**photo is not my own.
1. The Boat Bar
Tamesis Dock, Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TP
I love this place, it's a bar on a boat. You'd never have guessed. Situated just past Lambeth Bridge, it's away from the touristy craziness of Westminster but still close enough to walk to and still close enough to have some awesome views. I wish I'd ventured out to this bar more often than I did when I lived nearby, because I really love the feel of the place. It's all nautical-themed, with ropes and anchors and all that kind of stuff, which I love. Also, there are fairy lights, which is only ever a good thing. I visited it recently-ish on the final day of exams to have a chilled evening, but after a while we were rudely interrupted by the wind, which was not our pal, and unfortunately there were no tables free inside (it does get quite busy as it's quite small, so be aware of that) so we decided to head home. It was nice while it lasted. I definitely would recommend it for a summer evening, it is THE place to be (according to me, whose opinion you obviously value the most).
2. Be At One
23 Wellington Street, London WC2E 7DA
This is actually part of a cocktail bar chain, but the Covent Garden branch is the one I've been to the most. If you head there during Happy Hour (i.e.: the only time I can ever afford to go) you get two cocktails for the price of one (or something along those lines), how snazzy. Snazzier, even, is the fact that they have an app where you can make your own Happy Hour according to when you first head up to the bar, and it's a really cool thing to take advantage of. The cocktails here are my favourite ever, and there are SO MANY to choose from (some of my favourites are the Blueberry Muffin and the Long Island Iced Tea). The music can get quite loud but usually they've got some good t00nz playing so personally I quite like it.
3. G-A-Y Late
5 Goslett Yard, London WC2H 0EA
I LOVE G-A-Y. It has all the kind of music I want to listen to, a MUCH lower proportion of pervy men being weird (I have in fact spent nights here where NO PERVY GUY HAS APPROACHED ME! Absolutely astounding.) and drinks are so very cheap - too cheap, perhaps, for someone who tends to drink spirits over beer or wine. Also, if you stand up on the podium thing to dance (you gotta do what you gotta do) there's air con right above you, which is absolutely fantastic. For the frequent club-goers, you'll know how HOT they often get, so this is a godsend.
4. The Walrus Bar & Hostel
172 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7RW
I went to this pub on my first ever night living in London and kind of forgot about it until a few months later, where I realised what I had been missing. The staff here are super welcoming and friendly (once my friend knocked over her drink at the bar and only a tiny bit of it actually spilled but the bartender made her a new one and said she could keep the original too) and prices are pretty average for the city. In fact, considering it's less than a ten-minute walk from Big Ben and the London Eye, which usually would turn it into A Place Where The Owners Hike Up The Prices And Try To Eat All Your Money Because It's Near Touristy Things, it's really not that expensive.
5. The Knights Templar
95 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1DT
I am putting this on the list because it is a Spoons and Spoons deserves a spot on any list of charming drinking establishments, and this one happens to be right between my university and my university library (the latter I do not frequent quite so much). Okay, no, the reason I've put this on the list is because its toilets are fantastic. I can't speak for the men's bathroom but the ladies' bathroom is AMAZING; all mirrored walls and comfy sofas, man I could stay down there all day. One time we did a photoshoot on aforementioned sofas, with a random passerby as our photographer - I don't really know why, but we did. Anyway, they often do really good deals at Spoons, which means you can maybe buy a whole pitcher of cocktail just for yourself for £4, if you want, and when the bartender asks how many glasses you want with that pitcher, you can say "oh, I'm alright with just a straw"...if you want.
This is my last London post for quite a while so SOAK IT ALL UP. I think I'm clinging onto the time I spent living there a little too much but hey, in time I will accept that I have left and I will move on with my life (let's be honest, the likelihood is I'll end up being over having left just in time for me to return, which is great). Thankfully, I am getting a little more excited as each day passes, knowing I'm headed somewhere new very soon.
See you next time!
Georgia
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