London

Going Out

There is so much nightlife in London that it's impossible to list everything here. For an exhaustive list and last-minute tickets and stuff, try having a gander at www.thisislondon.com, www.lastminute.com, www.londonlife.com and the excellent www.theatrenow.com.

The best places to go out in London are often the places that people don't really know of or go to. Most people like it that way - for instance, Madonna had her recent party at the Grenadier in Belgravia. It sounds grand, but it's just a little pub in the middle of town. You have to be in the know, to be in the know.

If you want to meet celebs and other movers and shakers, try the Met Bar (although to be fair, the sort of celebs who hang out there are the sort who are famous for being famous and end up in the middle pages of Hello! magazine when they've had a lover's spat). Also try Mash near Oxford Circus - it's full of "hello darling" media-types.

Lots of pubs, clubs and theatres (obviously) in the West End - Tiger Tiger is a fun place to go, as is Sound Republic and Zoo Bar. Be aware though that drinks in the West End are prohibitively expensive. If you fancy a pint or two before the theatre or dinner, without a shadow of a doubt, the best place to go is the "Chandos" on St Martin in the Fields. The imported lager they sell is cheap, and very good, in fact, it's almost 70p a pint cheaper than anywhere else in the West End. - Highly recommended.

Of course, the other option is to go to Covent Garden. In fact, if you come from the southern hemisphere, the only place you should ever go is Covent Garden, with the Walkabout and the other assorted "outback" theme pubs that show the rugby matches, it's the place to be. Of course, there are loads of other pubs and clubs in Covent Garden that you can enjoy yourself in, but just be aware that, like the West End, it can be very expensive.

Soho is the favourite haunt of a lot of students. It's not as seedy as it's made out to be, and there are lots of little pubs and bars hidden away in side streets. For students who want to avoid tourists, it's definitely one of the best places to go out boozing (sorry -socialising). For the more flash of you, you can always go to the King's Road and spend a years loan on buying a round.

Each area of London has it's own local pubs and clubs which are pretty good really, so you never have to stray too far from home. Hammersmith (with its great riverside pubs), Islington and the Angel, Clapham, Fulham, Putney, Camden and Hampstead all have a great range of bistros, clubs and pubs to frequent. For great studenty nights out try the Clapham Grand.

One word of advice - if you are a lady, you should be careful walking around some areas late at night - always carry a rape alarm, and always get someone honourable to escort you to a cab or home.