This week Daydreamer caught up with Ella, the blogger behind The Little Brown Book.
As a regular reader of her restaurant reviews, bar visits and market trips, I was keen to get in touch with the person behind those brown pages. With an influx of London foodies blogs to choose from at the moment, it’s hard to stay faithful to one writer. Read on to find out why The Little Brown Book is worth returning too, as Ella shares stories of her annual High Tea Feast, the most underrated restaurant in London and what she thinks the London food scene is missing.
Bio in 140 characters…
The Little Brown Book is a guide to London wining and dining, exploring new and established restaurants and bars to find hidden gems we all wish we knew!
When did you create The Little Brown Book, and what made you decide to start blogging?
I moved to London at the end of 2012 and couldn’t help but become totally obsessed with experiencing all that the restaurant and bar scene has to offer. I began collecting business cards from all the places I visited and stuck them into my little brown book so I could refer back when asked for advice on where to eat and be merry! It seemed like the next logical step to have a little corner of the Internet so that I could pass on my new found wisdom to other inquisitive souls.
What’s your “Unique Selling Point”?
The Little Brown Book is a clean, quick and simple pedestal for quirky recommendations in London. I love fashion, art and design and always try to find restaurants and bars with a creative feel and buzzing atmosphere. I research where I’m going beforehand so rarely have many negative things to say and I think its far more helpful to advise people where to go rather than where not to!
What’s your day job?
Most of my days (and sometimes nights) are taken up studying Law. Writing my blog gives me the perfect excuse to ‘need’ to have a break and hop, skip and jump to my next adventure!
Can you cook?
Yes, I absolutely love cooking. Ever since I could walk I fancied myself as a bit of a chef! My most recent obsession is Thai green chicken noodle soup, which I would happily have on tap during this ridiculous weather that England has been blessed with at the moment! Tea parties are my guilty (or not so guilty) pleasure and each year, I create a High Tea Feast with everything in miniature, taking inspiration from restaurants like Sketch in London.
What has been your all-time favourite restaurant experience to date?
I can’t get enough of The Crazy Bear Group. They have restaurants dotted over the country and when we’re all home, my family hop on down to the Stadhampton branch. They have a Thai restaurant which is covered ceiling to floor in velvet; (I’m a bit of a fan of OTT)! I can’t help but stroke the walls and grin at the golden masks poking out around us. The tables are huge, round, gold serving platters and instead of spending hours drooling over the faultless menu; we often end up ordering most of it! There is also an English restaurant with a ceiling covered in wine bottles. I love the bravery of the design team and recommend this fabulous restaurant experience to everybody with a taste for the exotic or exciting!
Most underrated restaurant in London?
Pix Pintxos is a (sort of) tapas bar where everything is served in miniature and on sticks. All the food is intricately presented and mouthwateringly delicious. Nobody seems to know where I’m talking about when I start gushing praise for this place but I hope I can spread the word! It is the perfect venue for a date or a quick lunch with friends although with the food spread out over the bar for you to choose from, it is very easy to forget that payment will be required at the end of the meal!
How do you decide where to visit next?
I read the eating section in Timeout every Tuesday morning and have a whole stack of them in my room dating back to October when I moved to London to look through for inspiration. Sometimes I will wander round the city and stumble upon my next little gem but mostly I’ve heard about places through friends or via websites like barchick.com or justopenedlondon.com which are both great when you’re at a loss!
How has blogging in general changed your outlook on food/restaurants?
I have always loved and been aware of the interior decorations and design of almost any room I walk into. I think that blogging has heightened this and from the moment I enter a bar or restaurant I look out for the little details that others may not have noticed. The environment is equally as important as the food and I’m always ‘that person’ who hasn’t even glanced at the menu when the waiter comes to take my order because I’ve been far too distracted by what’s going on around me!
What do you think the London food scene is missing?
London is crying out for two things. Firstly, 24 hour breakfast with pancakes and waffles. I can’t be the only one who weeps at the thought of 2am McDonalds! Secondly, a really great fondue restaurant with a three-course fondue menu. I’m talking cheese to start with, then meat for the main and chocolate for dessert. You may not be able to eat for a week after but I truly believe it would be totally worth it!
Details
BLOG – www.littlebrownbooks.blogspot.co.uk
GOOGLE+ – Ella Rose P
INSTAGRAM – instagram.com/ellarose24
TUMBLR – littlebrownbooks.tumblr.com
PINTEREST – pinterest.com/littlebrownbook
Inspired by Ella’s suggestion of a three course fondue restaurant? Have a read of my meat fondue recipe for a homemade experience!
Just another London foodie 