Boozy Brunch : Avenue...

As you may already be aware we're no strangers to an unlimited Champagne brunch...regardless of how terrible we feel the next day, somehow the suggestion always seems like a great idea!

Our favourite so far has to be South Place Hotel, we posted about this a while ago but it's still up there - delicious, affordable and a short trot from Shoreditch, so tonnes of post-brunch/ early evening options!

However when one of the girls suggested we try Avenue to mix it up, we thought why not?!

£20 for 2 courses with an additional £10 on top for unlimited Prosecco...we were there in a flash! The condition is that you only get two and half hours of Prosecco. But, as three hours in, we were still there with drinks being poured perhaps the rules are there to be broken...!

Located on St. Jame's Street, a five minute walk from Green Park underground, you're right slap bang in central with endless options for afterwards...believe me no matter how good your intentions are to get home, this will not happen! 

The interior is modern, chic and grand - not in an uncomfortable way, but creating the perfect backdrop for an afternoon of sipping bubbles! The small touches are what makes this venue a little more special...a chandelier style centre piece made from wine and champagne glasses, beautiful high ceilings, soft lighting and hydrangeas scattered down the centre of each table! 

10/10 for beautiful surroundings and fun, upbeat vibe. 

Now onto the food...personally I think South Place has the edge here, as the menu was a little more limited at Avenue, however saying that, the Black Truffle Mac'n'Cheese was pretty darn good! I was a little disappointed with my eggs benedict (the hollandaise was quite vinegary) however the pancakes went down a treat as did the soft shell crab bun. 

Most importantly Avenue wins top points for attentive service, there's a tendency for slightly slower service at Prosecco brunches...there's nothing worse than being the greedy kid asking for more, however Avenue ensured everyone's glass was continually filled to the brim and didn't once complain about our perhaps rather loud behaviour towards the end! 

Definitely one that we'll be visiting again...an evening followed where the majority of us don't remember getting home, but flashbacks have started to surface of rickshaw dancing, falling off chairs (a number of times!) and a nameless boy from the group being stripped of his shirt while dancing to disco! 

The pictures I'm sure are to follow...until then though this pretty much sums up the Avenue effect!!!

Celebrating Friends 20th Anniversary...

Remember the days when Friday night excitement didn’t revolve around getting ridiculously intoxicated whilst spending a small fortune only to regret it all the next day? Remember when Fridays were all about the race home for 30 minutes of laugh out loud viewing of a new episode of Friends! I can barely think back to the days where they weren’t reruns we were watching but brand new episodes with never seen one liners from Chandler, ground breaking songs from Phoebe or priceless pick-up lines from Joey!

Well guess what? The reason it may seem a little foggy is because friends is celebrating its 20th birthday this year…I know I know depressing that two decades have zoomed by since we were first sitting on our sofa willing Rachel and Ross to finally realise they loved one another! Despite this, I adore it just as much as I did – no matter how many times I have seen an episode I still sit there giggling away even though I know the exact line that’s coming! Lots of shows have come and gone trying to fill the almighty Friends shaped boots and although I’ve enjoyed the likes of New Girl and Girls, they have never come close to filling them for me! 

To celebrate such a momentous occasion and to pay tribute to the funniest show to have ever graced our screens, I thought I would shortlist 3BM’s favourite Friends moments! This was no easy feat, but as you can imagine it was of the most enjoyable posts to research and pull together…!

P.s if you've been living under a rock for the last 20 years then Comedy Central are playing reruns from the very beginning from 24th August – so get your Sky planner ready and your diary empty ASAP!

Here goes…

1. When Chandler says I love you to Monica...

2. When Phoebe and Rachel go running...



3. "Could I be wearing anymore clothes?!"...



4. Ross' pivot moment...



5. She's your lobster...



6. 'The' prom video kiss...



7. Ross and Monica perform the routine...



8. Leather trouser paste...



9. Smelly Cat...



10. The one with the fake accents...

3BM Wanders : Florence and Tuscany

If you're a 3BM Twitter follower, you'll probably be sick to the stomach of my Tuscan adventures popping up whenever I've hit a wifi spot! I tried to refrain but when those picture perfect opportunities present themselves, I'm a sucker for some smoasting!

I was lucky enough to be invited to the wedding of the year - that of my fabulous friends Becca and Rob. One of the most mental, fun loving yet family-orientated couples I know...so of course they celebrated their wedding with an unreal three day party surrounded by beautiful 360 degree views with a never ending flow of prosecco, pasta and laughter! 

I decided to make the most of being in Italy and tag on a flying visit to Florence in the run up to the wedding. It was two days full to the brim of incredible views, scorching sun, delectable meals, winding streets (which we were continually lost in) and lots of fun.

Our base for the first few days was a chic B&B called Florooms which overlooks a small square bursting full of atmosphere and peppered with a few really great restaurants and bars; awesome food and drink literally on your doorstep -amazing (one of which is 4 Leoni where we had a seriously delicious dinner - an absolute must try!)

 

The hotel's decor was slick, modern and compact but everything you need for a short city break if you want to be right in the thick of it...

 

 

Our days were spent wandering around the winding streets, checking out the draw-droppingly beautiful architecture, panoramic views and of course sampling the never ending food and prosecco on offer!!!

City break done, and it was off to the hills of Cortona, with views you could never tire of. We rented a villa as our base - very rustic in decor with a BBQ and pool and once again, jaw dropping views from every angle. Peaceful yet not too far from the action, and at only 110 euros each for 4 nights we couldn't have asked for much more. 

Next up were four jam-packed days with banquets fit for a king, never ending prosecco and sangria, wedding celebrations well into the early hours, BBQs, a pool party and of course a few hangovers! 

It's safe to say we had an absolutely amazing weekend all thanks to the wonderful bride and of course her ever accommodating wedding planner Elia (check out his website here) - our Tuscan superman who solved everyone's problems in a flash with nothing ever being too much trouble! 

Sadly it flew by far too quickly, but I managed to get a few pictures just so I never forget the most beautiful wedding in a place I imagine is pretty close to heaven... 

 

All that's left to say is a HUGE congratulations to the beautiful Hill-Stones!