It has been MONTHS, I’d like to say even almost a year since I last did one of my fine dining posts. I am seriously slacking on this whole blogging thing but I promise you that from today onwards I will be consistent!
Manchester is one of the biggest and most exciting cities here in the U.K. and of course it has a huge food scene but where is the best place to go for the finest dining experience? When most people visit cities they never really focus on where they’re eating, however, I love food too much, so much that I have to google the best places to eat before even leaving my house. But today you don’t have to do that because I’m making your life 10 times easier and giving you the top most highly rated restaurants to try out whilst you’re in Manchester.
The evening menu consists of tapas-like small plates (Voltini) – perfect for sharing – and delicious larger plates that offer tasty alternatives to standard restaurant food such as belly-stuffed seabass, the lamb shwarma naan burger or hake with black daal. As well as amazing food, after eating why not retreat to the Winter Garden to enjoy a house cocktail beneath the fairy-lit trees.
Known as Manchester’s most prestigious restaurant, Manchester house specialises in some what ‘unconventionally traditional’ dishes, updating classic flavour combinations with unusual twists and breath-taking presentations. The 10 or 14 course tasting menus (vegetarian options available) offer delectable flavours that are designed to give diners a taster of the full à la carte menu with dishes such as steamed pigeon with cherry broth and mustard, carpet clam with morels and asparagus and Manchester tart ice cream. If you’re planning a really special evening, book the chef’s table to watch the kitchen in action or the private dining room to enjoy the views over Manchester while you eat.
Located in the Midland hotel, The French is one of the most elegant and romantic restaurants in the city, it was the location of David and Victoria Beckham’s first date! The evening tasting menu stays true to the refined dining the restaurant is renowned for, albeit with a contemporary twist.
Hawksmoor is the place to dine if you have a love for steak. Alongside their iconic steak menu (larger cuts such as Chateaubriand or Porterhouse are ideal for sharing while their smaller sirloins, fillets and rumps are frequently talked about as the best in the city), fish is the dish of the day with whole lobster, roast scallops and house-cured salmon appearing as highlights on the menu for those who aren’t so keen on beef. Located on the edge of Spinningfields inside a Victorian courthouse, the interior of the restaurant is suitably grand, with upcycled reclaimed materials used throughout.
With a place in Restaurant Magazine’s Top 100 this is a must. The city centre’s only Michelin Bib Gourmand, Lancashire Life’s Restaurant of the Year, and Manchester Food and Drink Festival’s Newcomer of the Year, there is no stopping Simon Shaw’s King Street Restaurant. The food is as good as ever, but it is the setting, the location and that delightful al fresco rooftop bar that make this a place to return to.
It’s the new year and you know what that means, it’s time to declutter and reset. I feel as though at the start of every new year we need to get rid of everything that we no longer need – it’s the only way to start the year. Why wait till spring?
Once you have everything in a pile, you have the things that you want to keep, the things that you want to give to Charity, the things that you want to sell and the things that you want to throw away. Now if you have designer pieces in your sell pile I would recommend to sell them on Vestiaire collective. It is known as Europe’s leading online marketplace for buying and selling pre-owned luxury fashion.
If you read my blog post which I posted around a year and a half ago on investment pieces you would know that some brands just never go out of style – Chanel, Hermès and Dior! These are the 3 brands that will never lose their value but instead are only getting more valuable with time.
You can think of this as a follow-up to that post. I’m kind of giving you guys advice on what to do after you have bought the bag and no longer need it.
The first thing you have to consider when selling a bag is, whether it is worth selling. Is it of top quality? Can I prove its authenticity and original value? Has it kept its original shape? Has it kept its original colour? And does it have any scratches? If the answer for any of these questions is no just keep in mind that the value of the bag will not be as close to the original as if you had answered yes for all of these questions and that it may take longer for you to sell than if it was in perfect condition. And whatever you do not throw away the dust bag and the box that the bag came in because this will be more appealing to a potential buyer.
