Paradise Under The Stars London Review

As a fan of latin music and immersive experiences, The Lost Estate’s latest offering caught my eye. I purchased the tickets for my husband’s birthday and we travelled to London on one of the hottest days of the year, in fact the temperatures in London that day were on par with Havana. It was a great excuse to dress up. The Lost Estate’s website requests ‘summer formal evening attire’ so I got to wear a dress that I haven’t worn in a while.

I had booked the Classico ticket, which as well as the cabaret performance also included a 3 course meal. There are four tiers of ticket price, starting at £69.50 per person.

The venue

We arrived at the venue early and there was a small queue of people outside waiting to go in. Upon entry through the first set of doors, you are immediately transported to a retro style airport check-in desk, complete with a flight departures board and vintage travel posters. This is where the immersive experience begins. The “airline employee” gives you your boarding pass for Havana Clipper Airways flight from Miami to Havana and wishes you a great flight. As a self-confessed travel nerd I absolutely loved this touch. Even more so that entry was staggered so each party got their turn to be at the check-in desk without a bunch of other people spoiling the ambience.

We then arrived at the beautiful bar where the acting continued from the next member of staff.

“How was your flight?” she said,

“Short!” responded my husband.

We were then shown to our table at Club Tropicana. And considering I had only purchased second tier seats where we should have been at a shared dining table, we had our own little table for two right at the front. We were near enough to count the sequins on the dancers costumes, that’s how close we were!

The venue itself was atmospheric with lights, palm trees and, of course, stars. There were a few ‘Tropicana’ neon lights which people enjoyed taking their photos with too. Our table was already set with a bowl of banana chips and a mojo sauce to dip them in.

The drinks

The drinks menu was extensive but it was the separate cocktail menu that really caught my eye. There were tropical cocktails such as Mai Tai and Pina Colada, plus Cuban cocktails like Mojito and Cuba Libre. Unfortunately our waiter informed us that as there was no crushed ice we wouldn’t be able to have a Mojito or a Havana Especial that day. Boo. I opted for a Pilgrim, which was a gin based cocktail with cherry rum, honey and ginger syrup and lemon soda. I also later had a Frozen Daiquiri. Both cocktails were expensive but nothing unusual for London.

The food

The menu has been designed by chef Ash Clarke as “vintage fine dining meets Cuban soul food”. Our starters were presented to us before the performance began. Nick chose the carne/meat menu where as I had the vegetarian option. His was a cod and prawn ceviche, where as mine was a palm heart and watermelon – both in a flavoursome marinade and a shared bowl of tortilla chips.

The mains were mojo marinated chicken breast for the meat eaters or cheese croquettes for the vegetarians. Both served with yellow rice. The dishes were tasty but a little too heavy on the coriander for my liking, so be wary of that if you’re not a coriander fan (dietary requirements are catered to if advance notice is given).

Dessert was a tropical flan with mango, coconut and pineapple. The perfect end to the meal. All of the dishes were small in size, however I found that they were much more filling than they appeared. I was satisfied (although there’s always room for another cocktail!).

The performance

For starters, let it be known that many of the cast are Cuban. The choreographer, Luanda Pau is the daughter of the legendary original Tropicana choreographer Domingo Pau. So you know this is the REAL DEAL. And both of them were in the audience while we were there.

The cast is made up of a live band, a male and female singer, four dancers and an emcee. Let me tell you that they were all fantastic. The emcee told a story of Cuba and although I didn’t fully follow the story, she was spellbinding nonetheless. It would be easy for me to say that the dancers in their bedazzling costumes stole the show, but every member of the cast delivered.

My favourite parts of the show were the beginning and the end. There is a love story in the middle part of the show which, although beautiful, was kind of like the calm between the vibrant, toe tapping spectacular. Plus everyone loves the mambo.

Paradise Under The Stars lasts over 3 hours and includes an interlude. And at the end of the performance, guests are encouraged to get up and dance. We joined the conga line which was fun too. But don’t worry, if you prefer to leave the dancing to the professionals, there’s no pressure to join in.

My final verdict on Paradise Under The Stars

The whole experience was really well brought together. The tickets aren’t cheap so I had high expectations and other than the excess coriander and lack of crushed ice, I would say my expectations were exceeded. If you like your experiences immersive and a little bit quirky and you want a taste of Havana in London, then The Lost Estate’s Paradise Under The Stars ticks all the boxes.

