Free Sightseeing in London

Is someone coming over to visit you? Whether it's your mum, your grandma, your five-year-old brother or your best friend, the Sandermans tours are the best free tours in London. And, to my benefit, the tour's in both English and Spanish ;)

It starts everyday at either 11:00 or 13:00 at Hyde Park corner. Have you ever seen the statue of a man on top of a horse right in the middle of the square? Do you know who he is? He is the mighty Duke of Wellington! See, we're already learning something :)

Sometimes we go around the city where we grew up and, even though we do notice the monuments, we don't know what they are or why they're there. This is the perfect way of showing someone the main tourist sights in London in approximately 3 hours. It's pretty good, as you can then spend the rest of the trip showing your own personal corners of the gigantic city, having gone past the "must see" barrier. 

It's not boring at all; in fact they tell you the most random stories you could think of. This way, you'll always remember that "Napoleon's" nose is stuck to the Admiralty Arch (commonly known as the Arch in Trafalgar Square).

However, even though it's technically free, the tour guides don't get paid for it, so if they've done a good job you usually give them a fiver. Imagine how draining it must be to spend 3 hours walking and speaking, entertaining a bunch of strangers!

Website: http://www.newlondon-tours.com/daily-tours.html

Tours: 11:00/ 13:00 (if you go at 11 you get to see the change of guards at Lizzy's palace)

Languages: English and Spanish

Polish Ambrosia

Ranked nº7 in Tripadvisor, Autograf is a restaurant you must go to. They serve Polish food and, for those of you who haven't tried it, it's really nice.

When I went Inter-railing I stayed in Krakow for a couple of days, and I must confess that I only vaguely remember the food I ate. What I do remember was that the portions were massive and tasty, and very very cheap!

Autograf has managed to bring to London both the flavour and the large portions, as well as decent prices. Don't worry if you don't know about Polish food, as the staff is friendly and happy to explain what everything is.

The ingredients they use are of decent quality, and a dish costs approximately £5-7. The good thing about this place is that you can share a dish with someone and feel full. Another great thing is that it has many dishes and side dishes for vegetarians.

Also if you love vodka, you'll like this restaurant. They offer 13 different types of vodka that I didn't even know existed! And a shot is £2, so it's average price.

Address: 488 West Green Road, London N15 3DA

Phone: 02 088 892 999 

Closest tube station: Turnpike Lane

Website: http://www.autograf.biz

 Menu: http://www.autograf.biz/menu.html

Go and watch a movie for £3.50

Even though my main focus is on food and drinks, I think you might also be interested in cheap activities you can do in London.

One of them is going to the cinema. Last time I went to watch a film in a mainstream cinema in central, the Vue (to watch X-Men: First Class), I paid £14! Just because it was the release day!

Even though this an especially expensive example, there are a few cinemas in London where you can go and watch a film for a lot less.

Coronet is a small cinema in Notting Hill Gate, that dates back to 1898. They have great deals on weekdays: on Tuesdays a ticket costs £3.50 for everyone (even if you're not a student). If you are a student/ have a student ID card you can also go on Mondays and pay £3.50.

Also, the tickets cost £4.50 for the matinee shows during the week.

Address: 103 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3LB

Phone: 02 077 276 705

Closest tube station: Notting Hill Gate

Website: www.coronet.org/

Salsa Party: Here we go!

Is the latino inside you craving for some non-lying hips? And, most importantly, are your latino pockets begging to be left alone? The Cuban bar in Camden is the place for you: They play Latino, Salsa, Reggaeton and sometimes RnB.

It's open everyday of the week till about 2am. Even though during the day it's a restaurant, at night it becomes a salsa nightclub. There are two floors, but one of them is only open during the weekend.

Sometimes if you go there quite late they ask you for money to get in. However, if you go to the upper floor (there are some outer stairs on the left side of the building) you never have to pay.

On Wednesdays they have free salsa lessons for beginners. If you already have the gist of it, the intermediate and advanced lessons cost £6 per hour or £10 for two.

Also, on Thursdays and Fridays you get to see Cuban bands playing live (for free!).

The drinks are cheapish (bearing in mind it's Camden): the happy hour is on from Monday to Thursday from 4pm to 1am. This means that you can have two cocktails for £8, and a pint of strongbow for £2.50.

