rooftops of london

i've always been a fan of rooftops. from when we were crazy exchange students scampering on the lappis roofs in stockholm during the white nights of summer, to lazy roof top parties in the south of france and spain. much as i enjoy the shade, there's something romantic about a roof terrace. and balconies. they're not the most photogenic of spaces, however, but i was lucky to catch this snap on saturday. it's been a sorry nine (!!!) months since i last went to the gym. in fact, the last time was before we went to bray for a weekend of crazy eating with friends and i thought some last minute pre-emptive exercise wouldn't hurt. how wrong i was. my relationship with food and exercise isn't very interesting, unfortunately. and i'm conscious of how girls can be catty and competitive when it comes to calories. so no, let's not go down that rabbit hole. firm believer in eating well, in moderation, and being active. although the latter is more by circumstance than by choice, because i'm on my feet a lot in the week be it on the ward or in clinic. but hey, if that's enough to keep me in my current set of clothes (i find clothes fit the best gauge and am loathe to shop for new ones), i'll take it!

whitstable

come to think of it, the weekend passed in a happy blur of intermittent naps and lots of eating. we'd have breakfast at 9, sleep some more after, finally tear ourselves away from the b&b by about 11, walk to the beach,  stop for ice cream, stop for beer, stop for oysters, stop for lobster lasagne, sit on a beach chair, read, fall asleep, wake up, have more ice cream, have more beer, have more oysters, then make our way to dinner. it was a good break and i conveniently forgot i'd my primary care exam 48h after we got home. yay.

margate

we spent our first evening enjoying the sunshine by the water. strolled by the lighthouse, moseyed along the concrete steps, stopped for milkshakes (i had two!), paused for ice cream then followed it all with yummy GB pizzas while watching the sunset.

breakfast in bed(room)

we've stayed at a few b&bs and the more traditional establishments have a dated dining room, with dated furniture and sort of stodgy full english breakfast. it was such a treat to choose our breakfast options the evening before and leave them on the stairs on our way out for dinner. what was even nicer was how L, the proprietress, said there was absolutely no time limit for breakfast as it was 'more civilised' that way. can't agree more! of course, civility is a two-way street and we weren't going to take advantage of her kindness and request breakfast at noon. we went with 9am, figuring we could always go back to bed after (haha) and actually did. 

breakfast was all freshly prepared, with freshly squeezed juices and smoothies, fresh mint tea (me), fresh french press (him), fresh muesli fresh fresh fresh! so good :)

gem of a b&b

so after hitting the drawing board when we realised fishermen huts were not where we wanted to spend our second anniversary, the mister stumbled upon this beautifully appointed b&b on a quiet square. i'm laid back when it comes to accommodation, having stayed in my fair share of 12 bed dorms and triple deckers. that and the magical ability to sleep soundly anywhere, as long as i've ear plugs and an eye cover. but the mister, oh the mister. he's a different breed altogether. not complaining, seeing how i'm a beneficiary of his comfort-seeking ways ;)

polished wooden floors, huge windows, tons of natural light and overlooking the luscious greenery. i really liked the shabby chic interior. not trying to hard, but oozing charm nevertheless. 

thoughtfully provided stash of classics that i planned to make my way through over the weekend, but failed miserably. oh well, a girl can dream.

and the gorgeous bathroom that the owner designed. in fact, he designed everything. and his lovely partner was an elegant, erudite lady who emailed us the most comprehensive restaurant list of the town and around. my kind of woman! 

the sportsman

the sportsman seems to be on every foodie guide and we weren't disappointed. under-estimated the wonderful london traffic and sheer nightmare getting out of the city was, and quite accidentally rocked up 45min late. the proprietor was nice enough about it and said they'd try to catch up as we'd pre-ordered the tasting menu. he also recommended a nice oaky white to go with it, and suggested we keep the menu a surprise (it was given to us at the every end). regrettably, i find we're increasingly hard to surprise (not to please) and it was nice that the tasting menu provided us with new tastes and combinations that intrigued. what was also good was how it was substantial without being carb-heavy. it's embarrassing but i've a massive appetite and am often not full after london tasting menus. which is pure torture because you're paying through the nose to be teased and leave still hungry. not ideal!

the gastropub has one star but the service was far from stellar. it was so-so and a little clumsy. then again, it's kent and casual so maybe all part of the countryside charm. shrugs.

cotton anniversary

the rotation gods were kind and by chance i happened to have the friday of our anniversary weekend off. it's been about a year since we last went to hutong and the mister was hankering for good chinese food with a view. little did we know that england would be playing uruguay that night. the mister did try to convince me to have dinner later but i was having none of it. if being in a serious, long-term relationship has taught me anything - it's about keeping score. so while he was furtively and not-so-furtively checking the score through our otherwise romantic dinner, i now have a hall pass for future misbehaviour. yay!

