Date Night by the River Thames

I was taken for dinner at a cute little local restaurant near the River Thames in Chiswick, London called Annie's and I cannot recommend it enough.

It has a cosy, romantic and friendly atmosphere created by the glamourous yet homely decor. You're greeted with ornate mirrors, candles, pretty displays of flowers and rustic wooden furniture. 

If the setting wasn't already perfect the food only tops it, the cuisine is mainly British, with a hint of Mediterranean in some of the dishes.

To continue the rustic and homely feel the dishes are beautifully presented in true brasserie style on wooden boards. 

Being incredibly indecisive it took me a while to decide what I wanted to eat as everything looked so delicious, the burger looked amazing, but in the end we settled on sharing the whole chicken which came with hand cut chunky chips, salad and lemon aioli. 

Truthfully, I would happily have consumed the entire menu in one sitting. 

After finishing the entire chicken we were tempted by the renowned Sticky Toffee Pudding, which I have to say was the most delicious pudding I have ever tasted. 

I love it when restaurants give you huge portions - and this restaurant did not disappoint.
 Thankfully we'd decided to share it or I would have felt even more unwell after finishing. 

But it was definitely worth every calorie I then had to burn on the treadmill the following day and I would recommend anyone who visits Annie's to try this dessert, you will not be disappointed.

After dinner, the sun was beginning to set so we crossed over the road and walked along the river front past Oliver's Island (apparently where Oliver Cromwell hid before he was beheaded) and then settled down on the river bank for a glass of Pimms at The City Barge (a pub), as the sun set over the river.

I personally can't think of many better ways to spend a summer evening.