The next step is deciding when to sell. Don’t sell too early and don’t sell too late. It’s a little easier to sell classic and iconic designs such as Chanel, Dior and Hermès because the demand for these remains fairly constant and won’t change anytime soon. However, with more trend like designs, the demand for these will change and it is important to sell at the right time and during the right season. Light and pastel-coloured bags are better in spring, bright-coloured bags sell better in summer and darker and neutral-toned bags sell better in winter. The best way to know when it’s right to sell is to use social media to your advantage, social media will tell you what’s on trend, when it’s on trend and what people want to buy.
Of course, you can’t forget the selling price. You need to find a balance, you want to sell your item for as much as you possibly can, however, you also want to make sure that it sells, therefore, you can’t set a price that is too high or a price that is too low. So I would recommend checking out similar items to yours, second-hand items to be precise to see how much they’re selling for and to take that into consideration when setting a price for your item. Also, write down the prices of the things that have sold and the prices of those that haven’t, this is key to ensuring that you pick the correct price.
Lastly, presentation, the presentation is everything so you need to take the best pictures that you possibly can to showcase your item. The picture is the thing that sells your item. The way that it is presented is what attracts the buyer the most, therefore, you need to take a picture of every angle that you possibly can and to make sure that it is of high quality. You also need to give a very detailed description of your item and listing all of the imperfections no matter how small they may be because what buyers appreciate the most is a seller who is truthful. It is always best to be honest because in the end all sold items are checked for quality and authenticity by Vestaire Collective so any unmentioned imperfections will be called out and this can result in the order being cancelled the sale altogether.
However, once your item is up for sale you need to be active and answer questions that potential buyers may have and you need to make sure that you are responsive because the more you engage the better chance you have of your item being seen by the community, therefore, more chance of it being sold!
Disclaimer;
You can buy and sell a range of items on Vestaire Collective, I just found it easier to give an example, that example being designer bags.
Buying on Vestiaire Collective
If you have any worries about shopping on Vestiaire Collective you can be assured that quality and authenticity is at the heart of the business. Each item sold is checked by a team of in-house experts before being shipped to you. Known as Europes leading online marketplace for buying and selling online you will find anything and everything on Vestaire from vintage items to last seasons Valentino jacket.
A gift from me to you
To start the new year Vestiaire Collcetive are offering new customers £20 off their first order of £200 or over with the code WELCOME17. Just simply click the link below!
I have officially just finished my first half term of 6th form and I am tired, I could honestly sleep for the rest of the year! All I can think about is getting away, I need a break from reality, I need to rest and I need to recharge and what better place to go than a spa. Nothing but relaxation!
If you are searching for the best of the very best in luxury wellness spa resorts, you have come to the right place. I have spent the last few hours lusting over these amazing resorts around the world and have decided to make it my mission to visit every single one of them within the next few years as we dive in to my top 5 most expensive and luxury wellness spa resorts around the world!
Surrounded by lush tropical jungle, Como Shambhala Estate in Bali is more than any other spa but an award winning, luxury resort. Besides spa classics such as massages, guests can also opt for a traditional cleansing ceremony, which begins with an immersion in the sacred waters at Tirta Empul temple at nearby Tampak Siring.
Luxurious treatment villas, nestled beneath thatched roofs each with spectacular ocean views, provide a perfect tranquil space for an individualised, holistic wellness journey.
With 17 luxurious treatment rooms awarding breath-taking views of the stunning natural surroundings, explore an exotic list of natural treatments with up to eleven spa treatments each day. Complete your stay with an unforgettable adventure through the African wilderness on a private-guide safari and spot zebras, rhinos, giraffe and leopards.
Body image is something that affects everyone and I feel as though we only ever hear about the way that it affects young girls and women but what about men and young boys?
At some points in our lives we all struggle with body confidence and we are our worst critics, we see faults in ourselves that other people don’t see and it is truly damaging to our mental health. My motto has always been and will forever be ; ‘you need to learn to love yourself before you can allow yourself to love another person because at the end of the day if you can’t love yourself who will?’.
