My 2025 Coffee, Food and Cocktail Favourites

I'm taking a break from my Guatemala and Belize blogs to pick out some of my favourite specialty coffee shops, restaurants, bars and individual dishes from all those I visited for the first time in 2025, in London and on my travels around the world.

How To Spend a Perfect Day in Cambridge (Updated 2026)

Long-time readers know I was lucky enough to call Cambridge my home for six years. But since moving to London in 2009, I haven't been back as often as I should. I decided to make the most of last Saturday's glorious weather by taking a day trip, exploring Cambridge's 'town' and 'gown' sides. Read on to discover my ultimate itinerary for a perfect day in Cambridge: things to do and places to eat, drink and shop.

A Long Weekend in New York City: Autumn 2024

For me, there's always been something special about New York City. Since my first visit in 1995, I've loved the sights, sounds, scents — and shopping! I even celebrated my milestone birthday there last November with my family. I start to miss the city before I've even got back to the airport. And I've been looking forward to this one — my 34th trip to NYC — since I booked in the summer.

Celebrating a Milestone Birthday in NYC

As I wrote recently, this month marked a big birthday for me. And where better to celebrate than my favourite of cities, New York City? My parents and brother joined me for an action-packed five-day trip to the Big Apple, my 33rd visit to the city since my first in 1995. We each had a time slot in which to plan a group activity but there were plenty more celebrations, experiences and wonderful new memories throughout. These are my highlights.

A Caffeinated Weekend Itinerary for Birmingham

Welcome to my guide to spending a perfect caffeinated weekend in Birmingham. My family is from the West Midlands but I didn't spend a lot of time in Brum growing up. I've been remedying this in recent years — often when en route to Molineux. On these stops, I prioritise specialty coffee and food (in that order) but a long weekend in Brum a few months ago inspired me to create this itinerary. Read on for industrial heritage, quirky museums and plenty of great places for food and coffee — and there's a map and downloadable one-page cheatsheet at the end!

An (Almost) Midsummer Week in New York City

I was last in New York in February 2020, a work trip that also took me to Seattle. It was strange to be there during the early stages of the pandemic. No one knew how to act as we didn't know what was to come. I did what I usually did and went to as many of my favourite NYC places as possible, saving the rest for the family trip I had booked for May 2020. Of course, it turned out that it was my last foreign trip for 18 months, and the two-year gap until my return earlier this month was my longest absence from my favourite city in more than 15 years.

How To Spend a Long Weekend in Edinburgh

Earlier this month, I spent four days in Edinburgh with my parents, and although we only scratched the surface, we had a grand time and packed a lot in. We had decent weather in that it didn't rain much and was occasionally sunny. A return was long overdue since my last visit was on a family road trip through Scotland, almost three decades ago! All I remember from the trip is the Scottish National Gallery, Greyfriars Kirkyard and an over-exuberant walking tour guide shouting, "Gardyloo!" I had a lot of ground to make up! 

A Staycation Weekend in Notting Hill and Mayfair

With the glorious British summer in full force — oh, wait, that was two weeks ago — it was the perfect time for a staycation. I joined my parents in Pall Mall for a couple of nights last weekend, and although it wasn't as sunny as we had hoped, nor was it as rainy as forecast, and we made the best of it, dining at three different restaurants and spending a very enjoyable day exploring Notting Hill.

Bex's Coffee and Food Awards: 2020 Edition

We're now inching closer to the end of an exceptionally challenging year. Despite everything, I know I'm very lucky to have remained healthy and in work (busier than ever, in fact, as I work for a science journal) throughout, but it's been such a difficult year for the hospitality industry, as coffee shops and eateries have had to adapt and then adapt some more in the face of constant change. 

Finding Comfort in Comfort Food at the Provisioners' Foodslut Residency

Things could be much worse, but I've had a tough few months, with work busier than ever — I work for a scientific journal so it's been non-stop COVID-19 research. And unfortunately, all of the six holidays that I had booked this year happened to fall during times when London and its UK were under more restrictive COVID-19 measures. 

My last hope of getting a proper break was the two weeks I had booked in November, initially to go to Thailand, then I thought I might manage Italy, before eventually booking  a last-minute trip to Athens, with a family trip to Devon as a back-up. 

My 'plan C' was to use my annual leave to visit lots of coffee shops and restaurants in London — I really feel for everyone working in the hospitality industry at the moment, and want to continue to show my support. And then, of course, the 'not-a-lockdown' second lockdown put paid even to that.

