Instead of South Bank, Underbelly’s cheeky upside-down purple cow is wobbling its udder at the former Earl’s Court 2 Exhibition Centre this Summer. London Wonderground Festival opened its gates on 15 July and is going to stay till 26 September to entertain us.
Comedy Shows, Modern Circus, Giant Bubbles & Dinosaurs
Photo: Urban Adventurer
London Woderground is free to enter and there is a mix of free and paid events and programs to choose from.
Some of the highlights
360 All Stars: A modern urban circus with BMX riders, acrobats, break dancers and basketball freestylers.
Dinosaur World Live: A roarsome interactive show for the whole family to discover the pre-historic world of dinosaurs.
London Comedy Allstars: A huge line-up of the best comedy talents on every Saturday.
The Coir of Men: Featuring folklore, pub songs, Broadway, classic rock, and sing-alongs The Choir of Man is an “ultimate feel-good show” for all ages.
The Gruffalo, The Witch and The Warthog: A guitar-playing puppet show for the little ones with a touch of magic by Julia Donaldson. The ticket includes a post-show book signing.
Amazing Bubble Man: Spellbinding bubble tricks combined with art, magic, and comedy.
Giant bubbles, square bubbles, bubble volcanos, people inside bubbles and much more presented by the talented Louis Pearl who has been thrilling his audience over 30 years.
‘Austentatious’: Bringing Jane Austine’s lost novels into life by talented improvisers. No two shows are the same.
There are plenty of street food and drink on offer at London Wonderground Festival. Sit down under one of the floral seating areas and enjoy the vibes along with a cold beer and a light meal.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Or sunbath in the sandy city beach with a cold Summer cocktail in hand while enjoying a live DJ playing the best classic Summer hits.
Info
The festival is open from 15th July – 26th September 2021
London’s first French toast bar has opened its doors in Westminster in July. Crome London gives a twist to your favourite brunch classics. Their menu is inspired by the food and drink trends of the future. The futuristic silver and blue interior provide a perfect backdrop for the indulging and picture-perfect food and drink.
Crome London
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The name of the bar comes from a Greek word ‘khroma’ that means compounds, layers, and colour. These elements tie the brand offerings together and refer to the perfectly blended coffee, milk, and ice.
These elements are not just present within their coffee specialities though, but also within their food and interior.
Element #1 – The Food
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Crome London takes French toast making and serving to the next level. Their signature toasts are either finished with savoury or sweet toppings. Chilli cheese, smashed avocado, feta & poached egg, Nutella & caramel popcorn, caramelised banana and many more options to try.
I went for a ‘Stuffed Nutella & Caramel Popcorn’ toast. It was a mountain of Nutella stuffed toast that was topped with more Nutella sauce, caramel popcorn, brownie pieces and cookie dough.
Element #2 – The Drink
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Crome has so many picture-perfect coffee specialities, it’s almost impossible to choose from.
Pistachio Spanish Latte, Red Velvet Spanish Latte, Matcha in Blue, Iced Tiramisu, and not even mention their signature coffees, called ‘Crome Coloured Lattes’, like Liquid Gold, Ruby Rose, Black Charcoal, frappes and much more.
I tried the purple ‘Ube Frappe’ a vanilla flavoured frappe that comes with milk foam and whipped cream, topped with Ube powder. Ube is a ground substance that is made from purple yams, also known as purple sweet potato. It has a vanilla-like flavour.
Element #3 – The Interior
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The interior is super photogenic. The main colours are silver, ice blue and shades of pastel.
Blue and silver neon signs are literary everywhere to enhance your Insta pics. Oh, and look up! Even the ceiling is photogenic. Time to shine!
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Ready for your next adventure? Discover a retro ramen bar that brings you back to the 1970s neon lit alleyways in Japan – Heddon Yokochō.
Glowing lanterns, neon street signs, classic J-pop music, and ramen specialities from every area of Japan. This is Heddon Yokochō, a retro ramen bar that brings you back to Showa era Japan in the 1970s.
What is ‘Yokochō’
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‘Yokochō’ is a Japanese word for alleyway. Hidden from the main streets, labyrinths of narrow alleys were present in every city in Japan in the 1970s. Tucked away behind curtains, those lively alleys were jungles of restaurants and bars.
Hidden away from the buzzing Regent Street, Heddon Yokochō opened its doors last October on 8 Heddon Street, which is a lovely alley-like street, a perfect hideaway from the busy daily life for an hour or two.
