Life in London is interesting every day. There’s the independent shop to discover (Carry Me Home), the revolutionary service to employ (IRIS), the restaurant worth the trek (The Wapping Food Project) and of course the things to consider (April features a four-day weekend!).

Monday, 30th April

At the Anchor & Hope, you really do anchor & hope you get a table. The gastropub on The Cut doesn’t take reservations, and the wait for a table is usually at least an hour. If you’re a group larger than four, don’t bother. But once you do get a table, once you do get the food, you can see why so many are dedicated to the purpose. It’s delicious, it’s reasonable, and the staff are crazy but great. On Sundays, however, it’s totally different. Tables are set through the pub and restaurant and there’s one seating – at 2 p.m. The menu and price are also set (Sunday Lunch, £30), and it’s a lovely, leisurely experience. Yesterday the menu featured leek & crab with vinaigrette, roast beef with dripping potatoes and (the most delicious) “grass,” a selection of cheese and lemon pudding. The food and the atmosphere were excellent, and the best part is you MUST book in advance!

Friday, 27th April

For those with great love of the list (or a great need to get organised) comes a new website aimed at helping you remember things, like buying milk. Remember the Milk was started by a trio of Australians, one of whom is a stuffed monkey. The sign-up process is delightfully short, and the interface is intuitive, meaning it only took us 25 seconds to figure out how to add a task. Look for a report in two weeks on just how helpful it is…

Thursday, 26th April

The City of London is extending East, and as a result, the area around Spitalfields Market is becoming even more gentrified. The new complex that houses Dutch bank ABN AMRO includes the very good British restaurant Canteen (which offers roasts and pies in a minimalist environment and at a very good price) as well as another Carluccio’s (never a bad thing). But the coolest thing about the space is the way they feature the relics discovered during excavation. Under acrylic glass you can see glass vials, bits of pottery and even the crypt of a church.

Wednesday, 25th April

Daily Candy’s daily emails are good for all sorts of things, in all sorts of cities (including ours). They also have a weekly edition on Travel, which like the others, covers places, products and services you may not know about otherwise. Our recent favourites feature erasing your carbon footprint while travelling and invoking Rule 240, which airlines so frequently ignore (until you mention it, of course).

Tuesday, 24th April

For those who don't work in The City, there may not seem like many reasons to go there. An engagement ring from the Royal Exchange? A train from Liverpool Street? A concert at the Barbican? As of today, there's another good reason: step one toward Wi-Fi London (make that Wi-Fi UK): The Square Mile is now covereed in a Wi-Fi Network provided by The Cloud and paid for (for the first month at least before it becomes £12 per month) by Nokia. Greater London, here we come!

Monday, 23rd April

This week’s Sunday Times Style Magazine’s “Going Up” list featured Eccles Cakes. “Having a bit of a moment. For breakfast, for pudding, for tea – any excuse will do.” So for the uninitiated, what on earth are Eccles Cakes? According to Wikipedia, they were created in Eccles (not far from Manchester), and are round cakes made with buttery pastry and filled with currants. The Waitrose site features a story, as does the local government site (complete with recipe).

Friday, 20th April

Every November, a woman named Caroline hosts a party at her apartment on the route of the New York City Marathon. It’s legendary. Everyone drinks cocktails and eats a fine selection of treats, and when the runners start coming by, the guests run downstairs to cheer them on. By that point (in very good cheer and holding their cocktails in to-go cups), they are quite the cheerleaders. So what are you doing this Sunday to support your fellow Londoners?

Thursday, 19th April

The beauty of Deliverance is that you can get a salad and your partner can get a Thai stir-fry. Or you can get a curry and he can get sushi. Or you can both get pizza and a side from the tapas menu. And some wine, cigarettes (although it’s not recommended) and chocolate cheesecake. (They used to also deliver the other Deliverance, but not anymore.) And now that they cover almost all of London, everyone can get what they want, even when they want different things.

Wednesday, 18th April

For an all-encompassing (and slightly different) theatre experience, visit The Old Operating Theatre near London Bridge. The 19th century theatre was rediscovered in 1956, and is now home to a museum that also hosts the theatre we usually watch – the kind with live actors. This month, it’s a double-bill called “A Bloodless Field”, featuring a Victorian tale of a compromised conscience, and a modern-day story about giving and giving up. Time Out says it’s “soaked in atmosphere,” which isn’t hard to imagine.

Tuesday, 17th April

Gordon Ramsay's first gastropub, The Narrow, has opened to excellent reviews. And sure enough, it is good. Very good. Perhaps one of the nicest things about the space is the surrounding patio on the river, which on a beautiful Friday was filled with people. The ground floor is comprised of two spaces – the drinking room and the dining room – both of which are simple and elegant. Upstairs is a private dining room that seats 14. The staff has the same welcoming, unpretentious attitude found at Gordon Ramsay's other restaurants, and the food is simple and excellent. We didn’t love the salt beef, but the ham & pea soup and fish & chips were divine.

