Good Morning all!!
This week i celebrated my 26th Birthday. A day i have been dreading for 365 days (at least), as I am officially no longer recognised anywhere in the world as a youth. My 12 – 25% discount on trains across Europe has been snatched away.
So to mark this terribly depressing milestone, my girlfriends and I headed out to Soho after work on Wednesday (19th- my birthday FYI).
It started at Barrio Central, no.6 Poland Street, for cocktails. The happy hour in this superbly colourful and friendly Brazilian themed cocktail bar lasts unitl 8pm. £4.50 Mojitos and £5 glasses of wine are enough to make any Birthday girl shimmy in her party frock. It was a delightful start to the evening.
Photo courtesy of http://www.clicktonight.com
Feeling ready to take on the world, we had a short hop, skimp and jump around the corner (literally) to Tapas Brindisa. As one of the three Brindisa’s dotted around London, I know this Tapas chain to be the best in London! It is always beautiful food, great service and a truly lovely wine selection.
Unfortunately for us, the Soho restaurant has a no-booking policy, like many other places in Soho and it really irritates me. We were seated at the bar and told there would be a 45 minute wait for a table of 4. Slightly disconcerting, but there we have it. We ordered Cava and olives and chatted away. The atmosphere was pleasant, the banter – terrific and the Olives stuffed with Orange were delicious. But the 45 minute wait turned into 1 hour 20…. for a table for 4. This, i think, is unacceptable and under any other circumstances I would be in an uproar. But you just can’t be mad at the staff, they’re all so charming and apologetic. So we ordered some charcuterie and more Cava (on the house – nice touch) and waited for our table.
When we were finally seated we ordered an array of tapas; goats cheese with orange blossom honey, chorizo on toast, garlic chilli prawns, squid with peas, patatas bravas and seared scallops. And i’d eat it all again, in it’s entirety, to myself. The dessert menu leaves a lot to be desired though, but they’re probably banking on people having no room for dessert… It was my birthday and there wasn’t a singular Churros on offer. Poor form, Brindisa, poor form.
Did we end the night there? Of course we didn’t! On to Soho, to the glorious bars it has to offer. We had a few drinks and a little rave in Freedom bar – a must for all sohocialites. Then we made the big move to The Box, the PIÈCE DE RÉSISTANCE.
This club is crazy, sexy, fun and full of the rich kids of London (and Paris). If it wasn’t for my darling sister name dropping every dancer pal she has, I’m not sure we would’ve blagged our entry. But she did, and we did 😀 . The club opens at 11pm, my advice is get here as shortly after as you can, it is well known that entry after midnight is nigh on impossible!
There is a strict ‘no photo’ policy, so I can’t share any of the evening with you I’m afraid. I’d have to describe it, but I just can’t find the words. It was wonderful, it was corrupt, it was extortionately expensive, it was colourful, it was just the most surreal experience of my life and I adored it.
The first show starts at 1am, with singers, dancers, acrobats and strong men. There is a strong Burlesque theme but really anything goes. The best views are from the tables, but they come with a minimum spend and are usually all booked up well in advance, we just stood on the stairs, quite close to the front and saw everything (absolutely EVERYTHING).
The night ended a little before 4am with me crying in a taxi over my lost phone. Which wasn’t lost in the slightest, just simply tucked away in my bra, which I couldn’t feel because I had drank THAT much Patron, Tequila, Champagne and Cava.
Superb 26th Birthday party, a massive thanks to all involved!
xx
p.s I’ve been back to The Box – twice.
Ella Cameron 