A weekend in Paris might be the height of romantic cliches but it is also something you would be crazy to turn down. Thanks to an invitation from the guys at idBus, Monsieur Manfriend and I took the overnight London to Paris coach last Friday and settled in for a Parisian adventure.

After arriving at the Hotel Le Nouvel Orleans (directly across from the Mouton-Duvernet Metro station), we were recommended to walk down the street to Café Daguerre for breakfast. Appearing a little too tourist-friendly from the street, we followed the chattering of French accents and joined a large local crowd – only around the corner – at Café du Rendez-Vous.

Filled to the brim on eggs and Lavazza, we hopped on the Metro and walked the streets around Metro Abbesses for a short time before deciding to have lunch at the Amelie cafe (Café des Deux Moulins) on Rue Lepic. As a huge fan of film it was wonderful to see, but not wonderful enough to waste an afternoon on their painstakingly slow service. Instead, we made a pit stop at the Moulin Rouge, stopped for an apricot macaron (standard), and danced back up towards Montmartre’s Rictus Square. Surrounded by children with sunshine smiles, we met up with Mario Cacciottolo and spent a few hours taking photos and behaving unlike your typical Brits abroad. Hopefully. (That gag-inducing kissing photo below? Lensed by Mario in front of ‘Le mur des je t’aime‘.)

In the afternoon, Manfriend and I bounced up the many many steps of Square Louise Michel (stopping every now and then to people watch and play in the fountain) to visit – hands down – the most phenomenal spot to take Paris in; the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur. After getting lost in the skyline, we were surprised to witness the fitness that is Iya Traore – of Youtube fame – performing casually outside the religious landmark and drawing a fan club over to him in no time at all.

Though our original dinner plans fell through, we pulled our boots up, headed into the closest restaurant that piqued foodie intuition, gorged on wine and bread, then ran back to the hotel in the middle of the night through a rather romantic stretch of empty tree-lined streets. It was a perfect day.

After a lazy Sunday morning in bed a slight fault in my navigational abilities led us to the Jardin du Luxembourg when we were aiming for the Pont des Arts. After taking an hour to sing Franglais praises to a torrent of runners and explore the gardens (the picture-perfect Medici Fountain is a must-see), we found our way North to the aforementioned pedestrian bridge – also known as Lover’s Bridge – to attach our own love lock to its new home on the River Seine.

Gliding past the Louvre and the Facebook-famous Pyramid (you know, the Pyramid everyone ‘pinches’ from afar), we only really stopped at any point to take 1000 photos of a gun-toting policeman on rollerblades. Much of the rest of the day was spent exploring the area of the 8th arrondissement, consuming as much caffeine and brunch as our bodies would allow, and taking baby steps towards the Eiffel Tower to film a Blurred Lines dance off (we’ll see if that surfaces).

When the sun began to set we headed back to grab our bags, a very important final steak hache and frites, then took our seats at Bercy and fell asleep on each other before the idBus was able to switch its engine on. Paris je t’aime.

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If you want to pique interest in your restaurant chain, I believe building build a branch out of eight shipping containers and setting it next to the River Thames will get the job done. London’s Wahaca – who have done exactly that – may serve the closest thing to the midwest Mexican that I grew up on but their location at the Southbank Centre is a world apart.

On a sunny day, Wahaca’s Southbank Experiment practically sizzles with that Good Time Feeling; even the waitstaff (hi, Dan!) seem to be hosting a party, rather than running themselves ragged to cater to all areas of the bustling shipping containers.

To do Wahaca justice, you have to start with a Bloody Maria (Tequila, Orange, pomegranate & tomato sangrita) or Hibiscus Mojito (Tequila, Mint, lime & hibiscus) cocktail, get your inner fiesta on, and choose all of the tapas-style dishes your heart desires.

On last week’s escapade, we settled on burritos, tacos, taquitos, and crispy fried chunks of sweet potato dressed with smoky caramelised mojo de ajo (a must). Though every plate was close o being licked clean, the overall highlights were the pork pibil tacos (slow cooked in their special Yucatecan marinade with fiery pickled onions) and a cactus and courgette burrito (sautéed courgette, cactus and new potato, layered with feta, a double dose of red salsa, frijoles, cabbage, and green rice).

