Birthday Weekend Part Two

So how well did I predict my Birthday surprises:

Champagne on the train (with strawberries, dark chocolate and Tyrell's hand cooked crisps)

 A Saturday morning browse around Borough market

 Lazy lunch at Wright's Oyster Bar - a dozen oysters with a black velvet then Cornish dressed crab and a crisp white wine and a shared creme brulee.

Sunday lunch in Osteria Basilica - Prosecco,  Burrata and Parma Ham,  Tagliolini with Chicken and Summer Truffle Ragu and a bottle of Sangiovese.


And I didn't have a clue about:

Where we were staying

 Fab location for Borough Market, lovely squishy beds and amazing rain shower and a London view from the bed.  With an outdoor terrace and a bouncing wine bar/cinema called Shortwave across the square.  Boy did we do some celebrating and it wasn't even my birthday!

Tom's Kitchen at Somerset House

 which was really beautiful, we shared 7 hour lamb between two of us, but truly enough for four - note to self for the next visit.  There were lots of revellers out on the terrace enjoying the summer evening (the music might not be to everyone's taste, but we enjoyed it).  For pudding we had an amazing Baked Alaska and some of us ended up smeared in meringue!

On the actual birthday, we had breakfast at The Garrison Pub in Bermondsey

 which was beautifully decorated.  The food was delicious (Eggs Florentine and a double espresso).

After Borough Market and Oysters for lunch, we had to make a decision - where to watch the rugby???!  We ended up in The Barrowboy and Banker on London Bridge, great atmosphere and a big comfy Chesterfield for a girlie gossip whilst the boys watched the match.

On MY BIRTHDAY!  Thank god for wine and Johnny Wilkinson

 We walked over to One New Change, planning on Lychee Martini at Ping Pong but because it was closed we ended up in Bea's of Bloomsbury for tea and cake - which seemed like a good idea at the time, but with hindsight more alcohol would have been a better choice.  The cakes were tasteless - just fat and sugar yukkk!  We felt as if we should go back to the hotel for a snooze and shower, but then decided once we got into those delicious beds, we would never get back out - so we headed on foot for

The Hansom Cab - Piers Morgan's pub (obviously we ended up getting a cab there - once we had discounted Boris's Bikes as far too dangerous) - this place is a real disappointment, sticky tables, grotty loos, terrible service and expensive but below average food - to be avoided.  It was a shame because we had a double celebration - my birthday and our son's engagement to his girlfriend E - which they announced over drinks.
Sunday morning was a day of recovery which involved another trip to the Garrison pub for breakfast, a turn on Boris's Bikes down to the Jubilee Market at Borough Market - fab band playing and a few foodie purchase to bring home.  Good job we didn't decide to bike to Notting Hill - the heavens opened and London was heaving because of Park Lane and Hyde Park being closed to traffic, our 15 minute cab ride took 45 mins and cost almost as much as our lunch (not).

So all in all a fantastic weekend, home early Sunday evening absolutely shattered and feeling as if we will never eat (or drink) again.  Big thank you and (((hugs))) to the Lovely Man, N and A, and my children for making it so brilliant.

I need to put a little foot note here about the rioting in Tottenham and beyond which began on Saturday evening - there was a huge police presence in central London when we were on our way back to the hotel, it is all very worrying and I hope that all of you London Bloggers are not affected by this frightening upheaval in our society.