Monday, 16th April

The slides at the Tate Modern ended yesterday. Now what? Where can we find physical grown-up fun that doesn’t involve the brain bashing of a roller-coaster, relieves instead of increases stress, and costs absolutely nothing (except for a bit of time)? The slides almost made us forget the void we felt when The Weather Project ended, when we could no longer lie on the floor, basking in the glow, taking funny pictures of each other. Note to the Tate – we LIKE participation art.

Friday, 13th April

Some people have paraskavedekatriaphobia, also known as friggatriskaidekaphobia. Others, not so much. Here are a few of our favourite brave souls: Black Sabbath – released their debut album on Friday the 13th of February, 1960; Daniel Handler – released the 13th book in the Lemony Snicket series on Friday the 13th of October, 2006. And the next Harry Potter film? Friday the 13th of July, 2007.

Thursday, 12th April

Is it to make friends? Is it for romance? Whatever the purpose, Socialite London has an interesting proposition. Sign up, post a profile, correspond with other members online, then put together an evening out, get invited to an evening out, or find an evening out you’d like to join (provided it has open spaces). They’re currently offering a free month, and after that, its £15/month. It’s sort of like a grown-up version of Dates with Mates, and perfect for people who are new in town.

Wednesday, 11th April

What a difference a day makes. Even those who don’t follow golf had to acknowledge Zach Johnson’s win at the Masters on Sunday. He went from being ranked 56th in the world to being ranked 15th, beating four-time Masters winner Woods (who admittedly didn’t have the best tournament, as highlighted by his broken club). But the consensus is that Johnson deserved his win, and the $1.3 pot.

Tuesday, 10th April

Over a New York Strip and those damn fine fried onions came the most delicious rumour since Banana Republic’s announcement (actually, no, this one is even better): The Palm Restaurant is coming to town. And apparently it’s happening this year. There isn’t anything online to verify it, but the news came from a reliable source who said it would be in Knightsbridge. Do you think they’ll still serve us now that we’ve learned to pronounce fillet as the locals do (which is to say, “fill it”)?

Monday, 9th April

Burt’s Bees claims to make The World’s Best Lip Balm, and the Beeswax Lip Balm does feel as they claim: Soothing, Cooling, Refreshing. But the most wonderful thing to ever come out of their North Carolina lab is without a doubt the Lip Shimmer line. Luminescent and sheer color (sic) in The World’s Best Lip Balm! It’s perfect for any woman who would prefer lip balm to lipstick, yet still wants to “complete her look.” In Champagne, it provides an everyday, all day complete lip solution. And no, we were not paid to write this.

Friday, 6th April

In anticipation of Whole Foods on Kensington High Street, located on 80,000 square feet in the Barkers building and expected to open in May, The Guardian has written an article explaining why Whole Foods is loved by almost everyone, and less loved by some (even more green people). The announcement of Whole Foods’ entry into the UK market kicked up organic and “wholesome” food to a new level within the competition, and now, the timing is perfect. So get ready to enjoy – but watch out. A friend once almost bought a $16 bag of cherries at Whole Foods in Washington…

Thursday, 5th April

Harry Beck designed the London Underground Tube map in 1933, creating an icon and also establishing modern subway maps as we know them. And as with most things iconic, alternate versions have been created. The most famous is The Great Bear by Simon Patterson, which in 1992 was short-listed for the Turner Prize. The stations on the “map” are named after actors, artists, politicians, saints, philosophers, footballers and other public figures, though no one seems entirely certain how the connections between lines are made. But I’m sure it’s no accident that Oxford Circus is Titian and St. Paul is, well, not St. Paul.

Wednesday, 4th April

And once you place your order at The Asian Cookshop, you can make this – one of the easiest and tastiest fish recipes ever. Miso Glazed Salmon: With a whisk, mix ¼ cup packed brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons of hot water, and 2 Tablespoons of soybean paste. Coat baking dish with baking spray (vegetable oil) and place four salmon filets on top. Divide sauce between the fillets and broil for 10 minutes. Top with fresh chopped chives and serve with rice and stir-fried pak choi (also known as bok choy).

Tuesday, 3rd April

If you’re a serious Asian cook, getting to Chinatown (or your local purveyor) is no trouble at all. But if you’re not, it can be hard to remember to pick up Rice Wine Vinegar or soybean paste when you’re traipsing toward the Leicester Square tube on a Friday night (after a few drinks). The Asian Cookshop is a good online store, and shipping is free over £25, and under £5 for smaller orders.

Monday, 2nd April

If you work in The City, you’re not far from The Royal Exchange. The history of the site dates back to 1565, when it began as London’s centre of commerce. The current building is the third one – the first burned in the Great Fire of London (1666) and the second burned in 1838. The building now delivers excellent opportunities for bankers to spend their paychecks on beautiful things, including drinks and very good snacks in the atrium lounge. Conran owns the restaurant (officially called the Grand Café & Bar), which also operates on the mezzanine level.

Copyright © 2006-2007 by Arrivals Limited

Subscribe to the following newsletters to keep up with what's on: