Central London – All our local tips

Abeno Too is a fantastic find in the centre of London next to Leicester Square tube station. The small restaurant has a few tables but the best seat is at the large circular bar. While most people associate Japanese food with sushi, Abeno Too serves the other side of the cuisine. You won’t have heard of many dishes, but that’s part of what makes this sweet simply decorated restaurant so intriguing.

Their speciality is the delicious ‘Okonomi-yaki’, a savoury pancake made of cabbage, egg, dough, spring onions, ginger and a ‘tempura’ batter. You can choose extra ingredients such as tofu or prawn, and it’s fried right in front of you on metal hot grills.

They also have a great selection of hot and cold sake which is served in a ‘masu’, a traditional wooden box. The staff are very friendly and welcoming, and eager to advise on food choices and answer questions.

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Abeno Too | Snacks, Restaurants (Japanese) | Prawn Okonomi-yaki £ 9.80
17-18 Great Newport Street | Central | +442073791160
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 22:00

Located on the first floor of the fabulously expensive Sanderson Hotel, Agua is a luxury spa providing treatments to relax the mind and the body. Tranquility greets as you enter the all-white interior where every room is separated from another with floor-to-ceiling curtains. Even with such flimsy dividers, there seems to be no noise heard at all.

When you come in for a treatment, you leave your worldly possessions at the lockers and don the fluffy white robe and slippers provided to you at check in. You then chill-out on the white chaise loungers as you wait for your massage or facial. With such calming surroundings, it is quite difficult not to snooze away before or during your treatment.

Actually, you can possibly take a nap afterwards on the meditation beds. Or if the treatments left your stomach grumbling, you can also order light meals where it is served to you in the chill-out zone. It is possible to stay until closing time even if your treatment only lasts for an hour making it an all-day pampering experience.

Agua is quite pricey but it is perfect for those extra-special ‘me’ moments.

(Note: A £15 day membership fee is added to your bill if you are not a regular member or a hotel resident.)

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Agua | Relaxing | Package spa treatments £ 130.00
50 Berners Street | Central | +442073001414
09:00 – 19:00 daily

You don’t need to be a devoted fan of Ray Charles or Etta James to appreciate Ain’t Nothing But the Blues. All you need is an appreciation for soulful music.

Discretely located down Kingly Street in Soho, it is easy to miss the bar’s entrance. And once inside, the understated décor and the absence of a cocktail list clearly places it behind the glitter and glamour of most West End haunts. However, the fantastic live music makes for a much more memorable night than any of the carbon copy bars which surround it.

Every night of the week the bar fills up in anticipation for the band to take to the stage. Be sure to get in before 20:30 on Friday and Saturday nights as entry is free and you’ll miss the infamous queue. It is also worth getting there early to grab yourself a table, particularly if a discreet toe tap is your preferred style of dancing.

Being a blues bar virgin at the time, I can’t recall what type of blues the band played, however I do recall the music being that infectious that I was dancing on the chairs for hours- clearly the absence of a cocktail list, not preventing such behaviour!

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Ain’t Nothing But the Blues | Bars, Music, Snacks | Fri/Sat after 20:30 £ 5.00
20 Kingly Street | Central | +4402072870514
Mon – Wed 18:00 – 01:00, Thu 18:00 – 02:00, Fri 17:00 – 03:00, Sat 15:00 – 03:00, Sun 15:00 – 00:00

Hidden beneath a sculpted bronze awning at number 195 Piccadilly, is a door to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, or BAFTA as we Brits know and love it.

Best know for its lavish, black tie awards ceremonies, BAFTA is actually a charity dedicated to promoting awareness of the art of the moving image. That means you get to see some very talented people up close and personal. Want to know how? Read on…

Interviews, tributes and masterclasses with renowned actors, craftsmen and women are held regularly, for which members of the public can buy tickets in prices ranging from £5 to £12, or in some cases for absolutely nothing.

Past events have included interviews with actors Viggo Mortensen, Robert Carlyle, Meryl Streep, Sir Ben Kingsley, Vincent Cassel and more. Talent behind the camera is also on show. Previous guests have been Avatar director James Cameron, and writers and directors from the hit TV show Lost.

The building has the air of a modern private club, but dress is usually anything from suits to jeans and a t-shirt. A lounge bar means you can relax into leather sofas and admire the surrounding photos of famous BAFTA members. You never know, you might even see one of them next to you at the bar.

You can attend many of the events by simply visiting the What’s On pages on the website. Sign up for the email newsletter for info on all upcoming film, TV and games industry events.

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BAFTA | Art & culture, Festivals & events
195 Piccadilly | Central
Only open for advertised events

A friend and I stumbled across Bangalore Express quite by mistake while looking for another restaurant, but we were so intrigued by what we saw, that we just had to go in. On offer is affordable, modern Indian food in a vibrant, informal setting.

The big draw here is the dining experience. Most of the floor is taken up by canteen-style seating, but along one side of the restaurant are, what I can best describe as, bunk-bed style booths with access to the upper level via steel ladders. Staff climb up to take you order, and the food is brought up carefully balanced on large trays.

There’s an option to have Indian Tapas dishes to share, such as: golden fried tiger prawns with chilli jam; chicken tikka and baby corn sticks and lamb meatballs in tempered mint yoghurt. If that doesn’t take your fancy, perhaps a Dosa (Southern Indian savoury crepe) will. If mixing it up is more your thing, then give the Indian Fish and Chilli Chips a try, or Calzone, Indian-style. If that sounds a bit much, there is the choice of Big Plates; where you pick meat or vegetable option, rice, curry cooking style and side vegetables all for a reasonable £8.50.

Bangalore Express is definitely worth a visit for the elevated dining experience alone. Just don’t forget where you are and step out too quickly at the end of the meal!

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Bangalore Express | Restaurants | Mains from £ 8.50
103-105 Waterloo Road | Central | +442070210886
11:00 – 00:00 daily (last orders 23:30)

Located in the heart of Soho on Frith Street, Bar Italia has become quite the Soho institution since it opened its doors in 1949. It serves great coffee and a range of simple, but authentic Italian food 24 hours a day, which is always a preferable option as opposed to the 03:00 visit to the kebab or fried chicken shop.

The interior walls are plastered with pictures of black and white Soho along with the occasional legend or two.

The food counter is well stocked with traditional Paninis made with ingredients such as coppa, mozzarella, basil and tomato. There is also a mouth watering cake display, complete with Italian dolce such as Sicilian favourite Cannoli (custard or sweet ricotta filled pastry). And the best way to enjoy your Cappuccino and Cannoli is alfresco.

If you manage to get yourself a seat at one of the little tables on the pavement sit back and enjoy the buzzing and animated atmosphere of Soho. And just when you think Bar Italia can’t get anymore Italian, it broadcasts football and has its own scooter club which meets every Sunday at 17:00!

Despite Soho’s transformation over the years, Bar Italia has maintained its simple old school Italian charm.

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Bar Italia | Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Snacks, Restaurants (Italian) | Cappuccino £ 2.50
22 Frith Street | Central | +442074374520
24 hours daily

Its origins date back from the time when the Romans built the London Bridge. And although it has moved from where it was originally established, the Borough Market has occupied its current site for the last 250 years making it London’s oldest market.

Business activity in the Borough Market begins at 2am for wholesale trading. If you can be up at that time of the day then perhaps you could get a good deal if you’re buying in bulk and volumes. Otherwise, you can go and grab a bargain or two during usual opening hours.

You can find both food and non-food items in this market but locals regularly go here to get fresh produce from various parts of the country. One of the most popular items to purchase here is the ostrich burger, especially to City folk. They can prepare it for you right there like ‘fast food’ or you can take them home and cook at home. For me, I usually come here for the best brownies.

