For me, spring in London is when it’s at its best – the city has woken from its winter cocoon and the excitement of long nights, picnics in the park and a continuous stream of festivals generates an infectious buzz in the city. Therefore, with the Queen’s Jubilee and the Olympics set to take centre stage – so will your social life – regardless whether you like the royals or have even seen the Olympics.

To kick-start the celebrations off, the historic Andaz Hotel, next to Liverpool Street station, is running a series of Jubilee Afternoon Tea ceremonies in the exquisite 1901 restaurant until June. Themes include, the Brandy Man and the Empress of India, and pay homage to the Queens of England – and their most famous legacies.

March is dedicated is to Queen Elizabeth I, and aptly named ‘The Virgin Queen’- as she never married. Expect miniature hamburgers and hotdogs, chocolate brownies and peanut brittle to celebrate her American connections, mixed with a quintessential favourite – cream and jam fresh scones. Ensure you save enough room for the cocktail, made with Appleton Estate Rum, mandarin and passion fruit purée, ginger beer – possibly the best I’ve ever had.

If the American theme doesn’t float your monarchist boat, the next few months will have Austrian, Indian and traditional British themes.

To help you feel even more royal, each guest will also go in the draw to win a pair of diamond stud earrings!  God Save the Queen indeed!

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Andaz Hotel | Bars, Coffee & tea, Restaurants (Sandwiches) | Jubilee Afternoon Tea £ 45
40 Liverpool Street, EC2M 7QN | East
Mon – Sat High Tea 15:00 – 16:30

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

The London Fields Brewery is, as you might expect, a small independent brewery in London Fields. They produce hand crafted ales in a railway arch, my favourite of which is probably the Session Ale, although I am also rather partial to London Fields Gold. The beers themselves are well worth recommending, but what separates London Fields Brewery is the fact that they have special ‘events’ on Saturdays in the courtyard outside the arch!

The events themselves aren’t a weekly thing, so you had better check the website or, better still, sign up for the newsletter as I have done. What comes with the LFB newsletter is all the details of forthcoming events and although they are different there is a basic principle behind them – have some live music, sell some beers including guest ales (last time I went it was the excellent Meantime Pale Ale on draught) and have an Argentinian grill doing burgers and steak sarnies (which are great)!

All the events have been free so far (fingers crossed this continues) and while there are downsides like the portaloos, the courtyard is covered and heated, the bands are usually local and good, the beer is excellent and it is all quirky, independent and different, things which I really like. 

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London Fields Brewery | Bars, Festivals & events | Per bottle £ 3
374 Helmsley Place, E8 3SB | East | +442072540008
Sat 11:00 – 23:00

A few years ago Hoxton was simply the best place to go out in London. It was a thriving, bustling area full of interesting pubs, bars and clubs, but unfortunately now Friday and Saturday night in Hoxton is much more like a night in the West End with stag and hen parties littering the pavements. Luckily there a still a few good places to be found however, and one of them is the little basement bar Happiness Forgets.

Tucked away under a (good) Thai restaurant, Happiness Forgets is a great little find. I went in thinking it might be nice to stay for one or two but then, a few hours pass, and I suddenly realise I have spent the night there! Luckily, the bar shut at 11pm!

There is a ‘no wallies’ door policy which has to be applauded seeing where it is. The music is good (no DJs) and the bottled beers have been well-sourced, including a personal favourite of mine Meantime Pale Ale. The cocktails themselves are good (‘high end cocktails, low rent basement’) especially the Perfect Storm, which went down far too easily last time I went!

It’s small (so don’t come in a large group) but has been well decorated with vintage furniture and miscellaneous ‘bits and pieces’ which I like. This is definitely not a chain, however the owners do now have a pub nearby – The White Horse – which is also worth a visit.

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Happiness Forgets | Bars | Cocktail £ 7.00
8-9 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU | East | +442076130325
Mon – Sat 17:30 – 23:00

It might not have been the original coffee bar in Shoreditch (that honour has to go to the now defunct Bean) and it doesn’t sell the best coffee in the area (that honour definitely goes to the Prufrock team serving out of Present) but the Old Shoreditch Station has always been – and still is in my eyes – the best coffee bar in Shoreditch. 

