Look Mum No Hands!

Ever wanted to eat in a bike repair shop? Well consider that life goal complete! ‘Look mum no hands’ combines bike maintenance with delicious food. The café/workshop/bar is kitted out to mimic a bike shop; parts and accessories line every wall. A small bookshelf holds all sorts of books about bikes; bikes even stand for sale on the bar-like tables in the window. Canvases mounted on the walls depict the effort and triumph of competitive cyclists. And they actually fix bikes…while you eat!

The credit for finding this bizarre little café goes to my partner’s work colleague, another food fanatic. Located on Old Street (nearest tube station Barbican), ‘Look mum no hands’ sits among many stylish eateries and galleries. It even has its own bike park outside the front door, and loans bike locks to customers. Once a month, they run basic bike maintenance courses – something I should probably look into as when my parents last visited, my dad ended up giving my bike some serious TLC (somehow my suspension had come detached from my bike!). The workshop is open 7.30am to 7.30pm during the week, nine to five on Saturdays and ten till four on Sundays.

The café’s speciality is pie and salad. I was less than impressed when I heard this at first, thinking I would get a Holland’s pie, a lettuce leaf and a couple of slices of cucumber (not that there is anything wrong with Holland’s pies). However, I had a pleasant surprise in store. Pies were homemade and heavenly. The salad was unlike I have ever had. A mixture of shredded carrot and beetroot coleslaw (usually something I avoid, but this was very tasty), Greek salad, roast potato and tomato salad, and some other things which I could not guess at but were undoubtedly yummy. At £8.50, you definitely get a plateful. I didn’t manage to finish it but my partner eagerly hoovered my leftovers; that boy has a bottomless stomach I swear!

Opening between 7.30am and 10pm on weekdays, 9am-10pm on Saturdays and 9.30am-10pm on Sundays, ‘Look mum no hands’ offers good food and a good vibe. Whether you’re a bike lover or a food lover, I would highly recommend this place to anyone, anywhere.

El Paso, Hoxton

El Paso was the café that inspired me start this blog; that and the suggestion from my partner. The whole atmosphere made me want to grab my pen and write down everything I loved about the place. So I did. One and a half sides of A4 later and I decreed we could leave, despite finishing our meal some time ago.

I am unsure of what category of food to put this little place in. It caters for all in every respect, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner; accommodating workaholics, socialites and artists.You can get breakfast of anything from egg and soldiers to American style pancakes, lunch or dinner ranging from soup to baguettes, chilli and nachos to steak and ribs, with a choice of some mouth-watering deserts to finish. I knew that El Paso was for me when my coke arrived in a glass bottle; for some reason it tastes a million times better in a glass bottle than on tap or in plastic.

Again, where the price is concerned, El Paso caters for all needs. Lunch can be bought for as little as £4, but if you feel like indulging, you can splash out on a bottle of moet and chandon vintage for £78. So, by serving cocktails, soft drinks, beer and hot beverages, El Paso hits every nail square on the head, even complimentary mint imperials with the bill.

The décor is what drew me to the place the most. From the outside, it is unassuming and could easily be passed by – we almost did! But inside is another world entirely: two levels, the top level feels like the attic you used to play in as a kid. Eating in secret in a booth, on a sofa or small table, with one lamp per table creating a dim light. You can spy on the people downstairs through large holes in the walls in the shape of sombreros, guns, cacti and moustaches. Downstairs, you can eat under the stairs, in the window or in comfy swivel chairs. 

It seems El Paso is the perfect place to write or work. Several plug sockets are available for each table and the café has the added bonus every laptop owner wants to see: free Wi-Fi. On our visit, we were surrounded with Apple Macs (No comment on choice of computer…). I only wish it was closer to where we live; I would be in it every day!

Their website informed me that in the basement, there is a room that they hire out as a gallery. It was not open when we were there so I had a peek through the door on my way to the toilets. Quirky, just like the rest of the place. I would highly recommend taking a trip to Old Street station, heading down Old Street itself and finding this fantastic café. Enjoy!

La Tasca

Let me get my favourite green pen and give La Tasca three big ticks; food, service, atmosphere. This charming tapas restaurant can be found in over forty-two locations worldwide. Though that information took me by surprise when I checked out their website; the branch we visited did not feel like part of a chain. I can only really comment on the Kingston restaurant as it is the only one I have been to…twice.

Sitting on the bank of the river Thames, you can dine on a decking outside sheltered from the elements by huge umbrellas, or inside observing the beautiful view through a glass wall without the inconvenient British weather. The décor gives a warm and authentic feel to the restaurant, though there are quite a few Van Gogh paintings; pretty sure he’s Dutch…

The friendly waiting staff will show you to whichever table you like; they didn't even pull a face when we asked to switch tables during the meal (it was getting a bit nippy outside). Get yourself a hearty jug of sangria, fruity and refreshing; making wine taste how it should – enjoyable.

Now onto the most important bit: the food. Bread and oils to start is a must; balsamic vinegar was undoubtedly made to go with bread. I'm not a massive tapas expert, having only been to one other tapas restaurant (1725 in Lancaster, well worth a visit if you’re in that area), but I have been to Spain a few times and the food at La Tasca is some of the best Spanish food I’ve ever had. The barbeque pork ribs are fantastically succulent and the meat literally falls from the bone. The calamares (calamari or deep fried squid) are the most tender I have event encountered – quite a feat for something so notoriously chewy. My favourite dish from the menu has to be the croquetas de manchego. Breaded balls of spinach and manchego cheese – a Spanish cheese made from goats’ milk – that when cut into, oozes molten cheese and tastiness. My partner loves the salsa chicken wings but they’re a bit spicy for my taste (yes, he made me add this part). I realise that I have just reeled off a list of food, but they MUST be tried. This I cannot stress enough.

While not entirely cheap and cheerful, La Tasca is not extortionate either. Tapas dishes hover around the £5 mark; usually three to four is enough for one person. My partner and I managed to get a pitcher of sangria, bread and oils for starter, and six tapas dishes for just over £43. Not too bad. Of course, they serve paella – something I have not had from a restaurant in England – and interestingly, breakfast. Though I am not sure Spain is where I would go for a ‘full English’!

All in all, La Tasca is a necessary destination for food lovers. With cheesy alliterations in full swing; fantastic food, delicious drinks and an awesome atmosphere.