WHEN IN THE LOTUS CLUB - The lap of Luxury in Marrakech

Too Cool for School!


Marrakech is such an exciting city in the old town. For us, it is a mixture of the orient, traditions and scenes from Aladdin! In the modern town it is a mix of the orient, traditions and Sex in the city??

The melange of bars and restaurants amazes you when you visit for the first time.

In the residential area of the Hivernage, hidden amongst palm trees and vines are some amazing restaurants, cafes and bars. There is a place that brings Carrie Bradshaw's sass to the streets of Marrakech and decor that would even inspire Bergdorf Goodman's in NYC!

The Lotus is for the elite of Marrakech. You walk down a red carpet through a courtyard of Palm trees and lanterns as if you are on your way to the Oscars. You then enter a room so sexy and cool that it would even make Mr Darcy's pond scene look like a drab!

The room is broken off in into a series of areas by of a melange of deco mixed with modern chic. Dark tinted mirrors and avant garde light fittings fill the rooms and velvety furniture fills the space.

I went on an evening of live music with a singer ironically from Essex ( a British girl in Marrekech in a bar filled with french and Marrocans being sung to by a guy from Essex??- what a small world this is!) who put a cool jazz twist on some classics from artists such as: Tracy Chapman and Prince. You can sit by the bar ordering a cool cocktail and listen to the silky sound of music whilst watching the impressive OTT Marrakech elite slide through dressed head to toe in designers. It's a bit like being at a bar watching Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass with their posy of followers in a Moroccan sense however the food is great, the ambiance is cool and it is not easy to get a great cocktail in the city but the drinks here are good and you feel you are in trendy location of Paris whilst sipping on some champagne.

This is a must visit When in Marrakech

It comes alive oh, when the sun goes down
It  gets it right you know it's always down
You must keep one eye open and your ear to the ground
Cuz the Lotus is too cool for school

For More info see:

Rue Ahmed Chawki | Hivernage, Marrakech, Morocco

WHEN IN FOUR STORE- Brush up on your highschool Geometry!

Clean cut Geometry of fashion!

Never been much good at maths. Never had the calculating talent. What I am good at is spending large numbers- monies!!

The sleepy street -Mulackstrasse is one of those dangerous streets where shoppers like me are drawn to. I can't help myself really I can't. I have tried to go cold turkey and find other places to take my mind off this street but its cool underground fashion scene pulls me in and takes over my entire being!!! 

Enough with the dramatics!

Four store is a fantastic fashion find- full of different brands such as: Stine Goya and  Won Hundred. It is one of those clean cut stores with funky and mod fashions.

Mute colour rails with a splash of something unique and fun , deck out the interior of the store and I always have fun looking through the funky accessories to spruce up my chosen outfit.

I also have a serious interior envy of the front of the shop. When you walk in sitting at the entrance is this incredible home made structure of lamp shade frames with thick coloured wool woven in and out of the skeleton. I could seriously imagine that sitting in my room as a focal piece! I have no idea what I would tell people but hey! It's modern art!

There is something incredibly futuristic about the store. I don't know whether it is the modern pieces that they have or whether it is the fact that there is a chic sense of new modernism but if you like forward thinking simple fashions then this is the place for you.

This is a must shopping visit When in Berlin!

Don't know much about geography
Don't know much trigonometry
Don't know much about algebra
Don't know what a slide rule is for

But I do know that one and one is two
And if this one could spend it in FOUR too
What a wonderful world this would be
 for more info see:
Mulackstraße 12
10119 Berlin

WHEN IN BREAD - The best thing since sliced bread and butter!

Lovin dat Soho's Bread!

I have found since being here that brunching is a seriously popular past time in NYC. They don't do breakfast, they don't do lunch and they don't really do a dinner. However brunch is very common and it can appear on any day of the week in the big apple.

In the trendy area of Soho on the edge of Nolita is a funky urban bar called Bread. It is a place to cool off and relax and to enjoy the mid day sun and obviously to be seen as part of the it crowed.

I love the interior of this place as you have the brown stone urban surrounding of lower east side and inside is completely and utterly white. A white bar, white seats, white tables, white walls, mosaic white bar...

An ice cool feeling with an urban retreat twist!

The food is great. Fresh and simple and you get good portions for your money. I have come to realise that NYC is a food/money eating metropolis and you don't really understand this until you are at the cash wrap about to pay for something and your wallet is empty- Where did it all go?? on little pit stops !

Bread is a great place to enjoy the little niches of Soho and it is terribly New Yorker but what a great way to spend Saturday, than by cooling off with an iced coffee and panini and the sound of smooth jazz and funk watching the avid shoppers mill around the neighbourhood!

This is a must visit When in New York

Mamma's little baby loves soho, soho
Mamma's little baby loves soho's  bread
Mamma's little baby loves soho , soho
Mamma's little baby loves soho's bread
 Three little shoppers layin' in the bed
Two were bored and the other 'most dead
Sent for the doctor, the doctor said
"Feed those children in soho's bread"

for more info see:
20 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012

WHEN IN SEVEN- Alice in Wonderland of Soho

Method in designer Madness!


I am a sucker for the weird and wonderful. I find it incredible that such creations are available to the ordinary folk of the high street. Down the secret slumbering street of Mercer, there is a little doorway into a store so freakishly cool that, the likes of Gaga and Stefani would wear the creations that lurk in the deep.

It is almost as if you have transcended into uncharted waters or the darkest of designer dungeons, however it is ueber cool. The creations of Wilhelm, Christopher Kane, Butterfly Soulfire, House of Holland and Pugh are a few of the names that you will find in this rabbit hole amongst the pristine designer stores surrounding the Soho area.

It is a store which you can only call mad- however I am one to say that in this kind of fashion there is much method in the madness.

