A Christmas treat!

We were up and out of the house by 10am this morning for our trip to London. Mike was still in bed but Keith woke him to remind him not to let the cats out, and to feed them at lunchtime.

We planned on catching the 10.48am train in Euston, and we were able to get seats together which was a bonus, as I had imagined the train being busy with people visiting the capital between Christmas and New Year.

We took a taxi from Euston to Marylebone High Street and had a coffee at 31 Below. We sat at the window and we were able to do some people-watching as the street was bustling and busy with shoppers. Sophie and I enjoyed some toast with our drinks while Keith had a pain au chocolat. Our table at Ognisko wasn't until almost 3pm so we needed something to fortify us until then!

After the refreshments, we had a good look in Bayley & Sage, the delicatessen next door, and drooled over the fantastic array of food and drink on offer. From there, we crossed the road to Daunts Books. Sophie wanted a guidebook to Marrakech and Keith and I just wanted to look at all the fabulous books on sale!

Festive window at Bayley & Sage

The bookstore was hectically busy with lots and lots of people milling about and looking at the books. It seems as if reading is as popular as ever! Sophie bought a book and I surreptitiously noted some titles that looked interesting so I could download them onto my Kindle.

We had a look in a couple of charity shops and Keith found another book about Marrakech which Sophie bought for £2. She wasn't really in the mood for clothes shopping and Keith was starting to mumble about going for a drink somewhere.

We chose a pub next to Cote Brasserie, Inn 1888, and inside it was beautiful with old-fashioned tiles, dark wooden furniture and a welcoming fire burning.

Sophie and I had half a Leffe while Keith had a pint of lager as there were no real ales available. The pub was quiet with only a couple of men standing at the bar so we took a seat near the fire and relaxed. I thought at first it was a real fire, but then noticed a gas pipe leading to it, so it was fake, but it was lovely nevertheless!

We enjoyed our drinks, but we didn't have a lot of time, so we drank up and managed to hail a taxi outside to take us to Exhibition Road. We arrived with plenty of time and walked a little way down the road to Ognisko. We noticed a  new restaurant nearby called Stein's Berlin, so that will have to be sampled soon! It was closed today, but the menu looked great and they had currywurst!

Ognisko was busy, and we were seated in the beautiful dining room where little candles burned on every table. There was an outside area in use and we could see beautiful Christmas decorations. 

Bar area

I'd already looked at the menu and opted for the lunch set menu - Grilled Polish sausage served with cucumber salad, followed by the pork schnitzel, mashed potato and a creamy cucumber salad. While we waited we enjoyed a variety of breads, gherkins and pickled red cabbage and drank dark Polish beer, which was delicious.

Keith and Sophie chose from the a la carte menu, choosing "Pelmeni" dumplings filled with veal and pork, and mushroom soup. For their main courses, they opted for Chicken Kyiv and the cod. The food was delicious and I had to give Sophie some of my schnitzel as I couldn't manage it all!

We did find room for puds, though - pot au chocolate for both of us and a cocktail apiece. Sophie chose the Christmas Cosmopolitan while I settled for an Old-Fashioned.

As our dinner came to an end, the lights were dimmed and the restaurant emptied out. Ognisko is such a lovely relaxing place for a meal, with excellent service and food. It's a real treat! We had agreed that this would be our presents to one another as we hadn't bought gifts, and I much preferred this idea!

Sadly, we had to pay the bill and leave the beautiful restaurant but I'm in no doubt we'll be back again! Outside, we managed to get another black cab to take us back to Euston, and we had a great journey back, seeing Winter Wonderland on the way, Harvey Nicholls and Mayfair. The streets were unbelievably busy with people out enjoying the lights and Christmas ambience.

At Euston, we boarded the 5.19pm train back to Northampton and it only made two stops at Watford Junction and Milton Keynes, so it was speedy and efficient. We drove home and relaxed for the rest of the evening. A perfect end to a lovely day!