Related posts:

• Quirky Science Afternoon Tea London
• Ripley’s Believe it or not London
• 24 hours in Havana

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The Best Places to see Cats in Amsterdam

If you want to experience the absolute best of the feline scene, there are two attractions you need to add to your Amsterdam itinerary. Both are located right in the heart of the historic canal belt, making them incredibly easy to visit in a single afternoon.

Kattenkabinet – Amsterdam Cat Museum

Kattenkabinet (or Cat Cabinet) is a museum dedicated to all things cat. Tucked away in a 17th century canal house, it is a fairly small museum. But if you’re looking for something unusual to please your inner cat lady then this is it.

Even the history to the museum is quirky. Opened in 1990, it was founded by a wealthy Dutch man named Bob Meijer, in memory of his ginger cat John Pierpont Morgan (yes that was the cat’s name). Bob celebrated every fifth birthday of J.P. Morgan’s (the cat) by commissioning custom paintings, statues and even a mock dollar bill featuring the cat’s face.

The museum is full of all sorts of cat related art, including paintings, sculptures and other kinds of artefacts. This one-of-a-kind collection even includes work by the likes of Picasso! There is also a cat themed gift shop AND best of all – real cats! Yes you can spot real cats lounging around the museum too. We didn’t like to bother them too much, but of course I had to take a couple of pictures. Because that is what I seem to do whenever I see a cat.

We weren’t at the museum for very long (like I said, it is fairly small) but if you’re a fan of felines then you will probably enjoy this.

Planning your visit to Kattenkabinet

• Location: Herengracht 497, 1017 BT.
• Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday, 12.00pm to 5.00pm (closed Mondays).
• Booking: Due to the historic rooms being small, there are capacity limits. You can easily pre-book your timed entry tickets online via platforms like Get Your Guide to secure your spot.
• Don’t miss: The cat-themed gift shop, which is stocked with unique postcards, posters and feline related souvenirs.

De Poezenboot – Rescue cats in Amsterdam

De Poezenboot aka The Cat Boat is quite literally a floating cat sanctuary. It was founded in 1966 by a kind-hearted local woman named Henriette van Weelde after she found a homeless family of cats that needed caring for. After that first rescue, Henriette ended up rescuing so many more cats that she needed the space to home them all – and a house boat was the most creative and viable solution! By 1987, the shelter received official charity status and today it remains a fully functioning rescue on the water.

The Cat Boat of Amsterdam is world famous amongst feline fanatics. It is free to visit, however donations or purchases from the small onboard gift shop are much appreciated. Local people can adopt a cat but if you wish to support the sanctuary and aren’t local, there is a financial adoption option available.

We were only able to stay on the boat for 15 minutes. I could have stayed much longer to pet the cats, but being a cat shelter employee myself I understand why visits must be short and sweet. I would still recommend a visit if you need a cat fix!

Planning your visit to De Poezenboot

• Location: Singel 38 /G, 1015 AB. A short 10 minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station.
• Opening times: 1pm to 3pm Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
• Booking: The cat boat no longer accept advance online reservations and operates on a first-come, first-served basis. Because it is popular, a queue often forms along the canal before opening. Double-check the official Check De Poezenboot website for last-minute scheduling changes.

Check out my other Amsterdam guides

• An Alternative 3 Days in Amsterdam
• Tulips and Windmills: A Day Tour from Amsterdam
• Best Desserts in Amsterdam – My Top 3 Recommendations
• Quirky things to do in Amsterdam

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If you’re looking for quirky afternoon tea in London, The Ampersand is the perfect location. Situated a short walk from both The Natural History Museum and The Science Museum in South Kensington, the hotel offers not only a science afternoon tea but also a Jurassic tea – a nod to the dinosaurs at The Natural History Museum.

There are five different menus for the science afternoon tea – adult, kids, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. I was glad to be able to see the vegetarian menu before booking.

After being seated we were offered a Jing Tea and then were given a small ‘science kit’ with instructions for making our own fizzy lemonade.

Of course this was absolutely a fun and entertaining way to wait for your food! Yes the lemonade had a bit of an artificial taste to it but hey, it was super quirky!