Heddon Yokochō takes ramen seriously. You can read all the interesting things about ramen and itshistory from the very beginning and how it’s become popular on the restaurant’s website.
Did you know that tonkotsu ramen was actually made by mistake? Or that instant noodles was invented only in 1958? This was a milestone in ramen history because from that point anyone could make their own ramen in the comfort of their own home.
However, the popularity of ramen started to increase no sooner than the 1980s. From the 1980s ramen has started its journey to global popularity, and soon became a symbol of Japan – next to sushi, matcha and sake.
Today there are 24,000 ramen shops in Japan, 5,000 of them are in Tokyo alone!
Over time every region of Japan created their own ramen speciality, each of which has exciting and sometimes astounding story behind them.
You can discover all regional types of ramen in Japan on this map.
On exploring Heddon Yokochō ‘s menu, we can find tons of ramen options. Each ramen on the menutells you which area of Japan they are originated and the year they were created.
See the map printed on the menu to know where your chosen ramen is from.
So, where would you start your ramen journey? From the snowy northern islands of Hokkaido or the sunny southern archipelagos of Kyushu?
Heddon Yokochō is not just about ramen, though. They have a good selection of sushi rolls (available from 5pm everyday), Hirata Buns and sides.
I wanted to try something really historical, so I ordered the oldest ramen available. Hakodate Shio was created in 1884 in North Japan. It comes with salt based chicken or pork broth. The pork is slow cooked for 6 hrs until it becomes so soft, it almost melts in your mouth. The ramen contains menma (bamboo shoots), nitamago egg (boiled egg with soft centre), Naruto fishcake, nori & umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum. It has an intense but pleasant sour flavour).
Ramen of the Week
Discover a new ramen bowl every week from Monday to Wednesday for £8. Make it a surprise for yourself or follow their social feed to see which ramen is coming up next.
Kids Menu
Heddon Yokochō is a kid friendly restaurant. So, if you’re planning to bring your little ones for their very first Japanese food experience, feel free to do so.
They have a kid set menu with a choice of mini ramen bowl, a choice of drink and a scoop of yummy vegan ice cream.
Drink
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Now that you had your ramen journey around Japan, it’s time to discover Japanese drinks.
There is something for everyone’s taste. Japanese draft beer, wine, whisky, Shochu and more. Alternatively, why not pair your ramen with a Japanese cocktail?
They have a great selection of sake from aromatic to woody to cloudy and crystal clear. They are in collaboration with one of the best sake producers, Gekkeikan Brewery that is now being run by the 14th generation of the Okura family.
Can’t decide? Go for a ‘Sake Flight’ and taste 3 different sakes to compare?
Happy Hour
Happy Hour is from Monday to Thursday from 4-6pm. You’ll get a generous 20% off all cocktails and sake.
Heddon Yokochō has special Shuchu booths. These stylish booths are reserved for solo guests only, helping them grab some me-time while fully immersing into their ramen experience.
Shuchu means, ‘focus booth’ that provide minimal distraction in order for you to enjoy your ramen without being disturbed or interrupted.
If you book you private Shuchu booth for Monday – Friday, you can enjoy 10% off from 5pm until close.
Ready for your next adventure? How about trying anime style ramen next? In Uzumaki you can try ramen exactly how Naruto likes it. ‘Dattebayo!’
Naruto is one of the most popular anime series of all time; and guess what! A Naruto themed restaurant opened at Holborn Viaduct, and this is London’s very first anime and manga inspired Japanese restaurant.
If you’re a Naruto fan but have never heard of Uzumaki, don’t worry. They opened just before lockdown last year and almost instantly had to close and remain close till this May.
They re-opened on 17th May for indoor dining and has instantly become a must-visit restaurant to not only Naruto fans, but all anime and manga fans.
Cosplay Highly Encouraged
“The things that are most important aren’t written in books. You have to learn them by experiencing them yourself.” – Sakura
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Uzumaki love cosplay and highly encourage everyone to show up in costume (and not just Naruto related) when visiting the restaurant. Keep an eye on their social feed because you might even get rewarded for showing up in your costume.
In May, Uzumaki hosted their first ‘Cosplay & Ramen Week’, and it was a huge success. All cosplayers even received a free Uzumaki Signature Bubble Tea.
It’s worth to keep your eyes open every time when around Uzumaki because there is a good chance to meet a member of the Akatsuki, Kakasi Sensei, Sakura or even Naruto himself.