Borough Market is always heaving with people – locals and visitors alike. Tourists come here to get a feel of the local life. But even though it has become quite known to visitors, Borough Market will always be a Londoner’s market.

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Borough Market | Shopping
8 Southwark Street | Central
Thu 11:00 – 17:00, Fri 12:00 – 18:00, Sat 08:00 – 17:00

No trip to London can be complete without a visit to the British Museum (which, unlike Paris’ top destinations, has all its staff working hard each day!). It’s so famous it barely needs a mention, but there’s been some bad press recently, so it’s worth giving the old girl some much needed niceties.

Step through the lavish reception area and you’ll immediately see what all the fuss is about. Aside from the giant Great Hall area, with its honeycomb ceiling and vast pillars of marble and whitewash, there’s the famous Knidos Lion to your left, sitting alongside the Egyptian Sculpture Gallery. This should be your first port-of-call.

Colossal heads of pharaohs, the Rosetta Stone, Assyrian Lion Hunt and controversial Elgin (Parthenon) Marbles are some of the museum’s showcase attraction. But there’s much more to see, including the modern Chinese porcelain room, the Mesopotamian Room (check out the marvellous 3,000-year-old Standard of Ur) and a host of British and European treasures.

Right now the recently-discovered Staffrodshire Hoard, a £3million Saxon gold stash, is on show before being wheeled round the nation. Alas, it’ll only be in London for a short while longer – but it’s more than ample use of your (free) time. Also worth checking out are the Lewis Chessmen, a 12th century Viking chess set, and the Bronzes of Benin – stunning sculptures the museum is under intense scrutiny to give up thanks to their dubious provenance. If all this is too much you could do worse than unwind with a (slightly overpriced) coffee and cake at the museum’s decent restaurant.

The shop’s not bad either, and there are fantastic events running throughout the year. And when entry’s free, why not spend a few well-earned pennies buying one of the excellent guide books? A truly essential stop on your trip round London.

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British Museum | Art & culture | Free
Great Russell Street | Central | +442073238195
10:00 – 17.30 daily, late opening Thurs & Fri (see website)

‘Pan Asian’ cuisine has come to be the norm in London, with chains like Wagamama, Tampopo and various spin offs the somewhat recent craze has created. While Busaba Eathai calls itself Thai, the menu begs to differ, with items like ‘Chinese broccoli with garlic and shiitake mushrooms’ it definitely spans further than Thailand on the culinary map. Jasmine smoothies and asparagus fried rice are a couple of the unique combinations you can find at this buzzing Soho eatery.

The stylish low-lit restaurant has large square wooden tables that fit 8 people, operating in a shared table policy. The service is quick. If you are alone or with a friend and want a great view people watching, take a seat in the front and watch Soho’s rich demographic walk by.

Located in the centre of Soho on Wardour street, Busaba Eathai celebrates its 10^th anniversary this year. Its overwhelming success has also spurred two fellow central locations off Totencourt Road and Oxford Street.

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Busaba Eathai | Restaurants (Pan-Asian) | Pad Thai £ 7.20
106-110 Wardour Street | Central | +448712238021
Mon – Thu 12:00 – 23:00, Fri – Sat 12:00 – 23:30, Sun 12:00 – 22:00

Possibly one of the more overlooked museums London has to offer, the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms in the heart of Whitehall, offers an engaging experience and insight into the underground nerve centre of the British Government during World War II. Having been abandoned and sealed up in 1945, the converted bunker was re-opened in the 1980s and turned into a museum.

The complex of rooms are preserved almost exactly as they were left the day after the war ended. I find the Map Room fascinating, with maps on the walls detailing overseas operations, jars of ink, pens and paper still left on the desks, all in the same positions as when they were left as if it were only yesterday.

One large room has been converted to house the Churchill Museum. Here you can learn of lesser-known periods of Churchill’s life; including time spent as a prisoner of war and his talent as an amateur painter, as well as his private life and his ‘finest hour’ at the height of WWII. Advanced multi-media displays (including a brilliant computerised timeline of Churchill’s life), original recordings and film footage make the information highly accessible. Display cabinets also house many of Churchill’s famous effects, including cigar stubs and, my favourite, the all-in-one ’siren suit’. I’m a big fan of anyone who can lead the country to victory dressed in, what is essentially, their pyjamas!

Even if you are not a museum or WWII enthusiast, I would still recommend this as a unique and memorable experience.

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Cabinet War Rooms | Art & culture | Adult £ 14.95
Clive Steps, King Charles Street | Central | +442079306961
09:30 – 18:00 daily

There are few places in London where you can see quality classical or jazz music for a decent price. You may find some little den of iniquity outside the city walls, but the quality of music is likely to be more second-rate than a Ronaldo dive.

Thankfully, largely overpriced Trafalgar Square has a trick up its sleeve, for buried in the catacombs of St. Martin-in-the-Fields church lies the Café in the Crypt; a vaulted subterranean fusion of good food and even better music. The place alone is striking; the up-lit vaults provide the perfect acoustic backdrop to some elegant dining. The last time I went I caught an excellent jazz trio, though classical sets are the meat and cheese.

The staff are incredibly kind and friendly, the clientèle passive and warm, and the food – whilst not exactly Michelin starred – is good enough to come back to many a time. Served on a buffet basis, there are various salads, roasts, pies and other dishes to satisfy almost every taste.

It’s fantastic value, too – lunch or dinner. Compared to other jazz venues like Ronnie Scott’s of Camden’s imposing Jazz Café tickets are fractional. Some nights you can even catch a concert and meal for £20. For the sheer quality the Café oozes this is a great offer. Other night tickets may range from as little as £8 to the bigger classical concertos breaking in at the £20 – £25 mark. Either way, you’d be a fool to miss one of central London’s most beautifully best-kept secrets.

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Café in the Crypt | Bars, Music, Festivals & events, Restaurants (English)
St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church | Central | +442077661158
Mon – Tue 08:00 – 20:00, Wed – Sat 08:00 – 22:00, Sun 12:00 – 18:00

Never again will you have to put up with a milky latte when you really wanted a cappuccino, or experience third-degree burns to your tongue when you take a sip from a takeaway cup.

Cosily housed in a refurbished spot in the railway arches of Hungerford Bridge, Cafe Vergnano 1882 is a comfortable mix of dark wood, deep red walls and creamy leather armchairs, perfect to sink into on a lazy Sunday, or before or after an evening performance at the Royal Festival Hall next-door.

The centrepiece of the entire restaurant will wink at you in the sunlight as you walk past the glass frontage; it’s the Elektra Q1C coffee machine, yeah!  A domed barrel of gleaming chrome with all manner of pipes feeding into it.  I swear it looks like something out of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but whatever’s inside, be it an Oompa Loompa or just genius Italian engineering, it looks cool.  Toys for boys I guess!

Now I shouldn’t forget the the good stuff; a cappucino which is perfectly presented at the right temperature with the ‘1882′ insignia stencilled with chocolate in the froth, or try one of the several types of espresso that I was never previously aware of.  The food menu is extensive, and I couldn’t possibly do it justice here so either visit the website here, or just go have a great cup of coffee.

Oh, check out what they have to say about certain other coffee outlets here,

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Cafe Vergnano | Coffee & tea | (great) coffee from £ 1.70
Festival Terrace, Belvedere Road | Central | +442079219339
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 00:00, Sat 09:00 – 00:00, Sun 10:00 – 22:00

Browsing in bookshops is definitely one of my preferred ways to while away a couple of spare hours on the weekend. Well, along with greasy-spoon fry-ups and drinking gin (not at the same time, you understand), anyway. Thankfully nowadays bookshop time is spent blissfully ambling around; as opposed to the frantic stockpiling of Critical Theory and Renaissance poetry that was my university years. One of my favourite places for this favourite activity is Daunt Books, an independent bookshop on Marylebone High Street just north of Oxford Street.

