Keep Celebrating

Bars, Cocktails & Live Music

Waxy O’Connor’s, Chinatown — A massive underground Irish bar with four bars. Great for drinks and live music.

Ain’t Nothin’ But, Carnaby — An intimate blues bar with brilliant live blues and jazz music from 6:00 PM.

Swift, Soho (or Borough) — Beautiful cocktails… but our favourite is an Irish coffee if you’re nursing the post-wedding hangover.

Bar Italia, Soho — A Soho institution and our pick for the best coffees and espresso martinis. Open until the early hours, too.

Cocktail Trading Company, Shoreditch — Raph’s second home. Theatrical cocktails served in a cosy bar just off Brick Lane.

Ku Bar, Chinatown — Our favourite LGBTQ+ bar, right in the heart of Chinatown. Open late, with drag shows, and a club downstairs if you fancy carrying on into the night.

Arts Theatre Club, Soho — A cosy, late-night, members’-club-style cocktail bar with DJs, dancing and plenty of atmosphere.

Jaguar Shoes, Shoreditch — A lively East London bar, music and arts space that keeps going late.

Secret London

Cahoots, Soho — A 1940s-inspired cocktail bar hidden inside a disused Underground station. Great fun and very London.

Opium, Chinatown — Hidden behind an unassuming doorway on Gerrard Street, with atmospheric rooms, inventive cocktails and delicious dim sum.

Murder Inc., Fitzrovia — A dark, playful cocktail bar inspired by the criminal underworld of 1920s America.

The Vault, Soho — Enter through Milroy’s whisky shop on Greek Street, then find the bookcase at the back that leads into the hidden cocktail bar.

La Bodega Negra, Soho — The screaming neon signage outside promises peep shows and girls, girls, girls. What you’ll actually find is tacos, tacos, tacos… with a side of tequila, of course.

Basement Sate, Soho — Look for the discreet red door in the middle of Soho. Behind it, you’ll find an intimate basement bar specialising in cocktails.

Places to Eat

London is one of the best cities in the world for food. These are some of our favourites:

Roti King — An unassuming Malaysian restaurant famous for its flaky roti canai, served with rich and comforting curries. Expect a queue, but it’s worth it.

Dishoom — A much-loved homage to the old Irani cafés of Bombay. Come for breakfast, lunch or dinner — but don’t leave without trying the house chai.

Rasa Sayang, Chinatown — A relaxed Chinatown favourite serving comforting Malaysian and Singaporean classics.

Dumplings’ Legend, Chinatown — Watch the chefs make dumplings through the kitchen window before ordering baskets of freshly steamed xiao long bao.

Bubala — Middle Eastern-inspired vegetarian food, designed for sharing. There are locations in Soho, Spitalfields and King’s Cross.

Hoppers — Sri Lankan and South Indian-inspired food, including hoppers, dosas, curries and delicious small plates.

Flour & Grape, Bermondsey Street — Fresh handmade pasta in a relaxed neighbourhood restaurant near London Bridge. Very popular, so be prepared to queue.

The Devonshire, Soho — A proper London pub with a celebrated grill upstairs. It can be difficult to secure a restaurant booking, but they do accept some walk-ins, and you can always stop by for a pint and soak up the atmosphere.

Coffee & Something Sweet

Buns From Home — Irresistible handmade buns with rotating flavours, from classic cinnamon to chocolate, cardamom and seasonal specials. Aisling’s favourite is the cheesecake.

Roll Boys — Our go-to for cinnamon buns, baked fresh and best enjoyed still warm.

Stag’s House Coffee, Bunhill Row — An independent speciality coffee shop and roastery. This one is particularly special to us, as Raph’s coffee brand from the Philippines is sold here!

Monmouth Coffee Company — A London speciality-coffee institution. Visit the original Covent Garden shop, or pick up a cup beside Borough Market.

Jolene — A neighbourhood bakery, café and restaurant known for excellent bread, pastries and simple seasonal food.

Allpress Espresso — Excellent coffee served in a beautiful converted joinery workshop in Shoreditch.

Ozone Coffee — A spacious coffee roastery near Old Street serving speciality coffee alongside a brilliant breakfast and brunch menu.

Take in a Show

You’ll be within easy reach of London’s West End, home to everything from long-running musicals and new plays to comedy, jazz and cabaret.

Theatre — Download the TodayTix app and look out for Rush tickets. Discounted tickets for participating shows are released daily at 10:00 AM on a first-come, first-served basis, so you can often secure seats for that evening at a fraction of the usual price. Just be sure to be on the app and ready to purchase right at 10:00 AM.

Top Secret Comedy Club, Covent Garden — An intimate comedy club hosting established names alongside some of London’s best up-and-coming comedians.

Leicester Square Theatre — A smaller, lesser-known West End venue with a varied programme of comedy, theatre, cabaret and live entertainment.

Shakespeare’s Globe — Watch Shakespeare performed beside the Thames, with affordable standing tickets available for those happy to experience it as a traditional “groundling.”

Jazz & Cabaret

Ronnie Scott’s, Soho — One of the world’s most famous jazz clubs, hosting exceptional live music in an intimate setting since 1959.

Phoenix Arts Club, Soho — A cabaret venue hidden beneath the Phoenix Theatre, with live music, comedy and late-night performances.

Crazy Coqs, Piccadilly Circus — Our wedding reception venue is also one of London’s most beautiful intimate performance spaces, with a programme of jazz, cabaret, comedy and live music.

A Little London Adventure

Borough Market & the South Bank — Pick up something delicious at one of London’s best-known food markets, then walk along the Thames towards Shakespeare’s Globe and Tate Modern. Borough Market is particularly special to us, as we first met nearby in a bar called The Globe Tavern.

Maltby Street Market — A smaller neighbourhood food market beneath the railway arches near London Bridge.

Bermondsey Street — Loads of great cafés, restaurants, bars and galleries all on one street. Check out Morocco Bound for local music and events.

Brick Lane Markets — Browse vintage clothes, independent stalls, street art and food from around the world. Brick Lane is also famous for its many curry houses.

The V&A, South Kensington — Aisling’s favourite museum, filled with art, fashion, design and decorative treasures from around the world.

London Museum Docklands — Set inside a historic warehouse at West India Quay, this brilliant museum tells the story of London, its river and its docks. As we live off one of the old docks, this one is a particular favourite of ours.

Sky Garden — Panoramic views across London without the price tag. Entry is free, but tickets need to be reserved.

A Thames Boat Ride — Take an Uber Boat rather than a sightseeing cruise for brilliant views of London from the river. If you find yourself on one, send us a message — we live right off Greenland Dock!

Neal’s Yard & Seven Dials Market — Colourful streets, independent shops and plenty of lovely places to stop for coffee or a drink.

A Few London Tips

Use contactless payment or Apple Pay / Google Pay on the Tube and buses — there’s no need to buy an Oyster card.

Walk when you can; many central London landmarks are much closer together than they appear on the Tube map.

Remember to stand on the right-hand side of the escalator on the Tube — the left is for walking!

Always carry an umbrella. London likes to keep us guessing.