Sushi in Ukai

If you want sushi you want Ukai. It's delicious, it's fast, it's stylish. We have been to the Poland Street branch for several times and loved the place. Upstairs lounge is great if you are looking for a place to hang out before/after dinner. You can also eat upstairs on a long wooden dining table which can seat up to 8 people comfortably.

Downstairs offers more seating since it's the restaurant floor with a bar with shelves full of sake bottles - appetizing! Black walls, black tables and dim lights give you the feeling of dining at a night club rather than a Japanese restaurant, which is a nice break from typical dining experience.

We have experimented quite a wide range of sushi selections and my favourite was the tempura sushi. Most sushi platters consist of five pieces and they are reasonably priced. (Ranging between £2.50 and £5.00). My recommendations are the Spicy Salmon Hosomaki, Salmon Avacado Uramaki and being a cream cheese lover I also recommend the Ukai California. If you still can't decide just get the mixed platters! As for the mains, Salmon Teriyaki and Chicken Teriyaki are amazing but I'm warning you; make sure you feed yourself up with some sushi first since the portions are typical Japanese style, small and elegant - if you know what I mean.

The warm sake is great value f0r £5.00 for a 180ml bottle. I loved the whole tableware but those miniature sake cups were the best. According to their website the tableware along with some other stuff like Japanese tea and incense can now be purchased. See it for yourself: http://www.ukai.co.uk/

Braches:

58 Poland Street, London

223 Portobello Road, London

39 Lavender Hill, London

There is more to Sweden than its meatballs

Fika - Swedish for coffee break - is "a way of being" as they define themselves. Thanks to its wooden decor it resembles a spa more than a bar/restaurant/cafe. The soft lights and the friendly atmosphere inside makes this place so cozy that you may feel like you're sitting in your own living room only with kind people serving you food and drinks. The kangaroo, sipping tea on the wall, looks like it's ready to keep you company in case you want to take a break from your book.

Once you're inside you feel like you have taken shelter in a hut after a long walk in the wilds of Sweden. You can warm yourself with a selection of schnapps from Sweden or choose from the wine list, which offers a good variety without confusing you with French château names. I recommend the Beef Plankstek (£14.90), which is served on a wooden board nicely decorated with mashed potatoes. For a more traditional choice you might go for the meatballs; they live up to their name!

Make sure you have space for the dessert because Kladdkaka deluxe (£3.90) is heavenly. I couldn't dare to try the waffle stack after dinner but next time I'm going there just for this killer dessert and will report back.

This Brick Lane restaurant is great for romantic meals with candle light, spending a lazy Sunday afternoon reading or small size parties.

For everything else check this out: http://www.fikalondon.com/