When I used to live in Shepherds Bush, I went to Westfield quite a lot.. Quit often.. or let’s say, all the time! A lot of times I went to this lovely cafe, called ‘Benugo’. They served really nice food, but mostly I got this really nice green tea they have. Most of the time I went here alone, but I often met a friend there or I took my laptop with me to write the book I was writing at that moment. It was quite a big cafe and it was perfect for me. Everybody I knew liked this cafe, but sadly, one day, they closed down and it was replaced by.. Five Guys! Like.. how? This is one of the most horrific replacements ever in my opinion. Benugo has cafe’s, but some of them also have a kitchen. When I was in Southbank, I went to Waterloo Station and visited a Benugo cafe, to see what vegan options they have these days.
I looked at all the food, checking for vegan food. There wasn’t a lot of food in general, but there was a vegan falafel salad. When I asked one of the staff members, he said it just came in that day. What means, before that, they probably didn’t have vegan options. I’m glad that they decided to add this to the cafe-menu. It looked nice, but I thought it was quite expensive though. It was a small bowl, but for eating in, you had to pay almost £7! I asked if the hot chocolate was vegan and they checked for me. It was, f made with soy milk. The pack even had the vegan label on it. It had been a long time since I ordered hot chocolate.. years really! I also grabbed a little chocolate and so, all together, it was all very chocolaty afternoon snack. The hot chocolate was super nice and the little chocolate.. gosh! It was 53% cacao and it had salted almonds in it. You have to try this!
The Benugo in Waterloo Station is a bit different as it’s in front of the shops and not in a proper building. It’s a nice one though. It’s very vintage, with the stone bar, the reading lights and the wooden chairs. I said at the bar, overlooking the station, with the huge station clock in front of me. It was a nice spot. Though, because it’s not in a proper building, it’s quite cold. A lot of Benugo cafe’s/kitchens are inside a public place. Like this one, inside the station, but they’re also inside museums or even in some John Lewis warehouses for example. I wish there were more Benugo cafe’s on it’ own though. They’re perfect cafes to take your laptop with you, to do some work and I wouldn’t go to the museum that fast to work there. A very good thing about Benugo is that they try their best to be sustainable. You’d think they’d be all vegan then, but that isn’t the case, unfortunately. Soon I will check out a Benugo kitchen and check their vegan option as I’m really curious now.
WHO? Benugo.
WHERE? Waterloo Station, 19/20 The Balcony, SE1 7LY.
CUISINE? Cafe.
VEGAN? No! (omni)
OVERALL? 7 (delicious (hot) chocolate, but could have been more lunch options)
Do you know Benugo already? Or are you going to try it now? Please let me know! You can do this by leaving a comment below. You can also show me by tagging me on Instagram or by using #PlanetManel. Thank you! X
As a nanny you go to lots of playgroups and activities. Once a week I also go to Kilburn library, to sing songs and read books. There are some lovely shops and cafe’s at Salusbury Road. I often get a nice tea at Starbucks and the farmers market is on every Sunday. There is also a cafe, called ‘Bob’s Cafe’. It stands out because of the nice blue-green colour. After the library we (the 1 year old I look after and me) went to have lunch there. I did see sweet potato fries on the menu and as you know I really like those. So I was curious what they were like and what I could have with them.
They didn’t have a lot of choice for vegans unfortunately, but they did have a falafel burger. I thought that will go well with my sweet potato fries. I told the waiter I was vegan and that if this one will be alright if the yogurt sauce was left out. He was quite sure, but he would ask just in case. For the girl I look after I ordered toast with houmous and she could share my fries. It both came at the same time, but they gave me normal fries instead of sweet potato. So they were going to change it. In the meantime I had some of the toast and houmous, what was really good. Thickly sliced sourdough bread, properly toasted, very yummy! My fries arrived quite fast, what was nice. The falafel was really good, but when I was nearly finished, I noticed that the bread had quite a particular taste and also looked very golden brown. Then I realised there was probably egg used in and on it. If I was alone I would have said it and made a little bit of a fuss about it, but the baby was tired and we had to go home. Next time I will say something about it and order it with the sourdough bread. I’m sure that it will be very nice like that. My tummy started to feel weird on the way back and I had to lay down at home, because I felt so weird and uncomfortable. So I’m quite sure there was egg on the burger. A real disappointment!