A Wintry Week in New York City

Ahead of a week in Seattle for work, I spent a few days in New York. I was staying in the Financial District, near my company's office, where I was working. But I did have a free day-and-a-half in the city at the weekend. I was lucky with the weather: although it was cold, it was beautifully sunny on Saturday and Sunday, the rain coming out in time for my return to the office. As well as visiting a few specialty coffee shops, old and new, here's what else I got up to.

An Autumnal Week in New York City

If you've been following my Instagram, you'll know that I spent a week in New York last month. I was there to work in my company's Financial District office but did get three weekend days and a public holiday free to explore in the city, and was blessed with crisp but sunny weather for most of the week. 

I'm lucky enough to visited New York about once or twice a year for the past quarter-century, which takes off the pressure and means coffee shops, restaurants and things to do can sometimes remain on my to-do list for a couple of years. I've already written about my most recent specialty coffee experiences here, but here's how I spent the rest of my trip.

THINGS TO DO

 I took an early flight from Heathrow on the Sunday, and made it to my Financial District hotel just after 2 pm local time. I headed straight out into the sunshine, and walked up Broadway to SoHo for a spot of shopping, before cutting over to Washington Square Park. As usual, there was a lively atmosphere, music, art and poetry. I try to visit the High Line at least once each trip and although it was very busy late on Sunday afternoon, I enjoyed the art and the views as always.

Speaking of views, the following day, I took the opportunity to visit the shiny, honeycomb-like structure known as The Vessel, which is located in the Hudson Yards development, way over on the west side of Manhattan, around 30th Street. It's free to climb to the top of the structure, but you need to book a ticket online — possible only from one of the screens at its base. 

As it was a sunny holiday Monday afternoon when I arrived, my entry slot wasn't for another 90 minutes, although the opening of the 7 subway line meant I was able to zip up to Central Park to kill some of the time. When I returned, I spent about an hour climbing up and down the many steps of the 16-storey structure, photographing it from all angles.

As I was staying in the Financial District, I spent some time visiting some of its sights from the old — the graves of Alexander and Eliza Hamilton in Trinity Church — to the new — the ultra-modern Oculus centre — and even caught a lovely sunset over the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park. My office view remains as stunning as always!

Over the week, I spent a fair amount of time crossing the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges. My standard running route goes over the Manhattan Bridge to Brooklyn and then back over the Brooklyn Bridge. I managed this twice, plus another shorter run to the middle of Brooklyn Bridge and back. 

Early mornings are the best time to do this, as the bridge is much quieter; later in the week, when I walked across on a sunny Saturday afternoon the bridge was completely packed. I also stopped by Washington Street in DUMBO, which offers a great view of the Manhattan Bridge between the buildings, and enjoyed an autumnal stroll through Brooklyn Heights, where I always enjoy playing a game of dream house hunting.

On Saturday, I walked over the Williamsburg Bridge from my new Nolita hotel to Williamsburg, where I brunched, shopped, visited Smorgasburg and then took the NYC Ferry down to DUMBO and the Time Out Market New York, whose rooftop offers great views of Lower Manhattan and the bridges . The following day, I took the subway to Prospect Heights to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which was in full harvest festival mode.

FOOD & DRINK

 As usual, I ate out a lot while in New York and this trip, I made particular efforts to visit some of the eateries and bars that had been on my list for some time.

Breakfast and brunch: I had weekend brunch at two reputed Brooklyn brunch spots while I was there: Sunday in Brooklyn (Williamsburg) and MeMe's Diner (Prospect Heights — CLOSED). I managed to score a seat the bar at the former by arriving soon after opening, and had the cheddar scramble with bacon and home fries, which was filling and tasty. 

At MeMe's, I put my name down and was able to return an hour later to take my seat at the bar, where I enjoyed a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, with a spicy twist. The food and service were great at both places. For a lighter breakfast, I always like bagels from Black Seed (Nolita), the B.E.C. (bacon, egg, cheese) being my particular favourite.

Dessert: While in Berlin in May, I ate at an excellent dessert bar, Coda. When I heard that a high-end dessert bar had just opened in New York's West Village, I was keen to visit. And as I had to head to JFK at around 5:30 pm on my last day, a dessert tasting menu was the perfect way to say goodbye to the city.

At Marble Dessert Bar (CLOSED), you can pick a 'main' dessert from the short, creative menu, and you also get an amuse-bouche, a palate cleanser and petits fours. My main, which included pineapple, basil, lemon, mint and olive oil, was superb but the whole experience, sitting at the marble counter with exquisite service was greatly enjoyable. 