Address: The Stables Market , London NW1 8AH 64

Phone: 02 074 240 692

Closest tube station: Camden town/ Chalk Farm

Website: www.thecuban.co.uk

Drinks menu: www.thecuban.co.uk/bar

Cocktail menu: www.thecuban.co.uk/images/menus/cocktail.pdf

Lured into Mezzo

Aw, Mezzo brings back good memories. At some point during my London experience I entrenched myself here, as I lived 5 minutes away from the restaurant (in Green Lanes).

When people ask me, "What type of food does Mezzo serve?", I find it hard to say. They have Turkish food (as in humus, tarama and falafel), big burgers, nice jacket potatoes, toast, filling salads, pasta, ciabattas, crepes, ice-cream and many other delicious things.

Even though the prices aren't as cheap as they used to be back in the day, the amount of food you get makes it worth the price. I mean, a cheeseburger served with chips and salad costs less than a fiver, so you still get bang for your buck.

It's a great place to go to with 4-5 friends, as some of the deals they have are very good for groups: 8  starters for 12 pounds (in healthy servings). Whenever I go I keep hoping I have space for the awesome crepes that they offer but, sadly, the main dish usually fills me up. However, if you don't gorge yourself on the main meal I would recommend the chocolate and banana crepe (*w*).

A great plus is that Mezzo has a shisha room in the back, where you can relax, drink some nice Turkish tea and avoid London's frequent rainy days.

Address: 64 Green Lanes, London N4 1AF

Phone: 02 088 008 996 

Closest tube station: Manor House/ Haringey Green Lanes overground st.

Website: www.theroxy.co.uk/

 Menu: http://www.mezzobar.co.uk/menu.pdf

The Roxy: A Cheapskate's Heaven

The Roxy is a club just off Tottenham Court Road where cheap students go to save some pennies. I have only been there on weekdays, but it has never disappointed me. Depending on the day, you'll hear one type of music or another: I've experienced from dubstep to indie to rock to pop-hiphop (madness, I know!).

The entrance is only a fiver and you get a pound or two off if you're a student/ someone with a student ID (see what I did there?). This is pretty cheap for London, and even cheaper bearing in mind the offers they have. The party usually goes on till 3-3:30 am.

If you go there for the dubstep/ hiphop night on Wednesdays, you can get a whole cocktail jug for 8 quid. And if you're a bit more hardcore, you can buy a double vodka mix for £2.90. Pretty good huh?


If you're not into dubstep and prefer the indie stuff, then you should go on a Monday. The cocktail jug is still 8 quid and you can buy two beers for £3.40. And if you want to be the king or queen of the cheapskates you can go from 10pm-11pm and get in for a quid.

So, now you have a place to go on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. And before going here you can have your pre-drinks at Camden.



Address: 3 Rathbone Place, London W1T 1HJ
Phone: 02 073 551 008
Closest tube station: Tottenham Crt Road
Website: www.theroxy.co.uk/

Spanish food for the homesick and curious

For some reason Spanish restaurants in London are pricey. This came to me as a surprise, having grown up in Spain and having enjoyed the Spanish cuisine for years and years. But in London, Spanish restaurants are treated as if they offered rare delicacies. But why? I'll tell you why. Spanish food is very healthy and tasty; and in London that almost never comes cheap.

However, as the awesome cuisine detective I am, I can recommend a lovely place to you on a not so lovely road: Tapas bar La Viña in Wightman Road, Harringay. It suits both veggies and meat lovers and has over 50 tapas that range between £4-7.50. Oh, and their sangria jugs are the bomb, even if you think you don't like sangria you should give it a go here. 

They give out healthy portions and with 5 of them you can feed a couple of hungry people. Let me remind you that the whole point of tapas is to share. Spanish eating culture is a social one, so the idea behind tapas is to order a couple of dishes and each person tries a bit from each plate.  

Here's a list of tapas I'd recommend from this restaurant to someone who has never had Spanish food (the must-haves):

• Patatas bravas (potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce) - Vegetarian
• Boquerones (small fried fish)
• Tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette) - Vegetarian
• Fabada asturiana (beans and chorizo)
• Albóndigas (meatballs with tomato sauce)
• Empanadilla de queso (pastry things similar to Cornish pasties filled with cheese) - Vegetarian
• Brochetas de cordero (lamb brouchettes)
• Chorizo al vino (tasty chorizo)

And if you have space for dessert and you like almonds, try the "Tarta de Santiago" it's spectacular. 

Address: 3 Wightman Road, London, N4 1RQ

Phone: 02 083 405 400

Website: www.la-vina.co.uk

Menu: www.la-vina.co.uk/OurMenu.aspx