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Cosy up with hot tubs, igloos, mulled cocktails, street food and games at Winterland’s alpine lodge
One of the bookable winter lodges at Winterland
Boozy hot chocolates and cocktails
With the dark nights and dropping temperatures, it can be hard to motivate yourself to go out in the winter. However, the promise of cosy seating and hot cocktails is one way to entice me out of the house! With Christmas creeping up, I got into the festive spirit at the launch of seasonal pop-up destination Winterland last week.
Open from now until March 2020, Winterland is a restaurant, bar, music venue, arcade and adults-playground all rolled into one. Located by the River Thames, the Fulham pop-up covers a large space and features plenty of different spaces to hang out with your friends or lovers. Upon arrival, the festive spirit was well and truly kicking as we walked through a tunnel of twinkling lights, silver branches and Christmas trees. Despite the cold wind outside we had just battled through, the interior couldn’t be more different. Fur-covered sofas, cushions, fairy lights and plenty of trees made for a welcoming and cosy environment in the main covered pagoda. We headed straight to the bar, which serves a wide selection of drinks, including hot and cold cocktails. I couldn’t resist an alcoholic hot chocolate, with lashings of whipped cream and marshmallows on top. It had the right mixture of sweetness and booze, without the latter over-powering the flavour. Read the rest of this entry
The Little Blue Door review: Quirky cocktails and delicious grub hanging with the flatmates
Grab a table in the cosy kitchen for the legendary supper clubs at The Little Blue Door
A Shaun Of The Dead blender cocktail
Last week, I went along to the launch of The Little Blue Door. The opening is a sequel of sorts to The Little Yellow Door, which opened as a pop-up in Notting Hill, but ended up remaining for three years. The concept is a flatshare, where guests can hang out with their pals over cocktails and food and make new friends. Setting up camp in Fulham, this double-fronted property has been transformed from a traditional shop, with a hallway, kitchen, living room, study and even a laundry room, which really gives the venue a homely feel.
Walking down Fulham Road, it would easy to walk straight past TLBD, with no signage except its simple blue door. Entering the venue, you’re in a lovely entrance hall, complete with grandfather clock and a cosy window seat. Straight-ahead is the kitchen – the hub of all house parties. I’ve got to admit I suffered some interior design envy at the kitchen-bar hybrid with its colourful tiles, where you can order frozen cocktails, served in a mini blender. I had a fabulously fruity ‘Shaun of the Dead’ cocktail (Bacardi rum blend, raspberry, cherry and lime). The kitchen features several tables, which will play host to their legendary supper clubs, which were constantly sold out for three years at their predecessor The Little Yellow Door.
The hallway features a cosy window seat for intimate chats
When you’re ready to party, the main action is in the living room. It’s an expansive space with a long bar, lots of comfy sofas, armchairs and stools, surrounded by the artwork and eccentric decorations of the housemates, including a taxidermy fox. It took my friends and I a while to realise the ‘vase of flowers’ nearby was actually a hidden cocktail full of straws, so we were invited to have a drink of the flower water, which tasted great! During the evening, we sampled some canapes, including lobster, mezze and the absolutely delicious Cam ‘N’ Bert’ (Baked Camembert served with Truffle Honey, Roast Pear and Sugared Almonds).
The domestic theme follows throughout with the hidden study available for private groups, with gaming consoles and safes for regulars to keep some surprises hidden. Meanwhile, one of the big talking points was the Prosecco vending machine in the back hallway. There’s no need to wait at the bar as you can get your own mini bottle of classic or rose Prosecco in seconds from the machine. Overall, it’s a great venue for catching up with friends. The décor managed to be both homely and stylish and really gave a welcoming feel. The cocktails and food were fabulous, so I’m really looking forward to returning for one of their supper clubs or bottomless brunches.
- The Little Blue Door, 871-873 Fulham Road, Fulham, SW6 5HP. Nearest station: Parsons Green. Open: Wed-Thurs: 6pm-12pm, Fri: 6pm-1.30am, Sat: 11.30am-1.30am, Sun: 11.30am-6pm. Tel or Whatsapp: 07538 229 096. Email: Justknock@thelittlebluedoor.co.uk. For more information, visit The Little Blue Door website.
If you need an urgent Prosecco fix, head to the vending machine
For more of Metro Girl’s bar and restaurant reviews, click here.
The Wild Wild West comes to West London at the Moonshine Saloon
Moonshine Saloon is an immersive new pop-up bar coming to the King’s Road
© Matt Martin photography
Launching just in time for summer is an exciting new drinking concept. Moonshine Saloon will bring an immersive Wild West experience to the streets of West London. The pop-up BYOB bar comes from the same team behind the hugely popular Alcotraz. Launching on 31 May, Moonshine Saloon are pitching their waggons on the King’s Road for a limited three-month run.
Guests will be invited to dress like a cowboy
© Matt Martin photography
The pop-up will let wannabe cowboys step into the Wild West’s undercover world of moonshine. Arriving at the entrance with their own booze in hand, apprentice moonshiners will head down a street that looks straight out of the dusty old west. They’ll stop with a tailor to get measured up for cowboy gear and Stetson hats so they blend in and don’t attract the Sheriff’s attention.
