My initial impression of the Piano Bar was that it would be a dimly lit sophisticated bar with a crooner like pianist playing the occasional old-blue-eyes track. And while New York, New York, was played, it was the Alicia Keys rendition. And like most the crowd, by this stage I was twirling around on the tiny dance floor by the piano with Prosecco in hand, belting out the lyrics with new found friends and dance partners.

Given its appeal, you need to book a table well in advance – and the best place is on the stools surrounding the piano. The show starts at 8pm, so expect to hear a mixture of Elton John, to even, err, Britney Spears. Ok, so I appreciate this takes the cheese levels up a notch, however the energy the crowd gave ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ was as if our lives depended on it!

The only downside is that drinks are a little pricey, but entry is free so the cocktails are well worth the inflated expense. And as our night sadly came to an end, we stumbled into the throng of Soho, positively uplifted and in search of the next high.

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The Piano Bar | Bars, Music, Snacks | Cocktails £ 9.50
75 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0NE | Central | +442072877699
Tue & Thu 12:00 – 23:30, Wed 16:00 – 23:30, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 00:00, Sun 18:00 – 23:00

Located in the thick of Soho’s sex shops and bars is the sultry Madame JoJo’s. Once a strip club, Madame JoJo’s is now famous for its eclectic music nights, with everything from rockabilly and deep funk, to indie and soul.

Whilst the nature of business has changed, its strip club days can still be clearly visualised as the interior still resembles its former self – dimly lit and slightly decedent with a dash of tacky. As for the atmosphere, it certainly has a seductive Moulin Rouge feel to it, mixed with an ‘if-these-walls-could-talk’ vibe pulsating off the mirrored walls.

As for the crowd, most people tend to put particular effort into their appearance. If you go on rockabilly night, expect to see some girls in 50′s-style dresses, or even burlesque – so it’s a great place to go if you want to be someone else for the night!

So next time you’re in Soho, and you’re after a late night club with a slight edge, be sure to swing past Madame Jojo’s with your dancing shoes or feather boa.

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Madame Jojos | Bars, Music | Entance from £ 3.00
8-10 Brewer Street | Central | +442077343040
Tue 20:00 – 03:00, Wed 22:30 – 03:00, Thu 19:30 – 02:30, Fri – Sat 22:00 – 03:00, Sun 21:30 – 03:00

Taxidermy and bric-a-brac aren’t the surroundings I’d usually pick for a cocktail bar, however this place not only pulls it off, it does it in style. Situated in an old meat packing factory, this kitsch establishment is a favourite with the fashion and media world. Even Madonna, the material girl herself had a birthday there.

Its location, down a gritty East London street, combined with the unusual choice of stuffed animals and dolls is a stark contrast to the glamorous clientèle draping off the ornate sofas.

The cocktail menu is impressive, as is the care and attention put in to making each drink. The extensive list features titles such as the Moulin Rouge, Kangaroo, Restless Romance and Dr Strangelove; all of which are made with the finest tipples!

Be sure to call ahead and reserve a sofa to make the most of your evening!

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Lounge Lover | Bars, Music | Cocktails from £ 8.00
1 Whitby Street | East | +442070121234
Tue – Thu & Sun 18:00 – 00:00, Fri 17:30 – 01:00, Sat 18:00 – 01:00

Oto means ‘noise’ or ‘music’ in Japanese and that is exactly what you get at this amazing, innovative venue. By day it is a mild-mannered café serving a selection of teas, coffees, organic fruit juices, Devon and Breton cider, wines, Japanese snacks, Sake, Plum Wine and Japanese Whisky but then, when the lights go out and the cafe closes for a couple of house for the soundchecks, Oto turns into the home of the experimental musician and easily fulfills its stated aim of ‘providing a home for creative new music that exists outside of the mainstream’.

Past performers include Yoko Ono, London Improvisors Orchestra, Joe McPhee, Marshall Allen, Matthew Herbert and, amazingly and thrillingly, The Sun Ra Arkestra who consider Cafe Oto to be their spiritual London home. Some of the bigger names mean larger fees, but most gigs are around £10 entrance fee, but check the website first as the venue is small and gigs regularly sell out in advance.

Cafe Oto forms one point of the Dalston Jazz Triangle. The other two points being filled by the jazz daddy The Vortex and the newcomer Servant Jazz Quarters.

These three venues are only about 500 yards apart and between them they cover everything from the folky side of jazz (SJQ), to the more traditional approach (Vortex) and into the avant garde (Oto). Jazz has definitely found a (cool) home (or three) in E8. in fact, The Guardian recently went to find out more about Oto as Italian Vogue had named it as the coolest venue in Britian!!

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Cafe Oto | Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks | Entrance from € 7
18-22 Ashwin Street,E8 3DL | East
Mon – Fri 09:30 – 17:30, Sat – Sun 10:30 – 17:30, gigs from 20:00

This laid back cafe serves a varied selection of vegetarian and vegan food. The savory selection ranges from sandwiches, soups and deli items such as homemade hummus and pates.

There are also delicious hot mains like vegan lasagna, roast Mediterranean bake and spinach, tofu and spelt tartlet all served with your choice of three hot or cold sides such as edible flower salad, red cabbage or broccoli and kale.

The food is very tasty and filling, yet at the same time super healthy, and it’s no surprise that many of the dishes include super foods like goji berries and guarana.

A selection of fresh juices from the smoothie bar gets you salivating while the desert counter boasts vegan cashew-based homemade vegan ice cream with fruit, muffins, flapjacks, cupcakes and truffles.

In the evening, classic cocktails, wine, beer and cider is served and the location is lovely. The bright and airy space in the heart of Camden, with nearly half its walls in the form of large windows, has a gorgeous view, overlooking the canal. Watch out for live music and DJs in the evenings as well.

