Winter Warmers

With the nights drawing in and the jumpers going on it's time for some winter warmer date suggestions!

Fancy a cosy date in the pub? Then may way suggest the lovely gem of a watering hole, The Bobbin in Clapham with its roaring open fire and delicious food.

Or maybe you'd rather be outdoors? In which case a perfectly planned winter picnic would make a great date option for any occasion... just make sure you wrap up warm and remember that it gets dark early!

Wonderful all year round, but especially cosy in winter is the gorgeous and scrumptious Bleeding Heart Restaurant, nestled in a quiet courtyard at the end of a cobbled alley.

Enjoy!

Not your ordinary book club!

We sent the lovely Alana off to review The Book Club for us. Here's what she had to say…. 

A cup of tea, cake and a copy of Jayne Eyre this is not!  Expect a warehouse conversion filled with vintage furniture, crazy art and great music.  If you don’t book, then be prepared to scramble for a seat because this place gets busy pretty quickly.  If you’re lucky, you’ll get one of the G-Plan sofas to snuggle down in, and if you and your date are at ‘that stage’ then maybe you can snuggle together!

With a choice of Mexican slash bar food at very reasonable prices, and a personality that doesn’t take itself too seriously, The Book Club is perfect for a first date. Order your food and drinks at the bar - they’ll happily put on a tab for you to settle once you’ve had your fill.  Or, if you’re not going Dutch just pay for what you’re having there and then to avoid any awkward sideward glances when the bill comes!

Downstairs they host events most nights, which usually kick off around 10.30pm.  They also have a pool table AND I think I saw a table tennis table too!  The perfect opportunity to play the ‘I can’t play this, can you teach me’ card, or whoop your date’s behind!

The night we were there it was the "Through the Floor/Tweetbox event" downstairs (just one of the many they put on)  which was the perfect way to continue our evening.  The music upstairs should get you in the mood for some dancing so when you feel it's time to move on, pick up your drinks and head to the basement.  Not the usual mainstream sounds but something which you can shake your tail feathers to... and a great way of seeing how seriously your date takes themselves! 

The Book Club ticks many boxes; if you and your date don’t want to cook then the food is quick and will agree with most budgets.  If you just fancy drinks in a place with a great atmosphere then it's the perfect venue.  Or if you’re after an all in one; food, drinks and dancing later on, The Book Club can offer that too.

My only tip; a sharing platter really is big enough to share.  It took me a dish too many to get out of my starter-main-pud comfort zone!

Free Cinema Tickets!

By now you should know that we love the Aubin Cinema in Shoreditch. Well, what's not to love? Intimate atmosphere, comfy velvet sofas, blankets, friendly staff, Cowshed products in the loos, bottles of wine at your seat... all finished off nicely with an inspired and eclectic programme of films from quirky art-house to action packed blockbuster.

Having read the above (and our Aubin Cinema review here) we can't think of any reason why you wouldn't want  2 free tickets!       

So, in order to help you beat the January blues, the lovely team at the Aubin Cinema have given us a pair of tickets to give away. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning them is to answer this simple question:

Which actor or actress would be your ideal

movie date and why?

You can post your answer here on our blog, on our facebook or twitter page, or you can drop us an email.

However you decide to enter, make sure you do it before midnight on Tuesday 31st January 2012 as that is when the competition closes!

Good luck,

Miss Mary xxx