& other places: Duck & Waffle, The Lauriston and Stories

Duck & Waffle
It seems that everyone and their cat has been to Duck & Waffle, the bar and restaurant 40 feet high above the city that's open 24 hours. Everyone other than me. I'd been to the fantastic Sushi Samba the floor below on a date but had yet to head upstairs and sample the diurnal delights. Until now. After hitting up The Empress for a birthday meal, my friend Harry and I weren't quite ready to call it a night and a spontaneous decision based on it being 2am in the morning saw us haring over to the Heron Tower in a cab and being whisked upstairs in the blink of an eye. We were just after drinks and were happily ensconced by one of the many windows whilst we sipped on what has to be one of the best cocktails I've ever tasted. The Marmite Black Velvet is a silky little number - a Guinness and marmite reduction served with champagne - that was so inexplicably sumptuous and moreish, I had to order a second. Harry went for the Dark & Stormy twice that comes in a brown paper bag for all your prohibition needs. But two each at two in the morning was enough for both of us and so we called it a night, but not before vowing to return and sample the rest of the ingenious creations on the list.

The Lauriston
Sometimes seeing old friends calls for a pub. And pizza. And where better to go than a place that combines the two? The Lauriston in Victoria Park Village is an eye-catching black fronted building that you can barely miss. We soaked up the evening sun with one of their wood-fired pizzas (aubergine, courgette, peppers and mushroom with added chicken) and the meat deli board (parma ham, bresaola, cotta ham, Milano salami, olives, bresaola, toasted bread and oils and vinegar) before ending up inside and catching the first half of the football. With a shot of tequila for good measure. Naturally.

Stories
You're spoilt for choice on Broadway Market - from bars to delis, fishmongers to butcher shops, there's always somewhere worth checking out. Stories is one of the best brunch spots going - slap bang in the middle of the street, with prime people-watching real estate out front and a cool, airy eatery inside. We'd spent the crazily hot morning cleaning out the old house and getting ready to hand the keys back after two years there. In need of a breather and a beer, we grabbed a table inside and refuelled. The Bloody Marys are build your own (and not bad at £5 a pop) and the brunch menu's available til 4. Ash went for a quinoa and tahini salad with halloumi whilst I went for old favourite avocado on sourdough with chilli flakes, poached egg and cripsy bacon. Brunch of kings, for sure. And washed down with a bottle of ice cold Krusovice, you definitely can't go wrong at Stories.

Italy: where we ate

Terrazza Goffredo

The night we arrived in Conversano, our hotel had booked us into the gorgeous little rooftop restaurant for an introduction into Italian (and Apulian) cuisine. Having spent most of the afternoon travelling and learning to drive on the wrong (right) side of the road, we were in need of some Italian hospitality and boy, were we not disappointed. Over a romantic, candlelit table for two (mum and I), plate upon plate of ridiculously amazing food was set in front of us and we ended up so full I could barely shuffle back to the room afterwards.

They kicked off the fare with two platters of typical Puglian appetisers. On one, a gorgeous swordfish ceviche with tangy fresh lime juice and tart red peppercorns; a pearl barley and cucumber salad; and a fresh seafood salad of prawns and octopus served in a clamshell and squeezed with lemon. The second, deep fried courgette flowers; a cheese souffle; and aubergine stuffed with minced pork and vinegary slices of red onion, all drizzled with local balsamic vinegar. Following this, in typical Italian form, was a primi of pasta - handmade orrecchiette pasta in a fresh tomato sauce made with the tastiest olive oil - small bites stuffed with softly roasted warming cherry tomatoes. Then for the secondi, we had grilled sea bream instead of the veal and after that, vanilla pannacotta with tangy blackberries and fruit coulis.

We coupled this with a dry Apulian red and lashings of self-congratulation. And a reduced appetite for the rest of the holiday.

Taverna dei Duellanti

We discovered this little place whilst making like the locals and 'promenading' late at night. It was belting out some great funk music and people were pulling up as many chairs to tables as they could, with kids scattering around as their parents sat back and ordered more wine, more food, more everything. There was a very limited pizza menu and I went for the pizza with crudo, stracciatella and lemon but I could have chosen everything on it, the toppings and flavour combinations were to die for. The light and creamy coolness of the cheese mixed with the salty meat and the citrus tang teamed up to make the best pizza I've ever tasted. Finished off with a shot of limoncello, this was one achingly understated but perfect little late night meal.

