The Dip n Flip - Brixton

 As you ascend the escalators at Brixton tube station you'll see the adverts on the wall are shouting tantalising words at you. Dip. Flip. Gravy and finally-as you enter the ticket hall-the address of one of the best burger joints in town. 

The Dip'n'Flip.

Thursday the 25th saw us celebrate National Burger Day so the temptation to have an extended lunch and enjoy a good burger was too much for me and Amber to bare. Remembering the posters on the tube, we headed straight to the Dip'n'Flip.

 As you enter you are immediately surrounded by quirky wallpaper paying homage to Gravy and the friendly staff are on hand to get you seated. As you glance into the kitchen you see Dippers and Flippers, each in charge of the burgers and sandwiches that the restaurant offers accompanied with - you guessed it- gravy. 

At this point I'd like to give an honourable mention to the restaurants milkshakes, something I'm really partial to when I get the chance to treat myself. Their Oreo milkshake came to me with an actual oreo on top so I was sold immediately before I'd even tasted it but it was outstanding and something I really suggest you try when you visit. As you take in your surroundings you'll see many other diners sitting with milkshakes as well, proving that they really are a smash hit along with the food itself. I struggled to not drink it all before my main was brought to the table and my cousins Vanilla milkshake was also in jeopardy of not making it to see the burgers arrive. 

I knew my main - the bacon cheeseburger - was going to be a winner as soon as the staff asked me how I wanted my meat cooked. It's the first time I've ever been asked this when ordering a burger and it made all the difference when it arrived. The meat was cooked to perfection and the burger itself didn't last very long because of this. 

On top of everything else, the presentation of the food on a cafeteria tray takes you back to your school days but is also somewhat of a necessity as dipping your burger into the gravy can get very messy very fast. While I'm on the subject- it's best to not wear white here if you're an accident prone eater and plan on going out after. 

We shared some cheese and gravy fries as a side order and whilst these didn't get finished due to the copious amounts of milkshake that was consumed, I can asure you that these also tasted amazing. Not at all soggy as I expected them to be from the gravy and the amount you get for the price means that one side order is more than enough for two people.

The Dip'n'Flip itself was a great eating experience, seeing the kitchen in action is always something I enjoy at restaurants and the vacant DJ setup at one end of the room suggests that this would be a great place to drink and dine with friends on a weekend before heading off on a night out. 

What makes the Dip'n'Flip that much better was the mere £30.00 it cost for us to have the two milkshakes, two burgers and the side of fries. Definitely a price worth returning for over and over again if you're not already convinced by the fact that gravy does infact make everything taste better.

If you fancy checking out the restaurant and its menu, follow this link:

Dip'n'Flip

First Weekend in London

Friday Night

I almost cried saying goodbye to my folks on the platform but luckily I kept my cool enough to get seated on the train and silently wonder what the hell I've actually gotten myself into. 

I was literally sat there on a one way train with my bags steaming towards London at 60mph with no return date! I don't know if it was the sudden realisation of what was ahead but I sat watching Toy Story wishing I was about 15 years younger.

 The train journey itself was pretty boring, 5 1/2 hours of being uncomfortable and not being able to get my laptop on the folding tray without having it digging it into my stomach but hey ho, we can't have it all, at least the guy meant to be in the seat beside me had the decency to not turn up.

My trains arrival in London took my mind off the reality of what I was actually doing (For a start it arrived early-a clear sign I wasn't in Scotland anymore.) Within 20 minutes of dragging my bags across Kings Cross at 1am I found myself stuck in a traffic jam longing for a cup of tea and my bed even though I was only going to get 5 hours sleep.

Saturday-The work started straight away.

Less than 9 hours later I was on my first tube journey to Shephards Bush Westfield Shopping Centre to start my first retail job in London after a quick and surprisingly easy transfer from my shop back home. There was literally no time to ponder the fact that I was running on 4 hours sleep and actually starving from a lack of time I had to get breakfast. It was just hard work from the get go, tube, store, customers, sales, tube, dinner and bed.

Sunday  

Sunday was my first lie in after days of bare minimum sleep so I decided to go by myself for a bit of sightseeing. I'd convinced myself that if I was going to live in London I'd better not be ignorant and actually get some knowledge about the place, basically the worst excuse ever to book myself onto a bus tour for the day...and a boat tour.

I've done the Original Bus Tour's yellow route 3 times before now but it never gets old, I'm pretty sure I could actually host one now! If anyone gets a chance I really suggest taking a day to go and do it cause you really do go home feeling like someone who aced history in high school.
One thing I wouldn't suggest though is to do the open top bus tours on an empty stomach because some of the food I was smelling was torture! Hot dog stalls at Marble Arch and roasted chestnut vendors by Buckingham Palace literally followed me around and by the end I wanted to go into every food place on the way back to Mile End.

When I walked home I decided to round off the night by popping into a pub I always pass on the way to the tube and have a drink.
Now, I knew that alcohol prices in London were steeper than Scotland but when the barman asked me to give him £8.45 for a double vodka cola I actually nearly wet myself. Lesson learnt, sobriety here I come, went home pretty gutted!

With Monday being a bank holiday I got another day off which was basically my lazy day, by midday I hadn't made it out of pyjammas but had managed to drag my arse off the couch long enough to finally sort my suitcases out and move the hoover about the livingroom in a half-arsed effort at housework.

In the afternoon Amber came over to start my training for my new job for the next day and amazingly I managed to stay pretty calm considering all the stuff she was throwing at me, I'm praying to god I manage to pick everything up pretty quickly since I'll be repeatedly doing it 5 days a week.

In general I've been quite calm since arriving here in London but I think it has to do with the sheer amount of work I've had to be doing. At some point, possibly when I start the new job, the panic will seriously hit me...Either that or I'll fail miserably at budgeting and leave myself up creek with no paddle.
After a full week here I'll definitely start to feel more settled, my family back home don't seem to be missing me yet anyway so I'll be here a while, Mums already booked plasterers to come and redo my bedroom walls...