I quite like the interior. They created a nice atmosphere with the booths seating on one side of the cafe, the light walls and the plants everywhere on the wall and hanging from the ceiling. It would have been nice if the plants were all real though. I really like the colours and that there are a few seats outside too. People were using them, as the weather was lovely that day. It’s child friendly I would say and if you go a bit early, like we did, it isn’t too busy. The staff was 50/50 I would say. Very helpful and open-minded (just not well informed). I’m sure if you ask them to put a vegan salad together (and make sure to tell them what is and isn’t vegan) they will. There was one lady though, who looked super moody and didn’t say anything. I think she didn’t mean it like that, but it wasn’t beneficial for the atmosphere. A shame.
Zizzi is a restaurant I kind of always knew was around, but never went to. I’m not sure why though. Maybe, and I’m not even joking, it’s because whenever I see this restaurant there is a 
I read about their vegan cheese and that is one of the reasons I went here. The menu has quite a lot of vegan options or dishes which can be made vegan. I went for a pizza, because I was curious about their cheese. Zizzi is one of the very few (for now, hopefully..) restaurants who offer a vegan alternative to mozzarella. I think they deserve a big compliment for this! I think it’s totally awesome that they do and it makes them very popular around vegans. Also because now you can easily go with a group ..family, friends or colleagues, this way everybody can order something they want, without they feel forced to go to certain restaurants. I ordered the ‘Winter Zucca’ pizza, with butternut squash, as I love butternut squash. It was lovely, though I found that they put a bit too much cheese actually, haha.. I feel like I’m being super difficult now. The cheese was very good though and the pizza was very yummy overall. Oh and if the vegan cheese option wasn’t enough, they also offer vegan ice cream. Super cool! Very tasty as well, I had a very lovely meal. Definitely recommend to eat here.
Something I noticed about the Zizzi restaurants, is that they are all based in lovely buildings. The one in Richmond is very nice and as far as I’ve seen, they all are in similar buildings. I like it. Inside it’s lovely too. A lot of wood, warm lighting, a good overall atmosphere and super child/family friendly I would say. I think Zizzi’s is a very good restaurant to celebrate your birthday or to have a nice meal for any other occasion what involves eating with a bit of a bigger group. Because of the location and food that everybody likes. All Italian based. I mean.. who doesn’t like pizza? Also they have a lot of choice when it comes to the food in general. The staff was very friendly and helpful, what I always appreciate. They checked everything for me and were able to answer all my questions. Lovely restaurant!
I went to Gracelands on a very stormy day. The storm was so crazy, that they put a table and door stoppers to stop the door from opening all the time and the storm blowing everything away inside. Luckily, you can also go into Gracalands via the back. There is a building called ‘
I ordered a Chai tea with soy milk and an organic porridge with fruit compote. They normally make it with cow’s milk, but I asked if it was possible to have it with almond milk and that was totally fine. They were super easy going. I was very curious about the fruit compote. The tea came first and I did have to wait a little longer for my porridge though. It was a little busy, must have been all people who tried to find shelter from the storm. It was worth the wait though, because the porridge looked lovely and it was very tasty! I really liked that it was made with whole rolled oats. This way it’s a bit more chewy. I like my porridge like that. It makes me think about the way my grandma makes it. The fruit compote was super tasty too. It was pear, grapes and maybe even some other fruit too. It had these yummy winter spices, what was a super nice combination with the warm porridge. The tea was from Pukka and I like that tea a lot. Lovely breakfast all together! You can also get salads and I’m sure they can make you something vegan in case you’re there for lunch.
Gracelands is quite a big cafe. It has lots of big vintage tables and chairs and it is perfect for if you want to take your laptop and work for a bit. It’s quite close to my flat, so I might have breakfast here more often and work there in the morning. Because of there are children classes and a play corner for children, there are a lot of mums and nannies with their children. So be prepared for that though. On the other hand, if you have children yourself, it’s a lovely cafe to go to! The style is very vintage and I think it’s a very nice style for a cafe. The front is already very nice, with the colours and the little lights hanging in the windows. They sure created a nice atmosphere. I think they could have done even better though, as here and there it does look a bit messy or something. The staff is very friendly and the food is nice, so worth a go!
