Bake At Home delivers pizza with a difference. You get to bake it at home, in about five minutes, so it tastes fresher and stays crunchier.

What would be a good idea in any case turns out to be even better when said pizza is made with such care, using top-quality ingredients. At Qype’s Summer Party the queue for a sample Bake At Home pizza was gigantic and quite slow. Nonetheless, every one seemed to think it was worth the wait.

I am fussy about pizza and this one won me over. Very recommended.

Check out my review of The Bake At Home Pizza Company – I am susanacri – on Qype

I had the opportunity to try this light and healthy popcorn at Qype’s Summer Party.

Maybe I was supposed to have only one paper cone, as a sample, but later I went back for more of that crunchy goodness and got a second one. Ha ha. Win.

Gourmet popcorn is a great idea and it’s miles away from any over-buttered, sickening rubbish you might have had at multiplex cinemas. On top of that, the whole idea revolves around environmentally friendly packaging (or non-packaging) which makes everything even better.

I really want to visit the shop soon.

Check out my review of Unpackaged – I am susanacri – on Qype

There is one thing I didn’t like about Ginger Jar Food.

It’s the fact that I got to try two of their canapes at the entrance of Qype’s Summer Party(it was fresh, savoury, minty) but, after that, I wasn’t able to find any more of them.

Gone, disappeared. Over.

Argh, I need more.

Check out my review of Ginger Jar Food – I am susanacri – on Qype

Mason & Taylor is a pub I’d been wanting to visit for some time, being it “twins” with my absolute favourite, the Duke of Wellington in Dalston.

I enjoy beer and have nothing against hipsters (I know it’s like saying I have nothing against mass murder, these days), so an invite to an ale tasting in Shoreditch, the Hip Hop Off preview, sounded very good to me.

And oh, it was worth it. After Steve the manager had given us a proper lecture about real ale, including its historical and social implications, we proceeded to a generous tasting of six rather tasty brews. I’d be happy to try some of them again but to be honest, in the end I went for a pint of Brooklyn Lager which is American and well, a lager.

As well as the beers, we were offered a sample of small plates from the pub’s menu. The English rarebit and the duck (both cured in hops) were really good, but I’m not so sure about the venison in chocolate sauce. It does taste like venison in chocolate sauce, if you know what I mean.

As for the pub itself, it’s just my kind of pub. It serves Brooklyn Lager and it’s almost walking distance from home. It has already won a place in my heart.

Many thanks to Qype and to Mason & Taylor for organising such a lovely evening.

Check out my review of Mason & Taylor – I am susanacri – on Qype

Epic Gym is a bit hidden from the public eye, tucked away behind Westbourne Park station, inside the fantastic Westbourne Studios facilities.
Those who find it are rewarded with a highly energetic, exhausting and exhilarating class called Epic Fit.
Marco – yeah he’s Italian but we’re not related! This review is honest! – will make you sweat your soul out. He’ll put you through a boot camp-like circuit and them make you punch those bags like there’s no tomorrow.
I live in East London, literally on the opposite edge of town, and still manage to come twice a week. Totally recommended.

Check out my review of Epic Gym – I am susanacri – on Qype

Otarian has been already largely reviewed by every man and his dog (except on Qype, apparently) so here’s my humble opinion. I mostly agree with what has been written elsewhere.
The food is tasty. My cheese and mushroom wrap wasn’t too heavy on the onions or garlic sauce (there was none of it) as I feared. It was simple yet balanced and filling.
A bit pricey, but that’s not the real problem. The problem is the silliness. The self-importance. The nonsense. Oh please, I don’t want to destroy our planer, or any planet for that matters, but I don’t want to eat looking at videos of cows being force-fed and blah blah blah.
Next time I’ll go to Govinda, where at least I’m served by real hippies.

Check out my review of Otarian – I am susanacri – on Qype

I’m reviewing Monsieur M. as part of the quite fun experience that was the “Summer roll workshop” organised by Qype.
I love anything that’s rolled up – except for cigarettes, I don’t smoke! – and making this lovely and light starter is much easier that it seems.
I can’t wait to try it at home, too bad I won’t have the same peanut sauce since the one at Monsieur M. is home made from scratch.
Afterwards we chose a dish from the straight-forward menu (6 dishes changed daily, not a bad idea actually). My chicken Thai curry wasn’t particularly surprising, though, maybe too much on the safe side in terms of spices. Still, the place it struck me as a tastier option than many other Asian restaurants in the area, and next time I’m hungry in Shoreditch I’ll pop in to try a few more of the starters.

Leggi la mia opinione su Monsieur M – Sono susanacri – di Qype

Il fornaio-gioielliere milanese ha sede anche a Londra, con un equivalente tripudio di bontà da forno, dolci e salate, esposte dietro il lungo bancone.
Tale bancone è una sfida per gli inglesi abituati a formare una fila o a trovare una qualsiasi forma di metodo nel processo di essere serviti. Per noi, abituati alla tecnica nota come “sgomitare e lanciare urlacci”, non dovrebbe essere un problema.
Una volta che si riesce a mettere mano e denti alle pizzette, i rustici, i lieviti e tutte le altre meraviglie, ci si pente immediatamente di non averne comprate di più. Poi si ricontrollano i prezzi e ci si ricorda immediatamente perché non se ne sono comprate di più: una seconda visita al bancone potrebbe richiedere misure drastiche quali l’apertura di un mutuo o una rapina a mano armata.

Leggi la mia opinione su Princi – Sono susanacri – di Qype

Gli stuzzichini brasiliani erano molto buoni, la birra Brahma fredda al punto giusto e la band che suonava era notevole (Joana and the Wolf, una sorta di Florence and the Machine più adolescenziale).
Però.
Però Favela Chic è a mio avviso un nome di dubbio gusto per un locale costoso. Se l’intenzione era quella di somigliare davvero a uno slum, allora non ci siamo: la costruzione non è abbastanza pericolante, alla decorazione manca qualche sacco dell’immondizia e nessun barone del traffico ha fatto irruzione sparando a vista.
Nell’insieme il posto somiglia a un negozio d’antiquario con aggiunta di palme e piante tropicali. Bello, ma la favela non c’entra.

Leggi la mia opinione su Favela Chic – Sono susanacri – di Qype

Onestissimo caffé-ristorantino aperto dalla mattina, per tè, caffè e cioccolata, alla sera per piatti della cucina turca.
Abbiamo diviso in tre un piatto di antipasto misto che si può scegliere tra caldo o freddo, noi lo abbiamo scelto freddo. Hummus, tzaziki, cuscus al pomodoro, una simil-caponata, ceci conditi e pane, in porzioni di tutto rispetto, a £ 6.
Al contrario di alcuni ristoranti mediorientali, in quelli turchi si vendono bevande alcoliche quindi si può assaggiare la birra Efes, servida in una bottiglia bassa e tonda.
La prossima volta mi ricorderò di scattare qualche foto.

Leggi la mia opinione su Red Art – Sono susanacri – di Qype