For rather less formal sweet treats, I stopped by Dough (Flatiron) for doughnuts and Dōmi at Smorgasburg (Williamsburg) for a profiterole with Asian flavours.

Lunch and dinner: Last time I was in New York, I finally went to Emily (West Village) for a burger, which immediately joined the ranks of my all-time favourite burgers. Although Emily is most famous for its pizza, I had the burger again, and a portion of garlic-cheese bites (incredibly garlicky, incredibly moreish strips of pizza dough). Yes, I was very full for a long time. Yes, the vampires did stay away. 

I had another evening of carb overload in the West Village at Via Carota, where I beat the line by arriving early and alone. The 'nduja arancini, cacio e pepe and negronis were all spot on. 

During my trip, I also enjoyed some excellent Mexican food (tacos, enchiladas and a spicy margarita) at Rosie's (East Village), barbecue at Randall's Barbecue (CLOSED) and fried chicken at Pat LaFrieda at Time Out Market (DUMBO). 

As a small atonement to these excesses, I ate at The Butcher's Daughter, a vegetarian restaurant in the Lower East Side, one night, and had a quinoa, broccoli and peanut salad, which a gorgeous dressing.

Cocktails: During my trip to Malaysia and Singapore, I reacquainted myself with the World's 50 Best Bars list. This encouraged me to fill a few gaps in my New York cocktail bar map. 

I started with Attaboy (#7), a Lower East Side speakeasy where there's no menu and the talented bartenders ask a few questions before surprising you with a drink. My Two Step — tequila, Cocchi, lime and muddled strawberries — was not something I'd have ordered myself but was superbly mixed. 

Meeting a good friend for drinks at the sleek NoMad Bar (CLOSED) (#4) in the Flatiron district, was a rather different experience, although the cocktails were just as impeccable. The Nod to Nothing was fruity and tart but with enough creative pairings to create some very unique flavours.

The Dead Rabbit (FiDi; #22) is only two minutes' walk from my office, so of course my colleague and I headed there one evening when the wind and rain were out in full force. We sat in the Irish-pub-style downstairs bar, rather than the smarter upstairs lounge, which meant I got to enjoy a burger with my cocktail. 

The other bar I visited, Last Light (CLOSED), is located on the rooftop of Sister City, the Nolita hotel to which I moved for the end of my trip. With panoramic views up to the Empire State Building and down to Brooklyn Bridge, this is a great place to watch the sun go down with a drink in hand. I did exactly that and loved watching the lights come on. My cocktail was very good too.

SHOPPING

 Despite the continued slump of the pound against the dollar, I did quite a bit of shopping on this trip, taking advantage of some of the holidays sales to shop at some of my favourite US chains like J. Crew and LOFT. I also bought some black boots from Thursday Boots, which fit perfectly and have required no breaking-in period, which is really unusual for me. There is a store in SoHo and a showroom in the Flatiron (where I had to go because they were out of my size in SoHo). 

I've bought a few skincare and makeup products from Glossier, but as I prefer to try before buying, I decided to visit their SoHo bricks-and-mortar store (hint: go late in the evening to avoid a queue to get in). There's a curious new department store in NoHo called Showfields (CLOSED), which offers a home to various online-only brands, like S'well. They also have an 'experience' (culminating in a special slide of some kind) that you can book on to. The lift was quite fun too.

HOTELS

 I've visited New York in mid-October two years in a row and have found hotel rates to be especially expensive, even for this city. For most of my trip, my company paid for my room at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Financial District, which is only a few minutes' walk from the office. The rooms are small but quiet and comfortable, and if you can get a high floor, as I did, there are good skyline views of Lower Manhattan.

For the last three nights, I moved to Sister City (CLOSED), a new 'little sister' in the Ace Hotel family, located on the Bowery, near Prince Street, on the borders of Nolita and the Lower East Side. The location was ideal for me, and although my room was small, it was well thought out, with minimalist décor, and a very comfortable bed. There's also a utility cupboard on each floor that contained a kettle, which made me happy. The Last Light bar, as I mentioned above, is worth a visit even if you're not staying in the hotel.

A Long Weekend in Ljubljana: Bex’s Guide

For my 40th country, I decided to pay a long-overdue visit to Slovenia, spending three nights in the capital, Ljubljana. With a population of just under 300,000, Ljubljana is the largest city in Slovenia, but its compact, mainly pedestrianised city centre makes it an ideal long-weekend destination. It's also very pretty, with pastel-coloured buildings located alongside a vibrant green river, and a plethora of parks. 