I remember when I just moved to Hemel Hempstead, 5 years ago, and that I discovered Holland&Barrett. It was the first health store I went to and when I got home from my shopping trip, I called my mum to tell her that there is a really nice health store just 15 min walk from my house. Not knowing at that time that Holland&Barrett is the leading health shop in the UK. Because let’s face it.. Holland&Barrett is everywhere! I’m sure you’ve seen or heard of this shop. Just in case you didn’t know what I’m talking about or if you’re curious what I normally get here, I thought I make it a hotspot. Also.. how can a health store like this not be on my blog yet?!
Because my previous job was very close to Portobello Road, I mostly went to the one located there. It’s not a very big one, but they have a lot of vegan products though. Now, I most of the time go to the one in Westfield. They moved (to the opposite side) a while ago and now it’s much bigger and newer than it used to be. So there are 2 things I especially go to Holland&Barrett for. That is for the brand ‘Fry’s’ (I mostly get the traditional hamburgers) and the ‘BooTea’ detox tea. I don’t know other shop where they sell these 2 things and they’re simply the best when it comes to burgers and detox tea. And then when I’m there anyway, it might happen I also get things like: Vio life cheese, Provamel yogurt, coconut oil, plant-based milk, B12 supplements, snack bars, Moo Free chocolate and nuts/seeds. They have so many good products. Though, they also have products I think are really bad. For example (and I really don’t get this) quite a lot of their dried fruits etc, of their own brand, have sugar in them. Such a shame!
One of the absolute best things from Holland&Barrett is their discounts and sales! Because at first you think they’re quite expensive. Only if you look at the things on sale you can get so much stuff for really not too much money. Half price on my detox tea for example, but also on a lot of supplements and on big bags of nuts/seeds.. all great things, you normally pay a lot of money for. They also have ‘penny sales’ for example, where every second product is only 1p! How great right?! They always have some sort of sale going on + when you’re a member you get very nice coupons too. So make sure you get the H&B customer card and go shopping (you can also 
So, as many of you probably know, my favourite pizza is the pizza from Pizza East. They have the worlds best pizza, that is just a fact. I know, it’s a bit weird to write about Strada, but telling you that the best pizza you can eat, is at Pizza East. Though there is a reason, because before I discovered Pizza East, my favourite pizza was from Strada. They do have very yummy pizza’s too. I didn’t go to Strada for quite a while, because there is no Strada restaurant close to me and the ones that were closest to me, are all gone. Then a while ago, I went to Southbank in the afternoon, so I popped into Strada to have lunch.
I was very excited about going here again, just because I was wondering if I would still like the pizza that much, after being so used to the Pizza East pizza’s. So I normally always order a pizza with the same toppings: olives, mushrooms, onions, broccoli and aubergine. Though, then I saw this pizza called ‘Caprino’. It has tomatoes, roasted courgette and aubergine. It also has mozzarella and goat’s cheese, but I asked for olives and rocket instead of that. I just wanted to try something different. It had roasted veggies and I thought it was still a very safe choice. It turned out to be a very good choice, because it was delicious! I’m quite sure I’ll order it again, next time I’m here. You should really try it. What answers the question if I still liked their pizza. I sure did! The base is very thin though, what is 
good, but the only thing is that it’s a little soft in the middle, what makes it tricky to eat. The taste is good though. Neutral, but crispy, with more flavour on the sides where the oven burned the edges a bit (yum!). The tomatoes are semi-dried and they tasted so good with the roasted courgette and aubergine. After a whole pizza (yes I can eat a whole pizza) I was too full for dessert, but in case you want to oder dessert, they have sorbets in 3 flavours: mango, raspberry and lemon. They do have quite some vegan options on the menu. Olives and bread as a starter. Very nice rosemary/garlic potatoes, (skin on) fries, tender stem broccoli’s and salad, as side dishes. When I didn’t want to eat pizza, I often ordered 3 side dishes as a meal. Oh they also do a nice spaghetti with a tomato-basil sauce (order without the mozzarella) and bruschetta. The bruschetta looks very good. The lady next to me ordered it and she kept saying how good and tasty it was. So, a good thing to try too!
