London – d i l a q u i s

A Must-Visit Turkish Restaurant in London-Babaji

13 March 201622 July 2021 Dila4 Comments

Turkish cuisine is regarded as one of the best ones in the world, and trust me, I’m not telling this because I’m Turkish – it genuinely is in so many ways!

The traces of the traditional Ottoman cuisine and the flavours of different cuisines such as Mediterranean and Middle Eastern ones, renders Turkish cuisine very extensive and rich. There are literally so many delicious dishes that can appeal to anyone’s taste. Besides the famous kebabs, pastries and heavenly desserts, there are also light and healthy but absolutely delicious vegetable dishes with olive oil (zeytinyağlılar) and amazing appetizers (mezeler) in this unique cuisine.

So when I’m in London, I sometimes literally crave Turkish food and I’m really happy that there are some good Turkish restaurants here. I haven’t been to all of them but among the ones that I’ve visited, Babaji is probably the best in terms of the food, the service, the design, the location – in summary everything :)

Guest Post- Breakfast at Honey & Co.

5 December 201522 July 2021 Dila4 Comments

This is the first guest post that I’m featuring on my blog so it’s pretty exciting for me! It’s written by Jaime Tung, the talented author and creator of angloyankophile.com – an award-winning blog full of her amazing adventures and discoveries as an American in London – and in many other parts of the world! Thank you so much Jaime for your contribution, it’s awesome to have you on dilaland.com!

Breakfast at Honey & Co., Warren Street

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As we inch closer and closer to Christmas, I’m having a hard time keeping up with my work schedule, let alone my social calendar (just ask Dila, since it’s taken me forever to get this post to her!). Now, there aren’t a lot of people I’d wake up at 6:00 a.m. for, but my friend Alice is an exception. Since we both work in the same part of London, one of our favorite traditions is to grab breakfast before work. It’s great, because unlike lunch, we don’t feel as rushed, and it’s such a nice way to start the day. When Alice and I worked in the same office, we used to have a favorite breakfast hangout (until it closed a few months ago), where we ordered the same thing every time, and even sat at the same table! I know, we’re nerds like that.

This time, we met at Honey & Co. on Warren Street, which specialises in delicious Middle Eastern cuisine. Slight issue? I totally forgot about our plans! We were supposed to meet at 8:00 a.m. and at 7:21, I was still tucked up in bed, chuckling at cat videos on YouTube. So cool, right? Then I got a text from her that said, “My train is far too busy at this time in the morning! See you soon!” To say that I leapt out of bed would be an understatement. I grabbed the nearest clothes, put my contacts in with one hand, and flew out the door. I was only 5 minutes late, which was an achievement! “I literally woke up like this,” I said to Alice breathlessly as I rushed into the restaurant.

Creative & Minimalist Paper Art by British Photographer Rich McCor

30 November 201522 July 2021 Dila6 Comments

British photographer Rich McCor, aka Paperboyo, reshapes most well-known landmarks all around the world – just by using paper cutouts & a camera!

When I discovered his work through his Instagram account, I was really inspired by how McCor remodelled the most iconic places in a minimalist and innovative way. He reflects his imagination through paper cutouts that are just “at the right place at the right time” – making it possible to capture amazing photographs. He is able to provide a completely new perspective with a “less is more” philosophy.

As I mentioned he takes photographs combined with paper art all around the world in different cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Lisbon and so on, however his work is based in London.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour-Hogwarts in the Snow

23 November 201522 July 2021 Dila6 Comments

It’s impossible to not feel Christmassy in London at this time of the year :) If you’ve already started to get into the Christmas spirit as well, or want to, then you should definitely not miss Warner Bros. Studio Tour’s special Christmas makeover “Hogwarts in the Snow”.

Kitty Ferreira- An Ethical & Sustainable Fashion Label

10 November 201522 July 2021 Dila8 Comments

Recently I’ve had the chance to meet Valerie Goode, the name behind the successful ethical & sustainable fashion label Kitty Ferreira, based in London.

The brand has launched at London Fashion Week two years ago, and it has won multiple awards from Royal College of Arts in 2013 for design innovation, and also the “Extending the Lifecycle of Clothing Design Award” from WRAP.org, which is an important government organisation.

The philosophy of the brand is to bridge the gap between the city and natural world, by using herbal dyes and natural sources such as pomegranate and onion skins in their collections. Their aim is to make sustainability and ethics more common and widely-accepted in the fashion world.

Restaurant Recommendation – Ottolenghi

5 November 201522 July 2021 Dila8 Comments

There are probably only a few things that I love more than discovering different restaurants with delicious food.

Ottolenghi is one of those restaurants, it’s definitely one of my favorites in London for many reasons. It’s a perfect place for the ones looking for healthy but at the same time incredibly tasty and good value food, mainly from Mediterranean & Middle Eastern cuisines.

Magical Views of London at Night

31 October 201522 July 2021 Dila9 Comments

When the lights go down, London becomes a dreamy place. Without all the rush and crowds that fill the streets, it feels like you’re seeing the “real” London – a city full of lights and beautiful beyond words.

“By seeing London, I have seen as much of life as the world can show.” Samuel Johnson

Weekends are for Breakfast Lovers

24 October 201522 July 2021 Dila5 Comments

As all Turkish people, and/or most people that have visited Turkey know, breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day in Turkish culture – especially at weekends :)

So, as a Turkish breakfast lover in London, I started looking for the best places to have breakfast since I came here last year. Here are some of the places that I tried and think are great!

1) Granger & Co.

I’m a very huge fan of scrambled eggs and this place definitely knows how to make the most delicious ones. Its an Australian restaurant that has three branches in Clerkenwell, Kings Cross and Notting Hill. I went to the Notting Hill one which is a small, warm & cozy restaurant, and the staff try their best to help you even if its crowded. I strongly recommend going there, as besides their velvety and succulent scrambled eggs, they have a very rich breakfast menu with many different options of pastries. Their ricotta hotcakes with banana & honeycomb butter are also amazing.

P.S: Make sure to go there early to avoid waiting for a table, but even if you have to wait for a while its definitely worth it!

grangerandco.com

Chasing the Sun in London

21 October 201522 July 2021 Dila10 Comments

Sunny weather has always been a great source of inspiration to me, and ever since I came to London, I’ve always thought that it’s the most beautiful on sunny days even though they’re not many – or maybe this is what makes them special :)

I love taking photos when I catch a glimpse of the sun in London, and on this gloomy and rainy day I wanted to share some of them. Hope they’ll inspire you as well!