If Goosebumps gave you thrills as a kid and you’ve still got plenty of nostalgia for the series, you’ll be intrigued to hear that there’s a spine-tingling immersive experience coming to London that’s inspired by R.L Stine’s most memorable creations. From 6 April, you’ll be able to find out what happens when your childhood fearsContinue reading “Put on a brave face for Goosebumps Alive + win a pair of tickets to see it”
Category Archives: London
Tapas at José Pizarro in Liverpool Street
It’s a Tuesday evening at José Pizarro’s all-day tapas restaurant in Broadgate Circle and there are suits aplenty. Detracting slightly from his cosier Bermondsey outposts, José and Pizarro, the Spanish chef has created this restaurant, his third, in a sleek, airy style, so it matches the City worker crowd well. An extensive wine list featuringContinue reading “Tapas at José Pizarro in Liverpool Street”
Play ping pong at The Bat and Ball bar in Stratford
A new ping pong bar has taken up residency in Westfield Stratford – and it’s got an atmosphere as cool as rival chain Bounce. The premise is fun and simple at The Bat and Ball: play table tennis while sipping on beer and munching on chicken wings (or cocktails and pizza!) in a giant gamesContinue reading “Play ping pong at The Bat and Ball bar in Stratford”
Slurp noodles at the new Ichiryu Hakata Udon House
A brand new “Udon House” has opened its doors on New Oxford Street. Ichiryu, the brainchild of Take Tokumine, the CEO of Shoryu and Japan Centre, prides itself on its thick, chewy white udon noodles, which are handmade on site and served up either hot or cold with toppings such as prawn tempura, fishcakes and beef. The menu also features sushi, tempura (cod,Continue reading “Slurp noodles at the new Ichiryu Hakata Udon House”
Can you keep a secret? Weekend film club at The Soho Hotel
There’s nothing better than kicking back for a movie on a Sunday afternoon – except, perhaps, doing it in style. Think comfy leather seats, free popcorn, and drinks delivered directly to your seat… Intrigued? A well-kept secret is that The Soho Hotel runs a fantastic ‘Weekend Film Club’ where you can watch the latest releasesContinue reading “Can you keep a secret? Weekend film club at The Soho Hotel”
Pop up selfie-service café: smile for free breakfast in Covent Garden
Turn your morning frown upside down for London’s first selfie-service café, which will be offering a free breakfast in exchange for a smiling selfie next week. Each morning from 7.30am to 11.30am on Tuesday 6th October to Thursday 8th October, Londoners can pop in for some steaming hot porridge or fluffy pancakes and ‘pay’ forContinue reading “Pop up selfie-service café: smile for free breakfast in Covent Garden”
Roof walking: climbing up the O2 arena in Greenwich
“Nobody likes a cry baby,” jokes Ross, our climbing instructor, “so if you feel nervous, just hold it in, OK?” We’re about to clamber over the roof of the O2 arena in Greenwich, and Ross, our Scottish accented, bearded guide, has us chuckling from the off, which pretty much sets the tone for the next eightyContinue reading “Roof walking: climbing up the O2 arena in Greenwich”
Ekachai: South East Asian dining in Wandsworth
The vibe: A new authentic South East Asian restaurant specialising in street food dishes from Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong. Think: creamy curries, crunchy stir fries and oodles of noodles. What’s cool: A lot of attention has been paid to the décor in Ekachai, which gives the restaurant an authentic feel and transports diners fromContinue reading “Ekachai: South East Asian dining in Wandsworth”
Shoryu: Japanese dining in Soho
The vibe: a loud sit-down Japanese restaurant famous for its generously portioned ramen dishes, located behind Piccadilly Circus. What’s cool: Shoryu’s menu includes a glossary on the last page, which helpfully simplifies the Japanese terms you find dotted through the descriptions. Plus, this particular branch has the largest selection of sake, shochu and umeshu, with over 130 toContinue reading “Shoryu: Japanese dining in Soho”
Croissant making at Bread Ahead’s baking school
There’s nothing more comforting than the smell of freshly baked goods straight out of the oven. I get so much satisfaction in whipping up a batch of cookies or a simple sponge – even if the results are sometimes a little hit-and-miss. It’s with that in mind that I signed on to a three-hour croissantContinue reading “Croissant making at Bread Ahead’s baking school”