The Strada restaurants are very family/child friendly. The kids pizza’s are quite big btw. You could easily have them, with a salad on the side, as an adult lunch. The Southbank restaurant is quite a big restaurant, what is good, because it’s always busy. Mainly because of the tourists, but I also think because the National Theatre and the Southbank Centre are close. I like that the kitchen is basically in the middle of the restaurant and that you can see how and where the food is made. I also really like the big Italy prints on the wall, with the basil and yummy looking tomatoes. It sure works for your appetite! All together it’s a lovely restaurant to eat tasty food, but I do think it would be nice if they had a few more vegan options. It would also be handy if the menu showed you the vegan options available. They only specify vegetarian at the moment.
When I was in Southbank a little while ago I passed the Southbank Centre shop. I never even knew that there was a shop like this, but then, the last time I was at Southbank was quite a while ago. Maybe I never payed attention. Such a shame, because it’s a really nice shop. They expanded in 2011 and it’s quite a nice size shop with lots of cool stuff. What got my attention was all the nice cups, teapot and dishes in front of the window. I had a look through the window, but soon I realised that I had to go inside, because I saw so much more I wanted to have a closer look at and touch.
At the Southbank Centre Shop they update their collection regularly. They stay tuned on seasonal trends and all the things happening in the Southbank Centre itself. What makes it such an interesting shop, because there are lot of artistic things, unique things and stuff you can get everywhere. I wanted to look at all the things they sell (what means I was there for quite a while) and a lot of things I wanted to have, haha! At the moment they have lots of Scandinavian things. They also sell lovely books, cards, very cool lightning, London themed stuff (great souvenirs) and so much more.. What is also a helpful thing is that there are quite some nice gifts for men. So in case you’re looking for a nice gift for you dad, brother, boyfriend or an uncle.. (we all know how hard it can be) have a look here!
Some of the things their favourite things in the shop are: Prints and cards from Paul Catherall / Southbank themed prints and accessories from RUDE / Children’s clothing and bags from Mibo / Quirky ceramics by Jimbobart / Innovative kitchenware by Normann Copenhagen / Children’s toys by Best Years / Ruby Ruth Dolls / Jewellery from Laura Gravestock, Tatty Devine and Estella Bartlett / Paul Thurlby’s ‘alphabet’ range / Textiles by Kangan Arora / Cheeky greetings from The Naughty Little Card Shop.
It looks so nice.. sushi on a belt! You sit at a table or at the bar and you can pick whatever you like. When I think about sushi, I always think about a sushi belt. Though, a lot of sushi restaurants don’t even have one. There is at least one known sushi restaurant that does have one and that is ‘Yo Sushi’. Funny name! A few years ago I went to Yo Sushi, but I only remember ordering some Avocado maki. I really wanted to go again as I love Japanese food. On my last birthday my boyfriend and I went to the premier of ’50 Shades Darker’ in Westfield and as there is a Yo Sushi in Westfield, I chose to go there. So that is what we did.
It was a Friday evening, so there were no tables available anymore. Not to worry, we took seats at bar. What was fine. I asked about the vegan options and they asked if I would like to see the vegan menu. Vegan menu? Yes please! On the vegan menu you can see what dishes are vegan. To see what it looks like (every dish has a picture) and what it costs, you have to look at the general menu. If you look at the pictures I took, you can see that every plate has a different colour. Every colour is a different price. You can get the dishes from the belt or you can order them. There is plenty of staff walking around, but in case there is nobody or they’re busy helping somebody else, they invented a button. If you push the button they can see you need them to come over. Super handy! The edamame beans are on the belt quite a lot, but the 
maki rolls for example, you have to order. They also have a ‘Tofu Katsu Curry’ (yes!) and you have to order that one too. Of course I did, because this was one of the reasons I wanted to go here. It was super delicious. My boyfriend ordered the ‘Miso Dumpling Ramen with Rice’ and that was very delicious too. I really love that he chooses to eat vegan whenever he’s with me. He’s amazing! Another favourite of mine, is the ‘Pumpkin Katsu’ and my boyfriend really liked the ‘Vegetable Gyoza’. In total there are 17 vegan dishes and I think that really deserves a compliment! I also really like that on the bar, in a lot of places, there are 2 little taps with still and sparkly water. So you order a glass and then you can fill it as many times as you like. Next to the tabs you can also help yourself to soy sauce, wasabi and ginger.