A Long Weekend in Chicago: Bex's Guide

It's taken me too long to visit Chicago — the Midwestern city, on the shores of Lake Michigan, has been in my sights for some time. I missed out on a work trip a few years ago, but as it would have been during a particularly cold and snowy February, that may have been for the best.

How To Spend A Weekend in Amsterdam

After a 19-year absence, 2018 was the year I finally returned to Amsterdam. As accommodation in the city is expensive, even when booking well in advance, I just stayed one night. I flew out early on Saturday morning, reaching central Amsterdam just after 10 am, and returning to London late on Sunday night. I saw quite a bit of the city in two full days, including six of its specialty coffee shops. Here's what else I got up to in my weekend in the Dutch capital.

Long Weekend in New York City: Bex's Guide

From secret speakeasies and SoHo shops, to magnificent museums and Brooklyn Bridge, New York City is as good at alliteration as bucket-list items. Since I fell in love with the city during the sweltering summer of 1995, I’ve returned once or twice a year. These trips tend to be about four or five days, but it’s possible to pack a lot in even on short visits. You might not make it to all the major sights and museums, but you’ve got to save something for next time, right?

At Temple of Seitan, Canal-Side Comfort Food and Specialty Coffee

In the eight years since I started working in King's Cross, the neighbourhood has changed considerably, with new shops and eateries opening almost every month. I'm particularly looking forward to the long-awaited opening of Coal Drops Yard, along the canal near Granary Square, in the autumn. Sadly, the rate of new openings has been inversely proportional with my ability to take a lunch break anywhere further away than the adjacent Pret. When I can get away from my desk, I usually prioritise a lunchtime run, and it was on one of these workouts that I came across Temple of Seitan — lured in my the smell of fried chicken.

The eatery, which has a sister location in Hackney, is as close to King's Cross as Camden, a mere ten-minute stroll along the canal from the former, past the ongoing Coal Drops Yard construction site. Temple of Seitan is, you see, serves vegan fast food. 

After enjoying a really good vegan 'bacon cheeseburger' in Austin recently, I was keen to sample some more tasty meat-free fast food. I was a vegetarian for a decade and although I rarely eat meat at home, I am rather partial to a good steak or burger when I eat out. But I like to explore the alternatives too.

I finally got the chance to eat at Temple of Seitan on Friday, a windy but very sunny day. The restaurant was packed and although there were no free tables inside, there are a few seats in the courtyard, just off the canal towpath. I didn't have to wait long to order and then it was only another 10 minutes or so before my food arrived — the staff clearly had a very efficient process down.

At Temple of Seitan, they serve both fried 'chik'n' and 'hamburgers', all made from seitan. Figuring the chicken burger would probably be more 'meaty', I ordered the Temple Burger — a chicken fillet with rancho mayo, bacon, cheese, lettuce and pickle (£7). I also went for a small portion of fries (£2) with chicken salt (presumably chik'n salt!).

I took my food out to eat in the sunshine, although the strong wind did mean I had to hold on to my chips. The chicken burger was flavoursome and juicy — a worthy substitute for its meaty equivalent — and although the cheese might have been better if it had been melted, it was still good. 

When I was a vegetarian, bacon was the food I missed most because the substitutes fell so short — and I think they still have a long way to go, unfortunately, but the bac'n here was tasty. The fries were perfectly crisp and the chicken salt was a nice addition.

In the mornings, they serve bagels and there is coffee available all day from Hackney-based Dark Arts Coffee. I had a cortado (£2.20) and it was only afterwards that I realised I had, of course, inadvertently sampled my first Oatly-based espresso drink. The coffee was very well made and the fact that I couldn't tell that it was dairy-free speaks volumes. They have Bonsoy available too.

I'm sure I'll back to Temple of Seitan before long — either with colleagues, or perhaps as a treat on the way back from a run. It's so close to King's Cross and yet the quiet canal-side location feels like it's a world away. And if you haven't tried vegetarian fast food before, or for a while, I'd suggest paying Temple of Seitan a visit — it might surprise you.

Temple of Seitan. 103a Camley Street, London, N1C 4PF (Tube: King's Cross, Mornington Crescent or Camden Town). Website. Instagram. NB: Camley Street is closed but they have a new location at 43 Parkway, Camden.