Neapolitan café RossoTerrazza pops up on John Lewis rooftop
Escape the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street at the John Lewis roof garden, which is welcoming visitors back with Italian street food and cocktails this summer. Soak up the sunshine atop the flagship store, where you can enjoy a variety of small plates, wine, cocktails (£10 each), Italian desserts and gelato at the RossoTerrazza caféContinue reading “Neapolitan café RossoTerrazza pops up on John Lewis rooftop”
Hanging out in the Walkie Talkie’s Sky Garden
Taking in the city from high above usually comes with a catch… You’ve either got to queue up for ages, pay an entry fee or else spend loads on food and drink to compensate for a good view. But over at the new Sky Garden (located at the top of 20 Fenchurch Street, aka theContinue reading “Hanging out in the Walkie Talkie’s Sky Garden”
Hydro-spinning in Chelsea
Working out at the gym fills me with dread. I’m a self-conscious person, so the idea of exercising in front of others – while trying to look semi elegant as sweat drips down my forehead – really makes me cringe. So when I was invited to Chelsea’s Hydrofit spa, which offers an aqua spinning workout inContinue reading “Hydro-spinning in Chelsea”
Rock climbing in Bermondsey
A quick Google before we set off to The Arch Climbing Wall revealed bouldering to be “a form of rock climbing that is performed without ropes or harnesses.” *GULP*. What had I signed myself up for? I reassured myself with the fact that I’d be joining a group introduction session (£20) at one of London’sContinue reading “Rock climbing in Bermondsey”
Where The Pancakes Are: Hackney’s latest pop up
Guilt-free pancakes on Pancake Day? #Winning! Where The Pancakes Are – which specialises in serving up healthy pancake stacks made with gluten-free buckwheat flour and fresh, organic ingredients – has popped up for a quick stint in Hackney before its permanent central London residency later this year. The brainchild of self-taught cook and mum of two PatriciaContinue reading “Where The Pancakes Are: Hackney’s latest pop up”
I think I met a serial killer… Speed dating in St Paul’s
“Never again,” I’d decided after a nauseating speed dating experience three years ago. Where I’d expected cute, dateable men; instead I found a lot of desperate wife-hunters with mental checklists in tow. “Do you eat meat?”, “Are you religious?”, “Do you smoke?” were the sorts of questions fired my way, along with the bog-standard, “WhereContinue reading “I think I met a serial killer… Speed dating in St Paul’s”
Heading back in time for a medieval banquet in Tower Hill
I’ve never heard the word “Wench” screamed out loud as much as I did last night. I’ve also never witnessed so many people banging tables with their fists before – but at the theatrical, immersive dinner experience that is The Medieval Banquet, both are encouraged; this is part and parcel of the entertainment. “Wench” is the medievalContinue reading “Heading back in time for a medieval banquet in Tower Hill”
Ballin’: a pop-up ball pit for adults in Hammersmith
I’d always hoped that someone would invent a soft play area specifically for adults – you did too, right? Well, the clever folk over at creative agency Pearlfisher have sort of answered our prayers… They’ve created a ball pit for adults in London to frolic in. The 30-person pit is somewhere you can relive your childhoodContinue reading “Ballin’: a pop-up ball pit for adults in Hammersmith”
A festive afternoon tea at Lancaster London
Christmas movies are all over the telly, and I’m way over my self-imposed quota of one mince pie a day – but as we all know, ’tis the season to be jolly and indulge… After a busy morning of last-minute shopping today with my sister, there was nothing I wanted to do more than to eatContinue reading “A festive afternoon tea at Lancaster London”
A blissful Ayurvedic massage at Ayurveda Pura
The feeling of hot oil being trickled all over your body is like no other. The only comparison I can make is that of a chunk of Galaxy caramel slowly melting in your mouth. Mmm. It is in an ayurveda abhyanga (sorry for throwing these two words at you so soon – I’ll explain inContinue reading “A blissful Ayurvedic massage at Ayurveda Pura”
/// The Curious Londoner 