EAT/DRINK: RICHMOND TEA ROOMS

Good evening Manchester.

I know what you're thinking- if only I knew of a themed tea room which doubles as a cocktail bar. Well, look no further.

Tucked away behind an inconspicuous door on Richmond Road in Manchester's Gay Village is the Richmond Tea Rooms- an Alice In Wonderland-themed breakfast and tea venue that stays open late serving cocktails. The Tim Burton inspired decor, with curtain-covered booths and an indoor conservatory create the perfect atmosphere for a cosy afternoon tea.

 The menu is reasonably priced yet adventurous and indulgent. For breakfast, think pancake stacks, eggs benedict, cinnamon toast and pastries.

If you're looking for lunch there's a brilliant range of salads, tapas and freshly baked bread. A little later, try the home made tarts, cakes and gingerbread men.

If you're celebrating, why not book a table for the Hatter's afternoon tea (with champagne, of course) or take advantage of the cocktail lodge- all the classics and a few Alice-inspired recipes. From there it's a 2 minute walk to the twinkling tree-lined Canal Street for a suitably raucous night out (head to the Velvet Hotel for OTT ornate furniture and a good G&T).

The loose-leaf teas are the best ones I've tried and there's about 20 to choose from! The cakes look and taste Wonderland worthy and the fact this place is so tucked away makes it feel like a real hidden gem. Open 11am-10pm (11pm on weekends) and best to call ahead for bigger groups as it's only little! 01612379667. Enjoy.

DO/EAT/DRINK: ACKLAM VILLAGE MARKET

ATTENTION: yet more imaginative ideas for unimaginative people.

Kidding, you're great.

So, whilst strolling idly through the Portobello Markets one Sunday I found this grin-inducing all-purpose venue. Acklam Village Market is tucked away at the top end of Portobello Markets- just a short walk from Ladbroke Grove and Westbourne Park tube stations. Anyone with any interest in food, drink, music, art and/or general mincing about in great places will love this (frankly, if you have no interest in any of the above I'm afraid I can't help you). 

EAT: the street food here is unrivalled in terms of choice, diversity and quality. Only organic ingredients and traditional recipes are served up- and the vendors change regularly. You'll find whole stalls dedicated to cheese, coffee, cured meats and veggie dishes, as well as cuisine from the world over (Polish, Italian, Indian, Venezuelan, Ethiopian, Spanish...)

DRINK: One of the best random finds I think I've ever experienced, the part-covered Fuller's bar in what feels like a huge old garage is the ideal place to escape the cold. We were lured in by the sweet sound music- this place regularly hosts gigs from local musicians (6 bands on a Sat, 5 on a Sun- if we're talking numbers). Haphazardly scattered with shabby chic sofas, picnic tables and fairy lights, the bar serves a range of ales, microbeers (of course I know what that means) and cocktails. Our drink of the day was the alcoholic hot chocolate- unbelievably good. The music was absolutely free, and you were encouraged to bring in food from the surrounding stalls. Various paintings by local artists decorated the walls, as well as sculptures and murals- helping to bring back a sense of local community.

This is the IDEAL place to hire out for a gig, party, or general foodie gathering. Available for hire, particularly on Fridays. Enquiries directed to the contact number below.

So wrap up warm, hit portobello market for some overpriced 'vintage' felt hats (I fell victim to that one too, sure) and then cuddle up on the sofa with some paella and a pint and listen to the brilliant music in what has been described as London's mecca of rock'n'roll. One of the cosiest, fun and most relaxing places I've found in London, I love it!

Acklam Village Market & Bar:

Saturdays 10-5, Sundays 10-4.30

07815502164

4-8 Acklam Road, W105TY

Nearest tube: Ladbroke Grove (or a nice 15 min stroll from Notting Hill Gate)

Huge thanks to director&owner Dermot for use of the photos & postcards!

DO/EAT/DRINK: AN EVENING IN SOHO

PENS DOWN IT’S FRIDAY! Let me help you to kick off your shoes, hit the tiles, go out on the razz and paint the town red, you little party animals. Off we go.

Wardour Street. Hungry? How about

Pho: vietnamese street food for the cultured among you

Brgr. Co: classy fast food and killer milkshakes

Gail’s Artisan Bakery: displays Soho-inspired artwork on the walls, open till 10pm for late-night carb devourers (not me, you understand). Pastries, fresh bread & homemade dips. Heaven.