Actually, calling it just a coffee bar is wrong. It is so much more than that. Coffee. Muffins. Whiskey. Art. DJs. It has it all.

In the day it is a cafe serving very good coffee, cakes and organic sandwiches from the nearby Grocery, but as darkness falls the Station turns into a bar serving whisky, wine and beer. If you catch it on the right night there might be an exhibition opening or a product launch or a gig. While at the weekends (when it can get very busy) you will most likely get a DJ. Oh, and during normal shop opening times you get access through to the next door fashion emporium no-one. 

When I had a studio on Hoxton Square popping in to the Station was a morning ritual. The Lattes and muffins I had on an almost daily basis might not have helped with the waistline, but it always set me up for the day ahead. Now, sadly I am not close enough to go as often as I use to, but when I am in the area, and have time, I still pop in. 

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Old Shoreditch Station | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Latte £ 2.20
1 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DA | East | +442077295188
Mon – Tue 08:00 – 21:00, Wed -Sat 08:00 – 01:00, Sun 09:00 – 21:00

Walking into The Bridge sets you back a century perhaps, but nothing gets you ready for the time warp you will encounter upon entering the second floor. It’s as if you’ve walked into an 18th century boudoir.

Navigating around mismatched and opulent sofas, throne-like armchairs and purposeful dim lighting, The Bridge makes a perfect setting for some dirty gossiping over a glass of wine or some clean fun, proved by a becoming cosy literary platform for my last bookclub meeting.

Although the food is minimal there are plenty of sweet snacks to cast your eyes upon.

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The Bridge | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks | Bottle of wine £ 19
15 Kingsland Rd, E8 4 | East
Mon – Wed 12:00 – 01:00, Thu – Sat 12:00 – 02:00, Sun 12:00 – 00:00

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

Broadway Market on a Saturday is a snap shot of what life in Hackney is all about. A true mix of styles and cultures, young and old, traditional and new. It is a microcosm of what living in a truly global city is all about. 

Broadway Market is not a large street yet the market on Saturdays see this street crammed with life. The weekly stalls attract the crowds, but the shops, the pubs, the restaurants and cafes all join in. It is what I want a weekly market to be. Lively, but offering something for everyone. Go for the shopping, stay for the people watching!

The market is primarily a specialist food market where you can get organic meat, fruit and veg alongside fresh fish, cakes, bread, cheese, sausages… but you can also get vintage clothes, furniture, hand made brooches, bike repairs/spares or hit the shops instead of the stalls and get art books at Artwords, fabulous coffee at Climpsons, all your sewing needs at Our Patterned Hand or a proper East End pie and mash at the historic Cooke’s. The choice really is that varied.

Personally, I always make sure I pick up at least one samosa from the Gujarati Rasoi stall as they are simply the best I have ever tasted. But be aware, if you only get one you will have to go back and get another, and at £ 1 each why not?

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Broadway Market | Bars, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants (Various)
Broadway Market,E8 4PH | East
Sat 09:00 – 17:00

The area around Liverpool Street Station in East London was once associated with poor slums and the scene of the crime for the Jack the Ripper murders. While the pub Jack’s victims use to drink at still stands, The Ten Bells, the area itself is now very popular with London’s artistic and unusual.

After a short walk from Liverpool Street Station, you’ll come across the Old Spitalfields Markets (105a Commercial Street) which is open every Sunday. Whilst these markets are definitely worth a peak, keep wandering towards Bricklane where you’ll find the Old Truman Brewery (91 Bricklane).

Inside the old brewery, you’ll discover up-and-coming designers selling a unique variety of handbags, clothes and jewellery. There’s also a few vintage clothing stores and chic boutiques dotted around the area, which is a refreshing change from the usual high street entourage of clothing stores.

After a spot of shopping, and a curry at one of Bricklane’s many Bangladeshi restaurants, keep your eye out for warehouse art exhibitions which seem to be popping up all over the place. And last but certainly not least, ensure you have a drink in the beer garden of Vibe Bar, before stumbling across the road to 93 Feet East (150 Bricklane). Whilst this place is sweaty and jammed, it has become an East End institution well known for its eclectic mix of live music and its intimate atmosphere.

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Bricklane | Art & culture, Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants
Bricklane | East
Markets open Sun, most clothing stores daily.