Of course as a teenager I still have a lot to learn about life but I find it saddening to see people around me tear themselves apart trying to be the ‘perfect girl’ that they see in magazines and the instagram models that we all envy to be. As much as I love this industry it does have it’s faults, one of them being that it fails to represent women of all shapes and sizes. Last year I watched one of my closest friends go through something that I would never wish upon anyone and it’s all because of this idea that society has put into our heads – if we’re not skinny we’re not beautiful.
I am very lucky in the sense that I have learned to love myself and although I have my days, I am happy with the way that I look and would not change a thing about myself. However this is not the case for many people out there, there are young girls as young as the age of 10 that are starving themselves and over exercising. We may not realise it but the images that we see online and around us are extremely damaging to our mental health. Social media has opened so many doors but social it makes it hard for people to remain true to themselves.
Talking to Yahoo Beauty, Keke Palmer said that social media and the internet in general has become so judgmental that people will either put themselves down before a troll gets the chance to comment, or they conform to what they are being told is the way they should look. And she believes the Kardashians are a big part of the problem.
I say f*** society and learn to love yourself and your insecurities because in the long run it will make your life so much happier, don’t listen to the people that try to put you down because they obviously have insecurities of their own or they’re simply jealous. Love yourself and don’t stop loving yourself!
In recent months I have kind of neglected my ‘what I would buy/spend my time if I won the lottery’ but no more, my series is back and is back with a bang. I am here to inspire all you dreamers and optimist out there. The good thing about dreamers is that we’re always positive and optimistic about the future, we only hope for the best and see the best in everything and everyone. Sometimes it can be a good and bad thing. But sometimes there is no point in dreaming if all it’s ever going to be is a dream. We should all try and pursue our dreams no matter how big or small they are because anyone can achieve anything in life if they try hard enough, right now I’m working my hardest to try and pursue mine – I’m writing to you guys. It’s better to know that you tried rather than to give up and not try at all because in the end you could be living the life that you have always dreamed of. You could be living your dream. However if you never try you will always be wondering what if and you’ll never be truly happy. Do you want to be living someone else’s dream or yours? Although, life does not always go the way that we intend we have two choices; we can either take control and start living our lives or we can just let thing pass and exist. What are you going to do?
Last year I did one of these and it was very popular so I decided to do another one and make this an annual thing. With 10 weeks to spare I have decided to dedicate this post to Europe, we are going to go to as many places as possible. Last years post included a range of different places but this year I discovered just how beautiful the continent of Europe is and I thought that I might give you a few places to add to your travel bucket list and hopefully inspire you! I love discovering new places, learning new languages and experiences other cultures, it would be a dream for me to travel the world.
If we are going to spend an entire summer travelling around Europe we need to travel in style and what better way to travel than by private jet! A whole plane to yourself and your loved ones that fits your schedule, it doesn’t get any better than that. My number one choice of private jet charter would definitely have to be Private Fly. Although I haven’t tested them out myself I have done my research and they have some of the best reviews, I can trust that if you ever book with them you would be in great hands. And you get to choose your aircraft too! The high life is truly amazing.
Go shopping on via Monte Napoleone and visit Gucci’s flagship store, along with Roberto Cavalli, D&G, Prada, Valentino and Versace; Giorgio Armani’s superstore
Visit the Palazzo Berri-Meregalli
Leonardo’s Last Supper and Santa Maria delle Grazie
I cannot believe We’re already half way through the year. How is it June already? I honesty cannot get over how fast this year is going by. It’s literally flying by and I don’t know how I feel about that, I feel as though I’ve only accomplished a few of my resolutions and now I only have 6 months to try and complete the rest of them!
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been a year since I last visited my hometown of Bulawayo because I remember it like it was yesterday. And it’s almost been a year since I went to France with my favourite people. And it’s been 3 years since I went to Amsterdam. It’s unbelievable. The last four years of my life have gone by so quickly for me, it’s kind of hard to comprehend.