Inamo: ‘interactive’ pan-asian food where your table= your computer. Browse the menu, order and grab the bill at the swipe of a finger. Use the screens to find out about the area and even order taxis home! Perfect way to splash the cash on delicious sushi and noodle dishes.

Hummingbird Bakery: you know the drill.

(oh, and if you happen to get lost and find yourself on Charlotte St with a slightly more impressive budget, then head to ROKA for incredible sushi, or Wahaca for wonderful mexican market food and Hibiscus mojitos)

Right then. Full yet? Let’s have a drink.

Barrio Central: underground (well, there’s a ground floor too but ‘ground floor bar’ doesn’t sound as impressive) Latin-themed cocktail bar with the best fruity cocktails, candlelit shacks and wonderful live music. We stayed for 4 hours and got the whole place dancing. Plus, you really can’t argue with 3-8pm happy hour on weekdays and all day till 7pm weekends. 

Rum Shack @ Floriditas: Be quick- this pop up bar won’t be around for long. Enjoy the classy booths of the downstairs Jazz bar with live music, or cosy up in the makeshift Carribbean shack (complete with fake palm trees) and drink fruity cocktails. And just LOOK at what they’ve got on for V-day:

By this stage my research assistant and I were fairly intoxicated and therefore unable to provide sound and credible establishment analysis. If you are still going by this point, I take my hat off to you. Enjoy!

EAT: PIX, SOHO

You there. Londoner. Stop what you’re doing. Put that knife and fork down. For nothing you are going to eat in the near future will be as good as what I am about to suggest. I mean it.
Situated just around the corner from buzzing Wardour & Dean Street in Soho, PIX is a tapas restaurant with a twist (apologies for hurling cliches at you). All the food is laid out at the bar, buffet style, with little sticks to indicate price (£1.95/£2.75). Grab a plate and get picking- the food is beautifully arranged and tastes fantastic. It was all I could do not to ditch the dish and just take a running jump at the display with my mouth open- although innumerable protruding sticks may have hindered the success of that particular ‘all-you-can-eat’ long-jump approach.

My wonderful friend and unofficial photography assistant Gemma and I struggled to find the appropriate balance between nibbling (stuffing) and penning down everything from the tapas menu to the music and general ‘ambience’ (really fancying myself as a restaurant critic at this stage) of the place. Here are some of our observations:

FOOD goats cheese & pine nut stuffed pepper, iberico ham & quails egg on toast, seared tuna bruschetta, gazpacho martini, confit pork belly & apple sauce, crab & cod croquette, serrano ham on tomato bread, patatas bravas, spicy diabolo meatballs, churros & chocolate, summer berry compote w chantilly cream, espresso chocolate fondant…

DRINK strawberry mojito, dark & stormy, elderflower bellini, passion fruit margarita (all £8)

Feast on those little beauties in this candlelit cavern while serenaded by a truly smile-provoking and eclectic playlist. Jamiroquai, the Specials, Baby Bird, Eric Clapton, Primal Scream & Rod Stewart were those we felt compelled to acknowledge. Looking back I realise your music tastes may be a little different to ours but we were a bottle down and over-excited by this stage…

So, if I haven’t sold it to you by this point, apologies. Pick your knife & fork back up. Enjoy that now surely soulless bowl of penne. Good day to you.

The rest of you: head to PIX
16 Bateman St, Soho W1D 3AH, 02074370377 OR
63 Neal St, Covent Garden, WC2H 9PJ, 02078369779

Open midday till late, advisable to book for bigger parties (although we arrived at 6.30pm and there were spaces. It filled up sharpish after that.) A bottle of cava, 8 big and 2 small sticks + tip came to £50- fantastic value for the evening we had. Thumbs up.

DO: THE POTTERY CAFE

Here’s another rainy-day idea for you budding artists. Tried and tested, you are welcome. It pains me to say I am unsure as to whether or not I can ever return to this wonderful cafe, thanks to the maniacal behaviour of my best friend 5 minutes before closing time, but more on that later.

