Posts Tagged ‘Covent Garden’

GLP #14: Bar bar be a black sheep; ten great little quirky bars…

Friday, June 4th, 2010

We need your help here people – it seems our little collection is unintentionally weighted towards East and Central London. Should any of you West, South and particularly North folk have a lesson or two to teach us, please do. Now then, if there was one reason we started GLP it was to champion great little places with a story to tell. Labours of love in a world dominated by ‘pinky and the brain’ chains. So here are ten great little places that are themselves a talking point. Remember to post your own little favourites if yours didn’t make this list…

Central:

Bourne and Hollingsworth, 28 Rathbone Place, Fitzrovia, W1T 1JF

A bar of a bygone era. Like your nan’s living room but cool and no way near as pungent.

Thanks for the tip off: Edward Marshall

Circus Bar, 27-29 Endell Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9BA.

Cabaret and cocktails is a potent mix at this surrealist den. Designed by Tom Dixon, of Paramount Bar and Bombay Sapphire pop-up bar fame, this place is slicker than a popsicle dipped in oil.

Thanks for the tip off: Hilary Clemens

New Evaristo Club or Trisha’s to the locals, 57 Greek Street, Soho, W1D 3DX

We haven’t been for a while but this place was pretty secret when we used to go. Enter through its discreet walkway with a whisper not a bang. No sign will guide you to this clandestine speakeasy. Once inside, you’ll feel like Alice in Wonderland, having fallen down into a booze-based rabbit hole.

West:

Blue Bar, The Berkeley, Wilton Place, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RL

It’s er… well, completely blue.

Thanks for the tip off: Babycat Lane (cracking name).

East:

Callooh Callay, 65 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 3QQ

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
 O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” Named after Lewis Carroll’s nonsensical “Jabberwocky” poem, this place is an inspired concoction of quirky-chic. Walk through a Narniastyle wardrobe to get to the rear lounge. Drink delicious cocktails from gramophones. Admire the old cassette tapes that line the toilet walls. A frabjous day indeed.

Thanks for the tip off: Jon Slater

Lounge Lover, No. 1 Whitby Street, Shoreditch, E1 6JU

Minimalist this is not. It’s a miscellany of weird and wonderful objects of all shapes and sizes. But let’s cut to the chase: decadent cocktails in decadent surroundings. Not cheap, but truly immense.

Thanks for the tip off: Laura Guga

The Book Club, 100 Leonard Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 4RH

Ping-pong for free. A whole host of cultural events to tickle your intellectual fancy. Drink for thought.

Thanks for the tip off: John Brearley

Three Blind Mice, 5 Ravey Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 4QW


Round the corner from Book Club, this cosy basement bar is a self-proclaimed ‘unique little den of iniquity’. Incense burning from the air con vents. Peeling posters from the world over. Shabby seats. Chic this place is not. Beer is not this bar’s forte either unless you’re after a can of Red Stripe. However, it does serve up a devilish selection of spirits and is a charming little treasure. It’s so good in fact that we’re going to host our own event here on 8th July so watch this space.

Thanks for the tip off: Riki Neill

North:

The Arches, 7 Fairhazel Gardens, West Hampstead, NW6 3QE

This is a wine bar with real charm, a cute little wine garden with road signs from all over London and an interior filled with antique funky junk.

South:

Doodle Bar, 33 Parkgate Road, Battersea, SW11 4NP

This place is white. But with scribbling, doodles and drawings all over the walls. Like playschool but for kidults. There’s a lovely outside area with table tennis, patio heaters and a little balcony overlooking a dock by the Thames. It’s an events-only café though so it’s not open all the time. Call them up beforehand to make sure it’s open before you mosey on down: 0207 502 8167.

One last plea before you go, please help out a Camberwell community project by joining their facebook group. They need your help to create a cultural/arts centre in the area: http://bit.ly/aZ6Wi0.

