padella, pumpkins & pollock

With some left over holiday to take before the New Year, I made the most of an extra long weekend and took Friday off. Lucky for me Sarah also had the day free so we headed to Padella at Borough Market for pasta. I've seen many an Instagram of Padella and just knew I had to try it out; not just for the delicious bowls of authentic pasta but also to get a look at the great marble bar. 

Having read that it's good to get there early we rocked up at 11.45 and joined the already formed queue. The doors opened at 12 and we found ourselves perched at the marble bar with a view of the chefs whipping up fresh pasta. 

We ordered crisp glasses of white and the creamiest burrata to start with.

Then chose to share three dishes; the Holy Trinity of Padella. Tagliatelle with nduja, mascarpone and parsley; pappardelle with 8 hour Dexter beef shin ragu; pico cacio and pepe. All were superb and just the right size. We definitely didn't need so much but what can a girl do on her day off?! Plus it's all so cheap, we only paid 18 pounds each! 

Having had our fill we mooched around Borough Market and bought some pumpkins for our home, had a snoop of all the fresh produce and bought some Bread Ahead doughnuts for the boys. I love any kind of market but Borough is particularly great because of its buzzing barrow boy atmosphere. Sarah and I decided we'd come back again for freshly chucked oysters, sat on the upturned vegetable crates. 

A walk was somewhat needed in the afternoon so we made the rash decision to visit some galleries and enjoy some culture. We popped down the road to The White Cube. I've never been before but Sarah had and recommended it. We had a look around the Anthony Gormley exhibition, which although very abstract, was actually really cool in the end. Everything is based around the human form and is very interactive. If you find yourself in the area I recommend you drop by to have a look!

Moving away from the area we hopped on the tube to Bond Street and stopped off at The Royal Academy to see the Abstract Expressionism show. Both of us are Friends of The RA which makes it so easy to enjoy all their fantastic shows. We took a quick trot around - I'm not sure either of us were totally focusing on the task in hand - and discovered a new found love for Clyfford Still and Jackson Pollock. Despite our fleeting visit this was a good exhibition and I would probably go back again when I wasn't so full of delicious pasta. 

After a spell of shopping we parted ways and vowed to do the same in the near future. I miss our afternoon jaunts from our boarding school days  so it's especially nice to find the time to catch up and relax, away from the 9-5. All we need now is Mel and the Power Puff Girls will be reunited forever! 

L.