The pottery cafe, specifically its branch in sleepy Parson’s Green (setting the scene for you, why not) is a wonderful cosy nook for a catch up with friends- or better still a private party; BYOB welcomed and encouraged. The cafe, justifiably, promotes itself as the perfect place for children’s birthday parties and hen parties too. We were neither of these things (although we behaved at roughly the same intellectual level as the guests of a kiddie party, and exclaimed various obscenities usually saved for hen do’s. By we, I mean you, Vikki.)

The cafe is a warm, bright and welcoming room with several long tables shared by different groups. There is an impressive selection of proper coffees and home made cakes, and, best of all, the endless collection of china you may choose as your canvas is all made by Emma Bridgewater. For this reason our afternoon excursion can’t exactly come under the description ‘fun on a budget’- but I thought the all inclusive cost of about £16 for ‘entry’, paints, glazing and the resulting pottery itself was a very reasonable deal. There are innumerable glaze colours and adorable sponge shapes and pens with which to decorate your mug/teapot/other item of homeware with.

Show us your skills as a ceramicist! I hear you cry. I’m sure I can dig out a photo from somewhere- including the one that nicely illustrates the handiwork of my best friend- who has in her own way remained nameless. It would appear that Victria, after 22 years on this planet, still struggles to grasp the correct spelling of her own name. When I quietly (loudly) pointed out her mistake, she descended into a fit of despair. We had wiled away almost 3 hours painting and chatting, and had just 5 minutes in which to complete our work. Victria barked orders for new paint, sandpapered her mug until it was a size that could only accomodate an espresso and offended our fellow painters, young and old, with her colourful language. Gone are my chances of returning to the cafe to complete my bespoke kitchenware collection, but for those of you who are able to moderate your artistic mood swings (and spell your own name correctly), see below for details.

The Pottery Cafe: book in advance and possibly on a weekday evening to avoid hoards of children. Parties welcomed. Expect to give around a week for glazing before collection of your pottery. Gorgeous adjoining pottery shops for those of you who’d rather buy Emma Bridgewater’s and attempt to pass it off as your own. Wonderful for gifts.

3 branches: All open 7 days a week at various times. Usually 1 night a week open until 10pm, and this can be made possible for groups of 10 or more.

Parson’s Green 020 7736 2157

Battersea 020 7223 3388 

Richmond 020 8744 3000

http://www.pottery-cafe.com/

EAT/SEE: CRAZY WENDY'S

Right, before those of you that know me start piping up with ‘you don’t even live in London’, let’s throw some light (literally would be ideal) on my current hometown- Manchester. Sure, I’m probably a little too partial to nights in, welded to the sofa infront of our dinky little fake fire watching terrible Christmas films, but I go out. I do. Maybe even weekly. Gone are the days of sweaty club hopping, and in its place are little gold mines like this one.

Crazy Wendy’s. Some might say I’ve matured into a connoisseur of eclectic nightlife. Others might question my definition of a good time. Whichever camp you fall into, this is a comedy night for anyone and everyone. A deposit of £5 per person (taken off your bill at the end of the night) will get you a table in what appears to be an over-crowded, slightly anti-climatic Thai restaurant with a remarkable array of tableware (read: rice served in miniature cauldrons, trophy cups and pretty much anything else that turned up in the kitchen). Hang about. Order another beer and try to be open minded. The excessively loud 80’s music and continuous arrival of dishes from the never-ending set menu (in which you have fairly little choice) suddenly becomes amusing. So does the increasing vigour with which the microphone gets haphazardly passed from table to table. Oh, it’s a karaoke bar by the way. Diners become noticeably drunker, and significantly bolder with the microphone. During my visit, the neighbouring ‘Manchester vending machine company’ christmas party began, one by one, to stand on the table in order to batter a series of Queen hits to a pulp. This was openly encouraged by the staff- who subsequently cleared away the food and rearranged the tables to create platforms for willing singers. The karaoke alone was entertainment enough, but just you wait. The main purpose of our trip to this highly regarded little restaurant was yet to come.

