House of Cask or Keg...

Meat + Beer = Good

In need of a work lunch option, I scoured GoogleMaps for places nearby... Having previously drunk at The Draft House and walked past it a number of times, I suggested it. (I'll be honest... I had already perused the menu and picked what I wanted...)

During a busy time of the year, we decided to head there early so entering around 12.30 pm allowed us ample choice of where to sit. Arrive 15-20mins later and you wouldn't be so lucky.

With numerous beers to choose from the food menu may seem a little less ample. Never fear, you won't be at a loss for choice and there's even regularly changing specials to add to the mix.

I went for the 'Korea Town Chicken' - Ultra-Crispy Fried Chicken s/w a Hot & Sour Gochujang Pepper Sauce and Kim Chi Slaw, and let's just say there was not a scrap left on my plate. Right amounts of flavour and kick, crispy without being disgustingly oily. Delish.

Considering the numerous 'mmmmms' and 'yums', I would say the place is a top choice for a quick lunch option. The service is friendly and efficient, the surroundings laid back and the price not too bad either (most things under £10 too!). However, bare in mind that it gets pretty busy at lunch so if you're wanting some quiet time, it's not the place to go.

Get yourself to one of their venues... you won't regret the munch and certainly not the beer options!

------------------
The Draft House has 5 locations around London:

Seething
14 - 15 Seething Lane
London EC3N 4AX

Tower Hill
206-208 Tower Bridge Road,
London SE1 2UP

Westbridge
74-76 Battersea Bridge Road
London SW11 3AG

Northcote

94 Northcote Road,
London SW11 6QW

Charlotte

43 Goodge Street

London W1T 1TA


All have varying opening hours so check their website for each individual location.

Bookings can be made at all venues (except for Charlotte Street) on: 

T: 020 3664 7378

E: book@drafthouse.co.uk

So far so good...

It can only get better

One of the many reasons I love London so much is there's always something to do, something new to try and something so unique to experience you instantly feel lucky and oh so thankful. Last night, that feeling hit me full force.

On a Wednesday night at 7.30 pm I found myself (with the lovely friend who invited me as her +1) standing by the windows of a complete stranger's flat in Shoreditch. Looking around, faces of strangers surrounded us and though feeling a little awkward (as I tend to do anyways...) there was a buzz of excitement.

We were at a Sofar Sounds event. Essentially, an intimate gig of 3-4 artists/bands in a random person's lounge room/living space. To some this sounds extremely odd but for us, it was a simply amazing experience.

You sign up to attend and a week or 2 prior to the actual date, you receive a confirmation email if lucky enough to win a spot. Days before you're emailed the address and asked to attend by 7.30 pm bringing your own drinks and munchies (if desired). You know nothing of the host, the space or the acts performing.

So there we were in an amazing loft apartment in Shoreditch watching the 'stage' come together and in time, the fun started. Four musical acts performed on the night and ranged from Latino/African, Indie, Beat boxing and Parisian Indie-Pop.

I've come away following 2 new musical acts, plans to buy tickets to a gig in May and a load of songs lined up on my work playlist.

So how much does this amazing experience cost you ask? Nothing. Nil. Nada.

Everything is done for free though donations are happily accepted at the end of the night. The general hope is a donation of £5 per person and even that isn't much too pay for such an amazing experience!

Props to an amazing initiative and to a wonderful community of music lovers. May it continue to grow bigger and bigger!


-----------------------------
Sofar Sounds began in March 2009 in the living of Co-founder Passion Ate Dave. Since then, there are around 50 gigs a week all over the world.

Sign up to attend gigs here.

Want to offer your space? A musical talent or in a band? Get to their page and get in touch with them!

Here's hoping I'll see you at the next event!

Mining gold...

Big & Brassy

A friend suggested some Sunday night jazz listening and being in the bad habit of mostly saying yes to things, a ticket was purchased.

Playing at one of Soho's most popular (and long lasting) jazz clubs, Ronnie Scott's, the night proved to be a lovely and intimate gig. Don't mistake lovely and intimate for boring and low key as Hackney Colliery Band is anything BUT. Exciting, full of energy and just damn cool, it was a great way to end a weekend.

The opening act was a little less... my type of music shall we say as it leaned more towards experimental but props to them.

HCB have a load of their own songs but also play a few covers. From Toto's 'Africa' to a Prodigy Medley, you know these guys aren't one trick ponies. Made up of 9 amazingly talented musicians playing trumpets, trombones, saxes, sousaphone and marching percussion, you'll pure and simply be blown away by the sounds that hit you.

