Valentines Day, LOVE it or HATE it??? But it Ain't Going Away

LOVE IT OR HATE IT???

So Valentines day is looming, just under a week away... but how do you feel about the day?? 
Is it yet another money making gimmick for card shops and businesses to sell us tacky bears and balloons or does your romance prevail.
If you do hate it... I'm afraid it ain't going away... So enjoy it in a differnt way...
read on for some different ideas of how to enjoy with friends, romance a lover, impress or fancy dress...



A Date with a Difference
take a group of mates, take your best mate or take a date who likes something a bit different.

Eat your Heart Out Valentines Day Pop up Event

Friday February 8th 11am-7pm , Saturday 9th 11am-6pm and Sunday February 10th 11am-6pm

If you love crafts and food together and you have a strong stomach then go check this event out. Valentines cards and other crafts with Bread, cake, pies and many more culinary delights sculptured to resemble an anatomically correct human heart.
This pop up event is only on for three days and is certainly one of a kind. 
A day and date to remember I'd say!!

'Between the 8^th – 10^th February 2013 a secret location in East London will be playing host to romantic pop up with a twist; every single one of the gifts, cards or edible treats on sale will be based on an anatomically correct heart. It is a venture from Miss Cakehead & Medical Illustrator Emily Evans who have teamed up to create Anatomical Snuffbox, an outfit with sole aim of promoting and producing anatomy led cultural events. The anatomical hearts on sale have been sourced from the finest arts, crafts and cake makers from both from the UK and further afield, many of who have been commissioned to create unique pieces for the project. Expect to see anatomical heart inspired pieces in the form of jewelry, art prints, cards, embroidery, ceramics and of course cake and chocolate'.
http://evilcakehead.com/2012/12/27/eat-your-heart-out-this-valentines-literally/



From Mates to a Date
Shoryu Ramen
9 Regent Street, London
New Japanese Bar in Central London

Looking for somewhere to go that's not to cosy but good enough to impress your mate your looking to date, then you should book a table at the Shoryu Ramen.
It's a new Japanese style bar serving all the usual Japanese scrummyness and much much more.
The most popular dish is the Karaka Tan Tan Tonkotsu (so I have been told) So I suggest giving that one a go.
Chop sticks are a must if you really want to impress, but don't over do it on those Takana (aka Spicy pickled Mustard Leaves) 

Give the Wasabi Martini a try!

I haven't had chance to go yet as it's not long been open, but I'm damned going there soon.
See you there!!

All in all I'd say an excellent place to go for an easy date, if you love Japanese food and a lively atmosphere.
Check out the link below to see more and get all their deats
http://www.shoryuramen.com

Cute, Caring and Quaint Date

Afternoon Tea at Drink, Shop & DO
9 Caledonian Road
Kings Cross
London

On February 14th you should head on over to Drink, Shop & Do for a very cute Afternoon Tea date, being served all day.
At £25 per head and lots of sweet treats, it's a perfect date for those cute couples.

'If petrol station flowers won't quite cut it this year why not pop down to Drink, Shop & Do for an extra special Valentine's Day Afternoon Tea?! We've got plenty of lovely tables for two available to pre-book and can even offer personalised gingerbread hearts for extra bonus points! Call us on: 020 7278 4335 or email: mail@drinkshopdo.com'

I really love Drink, Shop & Do and to be honest I'm massively jealous that I didn't think of the idea first.

Combining afternoon tea's, coffee, wine and beers with knitting and art classes is the perfect combination in my eyes. 

I love the decor and I love the fact you can buy pretty much everything you see.

When you arrive, you first walk into the shop with a pretty lady behind the counter and shelves full of endless hand made delights that would be perfect for all those quirky little gifts.

You then walk up a few steps into the cafe area which is bright, full of vintage furniture and home ware from the past. They serve all kinds of coffee, tea, cakes and lovely looking sandwiches and snacks, check out their menu here
http://www.drinkshopdo.com/Drink,_Shop_%26_Do/Drink,_Shop_&_Do_—_Breakfast,_Lunch_&_DInner_files/Sample%20Lunch%20Menu.pdf 

The baristas are a beautiful, quirky looking bunch, very friendly and seem to really enjoy their jobs. The coffee was one of the best I've had in London and having waited around 7-8 minutes for it to be made, I was hoping for such.

