Bars and Clubs

Italian

To coincide with Fashion Week, Londoners can indulge in a little Italian style. The Armani Caffè – much-loved by the Milanese – will make a guest appearance. Set up in St Martins Lane Hotel’s Back Room from September 16th, and with trademark simple cuisine and minimalist décor, it’s sure to be as much of a hang-out here as in Milan.

45 St Martins Lane,
WC2N 4HX
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7300 5500
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British

Tucked away below the One Aldwych hotel opposite Somerset House, Axis offers a perfect hideaway from the evening masses that swarm around The Strand, but their pre and post-theatre menus mean you can enjoy a three course meal for around £20. With a smart bar upstairs and a private gallery for hire, it makes an all-round great neighbour.

1 Aldwych,
WC2B 4RH
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7300 1000
www.onealdwych.co.uk
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Mediterranean snacks

If you want to see secret London, Barts could be a good place to start. Behind a black door in an anonymous building, it’s got an in-the-know vibe to love. A so-called speakeasy, the bar operates with the spirit of the Prohibition venues – complete with 30s music and classic cocktails.

Sloane Avenue,
SW3 3DW
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7581 3355
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British

Opening late last year, Bob Bob Ricard has quickly become quite the fashion destination for London’s industry players. That might have something to do with the interiors: red velvet banquettes and gold fixtures and fittings see to the glamour. Cocktails like the ‘Rummy Chocolate Espresso’ are the icing on the cake.

1 Upper James Street,
W1F 9DF
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3145 1000
www.bobbobricard.com
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Storming into Soho, Bocca di Lupo’s regional Italian cuisine and restrained prices made it an instant favourite with foodies and food critics alike. Try the trofie from Liguria, sample sardines from Sicily and finish with fresh cherries from Molise, rose hip honey from Lombardy or wild strawberries with balsamic vinegar from Lazio. Like touring the country, minus the carbon footprint.

12 Archer Street,
W1D 7BB
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7734 2223
www.boccadilupo.com
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Out to bring a bit of polish to the East End, Sir Terence Conran’s Boundary project opened in January 2009. A complex with a hotel and two restaurants, the rooftop bar followed in March. With views of the city and a penthouse-style separate lift, it’s become a very fashionable destination indeed.

2-4 Boundary Street,
E2 7JE
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7729 1051
www.theboundary.co.uk
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Cable is one for those seeking a big night out. Located in the viaducts at London Bridge station, it has quickly become a weekend destination for the city’s clubbing crowd. Drawing them in? Two dancefloors and nights by Metalheadz and Big Dada.

Bermondsey Street Tunnel,
SE1 3JW
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7403 7730
www.cable-london.com
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European

The latest venture from Irish chef Richard Corrigan, expect a posh take on seasonal produce, British specialities and wild game – all served with the flourish you’d expect given the man also runs foodie favourites The Lindsay House and Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill. Definitely not somewhere for a rushed bite, but rather a place to toast success.

28 Upper Grosvenor Street,
W1K 7EH
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7499 9943
www.corrigansmayfair.com
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American

Set up by the team behind Disco Bloodbath in spring 2009, Dalston Superstore is the venue to see London’s bright young things at play. Right in the middle of an area where the likes of Christopher Kane and Marios Schwab have their studios, this is a weekend destination complete with disco-themed club nights and an organic café.

117 Kingsland Road,
E8 2PB
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7254 2273
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British

Saatchi’s new pit stop is a sleek indoor space in what used to be the officers’ dining hall. With outdoor tables overlooking the grounds of the Duke of York's Headquarters, this is a step up from most gallery cafés; with traditional English desserts, a champagne list and a private function room all adding to the fashion appeal.

The Saatchi Gallery, King’s Road,
SW3 4SQ
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7730 8135
www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/gallerymess
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This Soho institution has returned to its glamourous former life – with white wicker chairs, marble tops and tropical palms lending the main restaurant an elegant parlour feel. Beyond the ground floor is a warren of private rooms, perfect for dinners like the one Luella Bartley hosted during February’s Fashion Week with Keira Knightley and Chanel Iman wandering halls which once played host to Oscar Wilde.

29 Romilly St,
W1D 5HP
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7734 6112
www.kettners.com
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French

Following on from his success with The Boundary complex in Shoreditch (see listings), Sir Terence Conran’s latest venture sees a move to Fleet Street – the old heart of London’s newspaper industry – and thus a little closer to LFW. And a good thing too, with graceful Art Deco touches, delicate French cuisine and plenty of private rooms to play in, all making this a nice post-show destination.

