March 6th, 2012
Paris is widely acknowledged as the capital of romance. The Eiffel Tower is constantly billed as the place to propose, Tom Cruise proposed to Katie Holmes there. Then again, it’s widely acknowledged that he’s completely insane. People are in love with the idea of falling in love in Paris. It’s such a romanticised notion. I just spent the night in Paris, it was not romantic. At least not if you spend the evening on a light up disco floor dancing with the staff from the French Democrat campaign trail anyway. But that’s another story.
Paris and I have a complicated relationship. One Christmas I surprised a boyfriend with 3 night trip to the city of love (I’d run out of original gift ideas by that point in our relationship and this is what I resorted to). He wasn’t happy. Why would I think he would want to go to Paris?? It was just not “his kind of thing”. He was right. I had totally screwed this up. I knew he would have hated going to Paris but I was so in love with idea of Paris, I romanticised the situation – daydreaming about how we would re-kindle our burnt out relationship whilst exchanging long gazes in front of the Mona Lisa. Ridiculous on my part really. We actually ended up in Paris not so long after the Christmas catastrophe, not for a romantic escape but a family visit. We fought the entire time. Paris can never be the most romantic place in my mind, it’s a beautiful city of landmarks and culture and therefore should be enjoyed for its restaurants, places to drink and shop.
My suggestions if you ever find yourself in gay Paris and without a hand to hold…
Chez Moune
This is the trendy club right now. Sexy & stylish, it’s the ideal party spot for la bohemienne. Especially popular around fashion week, its crowd is as cool as expensive champagne on ice.
Chez Moune, 54 rue Jean-Baptiste Pigalle, Paris, Île-de-France 75009
Aux Deux Amis
This modern bistro won Le Fooding guide’s Le Palmarès 2010 Best Restaurant award and for good reason too. The daily changing menu is full of great sharing plates like chorizo and grilled sardines as well as more contemporary offerings like Wagyu beef served with salsify, and grilled squid with squid ink risotto. A very affordable (for Paris) three course lunch menu is available during the day.
Aux Deux Amis, 45 Rue Oberkampf, 75011 Paris
Marche des Enfants Rouge
A brilliant food market with international wines and little restaurants. Go walk around, grab a table and enjoy the atmospehere. The Japanese place is the most raved about. Simply amazing!
Marche des Enfants Rouge, 39 rue de Bretagne, Paris, Île-de-France 75003
Point Ephemere
Head near to the canal and to Point Ephemere. Live music, drinks and a little dance never did anyone any harm!
Point Ephemere, 200 quai de Valmy, Paris, Île-de-France 75010
March 1st, 2012
One more day to get through and it’s here! Freedom and time to go out and play. So, what to do? Here’s our pick of the best things to do this weekend.
Films At The Yard: Cocktail
Start your weekend early! The same people who brought us The Rooftop Cinema Club are now hosting a series of film sessions at The Yard Theatre. Tonight’s showing is classic Tom Cruise film, Cocktail. Don’t pretend like you’ve never attempted to recreate his moves. The 110 seater space has a bar and cafe & performance space. Book tickets here.
Cocktail, The Yard Theatre, Queen’s Yard, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN
All New People
If you were ever a fan of Zach Braff’s antics in popular US comedy Scrubs, you can now see the erstwhile comic actor turn screenwriter and star of new play “All New People”. Good reviews from the off-Broadway crowd and a interesting cast of characters, why not go and get some theatre action?
Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4BG. Ticket from £39.50
supperclub Presents Grant Nelson & Soul Purpose DJs
Each Friday supperclub hosts evenings that promise great food, amazing music, brilliant performances and the best party for miles around. “A feast for all the senses”, it’s a unique experience and if you’re looking for a traditional restaurant, you would be heading to the wrong place. Freedom reigns here.
supperclub, 12 Acklam Road, Notting Hill, W10 5QZ
Breakfast At The Wolseley
An amazing way to start your Saturday morning. With the weather looking up, take a walk down Piccadilly and enjoy a Bloody Mary in one of London’s most sought after breakfast spots. Their salmon & scrambled eggs is sublime and the home-made Viennoiserie will make you question the way you have breakfast each morning. Served from 8.30 a.m until 11.30 a.m, booking is advised.
The Wolseley, 160 Piccadilly, W1J 9EB
David Shrigley: Brain Activity
Who said art can’t have a sense of humour? David Shrigley’s ‘Brain Activity’ is full of his praised situational humour and his ridiculous treatment of failure. Showing at the Hayward Gallery until May 10th, it’s already received heaps of admiration and it would be an ideal way to spend a weekend afternoon.
