I'm moving from Reading to London (Canada Water) and will be around UCL a lot. What are some hidden gems and great deals that I should look out for? We are really into drinking, food, comedy and film (my wife is working on a PhD in Film). I'm looking forward to seeing the The Rocky Horror Picture Show, paying more than I would like for tickets to the Book of Mormon, getting standing tickets to the globe theatre. Waking up at 5am to buy fish in the market. These are some of the things I've come across. I know many of you live in London. Some of these are things I heard about while checking flats in London. I've even heard of a place when you can lay in beds, order drinks and watch films. It seems that I will have even more choices in the summer. hottubcinema.com and pillowcinema.com Roxy Bar and Screen - Digital screenings of cult genre movies in casual space with cocktail bar and comfort-food menu. MEATmission - Former mission with stained glass and salvaged-wood tables, serving upmarket burgers and hotdogs. The Mayflower - Thames-side pub with small bar, upstairs restaurant and tables on wooden deck overlooking the river. This is an amazing pub with excellant food. Shakespeare's Globe It's not easy on the feet, but the best experience at the Globe is standing in the Yard. To be a groundling costs a mere £5. There are also some restricted view seats for £15. National Theatre £12 tickets are available for most productions, limited to two per person, but the sightlines are pretty good. You can get into sold out shows (or shows with only top bracket tickets left) by queueing on the day: the box office opens at 9.30am (12pm Sundays) with a limited number of £12 seats and £5 standing tickets for all shows. We usually find getting there by 8am is fine, though you can double your chances by queueing on a day with a matinee and evening performance. more here... Billingsgate Market - If i can drag my ass out of bed early enough. The market sources products from all around the world and can offer up to 140-150 varieties of fish and shellfish.
Itison and Groupon are your friend! Don't live in London so I can't give specific examples, but those sites are great for Food, Cinema, Theatre etc up here in Glasgow.
Red Dog Saloon in Hoxton Square for A-Mazing wings. Bodeans does a 'Game day special' sunday to thursday for £15 which is brilliant value. Byron Burger for awesome burgers and huge yummy onion rings! As you can see I like BBQ!
Try Meat Liqour for trays full of great wings and awesome hotdogs; http://meatliquor.com/london/ Best wings in London to date have to be from The Big Easy (the Kings Road one, not Covent Garden as made for tourists) with the voodoo sauce. The King prawns in the same sauce work well too! http://bigeasy.co.uk
Thanks guys, I've heard of Meat Liqour and Byron Burger and look forward to trying both. I'm fortunate to have a wife that like watching sports so I will try to get to Bodeans on a game day.
Go to the Shard, but don't pay 25 quid for the viewing platform. Instead invest the money on your favourite alcohol based drink in the bar somewhere around the 52nd floor where you get just as stunning view in a very nice setting. I like walking through Temple and Lincolns Inn Fields. Be a tourist. Go to St Paul, walk the Millennium Bridge then do the Tate modern. Prefer the pubs around Borough market than the trendier ones to the north. The George Inn has good beer but is pricey however you won't get much more of a character pub in London (it's now National trust I believe). Go to the market as well as there are some fantastic restaurants. However, never, ever, ever, ever feel the need to grow a beard and then queue for half an hour to by a coffee from Monmoths or some artesian bread from next door on a Sunday morning. Likewise, never refer to certain areas as 'villages' (looking at you Brixton, Clapham, Battersea). If you ever reach that point it's gods way of telling you to return to the counties!
Second Bodean's, only tried the one in soho though, I have gone all the way to London (from Cardiff) just for the food there.
Second Byron's for burgers, Usually go in if im down in London for work for more than a day or 2. Had the best steak ever at Goodmans, Pricey but worth a try at least once.
As good as Hawksmore is, go L'Entrecote instead... The only place in London that understands the meaning of kill it, wipe its arse and put it on a plate.
For me: See all the art without rushing. So many great galleries. Not just the Tates and National (but definitely including them).
Byron is a chain which is expanding very rapidly. Its a standard burger. If you want a better burger there are two distinct types which have become apparent:- Upscale Fast food Style:- Meat Mission/Liquor (Hoxton Square, Islington and others) Dirty Burger Lucky Chip (Was in the SeaBrite for a while) Gormet Burgers:- These are the ones which will give you heart palpatations. Hawksmoor Flat Iron (Also do incredible £10 Steaks) Little Social Now what you should be excited about is Korean/Japanese Fried Chicken: Go to Chicken Sours. Will have you licking the plate. Go to Byron if the queue for flat iron is too long or something.