Osteria del Porto

One thing that we'd been craving whilst in Italy was fish. The Adriatic Sea was constantly within our eyeline yet we were surprised that, despite being only a few kilometres from the coast, restaurants serving fish in Conversano were a little thin on the ground. When we moved hotels on my birthday and were even closer to the coast, we knew we had to do something about it and after a quick bit of Trip Advisor searching, I chose the Osteria del Porto in Savelletri for my birthday meal. We managed to book a table and a taxi to take us down and were greeted by a little nautical-themed, harbourside restaurant teeming with local customers and really friendly staff. We ordered a bottle of Verdeca (a sparkling Apulian white that we'd learnt about during a casual bit of wine tasting) and decided to forgo the four course tradition with some cleverly chosen dishes instead.

Mum went for the classic Caprese - fresh twists of mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and olive oil with grilled bread to mop it all up with - whilst I started with the plate of bresaola and grana padano cheese. We then had to have the gamberetti al brace (grilled king prawns) that came in a steaming buttery bowl of garlic, chilli and fresh herbs. Searingly hot to tear into it, they were the sweetest prawns I've tasted in a very long time and we eagerly mopped up every last morsel, sad to see the end of them. So sad, that I ordered another portion just because you don't turn 25 in Italy with prawns every day, right? After that, we each ordered tartufos (pistachio for mum, chocolate/amaretto for me) and a shot of Disaronno each, as the waiters buzzed around us with whole fish baked in salt and live lobsters. Much to my embarrassment, Mum told them it was my birthday so they very sweetly brought out an amaretti ice cream with 'happy birthday' looped around the edge. Thankfully there was no singing but we were very sad to leave what was one of the best meals of the holiday behind. 

Earlham Street Clubhouse

Things never stand still in our house. We're coming to the end of two years and in that time, we've seen four break ups, three additional housemates on top of our usual four, two then moving out and two moving in - so while I'm now sitting pretty with three roomies, things just aren't what they used to be.

The good thing about friends moving out (particularly when they move in with boyfriends) is that, whilst diaries can be tricky to align, there's always so much stuff to catch up on. So when Sophie and I finally got round to meeting up for the first time in a month since she moved out, it had to be somewhere good. I was tempted to take her to Burger & Lobster (one of my all-time go-tos because I am going through a massive lobster stage at the moment) but decided to branch out and give somewhere new a try.

The Earlham Street Clubhouse has been on my list for a while now. Pizza, cocktails and a jukebox controlled by an app just sounded perfect for a mid-week catchup and seeing as it's just down the road from my office, an easy choice. Just off Seven Dials and next door to other contender Flesh & Buns, this is one place that's managed to avoid the hordes of crowds so far but popular enough to give that all-important atmosphere. Speaking of which, it's, like, totally channelling the 90s American vibe.

We grabbed a table and spent a significant amount of time poring over the drinks menus (which hang on bungee cords from the ceilings). With names like 'Heather's Revenge' and 'Sweet Valley High', it's clear that these guys are taking their theme seriously. It turns out that Tuesdays are Clueless Tuesdays so their 'Rolling With The Homies' cocktail was 2-for-1 - perfect. Ketel One vodka, peach and strawberry puree, lemon, sugar and sparkling wine, these delights came served in pint tankards and definitely did the trick.

When it comes to the pizza, there are seven to choose from and they come as either 12 inchers (£10) or 20 inchers (£18). Spoilt for choice, we did the 'Ross & Rachel' and had half-and-half of the American Beauty and Vincent Vega. Served on a gigantic pizza board, this badboy was divine. Sliced into triangles the size of your head, you eat off the paper plates and marvel at how you've quite managed to consume the whole thing. Garlic chilli oil is on every table if you need it, but I would like to have seen some dips for the crusts. Speaking of the crusts - expertly thin and crispy, thanks to their woodfired pizza oven visible in the open kitchen.

(This is a photo of the 12' size - we were too greedy to snap our big boy before we ate it.)