Fitting in perfectly on this quaint, pretty high street the shop has an attractive dark green and oak frontage with enticing window displays. Through the door, the full beauty of the Edwardian design is revealed, with polished dark wood shelves and floors, arched stained-glass windows and huge skylights. Many of the shelves are also covered in fabric with William Morris print which adds to the opulent feel.

At the front of the shop, books are organised by section, as usual. What I love though is that through the back into the large main rooms, books are then ordered by country. So you have travels guides and maps, classics and modern fiction all sitting together; perfect for some literary inspiration for your next trip. The ground floor houses books for Europe, downstairs ‘the Rest of the World’ and the beautiful gallery upstairs is for England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

For your browsing delight, there are also four other Daunt bookshops created in a similar style in Chelsea, Holland Park, Hampstead and Belsize Park.

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Daunt Books | Art & culture, Shopping
83 Marylebone High Street | Central
Mon – Sat 09:00 – 19:30. Sun 11:00 – 18:00

You’re either one of those people who, A: gets to a movie early to catch the trailers (hardy of buttock), or B: gets there later so that you miss the advertising (soft of buttock), get straight to the movie, but only find seats at the front and sit with your neck at an angle that only plastic surgeons are familiar with.

Now, I want you to do this.  Go to the Empire Leicester Square, book to see the movie showing in Screen 1, and go early before the ads start and the lights go down.

Find your seats, NOW sit with your neck in the position that only plastic surgeons are familiar with. Ahhhhhhhhhh, now you see!!

Alternating coloured light slowly washes in waves from inside the armadillo-like sections of the roof and walls, beaming down to the front of the auditorium where it ends in a sparkling colour starfield in a sky of LED genius. Groovy baby. For a real trip check out the 360 panoramic photo on the website.

Stay for the movie? As film-critic Barry Norman used to say, “and why not?”

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Empire Cinema | Cinemas | Stalls – Adult ticket £ 9.95
5-6 Leicester Square | Central | +448714714714
See website for showing times

Fabric is huge, in size and stature. I guess I don’t really need to single it out as a hidden treasure, but it would simply be criminal as a clubber to go to this city and miss a Friday night in the place DJ magazine voted second best in the world (down from first), just behind Ibiza’s Space.

Literally every dance genre is catered for by this monolith of madness – residents include house legends Craig Richards and Terry B, and you’ll nearly always find Drum n’ Bass god DJ Hype turning up the heat in Room 2 – which has one of the best laser displays this side of San Antonio. FabricLive on a Friday is undoubtedly the best night to visit, with appearances from the likes of Hawtin, Villalobos and Morillo getting the huge crowds pumping. Stay to the end; there’s nothing quite like it on the planet.

Stuff other clubs royally screw up are fine-tuned to perfection in Fabric. Otherwise sordid unisex toilets are glitzy and cool; rubbish is nowhere to be seen and the layout is instantly recognisable. The only drawbacks are the massive queues – always come earlyish – and the prices. But you knew that already. London needs its king with so many great places falling by the wayside right now – Turnmills, The Key, The End. So come with wads of cash and bow down to a demigod of dance. All hail Fabric.

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Fabric | Bars, Music | Entrance adults Sat £ 16.00
77A Charterhouse Street | Central | +442073368898
Fri 22:00 – 06:00, Sat 23:00 – 08:00

Considered as London’s oldest wine bar, Gordon’s Wine Bar is a haven to vino lovers as this is the only drink available on the menu. Take your pick from the finest wines from the new and old world – red, white, rosé, port, sherry – they’ve got it.

The building dates back to the 1680s and was once the house of Samuel Pepys who is one of England’s prominent historical figures. Before the establishment of the wine bar in 1890, it served as the house’s cellar. It was flooded several times before the embankment was built on the Thames. Today, the darkened, candle-lit alcoves still provide that musky smell giving a true sense of its age.

The place is almost always packed. And while this might lead you in thinking that it takes ages to order, the reality is quite the opposite. As soon as you descend the wobbly stairs, just head straight to the bar and forget about queuing.

They don’t like queuing here so you better be quick. Make sure that you also keep an eye on your belongings as thieves are known to be about, especially if you sit in the dark areas.

Gordon’s Wine Bar is usually ignored because of its “old” appearance but once you’ve been, you’ll surely come back for more.

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Gordon’s Wine Bar | Bars | Glass of wine from £ 4.00
47 Villiers Street | Central | +442079301408
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 22:00

Just off the bustling Oxford Street is Hari Krishna run Govinda, a delicious and healthy vegetarian Indian cafe. While there are posters everywhere inviting you to “join the party”, luckily there is no other type of religious propositioning, and the focus is just on delicate flavours and fresh food.

Aside from the salad bar, food ranges from veggie or paneer (Indian cheese) burgers to onion bhajis, mango lassis and sesame covered spinach rolls. The best deal is the Thali though. Thalis are a selection of little dishes on a tray. For £7.50 you can choose two curries, a rice, bread roll or popadoms and sweet chutney.

Service is efficient and fast and the place offers a nice respite from the chaotic nature of London’s biggest shopping street.

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Govinda Restaurant | Snacks, Restaurants (Indian) | Thali £ 7.50
9-10 Soho Street, | Central | +442074374928
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 20:00

With catchy tunes and big skirts, the musical Hairspray has been seen by over a million people since it opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre at London’s West End. The story of Hairspray is set in Baltimore, Maryland, circa 1960, when the segregration between whites and blacks were still very much a reality in that point in history. It shows how music unites people of all race and colour and the production cast belts out “You Can Stop The Beat”.Sadly, the beat is going to stop for this West End musical. After over 1,000 performances and with famous names like Michael Ball and Phill Jupitus who played the role of Edna Turnblad, Hairspray will stage its last show at the Shaftesbury Theatre on the 28th of March 2010. After its run in London, the show will tour to other UK cities including Cardiff and Edinburgh.For ticket information, visit the Shaftesbury Theatre box office.

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Hairspray | Theaters, Festivals & events | Grand Circle ticket £ 22.50
210 Shaftesbury Avenue | Central | +442073795399
Tue – Wed & Fri 19:30, Thu & Sat – Sun 15:00 & 19:30

Karaoke: a word that used to make me recoil in horror, the prospect of standing up in front of a room full of strangers and trying not to sound like a cat in a mangle was a chilling one indeed! How all that changed though on my first visit to Karaoke Box; a place where only your friends need be subjected to your attempts at singing Gimme Gimme Gimme, and where the walls seem to very obligingly soak up the sound of your own voice, so you can convince yourself you’re hitting every note pitch perfect.

While the concept of karaoke bars with private rooms for hire is not a new one, there has been a noticeable increase in the last few years, and Karaoke Box in Smithfield is a fine example. Consisting of a modern spacious bar area with sixteen private karaoke booths of varying sizes, it is a great choice for parties. Or, if you’re anything like myself and my karaoke-loving friends, don’t wait for an occasion and just each chip in some money for an amusing alternative to the pub on Friday night.

There’s an array of contemporary and classic cocktails available, as well as beers, wines and spirits. Prices are a bit above average, but no more than you’d expect from a bar close to central London. I recommend perhaps going to one of the (slightly cheaper) pubs in surrounding Farringdon first for a bit of pre-performance Dutch courage.

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Karaoke Box | Bars | Rooms p/h from £ 20.00
12 Smithfield Street | Central | +442073299991
Mon – Wed 12:00 – 13:00, Thu – Sat 12:00 – 03:00

When dining out, you expect someone would be cooking your meal and it isn’t you. What if you had to do it?

