City Guide | 4 Hours in Edinburgh

It seems we're starting to make a habit of spending half days in different cities - it was only earlier in August that we spent four hours in Manchester. This time we're back with a six hour guide to one of our most loved cities in the UK. Edinbugh.

With a spare few hours to keep ourselves busy on the day after our trip around Scotland with The Last Great Malts tour, we decided to lay off the whiskies for one afternoon and explore the affectionately dubbed, Old Smokey. You can listen to our Edinburgh podcast below:

Six hours wouldn't do the city justice, but you can cover some decent ground if you don't get too distracted by Edinbugh Castle - I'd suggest dedicating a whole extra day to the historical side of the city. But as we'd done that previous we decided to search for the best independent stores, coffee shops, and food and drink in the area.

Straight after recording another "award-winning" podcast and a browse in the best joke shop around, we started the day off at Cairngorm Coffee. A sweet little independent coffee shop that sits beneath a set of unassuming steps just off George Street. Dimly lit, with a traditional trader's decor, and beans supplied by Brighton's Small Batch Coffee. The iPads built into the tables was a neat touch too.

Straight after the caffeine hit we visited our friends at The Brotique; a men's lifestyle store stocking grooming products, stationery, leather goods, watches, and music + tech accessories, from brands such as Bellroy, Triumph & Disaster, Leuchtturm1917, Bang & Olfsen and Finlay & co. 100 bonus points for the amazing SNES set up in the back room!

 

At this point we had no idea where we'd be grabbing lunch, but after we nipped into the newly opened Kestin Hare, we followed their recommendation to eat at El Cartel. This tiny Mexican restaurant was just what we needed; tacos, deep fried mac + cheese, spicy coleslaw and a healthy slosh of mezcal impressed the pants off us.

Stopping of for a beer was always on the cards, and when we found out via Twitter that Innis & Gunn had recently opened The Beer Kitchen we noted it down for when the time was right. The Edinburgh brewers have been around for yonk, producing interesting largers and ales inspired by old recipes. The kitchen was modern, light, full of wood and full of beer. Winner! They also do food but we didn't have time to squeeze any in.

With time against us we didn't take many more photos, but a few more places worth mentioning are; Brew Lab Coffee, The Whisky Shop, Walker Slater Clothing, the National Museum of Scotland and our hotel for the night, the wonderful G&V.

Have you visited Edinburgh recently? We just can't wait to go back.

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24 Hours in Barcelona | City Guide

In partnership with Joseph

Blocking three days out of our week to visit Barcelona for the first time sounded pretty ace. With my case packed with a selection of my favourite pieces from the SS19 collection by Joseph, and some cheap fights booked, we were all set to see the city with fresh eyes.

Sometimes those cheap flights have you arriving into a city quite late and force you to leave wayyyyy too early - but hey, that's what we signed up for. Our "three days" ended up really just being one, but you can really shift pavement when you're under a tight time restriction.

Armed with a handy list of recommendations from folks on Instagram + Twitter, we launched into our 24 hours exploring a new city with an early rise and a solid planned mapped out. The early bird catches the siesta, or something like that...

On our agenda; architecture, coffee, food and craft beer:

 

 Breton Top by Joseph | Perfect T Shirt by Joseph | Trousers by Arket | Sneakers by Converse | Sunglasses by Moscot

 Maxime Twill Bicoloured Jacket by Joseph | Socks by Margaret Howell

Walden7

Ctra. Reial, 106, 08960 Sant Just Desvern, Barcelona

What a way to start the day! This mind-bender of a building was suggested by our mate Jordan Bunker. Created from the genius mind of Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill, Walden 7 is a super surreal looking housing development on the west side of the city, which has become a much-loved icon of the city. The otherworldly labyrinth-like passageways, stairwells and jutting balconies of this place made for a slightly off-balancing yet unforgettable experience

It's the kind of place you see on the internet but never have a clue as to where it actually is. Being a private housing development means access isn't easy to come by - I'm told that there are regular tours, but we made our way inside behind some happy looking locals who had no qualms with us being there when we showed them our cameras. Worth the risk!

