IVY What ? IVY Who? IVY ASIA

What restaurants in London do you recommend I try out this month?

This is a question I am frequently asked and to be honest it is one of my favourites! I love recommending my friends and clients places to eat and travel too, hearing their positive experiences and feedback is the best part.
Food is for sure one of my languages, its universal. I have met many people for the first time and we automatically click when discussing places we have visited and restaurants we love.

I would say in the last 8 years Japanese food has become one of my top five cuisines, I do not think I can say I have reached international Japanese food connoisseur levels just yet (once I visit japan I will be) however I am close.

IVY Asia is one of the newest restaurants in the IVY collection and has for sure made the best first impressions.
It can be found directly across from St Pauls Cathedral in the One New Change centre.
I will say parking was a painful mission however we did find a spot after 15 minutes of circling. This was on a Wednesday evening around 5pm so I am sure it is much easier after 6.30pm. If you are visiting in the day I would suggest public transport or a trusty cab.

The welcome into the restaurant set the tone of service which was faultless.
The decor throughout was for sure photo worthy; as we entered we saw many people snapping away!
I will not bore you with describing the decor as I want you all to go & see it for yourselves, so lets get straight to the food.
We ordered my favourite… Gin & Tonic (G&T Chronicles will be coming to the blog soon) and then dived straight in. We ordered Steamed Edamame, Prawn Tempura Maki (which has to be one of my favourites in the city), Yellow Tail again delicious, Spicy Tuna Maki which was also lovely. We then ordered Steamed Gyozas, which were perfectly cooked but I do not think I am a fan of miso foam so I found myself scooping it away. Followed by the Crispy Duck Salad which is always a favourite of mine however there are two things that I cannot stomach in a salad; parsley & coriander and there was a lot! I should have checked with the waiter however I forgot and had too pick the herbs out! The doughnuts, well they were simply perfect. What you see in the photo I had to myself, there was no sharing with this dish and I suggest anyone visiting does the same! Overall it was lovely experience, delicious food, great service and atmosphere. I was pleasantly surprised at how busy it was on a Wednesday evening, which I guess is a good sign!
I have recommended this place to friends and clients and will be returning the next time I am in the area for sure.

WARM MANGO AND YUZU DOUGHNUTS WITH COCONUT DIPPING SAUCE

Private Dinning

For our clients that love a PDR they have the Edo Room, a stunning private area in the restaurant that offers a seated capacity of 24 and standing 35. The room is beautiful and perfect for any social celebration or a meeting you would like to bring some life and creativity too.

If you would like to host an event in the Edo Room contact us with your event or meeting requirements and we can begin planning.

For any readers who do visit the restaurant as always let us know your thoughts.

S x

Villa Monsoon Review

Villa Monsoon a stunning villa in Koh Samui, as you watch the visuals above (created by @RichAdventureBlog) you will learn all the amenities the Villa has to offer.
For many Brits Thailand is a location visited for long social trips, honey moons and special occasions.
However Thailand is also a fantastic location for short group trips, incentives, activation's and film or photography locations.
With such competitive prices, value for money is without doubt.
Koh Samui offers a mix of adventure, nature & history; there is something for all groups.

Villa Monsoon is located on the north of the small island and guests are able to travel around the island with ease. The views are picturesque no matter what room you pick.

We would love to host a large group event/trip to Thailand and especially Koh Samui, Villa’s like Monsoon truly understand the importance of hospitality. The Villa its self can accommodate a reception for 30 guests and between Serenity and the Monsoon Team all travel, decor, catering and entertainment would be taken care of.

If you are interested in hosting a social or corporate visit/event in Thailand please contact us at events@serenitylondon.co.uk.

S x

To be featured on our blog including visuals please email sandie@serenitylondon.co.uk

#TravelCollectiveBySL

Better with Jumeirah

Last month I had the pleasure of attending a FAM Trip hosted by the Jumeriah group, visiting the stunning island of Mallorca and the lovely town of Soller. The Jumeirah Port Soller is the groups only hotel in the Ballerics and what a gem it is.

I must say this was a fantastically planned trip and the other event planners and venue bookers agreed. Not only did we enjoy the hotel but we also discovered amazing venues close by that they recommend for clients looking for a multiple of spaces or something in particular.

Diving right into the heart of the trip… The Jumeirah Port Soller:

The hotel offers its guests amazing views of the port and the town. Offering 5 places to dine, 2 swimming pools, a spa & children’s club if needed.
We dined at the award winning fine dinning Es Fanals by Javier Soriano, to which I have to say exceed my expectations. We was served a few dishes which I do not usually eat such as Paella; however I always try a little out of respect for the host, but on this occasion I really enjoyed it. All the wait staff knew exactly what was being served and were incredibly attentive.

The rooms at the hotel were beautiful, having stayed in many of the Jumeriah hotels this one felt incredibly homely.

The event spaces on site are perfect for meetings, team building activities, small weddings and social celebrations. For larger events you are a stone throw away from some of Mallorca’s prettiest and versatile venues.

If views are your thing then you would not be disappointed. As you walk from your room to breakfast there are so many picturesque views. I think my favourite spot within the hotel had to be the Sunset Sushi Lounge, the views, the vibe the drinks. I was sold.

Outside of the hotel we visited a number of great venues:

Finca Son Termes

With 11 spaces correct 11 on offer we could create true experiences for clients at this venue. The history of this venue brings an air of richness and the variety of spaces had my creative juices going wild! The smallest of spaces can accommodate 20 reception style and the largest 1750 reception style. We would recommend this venue to a wide range of clients, MICE, Corporate & Social.

Finca Son Torgores

Is a simply stunning venue, a great space for meetings and small to medium social or corporate events and weddings. The beauty of this venue is the indoor/outdoor experience. The flow through the venue would allow you to have different locations on site offering a different experience.
The large outdoor space offers client the option to create their ideal wedding or engagement setting.

Sóller Botanic Garden
This had to be one of my favourite venues from the trip because it simply felt as though I was in the jungle in the middle of nowhere. This venue may not be for everyone but for those that love the outdoors or memorising backdrops this is for you. With so many little corners of beauty this venue would make a perfect wedding setting, photo shoot or fashion show location and social celebration spot. For brands launching a summer related product this would be a no brainer, lets get planning!

To top of a great trip we participated in some fabulously fun activities:

Cooking class at Gastroteca Mauricio
A lovely team that taught us the beauty in simplicity of Mallorcan dishes.

Site-seeing Segway Tours
We was lucky enough to site-see in style! Segways are not as easy as they look but they delivered the fun factor!
Starting off at the Cathedral and through the streets of the Old Town we really was able to see what Palma has to offer tourists, event hosts and its locals. An activity we would recommend to all our clients visiting the island especially if they love learning about history and cultures like I do.

To sum up the trip; I fell in love with the town of Soller and cannot wait to return to Jumeirah Port Soller.
I have already recommend the hotel to friends & clients both with children and without. A big thank you to Ester, Lucia & Agueda from the Jumeriah Group, Wendy from All about Flights and Ana from W2M.
A perfect spot for incentives, meetings, activation’s, weddings, large celebrations & simply a holiday; if you have any questions about the towns or interested hosting an event in Soller or Palma I can be reached at events@serenitylondon.co.uk.

Have a look at our instagram for more videos!

Until the next trip.

S x

IG @serenitylondon