We had another couple of rounds of drinks - at around £7 a pop and essentially half price, it'd be rude not to. We also tried the Stifler's Mom which divided opinions - Sophie hated the absinthe in it but loved the gin, whilst I could have drank it over and over.

Service was a little slow, but sweet when it came. The music - which you can oversee if you're so inclined - was bang on with Riot Jazz versions of Snoop Dogg songs and Prince, with old school Mission Impossible being shown (on silent) on screens dotted around the place.

There's definitely a diner-feel here and a great throwback to the teen movies we grew up with, watching valley girls share pizza with the jocks, and somewhere I'll definitely be heading back to. What do I give it? A firm four out of five, for sure.

Crate Brewery

When it's a crazily beautiful day, there's little else better than sitting outside with something icy cold in your hand. And when three of your friends have spent the weekend packing to move house (or move country), there's nothing quite like spending a very sunny afternoon down by the canal at one of Hackney's worst kept secrets.

Nestled behind Hackney Wick, tucked against the Regent Canal and a stone's throw away from Victoria Park, Crate Brewery's is nothing if not enterprising. As its name suggests, everything outside is built from crates and palettes but inside, you'll find a real treasure. Constructed from bits and pieces found in the area, the warehouse space has been converted into a handsome, bustling brewery. There's five home-brewed pints on the menu (the Crate Lager's a good'un) and they also welcome other craft beers from around the world on a regular basis.

No old man boozer this though, what better way to wash down your pint than with a very moreish pizza? Served on boards, these crisp stonebaked pizzas have some of the best toppings I've ever tasted. I opted for the very colourful and tasty courgette, feta, red onion and gremolata pizza and managed to demolish it in one fell swoop with the help of some fiery chilli oil.

It's a popular place, particularly on warm and lazy Sundays. The sun disappears over to the other side of the canal pretty early on but make like the many canine companions and chase it into the brewery's lot. Trying to get a table is like trying to get the two-second rule to work in your favour but nab one if you see it and order your pizza sharpish - the wait for food can take up to an hour and they even had to close the kitchen for a bit to handle all the orders when we went.

The simplicity here is charming. It's a much-loved little spot and perfect for the summer. Bonus tip? Play your cards right and you can sit in the little (moored) boat for a real bit of messing about on the river.

Franco Manca

Stop right there. I've found the best pizza in London. And it's right on Tottenham Court Road.

My friend Harry used to rave about this place, urging me to venture South of the river to Brixton to give it a go. I never got round to it but my ears pricked up when I heard that they were opening one in my part of town, right in the heart of London. Not your usual takeaway affair, Franco Manca is all about the slow-rising sourdough which is then baked in a 'trufae' brick oven until perfectly crisp. Then the freshest of toppings are scattered on top and you're ready to dive right in.

I went with work on the rainiest of Thursday nights. Predictably at places with a no booking policy, there was a queue but we managed to get drinks in while we were waiting and the promised 30 minutes of wait time was actually only half that. Inside, it's heaving and buzzy with a great view right into the open kitchen in the middle of the room.

Start with some of their 'bites' - the fresh burrata is my complete weakness and to die for here - and resist the urge to consume your bodyweight in appetisers before the main event. The pizza menu's short but sweet with about seven to choose from, as well as a vegetarian and meat special chalked up on the board. The boys went for the one with Gloucester Old Spot ham, mozzarella, ricotta and wild mushrooms which they wolfed down in record time. I chose the Meat Special which came with prosciutto, parmesan shavings and fresh rocket, and although they forgot my request for added artichokes was the best pizza I've ever eaten. The flavours here are delicate and well thought out with portions big enough for even the heartiest of appetites, and that sourdough? Perfect. Just watch out for the chilli oil which is deceptively hot.

Faced with the prospect of dessert, who could refuse? There's chocolate cake and lemon tart on offer but the star of the show has to be the simple but tart lemon sorbet that comes with a shot of Limoncello to pour over it. The perfect little palate cleanser and not too abusive on the waistline either.

This place is a hot ticket so be prepared to queue but it is worth it. The food's unbelievably affordable and they have a couple of other spots (they're even in Westfield) so there's no excuse not to get your pizza on. Healthy January? Who cares when pizza's this good?

Photo by Bears Bites