You can book all kinds of classes, from knitting to poem writing and the majority are free.

The best thing about this place is the club downstairs, which they call Drink, Shop & Dance.
It's a complete contrast from upstairs but this is why it works so well.

It opens most weekend evenings and is exactly what I'd love all clubs to be, quirky, cool, dark and interesting with a good cocktail list and a few good bottled beers (beer selection could be improved & made more interesting). No draft beer, but the place was never a pub. I especially love the DJ booth in a piano and the boom boxes in the wall.

PLEASE!! you have to go check it out ASAP!!

Why not end your valentines Afternoon Tea with a boogie downstairs!
'Thursday 14th, Free from 7PM

Doodle Club’s Throbbing Heart: A Valentine’s Special – If you’re looking to impress a date with your quirky sense of cool, or you’re a singleton desperately seeking bum sex, come to Doodle Club. The doodling theme will of course be L.O.V.E, with a soppy, sultry and sexy soundtrack to match. What’s more, Mister Mumbles assures us there will be several romantic surprises in-store throughout the evening…ooh-la-la – that’s amore!' 

Hit up Their website for all their wonderful deats
http://www.drinkshopdo.com

My LPD rating is 5 Pints

Round Up your Best Pals or Gather Your Mates from Work for a Big Fat Group Date...

I Love Lists with Jess Indeedy 
The Cafe at FOYLES BOOKSHOP
113-119 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0EB£5 advance tickets 
£7 at the door
Thursday February 14th from 7pm

If you love making lists as much as I do then this is certainly the night for you.
Jess Indeedy a gorgeous all American girl brings a world first list making night and mixes it with glamour, music and lots and lots of fun.
You receive your very own exercise book and pens on arrival, next to grab a drink and a table and then we're away...

"Make a list of everything you would buy with £100,000"
"What's your bucket list?" 

... and so the lists go on!!
Whilst everyone is busy list making the lovely DJ Helix spins closely related tunes in the back ground.

A very different night, but very cool and much fun to be had by all.
There's prize's for best hand writing and doodling is encouraged!
I reccomend it!!

LPD rating 5 pints

Book your tickets now!!
Find out all the deats here
http://jessindeedy.com/i-love-lists/
www.foyles.co.uk

Staying South, staying in Tooting Broadway

The Tooting Tram & Social

Another fantastic pub/club in Tooting, I remember when it first opened it's doors, back in 2007 and how it's changed over the years, not massively... but enough to see that it only gets better.
I think the new manager Mark has now taken it to the next level and brought back the fun and quality of a good party at the Tram.
The beer is now what we call average priced (£3.75 - £5.00 for a pint), sometimes the draft beer isn't much to be desired and I will now only drink bottled beers at The Tram.  I normally have either a bottle of Sierra Nevada PA(4.30) or Brooklyn Lager (4.00), both very good tasty American beers.
Sierra Nevada one of the best and probably one of the most well known American craft beers on the market is a real good party beer, at 5.6% it will go straight to your head (Please drink responsibly). The taste is quite Sharpe and bitter, but it goes down rather well, leaving you with a crisp, refreshed after taste. 
Find out more about Sierra Nevada here 
http://www.sierranevada.com/beer/year-round/pale-ale/

Brooklyn Lager another great beer, sold by bottle again but another good party beer at 5.2%.
It's dark, strong and full of flavour, it goes down well with tasty rich bar snacks such as sausage rolls, pork pies and pork scratchings.
Find out more about Brooklyn Lager here
http://brooklynbrewery.com/brooklyn-beers/perennial-brews/brooklyn-lager

The Tram doesn't do food, they have tried but I think their better off keeping it a boozer/club.
If you want to see the Trams true colours then go on a Friday or Saturday night, crowds gather and queues form to enter, Dj's jump on the decks and the party begins.
I've been to some fantastic nights at the Tram, live music happens often and some really good day time and night time events.
Some to mention are craft fairs, vintage markets, open mic nights, Indi Bingo (check out their website for more).

