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What's this blog all about?

Hi, I'm Nicola - welcome to a blog begun in 2012 about family travel around the world, without leaving the UK.

I love travel adventures, but to save cash and keep my family's carbon footprint lower, I dreamt up a unique stay-at-home travel experience. So far I've visited 110 countries... without leaving the UK. Join me exploring the next 86! Or have a look at the "countries" you can discover within the UK by scrolling the labels (below right). Here's to happy travel from our doorsteps.

Around 2018 I tried a new way of writing my family's and my own UK travel adventures. Britain is a brilliant place for a staycation, mini-break and day trips. It's also a fantastic place to explore so I've begun to write up reports of places that are easy to reach by public transport. And when they are not that easy to reach I'll offer some tips on how to get there.

See www.nicolabaird.com for info about the seven books I've written, a link to my other blog on thrifty, creative childcare (homemadekids.wordpress.com) or to contact me.

Sunday, 30 August 2015

Take a visit to Gaby's - the Middle Eastern cafe luvvies & lefties love

This blog is about family travel around the world without leaving the UK. We do this in a bid to be less polluting and tackle climate change while at the same time keeping a global outlook. Middle Eastern food is famously good - and a great place to try it in London is at Gaby's Deli just by Leicester Square tube. Words from Nicola Baird (see www.nicolabaird.com for more info about my books and blogs).

Chilli sauce in the foreground, chicken kebab and
meat balls on the girls plates.
Gaby's is a tiny restaurant just by London's Leicester Square. It's been there for years and every now and then there's a fierce battle to keep it in this prime spot. Matt Damon is a fan... Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn is too.

And so's my family - the falafel in pitta bread are favourites, they are so much crunchier than any others I've ever eaten! And so they should be - Gaby's Deli was founded by the man who "claims" to have brought felafel to London.

One reviewer says looking at the food through the window is: "Reminiscent of the huge salad displays of Istanbul, the Falafel shops of Jerusalem and the salt beef of New York." 

So, at the end of August we went to the theatre and decided to treat ourselves to a quick meal beforehand at Gaby's Deli.  The photo shows Nell and her friend Elsa with marinated chicken kebab and meat balls. They shared these dishes but both agreed that next time they would go for the chicken kebab. The rest of the party (me and Nell's dad) ate falafel, humous and chilli sauce stuffed into a pitta with loads of veges.

It's not dirt cheap: the bill for four meals plus a glass of wine came to £38.60 (this was without a tip). What I really like about eating here is that not only are you eating "London history", you are saying no to the chains, giving yourself a chance to spot a famous thespian (though probably not at 6.30pm when we turned up) and being certain to have a delicious Middle Eastern dish. Go soon!

Gabys Deli, 30 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DE
Save Gaby's Deli on Facebook

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