David Shrigley: Brain Activity, Hayward Gallery, SE1.
Now you’ve got your weekend sorted, all you need now is someone to enjoy it with. Logon at clicktonight.com, meet someone and make some plans now.
Happy weekend all!
February 28th, 2012
Have you ever walked down the street and spotted an attractive girl you wanted to talk to? When you’re out in a bar or club an approach is simple, but how do you go about interrupting her journey without annoying her?
Our resident dating expert, Adam Cumberland of BMG Connections gives you 10 steps to successful interactions with women in the street. It’s not impossible and with a few of these stellar skills, you’ll be able to meet women on your way to work, whilst you’re walking to the gym or just on your way to meet friends. Here goes…
Like this post? Why not have a look at A Man’s Guide to Dating, The Dating Game and Its New Rules and How Men Should Convey Themselves on the First Date. Happy Reading!
February 24th, 2012
When you’re dating it seems like everyone has an opinion and advice ready to dish out. Make sure you show your shoulders, it makes him think of boobs. You have to be rude to her at first and give her a “a neg” (as in negative compliment). Stare into their left eye and they’ll want to have sex with you. This advice was probably unsolicited. Over my dating career, I’ve received some terrible advice. Some from friends, some from acclaimed experts. I thought I would share with you in the hope you could avoid it like you would an embarrassing ex!
Listen up Girls:
“If you are in a long-distance relationship, he must visit you at least three times before you visit him. Remember, the first three visits are really nothing more than three dates… and on the first three dates we don’t have sex with a man or have him stay at our place overnight.” – The Rules by Ellen Fein & Sherrie Schneider
Was there ever a book written that was more detrimental to anyone’s sex life and dating exploits?!
“When at a bar, scrunch up a napkin, dip it into your glass of water and throw it at his head and smile at him. Trust me, this works.” – a terrible “expert”
I actually tested this…it did NOT go well.
“I’m all about the cleavage! Everybody that knows me knows that about me, and if you don’t have it, I know Victoria’s Secret has got some bras that can help that situation out.” – The Rules According to JWoww (of Jersey Shore)
You should never take advice from anyone on Jersey Shore. Ever. They are all ridiculous and this is why they are entertaining. You run the risk of being equally ridiculous if you were to trust them with your dating life.
Trust me boys:
Guy: “What nationality are you?”
Girl: “French”
Guy: “Seriously? No Way!!! The girl I had the biggest crush on in high school was French!I Can’t even talk to you now.” – The Massive Complete Book of Mystery’s Pick-up Artist Routines.
Guys, Mystery is not a god. He doesn’t always get it right as demonstrated in the above example. This is not only confusing (which conversation openers should never be) but it’s quite transparent as a line that’s supposed to create some sort of effect.
“It’s not lying, it’s flirting.”
No it is lying. Never advisable.
“Just be yourself. If they don’t like you for who you are then they aren’t worth being with.” – standard advice from friends/ parents who know as much about dating as a cast member of Jersey Shore does.
A first date is not the opportunity to reveal your true self. It’s an audition. Treat it like a job interview. You’re not being someone else. It’s still you but your best bits. Let them discover all your bizarre quirks after a few more dates! If you like one too many beers or sitting on the sofa with your hand down your trousers, girls don’t want to see on their first date you getting obliterated and fondling yourself! An extreme example perhaps but you get the point.
Planning a date this weekend and don’t know where to go? Browse our Places Page for ideas, inspiration and the low down on the best places to eat, drink and party!
February 16th, 2012
The other night we hosted our infamous F**k Valentine’s Just Party event at London’s Kanaloa club, at the heart of the city. A change of venue from our usual stomping ground, Kanaloa was a welcome tropical escape from the cold snap. In our heathen homage to St Valentine we drank oversized cocktails and toasted to the unfortunates who had spent the day scrambling for the last bouquet of red roses and were now crammed into busy restaurants with set menus nobody wants to eat. Cheers to V Day!
Tiki torches, lei flower garlands and grass-skirt hula girls made our luau oahu party complete. We kicked things off nice and early by wasting no time after work and heading straight over to Kanaloa, voted the best global tiki bar. Complimentary cocktails meant our party goers were well into the swing of things by 9 p.m.
We were so impressed by your dancing skills last night fellow revellers as you stormed the dancefloor in our best dance off to date! Don’t worry we captured it all on camera. Take a look at last night’s album and you might even see yourself making shapes! If you weren’t with us last night, see what you missed out on. Until next time!