Shortly after we finished our lemonades, the food arrived. Nick went for the adult (aka meat eater) option and mine was vegetarian. The only difference between the two were the savouries. Mine included a mini quiche, vegetable brioche, tomato and cream cheese swiss roll and an egg mayo sandwich. We were offered more savouries but I didn’t have the stomach space.

Before we could eat though, we were treated to a little ‘performance’ where the waiter poured dry ice into the dish below one of the desserts. Who doesn’t love a bit of dry ice magic?!

The scone layer of the tea included two scones per person, your usual jam and cream topping PLUS a tube of passionfruit curd. We also had test tubes on the table. These contained freeze dried raspberry, freeze dried pineapple and crunchy chocolate pearls, just to add a little more pizzazz to your scone.

As with most afternoon teas, the desserts are the highlight. For this quirky science afternoon tea we were presented with a caramel chocolate & raspberry planet (the dry ice dish), an apricot, hazelnut & almond moon cake with honey chocolate spaceman and a blueberry & coconut macaron with a pipette of lemon sauce in the side of it. There was also a blood orange & cherry jelly Petri dish.

The most fun element of dessert was the chocolate dinosaurs hidden within chocolate soil. This was presented to us in a small wooden box which we then had to ‘dig’ for using a paint brush, like proper palaeontologists!

We had a really fun afternoon and enjoyed experiencing a true quirky afternoon tea in London.

If you liked this post then you might enjoy my other afternoon tea experiences.

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We weren’t keen on going on a coach trip with a bunch of other tourists. But equally if we hired a car we were unsure where to drive to. That’s where a convertible beetle island tour comes in!

Convertible Beetle Island Tour in Gran Canaria

On this island tour you are given your own VW Beetle and in a small group you follow your guide around the island in convoy.

We booked the tour online and were picked up from our hotel in Meloneras by minibus which then took us to Buggy Pirates HQ. My husband Nick was the driver for our car. After the license checking and paperwork we were shown our cars and on our way.

Our tour group consisted of us, two German couples and our guide, Bodo. Only 4 cars in total, but Buggy Pirates will take out no more than 10 cars at a time.

My dream car before I learnt to drive was always a VW Beetle. Plus there’s something so fun about riding in a convertible. The car stereos come with a pre-loaded playlist of HUNDREDS of songs. So my job was to play DJ for our car while we were cruising around the mountains.

At each stop Bodo would regale us all with information about the island and the sites. He would also inform us of our next stop. All of which was spoken in both English and German. I was impressed that someone can concentrate on the road, not losing the tour group and remembering to speak in 3 different languages (Spanish too!). My brain wouldn’t be able to cope with that much! Haha!

The experience lasted for around 6 hours with plenty of stops to stretch our legs and admire the scenery. Although when you’re driving up into the mountains the scenery is all around you. One of my favourite stops was at Santa Lucía de Tirajana – a pretty town with a small church at the top of the steps.

We also had an early lunch stop at a small cafe in the hills where we had sandwiches and coffees. Plus a stop at an aloe vera plantation where we were shown the powers of the aloe vera plant and given the opportunity to purchase gifts if we wished.

All in all I would highly recommend this convertible Beetle island tour in Gran Canaria. It’s fun and a little bit different to the norm!

Click here to book your convertible Beetle island tour in Gran Canaria via Viator.

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If you’re anything like me, sometimes you like to seek out things a little more offbeat when you travel, rather than just the usual tourist sites. There are TONS of things to see and do in the Dutch capital, but here are my top recommendations for quirky things to do in Amsterdam. 

Quirky things to do in Amsterdam

View the modern art at Moco Museum

Everyone will tell you “go to Rijksmuseum!”. Or “you can’t miss the Van Gogh museum!”. This is all well and good but if you’re looking for something a little more modern, may I suggest the Moco Museum? Moco got its name from its collection of Modern and Contemporary artwork, displaying work by the likes of Warhol, Basquiat and Banksy. 

My favourite part of the museum was the digital immersive art exhibition by Studio Irma. Here you can literally immerse yourself into rooms of lights, colours and mirrors while marvelling at your surroundings (and taking some awesome selfies!). It was kind of like walking into a kaleidoscope.

Of course the other part of Moco that I must mention is the branding. Pretty pink branding everywhere. Plus they give you a map and a scratch card on arrival. I actually won a fridge magnet from the scratch card which I later collected in the gift shop. Very novel!

Book your tickets to Moco Museum in advance.