At Koba, when you order from the barbeque menu, you will be told that you will do the cooking. A really hot plate sits at the middle of your table that is fired up by a gas hob underneath. Not so good for any under-the-table mischief, if I may say!

They bring your selection of meat and/or seafood, raw, which you then grill on the hot plate. When you order the modeum (assortment), it is quite tempting to grill everything at the same time but I recommend that you don’t. Put only what you will be eating immediately. The staff at Koba will happily recommend the sequence of what you grill and eat. For some people who haven’t experienced ‘hotpot,’ dining at Koba’s could be quite an experience.

But apart from the cook-it-yourself concept, you also get to enjoy the delights of Korean cuisine. If you don’t fancy the barbeques, there are other dishes on the menu that the Koba’s chefs will gladly prepare for you. My personal favourites are the Korean pancakes.

‘Hotpot’ can be likened to fondue. But instead of cheese, a pot with simmering stock sits at the centre of the dining table. The ingredients are placed in the pot and cooked in situ. Typical ingredients are meats, seafood, vegetables and egg noodles. Even though hotpot is widely available in restaurants in Asia, there are few places (to my knowledge) in the UK offering this kind of dining experience.

At Koba’s, instead of a simmering pot, you get a hot plate/grill. The pendant lamp also acts as extractor of smoke so the room doesn’t get, well, smoky. But at times, it sticks to your clothes, which could be a good thing because you’ll savour the fruits of your grilling labour even longer!

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Koba | Restaurants (Korean) | BBQ dishes from £ 6.50
11 Rathbone Street | Central | +442075808825
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 15:00 & 18:00 – 23:00, Sun 18:00 – 23:00

If your stay in London co-insides with any movie premieres, be sure to head down to the West End’s Leicester Square for some celebrity spotting.

I was in Leicester Square for the Sex and the City Premiere and witnessed a variety of celebrities, from the famous to the not so famous, strut down the red carpet, producing a sea of coloured dresses, fashion mishaps and fake tans!

After a few hours of being amongst celebrities and the flashing lights of the paparazzi I left the square clearly on a high and took the underground home, where the hot overcrowded train soon brought me back to reality!

However, if you would like to have your brush with fame at the next world premiere, here are some tips;
* For the big name premieres, try and get down to Leicester Square by lunch time to get a good position. Whilst the stars don’t walk down the carpet generally until 18:00 – 19:30, the square fills up quickly and the area gets sectioned off once full.
* Bring a water proof poncho or raincoat as there is no uncover area.
* Don’t forget your camera and a pen and paper to get some autographs!

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London film premieres | Art & culture, Cinemas | Free
24-26 Leicester Square | Central
See website for the next premieres

I’m a huge film fan, and I suspect a few of you will enjoy a trip to the movies as well, but when you’re been sitting in the darkness, what is it on screen that tells you when Indiana Jones must make the death-defying leap, when Harry Potter will finally win the Quidditch match, or that this is the lovestruck duo’s final kiss?

The London Symphony Orchestra has probably been making you leap from your seat, grip the armrests or weep silently without you ever knowing them.  Well here they are!

Renowned for recording original soundtracks for dozens of films and composers, from Star Wars and Superman to The Queen, they of course perform an expansive range of classical music, with various programmes throughout the year, resident in the modern architectural maze of the Barbican Centre and the recently refurbished venue of St Luke’s.

If you have never been to a classical music concert, forget your conceptions of a stiff upper lip, these ladies and gentlemen are great fun, and obviously enjoy the music they play.

Listen to how the strings section tease a note out of absolute silence, swelling to a vibrant chorus that can unexpectedly move you to tears.

Now, when was the last time your MP3 player did that?

Photo: Alberto Venzago by permission of the LSO

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London Symphony Orchestra | Art & culture, Music | Approx price from £ 4.00
Silk Street | Central | +442076388891
Check website for performance times

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, ranging from rockabilly, deep funk, indie, soul and a splash of disco.

Whilst the nature of business has changed at Madame JoJo’s, its strip club days can still be clearly visualised as the interior still resembles its former self – dimly lit and slightly decedent. 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 girls in dresses which seem to accentuate their dance moves as they jive the night away. Or even a few girls dressed in burlesque – so it’s a great place to go if you want to be creative with your look or be someone else for the night!

Therefore it goes without saying that the atmosphere of Madame JoJo’s only further compliments the exceptionally good music they play. Making this place is a must for anyone who has a taste for the slightly off beat and an ear for good music.

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Madame Jojos | Bars, Music | Entance from £ 3.00
8-10 Brewer Street | Central | +4402077343040
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

Finding this hidden delight came down to a turn of the head. Wandering down to the Young Vic theatre from Blackfriars bridge I saw an obscure street on my left and then spotted Mar Terra, a traditional Spanish tapas restaurant and bar, beaming like a beacon of light at the end of an ally. To stick around in such difficult-to-find surroundings is a testament to its success.

There are plenty of Spanish tapas places in London but they can often be overpriced or poor quality. Mar Terra has a delicious range of authentic tapas made with the freshest ingredients. The décor is unpretentious, with just a few images of pretty Spanish destinations, staff are very attentive and prices are reasonable.

If it’s busy, it’s nice to sit at the broad wooden bar and sip on a sangria before being seated. And the building has a past. It was originally called the ‘Hop Pole’, built in the mid 19th century for the Southern Railway Company and was a pub before it became Mar Terra in 2000.

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Mar Terra | Restaurants (Spanish) | Tortilla £ 3.70
14 Gambia Street | Central | +442079287628
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 23:00 (cold food only 15:00 – 18:00), Sat 17:00 – 23:00

Misato is one of those few places in Central London that offers good food at a cheap price. For under £10, you can get a meal that you can probably share with another person, if you are a light eater. Might be thinly stretched if you are a big group.

Actually, if you plan to go dining at Misato, you are likely to get a table quicker if you have a small group – three being the maximum. See, there is always a queue at Misato, where you and your party could be waiting for up to 45 minutes! So here’s my little tip, if you have a dining party of more than 3 then go and ask to be sat in pairs. That way, you could get a table quicker.

Service here is quite fast (remember, this is a cash only restaurant) and you’ll be gone quicker than you had standing in the queue so you really won’t miss the rest of your friends.

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Misato | Restaurants (Japanese) | Main dishes £ 5.60
11 Wardour Street | Central | +442077340808
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 14:45 & 17:30 – 22:30, Sat – Sun 12:00 – 15:00 & 17:30 – 22:30

To say I love mashed potato would be a significant understatement, so it’s not hard to imagine my delight on discovering the existence of this little wonder. Just round the corner from Carnaby Street, serving up freshly made-to-order mash and top quality sausages and pies, Mother Mash is perfect for a quick bite to eat pre-evening out or for a mid-shopping lunch break.The menu is simple: choose your mash; then sausages or a pie; and finally pick which gravy to go on top. Of course, you may find deciding which of the array of delicious options to go for a little more challenging! Choose whether you want your mash bashed (lumpy) or mashed (smooth) and there are options for vegetable side dishes, too. I love the pork and leek sausages and Farmer’s gravy, oh and smooth mash every time! There are both sausage and pie options for vegetarians; and the menu also has a choice of salads, but really, this is not the place for exercising restraint! The restaurant itself is modern, with bench style wooden seating, marble table tops and suitably trendy wall art, and I love that because of its small size, it still always feels cosy. A takeaway option is also available and proves very popular with the local creative types on lunch break.

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Mother Mash | Restaurants (English) | Main from £ 6.95
26 Ganton Street | Central | +442074949644
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 22:00, Sat 12:00 – 22:00, Sun 12:00 – 17:00

Years ago I frequented a Mr Jerk restaurant, which then changed it’s name to Jerk City and a new Mr Jerk appeared a few doors down. Turns out, this was the result of a business management split. Now after legal action, the new place is called Savannah Jerk, and Jerk City has returned to being Mr Jerk. You still with me?  Both places have similar menus, but after sampling both, my loyalty is with the original, smaller, less expensive Mr Jerk.

