Obica, St Paul's

Do you have a favourite cheese? I have several. I’m a big fan. I will always look to the cheeseboard when eating out and we habitually have an average of five different kinds in our fridge at any one time. I’m not quite sure where it ranks but burrata, a soft cheese made from mozzarella and cream, figures quite highly on the list and so it made perfect sense to check out the new flagship restaurant from Obica, an Italian mozzarella bar. 

Read all about the six course feast over on Try This For.

Pennethorne's Cafe, Somerset House

Thinking of heading to Fashion Week later this month? You'll be needing a pitstop then, won't you? Pennethorne's Cafe in the New Wing is the perfect place.

Chic black walls and tiled floor (perfect for Instagramming), a light but tasty European-inspired sharing menu and cocktails to see you through. Find out why else this is the perfect spot over at Try This For.

Try This For: best blowouts on a budget

When someone suggests lunch, you probably don't consider Heston Blumenthal's Dinner or Alain Ducasse's three Michelin starred restaurant at The Dorchester unless you're planning on taking out a serious loan. Until now. I've done some serious legwork over at Try This For to find you the best Michelin menus that really won't break the bank. Book in at Sketch and thank me later.

Part one here and part two there.

Juma Kitchen

I've now been to Clapham a grand total of three times in my life. The first was to Chicago Rib Shack, the second and third trips The Jam Tree. Whilst I can't stop thinking about their Confiture cocktail (deliciously, wickedly sweet), it wasn't that that brought me back but instead a 50-strong supper club with a difference. I'd interviewed Phil Juma of Juma Kitchen a couple of months back for TryThisFor and he invited me down for an evening like no other. 

I wrote about my introduction to Iraqi cuisine over at TryThisFor - head this way for a crash course in five courses of incredible Middle Eastern fayre.

Try This For: the best basement bars and restaurants

Underground's the last place we want to be in the summer when there's so many parks, terraces and rooftop bars to be exploring instead but over at Try This For, we think going underground has its plus sides - especially when it involves food, drink and great company. Perfect for disguising any sunburned bits.

Check out my list of the best basement bars and restaurants to hit up this washed out weekend.

Craft beer tasting with Oz Clarke and Celebrity Cruises

Think of cruises and it's likely you'll think of champagne and cocktails. Think of Oz Clarke and you'll probably think of wine. Think of craft beer and you may be stumped. It's time to think again.

When Celebrity Cruises invited us to an evening of craft beer tasting and food pairing with Oz Clarke, I was more than a little intrigued. My knowledge of all three is limited at best but like many others, would never have combined them into one innovative little package. You see, luxury liners Celebrity Cruises are launching their second floating GastroBar and unlike other cruisers, this one only sells boutique brewed beers.

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you'll have seen that craft beer is taking pubs and bars by storm at the moment. Colourful bottles, barrels and crates are cropping up in between the J20 and the Carling but what makes it so special? Well, it's all in the making. Craft beers are brewed by small, independent breweries using methods and ingredients that date back centuries to produce high quality beer that puts the big brewers to shame. It's also these processes that make each beer so distinctive - rather than the fizzy, watery and bland offerings you'll probably find down the local, craft beer is renowned for its flavour.

Take Duvel, for example. Brewed in Belgium (which produces more kinds of beer than anywhere else in the world), in the Dutch speaking part of the country (location is very important, says Oz), this Strong Golden Ale is spicy and fizzy and packs a bit of a punch at 8.5%. Combining yeast from Scotland, sugar syrup and 40 years of pale malts, this is a real belter of a beer hence why it's named the 'Devil' beer. We drank it with warm truffled grilled cheese raclette with braised leeks on sourdough ciabatta, letting the spice and fizz of the beer cut through the rich, smoothness of the cheese.

Other beers and breweries are known for their balls. Brewdog, for example, is the most successful brewery in Scotland (there are currently 1,200 craft breweries in the UK alone) and has spent the last couple of years trying to brew the strongest beer in the world. They've reached 41% volume and called it Sink The Bismarck as a stick to a rival German attempt; apparently it's so potent they only let you sample it in shot glasses. We tried their Hardcore IPA (9.2%) which is hoppy, bitter and gloriously aromatic with samples of Seville orange marmalade. India Pale Ale originated during the trades as a cure for leprosy, tuberculosis and dysentery - ancient Romans had discovered that hops had medicinal (and aphrodisiacal) qualities and when more modern enthusiasts saw that hops also stop oxidisation and keep beer fresh on long journeys, it was the perfect ointment for merchants and colonials suffering far from home. We drank ours with steamed pork buns - the flavour of the malts bringing the fiery, sweet, sour and salty elements of the food to life.

Something else that font of all knowledge Oz taught us is that beer isn't always savoury. Lindeman's Framboise (2.5%) is a Belgian beer that looks and tastes like a cocktail. It's fizzy, deep pink, sweet...and sour. A result of a process called spontaneous fermentation where malt is left to be attacked by yeast to produce alcohol, then mixed with the fresh juice, it's fermented a further two times and perfect for cutting through rich chocolate brownies.

And a final favourite of the night for me was Rogue's Chocolate Stout, brewed in Oregon, and a deep chocolate in colour and taste. Based on a classic London porter stout (unsurprisingly so-called thanks to porters calling for it to quench their thirst), it's a heady and rich beer that ages well and increases in volume as it does so. You may know Guinness as a much more famous stout, it's brewed differently so is lower in alcohol than Rogue's more faithful concoction - although I'm sure the boys over in Ireland will be quick to disagree!

