Sip & Learn – The New Way To Enjoy Wine

Sip & Learn – The New Way To Enjoy WineWe love wine at Frost, reviewing all varieties to bring the best to our readers. Sip & Learn caught our eye as it not only delivers wine straight to your door, but also comes with a booklet that tells you all about the wine. It is a brilliant idea. Sip & Learn is a new monthly wine subscription service on a mission to make wine fun and accessible to all.

Each month, two seriously good bottles of carefully chosen wine will arrive at subscribers’ doorsteps accompanied by a booklet that tells you everything you need to know about the wine.  Sippers will embark on an entertaining and educational tour de force in which they will learn about a range of subjects, from grape varieties to how wines are made, and all from the comfort of their own home whilst enjoying a delicious glass of wine.

Sip & Learn – The New Way To Enjoy Winewine club Sip & Learn – The New Way To Enjoy Wine learn

So if you enjoy wine, or know someone that does, Sip & Learn is the perfect way to put the fun factor back into learning about wine.

RRP £35 per month (incl P&P).  Subscriptions are ongoing or on a 3, 6 and 12 monthly basis.   www.sipandlearn.co.uk

Sip & Learn was set up by French duo, Marie-Anne and wine expert Sylvain in December 2014.

‘I love wine but tend to panic when asked to taste or choose it. I used to call my friend Sylvain or text pictures of wines to get his help all the time.  I’ve always wanted to learn about wine but going to classes sounds too scary and pompous. So together with Sylvain, we started thinking about how we could help people like me discover and understand how wine works without getting bored or feeling shy at a wine tasting class.  The result: Sip & Learn. We hope you enjoy it.’

 

 

 

Bounce Ping Pong And Cocktail Club | Restaurant Review

It is hard to create something unique and different in London, but it is fair to say that Bounce – Europe’s largest social ping pong and cocktail club based in Holborn, achieves this. In fact, it has everything you could need: cocktails, good food and ping pong.

The venue was designed by lauded interior designer Russell Sage and is visually stunning. It boasts an impressive 95 cover restaurant and cocktail bar and 17 bespoke designed ping-pong tables available for play – one being the Olympic final table. All of this can be enjoyed surrounded by London’s most impressive UV installation rolled out throughout the entire club.

bouncerestaurantreview bouncerestaurantreviewpingpong bouncerestaurantreviewprawns bouncerestaurantreviewfood bouncerestaurantreviewcocktail bouncerestaurantreviewcocktails1 bouncerestaurantreviewdrink bouncerestaurantreviewpingpongcocktailThe Frost team went down in force to review. Here is how we got on.

Paloma, Marcin, James and I arrive and head to the restaurant area. The menu has a great selection and it takes us a while to decide what we want. We order our starters and a cocktail each.

Paloma has the H Forman’s Scottish smoked salmon, roasted beetroots & horseradish cream which she says is earthy and smoked. The horseradish was a perfect accompaniment, didn’t have too much of a sting. Marcin has the Bruschetta 3 ways (Parma ham & pesto, Datterini tomatoes, peas, broad beans & pecorino): he says it is fresh and the pea complimented the mint well. James had the Gamberoni – baked king prawns, smoked garlic, chilli, Sicilian lemon butter, rocket & parsley: he says the prawns were huge and juicy and the sauce was amazing. For my starter I had Buffalo Mozzarella, Pixel tomatoes, Sorrento olives, toasted pine nuts, wild rocket & lemon infused olive oil. It was amazing. The ingredients are high quality and the combination really works well together.

bouncerestaurantreviewpizza bouncerestaurantreviewsalmon bouncerestaurantreview2 bouncerestaurantreview3 5 bouncerestaurantreview4 bouncerestaurantreview6 bounce

For mains Marcin had the Baked salmon, heritage beets, broad beans and horseradish cream which he said was excellent: tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Paloma had the Spiced Newlyn Bay crab macaroni cheese. She said it was slightly a let down and overshadowed by chilli. James had a Spicy pork & fennel, plum tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil & fresh chilli pizza which was excellent. James thought it was perfectly spicy. I had the Pan fried Label Anglaise free range chicken breast with smoked pancetta, roast squash, Italian beans in a rich tomato ragu: this dish was amazing. The best one I think. It was comfort food but even better. The sauce was amazing and the chicken was perfectly done.

bouncerestaurantreviewdessert

homeofpingpong

pingpong

9pingpongsign

bouncerestaurantreview7

bouncerestaurantreview8

brownie

dessert

pannacotta

For my dessert I had the Rum & raisin panna cotta with winter berry compote. It was amazing, with real raisins in. A very unique and tasty dessert. Paloma had the Warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream, which she said was possibly the best she had ever had. James had the Spiced plum & amaretto tart with Devonshire clotted cream which he says was superb. Marcin had an expresso which he said was good and we also had some really good English Breakfast tea. The service was also amazing. Everyone is really friendly.