The holy grail for me is a mutton roti, tender chunks of meat and potato in a spicy gravy, all wrapped up in roti, the traditional Trinidadian flatbread which is buttery, floury, elastic and crumbly. Seemingly hard to describe, but incredibly moreish.

It’s a great place to try other traditional Caribbean food. Brown-stew chicken with rice and peas, the meat so tender it falls off the bone, jerk chicken, a spicier alternative, and saltfish and ackee, a creamy fish and vegetable dish. Try the ‘hard’ food as an alternative to the rice: boiled yam, banana, dumpling, and sweet potato. Also get a taste for soup specials, fried chicken and Jamaican pattie appetisers. Take away is also available.

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Mr Jerk | Snacks, Restaurants (Caribbean) | Main meal from £ 8.00
189 Wardour Street | Central | +442072872878
Mon – Wed 10:00 – 22:30, Thu – Sat 10:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 20:00

My fellow spotter Deanna has already mentioned the benefits of the Square for movie premieres, but I had to draw your attention to the beautiful facade of this, one of my favourite cinemas for an ‘event’ movie.

The Odeon Leicester Square has a singular beauty in it’s dark, black, monolithic design, towering 120 feet above you.  A recent refit in 1998 modernised the interior, with a cool and elegant front-of-house, and a glass balcony from the first floor circle bar overlooks the Square gardens.

In the main auditorium, a Grecian-style frieze of four near-naked women (the renowned ‘flying ladies’), stride along the walls toward the screen as one might rush to one’s seat before the film begins, just with more clothes on.  The modern seating is cheekily upholstered in faux leopard-skin, which is an original touch.  If you fancy the cheap seats but a great view, take to the stalls.  Alternatively, if one has come from one’s palace, then one simply must take the royal circle.

If you want to see the main auditorium, make sure that you buy tickets to Screen One.  The cinema also shows other movies in smaller, more regular screens.

This is Odeon’s flagship screen, so set-sail with the latest in sound and visual technology. A digital projector sits side-by-side with the more traditional film projector, but you can expect some of the best in West-End presentation when the lights go down.

Image © Odeon Cinemas Ltd

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Odeon Leicester Square | Art & culture, Cinemas | Royal Circle from £ 13.20
Leicester Square | Central | +448712244007
See website for film times

Step into the sweet-smelling world of Penhaligon’s, perfumers by Royal Appointment (the Royal Warrants are on display) to Prince Charles and the Duke of Edinburgh, and possibly to you too!  A soft bell rings as you open the door to the street and enter a world of Victoriana.

Fragrances in crystal bottles are impeccably presented in floor-to ceiling glass and wood cabinets, luxurious leather passport holders, manicure sets and fur-lined slippers are on show in glass-topped desks, and at the back of the shop in winter is a blazing fire beneath the marble fireplace.  Even the staff are dressed in smart, period waistcoats and shirts.  If you’re canny, you might be able to ask for a tester vials of fragrance from under the counter, but keep it onthe QT as it’s not common practice

William Penhaligon came to London in the 1860s from Penzance in Cornwall, and was an energetic gentleman, taking after the Wildean, Byronesque fashions of the times.  He established his barbershop in Piccadilly next to the exotic Turkish Hammam, which inspired his first scent, Hammam Bouquet.

Military, political, aristocratic and businessmen were soon flocking to his door, and leaving (smelling) as sweet as a nut.  In 1902 the Blenheim Bouquet scent was created for the Duke of Marlborough, and was a favourite of a later family member; Winston Churchill.  Jude Law and Kate Moss are more contemporary patrons.  Naturally they also offer a range of ladies fragrances, accessories and gifts.

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Penhaligon’s | Shopping | Toiletries from £ 20.00
41 Wellington Street | Central | +442078362150
Mon – Wed 10:00 – 19:00, Thu 10:00 – 20:00, Fri – Sat 10:00 – 19:00, Sun 12:00 – 18:00

Traditionally dim sum is never served past 15:00, so for anyone who has craved the Chinese delicacy at night, look no further.

The main difference between Ping Pong and most dim sum restaurants is that there is plenty of options for vegetarians. An assortment of baked, steamed and fried puffs, rolls, buns and dumplings arrive at your table as they are ready in circular bamboo vessels, stacked on top of one another.

Drinks wise, the non-alcoholic coolers are rejuvenating, particularly refreshing is the pineapple juice, coconut puree and fresh lime combo.

A wooden lattice theme runs throughout the restaurant with a brown and beige décor. Upstairs, hanging orange cylindrical lanterns engraved with Chinese characters create a warm soft glow. While there are some private tables, much of the restaurant operates in a shared table policy, creating hubs of bustle, chat and consumption.

Through the giant glass walls you can watch theatre goers, tourists and commuters rushing to catch their trains at Waterloo.

While you can find other Ping Pong branches dotted around London, this location is perfect for a post-dinner wander along the south bank, my favourite part of London.

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Ping Pong | Restaurants (Dim sum) | Spinach & beef dumplings £ 3.39
Festival Terrace Belvedere Road | Central | +442079604160
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 00:00, Sun 12:00 – 23:00

Pizza was born in Napoli, but this is Princi pizza, served with the style and elegance of Milan.

This is the brainchild of Alan Lau, creator of the highly successful Wagamama and Hakkasan Chinese restaurants.

The store is clad entirely in white stone and black granite table-tops, a trough of water runs at eye level down the entire length of one wall, with ribbons of light that project from underwater and play against the stonework.

Wholemeal, organic bread is baked fresh every day of the week, cakes and pastries glisten under enormous glass display cabinets as if in a jewellery store, hot meat and pasta dishes appear for lunch, and if you fancy an early pick-me-up, there’s always the cocktail bar!

Princi is now open even earlier for breakfast, from 07:00 Monday to Saturday, and from 09:00 on Sunday.

At a price of about £3.50 for a slice of hot, fresh pizza from the wood-fired oven, it’s worth a break from your shopping.

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Princi | Snacks, Restaurants (Italian) | Slice of pizza £ 3.50
135 Wardour Street | Central | +442074788888
Mon – Sat 07:00 – 00:00, Sun 09:00 – 23:00

So, it’s that wonderful time of year when families are brought together, love is shared by society and happiness finds solace in the hearts of the many. Yes, it’s sales time and there must be about a million-and-a-half gormless androids shuffle down Oxford Street’s urban highways in search of bargain t-shirts. I can’t profess to possess any sort of moral high ground today though, because I too am shuffling between the masses, Selfridges bags and jubilant girlfriend in tow. Sales in central London is bad enough, but sales in sub-zero temperatures is enough to get even the most feverish shopper turning the air bluer than a £1 alcopop.

Still, just a minute away from the crush on Davies Street is the elegant Running Horse – a solace of solitude and radiators a million miles away from the bargain-hungry muppets. Wood panels and kitch clockery make the pub out like a 1970s smoking club, while the modern lighting and meagre beer choices are a purely naughties affair.

What does dazzle, however, is the food. Usually, ‘Toulouse sausages and creamed mash’ equate to ‘bangers and mash (with parsley) – but this was different. And my partner’s haddock dish looked like something straight out of Claridges. Both less than a tenner, both delicious, hearty pub grub. Never mind the barman was about as friendly as malaria, or that the cheese selection was made for Trumpton, or even that the last time I visited my father got the wrong dish – the warm interior and superb food make this place an oasis in an otherwise hellish area this time of year. God bless the holidays.

