Nestled behind Waterloo station on the corner of Lower Marsh Street sits Cubana, a lively Cuban bar with delicious cocktails, live music and tasty food. I don’t think I’ve been to a another bar in London as many times as I’ve been to Cubana which shows how much I love it!
When I was brought to the Artisan of Clerkenwell on a date last week I was expecting a trendy but typical bar. But after spending the evening there, I have to admit that it is much more. To start with, I instantly liked the look of the place. The funky industrial decor is interlaced with vintage touches; I particularly liked the teacup candles on all the tables.
I’m not a massive fan of the city so I was unsure to be brought to Liverpool Street on a recent date. But hidden down a tiny alleyway is this beautiful Italian restaurant.
We were seated on a little candlelit table next to the window and I was instantly impressed by the welcoming wait staff and stylish Italian feel that the restaurant had. Being an Italian wine bar, there was an extensive choice of wines. Admittedly, I don’t know much about wines so I let my date decide. Luckily he choose a delicious bottle of red which was the perfect start to our evening.
If you’re ever on a date and somehow find yourself in the heart of tourist hell London, then don’t fear – this stylish Parisian Brasserie sits right behind the bustling cross-road at Piccadilly Circus and is a great choice if you’re in the area.
I have to admit, I wasn’t sure about how this date was going to turn out when my date told me he was taking me to a vegetarian restaurant on a 100% vegan, 100% organic night but I have to hand it to him, I was very pleasantly surprised by this choice.
Though I’m not a vegetarian I tend to prefer dishes that don’t include meat so I was delighted to be taken to Vanilla Black for Valentines Day, a Michelin recommended vegetarian restaurant near Chancery Lane.
This restaurant is seriously well hidden – despite using my iPhone and following Google maps we ended up going in a big circle and taking multiple wrong turns so we turned up a little late for our booking. We were warmly welcomed though when we finally arrived and given a choice of tables. This place is sophisticated but understated class, with stylish yet muted décor and romantic low lighting.
It’s almost here…the big V Day. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
We realise that Valentine’s Day can be pretty expensive and you feel forced to splash out on cliched dinners, trendy bars or top shows. It doesn’t help either that all the above have been known to hike up their prices for Valentine’s Day as they know people will pay for it. But here at LDG we love a bit of Valentines and we know that most of you will be looking for something a bit different. Here are just a few thoughts for you to mull over…
Fancying a laid back Saturday night, my date and I decided to try Shoreditch’s Pizza East after hearing good things about it from friends. Based in the Tea Building on the corner of Shoreditch High Street and Bethnal Green Road, we were pretty unimpressed by the grimy old concrete stairwell that served as the entrance, but as soon as we went in we could see that Pizza East was clearly the place to be by the sheer number of diners waiting to eat. Luckily, being an old warehouse Pizza East is huge so we didn’t have to wait long to be seated.
Being brought to One New Change shopping centre near St. Paul’s on a date left me feeling a bit sceptical about how successful this evening was going to turn out as it is quite a sterile area and the city not being my favourite area of London. Luckily, I was brought here for good reason – to come to Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen.
This beautiful little place brings a touch of French flair to an otherwise unloved and rather bleak corner of London between Elephant and Castle and Kennington.
I was brought here on a date a not so long ago and I have to admit, I was very sceptical on the walk there but I couldn’t have been more wrong. We hadn’t thought to make a reservation, thinking that it wouldn’t be necessary but alas, the place was completely packed. This converted pub oozes French eccentricity and is wonderfully warm and cosy. Loving the atmosphere, we decided to set ourselves up in the bar and take advantage of the live jazz music on offer.
