Gem Bar

Gem Bar is a nice wine bar near Regent’s Street. I have only gone there a few times, but every time I’ve chosen a good tasting wine. The drinks are not cheap but if you just want to relax after a day of shopping or you have an hour to kill before going to a show near by its a very good place to go.

The staff is very friendly and they are keen on recommending different wines. The music isn’t too loud so you can still have a conversation. The interior is very modern with sleek booths on one side and nice tall bar tables in the centre of the room. 

I’ve had some great moments here because the place gives you the impression you’re the only people there and no one is listening to your conversations. I can’t wait to go back again… I just need a wine drinking buddy! (They do not only serve wine I’m just a very big fan of their wine collection especially when you compare it to other bars around London)

Here’s their website: http://www.gem-bar.co.uk/

DSTRKT

London is great for going out. But the best places are in central London. Those few times my friends and I have bothered to go all the way to Piccadilly Circus to go out we’ve often ended up at DSTRKT. DSTRKT is the kind of place you can’t get into if you’re not on the guestlist. Most promoters in London have at least one night a week where they party at DSTRKT.

We often went to there on Mondays where they did a sort of student night. But I’ve been there on the weekend too. Its a little bit more tense on the weekend, so they care more about what you’re wearing. With a promoter you have a table and vodka with cranberry or orange juice at the table. This means you can party with out spending money, if you’re a girl. Entrance is free for girls prior to 11pm, after 11 they pay the same as the male fare which is 20 pounds. 

You end up drinking more than 20 pounds worth, so its worth it. I’ve never had to pay entrance, but I’ve always gone there very early in the evening. The club is great, the music goes in phases, the first hour or so is general house music, and then it blends into commercial and R&B music but blended with a house vibe. The dance floor is in the middle of some of the tables, so you have to find your way up there. But once you’re there you don’t want to leave. 

One time they had a violinist playing with the house music. It was amazing. In conclusion, I’ve had many good nights at DSTRKT and even some great nights, if you’re in London its worth checking out, especially if you want to do something a little special and out of the norm. 

Here’s their website: http://www.dstrkt-london.com/

Hard Rock Cafe

I've been to the Hard Rock Cafe many times in several different countries, but I've never eaten there. My parents aren't fans of chain restaurants so I've gotten used to avoiding chain restaurants as much as possible. But after talking about it a few times with my friend Miguel he convinced me to go there for lunch with him while his sister was visiting in London. 

I liked the music straight away when I walked in. And I loved that they were able to seat us the second we got there even though it seemed really busy. Looking through the menu and having had a burger a mere 48 hours before I decided to opt for a chicken sandwich. But this wasn't just a plain sandwich, it had honey mustard, cheese and bacon. Definitely my type of sandwich. Also, similar to other American restaurants they do free refills for all the sodas (soft drinks). 

But I think what I liked the most of the restaurant and the store is that they have memorabilia. I know that's what makes the Hard Rock the Hard Rock but I really liked being that close to all that music. Especially since they were playing a set of songs that I really like but had forgotten about because I've been having a house and electro music phase. Overall, I'd probably eat there again, but I'd hope to be seated somewhere else just so that I could see some other items left behind by musicians. 

Here's their website: http://www.hardrock.com/

Amorino

I have been to Amorino, the ice-cream shop in Chelsea and Soho. I chose different flavours both times but I really enjoyed their ice-cream. Its creamy but not too creamy and the natural flavours of the ice-cream really stand out. A small cup costs 3,50 pounds but its really worth it because you do get a lot of ice-cream and they let you have a taste of a few flavours before you buy it so you know you're choosing something you like.

The first time I chose Licorice flavour and I loved it. The second time I chose Passion-fruit and "Agrumi" which is a combination of all the citrus fruits. Passion-fruit was a little sour for me but I loved Agrumi, I think it has become my favourite flavour this year. I think what I like the most about Amorino is that they have many people behind the counter so you don't have to wait long to be served. And their ice-cream is just so good. 

Also, their logo is one of those cute fat angels shown in Italian Renaissance art. The name Amorino comes from the little angels that acted like Cupid. Here's their website: http://www.amorino.com/en/

Kahve Dunyasi

Walking around near Piccadilly circus, we decided to stop at Kahve Dunyasi to have some coffee and relax after having spent about an hour in Abercrombie and Fitch. It took a little while to be seated before having the chance to look at the menu. The front of the shop looks like a chocolate shop, and they have a cooler with ice-cream right outside. Looking at the menu from outside we had already decided what we wanted to get, but once I walked inside I was dying to taste all of the different truffles they had. 

Luckily I didn't go crazy on the chocolate, I just ordered a macaroon instead, to then dip in my coffee. The room where we were seated was a bit noisy because every table was full, and the air-conditioning was blasting. But we had a fun conversation, and we all enjoyed our different drinks. Overall, it was just a good place to sit down and relax a bit before throwing ourselves into rush hour on the Piccadilly Line. 

Here's their website: http://www.kahvedunyasi.co.uk/

Yog

Yog is another one of those frozen yogurt places. But I was happy to go to it because the staff was friendly and they let me and my friends take forever to make our choice. I especially like that their frozen yogurt is made from milk nearby because I don't really like getting food from the other side of the world. I try to eat local food as much as possible and I'm happy to know that Yog's yogurt is locally made. 

One of my favourite things about frozen yogurt is that you can choose all the different toppings you want and you can choose as many as you like. I usually only pick 2 and I rarely put syrup on mine because I like to taste the flavour of the yogurt too. Its a bit weird to me that you can get frozen yogurt in so many different flavours now, because I'm used to there only being a "natural" flavour. That way the toppings stand out more. 

This time I chose granola and chocolate, my friend Kristin chose strawberries chocolate balls and chocolate brownies. What toppings do you like? Here's their website: http://www.yogyogurt.co.uk/index.php?p=home