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inSpiral Cafe, Bar & Lounge | Bars, Music, Relaxing, Snacks, Restaurants (Veg) | Meal £ 7.45
250 Camden High Street | North-West | +442074196798
Mon – Thu 10:00 – 22:00, Fri – Sat 10:00 – 02:00, Sun 10:00 – 23:30

Brick Lane offers a multitude of choice in terms of bars and nightlife but Casa Blue sticks out, not least because of all the fairy lights and candles glowing from within.

A lacquered wooden panel of peacocks is hung next to a watercolour painting of a naval fleet. 50′s memorabilia is plastered wearily to the wall. While the predominantly red kitsch bric-a-brac decor means your eyes don’t know where to settle, the kooky collection of plastic chandeliers, hanging baubles and blinking strings of light make a unique setting.

Even though the music ranges anywhere from the Beatles to Manu Chau, the tunes are familiar and well-chosen. There are comfy plus sofas and yummy cocktails. Food is also available. While the menu is limited, the house specialty comes in platter form – international mezze for two or more people. For only £5 each, sharing platters come with a selection of hot and cold tapas and you can choose Mediterranean, Indian or Greek cuisine.

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Casa Blue | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks | Cocktail £ 6.00
228 Brick Lane | East
Sun – Thu 12:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 03:00

During the day people bring their laptops or books and work, read and drink coffee sprawled over one of the many mismatched sofas or lounge chairs. At night tea candles are lit and hot drinks are swapped for alcoholic drinks as people unwind and meet friends in what was once the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane (check the Brick Lane article). In summertime, people swamp to the outside picnic benches and the alleyway, though there is always a lovely cosy feel inside.

The boho and versatile venue opens at a very early 06:00 for breakfast and soups, jacket potatoes and sandwiches are on offer for lunch and dinner. Live music attracts a younger crowd with indie bands on Tuesday and jazz on Wednesday. Bands play in the smaller room at the back on Sunday and a dj spins tunes on Friday and Saturday.

Cocktails made with fresh fruit are available on the weekend and all year round you can grab a burger or corn on the cob from the grill stand outside. Tables and benches outside in front are great for people watching or smoking.

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Café 1001 | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks, Restaurants (intern.)
1 Dray walk, 91 Brick Lane | East | +442072479679
Mon – Sat 06:00 – 00:00, Sun 06:00 – 23:30

An unlikely spot for a bar, at midnight the small back room of this kebab shop turns into a venue for drinking and live music. When hordes of hungry post-pub drinkers pile into the fast-food joint for a late-night burger, the ones in the know are sat in the back, in a dark cavernous room with an old cabin feel and a ceiling that drips with mini stalactites.

Drinks are simple – beer or spirits & mixer, and reused Jack Daniels bottles turned candle holders set the mood in this cosy bar. The musical line-up includes live jazz every Friday and Saturday and rock & roll the rest of the week.

I was highly skeptical when my friends first dragged me through the grease-covered take away stop, but now I’m a convert. Once you’ve gone, you feel just a little special – and will be eager to show others this marvelous disguised drinking hole.

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Marathon | Bars, Music | Gin & tonic £ 3.00
87 Chalk Farm Road | North-West | +442074853814
Sun – Thu 00:00 – 02:00, Fri – Sat 00:00 – 03:00

Being a music fan and specifically a vinyl fan over the last few years hasn’t been easy. Record shops have closed by the dozen and second hand records have been harder and harder to find – unless you go online. But part of the thrill and beauty of records is having them in your hand. Feeling the weight of the vinyl. The smell of it. Seeing the graphic design as it was meant to be seen. And most record collectors will say the same; ideally shopping for second hand records should be done in person, on foot, not online. Luckily for me and for vinyl junkies like me, places like the excellent Flashback still exists.

Flashback opened in 1997 and used to sell second hand clothes in the basement. That has changed and the vinyl is now downstairs while CDs and DVDs can be found on the ground floor. I like the fact that the records are in the basement. It adds to the mystique. Makes the search for that elusive LP that much greater. 

The place is friendly, the staff knowledgeable and most importantly for the digger, the prices, on the whole, are very reasonable.

The Londonist recently compiled a top ten record store list for Record Store Day and what did they put top of the list? Flashback, of course. Although for the diggers, that list is a very good London resource.

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Flashback | Music, Shopping | Per album € 5
50 Essex Road,N1 8LR | North-East | +442073549356
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 19:00, Sun 12:00 – 18:00

For the perfect combination of glamour and eccentricity, head to Sketch, off Regent St, Mayfair. Sketch is made up of a few bars and restaurants, one of which has a Michelin star, however the main attraction of Sketch is its quirky interior. Each room is unique, however the design is consistent; opulent, edgy and alluring.

For a traditional but chic English experience, the Parlour room does fantastic High Tea from 15:00 – 19:30. Starting from £38, you get a sample of scrumptious cakes, traditional sandwiches, tea and a glass of champagne to wash it all down.

The Gallery, which has various cultural exhibitions by day, converts into a restaurant at night with a live DJ playing until 02:00. While there, be sure to wander down to the East Bar at the back of the Gallery. This intimate bar is the perfect place to sip on a delicious Tai Tai or Lovely Bubbly cocktail.

Above the East Bar, two staircases lead up to a floor that has randomly scattered white cubicles which resemble a cross between giant eggshells and space ships; naturally, these are the toilets. Once you enter your spaceship cubicle you are greeted by some interesting sounds such as cows mooing, people laughing or X-rated screams.

Needless to say, after being at Sketch for only a short while you’ll begin to feel as if you have stumbled across a secret and unusual little world – a world where you won’t want to leave!

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Sketch | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Restaurants (English)
9 Conduit Street | Central | +442076594500
Mon – Sat depending on location