set off bright and early over the weekend to kent, stopping for lunch at the sportsman. had heard good things about whitstable and initially booked to stay at the fishermen's huts by the shore (continuing our series of sleeping in strange places) but just couldn't bring ourselves to pay £200/night (weekend price, minimum two nights) when it's ordinarily £95/night in the week. the website and photos were lacking and after some resourceful sleuthing, the mister chose a charming b&b instead. relieved he did, because we did sneak a peek at the fishermen huts at the beach and ohboy, not impressive. bullet dodged, whew.

will be posting over the next few days about the trip, do check back if you'd like to see :)

second anniversary

we don't have an anniversary before our wedding anniversary. i attribute it to transcending quite organically from strangers to paramours, so much so we couldn't really put a finger on when we were more than friends. the mister (then 'the manfriend') very romantically tried to explain our relationship to me in terms of the principles of agency law i.e. 'if you're not officially an agent but act like one, you're still an agent'. therefore, 'if you're not officially my girlfriend but act like one, you're still my girlfriend'. what a nerd.

but we do remember the very first time we met for coffee, and we tied the knot on the fifth anniversary of that first date. what was extra meaningful was that it happened to be a friday as well, and it's friday i'm in love was sort of my singlehood (long did that last!) anthem in freshman year. together with thenakedlawyers, or how our little lonely hearts clique referred to ourselves, every friday was cause for celebration that would see us descend on the newest watering hole en masse. so for a sappy sentimentalist like me, to be married on a friday and to be in love (or very serious like!) was a fitting end and beginning.

i really enjoyed our first anniversary. we spent the eve with dear friends from our wedding party (K had come to iceland, N & L (melbourne-based) and C (all the way from ithaca) made the trek to our singers celebration. they all happened to be visiting london a year later we're incredibly blessed to have such wonderful friends celebrate our first anniversary with us. after an amazing dinner at luiz's japanese supperclub, there was a huge surprise waiting for me back home. the mister had miraculously procured a gift that essentially rendered us unable to afford a family for the next five years. this sneaky mister, always one step ahead of me! and bright and early on our anniversary, we sped to gatwick and barely made our flight to barca to continue the festivities.

as a couple whose relationship has largely been based on adventure and feasting till surfeited collapse, it was nice how our anniversary reflected the things that we enjoy doing together. there are lots of things we enjoy doing apart, too. and it's the independence and space i have that keeps me coming back. i find as a young person it's so easy to lose yourself in an all-consuming partnership and maybe i've my mother to thank for teaching me to value my independence and sense of self. we're very blessed to be a in place where we each get to pursue our individual dreams. the feminist in me gets irked when the doctors' WAGs (wives and girlfriends) (oh don't get me started!) bring up the connection every opportunity they get, and create opportunities when there are none. great you've married up but ohmymama, the next time i hear some smug wife smirk, "oh we haven't been to the GP since husband became a doctor..." i will scream. people only brag about their +1 when they've nothing to be proud of themselves?

then the mister reminds me it's pot calling the kettle black, because i too have the terrible habit of going on and on about him when no one cares. oops :) yet i'm constantly reminded, even when eavesdropping on the next table over brunch, that girls bandy around doctor partners as a prize catch. and i've a dear (single) doctor friend in singapore who's having a field day basking in the attention of all manner of female just because he's got Dr. before his name. ok, so that's selling him short and he's a lovely chap too but you get what i mean. i suppose what i don't like is the female need to be rescued. carrie articulated it in SATC decades (yikes!) ago and it's something that's true till today?

so, what i've learnt from my (as yet relatively short) marriage is that being with someone is freeing. and i don't need rescuing, thank you very much. i'll be my family's doctor one day, thank you very much. but the mister has softened me, and rubbed the hard edges where i'm aggressive and selfish off. not quite the proverbial taming of the shrew and i still have my moments but i'm learning to let go and let him sort things out. so maybe i did need rescuing after all ;)

 (anniversary spread sans mains at a charming b&b. more photos to come!)

the moscow list

adapted from the ararat*park hyatt's list, ever so helpfully provided by the concierge. that said, it's almost as if someone was bribed by arkady*novikov because so many of his projects feature on the list. we particularly enjoyed cafe pushkin and the bolshoi restaurant, and a cheat tip for bars is the park hyatt bar was much nicer than the famous o2 bar at the ritz carlton. o2 bar only worth visiting during day light and good weather (neither of which we had!) so you can legitimately peer over the kremlin walls. otherwise, the park hyatt conservatory bar is quite and calming.

