by Melissa Beckford
Happy Valentine's Day Cupids!
It is one of my most loved 'holidays'. Mr B and I have always used this day as an excuse to be cheesy. I'm all for any excuse to celebrate. This year we are heading away for the weekend and so today will be mainly about food and spending time together this evening. Possibly our most low key day yet but nonetheless, equally as important to show each other just how much we tolerate each other's weirdness ;P
My favourite activity for Valentine's day, any day in fact, is to visit a patisserie and to indulge in all things pastry wonderfulness. I told you already - I am obsessed.
If you are a terrible Valentine and haven't prepared anything by this point, here's a few ideas that don't require booking. If you are a good Valentine, but just fancy a day out in town eating cake - I salute you and please take me with you because I think we can be friends.
Dominique Ansel Bakery
Something about passing through the chaos of a London train station really adds to a day out.
Ever since Dominique Ansel and his bakery in Manhattan created the world famous 'Cronut' in 2013, I knew I had to have one. People would queue for hours outside the bakery to snap up a taste of one of these bad boys and they'd be all bought up by 10am! At least so I am told. Last year, after a lot of wondering about these nuggets of tasty joy, Dominique Ansel and his Cronut came to London. I have finally had a chance to get one in my gob - and my god was it worth the wait!
The bakery itself, near Victoria, stands out a mile with its bright yellow awnings.
And if that doesn't catch your eye enough, the crazy queues certainly will. This place is not for the faint hearted as there is often a queue but I promise you, IT IS WORTH THE WAIT! Whether you are with your friends or taking that special Valentine, I would be left dumbfounded if you managed to walk away less than amazed by the yumminess, having licked every crumb of goodness from your plates.
The outside offers glimpses of the sugary treats hiding inside.
And I couldn't help but let out a squeal of delight as they teased a look at this month's Cronut. I could almost smell the buttery croissant goodness outside of the door.
As you step inside, the shelves are dotted with luxurious cake boxes of all sizes, and all I could think was 'Why are people settling for the small box when they could fill the giant boxes?!'
They have quite a few gift items for purchase and even some sneaky extra Valentine's gifts if you are really trying to make up for forgetting ;)
Before I arrived, I already knew what I wanted but ignoring everything else on their colourful displays was sooooooo difficult.
The first on my list, The Cronut!
I opened the box and there she was in all her heavenly glory.
Yummy, crispy layers, oozing with orange blossom ganache and raspberry jam. I think actually it was more delicious than I imagined.
Mr B was very pleased.
For a next treat, It had to be the cookie shot glass with hot milk. This was an experience through and through. Cute, fun and tasted bloody good too.
The cup is lined with chocolate so as the milk heats it up, your milk becomes chocolatey. Clever little things. I wanted to buy some to take home but a box of 6 will set you back £25! For that price, I'd want my shot glass to hang around and be reusable! Though eating these at a dinner party would be a great talking point.
Having filled our tummies with the best of the best, we finally packed up and wandered back out into the cold air of London.
My Mr B in front of cake heaven - pretty perfect to me.
The streets surrounding the bakery are really pretty and definitely worth a wander. You'll be amazed at what you find.
Having departed Victoria, we went on to meet a friend for drinks. It was ridiculously busy in town and we found ourselves wandering back passed Dalloway Terrace. It was fairly quiet so we chanced our arm for a table and we were in luck (I've visited here before, check out the details here).
If you're not into cake but just fancy a romantic hot drink this Valentine's day, pop into Dalloway for a Pierre Marcolini Hot Choclate. The hot chocolate is tasty but the views are even better.
And if a hot drink is not your cup of tea ;P head down stairs to The Bloomsbury Club for cocktails instead. Possibly one of my favourite little bars at the moment. With a real Gatsby vibe, this will definitely set the mood for the rest of your day. We've never had to book and the cocktails have always been delicious!
It was the perfect feasting hat-trick for one day.
If you are looking for some more ideas of little spots to surprise your valentine with today, check out a few of the below:
Melba - A tiny little shop alongside The Savoy boasting delicious cakes and the most beautiful eclairs I have ever seen. One of my all-time favourites.
Dum Dums Donutterie - A cooler option for the Valentine's looking to be a little alternative. They have a great unit at Boxpark in Shoreditch and the doughnut flavours are awesome.
Peggy Porschen Cakes - I've not yet been here. This is a post coming soon but we passed it on our pilgrimage to Cronut heaven. It was beautiful and very romantic! Let me know what it's like and I might visit soon.
Regardless of where you end up today or who you are with, there is nothing greater than sharing delicious food experiences with the people in your life. Whether it's a partner, your kids, the girls, a stranger... go and share a doughnut with someone today. Just this Sunday I enjoyed some fresh cream cakes with my little nephews and watching their faces light up as they licked the whipped cream moustaches off their faces was the highlight of my weekend.
And remember... All you need is Love and cake - but especially cake!
- MTWP xxx
