Harrods’ and Bikeminded’s Style The Cyclist Pinterest competition opens today! I wrote about the launch at Ladurée here, and now you can start adding your boards to Bikeminded’s Pinterest board.

You have until 27th May 2012 to do so and if you win, you could receive £150 worth of Harrods vouchers as well as see your chosen outfit published in Absolutely Magazine and Harrods Magazine.

Here are the competition rules which tell you which hashtags to use on your board and how to submit your entry.

This is the one I created at the launch -

It was so much fun to do!

So good luck if you’re entering and don’t forget that there are two winners in this competition! Enjoy!

This afternoon I enjoyed an indulgent 5 course lunch at Le Cercle. I arrived at the basement restaurant, which is situated just off Sloane Street, feeling slightly hurried and ravenous.

So when I sat down at my booth and managed to take in the Flower Menu which consists of five courses and an optional sommelier wine pairing, I felt like I was being to forced to somewhat relax.

I had never been to Le Cercle before. It’s not an obvious place to spot from the main road but once you are there, it feels like an intimate local gem. I really like the décor.

At lunch time, the place was quiet but there were a few people dining in pairs: mostly women, catching up with each other. Apparently for dinner, the atmosphere changes and is more buzzy.

The Flower Menu launched on Tuesday and continues until 2nd June 2012 – perfect for The Chelsea Flower Show! And to start with, I had the Confit Salmon with white beetroot, horseradish granité and Borage, which was accompanied by a 2009 Pinot Black, Dom: Schlumberger “Les Princes Abbes”.

The starter was perfectly light. I enjoyed the beetroot and horseradish as well as the salmon and trout roe.

The second course consisted of Pan fried Sea Bass, green almond coulis, black aubergine and Daisies.

What surprised me most about this dish was the honey and maple syrup glazed aubergines. The burst of sweetness with each mouthful was a real delight.

This course was matched with a 2012 Coteaux d’Aix en Provence, Château La Cost, “Rose d’une Nuit”.

The third course – and yes, I was still going – included a roasted lamb chump, polenta fries, confit tomatoes and Rosemary flower.

And whilst I am not generally a fan of polenta, this was definitely my favourite pairing with the 2009 Cotes de Francs, Duc de Nauves. I loved this wine the most and it matched the lamb very well.

For the fourth course, I received a slice of langres cheese with caramelised fig and chilli rhubarb.

On the menu however, do expect to see St. Maure (unpasteurised goat’s cheese) and Lavendar. The cheese dish was paired with a 2009 Saumur, Langlois-Château.

For the finale, I tried the dark chocolate tart and violet ice cream with a 2009 Gaillac, “Les Gravels”, Domaine Rotier.

And wow, what a way to finish a meal. The tart was wonderfully light. It wasn’t too rich but it tasted divine – and the wine was perfectly suited.

Admittedly, when I first looked at the menu I was filled with slight panic: 5 courses for lunch! But actually, the portions worked very well.

The menu costs £35 per person and if you would like to include the wine pairings (which I wholly recommend) then it is £60.

So if you fancy a girly catch up like the other ladies in the restaurant, this could be a place to add to the list – especially during the Chelsea Flower Show.

Bon Appetit! And if you do make down there for the Flower Menu, do let me know which dish you enjoyed the most.

There’s been plenty of tweets today about Public closing down with immediate effect, after losing its  court battle with the local Kensington & Chelsea residents.

Can anyone verify if this is true? I thought that the court matters were resolved months ago, so I’m slightly surprised.

If this is true, how sad are you to see Public go?

*UPDATE: This rumour seems to be true. The nightclub owners had lost their appeal to stay open past 12.30am and so took the decision to close their doors for good. This comes after Public were forced to endure earlier closing hours after complaints from local residents.*

Yesterday I popped into The Markham Inn for a drink, after being out of town for a couple of days.

It was a rare gorgeous Sunday afternoon and Chelsea (FC) were playing. Arriving back onto home turf, I headed straight for Chelsea’s Farmers Market – The Market Place is one of my fave local hangouts. But as expected, it was packed and there was a queue.

So I made a beeline for The Markham Inn with the intention of staying for just one drink: a Dirty Martini.

And this has got to be easily the best Dirty Martini I have had in Chelsea – hands down. Each sip was heaven in a glass: pure bliss. Not only had the barman taken my order with reassuring confidence (I love ordering my favourite drink, not having had to look at the menu and for the barman to say “I can do that”. – Believe me it doesn’t happen that often.)

But this Dirty Martini was divine, so of course I wanted another. And given what time it was, I felt the urge to grab an early supper too.