Ramen, Sushi and Bubble Tea
“My hobby is eating different types of ramen and comparing them.” – Naruto
If you have ever dreamt of tasting Naruto’s favourite ramen, you are at the perfect place.
Uzumaki serves two signature ramen bowls exactly the way Naruto likes them: Uzumaki Ramen and Naruto Ramen.
Try Naruto’s Favourite Ramen or Create Your Own
Photo: Urban Adventurer
If want to create your own ramen bowl instead, you can do so. You can choose every single ingredient from the menu to create your very own ramen. Pick your broth, your type of noodles and as many toppings as you like. They have halal and vegan options, too.
All ramens are served on a bamboo tray with special wooden ramen spoon and chopsticks resting on a cute lucky cat chopstick holder. Absolutely Instagrammable!
Sushi
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Uzumaki don’t just serve ramen. They have a range of sushi sets and sashimi on offer. You can choose from 2pcs to 8pcs depending on your party size or your hunger.
Fancy a Drink?
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The fridge is full of our all-time favourite Pokémon inspired canned drinks, Ramune and other Japanese drinks in different yummy flavours. They have a range of bubble tea too: milk tea with tapioca or classic bubble tea with jelly popping balls.
TIP: Choose one of the Uzumaki Signature Bubble Teas to enhance your Naruto experience.
Want Some Souvenir?
Photo: Urban Adventurer
If you loved your experience in Uzumaki and don’t want to leave the place with empty hands, put your hands on a Naruto reusable cup, a lucky cat chopstick set in Uzumaki themed bag, and more.
And remember…
“If you don’t like your destiny, don’t accept it. Instead, have the courage to change it the way you want to be.” – Naruto
Ready for your next adventure? Come with me and discover the best anime and manga shops in London after you’ve finished your ramen!
Whenever I am visiting a cool oh-so-Instagrammbale place, I never miss checking their bathroom and not just for that sweet bladder relief. These weird and wonderful toilets are just as Insta-worthy as the bar or restaurant they’re in. Say hel-loo to some of the most Instagrammable lavatories in London.
Mr Fogg’s
Photo: Urban Adventurer
If you have ever visited any of Mr Fogg’s bars, you know how insane their decoration is. The bars are inspired by the famous novel ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’ by Jules Verne. You feel like you were actually on an adventure with Phileas Fogg exploring the most diverse places on air, ground and water.
In their bathrooms, instead of music, you will listen to the audio book ‘Around the World in Eighty Days’.
Mr Fogg’s House Botanicals
Photo: Urban Adventurer
House of Botanicals showcases an extensive collection of rare plants and flowers. The same pattern is used in their toilet.
The long corridor’s wall – that leads us towards the lavatory – are decorated with dreamy flowery wallpaper and framed pictures of plants and flowers.
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The toilet cabinets are decorated likewise, dominated by colours of green and pink. The place is lit by simple elegant wall lamps to offset the vivid flowery wallpaper.
The paper towels in an elegant woven basket to match the nature inspire design.
Mrs Fogg’s Dockside & Distillery
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Dockside & Distillery has probably the most beautiful toilet. The walls are literally covered with fossils, butterflies feathers and more. It feels like you were on an explorer ship on your way to explore the next marvel.
Mr Fogg’s Residence
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Mr Fogg’s Residence is the home of the famous adventurer, Phileas Fogg. The bar is decorated with rare artifacts and antiques, Mr Fogg collected during his journeys. This exotic collection provides a perfect backdrop for your Instagram shots.
Their restroom is just as cozy and extravagant as the bar area is. Decorated with loud colourful wallpaper, a gramophone, and a globe.
Mr Fogg’s Society of Exploration
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Society of Exploration is a sanctuary of like-minded individuals who are full of adventurous ambitions and curiosity. Whether you sit in the Map Room or in the life-sized Victorian steam railway carriage, you will feel like you were embarking for the most exciting journey in your life.
In the rest room visitors feel like they were in an African safari. The wallpaper evokes a lively African landscape with elephants, lions, camels, and rare birds.
Mr Fogg’s Tavern
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Mr Fogg’s Tavern is a traditional Victorian tavern with wooden seats and robust wooden tables, offering wide selection of beer and home-made punch. The walls and the ceiling are richly decorated with eccentric memorabilia to satisfy art-lovers’ visual thirst.