Once, they are suited and Stetson-ed up, guests will be given exclusive access into the shadiest spirit making business as they are welcomed in by the King of the Moonshiners. Heading downstairs to the Saloon itself, apprentice Moonshiners can try their hand at card and dice games, share their wildest stories of life in the West and enjoy their personalised moonshine cocktails. The Saloon’s talented moonshine pros – aka the mixologists – will be creating your own special cocktail with your choice of liquor. Those who successfully manage to evade the long arm of the law, can also stop for a refreshment in the General Store before heading back to their ranch.
Founder Sam Shearman explained: “With Alcotraz we created London’s first immersive cocktail bar, which placed guests at the centre of the action and allowed for theatre to take place around them whilst delicious cocktails were enjoyed. Moonshine Saloon will take this to a completely new scale, creating a new world as opposed to simply a new bar!”
- Moonshine Saloon is open from 31 May 2018 – 5 January 2019. At 535 Kings Road, Fulham, SW10 0SZ. Nearest station: Fulham Broadway. Open Wed-Fri 6.15pm-10.15pm, Sat 12.15pm-11pm. Booking fee: £33.99 (includes 4 cocktails from brought drink of choice and 1hr 45m inside the saloon). Bookings can be made on the Moonshine Saloon website or DesignMyNight.
To find out what’s on in London in December, click here.
Houses parties, roasts, cocktails and games at The Little Blue Door
Experimental cocktails and board games at the Little Blue Door
The team behind one of London’s most memorable pop-ups is reuniting. Some of the flatmates from Notting Hill hangout The Little Yellow Door (TLYD) will be moving into together a few miles away on Fulham Road. The Little Blue Door will be opening for a housewarming on 2 May 2018 with their special brand of cocktails, food and fun.
Located in SW6, The Little Blur Door is a versatile, late-night neighbourhood bar and restaurant. The concept is a fictional flatshare, with the housemates welcoming you in for weekly parties and social soirees. Expect the unexpected, such as drinking cocktails out of a cafetière, dancing on tables or sampling an international tapas-style menu. Stepping behind that blue door, the flatmates’ new home will be bigger and brighter than their yellow predecessor. The venue will be decked out like a real home, with mismatched furniture and quirky ornaments and pictures from the flatmates’ world travels.
Throughout the week will be series of events, such as Two’s Company nights for friends and double dates, Thursday singalongs around the piano and the emoji menu, where guests can order food and drink by texting their favourite characters. On Friday and Saturday, the flatmates will be hosting their legendary dinner parties, which sold out for three years straight back at TLYD. Expect an evening of free-flowing fun, food and booze with a host of dinner party games.
The eclectic menu has been inspired by the flatmates’ recent travels
So foodies, what can you expect behind TLBD? Well, the menu has been inspired by the flatmates’ latest travels, such as Mezze Dishes served with Pea and Dill Falafel and Cranberry; or Carrot and Cumin Slaw and Crudité Platters with Beetroot Hummus, Zhoug and Feta; Garlic Whipped Avocado, Chilli and Coriander and Labaneh; Smoked Aubergine, Cucumber and Shallots. Some old favourites will be back on the menu, including Kami’s Hot Wings (Cayenne Glazed Wings served with a Blue Cheese Dressing and House Pickles) and Cam ‘N’ Bert’ (Baked Camembert served with Truffle Honey, Roast Pear and Sugared Almonds). In honour of the newest flatmate, American hotshot Hunter, there will be some East Coast treats such as Gravalax NYC deli style with Dill Sauce, Cucumber, Black Radish and Nigella Seed Salad, served with bagel crisps, and Salted Peanut Caramel Chocolate Fondant served with a Reese’s Biscuit. Meanwhile, the hangover-fighting brunches will kick off the weekend mornings, with bottomless food and drinks, an egg station and a BIY (Blend It Yourself) cocktail. On Sunday afternoon, you can head to TLBD for a traditional roast with all the trimmings, while enjoying their ‘Sunday Papers’ program of movies, sport, debates and retro gaming.
When it comes to cocktails, there will be creative concoctions inspired by flatmates’ favourite things. Coffee and Cigarettes is a smooth espresso martini served with a surprise on the side, while Crimes of Passion is a twist on a Pornstar Martini served with a sweet treat. There’s also a private hideaway in the study, with pool table, fancy dress, retro consoles and karaoke for those who ask nicely.
- The Little Blue Door, 871-873 Fulham Road, Fulham, SW6 5HP. Nearest station: Parsons Green. Open: Wed-Thurs: 6pm-12pm, Fri: 6pm-1.30am, Sat: 11.30am-1.30am, Sun: 11.30am-6pm. Tel or Whatsapp: 07538 229 096. Email: Justknock@thelittlebluedoor.co.uk. For more information, visit The Little Blue Door website.
For a guide to what’s on in London in May, click here.
Memoirs Of A Metro Girl 