Cry for help
So, say if me and him were off up to Fancy London for the weekend. You know, just suppose.
We've got the hotel booked. We're off to a gig at the Astoria on Sunday night. We have most of Saturday planned, and will be mostly lazing about on Sunday. Where you come in is here:
Where do we go on Saturday night? We don't do trendy wine bars. We don't do dressing up (either for dinner or the Torture Gardens, thank you). We do, however, do pubs, and beer and live music and not spending horrendous amounts of money and we're staying north of the river.
Go on then. Recommend something. I dare you.
*waits for barrage of unsettling suggestions or, worse, three people commenting and suggesting the bar at the Novotel*
We've got the hotel booked. We're off to a gig at the Astoria on Sunday night. We have most of Saturday planned, and will be mostly lazing about on Sunday. Where you come in is here:
Where do we go on Saturday night? We don't do trendy wine bars. We don't do dressing up (either for dinner or the Torture Gardens, thank you). We do, however, do pubs, and beer and live music and not spending horrendous amounts of money and we're staying north of the river.
Go on then. Recommend something. I dare you.
*waits for barrage of unsettling suggestions or, worse, three people commenting and suggesting the bar at the Novotel*
posted by surly girl at 8:23 pm
23 Comments:
When I first went out in London a couple of years ago, I was scared. I thought it would be full of very swanky places indeed.
Just back from travelling, I had no money and one outfit (Jeans. Trainers.).
But I soon realised that, unlike provincial nightlife, where you have to be wearing shirt'n'shoes, London's decidedly more relaxed.
I've been to loads of fantastic, laid-back Proper Pubs, posh-looking bars (but full of people in jeans and trainers) and indie-rock discos.
Unfortunately, I don't know the names of any of them. I'm usually pissed.
Just meander, you'll find somewhere good...
Without obviously giving away the map co-ordinates for fear of stalker-types
mysteriously appearing - which part of North London will you be in? North London is very big - NE or NW or N - there's quite a big difference - I can think of a few places but I don't want you to get pissed off with having to take 3 tubes, a night bus and then a 20 minute walk and wishing you had never asked! :-)
I have no sense of direction, so I can't tell you how close this would be....
Go to the Tate Modern. They stay open until 10, and the crowd is very hip and interesting. Then you can stroll along the river.
No wonderful suggestions as whenever I go to London I usually end up being dragged round gay bars (I did like Heaven though). But for indie music and cheap beer, I did go to kalleidoscope (King's College student union but only a fiver to get in and less than £2 for a beer)It is full of students so you might feel a bit ancient (I did) but there is some hot ass there of both persuasions. And you can wear jeans and trainers.
Nope. I got nothing.
I worked in London for 4 years so have a fair knowledge of places to go and things to do but as this is Surly and my first sojourn together we wanted to do something a little different.
So far the suggestion of a Soho strip club has fallen on deaf ears but I'm hoping the lack of anything better from you lot might make it happen !!!!!!!
Echo the Tate Modern suggestion, also try the British Museum for a romantic place to eat. My sister says they are the best two places in London at the moment (and she lives there most of the time). And she is always right, of course.
Curse it.
Go to a comedy club.
Not the Comedy Store (stag/hen party hell on a Saturday night). One of the smaller ones.
Then go for a nice meandering walk.
Interested in decent beer? Try the Orange Brewery in Pimlico.
I'm sorry, but I don't know London very well. :(
But, hey, if you're ever in New York City, I have a very long list of suggestions for you!! :)
f'd if I know. One of the reasons I'm leaving London frankly
You could go for a hit and miss curry at Brick Lane (nearest tube - Aldgate East) and then go and see punk band Newtown Neutrotics at The Spitz nearby, or electronica chappie Osymoso at 93 Feet East.
The Priscillas at The Luminaire over in Kilburn should be a good gig too.
(oh, and if you don't go in for curries, Noodle King at the top of Brick Lane and along Bethnal Green Road a bit will serve you a plate of chinese deliciousness you'd be foolhardy to attempt to finish for under a 5iver)
completely and utterly off topic:
you must check this out... “Subversive Cross Stitch: 33 Designs For Your Surly Side.”
referenced at: http://theinfomaniac.blogspot.com/
who has a great couple of blogs, by the bye.
I'm with Fifi and Fisi - Camden is the place. Full of disgusting filthy pubs full of disgustng filthy indie rock stars, and everywhere stays open till about 3am these days - just don't be tempted to eat anything from Tasty Corner, because you'll only throw it up again 100 yards up the street.
Oh, and the Marathon kebab shop up towards Chalk Farm tube does the best chips and curry sauce, *and* I sat next to Phil Mitchell from Eastenders in there once.
But on the other hand, I'm also with Huw on recommending the Luminaire in Kilburn - top venue, very cool, great bands, *and* I got chatted up last time I was there by someone who was at least 10 years younger than me - result!
There's more to Soho than strip clubs - or there was when I lived there.
It's good for wandering: lots of bars (for a splash, the food upstairs at The French House was always good); cheap eats, especially Greek and Chinese; coffee bars and various mob joints.
Most bus routes converge and there are lots of tube connections.
I want to go.
Can I ask Stolie - I'm off to NYC at the end of the month. Any tips?
Get down the Marquee and see The Who, get tanked up on Double Diamond.
This is one of my favourite places to eat in Lunnon: www.qualitychophouse.co.uk
My ignorance is almost as big as London but it doesn't look as though you're short of suggestions :)
Well, I have to admit I am utterly useless being as drunk as a skunk but hope you had a good time. Night night - had big birthday party to contend with - too much red wine consumed copious amounts and now need to lie down! Sweet dreams.
I'm coming to London from Cape Town next week and the Tate and Museum suggestions are most helpful. Well-timed post from my point of view. I have never understood the English passion for drunken curry-munching though. It;s adding insult to injury. My golden rule of eating: never ever eat a kebab. I have never met a spit-cooked kebab that didn't give me stomach melt-down. Again, this is a favourite of the pissed. Weird.
We had a top time in the big city. Unfortunately we picked the weekend when there were major disruption to 8 of the main tube lines so it made getting about more difficult.
Instead we chose to walk most places and as a result saw more of 'real' London than perhaps we would otherwise.
I'll leave SG to fill in the gory details but suffice to say we had an absolute blast and it is another fabulous experience I will add to my growing collection.
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