Naomi-Jay Craven

With one last post from 2016 I wanted to share one of my favourite places to spend a lazy Sunday. Columbia Road is famous for its flower market and is always jam packed full of plants and people and for the festive season the show is always on.

As you approach the street you'll see bright bunches of the seasons best picked wrapped in brown paper, the traditional way, and you know that you're getting close. Then comes the shouts of the market traders 'Fivah a bunch!' With the path lined with Christmas trees I can't think of a better way to get you into the festive mood.


And of course don't forget to pop into The Royal Oak for a quick pit stop drink and if you're feeling peckish take a seat for their finest roast. If the pub looks a little familiar you might remember spotting it on Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels but dressed up as a Samoan bar. There's also a hand full of cafes and restaurants if a roast isn't quite your thing, but make sure to pop your head into the antique and nick-nack shops. With flowers blooming all year round who wouldn't be happy pondering the streets?

There's nothing like a short break in the sun and getting away from the city is always a bonus. This quick flashback to a long weekend in Torrevieja makes me long for the heat of summer, especially when I look out of my window and see thick sheets of frost and fog.

Torrevieja sits beside Alicante in the South East of Spain on the breezy coast. With bright pink salt lakes, rocky beaches and fish restaurants a plenty it would be hard not to relax. The best food can be found far from the busy streets, silent during siesta time, buzzing in the cool evening. There's also a night market to pick up some treasures to take home (I'm hinting to the espadrilles here) and farmers markets in the day to explore and fill your bellies. Make sure you pick up some of the juiciest olives, but watch out for the garlic - they get pretty hot! And if all this gets all too much don't forget to make a mid-day pitstop for an espresso, beer or sangria. Of course there'll be a small plate of tapas to tide you through here too.

Looking back a weekend out of the hustle and bustle and catching the last September rays was just deserved. Sipping sangria and consuming more paella and tapas than humanly possible is the perfect way to wave goodbye to summer.

On a walk accompanied by ducks on the canal, dogs running their owners riot and the occasional ding of bike bells, we found ourselves in a new part of town and in front of a cafe we couldn't say no to. Tucked away on Chatsworth Road in Clapton, Cooper & Wolf is the perfect place to fill the quiet lull of a Saturday afternoon.

It's minimalist interior gives a good nod to shabby chic and bric-a-brac, as if we'd have it any other way, with a booty wiggle of Earth, Wind and Fire playing in the background as we stroll in. I can already tell that the food here is going to made with pride and I was right. The owner's recipes hail back to home cooked Sweedish inspired dishes made with seasonal produce.

Head to till and get ready to dribble over the cakes, I find it hard to pull myself away from displays like this, but with a nudge I was reminded that cake wasn't on the agenda.

We ordered, sat outside and eagerly waited. First up Sil & Lax, inglad sil and gravlax' pickled lovechild. Pickled herring is almost a Scandi delicacy, I can already see your nose wrinkling at the thought, and is made in-house at the cafe. Though it's much sweeter than expected and is a great accompaniment to crisp and rye bread. A little like pâté, with a deep breath in bracing yourself for the unknown flavours.

Next up, my favorite, an open sandwich of meatballs on a bed of beetroot. It wouldn't be right to go to a Scandi inspired cafe and not have meatballs. Am I right? Anyhow, the sweetness of the beetroot goes perfectly with the salad and sourness of pickled cucumbers. There seems to be a theme going on here, sweet mixed with something a little more sour acts as the base taste of most of the dishes.

A sweet lunch sets up a sweet weekend, so if you're looking for a quite space in London to people watch, eat and envy the local's style look no where else. I can't think of a better place to kick back and sip elderflower drinks.