48 hours in: Brisbane

Last weekend we went to Brisbane for some girlie time together before I set off on my road trip. I wasn't really sure what to expect. But it turns out I kinda love Brisbane. A shiny, sunshine-fuelled city set on either side of a river with a wealth of markets on offer. You got me. 

We stayed with friends in New Farm, one of the top areas on my recommendations list so I was pretty stoked. I'm going to stay it was a pretty food-orientated weekend. Here's a quick run down...

Day #1

Sister of Soul, St Kilda

Sam and I went to Melbourne for five days, excited to see what the city had to offer (more on that later). Usually on trips I am all for trying as many different restaurants and bars as possible, picking up tips from locals and fellow travellers. However, on this trip we fell in love with a place just round the corner from our air bnb apartment (which was perfect by the way) and ended up eating there two days in a row.

Sunny Saturday ♥

With just a week to go before I head out of London (Christmas, moving to Australia...you know) it was high time to make the most of the few days off I had left. A frosty morning filled with sunshine greeted me as I headed off to meet Ally in London Bridge. I've worked in the area the last three months which has been lovely, but the area is even better when there's no limit to your lunch break...



First up was a wander through Borough market, but with stomach's not yet rumbling we grabbed coffee from a spot I'd been eyeing up, before taking a walk along the river. The coffee house in question was that of the Gentlemen Baristas and we loved the interior, branding, and of course - our drinks! If you're in the area, check them out - and find them on Twitter here.

Back to the Countryside (The Linton Kitchen)

A whirlwind summer of Glastonbury, America, Latitude, graduation, working for a festival website, and catching up repeatedly with friends in London...has dropped me back at home for about four weeks. Initially a bit daunted - it's easy to feel isolated when you're surrounded by nothing but fields - I've actually begun to thoroughly enjoy rediscovering my local area. See, during my four years of University I spent very little of the holiday period at home. Instead I would be rushing around London, visiting friends and family, travelling abroad, or making the most of my University home and city to hang out with friends, feel independent, and work my ass off at those typical part-time jobs. So it was pretty evident to me that what my home town - and villages - had to offer was hardly on my radar any more. I had little idea what had closed up, opened up, and felt more than a little disenchanted with the whole thing. Luckily a few days out quickly destroyed those feelings and I'm more than happy to be at home before I head back up to London and then Australia... Australia? More on that later!

Amsterdam: A Hidden Gem & Eating Out

We started our last full day wandering in the direction of the Van Gogh Museum (definitely visit - no photos allowed, sorry!) and en route found a delicious deli-cum-bakery where we of course had to collect coffee (real good) and pastries (the perfect crispy-soft kind). You can find Stach here.

Eating in San Francisco: Beretta

I found this beautiful place for my 21st birthday meal with my sister, during my year in the city. Perched at the top of Valencia Street in the Mission District where I spent so much of my time it had rave reviews and the menu looked decadent without being over the top. Not only did it live up to my (pretty high) expectations, but it surpassed them.

To dine at this little gem you can only call an hour ahead to pop your name on the wait list, no reservations.

So we arrived and were told there was a 15-20 minute wait for the table. There was really only one thing for it, cocktails at the bar. The place was already bustling and we stood taking in the dark wood surfaces, hanging line of bulbs and high, open ceilings while we sipped on apple/gin/lemon/basil/honey concoctions.

The Workshop, Norwich

#foodie

The Sampson Sisters had a little reunion this past weekend which basically translates as a food tour of whatever area, city, town we are in... On this occasion the other one came to visit me in Norwich, my current city of choice. It's a beautiful little place - filled with tumbling lanes, river walks, a stunning cathedral (check it out in Harry Potter) and enough independent spots that the sis will have to visit many more times to tick them all off...

Here's the first spot we swung by, closest to my home. A cosy place filled with warm people, board games, and walls of books.
The Workshop. And here's what we got stuck into...

This made me nostalgic for childhood holidays abroad. Peach flavour!

Ferry Building Farmer's Market

My parents came to visit a few weeks back and, having not seen them since August, it was incredibly surreal showing them the city. I was completely spoilt, and benefited from being a tourist all over again for a week - discovering new areas I hadn't even ventured into before and getting a bit more background from tour guides! 