Restaurants

Russian

Pushkin Café Tverskoy Bulvar, 26

Guidebook favourite with pre-revoluntionary style décor. Open 24h with a few levels so wasn’t too difficult to get a table for 2 on Saturday night. Only takes booking before 830pm. Pharmacy for casual catch ups, Library for privacy and the Fireplace for celebrations and the Cellar and Summer Terrace for grand dinners. The beef stroganoff was the best we’ve ever had, and I tried Russian vodka for the first time. Smooth and silky, probably meant to be sipped when its £7/shot.

Bolshoi Restaurant Petrovska, 6/3

Be sure to enter from the correct entrance, as I accidentally barged into the government building next door and was only deterred by the imposing metal detector at the main door. Bolshoi is the latest project by Russian Arkady Novikov. An exclusive collection of modern art by Dietrich Klinge, Isabelle Munios, Georgy Puzenkov, Juan Hernandez Piguan, Pierre Soulages and Anthony Taliesse adorns the space. There’s a 10% discount if you show the Bolshoi theatre ticket on the night of the performance.

Oblomov 1^st Monetchikovsky per. 5

Formerly a 19^th century noble villa, with interior design reflecting Russian aesthetic i.e. iron chests, paintings in gilded frames etc. Have the Russian favourites  smoked fish and cutlets po-russki and be prepared to pay a premium.

Modern

Galereya Petrovka 27

Lavishly decorated restaurant serving trendy mixed European / Asian cuisine. Also an events space hosting modern arts exhibitions, concerts and parties. Serves breakfast and lunch too, and accepts reservations before 10pm.

GQ Bar Baltchug, 5

Also by Arkady Novikov, GQ Bar is a restaurant, karaoke and bar in 1500 sq meters. Serves traditional Russian food with a modern twist.

Italian

Cantinetta Antinori Denezhny Pereulok 20

Located near the Old Arbat Street (tourist pedestrian street). Another project by Arkady Novikov, in collaboration with the Tuscan family Antinori. Restaurant is in a manor designed in Tuscan style. The ground floor is dark toned with oak ceiling and antique furniture while the first floor boasts an impressive fireplace.

Mario Klimashkina 17

One of the best summer terraces in town and widely regarded as one of the best Italian restaurants in Moscow. The veal and lamb is delivered from Italy while the seafood comes from France.

Il Forno Neglinnaya, 8/10

New restaurant with wood-fire oven dedicated to pizza. Also serves breakfast.

Seafood

La Maree Petrovka, 28/2

Unique restaurant-boutique in minimalist surroundings, serves seafood and Mediterranean haute cuisine.

Market Sadovaya—Samotechnaya 18

“Open market” restaurant with choice of 36 different vegetables and 25 different seafood and have them cooked in any style. Wide selection of wines. Interior looks like small seaside restaurant.

Japanese

Seiji Komsomolskiy Prospect, 5/2

Japanese haute cuisine

Nobu Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street, 20

Needs no introduction. Fusion Japanese with South American influence. If you’re feeling indulgent, the cheaper omakase is a wonderful selection of popoular Nobu favourites and a very filling meal. The more expensive omakase is designed for Nobu regulars who are familiar with the usual fare and offers a more seasonal menu. Lunch menu available. Reservations recommended.

Yoko Soimonovsky proezd 5

Yet another Arkady Novikov restaurant. Fish and seafood delivered twice weekly from the Tokyo auctions, and has a view of Christ the Saviour cathedral.

Chinese

Turandot Tverskoy Boulevard, 26/5

Kitsch factor with waiters dressed as 18^th century French aristocrats. Baroque restaurant with 13 halls, serving Asian and European cuisine.

Mr. Lee Kuznetskiy Most, 7

Inspired by Shanghainese restaurants and serves Chinese, Malaysian, Thai and Singaporean dishes. Wooden pagoda in the centre was bought by Arkady Novikov (AGAIN!) in Singapore for his personal collection.

Middle Eastern

Barashka Na Arbate Noviy Arbat, 21/1 / Barashka Na Petrovke Petrovka, 20/1

Identical restaurants with cosy atmosphere and delicious home-made Azerbaijian cuisine adapted for European palate.

White Sun of the Desert Neglinnaya, 29

Named after the Soviet-era film, and decorate with antique weapons and musical instruments. Uzbek, Chinese and Arabic cuisine. If your scruples allow, try the kazy (horse meat sausage that’s smoked then boiled), lamb kebabs and lagman.

