Girls' night out London
England,  Food,  London,  Travel,  United Kingdom

4 Fabulous Girls’ Night Out Options in London

Having travelled solo a fair amount, I am comfortable being in my own company; but there are many times when I’ve been away and wanted to share a moment, or just have someone (that I know) to talk to. Be that partner or friend. That’s why I loved being on the recent trip with my girlfriends, particularly when we were in London. It was really wonderful to share a city that I’ve become quite fond of with some of my favourite people. Here are some fab girls’ night out options in London.

I’m currently exploring the Danish concept of hygge (hue-guh or hoo-guh) and a big aspect of this is togetherness. London is a city that inspires going out for a pint or a bite to eat with friends and is a great place to be with your tribe. We had three proper girls’ night out evenings in London and I definitely recommend them as yours as well. These are also great outings — in any city — to celebrate the holiday season with friends or with work colleagues.

Dinner and a Show

Seeing a show isn’t the most social of activities, but you go for a pre-show dinner. Or post-show dinner and drinks to talk about the show. It’s a really nice girls’ night out (like my recent Jersey Boys outing in Vancouver with my mum!) or date night option. Broadway is amazing, but the architecture of London’s West End theatres tips the scales for me.

Dominion Theatre
The Dominion Theatre (Photo provided by The Corner Shop PR)

A prime example of this architecture is the recently restored Dominion Theatre, currently home to the fabulous musical An American in Paris*. We had the opportunity to see the show while we were in London and it was STUNNING. Gene Kelly would have been so proud.

One of the best feelings in the world is when your heart fills up with so much joy that all you can do is smile. That’s how I feel when I’m at a wedding, when I think of my guy, and when I watch a live production. I never really enjoyed performing — but I have so much appreciation for those who do it well. And for all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into a show! This was genuinely the best stage musical I have seen in a long time – I couldn’t stop smiling. The set and technology, choreography, acting, and all that lovely Gershwin Music… All framed by the Dominion’s flame red and gold interior in all its art deco glory.

A scene from An American In Paris by George and Ira Gershwin @ Dominion Theatre. Directed and Choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. (Opening 21-03-17) ©Tristram Kenton

I was really looking forward to seeing the exterior of Dominion, but with old buildings comes the need for restoration. All we saw was scaffolding, but I looked and it all looks mighty fine now.

If you’re in London this winter, make sure you go see An American in Paris before it ends its West End engagement on January 6, 2018! More info on the show and how to buy tickets can be found here.

‘Tis the Season Tip – Theatre tickets are the perfect stocking stuffer for the musical lover or the kids in your life!

(*This girls’ night out to see An American in Paris was made possible by The Corner Shop PR.  As always, opinions are my own.)

We didn’t have time for a pre-show dinner, but stumbled upon a cute little Italian place in Soho called Il Cucciolo (8 Old Compton St, London) after the show. Cheap, cheerful, and sizeable pasta portions – my kind of place. I’m so happy we found this little gem!

Girls' night out in London. Italian restaurant.
Very happy eaters at Il Cucciolo

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]#GetThrifty and Fancy! – If we’d had time before the show, I would have suggested having a treat dinner at L’Atelier Joel Robuchon (13-15 West St., London) in Soho. They have a great pre-show prix fixe menu for £35. It’s an amazing #GetThrifty price considering it’s a Michelin star restaurant. (I ate there a couple years ago at the suggestion of a family friend. It was good value for money, delicious, and their wait staff is wonderful.) Reservations are highly recommended![/perfectpullquote]

We ended the evening going back to food tour favourite, La Bodega Negra (16 Moor Street, London) for some margaritas. It was a fantastic evening out!

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Margaritas at Bodega Negra

Food & Cocktails Tour

Web:https://eatinglondontours.co.uk

Our Twilight Soho Food and Cocktail Tour with Eating Europe was one of my favourite excursions from this trip. I don’t think we really knew what we were getting into, but it surpassed expectations! We ended up staying at one of the establishments they brought us to (Basement Sate), because it made us feel like we were Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda — and the G&T’s were superb. Check out my review of the tour and the list of restaurants and bars they took us to.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]‘Tis the Season Tip – They will be having a Cyber Monday Sale, so make sure to sign up for their newsletter so you can get a sweet deal for the next time you’re in the city or are a local wanting to have a fun date night![/perfectpullquote]

Gordon’s Wine Bar

Address: 47 Villiers Street, London / Web: https://gordonswinebar.com/

Gordon’s is one of my favourite London spots. It’s considered the oldest and best wine bar in London. Why? It’s located in a cave by the Thames and the vibe is on point without being pretentious. The wine list is varied and lovely, the charcuterie and cheese are excellent, but they don’t take table reservations. They are also open for lunch. All of these factors make it quite popular.

Thursday seems to be the new Friday in big cities, so I was worried we wouldn’t get in. But there was an *important* football (soccer) match on TV that night. And Gordon’s doesn’t have a single screen. So, grazie mille to Juventus for making it so we could get a prime 8 pm table on a summer Thursday!

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Candles make for the best lighting!

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]#GetThrifty – If you’re in a group of four like we were, it’s much more cost effective to order by the bottle. It also makes for fun photos because the lighting is very moody with candles in old bottles.[/perfectpullquote]

Girls' night out. Pouring wine at Gordon's Wine Bar in London.
Pouring wine is serious business

In the summer they also have what they call their ‘Terrace’ (which is really an alley-way, but the safest alley-way you will ever be in) open just outside, with a special grill menu. (Brave the Terrace in the rain, if you must – some people do!) They serve their charcuterie and cheese boards all year round, and apparently have a Sunday Roast for £10.95, which is a pretty great deal.

They do take group bookings for 8-10 people for what they call ‘The Cage‘. The name of the room intrigues me enough to makes me wish I was there now so I could book my work team in for a Christmas lunch!

Something important to keep in mind is that Gordon’s Closes at 11pm, but it’s a great spot for a girls’ night, and if you’re going on a date, you’ll likely get bonus points if you get a good table! 😉 (When we were there, there was a first date a table over from us, and it was going very well…)

Because it was fab in Glasgow… 

I talked a bit about Wetherspoon’s in my Glasgow bus tour post and the fact that it’s an excellent #GetThrifty option. While we didn’t go to one in London, I’m positive that we would have had just as amazing of a time as we did at their Counting House in Glasgow. (They also have a great G&T.)

A night out in Glasgow with the girls.

The service is good, the food and beverage are good and very decently priced, and the buildings they choose for their establishments are always interesting as they are restored old buildings (cinemas, banks, etc). They also have an order/pay app, which is great if you’re not wanting to leave a good conversation to wait at the bar to order drinks.

The Soho/West End/Covent Garden options that I have found are Montagu Pyke, Shakespeare’s Head, and The Moon Under Water. If you get to one, let me know how you go!


A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.

– William Shakespeare

 

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