That’s all for this week folks. If you miss us, follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/glpLondon. Otherwise, we’ll see you next week.

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Posted in Newsletters, Quirky Bars |

GLP #4: This week’s heartwarming highlights. Mais oui.

Friday, March 12th, 2010

March, oh March, how you toy with our meteorological emotions so. As spring willfully thrusts itself upon us, the eyes are beginning to light in London’s amorous ranks, talk of festival ticketing abounds and we nearly feel safe venturing out sans scarf. But not just yet, mind.

This week is Mothers’ Day. Now we’re all about sharing a special occasion with someone special, and as the kind-hearted folk that we are, we’re prepared to stretch that definition to our own mothers.  So where to take her? Or anyone else for that matter?

Here is our pick of your picks from this week. And as part of our devotion to your devotion we’ve upgraded. That’s right, we’re talking PICTURES.

North:

1. Toff’s Fish & Chip Shop, Muswell Hill.
http://bit.ly/cJvCGr

Thanks for the tip off: Thooyavan Tn

2. Czechoslovak Restaurant, West Hampstead. Unchanged since the day it begun; the Czechosolvak National House in London.
http://bit.ly/cCfXrR

Thanks for the tip off: Bibka Rybka Horvathova

South:

3. Caphe House, Bermondsey. Little Vietnamese café and gallery. Nice.
http://bit.ly/cPhZxZ

Thanks for the tip off: Anna Tosca

4. Affordable Art Fair, Battersea Park. 11th – 14th March. Contemporary Art under £3000 – cheap. ish.
http://bit.ly/cbkbki

Thanks for the tip off: Caroline Beasley

East:

5. Greenwich Playhouse, err Greenwich. Cheap and very cheerful artsy theatre, showing Twelfth Night until the 14th.
http://bit.ly/9mrcFL

Thanks for the tip off: Cameron Ball

6. Arch One, Newham. Small blues venue newly opened round the corner from West Ham station.
http://bit.ly/bG6ewL

Thanks for the tip off: Caitlin Mckeon, Sameena Zehra, Kirsty Harris

West:

7. Harwood Arms, Fulham. Michelin starred for those down to Earth, champagne pocket, kind of folk.
http://bit.ly/d7B0Sk

Thanks for the tip off: Alistair Myles

8. Fulham Palace, Fulham. Great little place for ‘ladies’ tea’ or brunch.
http://bit.ly/ctRBwU

Thanks for the tip off: Paolo Serra

Central:

9. Sitaaray, Drury Lane. Bollywood themed Indian restaurant. Bonkers.
http://bit.ly/bI11Xc

Thanks for the tip off: Chrissy Dias

10. Dean Street Townhouse, for a spot of High Tea. Ask to be sat in the English Dining Room.
http://bit.ly/aOE4TZ

Thanks for tip off: Boris Atlas, Darren Ball

That’s all for this week. Now be good to your mothers. And don’t forget, we Tweet. Yeah. Follow us for more little places to go at: http://twitter.com/glpLondon

Here’s a quick summary of this week’s badboys:

Everyone loves picnics. Fact. Few love drizzle & shivering. Get best of both worlds with this gem of indoor ginghamery: http://bit.ly/cEEY5n

London Silver Vaults. Free to get in, not necessarily to get out. http://bit.ly/cVHOQ8 + a top vid from @visitlondonweb http://bit.ly/cW9DWZ

Perfect combo: champagne & chocolate. Master the dark art of chocolate making together. Then wash it down with bubbly: http://bit.ly/b1bp25

Bangers and Smash! For a date with a difference, get down to Wimbledon Stadium on Sunday to watch old cars race & smash http://bit.ly/baFeXo

London’s top 10 great little cinemas. Ch-check it out you silver tongued silver screen admirers. http://bit.ly/c9hPfL

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GLP #3. Lights, Camera, Action. The best cinemas in London…