The laundry is blue and white with tubby barrel-like sinks and old photos and newspaper cut-outs.
BUSI Café
Photo: Urban Adventurer
When you are at BUSI café, don’t forget to visit their cheeky pink powder room for a selfie. It’s just as pink and Instagrammable as the customer area is.
Cahoots
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A disused underground station has been transformed into a 1940s-themed speakeasy bar. This hidden gem perfectly evokes the Prohibited Era when alcohol was banned and people visited secret bars.
Air raid warnings and newspaper cut-outs on the wall, tipples served in tins, teacups and anything else at hand.
If your bladder is shouting for relief after your bootlegging cocktails, you’ll have to find your way among the mismatched upholstered furniture, travel tanks and shady lamps to reach the lavatory.
The walls and the ceiling are covered with old newspapers, naked lamps give faint light above the vintage wooden cabinets that hold the sinks, soap and paper towels for Scoundrels to use.
Welcome to the Egg Loos at Sketch. This bathroom has become so famous that they say, if you don’t have a selfie here, you didn’t even really go to Sketch. I can’t decide which is more Instagrammable, the restaurant itself or its restroom.
DUO
Photo: Urban Adventurer
These pink doors will make you wink at the powder room of DUO London. Don’t miss a selfie in front of these cheeky doors before powdering your nose.
Hard Rock Café, Piccadilly
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Wee like a star in this stylish red lavatory at Hard Rock Café. Admire the signed photos and music memorabilia while marching your way to salute Crapper.
The Ten Bells
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The Ten Bells’ toilet is not about its look. It’s more about the story behind the place.
In case you didn’t know, The Ten Bells is one of the most hunted pubs in London because it’s in connection with the cold-blooded serial killer, Jack the Ripper.
The Ripper is believed to have chosen their drunken victims here and killed them later close to the pub. The victims’ ghosts wearing Victorian clothing often have been seen appearing and disappearing within the walls of the building.
To make it even more eerie, their toilet is in the basement.
The Alchemist
Photo: Urban Adventurer
Here at The Alchemist, they are masters of dark arts of molecular mixology, and they are demons in the kitchen.
Their cocktails and food are just insane. They often serve their food with syringes, so you can inject the melted cheese or the sauce into your food. Some of their cocktails are served in two glasses and when you mix the two, there is a cool chemical reaction.
Their lavatory is likewise demonic. Just look at this artwork on the corridor leading to the restroom.
Theatre Café
Photo: Urban Adventurer
You’ll definitely want to have a seat in Theatre Café’s restroom that looks like a dressing room in a Wes End theatre. Powder your nose in front of a mirror with lights bulbs and admire the framed and signed theatre posters around you while sitting on the throne.
TSQ Playhouse
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TSQ Playhouse is an Alice in Wonderland themed adult playground. It’s an insane fantasy world with eccentric theatrical decorations and fantasy themed cocktails.
This place will never let your experience interrupted, not even in the toilet.
Ready for your next adventure? Take a virtual tour in London’s most adventurous bars, the Mr Fogg’s.
If you don’t look carefully, you could easily miss London’s smallest attractions. Did you know that the world’s smallest bar room is part of a tiny pub in Hammersmith? Do you know the heart-breaking story behind London’s smallest statue?
Here are some of London’s most fascinating tiny attractions and the story behind them.
London’s Smallest Statue – The Two Mice Statue
Photo: Urban Adventurer
London’s smallest statue is located on the corner building of Philpot Lane Eastcheap, EC3.
Keep your eyes peeled when you’re there because the statue is high above your head and only a couple of inches long.
The tiny statue pictures two mice fighting over a piece of cheese and has been on the building’s wall since the building was built in 1862.
The story behind the statue says that when the Monument of Great Fire was being built, two men working on the construction site sat on the top of the monument for lunch break. The two men were friends, but the trouble started when one of them realised his cheese sandwich was missing and accused his friend of steeling it.
They started a fight over the missing cheese sandwich and during the fight both of the men fell from the 62-metre-high monument and died. Later it turned out that the cheese sandwich had been stolen by mice living on the construction site.
To commemorate the men, London’s tiniest statue was built and is still there for us to look up and remember the two men died because of a sandwich.
London’s smallest bar room is located in 19 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, W6 9TA within The Dove Pub, and even went into the Guinness World Records. It measures 4 feet 2 inches by 7 feet 10 inches (1.27 metres by 2.39 metres).
