DESTINATION FOCUS • May 2018
Late night London: do as the locals do
You’ve been to the theatre and ticked enough run-of-the-mill restaurants off your list, so why not spend an evening with Londoners at one of these under-the-radar events? The Club team share their favourite evening entertainment
Mystery and mixology
Ross Clarke, The Club consultant editor
Green Park station: the starting place of one of London’s wildest after-work treasure hunts. If you’re an out-of-towner, take your travel pals; if you’re a local, grab your work mates and get ready to solve the clues given to you by the Master of the Hunt. The answers to riddles and other little challenges will take you around Zone 1 of London’s famous Underground system. Come summer and my go-to post-work tipple is a G&T. If like me you favour a touch of the quinine and juniper, don’t settle for any old gin, learn how to distil your own with the help of Chris at Half Hitch Gin (pictured) in Camden Market. The best bit? You can use whatever ingredients you like, seriously, from basil to blackcurrant, Monster Munch to mince pie.
Target practice
Hannah Ralph, The Club content editor
London, in all its chic, cosmopolitan glory, isn’t exactly renowned for its primal pursuits, but hidden away in the capital’s central Zone 1 lies a stress-reliever like no other: Whistle Punks Urban Axe Throwing. Here you can chin-wag with Londoners letting off steam after a day at the desk and comic coaches who’ll teach you their axe-slinging ways. Another after-work hangout is Bounce near the East End station of Old Street (pictured). This is London’s finest table-tennis establishment, with several hireable tables and a bucket of balls that are handily refilled by staff. Go for ping-pong and pizza on a weeknight when it’s not so busy, but make sure to book in on a Sunday for their bountiful bottomless brunch.
Time for tee
Matt Richardson, The Club picture editor
After work, I want to do one of two things – either check out one of the city’s buzzing new restaurants or a cool new activity with friends. For the latter, I'm partial to a game of seaside-themed crazy golf at the latest Swingers outpost off Oxford Street – the perfect spot for putting and post-shop pizza. If you’re after something a bit more high-end, Duddell’s (pictured) is one of London’s hottest restaurants, lauded for its dim sum, air-dried Peking duck and truffle spring rolls. Party-goers out later than planned should consider ICHIBUNS, where you'll find spectacular sushi and zingy yuzu and grapefruit cocktails served well into the night.
Dining in the dark
Marisa Cannon, The Club content editor
After clocking off, it’s always great to do something a bit remarkable if you’ve spent the day looking at a computer. For a meal beyond the ordinary, Dans Le Noir offers a wonderful, awareness-raising experience where guests are invited to dine in total darkness, with the aid of visually impaired waiters. Three sumptuous courses are laid on, during which time senses are heightened and table manners tested, before diners are guided back into the light to discover the contents of their meal. If you want true decadence, opt for the degustation menu (£74), followed by the surprise cheese-tasting board (£12) with a glass of port to wash it down.
A-maze-ing escapes
Charlotte Swift, The Club editor
Being locked in a room and having to crack a code to escape may not sound like everyone’s idea of fun – and I didn’t think it was mine - but I’m now a convert to these interactive, Crystal-Maze like games. HintHunt, near Euston Station, is the original, but there are others opening around the UK. If it’s the last Friday of the month, I’ll make my way to Bankside for Late at the Tate, where the modern art museum (pictured) transforms into an adults playground of after-hours cocktails, DJs and immersive creative workshops. In the summer, you can find me at outdoor cinema spot Luna Cinema, which shows vintage classics and recent hits in some of London’s most surprising locations. Think Romeo and Juliet at The Tower of London and you’re on the right lines.
This article has been tagged Destination, Travel Tips
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