KONOBA TAURIS, SIPAN (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

One day on holiday we decided to take a short ferry ride over to the adjacent island of Sipan to go and have a little wander and check out the sites. After hitting the island and exploring the south side we took the bus over to the westerly port of Luka to hit the beach and enjoy a couple of beers. After a hard days swimming in the crystal clear ocean and sunbathing we headed back round to the port and sat down at Konoba Tauris, looking for a bite to eat.

TERRIFIC TURKISH EGGS

Now this dish was a bit of a revelation. Its popped up a few times recently in magazines, books and the internet as a new idea for serving eggs at breakfast time. It might seem a bit strange to be called Turkish eggs when it uses Greek yogurt but I don't really care. All I care about is knowing that yogurt, eggs, garlic, herbs and chili oil can all work together to create a brilliant breakfast (or lunch!) time dish that I'll be honest, I was hesitant to try but can now confirm is delicious. Who'd of thought it eh?

LION AND LOBSTER BRIGHTON (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

When Sunday rolls around and you can't be bothered to cook there is only one thing left to do; head on over to the local pub and get that Sunday roast cooked for you instead. When we discovered that The Lion And Lobster was just a stones throw from our hotel and was indeed serving this traditional British feast we just knew that we had to go and check them out. Painted bright red, Lion and Lobster's quirky exterior is hard to miss. With its traditional cartoon pub sign it really couldn't get any more quintessentially British. Stepping though the door is like stepping back to a time when the pub landlord was king and everyone came down for a sing song and a gossip down at the local boozer.

MANDRAC LOPUD, CROATIA PART 2 (MATTY B RECOMMENDS)

If you read the first part to my review of Mandrac, located on the island of Lopud just off the Croatian coast you will remember how I said  it was so good we would have too go back for a second time before we left! On the last day of our wonderful holiday this is exactly what we decided to do. Was the first magnificent visit to Mandrac just a spectacular fluke or would this small family run restaurant be able to deliver the goods again and really show itself off to be a glorious jewel of the Adriatic sea?

MANDRAC LOPUD, CROATIA PART 1 (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

So I've just returned from a week away sunning myself on the beautiful island of Lopud, just off the coast of Croatia. During this week of rest and relaxation I had some of the best food of my life including two meals at this little restaurant called Mandrac. Situated on the same stretch of seaside strip as our hotel we discovered this little beauty on our first day and enjoyed it so much we went back on our last day. Let me tell you in this post about our first meal and exactly what made us fall in love this amazing restaurant.

LEFTOVER SLOW COOKED TUSCAN BUTTER BEAN SOUP

So you've made a big batch of my Slow Cooked Tuscan Style Butter Beans for your BBQ and even though they were super delicious you still had a load left over at the end of the evening. No one wants to throw away perfectly good food now do they so why not transform your leftover's into a delicious soup which you can either eat straight away or freeze and enjoy as a quick supper at a later day. All you need is a few vegetables and some garlic to act as the base of your soup, some fresh herbs to give the flavors a kick up the bum and a good vegetable stock.

PING PONG ST KATHARINE'S DOCK (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

During a well earned week away and on our travels across the UK we thought it was time to revisit an old favorite of ours with a trip to Ping Pong Dim Sum situated at St Katharine's dock. This dim sum restaurant caught our eye many years ago and has now grown to have branches all over the capital and this would be the third time we have ventured under the shadow of the Tower of London for some of their Asian treats. Would it be a case of third time still delicious? We headed over to the docks to find out!

QUORN SAUSAGE, BACON AND EGG "MAT"MUFFIN

Having cooked vegetarian food regularly for at least ten years now it's always great when I see a new meat substitute product come onto the market. Quorn's latest offering is a sausage patty that instantly reminded me the type you get in a certain fast food chains breakfast muffins. I couldn't wait to try and recreate them using this exciting new product alongside the already popular veggie bacon strips and the humble egg. Cook them and pop them all on a toasted muffin and you have a scrummy vegetarian breakfast treat

KO GRILL LIVERPOOL (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

For me, a lazy Sunday is all about tucking into a massive Sunday roast and if I had my way it would always be with a plump and juicy chicken. Therefore when it came to choosing somewhere to eat last Sunday in Liverpool, the tasty sounding chicken dishes on KO Grill's menu sounded like just what we needed, I mean sometimes you don't always want to cook that chicken yourself do you? So our decision was made and off we popped to Bold Street, Liverpool's continually expanding foodie hot spot to see if our wishes for a fabulous Sunday dinner could be fulfilled.