This is not the only thing The Dove is worth to visit, though. The pub started as a public house in the 17th century, and was regularly being visited by famous writers, poets, politicians and even kings, such as poet James Thomson, who composed the famous ‘Rule, Britannia!’. Charles II often visited The Dove too with his mistress, Nell Gwynne.
In the most recent years, The Dove hosted famous actors, writers and politicians within its walls.
In the bar room, you can also see a brass plaque that marks the height the waters reached in the great flood of 1928.
The Smallest Single Pub – The Rake
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The Rake is London’s smallest single pub. It’s located just behind Borough Market, SE1 and it has the largest selection of beer from all over the world.
The Smallest Church – St. Ethelburga-the-Virgin
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St. Etherlburga-the-Virgin is located in Bishopgate, EC2, and it’s one of the few surviving medieval churches in London. It measures 56 feet by 30 feet (17 metres by 9.1 metres).
The foundation of the church is unknown, but it is believed that it dates back at least to the 13th century.
During the WWII 70% of the church was destroyed. After the war ended the church was proposed to be demolished but it caused a huge public outcry. Eventually, the church was rebuilt to its original plan, and is still operating today.
The tiny police station was built in 1926 and it’s inside an ornamental light fitting. After the light fitting being emptied, narrow windows were installed to allow a 360 degrees view to the area.
Even a direct phone line was installed to the Scotland Yard in case help needed. Whenever the police officer picked up the phone the ornamental light on the top started to flash to alert nearby officers for near trouble.
The tiny police station was able to accommodate a single police officer or two prisoners at a time.
Today it is no longer in use to its original purpose. It is a broom cupboard of Westminster Council cleaners.
The Smallest Café – Amar Café
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London’s tiniest café is called ‘Amar Café’ and it is operating in a red telephone booth. Amar Café has three shops: one in Greenwich (Greenwich High Rd, SE10 8NA), one in Chiswick (Corner at, Chiswick High Rd, W4 5TF) and one in Stratford Upon Avon, next to Shakespeare Theatre (CV37 6EF)
Photo: Urban Adventurer
As they say on their website, they do not choose obvious locations within London. Instead, they choose symbols of the country and bring them to life.
The Smallest Library
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Situated on the corner of Loampit Hill and Tyrwhitt Road, in Lewisham, London’s smallest public library is operating in an iconic red telephone booth.
The tiny library has an impressive selection of books, and borrowers are expected to either replace or bring back books they take to be able to keep up a good stock level.
The telephone box library is open 24/7. Feel free to visit it on any day any time.
The Smallest ‘Listed’ Building – The Ostler’s Hut
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Hidden away in Lincoln’s Inn, WC2A 3TL, The Ostler’s Hut looks like a house of fairies and hobgoblins.
In fact, the hut was built in 1860 and it accommodated a horseman to take care of law students’ horses while they worked.
No sooner, however, when motorcars replaced horses, the horseman’s job no longer needed. As a result, The Ostler’s Hut closed and never used again.
The Skinniest House
Photo: Google Street View
Believe it or not, London’s skinniest house is just 5 feet 5 inch (1.65 metre) wide. The house is in Shepherd’s Bush between two shops in Goldhawk Road, W12 8HD.
The house was home to a fashion photographer, Juergen Teller in the 1990s. In 2006 Simon Woods, the Pride and Prejudice actor bought the house. The property was last sold in 2009 and it went for sale again last September.
The Narrowest House – Thin House
Photo: Urban Adventurer
This insanely narrow house is known as ‘Thin House’ among Londoners. It’s located in 5 Thurloe Square, South Kensington, SW7 2TA, and is actually a triangle. What we see in this perspective is the building’s narrowest end, which is as narrow as 6 feet (1.8 metre). The widest end is 34 feet (10.3 metres).
Many of the houses on Thurloe Square were designed by London architect George Basevi. Basevi was one of the students of the famous neo-classical architect Sir John Soane.
That Sir John Soane whose extraordinary collection of antiquities, furniture, sculptures, architectural models and drawings, and paintings is under display in Soane Museum (13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, WC2A 3BP) in London, and free to visit. (Did you know that some scenes of Transformers 5 movie were filmed here?)
In the late 19th century Kensington and Chelsea were an artist hub, so lots of famous artists lived or had studios in the area.