We made a fair dent in the cocktail menu. We had The Tipping Point, which tasted fruity and dangerous. It was far too drinkable for something which had every alcohol under the sun in it including absinthe. Bounce only allow two per person, the clue is in the name but Marcin handled it well, a Hatton Garden Spritz which was delicious and summery, a Wiff Waff which was also amazing and different, The Pink One which was yummy, a Ladies Delight No 2, which, indeed, was a delight, a Ping Pong Show which was brilliant, a Daddy Mac, which says it is not for girls but we’ll show them, it was very tasty and strong. Lastly we had a Gin Lane Spritz which was superb. Phew! All of the cocktails were fruity and easy to drink.

Paloma and Marcin play ping pong.

Paloma and Marcin play ping pong.

After all of that alcohol came the ping pong. I was terrible which I won’t blame on the alcohol but just on my general ineptness. I did get a little better towards the end. Annoyingly the boys did very well. Although Paloma held the girl’s side up. The ping pong is lots of fun and comes in thirty-minute slots. Bounce is the home of Ping Pong and you definitely get an amazing vibe from the place. Paloma text me the day before I wrote this review saying Bounce was on Made in Chelsea, so it has reached the peak of trendiness and is showing no signs of letting up. The day before we were going to go, my fiance and I were at his best man and girlfriend’s house and they were also going to Bounce. It is thee place to be seen at the moment.

Bounce has amazing food, brilliant cocktails and excellent ping pong. I cannot praise it enough, we really had a wonderful time. A hen party even come to our ping pong table after we had finished, so Bounce is perfect for many different occasions. We will be going back, numerous times.

 

Bounce
121 Holborn
London
EC1N 2TD

020 3657 6525

Maggie’s Serve an Ace for The Queen’s Club Members

maggiesThis summer season’s clear winner looks set to be the Maggie’s Enclosure at the internationally renowned Aegon Championships at The Queen’s Club. The team behind the 1980s-inspired Chelsea nightclub will create the ultimate retro player’s lounge complete with ping pong table, 80s arcade games, oversized wooden rackets and ball shaped bean bags and bespoke Tanqueray No. TEN cocktails.

After winning widespread acclaim for their debut last year at Queen’s, the Maggie’s Enclosure will be even bigger and better this year. The quirky space will open from the moment the Championships start on Monday 9th June until its conclusion on Sunday 15th June. Features will include; Rubik’s cube tables, a feature floor complete with tennis court markings, a vintage umpire’s chair and even rollerskaters kitted out in tennis whites and Maggie’s branded visors.

The talented bar team will serve up Tanqueray No. TEN based cocktails alongside Moët champagne and Asahi beer, while dressed in homage to the great 1980s tennis stars. Signatures serves (no pun intended) will include: Smack Daddy, a punch blend of Tanqueray No. TEN, Chambord, Passion Fruit Juice and Purée, Vanilla Syrup and topped with Prosecco, Purple Rain, a clear winner made with Tanqueray No. TEN, Elderflower, Blackberries, Apple Juice, Lime Juice and Prosecco, and, the tipple of champions, the much loved Maggie’s Mug, made with Tanqueray No. TEN, Lemon Juice, Fresh Kiwi, Agave Syrup and Soda Water.

This year will also see defending Wimbledon and Queen’s champion, Andy Murray take centre stage at the Championships again. Murray was born in 1987 and, as a child of the eighties, was a regular at the Maggie’s Enclosure at the Aegon Championships last year when he wasn’t wowing spectators on court. His close friend and a leading doubles player, Ross Hutchins will also take over as Tournament Director of this year after successfully beating Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Maggie’s is named after 1980s Prime-Minister-turned-icon Maggie Thatcher, club-goers can hear her famous speeches playing in the loos, while Thatcher memorabilia vies for space on the walls along with other iconic 80s images and paraphernalia. The music is a mixture of classics from the 1980s and modern pop, with cocktails ranging from Pina Coladas and Daiquiris to the unforgettable Babycham.

Maggie’s is owned and operated by The Inception Group whose founders Charlie Gilkes and Duncan Stirling have also created Chelsea speakeasy Barts, Bunga Bunga, an Englishman’s Italian, Bar, Pizzeria and Karaoke venue, which achieved widespread acclaim. Mr Fogg’s, a Mayfair bar modeled on the home of Jules Verne’s most famous adventurer, Phileas Fogg and Disco, an underground boîte inspired by the 1970s Manhattan disco movement. This spring they have launched Cocobananas, a Brazilian beach party themed nightclub, and this summer will launch Beaver Lodge, a cabin bar and dance saloon based on the winter cowboy log cabins found in Wyoming.

Game, Set, Maggie’s at Queen’s

The Maggie’s Enclosure at The Aegon Championships
Monday 9th June – Sunday 15th June 2014
The Queen’s Club, Palliser Road, London W14 9EQ

Maggie’s: 329 Fulham Road, London, SW10 9QL  020 7352 8512