Get to one of their shows ASAP. You won't stop jiggling all night and you certainly won't regret it! They have another 'experimental' session at Ronnie Scott's in March so try to get to that.

The venue itself is pretty cool and as you can see from the photos, you're right in there with the band. Get there early if you want seating space but you do risk having loads of people standing in front of you (ahem). Be like us, get there a bit early and nab a space on the play floor. You'll continuously make awkward eye contact with the band but dang you're right in the action! Listen to these guys, they're going to be even bigger!

--------------------------
Ronnie Scott's can be found at:
47 Frith Street

London W1D 4HT

T: 020 7439 0747

E: bookings@ronniescotts.co.uk

Hours differ depending on the night and specific shows so best to check it all out here.

Rip my heart out...

Visions of death...

Most people who visit London will do a Jack the Ripper tour at some point. I had intended to do it when I first moved to London many years ago but just never got around to it. With a friend in town and nothing exciting to do on Valentine's Day, we decided such a tour was a perfect solution.

There are numerous tours on offer but we decided to go with The Jack the Ripper Tour, powered by 'Ripper Vision'! A friend had suggested it having been on it herself so we thought why not... at £9 a pop it wasn't a huge investment so we booked in!

Arriving at the Aldgate East meeting point, a small group of about 10-14 people awkwardly milled around waiting for the man in period costume to tell us we were off.

Our man in period costume was Johny and boy was he a Jack the Ripper enthusiast. Taking us through the streets of Whitechapel and East London, we heard tales of murder, intrigue and yeap, saw ACTUAL photos of murder scenes and mutilated bodies.

Word of warning... this is not for the feint hearted, the weak of stomach nor the kids!

This one might be better to do when it's a little warmer (or less blustery and wet) but the 'moody' weather did help add an air of excitement. I wouldn't say it was the best time of my life but it was interesting enough and something to do. £9 isn't going to break the bank so even if you don't absolutely love it, it's not a huge loss...

-------------------------------
The Jack the Ripper Tour starts at:
Exit 3,
Aldgate East Underground Station.

The tour operates 7 days a week from 7.30pm lasting for about 1.5hrs.

Got some questions? Get in touch with them here:
T: 078 0306 7544

E: info@thejacktherippertour.com

Interested? Book tickets here.

Monkey Business...

More than just bananas...

As per previous post, Shoreditch (or East London for that matter) is not my area of expertise so when it came to finding a place for after cocktail eatings, I had to resort to Google Maps.

Serendipitously (is that a word?!) I had been chatting to a friend earlier in the day about heading to Shoreditch and she had mentioned going to The Drunken Monkey which served an all day dim sum (yum cha for the Aussies). I was skeptical but popped it into the memory bank for future reference thinking I'd visit sometime in the future. The future was that very night when it popped up on Google Maps and we realised it was practically across the road! It was a cold and blustery evening so we high tailed it over.

On first impressions, I would probably have just as quickly turned away and gone hungry for the night. As my belly rules my mind, we forged ahead and walked straight in. The place is dimly lit with tables against the walls and looked like an old pub needing a bit of love (perhaps a bit of a clean too!). Numerous red lanterns hang from the ceiling and though perhaps a little cliched, added a pretty touch.

Waiting a couple of minutes, we were soon seated and perusing the menu. The options weren't half bad, pricing quite reasonable and dammit, we were hungry. Food came quickly and I'll be honest, I was surprised by what was before us! Everything was really tasty! How could this be when I'd been to so many 'authentic' dim sum places only to exit with utterly disappointed taste buds and belly. Now let's not get carried away and call this THE dim sum/yum cha place of choice but given the option, I'd go back and certainly with a little more of a spring in my step!

As mentioned, the setting isn't the nicest (just needs a bit of love) and there's an odd dj booth in the corner that doesn't quite work. Maybe it's better on a Friday/Weekend rather than mid week? The service wasn't half bad so there's another plus!

In conclusion, that'll teach me to judge a monkey on it's looks. Check out the place - it's tasty, it's quick and it's pretty cheap!

----------------------------
The Drunken Monkey can be found at:

222 Shoreditch High Street
London E1 6PJ
T: 020 7392 9606
E: events@thedrunkenmonkey.co.uk

OPENING HOURS
Mon - Sat: 12pm - 12am
Sun: 12pm-11pm

All You Need is Love...

A love for cocktails...

I'm not a huge fan of East London (mostly cause I revert back to being the geeky girl at school) so I'm not quite 'down' with the places to go. Needing a cocktail place to visit for some mid week beverages, a friend much better in the know recommended heading to Loungelover. By the same people who run Les Trois Garçons, I was intrigued so didn't hesitate to make the 'trek' out to Shoreditch.