With almost no warning, the lights were dimmed. From the kitchen (where she has previously been working as part of the kitchen staff) emerged a minuscule, sequin-drenched Asian lady, dressed as Shirley Bassey. Carried from table top to table top by a particularly dedicated member of the front of house staff, Crazy Wendy bellowed out the greatest hits of Elvis Presley, cheered on by the now-paralytic members of the Manc Vending Co. All guests were dancing on tables, with long ago desensitised staff members darting around catching falling glasses. Health and Safety was out the window, sure. The night turned into one of the funniest and most bizarre karaoke-cum-all-you-can-eat-Thai-buffet experiences of my life. Well, the only one. By the time we (my speechless and slightly intimidated boyfriend and I) left, around a hundred people were packed into the tiny little restaurant, dancing on the tables arm in arm as Crazy Wendy sidled through the crowds performing what could easily be described as both the best and worst tribute to Elvis Presley the world has ever seen.

So, friends, if you’re looking for a hilarious night out for a friend’s birthday, a staff party, or just a great excuse to get silly drunk and exhibit your vocal skills, then look no further. Book well in advance (we got the last, possibly makeshift, table in the house with 8 days notice), and expect to pay £25 pp for food. Wendy performs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights- although the website claims the restaurant is also ‘the perfect place for a quiet mid-week meal’. Don’t hold me to that.

West Didsbury (30 minute bus journey from Manchester Piccadilly), 0161 4455200.

5 LITTLE GEMS FOR THE SUPER BUSY, UBER-METROPOLITAN YOUNG PROFESSIONAL (THAT I WISH I WAS)

• Voucher Cloud Slightly less frequent torrent of irritating emails than those jokers at studentbeans- although you can’t argue with 40% off at Yo!Sushi…
• I know this great little place… Just fantastic.
• Dinner Deals Make her think you’ve really splashed out
• TimeOut Whole pages dedicated to cheap and free events and activities = Christmas come early for stingy students like me…
• Design My Night Rooftop bars, hidden hotspots, bars organised by beverage- g&t for me- and VALENTINE’S ideas, including ‘anti-valentines’ nights. Brilliant!

Credit to Lucy Tobin’s Ausperity (Heron Books, £7.99) for some of these jazzy ideas. Top marks to you, don’t shoot the messenger etc etc. Happy Sunday!

DO: THE ALTERNATIVE LONDON WALKING TOUR

Where better to start for my first ever post than sharing with you the best date I have ever been on (I arranged it, sure). How better to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon in the sun (disclaimer: sun not guaranteed) than strolling around the culturally-soaked artistic hub that is London’s east end, with your very own guide.

In a group of around 15 (small enough to stick together and feel acknowledged, big enough to make friends), we were amiably herded from Spitalfields market to Brick Lane and back in a loop strategically planned to show off the finest and most current street art in the area. Our guide hopped from canvas to canvas, painting a picture of the history of East London and its most influential residents. He explained the techniques and stories behind the wonderful paintings and figurines we came across- many of which represented cryptic political viewpoints. The artists included seemingly omnipresent Banksy, and ‘Stik’- whose controversial yet beautifully simple work has been commissioned by celebrities including Elton John (see: http://www.stik.org.uk).

In two hours we glided through the sights and scents of buzzing Moorgate, Shoreditch and Hoxton- stopping for snacks and market trinkets at the multicultural stalls along the way. One of the best things about our sunny afternoon of art was that it was a pay-what-you-like situation, literally making it worth every penny you.
So, if you’re looking for something cheap, insightful and a little different to fill a lazy afternoon with then I can’t recommend these guys enough. What’s more, they also hold cycling tours for those who fancy going even further into East London and its history, and workshops on double decker buses for the budding artists among you. Check out their website (below) for descriptions, timings and contact details. http://www.alternativeldn.co.uk/

HELLO

Welcome to my humble blog (pretending I haven’t entertained the idea of becoming an internet phenomenon). As a mostly penniless hopeless romantic and general busybody, I seem to have unknowingly built up a mental database of fun places to go, things to do and more. Most of this is based in what I believe is one of the greatest cities in the world, the lovely London, but as a Manchester-based student my escapades have extended a little further north, too.
I’m a self-confessed wannabe of the champagne lifestyle - albeit one who’s slightly less inclined to confess her lemonade budget. This, combined with mild hyperactivity and low boredom threshold means I’ve spent many a weekend ambling through London in search of little-known themed bars and quirky activities.
And so, if you’ll permit me to be your guide, begins our little tour of the hidden gems of London and beyond (with a couple of recipes, gift ideas and miscellaneous musings chucked in for good measure). Thank you for reading!