Last week’s Autumn Rolls and Mai Tais at Old Street’s Indochinese resto – Monsieur M – was a fun, laid back and yummy affair. I think I can recall how to make a summer roll (or was that an autumn roll … or winter roll?) but, to be honest, those Mai Tais were pretty strong so things got kinda bleary. I’m a bit of a Mai Tai and rum cocktail snob but I was really impressed with Monsieur M’s rendition of this classic tropical drink.

Located within Shoreditch Town Hall, Monsieur M – priding itself on a daily changed menu of fresh Thai and Vietnamese inspired dishes – is a good one to keep in mind for a tasty and healthy meal and great place to consider for excellent drinks!

Hosted by Alan Hartney (the UK Coffee Ambassador for Starbucks) at Starbucks’ flagship Conduit Street shop in Mayfair, an “Aroma Labs” session of blending, tasting, making and pairing coffee for a select group of Qyper coffee snobs was fun and informative … and the Starbucks folks were super generous. Alan was especially giving in his vast knowledge of all things caffeine as he took us through a tasting of five different blends (my faves were the Sumatra and the Christmas Blend) and helped us discern the different flavours in each.

Below are a few of Alan’s top coffee tips. Says Alan, “I love to brew up a caffetiere of my favourite blend of coffee when I’m not out and about. It’s easy if you follow some basic rules to ensure that the coffee you produce is the highest quality possible”.

• When storing coffee, avoid heat, moisture, sunlight and air. It’s a common misconception that you should store coffee in the fridge – you should, in fact, keep it in an airtight container in a cupboard.
• Keep coffee for no longer than a week. This will ensure that the beans keep their freshness and every cup tastes great.
• Use fresh filtered water to remove any impurities. Using tap water can taint the taste of the coffee.
• The ideal temperature for the water is 93ºC – water that’s too hot burns the coffee.
• For an eight-cup caffetiere, use 50g of ground coffee to 32 fluid ounces of water. This will ensure that the coffee is the correct strength and isn’t too strong or too watery.
• Leave the coffee to brew for four minutes before plunging down. This is the perfect amount of time for the coffee to flavour the water, meaning that you’ll get a great tasting cup of coffee each time.

Shoeperhero or not, the new Shoe Galleries at Selfridges have got some pretty special powers of attraction. In case you haven’t heard, 35, 000 square feet of new shoe heaven have descended on the legendary department store to great fanfare. So it was, that I huddled with other curious Londoners on a wet streetfront to see what all the fuss was about.

Coinciding with the end of London Fashion Week, Gemma Arterton declared the galleries open amidst giant clouds of smoke and non-environmentally friendly yellow ticker tape. Peer hard at the poor spindley trees out front and you’ll still see it. Strange muscle men in capes and gratuitous eye makeup (that’s Shoeperheroes to you and I) braved the drizzle to flex whilst dragging balloons across a crowded and closed street.

Firstly, the windows on Oxford Street beckon with giant illuminated trainers, scenes of skewed Dorothy in Oz and detached dancing legs to draw you in to the shoe madness.

As you walk through the ground floor makeup or handbag departments small table displays of shoes in special cases all tell of the newest arrivals and direct you to the second floor.

At the entrance to this holy grail of footwear lie giant sparkly or strappy heels to welcome you like a vision from the top of a Priscilla bus in the desert.

So what’s inside?

Start with six central interconnecting shoe halls for high street brands, then move around the 11 dedicated designer apartments, each themed to suit the style of the brand. Iconic labels include Bally to Birkenstock, Chanel to Christian Louboutin. Doc Martens give way to Dior, while thigh-high Burberry boots slither next to Jimmy Choo spindly-heeled stilettos.

Specials mentions go to the great wall of Havaianas, the central artwork of thousands of coloured shoes hanging above the main escalators and the glossy walls and mirrors that seemingly double the displays.

Finally, once exhausted from browsing or buying your favourite brands, views of the suspended garden will calm frayed nerves and the adjacent French restaurant Aubaine is the perfect place to refuel.

So, if you haven’t yet seen it, grab your best girlfriends and get down there, pronto!