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Running Horse, Mayfair | Bars, Restaurants (Pub) | Main meals from £ 9.00
50 Davies Street | Central
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 22:00

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 a great High Tea in the afternoon from 15:00 – 19:30. For £30, 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. Whilst 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

At the top of China Town is London’s best cinema. The prices are less than the outrageously priced Hollywood junk shown in Leicester square and the venue is so welcoming people hang out here without even watching a film. The Soho Curzon is part of a chain of five similar cinemas, though my personal favourite is the Soho edition as it’s the most central and the layout is most inviting.

At street level a retro-styled café has over 20 different pastries and cakes and serves hot soup, coffees and organic wines. Downstairs a spacious bar is adorned with brown leather sofas you sink down into and tables where you can find people having pre-movie drinks, post-movie chats or just enjoying the artsy atmosphere.

The three cinemas in the basement show a selection of art house independent and less commercial titles. The Soho Curzon regularly hosts Q&A sessions with film directors and script writers along with special previews. Film festivals and a monthly quiz are also on the agenda.

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Soho Curzon | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Ticket £ 12.00
99 Shaftesbury Avenue | Central | +448717033988
Box office 11:00 – 21:00 daily | Bar 11:00 – 23:00 daily

Located not so far from the bustling Oxford Street is St Christopher’s Place. Its proximity to London’s most popular shopping street makes it easily accessible to tourists but there is always a fair amount of locals who frequent the place. Here you’ll find a collection of places to eat and drink like Carluccio’s (an Italian restaurant), Sofra (bit of Middle Eastern cuisine) and my favourite, Café Creperie (to satisfy my French cravings). There is also a traditional pub, Lamb & Flag, in one corner, if cosmopolitan dining is not your cup of tea. There are other places to eat, drink and shop all the way up to Wigmore Street.

From time to time, there are buskers who provide the musical entertainment. But there is always a party atmosphere with or without the music.

Alfresco is the main dining theme at St Christopher’s place. Even in winter, people would still sit outside as almost every place offer patio heating. However, I wouldn’t know how it’s like when it is raining — as it almost always does. But when the weather is good, it is a perfect place to catch up with old friends and meet new ones.

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St Christopher’s Place | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Various)
St Christopher’s Place | Central
Varying opening times

Stanfords travel book shop first opened its doors in 1901 and has since seen its fair share of customers, ranging from classic authors to modern day travel writers such as Bill Bryson and Michael Palin.

Centrally located between Covent Garden and Leicester Square, Stanfords is three stories high and is stocked entirely with guide books, maps, travel literature and accessories.  Therefore, for any lover of travel and escapism, a visit to Stanfords is an idyllic way to spend a rainy afternoon and plan your next holiday.

Stanfords has an impressive selection of guide books for every country imaginable, along with detailed road maps to assist even the most adventurous traveller plan their next trip. Scattered amongst the books and maps are travel journals, colourful travel photography books and old fashioned world globes, making Stanfords a great place for a unique present. And for those that forever dream of travelling to exotic places – travel literature lines the century old walls, allowing your imagination to be transported across the globe. Understandably, Stanfords is my favourite bookshop in London!

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Stanfords | Relaxing, Shopping
12 -14 Long Acre | Central | +4402078361321
Mon, Wed & Fri 09:00 – 19:30, Tue 09.30 – 19:30, Thu 09:00 – 20:00, Sat 10:00 – 20:00, Sun 12:00 – 18:00

There are quite a few nice places to retreat from the nasty, shopping maelstrom that is Oxford Street, and depending on your taste, The Champion pub is one of them.

Owned by the Yorkshire-based Samuel Smith brewery, it is essentially an ‘old man’s boozer’. This simple pub boasts a beautiful wood exterior with large-stained glass windows that give a nice medieval air (without the Black Death, though that would be a good name for an ale). My favourite is the Pure Brewed Lager, served cold in a tall, Sam Smith glass.

I especially love it for it’s beers, very low in price, high in taste-bud satisfaction, enjoyed on many a Friday evening.  Enjoy the summer sun when it returns, and spill out onto the street with the rest of the local, post-work crowd.

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The Champion | Bars | Pint of the good stuff from £ 1.99
12-13 Wells Street | Central | +442073231228
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 22:30

One of the best ways to spend an afternoon on a cold London day is tucked away in an old pub. And for some true old London charm go to the George Inn in Borough. This pub was rebuilt in 1676 after a fire swept through it, however despite it not being the original building, ye old London is still very present in this beautiful old Inn.

The George Inn was once a coaching terminus, and it’s rumoured that Charles Dickens used to frequent the middle bar which was previously a coffee shop. So you don’t get much more ‘old England’ than this little place.

Hidden down in one of the many alleyways in Borough, the George welcomes you with a huge cobble stoned courtyard area which is always full of punters during summer. Once inside you are greeted by the low beamed ceilings and cosy little rooms, complimented by dimmed lighting. The only downside is that seating is limited inside and it can get very crowded, so best to get in early.

The George also makes its own Ale (logically called George’s Ale) and has a range of other beers and alcohol to send you on your merry way. The licensed restaurant serves up the usual pub favourites such as roasts, mushroom and Guinness pie and a pretty good cheese platter.

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The George Inn | Bars, Restaurants (Pub)
77 Borough High Street | Central | +442074072056
Mon – Sat 11:00 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 22.30

Unless you stumble upon this by accident it’s easy to miss the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), accessed by a simple doorway on The Mall amongst the rows and rows of white columns.  Established in 1947 by a collective of artists, poets and writers, it aims to further contemporary culture through a variety of artforms.  A special ‘ICA at 60′ season is celebrating their, not surprisingly, 60th year.

On a mission to break down the boundaries between artists and the public, the ICA offers endless art exhibitions of great creativity and fun; two small cinema screens that regularly show great documentaries and world cinema; talks and events on multitude of cultural and artistic subjects; DJs and live performance in the ICA Bar, which also serves some tasty snack food.

The ICA shop has a cool selection of irregular and kooky magazines, books, DVDs and those really nice Moleskin notebook things.

On a charge of extreme laziness I want to leave it to you to browse the website here, to really get a vision for what the ICA offers, I’ll let your taste will guide you; a mind-boggling amount of entertainment awaits, look at all the links to the website I’ve managed to dig up already! Check times for individual events, exhibitions and movies.

It’s so easy just to drop in on a weekend, without it feeling like an ordeal of endurance that visits to some of the larger museums can be sometimes.  If you live in London permanently, why not become a member, at £35 a year it’s reduces the ticket prices to some seriously low prices

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The ICA | Art & culture, Bars, Cinemas, Coffee & tea, Music, Snacks
12 Carlton House Terrace | Central | +442079303647
Mon – Wed 12:00 – 23:00, Thu – Sat 12:00 – 01:00, Sun 12:00 – 21:00

Central London, dating back thousands of years and having been largely flattened in the Second World War, is not laced with the cloud-hugging skyscrapers dotted round other European cities like Moscow or Frankfurt.

But for this reason, there are some staggeringly vast views to be had across the city, not least from the London Eye or Centrepoint. But the Eye’s expensive, and you’d do well to get up Centrepoint most days.

But there is an alternative. Tucked away between The City’s monetary monoliths sits Sir Christopher Wren’s (he of St. Paul’s Cathedral) Monument to the Great Fire of London in 1666. A huge Roman column topped with a flame, the pillar stands 202ft tall, and 202ft away from the spot in Pudding lane where the devastating fire was said to have begun. If you can stomach the 311-stair ascendence the views can be awesome on a good day.

Also good is the price – £3 entry anyone? That’ll do very nicely thank you!