Syra Coffee

Carrer de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats, 8, 08012 Barcelona

Ain't it amazing what you can do when you're under restriction. I'm constantly impressed with the design solutions people come up with when coming up against issues such as space, money and time. Syra Coffee is a perfectly example of this how to create a inviting and wholesome place inside a tiny unit, located in the middle of the city's vibrant Vila de Gracia district.

I didn't realise how affordable good coffee and very good cakes can be in Barcelona - 4 Euros for a tasty flat white + a locally made ginger and white chocolate cookie is a 10/10 every day of the week. Syra was definitely a highlight from my day. I just loved how this place looked, the geezer making the brews was really friendly and there was even room for a small Japanese photography exhibition at the back.

Parking Pizza - Parking Pita

Passeig de Sant Joan, 56, 08009 Barcelona

Food - the heart and soul of every city visit. Torn between a list of 10 cafes and restaurants to decide from, we ended up choosing a place that served more than one speciality. Mega looking pizzas and absolutely packed pitas. Communal benches promote sharing and unexpected conversation, and the open-plan setting allowed the midday sun light to flood in via well placed skylights. As for the food, the falafel pita takes the winnings // Parking Pizza - Pita

 Mer Parachute Shirt by Joseph | Breton Top by Joseph | Plage Linen Shorts by Joseph | Vans OG Slip

Skye Coffee at Espacio88

Carrer de Pamplona, 88, 08018 Barcelona

Just look at this place! I don't associate converted industrial warehouse spaces with Barcelona at all, in fact, Jake commented that the whole El Poblenou district of the city felt similar to San Francisco. Agreed. Along with Cloudstreet Bakery, Skye Coffee's resident coffee truck can be found inside Espacio88; a multi-faceted architectural space used for experiential events, workshops, creative talks and home to one of the city's most striking coffee outposts. Serving speciality coffee from a restored 1972 Citoën HY to locals and visitors looking for a truly unique experience. For more about Barcelona's coffee culture see Kaffeine Kick.

Mikkeller Bar 

Carrer de València, 202, 08011 Barcelona

It's become a tradition of ours to end a city break with a beer at a local Mikkeller bar. With 40+ locations now, these guys are becoming easier to find as the years go by, and while they're not Barcelona-local they have found their place within the city's booming craft beer scene. Natty doodles anywhere you put your eyes are wrestling against vertical wood panelling (a theme through their bars), marmalade orange pendant lights, a sea blue hi-shine floor which could throw up some issues after a few IPAs, and tap list covering all bases from 2.5% easy goers to face-melting 12% imperial stouts. Sounds over the top, but it works so well.

My favourite piece from the Joseph collection, the Plage Linen Shorts. Photography by Jake Millers

Thanks for reading,

Mat.

This post is a paid partnership with Joseph, but all travel + activities above was paid for by me. Your support of the brands + businesses we work with helps make this blog happen.

City Guide | Discovering Independent Manchester, with Topman

 Topman Printed Shirt | Topman Straight Fit Trousers | Converse 70s Sneakers | Fair Ends Cap

Having only just bought our first proper house, in a pretty small town that is tucked neatly away on the North West coast of England, you'd think that I'd be spending all of my given time working from home. But if I look back at the past five months I can only pinpoint two of weeks where I haven't been travelling - I guess it's just the way I like it. For me, that's the freelance lifestyle that I crave.

My latest trip was to the city of Manchester - I place pretty well indeed. Back when I was trying to break into the fashion industry I worked several internships + marketing jobs, clocking up a good five years in around the Northern Quarter. Topman reached out to myself + Jordan to see if we'd be up for helping them produce a guide to the city, to coincide nicely with the reopening of their Topman Trafford Centre store.

We hit a few of our regular favourite spots, as well as taking a couple of new recommendations from Manchester-native + photographer, Jake Millers. It wouldn't be a proper city guide without a decent dose of coffee, art, design + culture, and the added bonus of one of the city's most beautiful hotels:

Foundation Coffee House

Sevendale House, Lever Street,

We can’t create a Manchester city guide without Foundation Coffee House. An expansive unit – something few and far between in the capital – Foundation is perfect for both work and a quick coffee pit stop. With spaces to suit each and every coffee drinker, make sure you swing by to sample their beans.

