wander to wonder: cocktails, super-food ice cream & a killer view @ oxo tower

I think that I attended my first ever event through my blog around this time last year - I was a little nervous, but also excited, and I learnt right away that it was nothing to be scared of. I've enjoyed every single one that I've attended since - some have been better than others, but none I've regretted going to - and I usually knew the general gist of the evening. Whether it would be a sit down dinner, a drinks and nibbles do, an activity of some kind - it would be implied in the invite and I would happily rock up and vaguely know what I was expecting.

When Thorne gathered a few of us (he's a blogger as well as being a PR man) for a tasting of OXO Tower Brasserie's summer special, their Super-Food "nice-cream" Flight, we all thought that we would have a drink, eat good ice cream, chat for an hour, and be on our merry way. We certainly did not think that we would be legging it to the station to catch one of the last tubes home...on our merry way, indeed. What I'm trying to say, is that it was not only a delicious evening, but an unexpectedly fun and far-too-late-for-a-school-night evening, too! Oh, and with spectacular sunset views to top it all off. Excited yet?

I had never been up the OXO Tower before, so it was quite a treat to try it out for the first time and have prime seats by the window with the sun beating down on us. We started off with a round of cocktails - and let me tell you, the OXO Tower Brasserie knows how cocktails are done. They were beautiful, delicious, and plenty strong.

We also ordered a few snacks to help keep those drinks company - falafels, calamari, pita with dips and chorizo. The ideal platter of food to nibble on as we got chatting.

Just so I don't keep repeating myself - there was no shortage of those stunning cocktails throughout the evening. We definitely did honour to the menu, and I think we could safely recommend any of them. The bar manager, Ian Goodman, had just won an award for his work there (you can see him beaming with his prize in a couple of the pictures!), so you are in very safe hands there.

As we enjoyed our drinks and prepared ourselves for the main event, the sun was beginning to set and we were practically racing to the balcony to photograph the stunning skyline. I could not love London more in moments like those.

It was easy to forget that we'd all turned up for anything other than simply sipping on cocktails and drinking in the view!

Ha. Who am I kidding? I am an ice cream fiend, and when Thorne told me about these apparently super-charged-super-food ice creams, I told him it sounded too good to be true.

Here's what they have to say on the matter:

"A real celebration of British summer, the OXO Tower Brasserie has teamed up with Kent-based artisan ice cream company, Taywell Ice Creams, to create a bespoke trio of ice cream flavours that push the boundaries and bring exciting new trends to the London restaurant scene. Inspired by the season’s superfoods, indulge in the limited edition, one-of-a-kind Nice Cream Trio and recreate that childhood nostalgia."

The flavours included in the Nice Cream Trio are:

Charcoal & Strawberry Ripple

Baobab, Chia Seed & Cranberry

Bee Pollen & Raspberry Ripple

We were very excited... and when we saw how beautifully they were presented, there was a rush of photographing, emptying and re-arraging of tables, more photographing, camera in one hand, iPhone in the other... a serious bloggers' jungle.

I practically licked the plate clean. I liked every flavour, but my favourite was the Baobab, Chia Seed & Cranberry - and not only because I love chia seeds in anything! It was the most textured and least sweet, but I would have happily eaten the others and still sang their praises. I'm not sure exactly how "healthy" they are for you (although I'm all for wishful thinking), but this original idea of creating super-food flavoured ice creams is one I am fully on board with. I think it would be the perfect ending to a romantic meal on the balcony of the brasserie (really, if you want to serenade someone, this view is the winning ticket), and equally good for a sweet finish to a dinner with your friends.

The sugar possibly gave us a boost of energy as we continued to sit, talking late into the evening, sipping on sparkling English wine (surprisingly good) and snapping the night sky one last time before heading our separate ways.