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The Monument | Art & culture, Relaxing | Entrance adults £ 3.00
Monument Street | Central | +442076262717
09:30 – 17:30 (last admission 17:00) daily

If I told you I knew of a cinema in Leicester Square, where you could see a film for as little as £4 you’d probably assume I was getting a little too friendly with one of the projectionists. Well you’d be wrong! This wondrous place, of which I speak, is in fact The Prince Charles Cinema.

The cinema consists of two screens, one downstairs and one upstairs which has been more recently refurbished and costs a little more. Films shown here have generally been on release for a couple of months which is how the cinema is able to offer such amazing ticket prices. I particularly enjoy this as I for one seem to have a distinct inability to get round to seeing films when they come out initially.

The perfect antidote to soulless big screen multiplexes, it shows a mixture of new releases, indie and foreign films as well as classics. There’s also the much-loved ’sing-a-long-a’ showings. Sing-a-long-a Sound of Music anyone?

As well as the amazing prices, what I love is the old-school cinema experience here. Squishy red seats, are tilted back in certain rows by the dipped floor and a red curtain draws back to reveal the screen. There are also comfy double seats available for snuggling up.

Go and find this brilliant little place and feel smug, as those in the dark fork out three times the price of your film just round the corner.

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The Prince Charles Cinema | Cinemas | Showings from £ 4.00
7 Leicester Place | Central | +442074943654
See website or call box office for showing times

I’ve been living in London for quite a while now, and there are thousands of places people meet to start a night out. But everyone I’ve ever met seems to pick the same spot for a bit of pre-inebriation pints – The Punch & Judy in Covent Garden.

And there are a number of reasons why. First is its location: smack bang in the centre of the west end, on top of Covent Garden market and just a stone’s throw from a good old fashioned central London bar crawl (start here; move to Walkabout then round the corner…). Being a stone’s throw away from Covent Garden tube means even the most uninitiated will find their way, which helps a lot in this city.

Second is the setting. Perched atop the market and overlooking the monolithic, if slightly weathered temple opposite (with handy massive clock), the P&J’s picturesque veranda bar is a great place to take in the weather (on that rare occasion), and a good selection of good beers breaks the Fosters chain for a couple. You can even watch the street entertainers on the cobbles below, getting a commentator’s view of fire-eaters, jugglers and the like (don’t actually commentate though, got me into a spot of bother once). The music isn’t even that bad.

The Punch & Judy is the best place to start your foray into Soho, Piccadilly, Chinatown or wherever. So send a text around and start a bit earlier. It’s worth it.

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The Punch & Judy | Bars
Unit 40 The Market, The Piazza | Central | +442073790923
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 23:00, Fri & Sat 11:00 – 23:30, Sun 12:00 – 22:30

What can I do when the all the good puns for a piece about a fish and chip shop have been included in its name!

I first found this place years ago when I used to go dancing (a very loose definition of reality there) at Pineapple Studios, just down the road in Covent Garden.  After an exhausting and relentless hour of trying not to look at myself in the studio mirror, we would head through the dark rainy night to a source of salvation…hot, salty, vinegary, chunky chips!

The man in the photo is Astrit, you can find him there most times with the rest of his staff in very bright yellow jackets.  I originally thought that it was a Brazilian joint because of this, but he tells me they are some Brazilian, some Albanian, a mixture.

If you’re are in a large group of ten or more he says he will also throw in free soft drinks, not bad! It’s a very small shop, with some seating in the basement which isn’t ideal, so I’d advise you stay upstairs if at all possible. It’s great in the summer as they have picnic tables outside under the trees, you can slip off for a lazy pint in the Cross Keys pub down the road afterwards.

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The Rock & Sole Plaice | Snacks, Restaurants (Fish & Chips) | Fish & chips £ 9.00
47 Endell Street | Central | +442078363785
Mon – Sat 11:30 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 22:00

The Rocket belongs to the Scream chain of pubs dotted round town, so I’ll tell you what to expect: gaudy decor, students everywhere and staffed by the living dead. Not the best introduction to a Spotted site, but allow me to continue. Because while Euston’s The Rocket may not be the best example of a traditional English bar, it has some significant draws for the intrepid traveller on a shoe-string.

Firstly there’s the food. Not the best by a long shot, but cheap(ish) and massively filling (try the burgers AND NOTHING ELSE). Then there’s the beer. Cheap as they come, you can rely on a Scream to bag a few basement pints for a huge night out. There may not be the best selection (no ales), and you’d be more likely to find bubbles in the Neverland ranch – but you’ll pay about a third of the price of some nearby places.

Then there’s Saturday night. Every week The Rocket does pound-a-pint – a minor miracle in London – and pretty well, too. The music, although cheesy, is vibrant and the clientele, surprisingly, don’t want to take your face off with a Becks bottle.

Get in early and you’ll miss the student rush – get in early enough and you might stay there for the student rush Anyhow The Rocket is alarmingly nice to visit and essential for those with less cash than an Icelandic banker.

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The Rocket | Bars, Snacks | Nearly all beers £ 2.50
120 Euston Road | Central | +442073880021
11:00 – 00:00 daily

&s

Cheap flights to London

London has lots of things to see, but one place you can’t miss is the Tower of London. This historical building dates back to 1066 when the first foundations where laid to form the famous structure that we see today.

One of the main attractions at the Tower Of London is the famous Crown Jewels Collection which has been housed there since 1303. The Tower of London is open everyday and you can book tickets online. I discovered that there are sometimes special group or family prices if you buy tickets online.

To be honest, Bermondsey Street in general needs a very loud mention. The cute thoroughfare is just a five to ten minute walk from London Bridge station but instantly feels like you’ve been transported into another town altogether. The insular feeling is both eerie and welcoming, and there are plenty of great places to spend the evening – not least The Garrison, a full-blown gastropub serving excellent food.

But opposite is The Woolpack, a rare find nowadays in London in that it seems to fully embrace both the past and the future of the public house without ending up like an anachronistic Jackson Pollock disaster. Beautiful old pews and tiled walls sit perfectly with the modernist lighting and bar; the wallpaper could have either been taken straight from a Limehouse opium den or a swanky Mayfair apartment. And this is its beauty. The drinks may be steep (£3.70 for a Staropramen) but the food is priced very well, and really excites. A very open menu, with various titbits if you’re not in the mood for a full-blown meal.

I think the thing I like the most, then, about The Woolpack is that it manages to sit astride the precipice between gastropub and local drinking hole perfectly. There could be tons of pretension with all the glorious decor and the adventurous cuisine, but there really is none. A great place to share a chat and a drink with friends. Check out Bermondsey Street, and make sure you come to The Woolpack – there’s even a nice garden if the sun ever shines on London!

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The Woolpack | Bars | Main meal £ 8 – 12
98 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UB | Central | +442073579269
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 22:30

Veeraswamy is the UK’s oldest Indian restaurant. It was established in 1926 by the great-grandson of an English General, and an Indian princess, on the same site as the present restaurant just north of Piccadilly Circus.  I first learned about it from my Grandfather, who ate here with his Royal Air Force buddies when they were billeted in London during World War II.

Accessed via a heavy door in Swallow Street, a staff member will greet you to take your coat, then direct you into a small lift that takes you up to the restaurant. Housed on a mezzanine floor overlooking Regent Street, Veeraswamy has a safe, cosy and cosseted atmosphere.

It’s recently had a refit and now positively glows in regal splendour, with engraved-chrome wall tiles, coloured glass chandeliers and deep pile carpets.  I love the row of traditional Sikh turbans mounted under spotlights in on the restaurant wall. I’ve never yet had the nerve to ask to try one on.  The staff have a military efficiency in their service, but never become obtrusive.

I’ve quoted the average a la carte price below for dinner, but less expensive offers are available on the website here.  They’re worth taking advantage of to experience the jewel of curries for a more palatable price. As part of this menu, I recently had a fantastic crab and chilli soup that was just the thing for a cold winter’s day.