One morning we headed over to the Ferry Building for the Farmer's Market and were greeted by endless stalls of produce and other items for sale and to eat. There was such a variety and it lulled the separation from the countryside a little bit. I'm a big supporter of fresh produce, particularly from local growers - the less packaging, processing, and air miles the better! It was a brilliant education in the best things to grow in California and the variety that's available locally. I also enjoyed all the little free tasters far too much...

Here's some snapshots of things we saw...and ate!

Ferry Building with the City behind it. The clock tower mimics Big Ben in London!

Bundled Asparagus - I love the purple heads

One of the first things I saw and smelt...spit roast - quickly induced hunger!

Fresh greens

All types of colourful mushrooms inside the building

We may have had some oysters for breakfast, overlooking the Bay Bridge...

Crunchy but sweet pears...

...which we paired with this delicious sheep's milk cheese (cured for 70days). And took the remainder on a walk around Land's End.

A perfect city day intertwined with the outdoors.

I'm off to Coachella next week...hope all of you there this weekend have a brilliant time!

For more regular updates find me on Twitter @mlle_milly
& Instagram @millysampson
x

Outerlands, SF

This little spot is seriously worth waiting for - just sign up on the list and take a walk to the beach in the mean time. It's got a beachy feel but also reminds me of a lot of the fancier little cafes I frequent in London in the summer months. It also features one of my favourite things about restaurants - you can see into the kitchen! We took a seat at the window, looking out onto wooden benches, and I ordered a delicious gingery warm cider. The menu is something that took a lot of contemplation. There's not too much on it but it's all oh so tempting. 

In the end I went for the grilled cheese and soup deal - and luckily it was the perfect choice. Their grilled cheese is to die for, I'd go for it alone. Perfectly full we opted out of any sort of coffee/pudding ideas, but I'd definitely go back. 

Find them at: outerlandssf.com
4001 Judah St @ 45th Ave

Hope you're having a good week! 

xxx

Broadway Market

For me, Broadway Market is quintessentially London. So I love a little trip down to soak up the vibes. Whether I'm being drawn to the fresh fish store, the corner pub, or the wealth of exotic food stalls whose smells infiltrate my nose, it's a lovely place to spend a lazy Sunday. Equally there's a lot of pretty crafts and cosy knit jumpers for sale. The vibrancy of the street sums up so many things I love about London. 

Spicy, orangey, yoghurty goodness

{My meal}

Stuffed Persian dates bought for the sister

Goodies

Fresh!

Cosy knits

Perfect hog roast!

{Sissabel's meal}

Irresistible - some came home.

What're your favourite London lazy weekend hot spots?

x

Bill's Cafe

Having lusted over this restaurant in Brighton for quite some time, I was excited to see it opening in Cambridge. While I don't want it to become a typical 'chain' [ie in every single city...] I think Cambridge was a good choice - not just because I'm biased living there!

Shop while you wait...

Butternut Squash Risotto - some of the best risotto we've tried.

Bill's Hamburger - with skin on chips!

I love Bill's store-come-restaurant, and the decor itself. It's a cosy cafe but there's something sophisticated about it with it's long bar and delicious dishes [without the painful price tag]. While you eat you can fill in a shopping list, and they'll pop all your choices into a bag ready for you to go home with. Both of our meals met and passed expectations, and I'd recommend both the Cambridge restaurant and the Brighton one in a heartbeat.

34 – 35 Green Street, Cambridge
www.bills-website.co.uk

What restaurants are you currently recommending?

Look out for my coverage of the Company Style Blogger Awards & Norwich Fashion Week!

x

Unthank 103

After week's of attempted plans to visit this little place post-recommendation from Alex's work friends on just how good their Thai Beef Salad was... we finally arrived. I'm not going to lie that knowing we were actually going got me a little excited. This isn't just a restaurant, it's also a wine store, and deli. Eyes meet with bottles of high quality wine, Spanish meats and a vast range of speciality cheeses. We picked from the lunch menu and after debating everything on the menu, and considering having something different each...we ended up with exactly the same thing.

The food was delicious, we'd opted for the Chorizo 'sandwich' with tomato, pepper, aioli mayonnaise and pomme frites. It is a strange mixture of Spanish, Thai and French food on the menu - lots of seafood too - but nothing bad could really be said. And they were definitely very generous in the amount of chorizo provided... All the ingredients are fresh, good quality, and it's nice to be able to see into the kitchen when they cook. Recipe books line the walls, which you're allowed to flick through, as long as you take care!

I'll happily be going back, most likely to try some sea food or Thai this time...

xx