London

Underground Tea Party

My first visit to Bourne & Hollingsworth didn't get off to the most auspicious start. First, we couldn't find it--its address might be Rathbone Place, but its entrance is on Charlotte Street. Then, a man exiting as we were entering warned us that it was rubbish and not to bother going in (although he put it in cruder terms). But having made the effort to get there, we weren't going to be deterred without judging for ourselves. And I'm glad we did as Bourne & Hollingsworth is a delightful little venue. I was intrigued by the bar's Prohibition-era premise of serving cocktails in teacups. So rather than having just any old drink here, our mission was to have a cocktail served in the finest vintage china. On that front, we were slightly disappointed as from their extensive cocktail menu, only four were offered in teacups, limiting our choice somewhat. I had something that involved cucumber and gin, served with a cucumber sandwich (crusts cut off) on the side, whilst my friend has a cherry brandy concoction that came with a couple of Jaffa cakes. Both were served in mismatched teacups on saucers, and cost £7 a go. Not cheap, but incredibly potent! It is a cosy venue--not much bigger than many front rooms, and fittingly it is decorated like many a grandma's lounge with chintzy wallpaper and standard lamps, but with the addition of a DJ playing a great selection that ranged the Rolling Stones to Roots Manuva on our visit.

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Nightlife • Fitzrovia

Booze & Burgers

We stumbled upon (quite literally) the Eagle Bar Diner whilst looking for another bar nearby. Unlike most of the pubs and bars around this area, the Eagle still had a couple of empty tables on this particular Friday night. That's not to say it was quiet--the bar was busy enough with groups on cocktail-driven missions. The Eagle is decorated with retro Americana, although late at night when the lights are down low, it is barely noticeable and having already eaten, we didn't partake of its signature burgers either--but what we did experience was a small sample of its huge cocktail menu. My mojito was as good as any I've had elsewhere, whilst my friend enjoyed something involving vodka, passionfruit and blood oranges. We were also tempted but thought better of, their Alcoholic Milkshakes--but that might be a good reason to return in the future.

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Restaurants • Fitzrovia

Not a Gay Pub

The Cock is a pretty standard British boozer. It has so far managed to avoid being given a makeover so the beer stained carpet and dark wood interiors are all the genuine article, rather than an ironic copy. So why drink in the Cock. Two reasons: 1.) It is in a central location, just off Oxford Street. 2.) It is a Sam Smith's pub, which means it is cheap. Cheap pubs off Oxford Street are pretty hard to come by and whilst the Cock will usually be busy, it hasn't yet been discovered by shoppers from out of town. Of course, there is a third reason why this pub is popular. People seem to take a certain juvenile delight in its name. But I'm sure you are above such things...

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Nightlife • Fitzrovia

Cream for the Japanophile

"What in the world?" was my initial reaction. "Curious..." was my second. "Yum-a-lum" was my third. Yes, the rather weird sight of the bright yellow sign declaring Beard Papa's Cream Puffs to the masses slap bang in the middle of Oxford Street was a little too South Park for my liking but having seen it one time too many I marched purposefully over. "Right," I said to myself, "I'm going to get to the bottom of this cream puff scenario." Essentially a kind of profiterole which comes in a variety of shapes from round to cornet to eclair-shaped, what gives Beard Papa's the edge is indeed the cream. A custardy confection encased in wonderfully fresh choux pastry, Beard Papa's (a Japanese company) rather sweetly claims to be "the world's best-selling cream puffs." I'm not sure they have much competition but with all products free of additives and preservatives they certainly get my vote for when on the hoof in central London and a bit of a sugar boost is needed.

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Shopping • Fitzrovia