Manuka Kitchen - Fulham's new must visit

Interesting restaurants around Fulham Broadway are few and far between. Independent businesses sadly have a history of struggling and shutting down in favour for more corporate chains with bigger budgets. There are a few little diamonds in the rough but none that I predict will command as much attention as Manuka Kitchen.

Already given the seal of approval from The Independent, this brassiere style restaurant is tucked away behind the hubbub of the main Broadway and is a welcome haven from the miserable weather outside. Higgledy Piggledy reclaimed furniture gives a cool design-feel whilst an open kitchen creates a buzzy and laid back atmosphere.

The menu is really interesting and is evidently the work of a chef who is passionate about food. The investor team, Joseph Antippa and Tyler Martin have poured blood, sweat and tears into the project, with no help from any external investors, just their ambition to create a quality neighbourhood brassiere. Martin, the chef, is originally from New Zealand's North Island and Antippa, front of house, is of Lebanon decent, Beirut no less. Together they bring years of experience, expertise and genuine charm to this corner of SW6.

                           

Small plates of deliciously crisp squid, fluffy saffron arancini and mouth-watering goats curd crustini were soon devoured and we made our way through a delicious bottle of Italian red wine. To follow we tried the market fish with tender stem broccoli and samphire aioli and the potato gnocchi with braised fennel and chilli slow roasted tomato. The food was fresh, organic and packed with moreish flavours, in a very different league to some of its neighbouring competitors. 

We were bowled over by the quality of our food and even more impressed by the extremely reasonable prices, making it an affordable regular local. Their weekend brunch is already packed out and it’s a matter of weeks before it’s the place to be on a Friday night (there is a bar downstairs), we loved it, I just hope it sticks around!

510 Fulham Road

SW6 5NJ

Tel: 020 7736 7588

www.manukakitchen.com

Heavenly hammam

I can't pretend to be an expert on beauty treatments. Whenever I've been lucky enough to have been treated to a massage or facial I've always loved it (waxes are to be tolerated as a necessary evil, I suppose), but they're just not one of those things I feel I can justify splurging on. The results are ephemeral, that blissful feeling of being preened and pampered over within the hour. Nonetheless, when I escaped from the practically baltic streets of SW6 last week into the steamy, scented halls of Moroccan Beauty (with a Groupon voucher, no less!) I felt I'd struck onto a winner.

Based around the concept of the Moroccan hammam, this ladies only spa makes for a delightfully different spin on beauty. Whilst they offer the usual waxing, facials, massages, the atmosphere is different from the usual bundles of mini luxury: it felt exotic, yet unpretentious, super friendly and welcoming. My voucher entitled me to the hammam ritual, a full body mask and an express facial - 2 hours worth of warm, pampered sanctuary from the freezing cold. As part of the hammam ritual I was shown into a traditional Moroccan steam room, amazingly humid (I was pouring with sweat within minutes) but I was kept comfortable with frequent cups of water and the showers at one end. After my first rinse, a thick eucalyptus soapy wax was applied to my whole body, and the steam came back on to allow it to absorb right into my skin leaving me slick and incredibly smooth. After rinsing again, I was thoroughly ex-foliated (as it turns out, winter skin is INCREDIBLY dry - I felt like a snake shedding what seemed like an entire layer) and a full body mask applied.

You can spend as much time in the steam room as you like, so after another blissfully sweaty 15 minutes, and yet another hot shower, I donned my fluffy slippers and padded my way into the treatment room for my facial. After a quick skin analysis (still dry, a compound of winter weather and perhaps a little sweaty hammam over-enthusiasm) I settled into an amazingly relaxing facial. With two applications of organic cleansers (all their products are 100% natural), toner, an amazing mini facial massage, finishing off with an intense moisturising mask, this facial may have been 'express' but it felt incredibly thorough, whilst being gentle enough to send me almost to sleep.

After a cup of traditional Moroccan mint tea, it was time to drag myself back into the cold again. My little sojourn at Moroccan Beauty truly felt like a mini-holiday - and definitely a different and welcome addition to the Fulham beauty scene. With these arctic conditions set to stick around for the next few weeks at least, it might be worth booking yourself a micro-break sometime soon.

Moroccan Beauty
780 Fulham Road
London SW6 5SL
www.moroccanbeauty.co.uk

All photos taken from the Moroccan Beauty website

Deli Belly

There is nothing more relaxing at the weekend than whiling away an afternoon in a local delicatessen. I can invariably be found with friends on a Saturday afternoon curled up in a SW6 corner devouring fresh food, slurping on smoothies whilst watching the world go by in one of our Fulham favourites. New to Fulham Broadway is Labi Deli, a homemade haven of Mediterranean mezze with an inviting local atmosphere and lively cafe. 

When I visited with my friend last weekend we were really impressed by the imaginative menu and friendly service. The lunch crowd was a mix of families and couples, with a low-key weekend vibe and newspaper strewn tables in cosy corners. The deli had a huge selection of goodies including various delicious-looking oils and dressings - perfect for sprucing up a mid-week kitchen supper. 

The website says that they are soon launching a dinner a la carte service which would be a fun change to the usual unimaginative Fulham Broadway options. It's also really reasonable, we had a delicious lunch with fruit packed smoothies for £10 each. Perfect for breakfast for yummy mummies, lunch for locals and soon dinner for a date, a firm new Fulham favourite!

Fulham is in full re-furb force!

In recent weeks it has been announced that some of our favourite Fulham institutions are having a face lift for the New Year. It has also recently been reported that house prices in Hammersmith and Fulham were nearly 20 times the average income for budding first-time buyers in the borough and local residents have been advised that their homes could be worth 23.7 per cent more in half a decade. Maybe it was with this in mind that local businesses have seen the investment potential in giving themselves a new look.

There's no question that we love Fulham and we are thrilled to see that our favourite businesses are able to invest in a shiny new look for the New Year. Here are a few to look out for; 

The White Horse- Undoubtedly the best spot in SW6 and an ale institution this pub recently underwent a refurbishment and is encouraging regulars to try out its new-look restaurant. 

The Goat in Boots- This Fulham Road favourite is an iconic landmark on 'the beach' strip and has now closed for three months for a full refurbishment and re-brand. Due to open in March 2013 it will be a "new concept" called 'Goat'. 

The Ship- One of the most famous pubs in South West London, The Ship has announced that it will be closed from Valentines Day for 2 weeks for a full refurbishment. Work on the sun trap outside area begins on Monday and will no doubt to be ready for the Spring Bank Holiday Sunday drinking madness.