The Smallest House
Photo: Urban Adventurer
The title of the smallest house in London goes to this tiny little one at 10 Hyde Park Place, W2. This house was built in 1805 and its purpose was probably to seal an alley which led to St. George’s churchyard to keep grave robbers away.
The house measures 3 feet (95 cm) across and it contained 2 rooms (32 feet by 4 feet, 9.7 metres by 1.2 metre) connected by a ladder.
The Shortest Street – Kirk Street
With its 50 feet (15 metres) length, Kirk Street, WC1 is London’s shortest street. It has only one address.
The Narrowest Alley – Brydges Place
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London’s narrowest alley – Brydges Place, WC2 – connects St. Martin’s Lane and Bedfordbury in Covent Garden. The alley is as narrow as 15 inches (38 cm).
The Smallest Square – Pickering Place
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Pickering Place – off St. James Street, SW1 – is not only the smallest square in London, but also the last place seen a duel with swords.
In the 18th century Pickering Place was notorious for gambling dens, duels, and bear baiting.
Believe it or not, Pickering Place was once home to Texan Republic’s embassy (until it joined the United States in 1845).
What is more, you can also find King Henry’s old barn, which is just opposite to the passageway.
“Attitude is a little thing, that makes a big difference”
— Sir Winston Churchill
The Churchill Bar & Terrace is an exquisite bar named after Sir Winston Churchill following his death in 1965. The bar is dedicated to the memory and deeds of a Prime Minister whose political career lasted over 60 years and whose legacy and historical impact are still with us in the 21st century.
The bar and terrace have given the blessing of Churchill’s extended family being named after their ancestor.
The Delicate Décor
The Churchill family even helped with the décor of the bar and terrace. The décor recognised Churchill’s life in art, black & white photography, books, soft toy animals and original love letters sent by Winston Churchill to his beloved wife, Clementine.
This map showcases Churchill’s trips to different countries during his political career.
Love letters Sir Winston Churchill and his wife, Clementine sent to each other.
The Atmosphere
The whole atmosphere creates the feeling that Sir Winston Churchill and Clementine would have enjoyed visiting.
Churchill always bought books when travelling, thus The Churchill Bar’s library offers a selection of carefully selected books about, among others, literature, art, travel and politics, Sir Winston Churchill would have found fascinating.
As a result, the whole décor truly represents the life and spirit of this extraordinary man, who was not just a Prime Minister but a writer, an aristocrat, a bon vivant (lover of fine things in life), a traveller, an artist, a gardener, a husband and a father.
You can discover all of these characteristics in The Churchill Bar signature cocktail menu.
The Signature Cocktails
“I made a rule never to take strong drink before lunch. It is now my rule never to do so before breakfast.”
— Sir Winston Churchill
The Churchill Bar reflects the Churchill family rich heritage not only in its décor but also in their menu.
The signature cocktails change in every 6 months and inspired by Sir Winston Churchill’s public and private life. Each cocktail is made from carefully selected ingredients, many of them made inhouse.
On studying the cocktail menu, we can find interesting facts and moments about Churchill’s life and how those facts inspired the cocktails.
The Cigar Smoker Cocktail
I chose The Cigar Smoker signature cocktail because Churchill is unimaginable without his favourite cigar: Romeo y Julieta between his teeth.
Roasted green pepper, grapefruit Oleo-saccharum, tomato shrub and salted cacao husk brew and other selected ingredients create a perfectly balanced cocktail experience. An aromatic ‘smoke bubble’ on top represents Churchill’s cherish cigars and his – as once he said – “sacred rites smoking cigars.”
“My rule of life prescribed as an absolutely sacred rite smoking cigars.”
– Sir Winston Churchill
The Cigars
The Churchill Bar has an exclusive cigar collection that, no need to mention, contains Sir Winston Churchill’s favourite, Romeo y Julieta.
The cigars are kept in a locked cabinet because they need to be kept in a temperature- and humid controlled environment in order to preserve them in perfect condition.
The Terrace
The Terrace changes its decoration and furniture over the seasons from tropical garden to cozy Winter hideaway.
Artwork of Winston Churchill hang on the walls created by the British cartoonist, Zoom Rockman. Each satiric cartoon depicts a moment from Churchill’s public and private life.
To make the outdoor terrace more special, a Winston Churchill bronze sculpture sits on the sofa waiting for visitors to take photos and have a drink with.
“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
— Sir Winston Churchill
Cheers!
Ready for your next adventure? Dine at the same spot as The Beatles did.
