.
And I got my usual, the bicerin, which consists of a shot of espresso in one jug, a LOT of molten, melted chocolate in another, and chilled cream in another. You then essentially mix this all together in your teacup to the quantity and strength that you desire. It is utterly, sinfully, wonderful.
^more of that people watching I was on about^
Following on from lunch we had a little trip to Selfridges where I made myself very happy and my bank account very anxious by purchasing all things clothes, makeup and, yep you guessed it, food. Dessert to be more precise...
...in the form of Lola's Cupcakes. Lola's is something that has not made it's way up North yet (why God, why?!) and so whenever we are in London it's a treat that I like to have - I mean, just look at that counter! Which an abundance of flavours, styles and sizes to choose from the variety can be overwhelming so my advice is; ask what the best sellers are, and trust your intuition (but I really have never had a bad one so it's a pretty safe bet that you'll enjoy them all).
After a lot of deliberation we chose; the Chocolate Heaven (top left) which was chocolate sponge and chocolate cream topped with chocolate pieces, the Chocolate & Raspberry (top right) which was chocolate sponge and vanilla buttercream with raspberry jam going right the way down through the centre (my personal favourite), the Green Tea, Pistachio & Pomegranate (bottom right) which I think was a green tea flavoured sponge topped with pistachio buttercream (or the other way around) and sprinkled with jewels of pomegranate, and finally, the Red Velvet which was a classic red velvet sponge (ie. mildly chocolate in flavour) topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting.
To view the full, Classic Cupcake menu where you can find all of these flavours then click here.
After a long, long day of retail therapy we were exhausted and took our cupcakes home as a late night treat on the sofa.
The following day would see lots of catching up with family and, therefore, a return trip to Rabot 1745 for a truly indulgent meal...
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