85 Fleet Street,
EC4Y 1AE
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7583 8385
www.lutyens-restaurant.com
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Italian/Turkish/American

It’s testament to Kinder Aggugini’s talent that he staged his show for autumn/winter 2009 in the Paramount bar and people kept their eyes on the catwalk. The venue is 32 floors up in central London, with breathtaking views of the city. With the venue recently opened up to non-members, take advantage.

32nd Floor, Centre Point, 101 - 103 New Oxford Street,
WC1A 1DD
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7420 2900
www.paramount.uk.net
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British

If you want a change from Somerset House but don’t want to lose any of the architectural splendour, the Royal Opera House’s Paul Hamlyn Hall Bar is the place to go. Complete with a champagne bar, a restaurant and breath-taking chandelier, it’s a stylish place for a glass of fizz.

Royal Opera House, Bow Street,
WC2E 9DD
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7240 1200
www.roh.org.uk
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Bakery
Good for: a quick cupcake

Only a ‘restaurant’ if you consider three cupcakes a main course (and we often do on a busy day), the Primrose ladies started supplying their local deli with picture-perfect cakes and thus were soon baking for U2 and Kate Moss. They’re now stocked at Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason and Liberty, and have catered at Paul Smith, Anya Hindmarch and Topshop events. You’ll find their Covent Garden micro-shop due north – and dangerously close – to the main Somerset House entrance.

42 Tavistock Street,
WC2E 7PB
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7836 3638
www.primrosebakery.org.uk
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Good for: a chic setting for any cocktail

Long a favourite fashion destination, The Purple Bar lives up to its name and is covered in every shade of the very regal colour. The drinks on offer are just as majestic. Specialising in martinis, they have versions dating back to the original 1861 formula as well as the very modern Fair Trade option using Divine chocolate. Perfect for every martini mood, it’s worth phoning ahead to score a table in this members’ only venue.

50 Berners Street,
W1T 3NG
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7300 1496
www.sandersonlondon.com
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British

A stone’s throw from Somerset House lies Simpsons, one of the oldest and grandest dining halls in London. Formerly a gentleman’s chess club, the main restaurant still boasts antique paneled walls, private dining booths and old fashioned silver-domed trolleys that have served the likes of Vincent Van Gogh, Charles Dickens and George Bernard Shaw – who carved his signature in the wall after finding refuge there during an air raid. Don’t miss the small and oh-so-secret Art Deco bar upstairs.

100 The Strand,
WC2R 0EW
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7836 9112
www.simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk
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Modern European
Good for: Retro-chic

A short stroll across Waterloo Bridge (ideally at sunset, as The Kinks once sang) brings you to the Southbank: always bustling but a bit limited in choice when it comes to fine dining. Bypass the ubiquitous chain restaurants and make your way to the second floor of the Royal Festival Hall, where the charmingly retro – in both décor and prices – Skylon awaits. The ideal post-LFW destination.

Southbank Centre,
SE1 8XX
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7654 7800
www.skylonrestaurant.co.uk
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Japanese

Take 180,000 Japanese people, plonk them down in Brazil, wait 60 years and what do you get? Stunning-looking descendents (Lovefoxxx from new-rave group CSS, for one) and a new type of cuisine, which you can now sample in Chelsea. Things get really interesting at the bar, with drinks like the signature Sakeirinha fusing sake with pink grapefruit and passion fruit – and we love their commitment to sustainability which means no tuna at all is on the menu.

312-314 Kings Road,
SW3 5UH
www.sushinho.com
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American

A historic venue, The Tabernacle has seen the likes of Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones come through its doors. Recently renovated, groups playing now include hotly-tipped We Have Bands and Crystal Fighters. Judging by those coming before them, these are the legends of the future.

34-35 Powis Square,
W11 2AY
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7221 9700
www.tabernaclelive.co.uk
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Italian tapas

Set up this year by Nick House (the man behind London success Whisky Mist and others), Tini takes Milan’s Aperitivo concept and brings it to London. A cocktail bar that serves snacks, it keeps the Italian feeling with Pirelli posters and variations on Martini cocktails. Perfetto!

87-89 Walton Street,
SW3 2HP
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7589 8558
www.tinibar.com
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Mexican

Very cheap and very cheerful (if you can get a seat), market style foodhall Wahaca burst onto the scene in 2007, offering a new take on fresh and healthy Mexican classics. More style-conscious than most – don’t forget to pick up a matchbook of grow-your-own chili seeds to plant at home – it’s a great place to pop to for lunch on the run.

66 Chandos Place,
WC2N 4HG
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7240 1883
www.wahaca.co.uk
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Light snacks

Just opposite Somerset House, the Waldorf is guaranteed to become a destination for fashion folk. The Homage Bar is the place to head for a drink – with a classic cocktail list and champagne options, there’s a good menu of tipples to suit.

22 Aldwych,
WC2B 4DD
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7759 4080
www.hilton.co.uk/waldorf
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