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So my gf bought me a trip to London as a birthday present. We're gonna spend 3 days there so we dont have much time. Any suggestions on something like driftstores, marketplaces or some other stuff that is hard to find in guides?
I'm a sucker for all kinds of toy keyboards/weird instruments (like everybody here) and we both love to go to fleamarkets. So if there's any places that are MUST for people like us, it would be much appreciated!
I recommend Cafe Amato in Soho, It has the best hot chocolate on the planet!
Oh yeah, good/cheap restaurants is also something we are interested, thanks for the tip, my gf is a hot chocolate fiend:D
Oh yeah, good/cheap restaurants is also something we are interested, thanks for the tip, my gf is a hot chocolate fiend:D
I don't know if you came to London with Chinese food in mind, but Won Kei's in Chinatown (right next to Soho) is an institution, partly because of its price (£4 for the legendary duck noodle soup). Me and my friends hang out there constantly. It's not for everyone though (very mental vibe), check some reviews online. Soho's generally great though, lots more interesting restaurants, some great record shops (SIster Ray) and more fun little shops (it's always better to discover you're own one, there's one for colourful arty toys and posters and so on that would appeal to most people here). Japan Centre and Beard Papa's are amazing if you're into Japanese snacks which again I'd imagine people here could well be (I know I am!).
Chinese food is always good! Will try to check out lot's of Soho and I've heard some pretty great things about Camden Market(Goth clothing ain't my style though:)) . I just noticed that Herbaliser is throwing a DJ-set in a pub/club called The Old Queens Head, tempted to check that too.
if you like goth clothes go to camden market.
ha i live by camden market. Cyberdog shop in camden market is great for having your ears pummled by hard techno and watching all the cyberpunks.
@DKSTR, what do you plan on doing/ what is your music scene etc etc? Are you going with your GF? because the pedal boats in hyde park are nice for that. Brick lane sunday market is kinda ecclectic and full of life, good for a lunchtime pie or something. But on a saturday or weekday i'd recommend cafe 1001 (brick lane still), go upstairs and chill out on a sofa with a hot choc and then head across the road to rough trade record shop. I've seen the odd chiptune vinyl there on the odd occasion! Erm, if you plan on museuming it up then i suggest you pick a weekday... Restaurant wise i know there's a place in shoreditch that (on mondays) let you roll a dice after your meal, and if you roll 6 you eat for free!
If i think of something else i'll write it down.
DKSTR wrote:Oh yeah, good/cheap restaurants is also something we are interested, thanks for the tip, my gf is a hot chocolate fiend:D
I don't know if you came to London with Chinese food in mind, but Won Kei's in Chinatown (right next to Soho) is an institution, partly because of its price (£4 for the legendary duck noodle soup). Me and my friends hang out there constantly. It's not for everyone though (very mental vibe), check some reviews online. Soho's generally great though, lots more interesting restaurants, some great record shops (SIster Ray) and more fun little shops (it's always better to discover you're own one, there's one for colourful arty toys and posters and so on that would appeal to most people here). Japan Centre and Beard Papa's are amazing if you're into Japanese snacks which again I'd imagine people here could well be (I know I am!).
ahh no, Golden Dragon in chinatown! c'mon! Ever been to cybercandy? weird asian sweets! that's covent garden, also worth a look
@DKSTR, what do you plan on doing/ what is your music scene etc etc? Are you going with your GF? because the pedal boats in hyde park are nice for that. Brick lane sunday market is kinda ecclectic and full of life, good for a lunchtime pie or something. But on a saturday or weekday i'd recommend cafe 1001 (brick lane still), go upstairs and chill out on a sofa with a hot choc and then head across the road to rough trade record shop. I've seen the odd chiptune vinyl there on the odd occasion! Erm, if you plan on museuming it up then i suggest you pick a weekday... Restaurant wise i know there's a place in shoreditch that (on mondays) let you roll a dice after your meal, and if you roll 6 you eat for free!
If i think of something else i'll write it down.
Yeah, Im going with just my GF. She's studying to be an actress and huge fan of theatre so we are planning to catch some tickets to some of the bigger theatres on one night (I think thursday). Otherwise I'm pretty open to whatever suggestions, I'm a fan of punk rock, 90's hip hop, all kinds of electronic music, pop, just about everything:) I dont know if I want to buy lots of stuff, but it's always cool to visit great record shops! If there's any cool museums related to music / films I'm interested! Pedal boats sound nice too!
I don't know if you came to London with Chinese food in mind, but Won Kei's in Chinatown (right next to Soho) is an institution, partly because of its price (£4 for the legendary duck noodle soup).
Mate wonkeis is the fucking LAW. I could murder a sweet and sour pork crispy pork rice right now. I love how you have to be really agressive and rude tothe waiters for them to kind of grudgingly respect you.
I am in London right now! Gonna be here for about a week, but the person I'm currently staying with can only let me stay for 2 nights. Any London chipsters want to let me crash at their place, or just hang out?
ahh no, Golden Dragon in chinatown! c'mon! Ever been to cybercandy? weird asian sweets! that's covent garden, also worth a look
I admit I've never been inside, though walked past it many times - I'll give it a shot next time I'm up there. As Lazerbeat testifies though, Won Kei's is pretty amazing! Gotta say Cybercandy's pretty dope too.
Mate wonkeis is the fucking LAW. I could murder a sweet and sour pork crispy pork rice right now. I love how you have to be really agressive and rude tothe waiters for them to kind of grudgingly respect you.
The waiters are hilarious, I brought a friend from Hong Kong (who's since showed all her friends - very good sign) there and they treated the rest of us even worse than usual. I remember one of them made a joke to her about our chopstick usage (in Cantonese obviously).
I'm a sucker for all kinds of toy keyboards/weird instruments (like everybody here) and we both love to go to fleamarkets. So if there's any places that are MUST for people like us, it would be much appreciated!
Brick Lane Market:
DKSTR wrote:I'm a sucker for all kinds of toy keyboards/weird instruments (like everybody here) and we both love to go to fleamarkets. So if there's any places that are MUST for people like us, it would be much appreciated!
Brick Lane Market:
That sounds awesome, but it seems it's only on sundays? Im there from thursday morning to saturday night.
my place is in london, come hang out 
if you want theatre tickets, you can get cheap on-the-night tickets to musicals etc from the box office stand next to the big burger king in Leicester Square for about £20-£50 depending on what you want to see, and where you want to sit.
there are some really good vintage clothes shops/ record stores along brick lane. which reminds me i need to take a shopping trip there.
other than that, there are some really really good music shops along Denmark Street/ Tottenham Court Road, they're like the only music shops i know which have synth racks/ studio equipment nearby.
so yeah, places to hang out include:
Oxford Street
Tottenham Court/ Denmark Street (music shops, etc.)
Trocadero - for the old school arcades/ anime shops (near oxford street/ tottenham court)
Hyde Park (kinda busy a lot of the time, but it is HUGE.)
St Jame's Park (a lil out of the way, but nethertheless worth it)
Brick Lane/ Camden (purely for the markets/ shops etc - very niche/ fresh)
there's so much more but i can't really think of anything right now.
Last edited by ultrasparx (Jun 6, 2010 1:16 pm)