After spending the day in bed still unwell it was back to L'Atelier Des Chefs this evening to use up the rest of my voucher.

This time it was a 3-course meal we were cooking which I really enjoyed. The meal began with "Celeriac soup with sage beurre noisette"; then for the main course there was "Pancetta wrapped chicken breast with braised savoy cabbage, roasted baby potatoes and a tarragon sauce". To finish the meal we made "Dark chocolate mousse with almond crunch".

By the time we left we were absolutely stuffed! But, making the most of being out and about, we decided to try out a bar I had heard about which sold a drink I was keen to try.

So off we headed to Purl, which was lovely and warmly welcoming on this cold dark night. Decorated like an old speakeasy with 1920's music playing, we soon settled into a secluded booth and perused the menu.

It didn't take me long to chose. I had already read the menu and there was just one drink on my mind- a Pickleback. Described on the menu as "Black Bush Irish Whisky, served straight up with a Dill Pickle foam, Dill Pickle flavoured cocktail stick & pickle selection" it didn't disappoint! Even better, it was served in a great "sipping glass" which added to its delight. Unfortunately in the dark I manged to knock the glass over meaning I only got half my drink, but I decided that only meant I would have to order another one to make up for it!

The drink was great with the pickle cutting through the sweetness of the whisky and, although I guess at home I would end up making a regular Pickleback rather than the fancier one at the bar, this is a drink I would have again.

My partner-in-crime for the evening chose a "Blue Blazer", which was a nice warm drink full of spices- just right for winter.

Next up I chose a "Purl" which was another warm drink which went down a treat. Whilst my partner chose a "Mr Hyde's Fixer-upper" and wow- what a drink! It came in a bottle sealed with wax which was held in a pot filled with smoke- very dramatic and great to drink.

For our last round I chose another Pickleback to make up for the one I half-spilt, and my partner chose "Nitro-egg-nog ice-cream" and once again we weren't disappointed. This came in a glass and resembled just starting to melt ice-cream (which had just been made with Liquid Nitrogen) and was topped with tasty mincemeat, very Christmassy. You could eat the ice-cream with its cinnamon stick or wait until it melted to enjoy as a drink. Or do what we did and try it both ways.

Still full of food and now drunk, we wound our way through the cold and snowy night to head back home.