February 7th, 2012
“Where else can you go in a matter of 20 minutes, look at 200 women who are single and want to go on dates?” This was a comment made by a single man in a recent report which examined over 400 academic studies and was published this week in the Psychological Science Journal. The report looks at the benefits of being exposed to a huge dating pool of potential dates and partners and the disadvantages of being overwhelmed by choice.
A hectic professional schedule and a busy social life can mean that there is so little time to meet new people. If you want to extend your reach beyond the my friend who works with scenario, it can be quite hard without the help of meddlesome matchmaking friends and parents. Let’s face it, it’s tough. “Online dating is good. I’m very, very glad it exists. It gives opportunities to singles who otherwise wouldn’t have them,” said Eli J. Finkel, an associate professor of social psychology at Northwestern University and the study’s lead author. Online Dating is now the second most common way of starting a relationship – second only to meeting through mutual friends.
It’s funny how far dating in the digital era has come. When online dating was a new concept back in 1995 it was seen as dominated by desperate dans and weirdos, which in turn cast a stigma over the process of meeting someone online. Now that’s all changed, an ideal solution for workaholics and busy singles alike, the report found that in one month last year 25 million people were using online dating sites to meet new people. On the flip side, the report also focused on the time consuming problem of going from profile to profile and this can “can result in the objectification of potential partners.” Surely this same thing happens when you’re scanning potential talent in a bar on a Thursday night?? It’s not online dating that encourages this attitude, it’s already there! We first decide whether or not someone looks “attractive” and then we make the decision on whether to approach them or not. Finkel and his team compared online dating to shopping at ’supermarkets of love’. Well, every little bit helps!
Dateless for Valentine’s Day? Come party with us at new venue Kanaloa for our infamous F**k Valentine’s – Just Party event. There’s still some tickets left!
February 2nd, 2012
Accursed St Valentine! A thousand plagues upon you for being the source of all this madness. The flowers, the balloons, the special lovers’ deals at every restaurant. No matter how hard you try…you. just. can’t. escape. As the last bastion of your single friends scramble to find last minute dates, you might be forgiven for condemning the whole horrid event. Here’s a handful of things you won’t hate getting caught up in and you won’t be stuck at home on Valentine’s Day. Who knows, you might even fall back in love with the holiday.
Come and party with us
Don’t you dare stay at home! Where there’s a will there’s a good party to go. Bring your friends or if you’re a single lady, use our wingwoman service to find a party partner (email wingwoman@clicktonight.com for more info). Join us at new venue Kanaloa for a night that promises to blow all our previous parties out of the water. Complimentary cocktails for those who get here early. Book your tickets quickly as we’re selling out and for guestlist/ table reservations email theparty@clicktonight.com.
F**k Valentine’s- Just Party @ Kanaloa, 18 Lime Office Court EC4A
Go see a movie
This may seem a very mediocre option but what better way to escape Valentine’s Day by escaping to another world. With Oscars season on the horizon, there is a flurry of amazing movies showing on the silver screen. Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley & Viggo Mortensen star in the Freudian drama A Dangerous Method and the critics can’t stop talking about it. Arm yourself with Häagen-Dazs and immerse yourself in someone else’s story.
Cocktail Hour
Grab an ally and head to Mishkin’s in Covent Garden for some reasonably priced cocktails in one of our new favourite hangouts. They pride themselves as a “kind of Jewish deli with cocktails” and their quirky American diner style interior coupled with a glass of prosecco and a plate of ground beef and green peppercorn meatballs will make you forget all about…who cares? Can’t remember. If this isn’t your part of town, check out our Places Page where our savvy members have reviewed the best bars.
Mishkin, 25 Catherine Street WC2B
Bowl Your Blues Away
There are few things more distracting than getting active and whether you’re a natural or embarrassingly awful, you’re guaranteed to enjoy the retro-style bowling at All Star Lanes. American Diner, cocktail bar and more stylish than average bowling shoes will mean you’re more than occupied. No excuses for Valentine’s Day misery.
All Star Bowling Lanes: Brick Lane, Holborn, Bayswater, Stratford City
Dancing With Myself
Dance the night away at Brazilian hotspot Floripa where Adriano Trindade plays live classic Samba and Samba Rock on Valentine’s Day. Take a gang down there prepared to storm the dancefloor or go solo and salsa into someone’s arms!
Floripa, 91-93 Great Eastern St, EC2A
Get the Green Light
Ok so it is a traffic light party BUT this is a much more classy affair. Proud Camden are hosting and you can expect their usual antics. Live music and some fun games to keep you entertained until the small hours of the morning.