Immerse yourself in art at Fabrique des Lumieres

If you enjoy art that’s more like cinema then you might like Fabrique des Lumieres. To put it simply, it is one huge room where the art is displayed as animations onto every surface. At the time of my visit, the exhibitions were Antoni Gaudi and Salvador Dali. But I can imagine that any art would look amazing here.

When we first walked into the exhibition space, the room was dark and there were lots of people sat on the floor. We felt like we had walked into a theatre after the play had already started so just sat down where we could. DON’T DO THIS! Head away from the entrance. The room is large and the animations are far more enjoyable if you are immersed in the room rather than sat on the floor like a kid at school assembly. The back of the room is also less busy. We didn’t expect it to be one large room and thought that we’d be moving around into different areas like a common art gallery so we didn’t want to miss anything. Silly us!

Book your tickets for Fabrique des Lumieres here to avoid disappointment!

Take an alternative canal tour with Those Dam Boat Guys

Everyone says take a canal cruise. Although a canal cruise wouldn’t usually make the list of quirky things to do in Amsterdam, it is the company you choose that makes all the difference. After seeing them appear on Channel 4’s Travel Man, we booked a tour with Those Dam Boat Guys. If you’re looking for a company that doesn’t take themselves too seriously (I mean they have a swashbuckler language option on their website!) then these are your guys. The tours are small – just 8-10 people per boat plus the captain, ideal numbers.

Our captain was Dominique. Because we had all visited the city in the past she decided not to take us to the usual touristy spots like the Red Light District. Instead she switched it up to show us a little more of the city that perhaps we wouldn’t have otherwise seen. She was highly entertaining and informative.

Tours last around 90 minutes but private tours can last longer. This company are also happy for you to smoke, drink and swear on board – so I’d leave the kids at home! However our tour was in the morning so no pirate grog for us, we just enjoyed the ride!

Spot the decorated bikes – unique things to do in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is famous for its bikes, honestly they are everywhere. But there is one man who is bringing cheer to the city with his beautifully decorated bikes. Warren Gregory aka Flower Bike Man has left hundreds of colourfully decorated bikes all around the city. Initially his creative endeavour began as a way to help his wife, who has epilepsy, find where she parked her bike and has since escalated from there. It’s a lovely gesture and the bikes I spotted certainly brightened up my day too! Taking photos of the colourful bikes around the city is definitely one of the more unique things to do in Amsterdam.

Pet some cats at the floating cat sanctuary

As someone who works in a cat shelter and loves cats, the floating cat sanctuary was the first thing I booked for our trip to Amsterdam. De Poezenboot aka The Catboat doesn’t sail anywhere but it is a small cat rescue situated on the canal.

They are open 3 days a week between 1 and 3pm. You must book your slot on their website to avoid disappointment. Visits last approximately 15 minutes and while you’re there you can pet the kitties and learn about the work that the rescue do. It’s free to visit but they appreciate donations or purchases from their small gift shop. It is also possible to adopt a cat from them, see their website for details.

Dine in the dark at CTaste

CTaste is a restaurant where you literally eat in the dark. I’m talking pitch-black-can’t-see-my-hand-infront-of-my-face kinda dark. The menu is a mystery so you tell them your dietary requirements in advance. Part of the fun is guessing what you’re eating!

Upon arrival you check in at the bar and are seated in a waiting area. The waiters are all visually impaired and will arrive to lead you to your table. You place your hand on his shoulder and then follow him like in a conga line. Once seated at your table he explains that there is a carafe of water and some glasses, so you pour your water yourself. I think we did ok, minimal spillage.

We went for the Experience Dinner package which included a 3 course meal and 3 drinks each. We were also given appetisers before the starter and before the dessert. The interesting thing about dining in the dark is that it really makes you consider what you are consuming. After you finish your meal you are lead out to the bar again. Here you are invited to scan a QR code on your phone and answer a short quiz to see if you knew what you were eating.

For starter we had roasted celeriac with creme of green peas, sweet & sour infused celery, beetroot in balsamic, crispy quinoa and cashew nuts.

For main I had risotto with mashed butternut squash and sweet potato, ratatouille and sweet potato crisps. As a meat eater Nick had lamb instead of risotto.

Then for dessert we had raspberry parfait with dark chocolate, tangerine bavarois, vanilla crumble and poprocks. The popping candy was quite a fun element!

