Bluebird Tea Co Brighton

Whilst wandering around the streets of Brighton I spotted this sign indicating that there was tea to be had which always results in excitement for me. The boyfriend was dragged in (he is not a fan of tea, yeah, I know, shocking, but more for me) and I started exploring the shop.

Bluebird Tea Co. call themselves Tea Mixologists which not only is a word I have trouble pronouncing (I managed though) but also reminds me of alchemy and something a little magical. It is actually pretty magical in there, shelves and shelves of tea and brewing devices and of course the smell. Those of you who love tea as much as I know will know what I mean.

The lovely ladies behind the tea bar offered for me to smell some of their favourite creations and I made the most of that offer for sure. Finest creations of Earl Grey and Co were to be had and we even got a taster of a Mojitea as well as the Strawberry Lemonade tea which were both served cold appropriate for the warm weather and were deliciously refreshing.

I ended up purchasing the Strawberry Lemonade tea while the boyfriend bought some Roibos and Early Grey for his parents (can't believe he actually spent more on tea than I did, for once). I haven't tried mine yet but I tried it in the shop and absolutely loved it. I would definitely recommend you check them out if you're in Brighton, the people there were so lovely and the tea was absolutely delicious. I am definitely going back.

Fishy Fishy Seafood Brasserie Brighton

Before our trip to Brighton I spent quite some time researching good places for food and that's when I came across this Seafood Brasserie called Fishy Fishy. I really wanted to have some seafood while we were close to the sea so this place looked perfect, easy to find, and I loved the name.

It's not directly by the sea but like most things in Brighton not too far from it and I didn't mind since the location was really nice next to some other restaurants and there was some street music going on too. We got a lovely table outside and it felt like a lovely summer evening, not too warm and not too cold either. We got some Fish Tacos to share which were really nice, not too spicy for the boyfriend either. They came with lovely fresh vegetables and guacamole.

For mains the boyfriend got the Fish Burger (standard) which he said was delicious (and I think I got a bite too and enjoyed it). I got the Seafood Paella which was absolutely amazing, it came with all the lovely seafood I'd been craving and some nice spicy chorizo too. All the seafood was fresh and they'd used just the right spices for the paella.

I'd definitely go back there when I'm in Brighton again and try something else off their seafood menu. A cute Brasserie that is definitely worth a visit.

Brighton & Bexhill

After being stuck in Manchester with only the occasional visit to North Wales or Liverpool for about ten months I realised that after exams I needed to treat myself to a little trip down south. I'd been meaning to discover this country a bit more for ages which all of the international students I am friends with on facebook do all the time it seems. I just never had the time, I was so focused on my studies which really isn't a bad thing I guess.

Once I was done with first year I packed my bags and my boyfriend and took the train down to London and then to Brighton for a few days by the seaside. We had a wonderful time, eating, watching football in our hotel room and just sitting by the sea for hours (which is something I could do forever).

One of the highlights of the trip was finally getting to meet Sami from That Redhead Said who is just as lovely as I knew she was going to be. We had a great time in many of Brightons vintage shops and the best conversation with a botany/zoology expert who taught us everything we never thought we needed to know about insects and moss. Apparently this is something you only ever experience in Brighton, and this alone is definitely worth visiting this place.

On the third day we got the train from Brighton to a bit further east to a little seaside town called Bexhill (I say little, I guess it was just smaller than Brighton). The main reason we went there (or so I thought) was because it was a Friday and we couldn't really afford a hotel in Brighton because they all went up to about 3 times the price. The actual reason the boyfriend suggested going to Bexhill was actually a completely different one which the KEANE fans amongst you might have realised before I did (I was in the middle of exams when we planned this though, in my defence). Meaning the actual reason was that the band KEANE grew up not far from Bexhill and filmed their famous video for Sovereign Light Cafe by the sea in Bexhill.

 

This lead to extensive walks along the beach, trying to recreate the music video and album cover (which the boyfriend did really well). We stayed in a lovely bed and breakfast where we had a takeaway kebab for dinner due to everything else being closed after our walk along the beach.

The next day we enjoyed our breakfast and then wandered around town enjoying the quietness and reading by the sea. We had fish and chips at the Sovereign Light Cafe where we sat at the table KEANE apparently always sit at and the food was actually really really nice.

I was really sad when we had to get the train back to London and then Manchester, it was a lovely trip but just not long enough. I hope sometime in the future I can come back but maybe for a week at least. I really miss the sea already and hope I can come back soon.

xx