THE SWAN BANKSIDE (MATTY B RECOMMENDS)

I couldn't think of any better way for a foodie to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death then having a spot of lunch at The Swan on London's Bankside. Practically attached to the famous Shakespeare's Globe theatre, this bar/restaurant caught our eye as we strolled along the length of the Thames last week with it's tasty looking menu proudly on display by the main entrance. That night when we got back to our hotel we booked a table for two at 2pm the next day. Would the food taste as good as it sounded in writing? I couldn't wait to find out!

Firstly, points for The Swan's team calling us two hours before to confirm our reservation. A lot of places rely solely on online bookings nowadays so it was great to get a bit of human acknowledgement of our booking. When we arrived at The Swan on a sunny bank holiday Monday afternoon we were greeted with warm smiles and taken straight up to our table even though we had arrived early. It looked like nothing was going to be a problem for this friendly team.

The dining area upstairs is a absolute delight! The whole far side of this area is practically window offering gorgeous panoramic views of the Thames, St Paul's cathedral and other famous landmarks and on a gorgeous day like this one it was a stunning sight. The windows give the whole dining room a great sense of space and light pours into the room making it so warm and inviting. The decor had modern elements such as the exposed bulb lighting whilst wooden elements to the furniture and in the flooring hark back to Tudor design. Both styles meld together very seamlessly without being gimmicky.

We had decided on having a spot of lunch today washed down with a refreshing glass of cloudy lemonade but it appeared a lot of the other diners had come for the popular "Midsummer's Night Dream" afternoon tea. It looked a treat; three tiers of delicate sandwiches, scones and a top tier of some gorgeous little cakes and shot glasses of some moussey looking things washed down with pots of loose leaf tea, prosecco or a "love potion". The tea is served in some beautiful looking Midsummer's Night Dream tea sets which I'd quite like to own myself. I've got my eye on this for the next time we visit.

I suppose by saying there will be a next time I've given away that I'd like to come back. Well, it's hard for me to disguise this fact as the food was stunning. Our first starter was the tomato gazpacho which was delicious. A fabulous cold soup perfect for a warm day like today. You could taste the freshness of the tomatoes in every drop. Add to it some pesto, a drizzle of oil and crunchy croutons and you'll find it difficult not too scoop up every last drop and you'll find it difficult not to scoop up every last drop with the freshly cut bread served up from the centre of the dining room.

Our other starter was also fitting for a spring afternoon, a fried duck egg served surrounded by a delicate arrangement of broad beans, spring onion, pea shoots and sliced baby radishes and finished with a drizzle of oil. Not only was the plate visually outstanding (so much that I didn't want to touch it, it was so beautiful) but once you cut into that vibrant yellow yolk and allow the golden insides to ooze out all over the tender veg then the dish really comes alive. Loved the little crispy bits of egg white too, just how I like a fried egg! It was that good I didn't want it too end!

But end it did. It's OK though as it was replaced with a beautiful beef Wellington. I prefer my steak rare but I know this isn't quite possible with a Wellington but the plump steak served inside the perfect pastry as still gorgeous and cut like butter. The jus though! That Madeira and red wine jus was the best "gravy" I have ever had. It was packed with such a deep intense meaty flavor (slightly oxtail like) that was so good I could of quite happily poured it straight into my mouth. The carrots and buttery cabbage, as scrumptious as they were on their own didn't stand a chance as they were dunked head first into this immense sauce. Out of this world!

Our other main was another vegetarian stunner of roast halloumi, English asparagus and Jersey royals. Love a Jersey royal and these bad boys were so buttery and soft. The asparagus was tender with a bit of a bite too them and the halloumi was perfectly cooked and minus the squeak that dodgy halloumi can have. Large circular pieces of charred onions added another layer of flavor to the dish alongside the "mystery" sauce. The sauce isn't highlighted on the menu so we had no idea what was in it but it was fabulous and I'd love to know what it was. As well as tasting stunning, it is also a right looker on the plate. Perfection all round.