The portions weren’t huge but I was sufficiently satisfied. I would highly recommend if you’re looking for dining with a difference.

Advance booking is essential. Book your Dining in the Dark Experience here.

Quirky places to stay in Amsterdam

If you want your accommodation to match the city’s vibrant, unconventional spirit, skip the standard hotels and consider these quirky places to stay in Amsterdam.

• Budget: Hotel Not Hotel Amsterdam – Is it an art gallery? Is it a boutique hotel? Is it a hostel? Each ‘room’ is thoughtfully designed and delightfully quirky. You could choose to stay in a converted Amsterdam tram cart, behind a secret bookcase or even a Volkswagen camper van right inside the hotel! Prices are affordable and it’s perfect for couples.
  
  
• Mid Range: Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Zaandam – Eye-catching Zaan style houses painted in the iconic green colour, all piled together to create this unusual facade. If you’ve been to Zaanse Schans then you’ll know what I’m talking about. The hotel blends luxury with the rich history of the region. It’s a little bit further out of the bustling city centre but just a short train ride away. Plus it has the added bonus of an indoor pool and wellness centre.
  
  
• Luxury: Faralda Crane Hotel – Yes you read that right. You can stay in an actual crane! These three luxury suites are situated between 35 and 45 metres above Amsterdam’s waterfront. There’s even a jacuzzi on top deck. It costs a pretty penny so you can guess that I haven’t stayed here!

Check out my other Amsterdam guides

• Steal my 3 day itinerary: An Alternative 3 Days in Amsterdam
• Make it 4 days with this trip: Tulips and Windmills: A Day Tour from Amsterdam
• Don’t miss these sweet treats: Delicious Desserts in Amsterdam
• Not just a cat sanctuary: Amsterdam for cat lovers

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My favourite thing about the tea offering here is that it is themed. I love a theme! For mother’s day they had a Mamma Mia Greek themed tea and soon they will be doing a Tropical Summer themed tea. The current theme is Peter Rabbit Easter Afternoon Tea.

The cafe had been nicely decorated with little eggs, rabbits and flowers about the place. When we arrived at our table there were little carrot and fluffy yellow chick toys on our plates too.

The food was different to usual in that we didn’t have the standard sort of sandwiches on offer. Our savoury selection included pork & onion marmalade pastry shell (vegan chicken for me), egg mayo vol-au-vent, ploughman’s open sandwich, vegetable quiche and a sausage roll (again, mine was switched for a vegetarian version).

For sweet we had carrot cupcake, hot cross buns with jam & cream, Easter brownie and a lemon & berry tart. But that wasn’t all, the cutest and quirkiest additions to the tea were the fruit basket which had a little strawberry, carrot sticks and Mini Egg chocolate in. There was also a strawberry cheesecake in an edible plantpot! The strawberry mousse was delicious and I loved the whole edible pot thing (I think it was coloured white chocolate).

As well as tea and coffee we were each given a small apple juice presented in a wellington boot shaped glass!

We enjoyed our tea and as we were leaving we couldn’t help notice the giant cakes at the counter. If you like a nice slab of cake then this is definitely the place for you! Of course, we still had boxed up leftovers from our tea so weren’t tempted but I’d love to return sometime for a piece of cake or another themed afternoon tea.

Peter Rabbit Easter Afternoon Tea runs until 16th April.

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Arcadia Earth is best experienced with their app which you download on your phone so you can experience the full augmented reality aspect of the exhibit. For those who don’t know, augmented reality enhances your visit by showing you extra things, such as animated creatures, which you wouldn’t see without the app. It also allows you to take photos and videos which you can then download.

Aside from the digital aspect of walking amongst jellyfish and the like, the exhibit includes art installations and sculptures made from recycled and waste materials, much of which is plastic. There are also written pieces dotted about the space with facts about our planet and ways in which you can improve your environmental footprint.

There is quite an Avatar-like quality to the experience as you’re guided through the rainforests and under the sea. Generally, there is something to entertain most ages, but most importantly educate us all more on our environmental impact.

I think everyone would benefit from visiting this exhibit, especially New Yorkers. The amount of single use plastic served up in my hotel at breakfast time was disgraceful! Unfortunately the exhibit is no longer open, however Arcadia Earth has (and has had) similar exhibits elsewhere in the United States and other countries. So if you get the chance, go check it out!

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