Grindsmith Coffee Pod 

Victoria Bridge St, Salford, Manchester, M3 5AS

Located in one of the city centre’s busiest streets you’ll find this curious little concept coffee shop. The Grindsmith Coffee Pod is not only a unique use of space which creates an intimate atmosphere, it also comes in with a great selection of speciality coffees, and feels like a nice break from the madness of the high street.

1847

58 Mosley St, Manchester, M2 3LQ

Food is always on the agenda when you’re up for visiting a new city, and the best ones usually come recommended by friends. Our photographer, Jake Miller’s gets the props for urging us to try 1847 for lunch. Just across from the Manchester Art Gallery you’ll find this inviting, modern vegetarian restaurant. The menu is jam-packed with tasty dishes, - we’d definitely recommend trying the Battered Halloumi.

Manchester Art Gallery

Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3JL

Manchester is blessed with a strong creative community and close links to the design and art industry. There’s no better way to soak a big portion of this in than a visit to the Manchester Art Gallery, located 5 minutes from Piccadilly Gardens. The gallery’s traditional paintings, ceramics and design pieces are mixed with a constant rotation of contemporary art, photography and design innovations.

Piccadilly Records 

53 Oldham St, Manchester, M1 1JR

Somewhat of an institution in Manchester, Piccadilly Records is the best spot for those of you looking to pick up the latest vinyl releases. Head in there when you’ve got some time to kill; chat to the staff, ask for recommendations and uncover those records that will soon become your favourite new albums.

Fred Aldous

37 Lever Street, Manchester, M1 1LW

Now be prepared to step into a two-tier store packed with plenty of stationary, interiors and design gifts to tie you over for a lifetime. For those that just want to capture their Manchester trip in the photo booths or geek out over paper with the Fred Aldous gang, then this is the place for you.

 Jordan wears Topman Skinny Jeans | I'm wearing Topman Original Fit Jeans | Sneakers by Harrys of London

The craziness that was the Topman Trafford Centre store launch. Photography by Jake Millers

Principal Hotel + The Refuge
Oxford St, Manchester M60 7HA

You'd be hard-pushed to find a hotel + restaurant in Manchester more beautiful that the Principal Hotel + The Refuge, just opposite Oxford Road train station. The bedrooms have some of the tallest ceilings going, with each room (all slightly different) fully equipped to give you a solid night's sleep. The Refuge is the hotel's bar + restaurant - we can't recommend this place enough. Come for the incredible interiors, but stay for the food and drink. Order a few small plates and share with your friends.

You can see more from our City Guide to Manchester on Topman's blog here.

This blog post is has been co-created by myelf, Jordan Bunker + Jake Millers for Topman.

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City Guide | Discovering Independent Leeds, with Converse

In collaboration with Converse, and their latest Chuck II collection, we spent 12 hours exploring Leeds, and discovering what unique shops, restaurants, bars, and sights one of the UK's most vibrant cities has to offer.

Leeds has been on our mind for some time. Everyone’s been talking about the creative goings-on in the city and, aside from a couple of quick visits, neither of us have really explored the place to its fullest.

When we visit it a city, the angle is generally on the independent offerings. Leeds was no different: we try to hit those places that are unique to the city, and although we worked the pavement hard, we left a lot undiscovered.

To get things started, coffee and lots of it. Laynes Espresso is a neat little place, tucked alongside the station. Here, we planned the day and waited for the sun to break through the fog. By coincidence, Laynes is just around the corner from Bundobust - the restaurant we planned to end the day in. A vegetarian Indian, they serve up the sort of street food inspired grub that’s become the norm in London - a host of small dishes, delicately filled with a mix of lightly and heavily spiced rice, cheese, yogurt, and lots of other ingredients I just couldn’t put my finger on. Damn delicious.

Wearing - ASOS Coat + Shirt | Reigning Champ Sweatshirt | Uniqlo Down Vest | Albam Jeans | Chuck II c/o Converse | Form & Thread Socks | Watch c/o Paul Smith

We were here to explore the city with Converse, to see how much we could cover in around 12 hours. Converse have just launched a new set of colours in the Chuck II, following its launch in July, and we were really excited to collaborate with them on a project like this; one that celebrates the creativity, style, and innovation inherent in a fast changing city. An update on the classic All Stars, the II have a new non-slip tongue and the Lunarlon innersole from Nike, making these a much more functional and comfortable trainer.