Suliko Bolshaya Polyanka, 42

Suliko means “soul” in Georgian, an apt name for the restaurant. Serves fine Georgian wines, generous portions of Georgian food and Georgian songs.

Night Clubs and Bars

Pacha Moscow Nikolskaya, 10

Spacious dance floors, Pop Art interior and celebrities invited every weekend  to see and be seen. The international Pacha team from Ibiza designed the club and it boasts a state of the art light and sound system unique in Moscow. 30 VIP lounges and can accommodate more than 900 guests.

Rolling Stones Bolotnaya Nab. 3

Rolling Stone Bar & Tattoo allows breath-taking views from the panoramic windows, while the face control screens the audience to create an atmosphere “full of fun”. Dancing is allowed on the bar, bartenders drink with the customers and the atmosphere becomes friendlier as the night wears on and the drinks get stronger.

Premier Lounge Mantulinskaya, 5/1

VIP night club with beautiful models, lines of black limos and strict face control. Has a “Fountain of light” and VIP lounges with discreet access. Plays house remixes of all-time dance hits.

Solyanka Solyanka, 11

Solyanka means “stew” and is in an 18^th century merchant’s mansion with tall windows and antique ceilings. Starts at 11pm Thursday to Sunday and the main dinign room is transformed into a dramatically-lit dance floor.

Soho Rooms Savvinskaya nab, 12

One of the fanciest night clubs in Moscow, with investments high according to even Moscow standards. Dance floor is referred to as the Disco Room.

Luch Bolshaya Pirogovskaya, 27/1

One of Moscow’s hippest clubs. High ceilings of the former factory create an exhibition space for modern art objects. Alleged serves the finest mojitos in Moscow.

Strelka Bolotnaya Naberzhnaya, 9

Best bar in Moscow. Located at Krasny Oktyabr, a trendy area home to Moscow’s new architecture, design firms and media companies.

Manon 1905 str. 2

Swanky bar in a popular restaurant. Place where people go to see and be seen. Locals go there to warm up before a club night. Manon’s bar manager is creative and makes a pretty, tasty and fast impression. I think they’re referring to their drinks.

Museums

Kremlin Museums

Citadel of the Tsars, HQ of the Soviet Union and now residence of the Russian President. A symbol of power of the State. The highlights are the State Armory Chamber, Diamond Treasury and cathedrals from 15^th -17^th century.

State Tretyakov Gallery Lavrushinsky pereulok, 10-12

Russian art that traces development of Russian culture from 11^th to 20^th century. Largest and finest collection of Russian art in the world.

New Tretyakov Gallery on Krymsky Val

Annex of main Tretyakov Gallery, devoted to Russian art from 1900s to present day. Exhibits of Socialist Realism and reflect cultural straightjacket imposed by Stalin in the 1930s.

Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts Volkhonka, 12

Excellent collection of French Impressionist and post-Impressionist paintings. Some of the most famous paintings were hidden for ideological reasons during the Soviet Era, by Russian-born artists Vasily Kandinsky and Marc Chagall.

Moscow Museum of Modern Arts Petrovka, 25

1500 works by foreign and Russian masters of all major 20^th century art trends and styles. Based on Zurab Tseretli’s private collection.

bolshoi restaurant

contrary to what it seems, we weren't the only diners at the bolshoi! but what was interesting was how it was only us clueless tourists seated in the open. the rest ducked in and out of concealed entrances, and lingered in the shadowy corners of the inner rooms. it was only on my way to the ladies that i realised the restaurant was actually pretty busy! funny how culturally the russians are so different, and quite like the chinese in the need for dining out of sight. reminded of private rooms at the chi chi and not-so-chi chi chinese restaurants back home. always wondered about that. the mister hates private rooms as he feels part of the dining out experience is people-watching and soaking in the atmosphere. this of course does nothing but boost my ego as i wonder what how that reflects on me and my ability to muster intelligent conversation.

the bolshoi kind of messed with my mind, like much of moscow. it had all the trappings of an upmarket establishment but the staff were messing around in plain sight. like the hostess and sous chef canoodling by the kitchen door, the manager making 'i'm going to kill you' gestures to the hapless waiter, and random people coming in and out looking like they were there to interview (you know the look, somewhat nervous, dossier-clutching, ill-fitting 'interview clothes') which made me feel sort of guilty to be enjoying myself when other 'young people' are trying so hard to find employment. or so i surmised anyway, and could've been completely wrong. 