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Veeraswamy | Restaurants (Indian) | 3 course à la carte £ 55.00
99 Regent Street | Central | +442077341401
Mon – Fri 12:00 – 14:15 & 17:30- 22:30, Sat 12:30 – 14:30 & 17:30 – 22:30
Sun 12:30 – 14:30 & 18:00 – 22:00

If you are looking for something vegetarian or vegan or simply good food, Vita-organic is the place to go. It is a treasure amongst the overwhelming plethora of choice in Soho. It’s often easy to get drawn into a familiar chain or think you’ve spotted an appetising cheap eat only to find the food lacks taste and the service is non-existent.  Everything in Vita-Organic is, as you would imagine, organic and you can really taste it.

Food is ordered at the counter, but you don’t specify what you want, but rather how much. Portions come in scoops. You can order anywhere between 1 and 6 scoops on a plate and I would recommend three scoops for a filling meal. Even though it’s vegetarian, it’s very filling as many of the dishes use alternatives, such as coconut milk in place of cream.

Vita Organic opens its doors to allergy sufferers; many dishes are dairy or wheat free. Making the decision of which dishes make the cut on your plate can be difficult – the spread of food is vast, including stews, bakes, curries, stir-frys and salads. Save room for a fresh juice – the list is impressive.

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Vita Organic | Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Vegen) | First scoop £ 3.80
74 Wardour Street | Central | +4402077348986
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 22:00, Sun 12:00 – 21:00

British Mexican. Hmm…two contractions sure to inspire suspicion in the even the most bloaty-headed mind. Like Scottish and goalkeeper; or Tory and orgy.

But there may be hope yet. Because Wahaca’s uniquely British – and specifically London – take on Mexico’s national cuisine is a fervent modern marketplace humming with sizzling platters and spicy sauces. If you want Mexican on the go, there’s no better place in the west end, or White City (see the website for both addresses).

For the greener-minded, Wahaca only source their extremely good quality meat from ethical farmers – everything’s free range, well-fed etc. For a tenner a dish you’d pretty much be forgiven in expecting rubbery, fast food Mexico-to-go but no; Wahaca’s forefront dishes are succulent and enjoyable. There’s even a decent drinks list.

The atmosphere may not be to everyone’s dim-lit boudoir tastes, but trust me – you’ll learn to love it as long as you don’t expect a royal buffet. I recommend the Wahaca selection for an affordable bit of everything. You can even but fresh ingredients from their market range. What more do you want? An inexpensive start to what will usually be a wallet-burning evening.

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Wahaca | Restaurants (Mexican) | Two courses & drinks +/- £ 25.00
66 Chandos Place | Central | +442072401883
Mon – Sat 12:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 22:30

A relatively new addition to London’s many museums; the Wellcome Collection is a free museum dedicated to exploring the human condition and connections between medicine and art, displaying a curious collection of medical artefacts and original exhibitions. The Wellcome Trust was founded by Sir Henry Soloman Wellcome and it is with his collection of sometimes peculiar objects, paintings and medical implements that the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum was originally founded, becoming the Wellcome Collection as it is today.

The space is divided into three sections: Medicine Man, Medicine Today and a changing exhibition space. There is also the famous Wellcome Library housing a vast collection of archives on the history of medicine.

If like me, you have a somewhat morbid curiosity when it comes to slightly medieval looking medical instruments, then you will enjoy, ‘Medicine Man’. This permanent display of a part of Henry Wellcome’s collection includes a rather ferocious looking torture chair (not entirely sure where this would fit in with the NHS today, but I’m sure they’d find a use for it) and a collection of forceps and scalpels from days gone by that make me truly thankful for the wonders of anaesthetic! ‘Medicine Today’ is a permanent exhibition focusing on aspects of modern medicine such as obesity and DNA sequencing, with a mixture of interactive media, display cabinets and art installations.

Currently in the downstairs exhibition space is Identity, an exhibition looking at what “determines our sense of who we are”, how our identities are informed by those around us and the tension between the two.

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Wellcome Collection | Art & culture | Free
183 Euston Road | Central | +442076112222
Tue – Wed & Fri – Sat 10:00 – 18:00, Thu 10:00 – 22:00, Sun 11:00 – 18:00 (Public holidays 12:00 – 18:00)

Every Wednesday night, the West End Comedy Club showcases some of the best stand-up comedians currently on the pro-amateur comedy circuit in London, including previews of Edinburgh Festival shows! Yes, you get to see them first all for just 5 of your good English pounds ladies and gentlemen!

Located in a quiet side street near Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus, a secret band of those in the know gather on the very top floor of The Comedy Pub in what can only be described as a penthouse suite of mirth, a pigeon loft of feathers to tickle your fancy. Oo-er as Kenneth Williams would say. See the Facebook page for details of upcoming acts.

Hosted by the MC, Mr Paul Late, who describes himself as the “bastard son of Harry Hill“, this is a fantastic opportunity to catch acts before they get famous, win comedy awards, and then only appear at hideously more expensive comedy clubs before prostituting themselves to TV comedy news and general knowledge quizzes, followed by a drug-addled death in middle-age. That’s showbusiness folks!

Remember that with any stand-up comedy, some material may offend, especially the curtains, that material is absolutely disgusting.

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West End Comedy Club | Bars, Theaters, Festivals & events | Ticket £ 5.00
7 Oxendon Street | Central
Wed 20:30 – 23:00

I wasn’t even aware of the existence of this Byzantine beauty until I moved to the road next door in my first year of university. You can’t miss the unusual red brick and stone building though, striking out against the concrete and glass-fronted office blocks of Victoria Street. It certainly comes as a surprise to many a person on their way to the more famous sights of Westminster, who stops in the piazza to gaze up at the intricate balconies and arches that make up Britain’s Roman Catholic head church.One feature I particularly love is the 270ft bell tower that gives an amazing 360 degree view of the city. From here there is a great view of Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben just up the road and St Paul’s Cathedral further on the horizon. I always like being able to look over Buckingham Palace and maybe into the gardens behind, just in case HRH is out for a stroll! The architecture inside the cathedral is equally as striking, and the atmosphere of peace and quiet contemplation inside provides a welcome escape from the noise of the city outside. The cathedral also has an exceptional choral foundation and the renowned choir sing at morning mass (10:30).

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Westminster Cathedral | Art & culture, Music | lift access £ 3.00
Victoria Street | Central
From first mass – 19:00 daily (closes at 17:30 on Public / Bank holidays)

Nestled amongst London’s China Town is legendary Wong Kei’s. Rude staff, crammed shared eating arrangements and the ambience of a school canteen. However without a doubt, cheap and authentic Chinese food every time.

Split over three floors and as packed as a train at peak hour in China, even its worst critics haven’t managed to tarnish its reputation. In fact, some people actually come to Wong Kei’s not just to sample the traditional Chinese food, but to experience the main issue that got the critics tongues wagging in the first place.  The rude staff.

Faithful customers of Wong Kei’s are be able to recall the days they were yelled at by the staff, being told to put down their chop sticks, hurry up and leave. Where talking leisurely with friends over a bottle of wine and a three course meal would lead to an outburst from a waiter and your table being cleared just as you were tucking into your Cantonese beef steak. Therefore, I’m slightly disappointed to admit that every time I’ve eaten at Wong Kei’s I’ve never been yelled at – I actually even received a thank you on my last visit!

Regardless of the staff, if you’re looking for a fine dining experience, Wong Kei’s is not the place for you. However if you’re after cheap and cheerful Chinese, potentially minus the cheerful, be sure to stop past on your next night out in the West End.

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Wong Kei | Restaurants (Chinese) | Mains from £ 5.00
41-43 Wardour Street | Central | +4402074378404
12:00 – 23:00 daily