Penny Blood's Black Book - My Independent Guide to London » Central

Tate Modern

Penny Blood — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:56:26 +0000

I’ve never been keen on Museums or Art galleries. I find that when paintings, furniture or artefacts of any kind are out of their intended habitat, they just become boring objects of which countless replicas have been made, so who cares if it’s really really old. The kind of ‘museums’ I love however are Buckingham Palace, The Dennis Severs Museum, The Houses of Parliament and Versailles to name a few where everything is more or less left as it was. I think a Leonardo da Vinci looks spectacular when it’s on a brocaded wall and surrounded by gilt furniture, but when hung on a white wall, to me lacks any personality. The same goes for Jackson Pollack and Monet. I love their work but I wish to see it set up in the kind of surroundings where it may have been created or on the wall of someone who might have bought it at the time. That being said I don’t go to the Tate Modern for the art, I like the bookshop. I also love the Turbine hall, it’s just a shame they fill it with some rubbish the likes of Rachel Whiteread dreamt up. Tate Modern is a converted power station and the ground floor / entrance reaches floor to ceiling several stories high which renders it unbelievably impressive. The brilliant bookshop has every art book conceivable (more or less) and a vast range of magazines and there’s a good restaurant on the top floor, which although it’s quite expensive has an amazing view of London.

http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/

Bankside, London SE1 9TG
020 7887 8888
Entry is free except for major exhibitions
Sunday – Thursday 10am–6pm Friday – Saturday 10am-10pm
Last admission into exhibitions 5.15pm (Friday and Saturday 9.15pm)

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Cyber Candy

Penny Blood — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:39:42 +0000

I’ve just been on a trip to America and I promised a friend I would pick up some of her favourite sweets and peanut butter however I couldn’t be bothered to carry it all the way home so figured I’d just go to Cyber Candy the Holy Grail of sugar in every colour, shape and form. It’s the place to come for your Lucky Charms, Junior Mints, Root Beer, Cream Soda, Tootsie Rolls, Twinkies and all manner of good things where the packaging will expire before the contents do. It’s the home to Japanese and American confectionery galore and the brightest most obscene packaging ever. It’s all imported no doubt at quite a cost which is heavily reflected in the price tag and be warned that it does appear to be a major hang out for groups of kids on a school trip.

http://www.cybercandy.co.uk

Cyber Candy, 3 Garrick Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9BF
0845 838 0958
Sunday – Friday 11am-8pm Saturdays 10.30am to 8pm

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Lucky Spot

Penny Blood — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 11:11:53 +0000

The reason I’m here is by pure chance. I’m looking for a church and it’s supposed to be on this street. Some vile socialite is having a party there and she wants it decorated with taxidermy and I’m supposed to be finding the taxidermy, but first I have to see the location. I’m already late but I pass by this little café/restaurant, which immediately grabs my attention. I take a quick peak inside and realise I’ve found a hidden gem. It’s a bit medieval, a bit Austrian ski village, a bit Italian and a bit grannies living room. And it’s in Mayfair of all places, minutes from Selfridges and the American Embassy. It’s opposite Starbucks which sadly though, has many more customers. It’s the fact Lucky Spot is so out of place that makes it so special. I just don’t give Mayfair enough credit. There is only one other person here, a young man who’s staring at me and I’ve just noticed I’ve got crumbs and raspberry jam on my face from breakfast. Seriously how long has that been there?

Lucky Spot, 14 North Audley Street, London W1K 6WE
020 7493 0277

Lucky 7

Camera Café

Penny Blood — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 10:40:17 +0000

Tucked away at the back of a camera repair shop next to the British Museum is Camera Cafe a quiet and discreet little place with a few tables and Simon and Garfunkel playing in the background (the soundtrack says alot). The few customers here are total anoraks, wearing hiking gear including the boots despite the fact that it’s the height of summer and we’re miles from any kind of hill to hike. You needn’t worry about being bothered though as they are too busy fiddling with their new 50mm F2.8 DG MACRO lens and taking close-up photos of the floor and a teaspoon, then examining the results intently whilst consulting the manual. Despite being located minutes from the British Museum, therefore being a heavily touristy area, no tourist would ever find it, just the odd camera nerd or UCL student. Not so good to meet someone for a chat as you might get a few shhh! looks but perfect if you want a bit of peace and quiet in central London.