John Kennedy is a resident DJ there and think he and his friends do pretty much every Friday night.
The Tram used to be an old Tram shed, so is big and spacious and has a pretty cool mezzanine level which you can book for parties and occasions. The main dance floor is downstairs and is always packed after 11pm, the bar is big and long but you still have to wait a while to be served when it's busy.  The bar staff are a pretty trendy bunch, most dancing about and having fun and some look a bit glum (probably with the thought of serving another drunk idiot) service over all was ok. 

My last visit was on Saturday February 2nd 2013, we arrived rather late and had to push our way through a very crowded court yard, it was packed inside too with people everywhere but seemed like a good atmosphere.
As the bar was about 5 deep I new it would take a while to get served, (which it did) but with everyone having fun, dancing around and being rather friendly at the bar, it didn't bother me too much.
The DJ was great, playing good tunes and everyone was dancing.

The clientele varies from young girls, strutting their thing in short dresses and high heels, hipster guys wearing vests and rolled up jeans to slightly over leering men.
I would not go to The Tram on my own, due to the fact I'd feel like an idiot who has been stud up and didn't like the look of some of the leering men.

My overall opinion of The Tram is, it's a great place to finish your night, when you've not quite had enough but no your on your way and dancing is a must.
The draft beer isn't amazing but they do have plenty of bottle beers to tickle your fancy.
I would like to see more disco lights on the dance floor, as it's a bit dark over there some times and the toilets need improving/fixing massively.

Find out more about The Tooting Tram & Social here
http://tootingtram.com/

My LPD rating is 3 and a half pints

The Antelope, Tooting Broadway, South London

South London is and will defiantly continue to be my favourite stomping ground.
I have lived in London for almost 8 years and 7.5 of those years have been in South London.

Tooting Broadway, a special place and made famous for it's long strip of curry houses, an interesting indoor market, home to St George's Hospital, a big Primark, Tooting Lido up the road and a vast amount of pound and chicken shops.

You can pretty much find anything you need in Tooting!! 
Plus the wonderful local residents, (who like a good drink) have an option of some pretty good decent boozers!


The Antelope

The Antelope, a great pub and restaurant is just of the high street but still in the centre of Tooting.  It's a great choice for after work drinks (being a 5 minute walk from Tooting Broadway Tube) a fab place to meet friends, a good choice for a dinner date and with a 12am license a good place for a late night drink. 
My last visit was on Friday 18th January 2013, it was nice and busy, snow was falling outside and to escape into a world of warmth and comfort was very much appreciated by all inside.


I drank a few pints of Meantime PA, which was severed well in it's correct glass and looked and tasted great, I love Meantime PA for its delicious, dark, full hoppy flavours. At 4.3% abv it's a good medium strength beer with Lot's to offer and you can  certainly feel a good night coming after 3 pints. 
(Please drink Responsibly).
http://www.meantimebrewing.com/our-beers#london-pale-ale

The Antelope team are always happy to serve and genuinely look happy to be at work, they are always smiling. 

I didn’t eat this time but I know the food is good, (as I have eaten plenty of times before and also know the head Chef Raf) The restaurant was rather busy and everyone looked like they were having a great night.

The Antelope is a great place to hide away from a cold winters night, they now have an updated garden/courtyard nicely presented with wooden picnic benches and leafy plants.
 A nice place to chill and get away from the hustle and bustle of Tooting High street.
They now have a fab new function room available to hire for parties, weddings, dinner parties etc etc, check out the link to see pictures and all details,  
http://anticlondon.com/the-antelope-hire/
There is a good mixture of clientele here which I much prefer, there were plenty of groups ladies which suggests it's female friendly.
 I will always choose a place to drink if I feel comfortable to drink alone at the bar. 

Over all, a great place in Tooting Broadway, one of the best in South London, I'd say in the top 20. 
Something for everyone and happy to please.
Reasonably priced beer to be in a nice place.
Good Food, good variety of drinks
Great space
But they do need to improve the toilets!!

Find out more about them here.

http://theantelopepub.com

LPD rating 4 and a half pints