on a funny note, it was raining when we left the hotel and the mister was hogging the brolly. to avoid soaking our leather shoes (fashion > function, sigh) i insisted on taking what i thought was a shortcut. only to find i'd barged into an important government building and past the stunned armed guard and metal detector (wondering the whole time why the restaurant was so tight on security) before the guard laughed in my face and directed us next door. i suppose it could've been worse (he could've shot me...?) and it was nice to hear a russian laugh. not something we saw much of on the trip.

radisson boat cruise

about half-way through the DIY walking tour, we branched off and made for the water. it was fascinating to stroll along the main tourist beat (old arbat street) and see the stark signs of 'the west', and more subtly, those of capitalism. there was maccas, dunkin donuts, wendy's and the shake shack, all within metres of each other, not unlike any major american city! yet despite the 12 lane roads (6 going in each direction) and sparkling new shops, there were people selling animals (puppies, tortoises) on the pedestrianised stretch, not unlike any major less developed city. 

quite embarrassingly, my biggest achievement that day was ordering a strawberry milkshakes from maccas from a russian girl who spoke not english, from a menu that was purely in cyrillic with no pictures. it took some pretty convincing sign language, if i might add, and some substandard mime. but there i was, victoriously slurping my hard-earned milkshake as we continued our walk to the pier.

we passed one of stalin's seven sisters en route and it was surreal! doesn't this just scream 'dystopia'? it's been reborn as the ministry of foreign affairs. again, looks so much like the empire state building and much can be said about the stalinist (russian baroque + gothic) architectural style.

eventually we hit the water, but not before first masquerading as guests at the raddison ;) the boat cruise was surprisingly good value and we later learnt it was probably a loss leader to ensnare a captive audience who'll order food while on the two hour river cruise. it was nice that the park hyatt concierge didn't oversell the cruise, and advised us not to waste money on the first class tickets as it was essentially the same thing but on the covered upper deck. undeterred by the bitter russian spring, we braved the biting wind and sat on the uncovered upper deck in true el cheapo fashion, angering the grumpy crew who was assigned to bring our drinks up to us. she wasn't a happy sailor!

the cruise took us up and down the river, past all the sights and it provided an interesting perspective. much like the seine cruise at night. cheesy but contemplative!

cafe pushkin

More than 40 years ago Gilbert Becaud, famous French chansonier, gave performances in Moscow. Returned to France he wrote a song “Natalie” and dedicated it to Natalie, his Russian interpreter. There are such words in this song: “We are walking around Moscow, visiting the Red Square and you are saying learned words about Lenin, the revolution, but I am thinking: “I wish we sat in the “Café Pushkin”, with snow falling outside the windows, we would be drinking hot chocolate and talking of another things… ”.
The song became incredibly popular in France, and it is no wonder that in Moscow the Frenchmen searched for the “Café Pushkin” and failed to find it because it was solely the poetic fantasy of Becaud. It was the song that compelled Andrey Dellos  to create “Café Pushkin”.  

And finally on June 4th, 1999, on Tverskoy boulevard Moscow,  “Café Pushkin” was opened in a Baroque mansion, which opening was attended by Gilbert Becaud and there he sang his world-famous song “Natalie”.

(from the cafe pushkin website)

what a lovely history, don't you think?

cafe pushkin was on all the tourist guides, and came highly recommended by our conceirge too! it's open 24h and has 3 floors so it wasn't too hard to get a table late on saturday night. the service was top notch. not a fan of russian food but the beef straganoff was the best i've ever had. the next table was getting increasingly inebriated as the night wore on. was curious as to what the dashing waiter was serving them off a glistening bar cart. turns out it was russian vodka of various forms. i asked for a shot and he laughed at me, suggesting i couldn't take it. turns out he was wrong! but at £7+ a pop, i wasn't about to down it in one go. far from an experienced vodka drinker but it was smooth with faint notes of honey that i quite liked :) funnily enough, the person who spoke the best english in the establishment was the lovely elderly coat check gentleman. which made me wonder what he used to do before he became a coat attendant working past midnight on a saturday...

took a slow walk back to the hotel and the mister insisted of stopping for drinks at the ritz O2 bar. was unimpressed but perhaps that's because it had started to drizzle and we couldn't sit in the outdoor section overlooking the kremlin. a friend asked on instagram if we felt the increased police presence in the capital. having not visited before and nothing to really compare it with, i told him i didn't. but during our walk from cafe pushkin to the ritz (about 10 minutes?) i felt relatively safe despite it being late and dark because every 100m or so there would be police standing by building entrances. the mister said my inherent trust in authority shows how i've grown up in a safe,, non-corrupt society and he's right! not that we were ever given cause to doubt the russian police, but he said crossing a bad cop wouldn't be a good idea.