Proud Camden, The Stables, Camden NW1
Enjoy fellow singletons!
x
January 28th, 2012
We are just loving all the guest blog contributions that are flying into our inbox. Your dating stories, good and bad, are hilarious! Keep them coming and we promise to post the best ones. Melissa made a bold move by plunging into the Spanish dating scene. Her experiences so far? A game of numbers so it would seem…
Having had no luck with British men, I was excited to move to Spain. They had to be better, didn’t they? Well, I have found it easy to meet people, or should I say, guys have made an effort to meet me- in the most random places and ways- from having my bum pinched in the street, to a guy getting out of a car and asking me on a date, saying he liked the look of me. The thing is, though, the meetings have come to nothing for one reason or another.
Ok, so the one who pinched my bum got a shock when I screamed, and he ran off. I thought it was odd that the other guy had driven by and stopped- I was wearing a hood, so he couldn’t really have seen what I looked like, could he? Anyway, didn’t give him my number.
But what of the guys I have exchanged numbers with?
The first seemed very romantic, showering me with compliments and telling me he thought he could fall in love again. After a couple of weeks, he confirmed he had fallen in love- just with someone else!
The second I met in a club, and he came to my rescue when my credit card got stolen and I couldn’t make myself understood over the phone. He invited me out and we went for tapas, then to a club. He paid everything and I thought it went well, until the end of the night when he said I will call you or you call me. It wasn’t quite a knock back but it felt like an insincere ‘I’ll call you’. Well, we did meet up again, and it was on our next date, I got my next number. What sort of a date was that, you may ask? Indeed! He picked me up and told me we were going out with some people he met on the internet. Location- an all-you-can eat Chinese buffet. It was when I was choosing my vegetables, that a tall, attractive guy came over and asked me if I was at the singles night.
‘I don’t know’ I replied.
‘Are you on one of the tables over there? ‘
‘Well, yes.’ I told him, somewhat surprised.
We chatted some and exchanged numbers- I mean, wouldn’t you after learning you were on a date like that?! From the restaurant, my date and I went to a club, accompanied by the guy I had exchanged numbers with (he invited himself). I didn’t know where to look or who to talk to, so plonked myself at the bar and worked my way through a few G n T’s until it was time to go home.
I never heard from my date again, but a few days later, the vegetable counter guy messaged me and invited me…..swimming! No way, I thought- not until the New Year’s resolutions have had time to make me bikini or at least swimsuit ready! I will wait and see if he responds to my suggestion of meeting for a drink, but will not hold my breath, I mean that would be far too normal a date, wouldn’t it?!
- Melissa Patient, Valencia
Got a good dating story? Get it off your chest and on to our blog! Email your contributions to info@clicktonight.com. Guidelines and more info here.
January 25th, 2012
Oh Camden, you are such a strange and surreal place. A real mixture of bars, pubs and restaurants call this lockside area home and the nightlife is so so active. You might even find a few late night revellers crowding around Amy Winehouse’s doorstep. Venture into the Stables Market and you discover live music venues, some quirky watering holes and you might even locate Gilgamesh.
You could be forgiven for thinking you had been transported to the West End – red carpet, ropes, tall intimidating girl with clipboard and angry looking bouncer. Though this is very un-Camden like and might not be totally in sync with the local vibe, up the escalator (yes the escalator) and you’ll soon forgive the unnecessary door antics. Inside, it’s huge. Gilgamesh is glamourous and is a taste of uber luxury in the heart of Camden.
Restaurant/bar/club combos are so rarely enjoyable. They often play host to a strange crowd dynamic when no one really feels like they are getting the full experience. Gilgamesh has been smart to separate its drinkers and diners from its party goers.
Set menus are awful. I hate them. A selection of things you don’t really want to eat and make your choice based on “what is the thing I can deal with eating”. The set menu at Gilgamesh is brilliant. I was stubborn enough to stick to a la carte and was left with a serious case of food envy when my date’s food arrived. I did manage to steal some of their Scallop Sui Mai and Hobo Miso Chilean Seabass. The food is not the cheapest but the value for money for the £60 set menu is very good. If you decide to stick to a la carte however, you won’t go wrong. The restaurant is headed up by maestro Head Chef Ian Pengelley.
If dinner has gone well, head upstairs to the 9000 sq ft club where you’ll find VIP booths and plenty of dark corners. Gilgamesh is extravagant, sultry and sexy. A great date venue if you’re willing to splash the $$$$. You won’t fail to impress and if the date doesn’t go as well as you might have hoped, at least the venue wouldn’t be to blame!
Tickets! Tickets! Tickets! We have them. You want them. Our F**K Valentine – Just Party event at Kanaloa is getting closer.