http://www.cameracafe.co.uk/

Camera Cafe, 44 Museum Street, London, WC1A 1LY
020 7831 1566
Monday – Friday 11am-7pm Saturday 12pm-7pm

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Dukes

Penny Blood — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:09:14 +0000

Tucked away behind St. James’ Street in a quaint little hotel called Dukes is an old worldly little bar with old portraits on the walls and where they make your cocktail (the Martini anyway) on a trolley in front of you, it’s a great experience and a wonderful atmosphere. I have a tradition with Rafael that every Christmas we go to Duke’s for a cocktail. I always feel a little out of my league there as it’s fairly swanky but I soon settle in as it doesn’t attract trashy moneyed types, apart from members of the cast of Made in Chelsea, (but since I love that show I’ll let that one slide). Dukes cocktail bar is a bit of an institution you might say and the head bartender is so charming. To be honest I can’t afford such luxuries but that’s why it helps having a generous friend. There is also a cosy little lounge and a conservatory which is great in the summer for afternoon tea too.

www.dukeshotel.com

Dukes Hotel, 35 St. James’s Place, London SW1A 1NY
02073186585
Monday – Thursday 2pm onwards, Friday – Saturday 12pm onwards Sunday 4pm onwards

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Blacks

Penny Blood — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:04:20 +0000

Blacks is definitely my favourite of all the members clubs I’ve been to in London. Shoreditch house is no doubt beautiful and comfortably modern but it’s like the after work club for TV presenters, ‘media types’ is the term that springs to mind. I do appreciate the fact that they have a ‘No Bankers’ policy which they strictly enforce though, that’s bound to piss off a few people. It’s reassuringly laid back too, the swimming pool at the top would inevitably attract the most beautiful people making it the last place in London I would want to hang out, but to the contrary it’s full of people who merely think they are the most beautiful, thus providing much amusement. Ultimately though it’s just too corporate for my liking, same goes for Soho house, it’s all just a giant money making machine. The Groucho club has no style whatsoever, they have a great selection of hideous YBA artworks which don’t blend with the interior and the Hospital Club and Century Club are ok but nothing to write home about. I’m yet to visit the Ivy Club but since a struggling artist friend, (although he is no longer so struggling) once sold a painting to the Ivy (along with a nice amount of credit to spend there), having never heard of the place was merely pissed off with his agent as he really just needed the cash. However on realising how nice it was, started to eat there most nights as he didn’t have any money, so would show up at one of London’s hardest to get into restaurants in his paint splattered jeans (and no they weren’t Helmut Lang) to dine on Black Mount venison with pressed cabbage & chestnuts. Anyway I plan to get an invite soon. Blacks however, is in my eyes, perfect. Housed in a beautiful old Georgian townhouse, it’s quaint and gothic with wooden panelled walls and doors painted duck-egg grey and black, it’s rickety and full of character and threadbare Persian rugs, you can just imagine Charles Dickens going there. There is a little pub in the basement with a roaring fire, a dining room with crooked wooden tables and chairs and rooms with chaise longues piled with silk embroidered cushions. The food is great and very reasonably priced. My favourite room is the little Turkish snug with gorgeous wall hanging rugs, silk cushions and an ornate antique mirror on the wall. Blacks was built in 1732 by John Meard, a carpenter who worked alongside Christopher Wren at St Paul’s Cathedral. Later, it became a supper club for intellectuals frequented by the author Samuel Johnson and the painter Joshua Reynolds between 1764 and 1767, to me that is far more exciting than being able to say Alexa Chung comes here.

Sorry for the rubbish photos, I wasn’t allowed to take any so I had to be stealthy.