Hard Rock Café opened its gates at Piccadilly Circus in 2019. It marks the first Hard Rock location with a fresh modern design and the world’s largest Rock Shop.
Why Does Hard Rock Café Rock?
Hard Rock Café is famous for its collectable fashion and music-related merchandise, but probably it’s most famous for its rock-and-roll memorabilia. The café solicits donations of music memorabilia, but also purchase rare iconic items, costumes and photos on auctions.
Interesting Facts
The first Hard Rock Café was opened in London in 1971 and the founders were only given a 6-months lease, and the landlord didn’t think the restaurant would last 3 mounts
The famous Hard Rock logo was created by the celebrity artist Alan Aldridge, who was best known to work with The Beatles
The first concert in hard Rock Café was held in 1973 and Paul McCartney & Wings performed
The famous signature T-shirt came by an accident. Hard Rock Café sponsored a local football team and the team’s T-shirt featured a simple Hard Rock logo. The extra shirts were brought back to the café and were given to loyal customers. The T-shirts were such a hit that later people flooded to the café to buy a T-shirt
Hard Rock Café is the world’s premiere music museum, displaying such items like John Lennon’s famous round glasses, Freddie Mercury’s favourite microphone or Jimi Hendrix’ personal check book
The Hard Rock Signature Series T-shirt have partnered with Eric Clapton, Ozzy Osborne, Ringo Starr or The Who
Hard Rock Calling has become a must-attend festival in London. The festival has seen such stars on its stage like the Aerosmith, The Police, The Who, Stevie Wonder or Paul Simon just to name a few
The 80,000th piece memorabilia that Hard Rock Café acquired was Elvis Presley’s 24-carat gold piano
The Rock Shop
The Rock Shop at Piccadilly Circus is located on the ground level within a 2-level venue and it’s the largest Rock Shop in the world.
You can find some memorabilia here but wait until you go downstairs to the café!
The Café
The café has an impressive neon entrance with two wide stairs leading downstairs in the more than 1,800 square-metre venue. You really feel like a rock star here.
The café is really a museum and its main focus is on contemporary artists. The walls are covered with memorabilia: John Lennon’s famous round glasses, Lady Gaga’s boots, Jimi Hendrix’ iconic purple trousers and Bono’s suit he wore during his 1992-93 ‘Zoo TV’ tour are all displayed here.
There are items and costumes from David Bowie, The Who, the Beatles, Nicki Minaj, Robbie Williams, Rhianna, Rita Ora, Noel Gallagher, Ed Sheeran, Amy Winehouse and the list goes on.
The Menu
The food menu mainly consists of hamburger and fries. They have an extensive cocktail menu, though. They have classic and non-alcoholic cocktail menu and the best part is, you can bring your cocktail glass home if you pay some extra (you’ll get a brand new clean one at the counter).
Hard Rock Café is definitely a rock star among London cafés. If you’re looking for a jaw-dropping venue, this is the one. You won’t see so many exclusive music memorabilia anywhere else. Watch more videos of Hard Rock Café Piccadilly here.
Ready for your next adventure? Dine at the same spot as The Beatles did.
So, quarantine is finally eased and here we are, let’s confess, with low budget but finally free from home prison. And desperately want to visit some cool places and finally feed our Instagram.
Where to go? What to do?
Here is a collection of cool and completely FREE things to do in London.
Scenes in the Square
Celebrating a century of cinema, bronze sculptures were unveiled in Leicester Square this February. You can find Bugs Bunny, Laurel & Hardy, Batman, Wonder Woman, Mr Bean, Paddington Bear and other iconic film characters from the past century to take cool selfies with. To make sure you don’t miss any of them, click here for a map.
Don’t forget to bring some matching accessories with you to make your photos even cooler, for example, a sandwich to eat with Paddington Bear or Mr Bean’s shabby Teddy Bear.
And if it’s not enough, just wait until dark because come of the sculptures come to life after dark.
Want more? Here’s a tip: if you click on each sculpture on the map, you can listen to related songs on Spotify.
Graffiti Tour
Put on a fancy dress, blow up some shaped balloons, make a crazy make-up and head to London’s coolest graffiti spots, and blow up your Instagram feed.
So, what are the best graffiti spots?
Camden Town
No need to search for street names. Just click hereand find all street names with amazing street art, plus some useful tips.
Shoreditch
OK, but where exactly? Click here and let yourslef guided.