So we picked up our glasses and made our way round to the back of the bar and sat in the dining room area.

Along with my second martini …

I ordered fish and chips.

The batter was wonderfully crispy and the fish was firm but silky. The chips and pea purée were also very good.

Meanwhile, the bf enjoyed his burger with a beer.

The last time the bf had a burger, it fell apart in his hands. So the fact that this one didn’t and that it tasted “extremely good” with its sweet cured bacon and brioche bun was a bonus.

I skipped the dessert menu and opted for an Espresso Martini, which I ordered without the espresso gomme. I don’t like my martinis too sweet.

All in all, I had a gorgeous Sunday supper as locals filled the front part of the bar. This was the perfect way to end the weekend.

In last week’s Sunday Times, Quilon was rated 18 in the top 30 sexy places to eat in the country.

The Sunday Times describes the venue as perfect if you love Indian food and suggests booking one of the two private booths for some privacy.

A couple of months back, I visited the Michelin starred Indian restaurant to meet with its head chef Sriram Aylur – to talk about Quilon which he moved to after it was set up in 1999 and to discuss Bombay Brasserie which he now also oversees.

CG: How did you find your way to Quilon?

SA: I had been working for Taj Hotels, which owns Quilon and Bombay Brasserie, for 24 years in India and before they asked me to move to London, I was posted in Bangalor.

I was very excited to move here because I consider New York and London the food capitals of the world.

CG:  What is the most exciting aspect of the London restaurant scene.

SA: There is so much competition here. We are not just competing with other Indian restaurants but with all cuisines.

Customers are also more discerning because of the increased exposure restaurants now receive. The restaurant scene is more different than ever. There is exposure to the quality of ingredients and the range of foods available to us.

CG: What do you like to eat?

SA: I eat all cuisines. I’m always trying something different.

CG: So what is the difference between Quilon and Bombay Brasserie?

SA: Quilon’s menu focuses on the West Coast of India whereas Bombay Brasserie reflects the diversity of Bombay. Bombay is the melting pot of India and there are so many communities within this city. As you can imagine, there is also a large variety of cuisines.

Quilon is located along Buckingham Palace Gate but sadly, if you’re thinking of popping in during the Jubilee celebrations it will be closed. 

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram then you may have seen quite a few Ladurée related tweets and/or photos last week.

This was because of the Style The Cyclist competition which Harrods and Bikeminded have launched together.

The media launch took place at Ladurée, first thing last Thursday morning.

And at the event, bloggers and journalists were asked to take part in a Pinterest activity that would reflect the actual Style The Cyclist competition.

We had to each pin items of clothing and accessories from Harrods’ collection onto Pinterest boards that were set up for us – to create a stylish outfit that we would wear cycling.

The Clothes Whisperer will be one of the competition's judges

Lady Velo

Beauty And The Dirt and Coco's Tea Party

For The Young Dude and London Cycling Campaign

And as we pinned and chatted amongst each other, along with members of the Harrods and Bikeminded teams, we were served breakfast.

Here is the board which I created. What do you think?

The full details of the Style The Cyclist will be released next week but I can reveal that in order to take part, you will need to have a Pinterest account set up by the end of next week (18th May 2012).

Also, the prizes are fit for any aspiring stylist. Not only will two winners receive £150 worth of Harrods vouchers but the chosen outfits will be photographed by a fashion photographer and will be included in both Absolutely Magazine and the Harrods Magazine. So it’s a great opportunity for any budding fashionista who is trying to build their portfolio!

If you want to be the first to find out more about the competition, Bikeminded will be releasing the details on Pinterest on Wednesday 16th May and on Thursday 17th May, the news will spread to Twitter, Facebook and their Blog.

And if you find the competition half as fun as we did at the launch, not only will you have a fabulous dream outfit but you will most probably catch the Pinterest bug by the time you submit your entry – if you haven’t already!

*Just to add, Bikeminded are a social media client of mine who I’m providing consultation on this campaign for. I’m also involved with some of their other projects. But they have not paid me to write this post. I cycle, I love clothes and I have a contained addiction to Pinterest. So, it’s a real no-brainer: if I’m excited about this competition then a few of my readers might be too.*

I hope you enjoy the competition and if you’re entering, good luck! x

Do you know about the lion called Christian that grew up on the King’s Road, after two Australian men bought him from Harrods in 1969?

The story of Christian has touched the hearts of millions around the world, thanks to YouTube – and it  is summarised in this video clip below:

The reason for this post is that I popped into the Chelsea Library this morning and was surprised to see an exhibition of Christian the Lion photos on show.