Did we go on for pudding? With food this good it would of been rude not too! First off the block was an old favorite of ours, the bakewell tart. I love baking a bakewell tart but I love eating them more and this version did not disappoint. The pastry was crisp and buttery and topped with a layer of fruity jam. The frangipagne body of the tart was soft and moist and melted in the mouth. Served alongside it was a spoon of Devon cream that took me right back to childhood memories of holidays in the south west with it's intense creamy smoothness. The definition of a Great British bake on a plate.

Finally, along came this lemon and almond cake served with pistachio ice cream and lemon curd. Kind of a "textures of lemon" dish in a way. The slices of lemon set on top of the cake were super sour and very sherbet like. The cake was so moist it practically oozed lemon as my spoon glided through it. The pistachio ice cream was smooth and creamy whilst the little nibs of nut and biscuit crumb give the plate another texture to explore. I thought they were a bit stingy with the curd but once I tasted it I understood why. The little blobs practically punched you in the face with their intense flavor. For lemon lovers this is paradise on a plate.

What an amazing lunch this was. I was more than happy to pay the bill which came sat inside a book of Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida. Such a cute way to add a final piece of theatre to the meal. I can't recommend The Swan enough. The literary history mixed with the stunning views and location, warm and friendly staff together with the fabulously presented traditional dishes all combine together to create a dining experience that the Bard would be proud of. Whether your coming for afternoon tea, lunch or dinner you will leave with a full belly and a big smile on your face. To go or not to go? The answer is most definitely a resounding YES!

Find out more about The Swan head on over to their website. Do yourself a favor and book a table today!

LA BARANTINE EDINBURGH (MATTYB RECCOMMENDS)

With so many tea and cake shops, bakeries and cafe competing with other it is hard to really stand out from the crowd especially when you have opened up in a foodie hotspot such as Edinburgh. Place an Eiffel tower in your window decorated with macarons on the other hand and you are onto a winner! La Barantine's beautiful looking French display is what caught my eye as we wandered around Edinburgh's Grassmarket area one delightfully sunny Wednesday afternoon. So much so that when it came to thinking about somewhere to grab a quick nibble and a pot of tea to refresh our tired little legs, I purposely went back there to go and check them out. The big question was this; is the display just for show or do the goods in there deliver as well?

LOVECRUMBS EDINBURGH (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

After a long day of sightseeing in Edinburgh it was time for us to hunt out a spot of lunch and what could be better than a spot of afternoon tea. Close to our hotel we had spotted Lovecrumbs, a delightful looking cake shop and decided to pop in for a little nibble. It was still quite busy when we walked into Lovecrumbs at around 3pm. Located on West Port, close to the Grassmarket area of the city centre, it seems to be attracting quite an eclectic crowd of young and old, students, families, tourists and locals.

GORGEOUS GREEK MINI MUFFIN FRITTATAS

When it comes to the weekend, there is nothing I enjoy more than having a couple of eggs for

breakfast. Whether it be as some scrambled eggs on toast or fried as part of a good old full English, its easy to forget how versatile they are. This weekend I took my eggs and used them to make these little mini frittatas. Now I love the flavors of Greece so by popping some feta into the mix alongside some peas and freshly chopped mint, I turned these little handheld treats into gorgeous mouthfuls of yumminess that are perfect lunchbox ammo.

"NEW YEAR NEW ME" BREAKFAST PANCAKES

I've never been one to eat breakfast, but with my "new year, new me" attitude I've started to try and get on board with what is often declared as the most important meal of the day. To do this, I've been looking for more interesting breakfast ideas to try and make it more exciting. This is how I came to make these banana and flax seed pancakes. Super quick and simple to make, it turns boring porridge oats into something that's worth getting up in the morning for. There aren't many ingredients to really talk about here. It's bananas, eggs, oats and some flax seeds. Flax seeds can be picked up in lots of large supermarkets now due to their increasing popularity but my tip if your in the UK is to keep an eye on Holland and Barrett's penny sale as I got mine from there at a bargain price.

GAILS ARTISAN BAKERY NEO BANKSIDE (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

It's noon, your in the capital, your feeling a bit peckish but all you really want is a good butty. What's a boy to do? Why not head over to the nearest bakery like we did on our trip to London when we paid a visit to Gail's Artisan Bakery.