Market Living

Borough Market,

8 Southwark Street,

London,

SE1 1TL

Oh. Dear. God! This is the most frustratingly brilliant places I've ever been to in a long long time. The only way to describe it is as an artist haven, a foodies visual orgasm and my nirvana.

The whole premises consists of a labyrinth of stalls and vendors selling luxury food at a price that immediately forces you to suck air through your teeth. But these sellers are crafty, they've learnt that we (meaning 'I') can be made do any bidding my the meager use of 'free samples'. It does also help that the samples happen to be absolutely amazing, after all who'd have thought that a free sample of an award winning granola would have me raving about it hours later?!

My best advice is to arrive early, this way you can see all the fresh game before it's snatched up and the more interesting of the homegrown produce bought or mauled by curious tourists.

Eat lunch in and perhaps sample an ostrich steak burger. Don't pull that horrified look at me! Ostrich meat is actually one of the healthiest meats in the world, low in fat, high in tastes and apparently very easy to produce. I'm always surprised that it isn't as highly advertised as it should be, this is also coming from a beef farmers daughter! I know my meat.

If you're not quite after food then have a look at all the juice stalls. One in particular, it's name has completely left my head (typical), mainly specializes in warmed spiced juice, perfect for the early days of spring that are still holding onto that bitter winter bite. I happily recommend the 'Warm Spiced Pear", a drink designed to heavily mess with your senses of seasonal time, the pear suggesting a nice summer drink whilst the spices bring forward festive spirits. Perfect for Spring I think.

I can't really say much more about the market except that I should be there again soon to try and see more but I doubt that I'll ever see it all in one day.

Ain't Nothing But

Ain't Nothing But,

20 Kingly Street,

Soho,

London,

W1B 5PZ

Oh what I can I say about this place....well I can say a lot but they're all good trust me.

Ain't Nothing But, for me, is a magical place that fuses two things that I like to see in a bar, good live music and the nicer aspects of a dirty little bar. Ain't Nothing But does this and more. I'm an avid fan of general indie music and what not so to my surprise I found myself one night in a pure blues bar in Soho. Now in my mind blues is all meloncholly styled music , that's half true, SOME of it is but that night none of it really was.

When I went to the bar, it was a Monday and my friend and I believed that it was going to be a quiet drink out with some gentle blues music. Oh how mistaken we were! Upon entering we were faced with a full little bar with friendly faces from various proffesions and industries all swarming together due to a shared love of blues music, or in my case music. The atmosphere is one that I've never found in many clubs or event nights (with the exceptiong of WAR in Dublin.) It can only be described as hominess in a dirty old mans bar. I know that doesn't sound so great but unless you've been to such a place you will always be ignorant of the gentle atmoshpere.

Although the atmoshpere is altered mildly due to the music. Upbeat, loud, live, lusty music, what more could I ask for?! Well drinks are always a good start.

For London the prices for drinks are reasonable, for an Irish person living on the London outskirts, the prices are brilliant compared to Ireland. Ask them and they will do their best to provide whatever concotion you crave. A good example is my present vice of tequila with various other drinks with a twist of lime.

I can't really say much more about this place apart from that I highly recomend it.