You need to do a double take when you skim through the rails of wonderful pieces, all so unique and avant garde that looking twice is a must.

This is a must visit When in New York

What you waiting
what you waiting 
What you waiting for


I can't wait to go 
Back and shop in Seven 
Get me lots of brand new styles
Pugh, WilhlemHouse of Holland
Damn, you've got some wicked style... 

What you waiting

what you waiting 

What you waiting for

For more info see:
 New York
110 Mercer Street
New York, NY 10012

WHEN IN SUPTINO- Bringing New York to Southwest London

New York New York - You mean London London ??



My mum was in town for the weekend and she wanted to meet for lunch. Usually this means somewhere near Selfridges so that we can continue our shopping spree and possibly go for a late night movie. However this time we decided to mix it up a bit.

She wanted to test this place Sputino out which she had read about online.

The only way I can describe this place is; if All Saints decided to branch out from the fashion world into cuisine then this is what each of their restaurants would look like. If Seasick Steve wanted a joint to hang out in with his guitar and his lyrics then this would be his place. A tiny place with iron everywhere subway styled tiles and a rusty feel with this cool urbaness ambiance to it. You are bringing derelict New York buildings with fire escapes and all to the middle of central London. Naked light bulbs dimly light the room and the waft of homely food fills the secret cubby hole of a diner!



You can't really call it a restaurant as it does not host many tables and chairs. You sit along the bar which has maximum 15 places and there is one high table and stools towards the back.

The highlight is however that the menu is a funky as the venue. Popcorn is your bread and everything comes in miniature sizes so you order one of each and you become so addicted that you order more! Mini salt beef and pickle sandwiches, zucchini fries with yogurt dip, brioche and bone marrow etc.  it brings a Novaux New York deli styled food to the streets of Soho in west London. ( you must try the peanut butter jelly sandwich for dessert- it is not what you think and is extremely delicious! The hint is ice cream and compote)

You can't book, you can't call , you just need to go and be lucky.

This is a must dining experience When in London

Start spreadin the news
I'm eatin today.
I want a great big chunk of it 
Sputino Sputino


I want burgers, pizza and fries
Where it's miniatures sizes
Coolest place in town 


Sputino Sputiiinoooo!!


For more info see:
61 Rupert Street
Westminster, London W1D 7

WHEN IN NIBS- Willy Wonker has nothing on this place!

I want Nibs Now!!!


If you decide one day that you want to take a trip to Berlin during the months of January and February, you will need Arctic weather reinforcements, lots of thermal underwear, possible snow boots, a slay and Nibs.

Nibs is what I like to call as the Spanish Willy Wonker. Everything is about chocolate. Chilly and chocolate, walnut and chocolate, raisin and chocolate, chocolate fondue, Chocolate fruit, hot chocolate, Ice chocolate...etc the list can go on. However in this little choco den, the most treasured item on the menu is the ' Spanische Chokolade mit Churros' translation to- Spanish chocolate with Churros.

You will see in a corner a little machine rotating the juiciest, most chocolaty mixture all day keeping it fresh and smooth. Once you order, the lady will go to a machine at the back a prepare warm freshly made churros and sprinkle it with sugar. Then you see her release this choco mixture into a cup which is soooo gooey and mouth watering. It is then placed in front of you. You dip the churros into the cup and consume. It is so naughty and good that the only noise that can be heard is the long drawn out ' hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm' ( sounding a little too much like a good thing ;)  )  Then all is quiet and before you know it you have devoured every last drop and completely cleaned the cup of any chocolate smear.

It is a tiny place so sometimes I would take a Spanish chocolate to go and walk around window shopping in the west of Berlin.

This is a must visit When in Berlin

I want Chocolate
I want Churros
Silky and warm theres nothing I want more
In a cute little store
Don't care how
I want Nibs Now!!
For more info see:
Bleibtreustraße 46
10623 Berlin

WHEN IN COLUMBIA STREET MARKET- Home of the All English Quaintness

I Love Markets

I love market culture. It is such a breathe of fresh air in the shopping world. In the outdoors, milling from one stand to another, stand owners trying to flog you items for so called ' great deals', haggling... its so different to the generic shop - you are back at the roots of trading, face to face with the trader, and showing them the colour of your money. Not to mention the amazing finds.

We all know London to have Portabello road, home of the Nottinghill film and carnival. We all know Camden market, home of the hippy, the rebel and the spliff! We even know Spiterfields, home of Brick lane and Indian food! But do you really know Columbia Road market?

On a Sunday this old flower market comes to life. One of the smaller markets in London, visiting is a lot more relaxed and you don't have the super rush of a block buster market like Portabello. Columbia street market is really quaint and there is something so terribly English about it. I don't exactly know what it is, or why but because it is one of these hidden gems of the city, I feel it has been preserved.

You walk through the center of the flower market but on the sides are amazing little artisan boutiques. A hat shop that has been around since I was born, a vintage china shop with the most gorgeous retro coffee house behind it, a retro inspired hair dressers that makes any gal go crazy! ( in the style of the pink ladies from Grease), a beautiful boutique filled with hand made jewelry and journals in the shabby chic style. There are no limits in this little avenue of creation. It is almost stuck in a time warp or a romantic movie set where you need to wear a little hat, clutch bag and gloves and carry a bouquet of violets or roses and skim through the antique china picking out tea cups heavily decorated in a baroque fashion.... I could go on forever....

This is a must visit When in London!

I love Markets in the springtime.
I love Markets in the fall.
I love Markets in the winter when it drizzles,
I love Markets in the summer when it sizzles.

I love Markets every moment,
every moment of the year.
I love Markets, why, oh why do I love Markets?
Because Columbia Road market is so dear.