Bonnie Gull Seafood Shack

I've never been a big fan of cats.  This marginal aversion has, however, recently intensified to become an active dislike, after a frenzied feline broke my camera. 

I won't bore you with the details but it involved a Greek Island, the perfect vista, the self-timer, and a rogue paw.  I'm resigned to snapping with my iPhone until it's fixed. 

One thing that the moggies and I could form a friendship over is a serious love of seafood and so, upon returning from holiday, it was off to the newly-opened Bonnie Gull to drown my sorrows in shellfish. 

As we ducked under the striped, seaside shack awning we were greeted with a Captain's welcome.

Inside is small but perfectly formed, with some wonderfully nautical touches that almost make you forget that you're somewhere in Fitzrovia rather than on the Cornish coast. 

We kicked off with some Bloody Marys, each of which was topped with a plump and juicy oyster - a pretty inspired touch. 

With our minds firmly fixed on mollusks, we surveyed the 'catch of the day' map to decide which of the British oyster varieties to sample next... and settled on four of each - wild Loch Ryan Natives, Portland Pearls and Mersea Rocks. 

Having consumed our recommended monthly allowance of Zinc, we then plumped for the North Sea haddock and chips and the sea bass with fennel and grapes.  

Sustainable, fresh, British seafood at its best. 

The restaurant is now fully open and you can even pop in for brunch at the weekend.  I reckon 3 or 4 oyster Bloody Marys would cure even the most raging of hangovers or, at the very least, ease the pain of a cat breaking your camera. 

It's Spritz o'clock

I love a Pimms No. 1 as much as the next woman.  Slightly sweet, refreshingly fruity and relatively low in alcohol, it's the perfect summer tipple (or session beverage, as the boys would call it).


But even during this miserable summer, I feel like I've OD'd on the faithful fruit cup.  This is where having a little sister who's taken up residence in Italy comes in very handy. 

On her last visit, the gorgeous girl presented us with this:
  

Snuggled up together in their shredded paper bedding were two best friends - Aperol and Prosecco.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Aperol, it's an Italian aperitif that's a less bitter version of Campari with a slight orangey flavour.  

It also forms the basis of Spritz, a wonderfully refreshing 'aperitivo'.

The classic mix is:

3 parts Prosecco
2 parts Aperol
1 splash of soda or seltz
Ice, half a slice of orange.

It's often served in a short glass with lots of ice; although I don't usually mess with Italian classics, this time I chose a wine goldfish bowl sans the orange slice.

I appreciate that it resembles a large measure of Iron Bru but, trust me when I say that once you try it, you'll be quaffing it for the rest of the "summer".

Plus it's more alcoholic than Pimms, so will turn that drizzly rain into a warm, fuzzy haze.

Enjoy with a bowl of queen green olives and pretend you're kicking back in the sunshine overlooking a Venetian piazza. 

Oh, just so you know, it doesn't taste the same if your ice cubes aren't shaped like tube signs.