Posts Tagged ‘london restaurants’

Opulence And A Taste Of The Exotic at Gilgamesh

Wednesday, 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.

Gilgamesh Camden, Clicktonight.com Date IdeasYou 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.

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A Date With The Doctor

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

A friend of mine recently went on a date with the most gorgeous doctor. Not her usual type (she works in production and prefers a more Shoreditch style) and GP doesn’t conjure images of her ideal East end quirky beau. He took her out to an amazing restaurant and then for a cocktail experience she won’t be forgetting any time soon. I couldn’t possibly keep this one to myself…

Moro
Moro Restaurant, Exmouth Market

Moro in Exmouth Market hits at the Moorish roots of Spanish heritage. Fusing tapas with North African cuisine is the genius idea of Sam and Sam Clark. A match made in heaven has meant that Londoners have been enjoying their food since 1997. As soon as you walk in, you’ll be instantly hit with the aroma of the wood burning oven and charcoal grill that has been in preparation for delicious food all day. Wood roasted pork with patatas aliňadas, Yoghurt cake and Manchego with Membrillo (tapas menu) might not seem like obvious combinations on a menu, but they play really well together as does all of the food at Moro.

The Whistling Shop

worship_street_whistling_shop
Straight from the horse’s mouth, The Whistling Shop on Worship St in Shoreditch is the “next best thing to hit London’s drinking scene and the last great thing in London’s drinking history”. A slightly confusing albeit quirky description, this place does offer something different to the cocktail lover’s experience. My friend whilst on her date ordered an Amaretto Sour. She was politely told that all cocktails served at The Whistling Shop were in house and signature…no Amaretto Sour, no Singapore Sling and you can forget about a Mojito. “What kind of bar doesn’t serve an Amaretto Sour?!”
The barman offered to make her something that would “itch that craving for sour” and sure enough, he did not fail her. To use their words as they invariably describe it better than me, by controlling what is drunk they have “completely independent control over taste, aroma, sound and vision”. The doctor did very well indeed.

Don’t want to date alone? Why not create a group and get a rabble together for drinks this week…Trust me, there’s a lot of fun to be had!

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It’s Bank Holiday Weekend! What Are You Doing?

Friday, August 26th, 2011

This is the best weekend of the Summer. Though traditionally thought of as the unofficial goodbye to our favourite not so sunny season, there’s no reason to be down about it. Here’s some places you should be going to!

Friday
Barts "somewhere on Sloane Avenue"

It’s a secret not many know about but it holds the key to your Friday night. No one really knows where Barts is, and they don’t like to give too much away. There’s just one clue…it’s somewhere on Sloane Avenue in a 1930’s apartment block. Its style is appropriately “speakeasy”, giving you a taste of prohibition times gone by. Eclectic interior, tea cocktails and a fancy dress box, you shall not be bored here. Small yet intimate and devilishly exclusive. You wouldn’t want to miss out on the place that got London’s cool kids buzzing.

Saturday
SW4, Clapham Common

If you missed Glastonbury, V Festival and Lovebox, there’s one more celebration of music that the whole city is heading to. If the camping always put you off, fear not SW4 is a day festival. Electronic music is the name of the game on Clapham Common this weekend where Pete Tong, Ibiza favourite James Zabiela and Pendulum will headline on Sunday with their final live appearance until 2013.

Sunday
Notting Hill Carnival

Europe’s biggest carnival is here again at Notting Hill, the place made famous by Hugh Grant. Steel drum bands, hundreds of Caribbean food stalls, 40 sound systems, colourful carnival performers – this is one lively day. You will forget the grey skies of London and be instantly transported to the hot Caribbean. This is helped by the fact that it promises to be the only sunny day of the weekend!

Monday
The Draper's Arms, a neighbourhood pub

Bank Holiday Monday is best spent recovering…in a pub. The Draper’s Arms in Islington will soothe that hangover with their delightful gastropub style menu. With all the comfort of a neighbourhood bar, The Draper’s Arms attracts from all over the city. The menu changes daily and according to what’s in season but if you’re lucky enough to see the Langoustines, aioli & salad and Braised Ox Cheek on the menu, you are in for a feast. If Sunday’s weather lasts, drink the rest of the day away in their cosy garden.

Happy weekend all!

Want to know what else is on offer this weekend? Visit our Places Page and check out our members’ favourites!

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Shhhh! Best Kept Secret In Mayfair

Wednesday, July 20th, 2011

Don’t tell a single soul I told you. One of London’s most exclusive and beautiful restaurants – the place gastronomic dreams are made of – is offering up the deal of the year. Notoriously expensive, this is the perfect opportunity to treat your date to an evening in this stunning Mayfair restaurant at a complete steal. Result.

Quaglino's, MayfairIn conjunction with the Evening Standard, Quaglino’s is offering up a £25 two course meal and a cool glass of Piper-Heidsieck. Recently available this week up until September, this Mayfair hotspot will set the scene for the ideal date.