Considering I go to Bulawayo almost every single year without fail you’d think that I’d be an expert by now, but no not really. I still don’t know the city centre but I know the best place for brunch – 26 on park. It was during our first few days in Bulawayo and we’d just come back from the country visiting my grandmother and my Auntie and I were looking for a good place to eat and a friend of my cousin recommended 26 on park.
It’s situated in the suburbs of Bulawayo away from all the chaos. It’s peaceful and the scenery is beautiful. Not to mention the food is amazing, I would highly recommend this place for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you don’t already know my home city of Leeds offers some of the best fine dining in the whole vicinity of Yorkshire and among the many amazing restaurants the city has to offer there is Chaophraya.
Chaophraya is a Thai restaurant which first opened up in 2004 and like many restaurants there is a meaning behind the name, Chaophraya is named after the largest river in Thailand which flows through Bangkok where the owner Kim grew up and this is where they take their inspiration from.
The minute you walk in you can tell just how much love and work the owner has put in and interestingly enough every single of piece is decor has been imported from Thailand giving you the most authentic Thai experience you could ever hope for in the UK. You truly feel as though you have stepped into an entirely different country and escaped to Thailand!
Last Monday me and my brother when to Chaophraya and before Monday I had never tried Thai before so this was my first time (unless you can count the Thai green vegetable curry I once made in food tech at school). I am extremely fussy when it comes to food but the tasting menu that we had was out of this world and I will most definitely be trying Thai again! If you love Chinese and Japanese food you will certainly love Thai! As I’m getting older I’m trying to widen my taste palette which of course means trying new things and Thai was my first step. Life is way too short to eat the same food all the time right?
Kindly enough Rebecca had set up a private room for the two of us which had traditional floor seating. It was most definitely a different experience but I loved it and the view from the room was so incredible, we got to watch the city of Leeds go from day to night. The room that we sat in can also be booked for private dinners, birthdays and business meetings and sits up to 18 people! The room is great for privacy and you don’t miss out on the live music which is there every Sunday and Monday. And if you want to book the entire restaurant you can do that, there is even a top floor which includes outdoor sitting (great for the summer months) and there is also a bar upstairs #bonus.
Their menu features a combination of both classical and contemporary dishes, each with the idea to capture the essence of different regions of Thailand. First up on our tasting menu was Chicken Satay and Thai Chicken Tacos. This was the perfect starter for me, I love chicken and I mean who love tacos, especially tacos with a twist, the coconut milk added a kick of sweetness. If you ever try the chicken satay you should definitely dip the in the peanut sauce, it truly makes the dish.
Next up on the menu was Spicy Seafood Undon Noodles and Thai Green Chicken Curry with Steamed Jasmine rice.If you’re a seafood lover then the Spicy Seafood Undon Noodle dish is the one for you, it contains mussels, prawns and squid. This was my first time trying squid and mussels and in all honesty they were so much better than I had expected, it may have been because of the way that they were served within the dish but all I know is that they were delicious. The Thai Curry was undeniably so much better than mine, the flavours just came together to create an incredible dish!
Dessert was unquestionably my favourite, I have a sweet tooth like nobody’s business! The white chocolate box was mouth watering, I could not get enough of it. This was White chocolate Mousse with raspberry coulis on butter shortbread served with a mini macaroon and passion fruit syrup, practically all of my favourite things in one! We also had the Thai Dessert sampler and I am not a fan of custard but the pandan leaf custard together with the mango sticky rice was like heaven in my mouth!
Thank you so much to Rebecca and the staff at Chaophraya for the loveliest meal and for giving me such a warm welcome, I am forever grateful for your hospitality and I cannot wait to come back!
Italy is a country that is well known for it’s amazing food so it is no surprise that there are many amazing Michelin star restaurants in Rome. They offer creative and surprising interpretations of international, Mediterranean and traditional Roman cuisine! If you’re a lover of gourmet foods like myself you will be overwhelmed with choices of fine dining in Rome.
