Cristinas the casual steakhouse

Cristinas is exactly how the name says it, a 'casual steakhouse'. I could have almost walked straight past the restaurant not knowing it was even there if it wasn't for the large pink cow placed in front of the window. I visited Cristinas with my two kids and as soon as they saw the cow they were excited.

We got to the restaurant at 12:20 just 20 minutes after opening and as we we walked in, I noticed how busy they were already, with only a couple of tables left. We were seen to straight away and were also asked if we had a table booked, I hadn't but we still managed to get a seat. I sat the boys down noticing how much room we had around our table so we could comfortably enjoy our meal without getting in the way of others. The restaurant is small, with only 11 tables but I loved  how spacious it was between tables. The wooden flooring and wooden tables gave the restaurant a rustic vibe which matched the restaurants casual atmosphere.

I had a look at the one page menu, there wasn't much of a variety but it made it easier to choose what I wanted to indulge in. I love a good steak, I have mine medium rare so thats what I specified when ordering. The plate arrived after ten minutes and I wasn't disappointed. My steak was beautifully sliced with home made chips and a side salad. I also ordered the home made lemonade, which was really tasty, it had that lasting bitter lemon taste that gets you right at the edge of you're jaw, I love that feeling.

I ordered my boys the cheesy veggie pasta because as most kids, their favourite meal is pasta. when placing the order I was advised to get one plate as the portions are quite large, she wasn't wrong. It was a meal for three, my kids ate well and there were still left overs.

I felt pleasantly surprised when seeing the bill as I expected it to be much higher. We all ate really well, the food was really tasty and the atmosphere was casual and friendly. I really enjoyed my experience at Cristinas and I see myself coming back and being a regular. I hope I remember to book next time I visit.

EL&N

I have seen EL&N cafe all over Instagram and I wanted to check it out for myself. I wanted to see if it really was as good as the bloggers and the Instagrammers made out it out to be.

I remember feeling really girlie as I walked into EL&N cafe because I was suddenly surrounded by so much pink. The pretty pink blossom tree, the roses and the wall of pastel coloured coffee cups. All the decor was as it has been seen on Instagram, maybe a little bit edited but still really pretty to look at.

I called over the waitress and placed my order,  the waitress gave us a fairly good service considering the staff seemed to be rushed off their feet as the cafe was very busy. She did forget to serve my drink so I had to remind her at the end.

I was really excited to taste the food because once again, the pictures on Instagram made it all look delicious. I always wondered if the food actually tastes as good as the pictures on social media, I guess I was about to find out. I decided to play it safe and order the the Black Forest Heart as I usually love a chocolate gateau. when the plate arrived, I thought 'Oooh this looks good but it's so little.' I took the first bite which was from the outside of the little heart and it was.....okay, not bad. I carried on eating, feeling a little disappointed until I got to the centre of the heart, the black cherry mouse in the middle made the entire desert worth eating.

I thought the whole experience was okay, I wasn't completely impressed by the food apart from the smallest centre of a Black Forest Heart. Overall I felt the cafe was very mediocre, I do however, think it's a cafe to visit for a great instagram snap because it does look pretty with all the flowers, neon lights and pastel colours. It's worth the picture but unfortunately not worth the food.

L'eto

I grew up in London so I know the amazing places the city has to offer in regards to fulfilling those cravings. So I often find my self contemplating what to eat as there are so many various places that I can experience. It was no different this time round, I found myself having to choose between El&N cafe or L'ETO for a mid morning brunch. I'm so glad I made the decision to choose to walk into L'ETO.

Walking into L'ETO was like walking into summer on the dullest of days. From the butterflies, bright colours and the hanging tulips, it all came together well and gave me that vibrant and uplifting summer feeling that I usually have that time of the year. Summer has always been my favourite season.

I was spoilt for choice as I browsed through the menu, I ended up opting for the turmeric and cinnamon Latte, I felt so happy, warm and cosy taking that first sip because the drink didn't only look pretty it tasted good too.

I was really impressed with the service, I was happily greeted at the door and I didn't have to wait to be seated which is always a bonus in London.  When I placed my order with the waitress, I was asked how I wanted my eggs and thats exactly how I got them, Well done on the outside and runny in the middle so when I cut my knife through it the yolk would ooze out.  My plate arrived and the presentation of the food was so neatly placed and once again, kept with the whole summer theme.The only thing I didn't like was the green bun because I found it a little bit tough to cut into with my table knife. I took a few bites and decided to leave it on the side.

All in All it was a wonderful brunch in a very uplifting atmosphere. I am definitely going to visit again and I always tell my friends and family about visiting L'ETO