Yo Sushi is quite a fancy restaurant I think. The sushi belt makes it look really cool I guess. Though I also really dislike the belt at the same time. It’s just because you’re eating this yummy cruelty free food, but in the meantime there are all dead fish and cows passing by every second. It would have been amazing if all plates had vegan food on it. Maybe they should introduce vegan evenings?! Haha.. would be cool! The place itself is all very bright and quite colourful. There is a lot of silver, white and bright orange. I think Yo Sushi is very nice to go to with people who all like something different, because there are so many little dishes. I think you can always find something you like.
On my way to the Whole Foods Market I always pass Notting Hill Gate and there is this cafe/smoothie bar, called ‘Crussh’. I really liked there logo and name and it just looks very appealing. Also.. reviewing smoothies is never a problem, so I went for it. I went before Christmas (I know little late to post it now, sorry!) and I was having a terrible cough at the time. They say they serve ‘fit food’, so I thought, that is what I need. I needed to be fit again! Loading myself up with a boost of vitamins and goodness, seemed like a great idea.
They have a lot of choice and you can even add extra shots of extra healthy things. Great to cure my cough, haha! I went for a strawberry smoothie and added an echinacea booster. As it was lunch time, I also ordered an avocado, red pepper and cashew nut tapenade wrap. Doesn’t that sound awesome?! It sounds awesome.. but it tasted even better. It was a super delicious wrap, with lots of nice, fresh and crunchy veggies. I really enjoyed that. They do have a few more vegan options for eating.. like a sweet potato falafel salad wrap! Gosh, that I do need to try too. The smoothie was really good too, sweet and fruity. I should come here for lunch more often.
Like I said earlier, I really like their design, the logo and the name. It’s simple, but catchy. I went to the one in Notting Hill Gate and I like that one, because you can sit upstairs. It’s quite big and because it’s upstairs, it’s quiet too. They have comfy sofa’s , but also proper tables and chairs. It’s perfect to bring your laptop and so some work (I might do that next week actually!). They have quite a lot of locations, which you can all find on their 
This week the hotspot is a little different from the other hotspots. This hotspot is not a cafe or a restaurant, but a gift-shop. Sometimes I like to put some other things here too, just because I feel like I have to tell you about it. Today’s hotspot is Verandah. I walked passed this shop several times and I always thought it was an interesting shop. I never went inside though. Most of the time I past it, it was early in the morning on my way to work or in the evening, coming back from work and it’s always closed at that time. Then the day I went to 
I didn’t know where to look first. I felt like I had not enough eyes. I got this greedy feeling inside of me as I wanted to have almost everything I saw. Especially the beautiful bowls, dishes, glasses and cups. They also have lovely decoration for your interior, books, toys, clothes and much more. Every piece seems to be a real eye catcher, it’s all very unique. Most of the things I saw, I wouldn’t know where else to buy. It all looks exclusive and amazing. Surprisingly enough, it’s quite affordable though. Some things are a little more expensive, but most of the things are actually ok. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a nice gift for somebody. Though I’m sure you’ll see something you like to have for yourself too. They have lovely, sweet looking jewellery too. I also really really like their card selection. Beautiful, funny, unique, not every day cards. I love cards! I always buy the cards I like, sometimes for myself. Just because I can’t think of not getting it. I also really like the floor, It’s grey, wooden and with some sort of white line pattern. Really cool and very suitable for this kind of shop.
Shortly after starting my new job, I found out there was another Verandah shop. The first one I discovered and talked about so far is the one on Chamberlayne Road. Then it turns out there is a second shop on College Road. They’re quite close together, what I don’t understand, but it must work out I guess. I went to this one too, just after I came back from the ‘Gracelands Cafe’. They are next to each other. The shops are roughly the same size, though this one might be slightly bigger. They have the same sort of stuff, absolutely beautiful things, you want to just own. They also have lotssss of very nice cards here and even some beauty products. There was this really nice looking and amazing smelling hand cream, what said it was not tested on animals. I’m not sure if it is vegan though, but I took a picture of it and I’m going to research. If it turns out to be vegan, you might see it back in ‘
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