Located inside the 5-star Rome Cavalieri Hotel, this renowned luxury hotel restaurant has magnificent city panoramas from the roof.along with serving gourmet Italian cuisine. There is even a wine cellar with 53,000 bottles from 1888 to the present, talk about a range of choice! The decor includes rare tapestries, paintings, sculptures, and blown glass give the restaurant an atmosphere of class, luxury, and excellence. It is rated 3 stars in the Michelin guide, La Pergola is routinely voted the best in Rome, one of the best in Italy, and one of the best in the world.
Rome is full of amazing restaurants with amazing views and amazing cuisine, but very few of them are able to combine the two in such an effective way as Imàgo. Great swathes of glass give a fantastic panoramic view of Rome. And a great culinary staff serve up a memorable meal, made to the highest standards.
This 2 star restaurant is located near the Tiber in the heart of the city focuses on modern, stimulating cuisine. Though many of their dishes are based on Italian classics, you may not recognise them as such. Their dishes are arranged with the utmost care; it seems almost a crime to ingest such works of art.
Oliver Glowig is located in the midst of the Borghese gardens, with the Aldrovandi, Villa Borghese hotel. This beautiful setting means outdoor dining is a real treat at Oliver Glowig. The cuisine here occupies a middle ground between traditional and experimental gastronomy, with new and exciting dishes based on old ingredients and traditions.
It is worth eating at La Terrazza solely for the view. All of Rome’s legendary skyline is visible from the top floor. Coupled with its impressive variety of dishes and the quality with which they are crafted and presented, La Terrazza is a very compelling choice for dinner in Rome.
Leeds is a top spot for shoppers and has been named one of the best British cities ever for it’s restaurants and lively nightlife. I myself live in Leeds and not to sound biased but it truly is one of the best cities in the country, especially now that it houses the second biggest designer shopping mall (Victoria Gate) outside of London which is amazing for us shopaholics because it has everything you could ever wish for under one roof!
I personally know how hard it s to find a good restaurant with extraordinary food, an incredible atmosphere and great customer service, so I have made the job easier for you all by giving you my top recommendations of where to eat in Leeds. Whether you live here or are just visiting make sure you check out these restaurants because you have my world that you will not regret it!
The spa is set in Moorish gardens heavy with orange trees, bougainvillea and gardenias which frame karp-filled ponds and sunken seating nooks.
Located inside the 5-star Rome Cavalieri Hotel, this renowned luxury hotel restaurant has magnificent city panoramas from the roof.along with serving gourmet Italian cuisine. There is even a wine cellar with 53,000 bottles from 1888 to the present, talk about a range of choice! The decor includes rare tapestries, paintings, sculptures, and blown glass give the restaurant an atmosphere of class, luxury, and excellence. It is rated 3 stars in the Michelin guide, La Pergola is routinely voted the best in Rome, one of the best in Italy, and one of the best in the world.
Rome is full of amazing restaurants with amazing views and amazing cuisine, but very few of them are able to combine the two in such an effective way as Imàgo. Great swathes of glass give a fantastic panoramic view of Rome. And a great culinary staff serve up a memorable meal, made to the highest standards.
This 2 star restaurant is located near the Tiber in the heart of the city focuses on modern, stimulating cuisine. Though many of their dishes are based on Italian classics, you may not recognise them as such. Their dishes are arranged with the utmost care; it seems almost a crime to ingest such works of art.
Oliver Glowig is located in the midst of the Borghese gardens, with the Aldrovandi, Villa Borghese hotel. This beautiful setting means outdoor dining is a real treat at Oliver Glowig. The cuisine here occupies a middle ground between traditional and experimental gastronomy, with new and exciting dishes based on old ingredients and traditions.
It is worth eating at La Terrazza solely for the view. All of Rome’s legendary skyline is visible from the top floor. Coupled with its impressive variety of dishes and the quality with which they are crafted and presented, La Terrazza is a very compelling choice for dinner in Rome.
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