On an otherwise non descript street you stumble across a flashing pink neon light love heart and it's here that you will find Lounge Lover.

The night we went (Wednesday) was relatively quiet and as three ladies, we were a little out of place amongst the numerous couples on date night. By the time I'd arrived to meet the ladies, they were already 2 cocktails down each and ordering their third. Perusing the menu, you soon realise there's more than enough to take your fancy and certainly to suit all tastes. As a person who favours the drinks of teenagers (malibu pineapple is completely underated!), I spotted quite a few I was wanting to try before I even got to the end of the menu. That hardly ever happens.

NOTE: cocktails marked with an * are 2 for £12 till 8pm, or all night on Mondays - don't worry, most of the menu is thus marked so it's not just a scam!

Cocktails are made quickly and damn, they're tasty! Amongst the 3 of us we managed to make a dent on the list of cocktails (more the others than me) but the undisputed favourite? The Strawberry Lolly. If I had to choose one cocktail to drink for the rest of my life, this would be it. Delicious.

They also have a mini food menu should you get the nibbles... the sweet potato fries were good and so were the squid. Check it out here.

The service is top notch (at least the lady we had!), the vibe is relaxed (can't say for what it may be like on a Friday night or weekend) and the venue is amazing. Don't let the 'date vibes' throw you off as there is plenty of space and many nooks and crannies for you (or them!) to hide.

All round winner really. The usual question: would we be back? Yeap.

Lastly, Take a date there. The cocktails will impress and if you don't at first... You soon will!


-----------------------------
Loungelover can be found at:

1 Whitby Street
London E1 6JU
T: 0207 0121 234

E: info@loungelover.co.uk

Opening Hours:

Mon - Fri: 6pm - 12am

Fri & Sat: 5pm - 1am

Sun: CLOSED

Reservations can be made here if you don't want to risk missing out.

Hold me up, give me shelter...

Hot tamales and a hot swing band goes underground...

Down in the depths of Waterloo station lie empty tunnels leading to all sorts of nooks and crannies. This is where we saw an amazing swing jazz band and where the Vault Festival is currently being held.

Over 6 amazing weeks,; numerous plays, musical acts and everything in between are being held in these tunnels. There's Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, Ian McEwan's The Cement Garden to name a couple of the many and the act we saw (house band for the festival), Kansas Smitty's.

Performing during the Lates session, we arrived for 10.30pm and had a wander around... Come 11pm, the band were ready to roll and boy were they AMAZING. I don't know what much else to say... They had an electric energy, they got the crowd moving (some may be a little more... 'saucy' shall we say...) and set after set (they did 3 or 4 all up) they impressed even more.


Led by Giacomo Smith, Kansas Smitty's performances are made up by a number of either regular or new talents. Either which way, they surprisingly work and you'd be fooled into thinking they played together constantly. From their own original pieces to covers to jam sessions, you won't be able to help moving your hips or toes at the least!

For a preview of their time at the Vaults check this out. It was this clip that convinced me to buy my tickets...

Kansas Smitty's will be on every Tuesday and Wednesday eve during the festival and for the bargain price of FREE. I'd pay to go again so that says enough. They'll also be playing at Stories and Ronnie Scotts so check them out... I'm itching to get to another one of their shows so I'll see you there!

Plenty of other things to see at the Vault Festival so check out the line up here and get yourself underground!

----------------------
The Vault Festival runs till 8 March 2014 and can be found at:

The Vaults

Leake Street

London SE1 8SW

The place is pretty hard to find if you've never been (the first time we went we walked around in circles for an age!) so do plan and map ahead. If it helps, they're just where the infamous graffiti tunnels are.

Sermons for the masses...

Drink a cocktail (or 2), the Reverend says so...

Along unassuming Goodge Street sits an unassuming black door with a black awning... There you will find Reverend JW Simpson, one of the B&H Group's latest drinking dens. Being a fan of their sister venue, Bourne & Hollingsworth - located on Rathbone Place, I had been wanting to try the place since it's opening last year.

Needing a low key cocktail place for some school night cocktail drinking, a couple of friends and I headed in that direction. Don't be surprised if you walk right past this place as it fits in so well into the general facade of the building and street.

Entering the venue, you're greeted with a quirky wall papered corridor leading to a set of stairs to a lower level. Descending the steps, it opens into a cosy room (with another little off shoot to the side) with some comfy seating and a small bar at the back. With low lighting and candles dotted around the space (and little bowls of bhuja mix!), it provides a lovely, low key vibe. Being a Wednesday night it was relatively quiet but that's not a bad thing... It's actually nice to be able to spread out a little and be able to talk without having to yell over other voices.

