About

Image of the author and her dog, a cavalier king charles spaniel, at a restaurant

Welcome to Atlas and Appetite.

I’m Lara. I’m from Cape Town, South Africa, but now live in London with my husband and our dog, Riley. I love London, travelling, food, nice things in general, and Riley (who is the nicest of all).

I’m obsessed with avoiding bad meals. Everywhere I’ve lived – Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Johannesburg, and now London – I’ve made it my (very delicious) mission to find the best example of each of my favourite kinds of food.

I love travelling because I enjoy history and discovering different cultures. But mostly, I enjoy travelling because of the food. To paraphrase Kristen Newman, I’m also obsessed with eating the things you’re supposed to eat in the place you’re supposed to eat them. Every time I plan a trip, my favourite part is finding out what the local specialities are, and the best places to get them.

I started Atlas and Appetite so that I could share the lists, itineraries and opinions I’ve collected over the last ten years. If you love travelling, food, and dogs, I hope you’ll feel at home here.