Black’s, 67 Dean Street, London, W1D 4QH
020 7287 3381
Private Members Club

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Food For Thought

Penny Blood — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:59:49 +0000

It’s 10am and I sit down ready to write up a bunch of new places. Not without making a cup of tea first though. Ok now I’m ready, I’ll look up Tom Wolfe for a little inspiration just to get me going. I can’t think though, the person sitting next to me, he’s distracting, his conversation is distracting me; “I can’t believe your mum bought a dehydrator, you haven’t even used yours yet, you know what she bought it for though don’t you? Bread. She’s obsessed with bread, what am I going to dehydrate? Buckwheat?” It’s now 11am and I’ve written three words. I have however looked up the origins of Panforte, how to make your own Easter eggs, what foodstuffs contain B12 other than meat, if cola bottle sweets have gelatin in them, how to shrink a human head, how long Phil Spector has gone to prison for, read Damian Echols short story ‘Nostalgia and Marlou’ and why Sammy Davis Junior decided to convert to Judaism.

I’m trying to write up Food For Thought, a vegetarian cafe in Covent Garden. This place is truly wonderful, the food is so varied, chickpea salads, potato salads, lentil salads, lasagne, ok so that sounds like pretty standard vegetarian food but trust me and the vegan strawberry scones, oh the vegan strawberry scones…

http://foodforthought-london.co.uk

Food For Thought, 31 Neal St, London WC2H 9PR
020 7836 0239
Monday – Saturday 12.00pm – 8.30pm Sunday 12.00pm – 5.30pm

Vitao

Penny Blood — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:46:30 +0000

Vegan restaurants always excite me because being a vegetarian there is just so much to choose from. Vitao is a great little place in Soho where they have a buffet and you pay by the plate load so assuming you can fit it all on you can feel free to pile it as high as you wish. There is a selection of cold salads and hot dishes all with a slightly Indian and Middle Eastern theme. They also have lots of lovely dairy free cakes which always have great and unusual textures and homemade vegan chocolates too. If this wasn’t enough they have a coffee menu as extensive as what you’d find in Starbucks yet it’s all fake, dairy free milk, fake caffeine free coffee you name it and smoothies and juices galore as well. It’s very earthy looking with lots of wood and dark colours, when I think of it I feel like the whole place has been sculpted out of a hollowed out tree, you can’t beat that really.

http://www.vitaorganic.co.uk/

Vitao, 74 Wardour Street, Soho, London W1F 0TE
020 7734 8986
Monday – Saturday 12pm – 11pm; Sunday 12pm – 9pm

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Giovanni’s

Penny Blood — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:32:38 +0000

Now Giovanni’s is a romantic little spot. A small traditional Italian restaurant with candlelit tables makes it dark and atmospheric, perfect for a date. Red walls are covered in pictures of celebrities that have dined here over the years including Nikki Sixx and Mick Mars (the proof is written on a framed napkin). It may be something of a challenge to find however – although the windows face onto the street you have to go around the back up an unlit side alley and through an unmarked door to get in. The head waiter and I believe the owner is as cheerful as they come with a running commentary as he takes the order and serves up the food, “The wine is from Sicily I hope you like it because I love it… bread?” The food is fine but it’s the atmosphere and the service you would go for.

http://www.giovannislondon.com/

Giovanni’s, 10 Goodwin’s Court, London WC2N 4LL
0207 240 2877
Monday – Saturday (lunch) 12.30pm-2.30pm (dinner) 5.30pm – 11.30pm
Closed Saturday lunch and all day Sunday

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Pop Boutique

Penny Blood — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 11:28:21 +0000

Pop Boutique has been around for a long time, it was one of the first vintage shops I discovered when I moved to London. I went to Central Saint Martins (school of art) in nearby Soho where I had a lot of free time and more money than I have ever had since, (student loan, part time job and my parents paying the rent) so would fritter it away in shops like Pop Boutique buying denim mini skirts, jewelry and weird belts. They have great knick knacks such as lamps and glass vases all very late 1960’s. I used to collect all this kind of stuff, ashtrays, tea cups and saucers, clocks anything overtly 1960’s or 1970’s. I love the aesthetics of that time. Pop Boutique is colourful and full of throw-back stuff but they have a good collection of everyday things such as jeans (mainly flares) and brightly coloured shirts, along with skirts, shoes and everything else to complete the retro look.

http://www.pop-boutique.com/

Pop Boutique, 6 Monmouth Street, London, WC2H 9HB
020 7497 5262
Monday – Saturday 9am-6pm

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