The Reverend only serves cocktails but I'm sure that's not exactly a bad thing. The variety is extensive (going over at least 4 A5 pages and you'll be hard pressed to choose just one. Even better, they are all served in some dang fancy glasses. One that a friend ordered even had a gold metal straw! You'll be tempted to roll an empty glass into your hand/man bag but I'm sure you'll be classy enough to refrain. The cocktails themselves were pretty innovative in flavours and yeap... tasty!

I'm not sure if it was due to the smaller attendance list of the venue but the service was certainly top notch. Everyone was lovely, friendly and certainly attentive. Not once did we have to ask for our water glasses to be refilled and we even got some tube travel tips! Thumbs up all around!

You know I love to chat about venue toilets so here goes... the toilets are concealed somewhere in the venue and I'll leave it to all of you to discover it. (I'll be honest...I had to get help...) First point (once you find it) is that it's unisex. Second, it's pretty damn cool!

Would we go back? Yeap! It's close to work, it's not overly pricey and there's so many more cocktails to try! It'd be interesting to see the place on a more 'typical' cocktail drinking night to compare...

If you're in need of a date night idea head straight to the Reverend. Not only is it a lovely space and vibe but you'll be sure to impress! You're welcome.

------------------------------
Reverend JW Simpson can be found at:
32 Goodge Street 

London W1T 2QJ
T: 020 3174 1155

E: info@revjwsimpson.com

Opening Hours:

Tues - Sat: 5pm - 11.30pm

I doubt you'll need to make a reservation but just in case... do so here.

Draw me like one of your French ladies...

See the magic unfold before your eyes...

Sketch has been on my list of places to visit for some time... afternoon tea, dinner, drinks... anything. The opportunity never came up till one fateful day... I was handed the most gorgeous black box. In it, a voucher for Afternoon Tea for Two. I. Was. Excited. Booking in weeks in advance (more excitement than actually needing too), my friend and I counted down the days...

Just away from the hustle and bustle of Oxford and Regent Streets you come across Sketch. I would say it's an unassuming white building if it weren't for the animal protruding out of the front. You won't miss it.

Walking in, we knew we were in for a treat. Like 2 country girls visiting the city for the first time, we walked around wide eyed and mouth agape... mixed in with an 'oooh look at that' and 'wow...' every so often.

Directed to the maître d, our coats were taken and we were given the option of having tea in The Glade or The Gallery. I had my heart set on The Glade prior to arriving but once there, I couldn't turn away from the eclectic crazy of The Gallery.

Seated, we were once again left 'oooohing' and 'aaaaahing' about the room and table setting. It was kitsch, it was crazy, it was haphazard but somehow... it all worked together. The room was literally a work of art. (rightly so as it was conceived by Turner Prize winning artist Martin Creed)

What of the food? It was pretty damn good. Everything was traditional in essence but amazingly innovative in flavour and execution. Checkout the menu here.

Right, to the important bit... let's break down the tiers:

TOP TIER: salted butter caramel macaron - tasty ganache/inside and a lovely shell. Good 'feet' and it looked pretty too!

MIDDLE TIER: port wine tartlet, coconut and praline lollipop, lemon meringue tartlet and lavender chocolate éclair. All very lovely but my absolute favourite was the coconut and praline lollipop which reminded me of a Rafaello (Ferrero's fairer sibling).

BOTTOM TIER: smoked salmon & Jacob’s cream; cucumber, ricotta & broccoli, comté cheese croque monsieur, egg & mayonnaise with quail egg caviar sandwiches. This was my ultimate favourite level as though  they were of traditional flavours (cucumber, smoked salmon etc) they were all done and presented in very unique ways. One was even tied up with a bow!

ON THE SIDE: sultana or plain scones served with clotted cream, fig and strawberry homemade jam. Simply, I love scones. Even more so when they're lovely and warm and served with clotted cream. They were the right density... the clotted cream amazing (can you go wrong?!) and the jams the right amount of tart and sweet. No left overs here...

LITTLE BITS: orange blossom and lemon & passion fruit marshmallows and passion fruit layered with berry marmalade and Greek yogurt mousse. Though nice enough, these probably weren't all that essential to the mix... I blame these for pushing me over the edge.

Service was attentive without being annoying, the atmosphere and vibe cool but fun and unpretentious. Would we go back? Yeap! There's different meals to try and I'd even go back for the afternoon tea alone. It's not often you do that once you've been to a place but Sketch is definitely up there! The price is £34 per person which isn't exactly cheap but you certainly get your money's worth. I was ready to pop by the end and my friend doggy-bagged a couple of things to eat later! You wouldn't go every month at this price but you'd want to go once a year at least! If not just to see how the menu has changed... it'd really be rude otherwise.