A favourite of celebrities, Quaglino’s originally built up its reputation as dining room of the stars and its crustacea bar of course. The fruits de mer platter and Maldon rock oysters are famous in their own right.

Michelin star chef Darron Bunn heads up the contemporary take on a brasserie style menu offering up treats like hand-dived scallops, confit duck with mustard potatoes and not forgetting the grill option for steak, lobster and salmon.

The cocktail bar is on a mezzanine level overlooking the restaurant below. It pays homage to the opulence and glamour of the 1930’s with its live daily music programme.

You can reserve your champagne menu online and it allows you to be proactive and take care of the bill before the date. Check out Quaglino’s on our Places page and let us know if you go. This isn’t a secret, but you can also find other great restaurants, bars and clubs suggestions there. Trust us, we know where you need to be making plans. People, Places & Parties are our thing.

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Always Wanted A Table At Dorsia?

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

Cast your minds back to Patrick Bateman’s dilemma of never being able to get the ultimate reservation. Sitting at NYC’s top table with a dish of sea urchin ceviche was something to kill for. If you find yourself seeking perfection in your nightlife social scene (hopefully not as our American Psycho friend did), you will be happy to know that the crew from Boujis are set to open a Dorsia – not fictional, but real – in South Kensington on May 25th.

Fraser Carruthers (of Boujis) will open doors to the London party scene who can drink the night away in stylish settings – a £2.4 million refit by Interior Designer George Rose, thank you very much – sipping cocktails chosen by leading mixologists Thomas Gillgren (Sketch) and Fredrik Olsson (Kosmopol).

Contemporary art provided by Whisper Art Gallery will deck the walls of the three venue club. Three? Well, Dorsia couldn’t call itself Dorsia if it didn’t have a private members’ club…

London used to know Dorsia as the Hudson Club – a classic Georgian town house famous for hedonism of days gone by (Jimi Hendrix played his first UK gig there, Tom Jones celebrated his first number 1 and a young Reggie  Dwight (aka Elton) played the keyboard). Now refitted to both preserve heritage and flourish in contemporary, Dorsia’s private members club is appropriately in the basement whilst the bar upstairs is open to both members and the public.  Though they might not actually serve sea urchin ceviche, the standalone restaurant @ Dorsia is headed up by culinary guru, Alexander Baillieu. Serving up a menu of “Modern European dishes”, Dorsia is next on the hitlist of London restaurants.

Excited about the opening? We are.

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To be romantic or unromantic, that is the question….?

Sunday, October 3rd, 2010

When it comes to London, the choice of date destinations is unrivalled… Or for some, it’s daunting. In deciding where to go, do you opt for somewhere that screams romance or do you keep it casual?

If I’m 50/50 about the guy, I always push for casual as it’s quicker and easier to escape from if it turns out badly. If I’m interested in the guy and it’s not a first date, I don’t mind somewhere a little more romantic. Here are some ideas at both ends of the romance scale….

Souk Bazaar

Souk Bazaar

  • SOUK Bazaar – near Covent Garden, great Moroccan food that’s all about sharing – it’s impossible not to get up close to your date. With cosy seating tucked away into caves and intimate rooms and the lighting dimmed as dim as possible without being turned off, it’s candle light romance all the way!
  • Dim T – yes, it’s chain I know, but Dim T at London Bridge serves top notch dim sum coupled with a top notch view. Make sure you reserve a table by the window upstairs and enjoy your dinner with the Tower Bridge lit up in all its glory as your back drop.
  • The North Star – a little off the beaten track, but the North Star, an Islington gastro pub, offers great food with no shortage of candles. After dinner, you can move into the bar area and sink into one of the comfy leather sofas with a cheese board and glass of red.
  • Soho Jazz Café (Pizza Express) – it’s the pizza you know and love in a ground floor Soho club. Expect live jazz acts and a very relaxed setting. There’s a cover charge in addition to the bill, but for something a little different, it’s worth it!
  • The Bleeding Heart – wonderful French food tucked away on the corner of a cobbled courtyard in Farringdon. Homely dining rooms spread across several floors and a great wine list. Not easy find, but well worth it when you do!
Picture of Song Que

Song Que Cafe in Shoreditch

If you’re unsure about spending a full 3 course evening with him or her, keep it more light hearted with one of these options:

  • Busaba Eathai – this sleek modern Thai eatery has just added it’s 5th location in Old Street with others in W1, WC1 and SW1. The service is fast; you’ll be presented with the bill as soon as you put down your chop sticks! With shared tables of around 12 people, there’ll be no footsy and he’ll find it tricky to slip his hand on your knee!
  • Song Que Cafe – rough and ready service in a rough and ready Shoreditch setting – the food arrives as and when and don’t expect to have your wine topped up. This place is all about great Vietnamese food and fast table turn around. Expect queues during peak times and not a hint of romance.

For more date ideas check out these posts ‘Date night? Ideas for dates in London‘, ‘Who cares what picture we see?’ or ‘This little piggy went to market’.

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