Foolishly opting for dessert, we tried to share a caramel blondie tart (a dream for anyone who loves a little dulce de leche) and a brownie-esque chocolate tres leches cake topped with a scoop of peanut butter ice-cream. We failed. Our bellies thanked us.

Si ya no te ama Wahaca, le encantará Wahaca.

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A few weeks ago my lovely and Northern-born Manfriend decided, spontaneously, to ‘educate me about The North’ by taking me to see Billy Elliot The Musical. Having casually remembered the story behind the film (boy does ballet) from nearly 13 years prior, I decided to go into the musical without doing any further research or forming any expectations.

Then I fell in love.

When Superbreak asked me to review the musical (and the new cast) on their behalf last week, I couldn’t say no. You see, what I didn’t realise when sliding into my seat in the weeks prior was that Billy Elliot’s West End musical has – over eight years – become one of the most celebrated, award-winning musicals on stage today.

The story, now seen by over 8 million people worldwide, is set against the backdrop of the 1984/85 miners’ strike and follows a young boy’s journey from boxing class failure to ‘ballet boy’. Though the story doesn’t feel particularly musical-friendly, the execution – from the lighting to the humour to the exceptionally talented dancers – is flawless.

From an ex-dancer’s viewpoint, Anna-Jane Casey completely stole the show for me as Mrs Wilkinson; Billy Elliot’s dance teacher. Playing a character that begs to be the soul of a show, Anna-Jane was able to do so with technical precision and a live warmth and believability that could not have been surpassed. This cast is the cream of the crop.

5 out of 5.

To mark the world premiere stage musical of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, our friends at One Aldwych have created an Afternoon Tea inspired by the story and kindly invited me along to be the first to sample their bouquet of contemporary sweet treats.

Kicking things off with a dry ice-smoking beaker of Cocktail Charlie (Dalmore whisky mixed with Grand Marnier Cherry, chocolate bitters, grapefruit juice, cherry syrup, and champagne), it took no time at all to be presented with the introductory plate of sandwiches and savouries. The personal highlight of the so-called starters came as a bountiful serving of cured smoked salmon and lemon mayonnaise on top of rye, though the roast beef and horseradish sandwich on onion bread and leek and stilton quiche thoroughly pleased my male companion.

Deciding to switch to tea before we Dalmore-d ourselves into oblivion, we requested a pot of Midsummer Mango (sunflower blossoms with real mango pieces) and Smooth Caramel (black tea with caramel chunks and a hint of vanilla) before taking on the beautifully arranged plate of confection you see above.

Like all good afternoon teas, One Aldwych’s features warm scones (served with summer berry jam, apple and meadowsweet compote, and Devonshire clotted cream). These arrive in a basket alongside an obsession-forming blueberry brioche and a Cocoa bean financier; the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory touch. On a tiered slab at the side you take possession of chocolate caramel milk, a mini Eton mess, and ‘Golden egg’ filled with vanilla cheesecake and mango puree which are all accented by multi-flavoured homemade candyfloss. The kind of gluttony even Veruca Salt would appreciate.

(The afternoon tea is £29.50 per person/£38.00 per person including a glass of Louis Roederer Champagne or a Cocktail Charlie. Click here to book!)

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Collection may be one of the most affordable beauty brands on the high street but they never fail to blow the ladies of the UK away with fashion-forward products that really deliver. Check out my beauty pyramid for their latest and greatest…

At the top; Collection Lasting Gel Colour Nail Polish (£3.19) in 10 Almost Nude. I have an incredible knack for messing up at-home manicures which means that the rich nude manicure I’m currently sporting is something of a miracle. The consistency is gel-like, the brush is thick, and the colour is chic as they come.

Next row; Collection Colour Pro Lip Lacquer (£4.19) in 4 Prom Queen (perfect nude), 3 It Girl (a pink lipstick’s best friend), 2 Show Off (a wash of muted red), and 1 Rebel (hot pink). These 6ml tubes do what they say on the tin. They are sticky but only enough to give a full ‘lacquer’ effect. Easy to wear and last for hours.

Last but not least; Collection Hot Looks Nail Polish (£1.99) in 67 Desert Rose, 65 Scorched, and 66 Aztec Gold. These metallic shades are made for Summer and in only two quick coats each shade builds up for a gorgeous manicure. In my opinion, Desert Rose would be a beautiful wedding nail colour.