• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Camden Town
• Category: Restaurants

London NW1 7HJ

papayoyo said
Buenos noches Camden.
A delightful little spanish bar cum restaurant on the cusp of Inverness Street and Camden High Street, Bar Ganza is a wonderful venue for an afternoon coffee on the outside terrace after a heavy day's shopping at the market, or for a night of Sangria, Tapas and flamenco dancing with a special someone in your life. Inside it is colouful, cheerful and romantically candle lit and the rosy cheeked staff are smiley and accommodating. The flamenco performances on monday evenings are truely magical and seemed authentically passionate to my uneducated eyes. The tapas was yummy too if a little pricey. For a flavour of Siville in Camden you can't go wrong with a night out at Bar Ganza.

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Camden Town
• Category: Restaurants

London NW1 8AJ
020 7485 8484

papayoyo said
Nastravia!
Boasting a choice of 250 different vodkas, a tempting array of cocktails and an enticing menu of classic Eastern European cuisine, Zorya has a lot to offer to the vodka lover and those with an adventurous palette. The food is reasonably priced and on offer is a delightful range of Eastern delicacies such as Golonka (pork knuckle served with horseradish sauce), Golabki (cabbage leaves stuffed with minced pork and rice) and Bigos (hunter stew with meat and sausages). The statues and wall hangings set the luxuriously themed ambience with allusions to Eastern European mythology and story-telling. The staff are friendly and meticulous in their attention leaving you feeling well taken care of.

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Camden Town
• Category: Restaurants

London NW1 7HJ
020 7424 9527

papayoyo said
Classy oriental with a soulful twist.
Zensai is a rather attractive proposition for a night of wining & dining in the heart of Camden Town. Decked out like a cross between "A Clockwork Orange" and a Buddhist temple the ambience is elegent but fun. The fabulous clear perspex bar embedded with a kaleidescope of coloured rock slices sets the tone of space-age fantasy and the range of amazing cocktails really is out of this world. It's a great place to drink and relax, or dance to the rare groove soundtrack provided by the resident DJs, or enjoy some of the finest pan-oriental cuisine in the upstairs dining area where the tone is set by the exotic plants, water features and Buddhist motifs. The staff are attentive and knowledgeable and do their best to guarantee you a wonderful experience. You can't really go wrong with such a winning formula.

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Hackney
• Category: Nightlife

London N16 7XJ
020 7249 9557

papayoyo said
Dalston's premier burlesque hotspot?
Somehow the words "Dalston" and "burlesque hotspot" seem rather incongruous. However, the venue being the dive it is, actually lends itself quite remarkably to hosting a certain sleasy Hackneyesque flavour of saucy theatrics. Populated with lesbo-nazi "Stokey" types and brothel-creepered geriatrics it's neither the friendliest nor sexiest of scenes, but yuh pays yer money and yuh takes yer chances. The urination chamber is a perpetually flooded cess pool and a constant stream of powdery nosed dudes in red shirts and black hats seems to eminate from the tiny "changing room" at the back. In an alcohol fueled stupor one might wrangle a kind of twisted enjoyment out of the typical night's proceedings here, but I would strongly advise a hot medicated bath when you get home.

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Old Street
• Category: Nightlife

London EC1V 9NQ

papayoyo said
Prog out in Old Street!
London's finest (possibly only) prog rock extravaganza, Night of the Longswords, happens once a month in the dark basement of El Paso's Restaurant Bar in Old Street. Expect to freak out on the dance floor till 3am to all manner of obscure and wonderful 60's and 70's prog, psychedelia, kraut-rock, and general weirdness. There are usually two or three live acts along the same theme and you'll find a gathering of freaks and groovers suitably attired in flares, glitter and long hair. You'd be forgiven for thinking you'd stepped out of the Tardis onto the set of Music Laden 1971 and you never know, that could very well be Damo Suzuki from Can bouncing up and down at the front of the stage. A genuine treasure for lovers of the more obscure aural delicacies and retro vibes. Oh and did I mention it's free?

