Le Restaurant, L'Hotel, Paris (5/5)

Tucked away in the heart of the Left Bank, the artistic cultural centre of Paris, and behind a rather unimaginative name, lies one of the greatest dining experiences we have ever come across. Le Restaurant offers the finest French cuisine in a traditional yet modern setting, truly fitting to its location. We went for the 7 course tasting menu (in reality you actually get 11 dishes!) and would highly recommend both in terms of variety and value for money (though don't be fooled, your wallet is going to come out lighter by the end). From truffle cream canopies to crab cake sculptures to what we can only describe as a raspberry snake, each dish is beautiful and mouthwatering. The chefs here are evidently at the top of their trade, displaying a masterful palette and execution of a variety of techniques and ingredients, deserving more than the one Michelin star they currently hold. Below are the majority of the dishes we sampled, I'll let them finish this post.

Address: L'Hotel, 13 Rue des Beaux Arts, 75006, Paris

BT Artbox: painted phone booths

I swear to God, I came up with the idea first. Of course I don't have the paint, or brushes, or the artistic talent to pull it off. But I did think of it first.

Anyway, I discovered the BT Artbox project on the way home today. I suspected seeing a painted phone booth in Covent Garden the other day but didn't bother to look into it.

Looks like BT Artbox is a less exciting art and charitable project on a smaller scale than the Faberge Big Egg Hunt earlier this year. Check out the details of BT Artbox on their website here.

Nevertheless, it seems like something fun to do. New addition to the adventure list.

street food: london streets named after food part 1

I live on a street named after food, it's always an icebreaker with the taxi drivers, or takeaway restaurants.

There doesn't seem to be a compilation of streets named after food in London, so we're going to have to fill that knowledge gap. Starting with... Grape Street in Covent Garden.

walking across the millenium bridge at dusk

Thank God for late summer nights. This is the perfect post-dinner stroll.

Definitely walk from the Tate towards St Paul's Cathedral, the views are just stunning. But if you walk the reverse way you'll be looking at the rather unsightly Tate Modern and surrounding buildings. Takes about 15 minutes at a leisurely pace.

Nearest tubes: Southwark (Tate Modern) and St Paul's.

damien hirst at tate modern

The first thing that hits you when you walk into the Tate Modern is space. This place is huge. The dark floor, walls and ceiling almost make up their own little exhibition themselves.

It was Friday evening and it was very quiet. We picked up our tickets for the Damien Hirst exhibition and headed first to see For the Love of God, a separate and free display on the ground floor. I don’t like diamonds, or skulls, but it is still spectacular to see in person. Especially in a room that is completely dark and the skull is all you can see.

The exhibition itself is on the third floor. It was the first time I ever saw Damien Hirst’s works in person, and I have been thoroughly converted. There are some pieces which prompt the generic 'I could have done that' or 'what is so special about that' thoughts when one looks at 'modern art'. But I'll have to admit that I've been converted to an admirer despite the controversy surrounding his art (read the militant comments on Guardian).

Pictures were not allowed in the exhibition obviously, photos below all from www.damienhirst.com. (other than the first one)

The Anatomy of an Angel, 2008

With Dead Head, 1991

Sympthany in White Major, 2006: This is a stunning piece made up of real butterfly wings. 

Doorways to the Kingdom of Heaven, 2007

Doorways to the Kingdom of Heaven details, 2007

The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, 1991

The Incomplete Truth, 2006

british museum: the enlightenment living room

I've lived within a 10-minute vicinity of the British Museum for 3 years, and I've never stepped foot in it since a short visit 5 years ago on my first trip to London.

I went today after giving up on hopes that the sun would hold up (reading The White Peacock on the roof just had to wait). I actually went specifically for the new exhibition, The Horse: from Arabia to Royal Ascot.

It fell short of expectations, and I was done with it in about 30 minutes. The 'Arabia' part was very well thought-out and the items on display quite spectacular, including a life-size horse armour. However, the 'Royal Ascot' bit seemed hastily thrown together, and based mainly on drawings and paintings that gave limited insight. Still, I really enjoyed the diaries of Anne Blunt, who co-founded the Crabbet Arabian Stud with her husband. Her entries are beautifully illustrated with her own watercolours- what a talented lady. The sketch of the anatomy of the horse by George Stubbs is another highlight, it is so wonderfully detailed, and will certainly make you look at his Whistlejacket at the National Gallery in a new light. But I would have liked to see some more concrete display items in the 'Ascot' section- saddles, training equipment, pedigree papers- and a bit more history behind professional racing. I did like the short clips of races, Olympics dressage and show-jumping at the end of the exhibition, but they could have been a bit longer.

After leaving the exhibition disappointed, I wandered by chance into the Enlightenment Room. Now this is a place worthy of hours of leisurely lingering. It was like walking into the living room of an Enlightenment hoarder. What makes this exhibition unique are the walls of artefacts from bird eggs, stuffed birds, sea shells, china, wax seals and statues. The huge collection of beautiful antique books lends the room a distinct flavour of legacy. If I had the time and a ladder, I could easily spend a day scouring the entire literary contents of the room from floor to ceiling.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves.