Little London Obsessions

My obsession with London knows no bounds. Some of you will get tired of me talking about this, but…I am not sorry. Waitrose!! Double-decker buses! Pubs! Men in suits! Tuxedos on the tube! Cheap flights to everywhere!! Life is good. It’s nice to be back, and in a way, to be reunited with my London restaurant blog, which I am stretching and changing. Here’s what else I’ve been obsessed with lately.

Orla Keily’s collection of shoes at Clark’s. I’ve written before about my obsession with Clarks in London. Some people — the ones not in the know — laugh at me because they think only nuns and old people wear Clarks. Smart people know to get themselves to Clarks immediately. Inexpensive, comfortable AND cute (although they do still have a lot of ugly stuff). I’ve bought two pairs from the Orla collection already. And I am still so sad that I had to throw away my old Mary Portas Clarks last year after an overzealous shoe shiner scuffed all the pony hair off my shoes. (#firstworldproblems)

Peri-peri wings at Marks & Spencer. OK, I can’t link directly to these because M&S apparently doesn’t sell them online except in party platters. But I love these wings so much that sometimes I have them for breakfast. Haters, don’t be hating.

Dresses from Boden. Hey listen, I’m a woman of a certain age. I like Boden. I now own this one, along with a few others.

Cashmere sweaters from Uniqlo. Super great value. Especially the cardigans! Who doesn’t love a cashmere cardigan?? (OMG I feel like such a tw*t as I write that.)

Modern Touch Nails off Chapel Market in Islington: So yes, no matter where I am, I still have the New York obsession with grooming. Must have a manicure and a pedicure. After revisiting some of the places I used to go to in London during my first tour and finding that they’d all gone downhill (dirty, grubby, too crowded, etc.), I’ve found the very clean and very neat and tidy Modern Nails off Chapel Market. They are very nice, even though they don’t let you combine frequent customer cards. (Grrrr.) Recommended.

Spotify Premium: OK, not a London thing but I remember the halcyon days when Spotify was a European thing and not available in the U.S. I love Spotify Premium. Particularly the playlists. These days, I’m digging these lists:

Good for a party…

Good for taking a nap…

For a little reggae…

Happy days, indeed. I love you and everything in you, London.