Lastly, don't forget to make a special visit to the bathrooms. They're amazing.

NOTE: the 'bathroom' is Unisex but the women have to veer right and the men to the left. Don't make the mistake I did...

Also, if you're in there, make sure to lock the door properly! You don't want a complete stranger surprising you mid business.... (sorry to the lady I walked in on... you really should have locked the door though!)

-------------------------
Sketch can be found at:

9 Conduit Street
London W1S 2XG
T: 0207 659 4500

E: info@sketch.uk.com

Open 7 days a week:

The Parlour
All day from Breakfast to Cocktails
Mon - Fri: 8am - 2am
Sat: 10am - 2am
Sunday: 10am - 12pm

The Glade
Afternoon Tea

Mon - Sun: 12.30pm - 6pm

Bar

Mon - Sunday: 6.30pm - 2am

The Gallery
Dinner

Mon - Sun: 6.30pm - 2am

The Lecture Room & Library
Lunch

Tues - Fri: 12pm - 2.15pm
Dinner

Tues - Sat: 7pm - 11pm

You can probably pop in for a drink but I would strongly suggest booking for anything else!

In front of the lens, behind the mask...

BAFTA winners and nominees laid bare...

I'm a fan of photography and let's be honest... who doesn't like famous people?! When the opportunity presented itself in the form of 'Behind the Mask' and for the lovely price of FREE, I jumped onto Facebook and created an event.

Spread across the numerous rooms of the West Wing at Somerset House, the portraits are beautifully laid out. Bonus points? There's enough room to look at each without having 6 others on top of you while being moved along against your own free will.

Do I recommend it? Yes! There are some beautiful portraits and it's quite interesting to see how people have changed (it's 2 years in the making) over time. It's also a great memory jogger for what films and television shows people have been in during their career.

My favourite portraits? Colin Firth is a definite... Julia Roberts, Sir Ian McKellen, Tilda Swinton, Gwyneth Paltrow and Thandie Newton also get honourable mentions. If you go... tell me what you think of the instagrammed George Clooney!

The exhibit ends this Friday, 7th February so get there quick!

---------------------------
Behind the Mask: Andy Gotts MBE Portraits for BAFTA can be found at:

Somerset House

West Wing Galleries
Strand
London WC2R 1LA

Opening Hours:

Daily: 10am - 6pm (last admission 5.30pm)

Where the wild roses grow...

Stop and smell...

Wildflower Cafe quietly sprung up in Notting Hill's Chepstow Road a couple of months ago. Riding by on the bus a couple of times, it looked sweet from the outside and upon checking the menu, I was even more intrigued to visit. The good reviews I'd already read helped too!

 

On a Saturday morning when the coffee and donut craving hit (blame it on the late night swing jazz band and associated boogie from the night before) I went on a hunt...

Walking by Wildflower Cafe's windows, I was excited... There was a window of cakes and yeap, donuts. Walking in, the place has a low key feel with a fresh look. (They even sell flower bouquets and bulbs!) With couples smattered around and a few others on lap tops, you know you could easily chill out in the place.

I made a running visit as I was en route to visit friends but did manage to grab a coffee and a couple of donuts to try. The flat white wasn't bad but a little on the watery side. The flavours were there and the coffee wasn't burnt (phew!) so just needed a bit of a creamier/thicker consistency. Nowhere near bad so it's not enough to turn me away...

The donuts (that day was the first time they were selling them) were chocolate with a nutty top crust and a raspberry Eton Mess. The chocolate variety was good not being too sweet but a little on the heavier side. It seemed like perhaps a wholemeal variety being of a darker/grainier colour. The Eton Mess option was more of a traditional consistency but in the form of a donut sandwich. Two sugar crystal covered lighter buns with a cream/berry/meringue filling between. Also not bad! I dusted most of the sugar crystals away (it's healthier when you do that right?) but realised they were there for a functional reason... The filling wasn't sweet at all and needed this to balance out the flavours. At £2.50 per donut I was hoping for a little more but hey... It was worth the try!

The service was friendly and welcoming so it's enough to warrant another visit. There is of course the yummy sounding eat-in menu (of which there is a brunch, lunch and dinner variety) so I'll definitely be back when I have a little more time to spare... 

-------------------------------

Wildflower Cafe can be found at:

108 Chepstow Road

London W2 5QS

T: 0207 792 9594

E: info@wildflower.co.uk

Opening Hours:

Tue - Fri: 10am - 11pm
Sat: 11am - 11pm
Sun: Noon - 11pm