The photos show Christian as a cub and they follow his growing up on the King’s Road as well as his playful relationship with his two owners who eventually sent him to Kenya once he was fully grown. There are also some touching photos of the trio’s reunion.

The exhibition consists of iconic photos as well as a collection of intimate moments captured. They represent a moment in history when King’s Road was at its coolest and most cutting edge whilst also appealing to the nostalgia in you – even though you didn’t really know Christian in person.

Christian the Lion is an important facet of King’s Road history and I am so pleased to discover that this exhibition is on. But it ends on 13th May 2012, so there isn’t much time if you want to pop along too.

Also on show are prints by Joy Adamson, the author of Born Free as well as Anna Tham’s beautiful Animals in Jewellery.

And if you want to find out more about The Story of Christian in prints: His Life on the King’s Road, take a look at this website.

Chelsea Gallery, Chelsea Old Town Hall: May 2nd – 13th.

Just as one Bank Holiday ends, I’m already thinking of the next one. Well who isn’t? I mean, especially given that it’s going to be a four-day weekend (from Saturday 2nd June until Tuesday 5th June).

So I thought I’d jot down a few ideas of what was going on locally, to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

There’ll be events around the country, throughout the long weekend, and on Sunday 3rd June, there will be the Thames River Pageant. To celebrate this extravagant procession, Battersea Park will be holding a Diamond Jubilee Festival, which I have already booked tickets for! There will be plenty going on: from the Diamond Geezer pop-up tent (ha!) to other food and drinks stalls, as well as vintage fashion. And all along, you’ll be able to see the 1,000 ships sail past along the Chelsea Embankment. For more info, click on the event’s website.

Jubilee tea parties will undoubtedly be springing up around the country but if you fancy something a little more indulgent on Sloane Square, The Botanist have put together a special afternoon tea menu with Marmite.

There will be two main menus involved and they will be available from Monday 28th May to Sunday 10th June.

The Botanist Marmite afternoon tea (£18 per person) 

- Marmite and assorted finger sandwiches 

- Homemade cheddar, chive and Marmite scones

- Marmite and cheese straws

- A selection of afternoon sweets and cakes including chocolate cake with Marmite caramel buttercream, Black Velvet cupcakes and Marmite and peanut butter brownies

- Pot of Jing Tea 

Gentleman’s Marmite afternoon tea (£18 per person – £25 with a Marmite Mary)

- Marmite and assorted finger sandwiches

- Homemade Cheddar, chive and Marmite scones

- Marmite and cheese straws

- Marmite rarebit

And if you want to dress like royalty whilst you party, By Brilliant have a new Tiara collection. Prices range from £95 to £125 and the lab diamonds sparkle with brilliance.

So what are your plans for the Jubilee? Are you organising something yourself or heading somewhere special?

*As and when more events come up, I’ll be updating this post – so do be sure to check back.*

I’m writing this post in the study of a country house, which I’m visiting. It’s wet outside and we’re contemplating putting the fire on. Still, I’m feeling nice and cosy after a few pub outings over the weekend and this is the perfect excuse to go over my holiday photos from last month when I was in the Philippines.

I’ve also just come across my recent pics from Brunei where I spent a day on a stopover. The heat was so stifling and you could feel a storm brewing or needing to happen to relieve the pressure in the air. It’s really hard to imagine right now.

For this post I picked out a few favourite photos because of their colour. As you probably know from my Think Pink post, when the sky is grey I like to inject colour or sparkles into my life.

Here  is my favourite: the tiles from the Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque. I’m a huge fan of Islamic art and design and I just love these colours too. So pretty!

We couldn’t take photos inside the mosque, which has chandeliers that are dripping in Swarovski  crystals and are plated in 24 carat gold. There’s also an amazing flying marble staircase which is unsupported. Difficult to imagine but fantastic to experience.

In the Royal Regalia Building, I fell in love with these parasols which were used in the Sultan’s state processions.

And with every building we entered, we had to take off our shoes. I think the guards thought I was a bit nuts to take this photo but I just love the image and all that it represents.

Here is a street sign in Bandar Seri Begawan, the city that you fly into.

The original site of Bandar Seri Begawan exists as Brunei’s Water Village and so Brunei’s infrastructure is relatively recent.

And of course, I couldn’t write a post about a place without mentioning its food. Whilst in Brunei for the day, I ate dim sum. I couldn’t get enough of it. Each dish was so good and I didn’t try much else, except for their sweets.

With the supercars and crowds flocking into Knightsbridge every summer, it was great to take a peek at the way of life of the normal folks within these oil states. And it was great to speak to the locals and discover some of the friendliest people I have ever met.

Brunei is an interesting place to visit and you leave the sovereign state asking yourself more questions than when you arrived.