My Plate & Place with… Michelle Elman

Michelle’s five best-selling books, Am I Ugly, The Joy Of Being Selfish, The Selfish Romantic, How To Say No and Bad Friend have garnered worldwide acclaim with rights being sold in 18 countries.

She is also the host of one of the Top 3 Education podcasts in the UK, In All Honesty. Boasting an online following of over 500k people, Michelle is a media favourite and prominent industry expert with Cosmopolitan highlighting The Joy of Being Selfish as being one of the best books to read on mental health and The Sun naming her as one of the 50 most inspirational women in the UK.

Describe your perfect day in London?

It would be during the summertime when London is at its best. A combination of time in Hyde Park with friends – it could just be a walk or playing rounders in the park. And then something more chilled such as having an ice cream while reading a book.

I love sitting anywhere by the water whether it’s the Serpentine or the Round Pond across from Kensington Palace and then going for an incredible meal at either a frequent favourite or trying somewhere new, and ending the evening with a night at the theatre. Right now, I am excited Oliver! is back on the West End, so that’s top of my list. 

Favourite restaurant?

The Barbary. I’ve been back so many times, and I love that they change their dishes, however, they always keeping the favourites on the menu. The food is outstanding and they have interesting and unique dishes from a cuisine that isn’t widely found in London.

I normally hate bar seating, but the waiters and chefs are so chatty, so even if I’ve been alone, I’ve ended up talking to someone new. They’ve also just opened a new restaurant in Notting Hill that I can’t wait to try.

If you are in the mood for meat, Dorian is a wonderful find, although good luck trying to get a table! For Chinese food, I love Four Seasons in Bayswater or Gold Mine in Queensway, and Min Jiang is a family favourite, especially for the Peking Duck.

La Mome is also another family favourite, and the best part is you can always get a table, and they have a lovely terrace in the summer so you can eat outside. 

Best dishes in London?

Right now, I’ve been really craving to go back to Lobos in Soho because of their broken eggs. When it gets warm, they put out seating in the street and it’s such a lovely vibe.

Excluding Japan, London also has some of the best sushi in the world, and no matter your price point, you can find somewhere decent. In terms of specific dishes, when I can, I will tend to go Omakase because when sushi is such high quality, I love something simple like a salmon sashimi or otoro tuna. You have people like Endo doing some extraordinary things and that’s a once in a lifetime meal that you’ll never forget.

You have special occasion meals like Dinings or Chisou and then on the more affordable end, Oka, Sumi and Dozo are favourites of mine.

One that I’ve been doing a lot with my friends lately – mainly for the crispy rice – is the Nobu Sunday brunch which is great value for money. 

What was the last museum or gallery you visited?

I went to the Science Museum with my nephews and niece recently and love seeing a museum that I grew up with through the eyes of the kids in my life.

Where are the best places to shop?

Unfortunately, I don’t remember the last time I was able to shop in person due to brands reducing their plus size ranges in store.

It’s such a shame because the average woman in the UK is plus-size, and a size 16, and yet we have to resort to online shopping which not only leads to the hassle of online returns, but also prevents the joy of a day out shopping with friends.

I truly believe women would have more body confidence if we stopped sending the message that you need to be smaller to be allowed to enjoy fashion, shopping or even just having basic options!

Preferred bar or pub for a great night out?

I love the pub for a more relaxed and chilled vibe. Even as someone who doesn’t drink often, I find the energy and buzz especially enjoyable in the summer. If you can find space in a beer garden, it’s the perfect place to spend the entire day.

Most relaxing place to unwind?

I love anything creative so recently I went to a Paint and Sip class with Paintvine located in a pub in Barbican and that was an incredible morning of painting.

Otherwise, I love going to a dance class or a rebounding class (like a mini trampoline) in my gym or going for a swim.

I’ve had a few surgeries this year so I’m mixing out on all my active ways to wind down. As a result, I’ve been doubling down on the creativity and trying things like sound baths in London, and I’ve booked in to try Sanctum in South Kensington.

My favourite spot in London though is the Serpentine Bridge in Hyde Park. I love people watching and when it’s warm and everyone is out on pedalos I love the view of everyone out on the water.

If you had only one day in London, where would you visit?

My favourite memories in London are doing something a little bit unusual like the time I kayaked 12 km down the Thames from Greenwich to Battersea or tried Rollerskiing in Hyde Park.

I once took a hot tub boat down the canal in Canary Wharf or went paddleboarding in Paddington basin. Those memories are the standout but having grown up in Hong Kong, it’s unsurprising that anything that involves the water tends to take the cake.

What is your top London tip?

We often get told that Londoners aren’t friendly, but what I’ve found is that as much as people won’t start a conversation, they will respond back and are a lot warmer than we are given credit for.

You can easily get stuck in a routine in London and it’s easy to feel lonely, so my tip would be to try something new at least once a month.

Last week, I tried a new app called TimeLeft where you go for dinner with strangers and it was one of the most fun evenings I’ve had in a long time. It’s proof that it’s worth it to step out of your comfort zone.