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Maybe it’s just the time of year. Oscar season is in full swing. Baftas are a dime a dozen. But we’ve noticed over the last week there has been a lot of appetite for some old school cinema. Something intimate. Something special; a celluloid time capsule that even Michael J Fox would be proud of. The kind of place which makes you fall back in love with cinema in the same way Renée fell for Tom when he had her at ‘hello’. If only it were that easy… So we thought we’d theme this week around the best that film can offer. Here is a list of the most interesting, cosy cinema spaces London town has up its sleeve. In no particular order, the Oscar goes to…

1. Everyman Cinema – Hampstead (or Belsize Park if that’s closer because, as Adam Davison said, ‘Everyman Belsize is a luxury transatlantic cruise ship to Hampstead’s cosy steamer’. Adam you travel in style). The word luxury cinema doesn’t even do the Everyman Hampstead justice. This is the Tom Ford of the cinema world. There are two screening rooms, which seat 142 and 72. The smaller one is almost entirely sofas – perfect for snuggle time in a back-row-at-fourteen-years-old kind of way. Order champagne. Order beer. Order chocolate truffles if you’re a little bit fancy.

Thanks for the tipoff: Adam Davison

2. Shortwave cinema – Bermondsey
Art house meets independent movies at Shortwave cinema. Their screen has a capacity of 52 (so properly intimate) and the café/bar serves up all the alcohol, soft drinks, coffee and snacks you need to keep you on the edge of your seat.


Thanks for the tipoff: Ashish Patel.

3. The Phoenix Cinema – East Finchley
If an old cinema is your bag, try this one. Set up in 1910, it doesn’t get much older. Under its modern skin, lies an historic auditorium with unique Edwardian and art deco features. It’s even been listed Grade II, so you know it’s good.

Thanks for the tipoff: Louise Stapley.

4. The Electric – Notting Hill
Cinema sleepers beware: if you have a tendency to nod off, this place will only make your condition worse. Plush leather armchairs, sofas for couples and comfy footstools are the order of the day.

Thanks for the tipoff: Anton Bell.

5. The Garrison – London Bridge
Not a cinema. But, beneath this quaint gastropub, you’ll find your own little screening room for you and Mr/Mrs. Special. Your evening is down to you and your excellent choice in film. So choose wisely.


Thanks for the tipoff: Tassanie Johnston.

6. Lexi Cinema – Kensal Rise
Cosy 80-seater venue in North-West London. It’s the city’s first “social enterprise” art house cinema, where all profits go to charity. So you can be entertained and feel good at the same time. There tend to be chic parties going on around that area so keep your ears to the ground if you fancy venturing off into the night post-flic.


Thanks for the tip off: Leloly Lukki.

Plus here are four recommendations from our GLP back pocket:

7. One Aldwych Hotel – Covent Garden
This little number got quite a lot of attention on our wall/twitter. If you really want to impress your special someone, take them here to ‘Moet on the menu’ at the weekend. Champagne + Three Course Meal + Movie = Gold Dust.

8. Soho Hotel - Soho
There’s a small sumptuous screening room that snuggly fits 45 (i.e. 22 couples and 1 gooseberry I’m afraid) downstairs at the Soho Hotel. The cow skin seats are a sight to be seen.
Their Film Club takes place every Sunday, and includes a Champagne Afternoon Tea or a three course lunch or dinner, and the movie (which starts at 3.30pm). The damage: £35.00 per special someone.

9. The Exhibit - Balham
This little gem is a filmic concoction of cinema, restaurant and bar. The cinema room seats 56 on leather sofas for two. What more could you want?

10. It was going to be the Rex Cinema – Westminster, but it’s closed down. Boo. Thanks to Jas and Anne for pointing that out. So instead, by popular demand, it’s… Screen on the Green in Islington. Go go go!

There are plenty more great little cinemas. But we have a strict top 10 door policy I’m afraid. One in one out. Follow us on twitter for more… http://twitter.com/glpLondon.

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Posted in Cinemas, Newsletters |