Waterloo Graffiti Tube
Waterloo graffiti tube is right next to Waterloo station and perfect scene for epic photo shoots.
Psst…for hidden graffiti gems all over in London, head to photos_from_london on Instagram.
Visit London’s Most Colourful Streets
London is a beautiful city full of colours. There are streets in the city worth to visit for their rainbow terraced houses. Here is a list of London’s most colourful streets:
Bywater Street, Chelsea
Chalcot Square, Primrose Hill
Kelly Street, Kentish Town
Bonny Street, Camden
Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden
Conduit Mews, Paddington
Notting Hill (From Farmer Street to Kensington Road, from Ledbury Street to Hillgate Street)
Godfrey Street, Chelsea
St Dunstan In The East Church Garden
The Church of Dunstan was originally built around 1100 AD. It has been severely damaged by The Great Fire of London as well as in the WWI and the WWII. After severely damaged by air raid during the WWII, St Dunstan was decided not to be rebuild. Instead, the remains of the church were reopened as public garden in 1970.
Today, the ruins of the medieval church and its walls and windows grown with plants looks nothing like London. It’s an unusual spot in the heart of the city and a charming scene for photographers.
Opening hours
Open all year round from 8am to 7pm or dusk, whichever is earlier.
St, Dunstan’s Hill, London EC3R 5DD
St Katharine Dock
St Katharine Dock’s history goes back to the 10th century, when King Edgar rewards his 13 knights with lands that would later become St Katharine Dock.
In 1940 St Katharine Dock becomes famous by its valuable cargos such as wine, tea, perfume, indigo, spices, marble and more.
Today St Katharine Dock is a hidden gem and a heart-warming contrast of the nearby attractions.
Walking through the maze of the dock admiring the old and new ships and yachts and discover the nearby cozy restaurants and bars is really a great way the spend the day.
Don’t forget to visit (once it’s reopened) The Dickens Inn, a traditional English pub that was a warehouse long time ago, in the 18th century.
Abbey Road
As a positive result of quarantine, the iconic zebra crossing on Abbey Road has been repainted. The cover of The Beatles’ famous album, Abbey Road, was shot in 8 August 1969.
Now Abbey Road zebra crossing is refreshed and ready for you to take marvellous photos.
3 Weeks left to fill your Instagram feed with gorgeous quirky photos. So, grab your last chance and conquer the themed cubicles at Selfie Factory in Westfield Shepherds Bush Shopping Centre!
Giant Pink Ball Pit, Doughnut Wall and Much More
Stepping into the Instagram dream Selfie Factory have created, I couldn’t resist the urge to jump into the giant pink ball pit at once. Now, after one day of the bank holiday weekend, I was lucky enough to own the whole place on my own for almost my whole session. Yay!
I didn’t arrive with empty hands: I brought a couple of accessories with me to make my photos even more extraordinary. I brought a yellow blazer to wear in the sunflower themed room and the school-themed room, two sparkling brooches (silver spider and red lips) and two lollipops with sparkling sticks.
As I was completely alone, I had time to conquer the whole place and the was what I just did. After diving and paddling in the pink ball pit with my lollipops, I headed to the giant Teddy bear for a warm cuddle.
I made a yellow phone call from the sunflower themed room, then I lost my way in the colourful ribbon forest to find myself in a pink elephant’s room.
Having sunk into the doughnut paradise, I turned into Ms Strict, the pedantic teacher in front of the blackboard. I even had brought an apple with me as an unmissable classic accessory of a stone-hearted scary teacher.
Ms Strict quickly dissolved though when I discovered the rainbow coloured metal school lockers. That scene turned me into that stubborn teen again I was once.
I posed with headless mannequins and flower garlands, sat in a bathtub full of pink balls, celebrated the day in the confetti room and dreamed about my next urban adventures in the room of letters.
Must Have Place Not Only for Influencers
Selfie Factory is a very interactive place. You can touch things, write, sit in and dive in. Today everyone takes selfies, and everyone wants them to be as creative, quirky and astounding as they could be. Selfie Factory is not just for Instagram influencers and not just about taking perfect photos. Selfie Factory is mostly about having fun.
Can’t get enough? Discover more unique places and quirky experiences in London here.
Ready for your next adventure? For more videos visit the YouTube channel.
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Oh, and don’t forget to start your urban adventures. Because “you need more experience, adventure and explorations more than algebra.” – John Taylor Gatto
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