JUNE: bites, books and bangers
key word of the month is chaos
Hey hey!! June has been a MONTH! Yet again I found myself schlepping around to lots of lovely places (dragging an overnight bag around London is not much fun, let me tell you), eating lovely food and seeing lovely people!
I also have an update! I’m leaving Edinburgh at the end of August - I’ll be gutted to leave this magical city and all the wonderful people I’ve met, but it feels like the timing is right. As of September, I’ll be back in my old stomping ground until I can find somewhere to live in London that won’t leave me bankrupt. If you are one of my friends in London or Eastbourne, be prepared to be sick of me! Excited to be reunited with you all <3
BITES
Foccacia with ricotta, mushrooms and prosciutto cotto from Lannan bakery, Edinburgh
Until I leave Edinburgh I think every round-up will include Lannan. All the toppings on this were just so fresh and such good quality. A perfect office lunch, if you ask me.
Hake with samphire, carrots and beurre blanc à la Andy Spirou
If you were to ask me who my favourite chef is, I’d say Andy (my dad). That’s not just me sucking up, I think his cooking (especially fish) is just really delicious and the kind of food I like to eat. He did raise me, so that might play a small role in shaping my tastes.
Gildas at Bar Desy, San Sebastian
The best gildas we ate on our trip, and the very first. So incredibly pickly and salty in the best way. The oil-soaked bread underneath was also a treat. I think we should all embrace gilda girl summer!
Mushrooms at Ganbara, San Sebastian
The famous mushrooms! I’d never eaten girolles before (because they are SPENNY), but these were so worth it. Did you even go to San Sebastian if you didn’t eat this dish?
Grilled asparagus with amatriciana sauce at Gerard’s Bar, San Sebastian
This was one of my favourite meals and evenings ever. It was SO nice to sit around a gorgeous table with my favourite people in the world after 8 months of being apart. All of the food at Gerard’s Bar was incredible, but this asparagus was just so simple yet so special. Every day I ask myself why I thought I didn’t like asparagus for 20 years.
Pork ribs at Borda Berri, San Sebastian
These ribs were so good we ordered another portion. Salty and fatty, crispy and glistening, they were the star of the show at Borda Berri - not to be upstaged by the lady in charge who ran the bar like an army regiment, screaming orders at customers and staff alike.
Pistachio Basque Cheesecake from Locopolo
We had the famous La Viña cheescake, which really was as fabulous as everyone says. However, I have to say that the pistachio version from this random popsicle shop may have been even better. I don’t have a picture of it, because we scoffed it at about half past midnight and we were pretty drunk, but just know I still think about it at least once a day.
Steak at Bar Nestor, San Sebastian
Did we wait in the rain for an hour for this steak? Yes. Did we eat it at 11:30PM, tipsily standing at the bar? Also yes. Was it worth it? 100%. Maybe one of the most flavourful steaks I’ve ever had.
Black sesame ice cream from Gelati Gelati, Bilbao
I wouldn’t recommend spending much time in Bilbao, but I would recommend visiting Gelati Gelati. There were a gazillion ice flavours, and this black sesame was one of my favourite ice cream scoops ever. Special mention to the olive oil ice cream too, which was so good my dad and sister went back for an extra two scoops.
BOOKS
All Irish authors this month, because they are my favourite!
The Woman Who Walked into Doors by Roddy Doyle
Roddy Doyle’s characterisation is brilliant. How, as a male author, Doyle creates such a complex and realistic female narrator experiencing abuse in this book, is fascinating. Doyle also offers a slice of life in working-class Dublin in the late 60s to the early 90s. It’s a hard read at times, especially towards the end, so please do read the content warnings before you read!
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Call me basic but I love Sally Rooney. Normal People is one of the best books I’ve ever read, and my university lecturer Liam agrees, so it must be true. I’ve been putting off reading to this until it was out in paperback (I have an extreme aversion to hardbacks), but I enjoyed it! Although, I struggled with the sections written in Peter’s voice, but the complex familial relationships in this book are Rooney at her best. It also raises some interesting questions about monogamy and society’s perception of romantic love.
Evenings and Weekends by Oisín McKenna
This book is a reflective vignette of a couple of days during a heatwave in London. It explores queerness, familial and platonic relationships in a really honest and interesting way through the interconnected characters and changing narrators. The depiction of summer in London felt really authentic too, and made me very excited.
BANGERS
Addison, Addison Rae (2025)
This album is salty, tanned skin, skinny cigs and a frosty glass of wine. It’s sexy and fun and I love it. I haven’t stopped listening to it all month. Also props to Addison’s team for turning her from a TikToker to an iconic pop girly.
Ezra Collective’s Glastonbury Set
Seeing Ezra Collective at All Points East last year will forever be core memory. I don’t think I’ve ever danced that hard, and it was a magical shared moment with one of my best friends. This set was equally as brilliant - so effervescent and joyful. Side note: I am DESPERATE to go to Glastonbury in 2027, so let me know if you are keen! We can start plotting how to hack the system…
You can watch it HERE
Virgin, Lorde (2025)
Happy Lorde weekend to all who celebrate! I’ve only listened to the album a couple of times, but I’m pretty sure it will be one of my favourite albums this year. When the first song starts with ‘don’t know if it’s love or if it’s ovulation’, it’s always going to be a masterpiece in my eyes. It’s like she read my mind!
That’s it for this month guys, thanks so much for reading if you got this far! I’m going to do a San Sebastian guide too I think, if it’s not overkill? Let me know what you think. Also, if you know anyone that needs a flatmate in London, pls send them my way xxx