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Chalk Farm
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London NW1 8AJ
020 7482 7163

papayoyo said
Summertime frolicks in Camden Town.
Situated just opposite Camden Town's Stables Market, The Lock Tavern is a splendid place to while away a sunny summer's afternoon or evening with its luscious garden bar and terrace. Somewhat labyrinthian in layout it is decked out downstairs with comfy leather sofas and has a classy but cool atmosphere. Usually rammed with Camden's finest trendy young things, there are weekend gigs upstairs and the place exudes that "happening" Camden vibe. They also do reasonable pub grub and the usual british selection of beers. The main attractions are the locale, the foliage bedecked garden and the indie music oriented terrace. A fine place to sink a few ales with a few good mates and the scenery of the female kind (and male I've been told) is generally easy on the eyes. If the doormen like you they'll even give you a VIP card, whatever that's for.

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Chalk Farm
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London NW1 8AR
020 7485 3814

papayoyo said
Camden's Last Chance Saloon
Ever found yourself stumbling down Camden High Street after being turfed out of every pub at closing time but still with the will to party driving you on into the night? Welcome to the Marathon Bar, Camden's hazy crazy last chance saloon! Is it a kebab shop, is it a bar, or is it the final resting place for Camden Town's die hard alcoholics and desperados? Herein you will find all manner of drunken cheerfulness and legendary French rock n roller Daniel strumming his geetar and skwawking his glorious way through Chuck Berry songs. They dance, they sing, they drink, they eat kebabs, they flirt until the wee small hours when it really is the end, unless you catch word of the evening's house party where a trip to the nearest offy in Kentish Town for a bottle of cheap vodka will gain you entrance and the debauchery will continue till god knows when.

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Hackney
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London E8 4QJ
020 7275 7617

papayoyo said
Nice refined hackney gastro-pub .
The Dove, situated on Broadway Market beside London Fields, is a somewhat genteel and refined establishment, with a real coal fire, candle-lit tables, a wide selection of connaisseur beers and ales, board games, live jazz and a fine dining area. It has the widest range of beers I've ever seen in a pub including gems like Delerium Tremens which will soon have you falling of your seat at 9% alcohol, not to mention the £3.50 per glass. So it's a little expensive but offers a cosy but classy atmosphere to impress a date with. The food is excellent if again a bit pricey but the decor is all oak beams, antique artwork and it has, somewhat incongruently, the finest high-tech unisex bathroom of any pub I've seen. It's always quite packed with young artsy-media types but an enchanting experience any day of the week.

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Hackney
• Category: Events and Entertainment

London E8 2DJ
020 7503 1645

papayoyo said
Fringe at it's best!
The Arcola Theatre is a delightfully enchanting little theatre bar just off the high street in the heart of Dalston. I've experienced a huge range of theatrical pleasures in this place which offers experimental, community-based, home-grown up and coming writers, directors and performers a venue to show off their work. The bar itself is charming offering wine, beer and spirits at good prices and there's always a young, interesting crowd packing the place out. The two theatres provide a constantly changing range of stimulating productions at cheap prices. Best of all, every tuesday it's pay what you want, an effort to get the local community interested. Highly recommended for a good-value entertaining night out.

• Added: 29th of August 2008
• Area: Camden Town
• Category: Bars and Pubs

London NW1 8QR
020 7485 3130

papayoyo said
Rockabilly-tastic
Right in the midst of Camden Market on the high street is a fine pub which is home to a very glamourous and stylish crowd of rockabilly clientelle. If you are partial to 50's fashion and music you need to get yourself down here especially at the weekend. Some excellent 50's DJs spin seriously cool rock n roll for you to jive your socks off to in your finest billyrags whilst downing vast quantities of Jack Daniels and coke. Bouffants, tattoos, piercings, stilettos, stay-ups, brothel creapers, you name it, if it's hip and sexy it's here. One of Camden's essential stop offs on the ultimate pub crawl.