Samba Swirl, Honky Tonk + More Pre-List Favourites

I'm going to quickly run through a couple of random places today (rather than one of my bar-hopping posts - London Bridge and Shoreditch #4 coming soon) alongside a few old favourites that I visited 'pre-List'.

Last Saturday (April 6th) I had my first taste of Froyo (Frozen Yoghurt) from Samba Swirl on Northcote Road (there are others in Chiswick and Islington) having avoided it for years on the grounds that it could never be better than ice cream.  However, the fun is not in the eating, but in the self-serving.  You grab a pot, squeeze some different flavoured yoghurts in, and then go nuts adding unhealthy toppings that completely defeat the point of choosing yoghurt over ice cream.  I was clearly a first timer as my pot was covered in oreos, caramel shortbread, crunchie bars etc whilst Lauren went for the fresh fruit.  It was enough to distract me from the fact that I didn't actually want any yoghurt, but I will probably head straight to Odonno's over the road for ice cream next time!

The oreo capsule was full before I started

On Wednesday (April 9th), I went for dinner with Jason (picking up his first non ping-pong based point) at Honky Tonk in Chelsea, a NY-inspired bar and restaurant on Hollywood Road.  They sat us on a man-date table in the corner which was great for people watching but I would probably sit up at the bar next time for more atmosphere.  The macaroni cheese with truffle oil was tasty but the main event was pudding.  Make sure that you save space for their excellent Apple or Pecan Pie (or any of the others!).  We didn't get on to the cocktails but if you live nearby it would be worth heading over to the attractive bar for a drink or two - look out for the amusing artwork dotted around on the walls.

Now onto a couple of old places that are worth a quick mention.  First up is Cah-Chi - a Korean BBQ restaurant in Earlsfield (or Raynes Park) which stands out as you have to cook your food using the sizzling plates built in to the table.  You then take a giant lettuce leaf and stuff it with all sorts of tasty things, wrap it all up and consume! There are Korean drinks on offer but you can also BYO wine if you so wish.

One of my favourite places in Covent Garden is Guanabara - a large Brazilian bar which serves great food, has fantastic live music, gives dance classes, cocktail masterclasses, percussion masterclasses etc etc. There is a very generous happy hour from 5-8 every day.  Watch out for occasional door charges later on in the evening when there is a band playing.  It is not very visible from the street - head to Parker Street off Drury Lane (where the muffin man lives) and look for the Guanabara logo.  Inside it looks like a conference centre - head up the big staircase round the corner to find the bar!  If you want to watch a football match involving Brazil, this is the place to be.

That's all for now, though I am pretty excited to have discovered Deliver Me, a website for ordering food in London up until 6am!  More standard List posts are on the way, depending on how much football and golf I watch today.  Team List points for Lauren, Luke, Natalie and Jason.  I will give a leaderboard update soon - has Natalie overhauled Tim's Paris points?  Does she realise he is back in the country to keep the pressure on?  It doesn't get more exciting than this.