Bonjour Olive

Bonjour from Paris! Although we are très tired (too much partying in London), we are having a ball in the City of Lights. There is so much see and so many things to buy (#shopaholicsanonymous) that I haven’t had a chance to update you all on our European adventure (#soznotsozphilippa)!

So, back to last week in London…

On Sunday we did a spot of shopping before meeting Bridget at The Wolseley for high tea. Although we were disappointed with the service, the food and hot chocolates were delectable! 

It was finally sunny enough on Monday to wear sunglasses! Hooray! (The occasion obviously calls for a celebratory selfie.) We were on our way to the city for a morning of shopping at Liberty (I died #ripme) before meeting Em for some sightseeing. 

The charming and colour-coordinated street we called home for ten days.

It was a close call but I am going to declare Liberty as my favourite department store in London.

Considering I couldn’t make it on the day, I had to go and visit Westminster Abbey, where my good friends Wills and Kate tied the knot in 2011. 

When Prudence, Mum and I came to London in 2007, Mum took us to Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen as a surprise (I figured it out though #thesmartchild). I can still remember the delicious meal we had (lamb ragu, goat cheese salad and risotto) so, of course, I had to come back and again, it did not disappoint! After a couple hours of sightseeing with Em, we arrived about half an hour early so we could enjoy cocktails at the bar and soak up the atmosphere. Aren’t the flower arrangements gorgeous? We started with freshly baked sourdough and puglian green olives before Anna had duck and I had the most incredible, melt-in-your-mouth ricotta & spinach agnolotti. The crispy duck fat potatoes with aioli were also out of this world. Dessert, or pudding, as the British like to call it, was a chocolate tart with a violet cream for me and a hazelnut gelato sandwich for Anna. The rosé is an obvious choice #addicted. It was all SO. GOOD. I would definitely recommend reserving a table if you are ever in London. We booked a couple of months in advance because it books out pretty quickly. It’s much better than Jamie’s Italian in Sydney. I also love Fifteen because it’s where Jamie initiated his Apprentice Programme, which uses the “magic of food to give unemployed, young people a chance to have a better future”. 

Back to Oxford Street for some late night shopping. Jokes, it was probably 4.30 in the afternoon when these photos were taken (good work London). I do love, love, love all the Christmas decorations and lights though! 

We are now off to Carette for dinner in Place des Vosges! It’s my favourite spot in Paris, so naturally, I can’t wait. The rest of our London trip will hopefully be on the blog in the next couple of days. 

x