Belly Dancing and Great Meal Deals

I am an avid user of Top Table and for those of you that have not been introduce to this fabulous website, you’re in for a treat. There is something for everyone, dining on a budget, indulging in Michelin star restaurants, looking for entertainment – this is the place to start your search. You can get great deals, from discounts up to 50% off the bill to free cocktails with your meal. You can also clock up points when you write a review  after dining and these points are put towards a free meal. The best deal I have found recently for those of you looking to dine out in the Notting Hill area is The Turkish restaurant Cyprus Mangal as they have a Christmas deal for 50% off the food bill and it is not limited to a particular booking time. The offer is on till 24^th of December, and while it isn’t your traditional Christmas grub, there is plenty of entertainment on offer with lively music and a belly dancer – perfect for a Christmas party! I will be definitely be taking them up on this offer as my birthday is coming up so I will be sure to report back.

Property of the Week – Craven Hill, Bayswater

Bayswater is great place to live for a number of  reasons. It has a large variety of food on offer, from the popular Four Seasons made famous for its succulent roast duck to the more upscale Royal China, which is still affordable and does a brilliant selection of Dim Sum. Let’s not forget Kiasu that won Time out Cheap Eats in 2007 and serves cuisine that derives its influence from The Straits (of Malacca) and its Far Eastern neighbours. But there isn’t just oriental food, everything from Italian to American cuisine is also available. There is also a huge array of entertainment on offer such as the Odeon cinema, Queens Ice Skating rink, Whitelys shopping centre and two bowling venues, Queens bowling and All Star Lanes, all at your door step. And if that hasn’t got you interested in moving to this energetic part of town perhaps this will convince you. This brilliant modern studio apartment is brand new and refurbished to a very high standard. It comes with a fully fitted kitchen and a separate private shower room. There is a plasma screen flat TV with FREE cable TV as well as FREE Internet.  Access to communal gardens and the on-site gym is also thrown into the deal. Within easy walking distance to Bayswater Tube, Lancaster Gate and Paddington Tube station, this is a property that should not be missed.

In Bloom

Having recently swapped my Tube ride for the bus to enjoy the lovely outdoors as much as possible during the remainder of these fine summer days, the Churchill Arms has become my favourite eye candy on the way into Notting Hill!  I reckon one of these days I’ll have to venture in for a frosty brew (twist my arm), but, until then, cheers to the pub for its almost obscene investment in a third of the UK’s flora used in adorning its exterior!  Hmm, perhaps Notting Hill Properties needs to organise an open-house social there…

Deli Delights

Deli recommendation for the day:  Mr. Christian’s Delicatessen.  We’ve been following this lil’ establishment on Twitter, and its delectable daily tweets finally broke me down today.  You temptress!  But I’m glad I submitted to its Siren song, as it brought a goat’s cheese, artichoke, sundried tomato, and rocket sandwich on a poppyseed bun to my lips this afternoon.  Sweet temptation!  They can also brew a fine cappuccino, which is not helping me get over my caffeine addiction that makes me crave it fortnightly…In any case, make your way over to the deli at 11 Elgin Crescent just off Portobello Road (you’ll see the Duke of Wellington right on that corner).  It makes for a pleasant afternoon stroll, and you’ll have more than just an array of prepared sandwiches out for the purchasing–fresh breads, pastries, meats, and a long wall of packaged foods and sauces stocking its floor-to-ceiling shelves will satiate any appetite, any day.  Notting Hill Properties can situate you near the deliciousness–give us a ring!

‘At’s Amore!

The other day after work, I was famished and hoped to find something super close by Notting Hill Gate station, but off the high street to avoid all the pedestrian chaos.  Solution:  Portobello Ristorante Pizzeria at 7 Ladbroke Grove.  A cool yet pleasant, sunny early evening, I passed through their quaint garden trellis archway to be comfortably seated outside beneath the soft, beige-y glow of their deep awning.  Their complimentary bread serving is sparse–a basic 1 slice : 1 person ratio–but so what when it’s free and one shouldn’t be carb-loading before a big meal anyway!  Said big meal was well worth saving belly room:  the pizza is crisp and the gnocchi infused with basil.  An escape from the noise, yet still a moment’s walk from the Tube. 

Yet another reason Notting Hill is a convenient place to live…Notting Hill Properties will be happy to show you in person!

Toast of the Town

Am compelled to pay homage to the 202 Cafe today, located at 202 Westbourne Grove.  As fate would have it, I had a bit of time to kill this morning before work, so popped over there as it’s so conveniently close to our office in Notting Hill.  Their breakfast menu was a feast for the eyes…porridge, fruit salad, eggs, smoked salmon and oh-such other delectable fancies…yet my tendency to lapse into a food coma soon after eating anything particularly savoury redirected me to a simple side option of toast with butter and fresh preserves to soak up the frothy cappuccino in my belly.  On my own with nary a book to read, I felt perfect contentment merely sitting and soaking up the vintage yet contemporary-cool atmosphere of a cafe within a store…it reminds me somewhat of a favourite clothing/homewares store in the States (coming to London this year!), Anthropologie.  Granted, I wasn’t a big money-maker for the staff today with my modest fare, but, for me (and my pocketbook), it was an ideal way to start the day, and I hope for a summer evening to soon occasion an after-work drop-in.

If you find yourself at or near 202 and daydreaming of how lovely it would be to live near this locale, why not give Notting Hill Properties a call or drop by–our offices are right off Westbourne in the Lambton Place mews.