Secret London - Unusual Bars & Restaurants (Local Guides by Local People)

Gift - looks great

Packed with quirky places of interest as the title suggests.

Bought as a gift for someone moving to London. Had a quick flick through and wished I was moving with him !

Have only just read through & am already looking forward to seeking some out

When you know a city very well, you had visited all the sites... what is next? The Jonglez Guides are the go-to guides for getting under the real skin of the city, finding unusual / quirky / interesting and very different places to explore... here is just a brief flavour:Westminster to CamdenIndian YMCA – curry favourYouth hostels aren’t places I’d normally associate wuth good food. If YMCA brings to mind Village People rather than hot dinners, you’ll be surprised by this odd little anachronism in Fitzrovia. Fine dining, this ain’t. It’s self-service. Vats of mutton, fish and chicken curry look fairly indistinguishable, but they’re all tasty and freshly made. A mound of pilau rice, hot spiced cabbage and lentil curry, onion bhajis, and saucers of chutney and raita will set you back less than a tenner.Temple to AngelCellardoor – louche loosKohler’s underground bar takes its WC postcode very literally. Formrly the Wellington Street gents, this public convenience was allegedly frequented by celebrity cruisers Oscar Wilde, John Gielgud and John Hurt.Kohler persuaded Westminster Council to grant him a late licence as long as he staged live entertainment. Since the tiny space only holds 60 people, Kohler plumped for cabaret. Every night is different, from burlesque shows to drag DJs, saucy comedy acts to singers belting out tunes from the Weimar Republic.And this is probably the only place in London where you can do lines on the bar and nobody will bat an eyelid. They sell snuff in all manner of strange flavours, from apricot to absinthe, champagne to Red Bull.Tower Bridge to ShoreditchWalluc – an homage to fromageArriving at Walluc is like walking into an Aki Kaurismaki film set: a small front room filled with scruffy chairs, guitars, fishing nets, two or three motorbikes, and staffed by a couple of rockabillies in turn-up jeans.The hours are unreliable; the heating, lighting or coffee machine may be on the blink. Sometimes sheets of kitchen paper serve as napkins. The menu is short. It’s basically melted cheese – fondue or raclette; charcuterie to start, a salad to accompany.By the time we’ve reached the golden crust at the bottom of the Le Creuset, it’s a satisfying dead heat (a feta compli, if you will).You get the drift. ‘Secret London‘ will take you – whimsically – to places in our amazing capital city that you never knew existed, allow you to impress friends with how cool you must be to know of a Mexican restaurant in a sex shop, and sort out your Christmas present list.

I thought after about 15 years in London I know the city inside out - but who am I kidding! London is an ever-changing beast with restaurants, cafes and bars opening (and closing) here and there all the time. Some are good, some are bad, some are fantastic! Get this guide for hidden gems of London's restaurants and bars and try to discover one every week! I guarantee you will have an amazing gastronomic adventure that you would not want to finish! It's all about the journey, not a destination!Bon appetit! ;)

Eclectic, stimulating, surprising, meticulously researched and very well written. It uncovers a fantastic collection of recherche goodies, all over London. I've been walking past several for years and not known they're there. Quite unlike the bog-standard guides to the capital.