London is always a good idea, whatever the weather. Here are some stylish places to eat & drink in London.

Decadent Hot Chocolate at italian bear

Kev (my husband) loves good hot chocolate and I took him to to Italian bear in Rathbone Place. This was formally Said Dal. Read all about the best hot chocolate spots in London here.

Italian bear makes gourmet my hot chocolate. You can practically have everything they serve with their triple hot chocolate. It’s basically milk, dark and white melted, chocolate.  This is a must even though it costs £1.50. The cafe itself is not very stylish but the hot chocolate sure is.

FUNKY COCKTAILS AND TASTY PASTA AT CIRCOLO POPOLARE

If you want a set time or are a big group you need to book this place a month in advance. It is part of the Big Mamma Group. It is beautiful inside. The decor is very unique and when in London you have to pay them a visit.

We got there around 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday and were seated straight away. We ordered a couple of drinks and shared the Ragu pasta. The pasta was cooked al dente and the sauce was delicious. If you are not that hungry I recommend sharing the pasta.  The drink, it was as good as it looked, filled with mint and raspberry. 

STYLISH BAR, WORLD’S BEST BAR (NO 8) – CONNAUGHT BAR

If in Mayfair, try and visit one of the world’s best bar at The Connaught Hotel, Connaught Bar. It is known for its martinis we had had cocktails instead. I should’ve just tried to martini because it looked really good when it was being prepared . I guess it’s a reason to go back .The service was great and you get complimentary nibbles & a tiny drink to start with  (I would expect nothing less from a place like this). With your bill you get a recipe card for your cocktail which I think is the cherry on the top (though realistically I do not have most of the ingredients so would never make it).

ASIAN DISHES AT LUCKY CAT BY GORDAN RAMSAY

I had been looking at Lucky Cat for a while, and Amex were running a deal to get extra cash back at this restaurant as well as others. It was a deal to go to miss because the restaurant never has any offers. It’s a sharing concept at the Pan Asian Roboto Grill restaurant. If you’re really hungry, get 3 to 4 dishes, each. We got five dishes between two us and had to take some home because it was too filling. Each dish was sublime. perfectly prepared, plated and full of flavour. It’s not the cheapest of places, but it’s not the most expensive either. We paid about £120 for all the food and drinks. We had a selection of fish chicken and rice. I would’ve loved to try their desserts but we were just so full up. 

The ambiance is warm and we did not find it pretentious. The setting it relaxing too yet stylish.

STYLISH FRENCH BRASSERIE HIDDEN UNDERGROUND

An underground French art deco brassiere, Brasserie Zedel serves traditional French food and has a lively atmosphere. There was a live band playing when we were there. The food portions were reasonable and cocktails well shaken. We had the steak hache and tuna nicoise and both were so delicious.

The list of places in London can go on for ages, however so far this year, these are my favourites.

Neha