As someone who's only really ventured into beer drinking in the last couple of years and would never think to order an ale, I'm now a total convert. Oz explained that the varieties of processes and methods, flavours and ingredients in craft beer-making are much greater than in wine-making it a much better drink to have with a meal so I'm already on the hunt for a restaurant that puts as much effort into its beer as it does its food and wine.

But that brings me neatly back to Celebrity Cruises - they've already put the legwork in to offer a rotating list of craft beers from around the world alongside classic comfort food. You can even join onboard tasting trips and vineyard visits with Oz on some of their Mediterranean routes. Whilst I'm not sure that I'll be jumping on board soon, I'll definitely be hunting down the best beers I can find. Cheers.

Tanqueray Drawing Rooms

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Step into Tanqueray’s Drawing Rooms at Six Fitzroy Square and you’d be mistaken for believing you’ve stepped back in time as men in braces and fedoras and women with feathers in their hair sweep past you into wood panelled rooms, or beckon you up the staircase. This is 1930s London and Tanqueray’s blossoming success following Prohibition over the pond is infectious.

It’s an intimate set up with male styling experts on hand to dress you for the occasion, whilst A sensual and silken-voiced songstress warms the room with smooth jazz. We made a beeline for the bar - keenly watching the talented mixologists upstairs whip up a frenzy (quite literally) and bring classic cocktails to life using the finest London gin. My favourite was the Lyle’s Lavender Collins, created by World Class UK Bartender of the Year 2012 Andy Mill. Combining lavender and camomile infused Tanqueray, Lyle’s golden syrup, lemon, egg white and soda, it’s aromatic with a kick that has you reaching for a second helping. Or fifth.

There was a vintage headpiece masterclass taking place behind us with masks, beads and feathers flying. Curated by the Indytute, it harked back to the tradition of party hosts providing guests with personalised gifts and tokens. We were a little more modern and spent some time dressing up in the #tonightwetanqueray photobooth - I’m now convinced I could rock a pipe.

We were led downstairs to the secret martini room for a Tanqueray tasting with the UK Brand Ambassador Tim. He explained how the four key ingredients (juniper, coriander, angelica root and liquorice) of their famous London Dry which was originally launched way back in 1830 all play a key part in the smell, taste and finish of the spirit. The baby brother, Tanqueray Ten, adds camomile to the mix. We, of course, had to put this to the test and demanded the martini master do his worst. A classic gin martini and a Venetian (Tanqueray Ten, peach liqueur, Riserva Carlo Alberto Bianco vermouth with grapefruit and peach bitters) later and we were sold. And the key point to take away? Martinis should always be stirred and never shaken - you’ve got it wrong, Mr Bond.

The Hackney Pearl

Hackney has been London's darling for a while now. Restaurants, shops, markets, classes - you'd be hard-pressed to find it lacking anything you really need, which is why there's something pretty good round every corner. There's a small corner of Hackney that's a little less known (unless you're an East Londoner), although no less loved, which is great for balmy evenings spent by the canal or just round the corner from it in The Hackney Pearl.

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There's very much a cafe vibe to the place. Lots of benches for outside seating, mismatched furniture and bare walls inside, an open kitchen and tables that you imagine were salvaged from somewhere hugely in need of an overhaul. But it's charming. And welcoming. And open all day and night, so whether you're in for a lunchtime coffee or in the late night long haul like us, it's a great find.

We started with a pint of Meantime London Lager for him and a fittingly feminine drink for me that involved prosecco, vodka, limoncello, basil and berries and was possibly one of the nicest concoctions I've had in a while. And of course, it'd have been rude to not look at the wine list. I chose a bottle of 1997 Decenio Rioja that was syrupy smooth and perfectly on the edge of unadulterated bliss. First decisions aside, it was now down to the food.

Whilst being terribly indecisive, we shared the homemade focaccia that was brought to the table salted and with olive oil for dipping, then chose what to begin with. He had roasted fennel with milano salami and sumac aioli - deliciously simple but a nice trio of ingredients that brought sweetness to the saltiness of the meat and a bite of tartness. I went for the smoked mackerel pate and toast - it came smoother than I was expecting but well seasoned and even good enough to make the the non-fish fan across the table appreciate it.

From there, we had the onglet steak (£16) which came with huge skin-on chunky chips and garlic butter. Perfectly pink (they serve it rare) it was melt in the mouth good and a massively generous portion that was swiftly demolished? Did it need a sauce? Perhaps but we were too busy devouring everything to really mind. I had the roasted seabass fillet with roasted tomatoes (so sweet they were almost sunblushed), aubergine and courgette which blew me out of the water. Too often these vegetables when roasted lose flavour and form to become an unappetising mush but their firm sweetness was really impressive and complemented the crisp skin of the bass and the soft flesh beneath.

Another bottle of red in and we were ready for dessert. The menu here is a little disappointing and harks more to its cafe roots than offering restaurant-ready puddings. Nevertheless, we chose the vanilla and brownie ice cream and the affogato to cleanse our palates but I left dreaming of cake or something a bit more decadent.

The service was some of the friendliest I've had in London; attentive enough but laidback enough to be able to share a joke and have a conversation with. No stark uniforms here but shorts and smiles instead. And the atmosphere? We were there quite a while and people drifted in for drinks, for dinner, to use the wifi, to eat cake and bring different types of conversation to the table.  Music was good too and despite being the last ones to leave, we could have stayed all night. Nice.

There's a contrived statement in here about Hackney and pearls so I won't labour the point but it gets four and a half out of five from me.