With LAC 2016 just over six weeks away, we thought it would be a great time to let you know what the iGaming Business team think are the best things to do in London while you’re not at LAC 2016.
We asked the whole team for their favourite things to do in the capital city and we got some interesting answers. We have suggestions ranging from sports to theatre to restaurants and bars.
We’ve heard from a lot of you that you’re taking part in dry January; after all of the holiday period fun it’s probably not a bad idea. LAC on the 4th – 7th February is the best place to start really enjoying yourself again once you’ve been sober for a month. So, check out the teams top recommendations to find out what we think are the best things to do in London.
Alana Jones, Head of Events, iGaming Business
Alana’s recommendation is not just for anyone with a sweet tooth. She has suggested “The Chocolate Tasting Adventure” at Hotel Chocolat in Covent Garden. It is a cool place and you get a great experience tasting different chocolates and finding out exactly how it’s made. Hotel chocolat say it has “been created especially for chocolate lovers who would like to take the next step in their appreciation of chocolate – gaining delicious insider knowledge and tasting tips.” What more could you want?
We think it’s a great place to take clients for an intimate and enjoyable evening. Check out the website here
Kyle McGrath, Information Sales Executive, iGaming Business
Kyle’s top thing to do in London is to head to newly promoted and currently high flying Barclays Premier League side Watford FC (The Hornets). While it’s a little way out of London, Kyle has insisted that it still counts as London as it’s in the oyster card zones and you can get a quick train from London Euston.
The best match to see around the time of LAC 2016 is Watford vs Chelsea at Vicarage Road on the 3rd February 2016. The high flying Hornets are currently (as this is written) sitting in 7th place above teams like Liverpool, Everton and Southampton. Shock relegation candidates Chelsea, who have recently parted company with Jose Mourinho, are 15th and only 3 points above the relegation zone.
There is bound to be plenty of drama with Chelsea desperate to claim as many points as possible and Watford playing some of the best football in the league at the moment. The atmosphere at Vicarage Road (according to Kyle) is electric and tickets are very affordable.
If you’re in London around the time of LAC, this is the match to see. The best place to get tickets is here
Emma Beal, Senior Events Executive, iGaming Business
Emma wanted to jump on the football bandwagon and suggested a trip to her beloved Brighton and Hove Albion. While Brighton may be the most exciting team in the championship at the moment, we did have to point out to Emma that Brighton (as lovely as it is) isn’t in London and is pretty difficult to get to.
In the end we settled for one of London’s great playhouses – Shakespeare’s Globe. There is something magical about the theatre in London, it has been the centre of culture for hundreds of years and is still managing to grow in popularity – all of this grew from Shakespeare’s legacy.
The globe is the only authentic way to truly experience Shakespeare’s work and the theatre is one of the most historical and well-loved buildings in the city of London. We recommend seeing Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s tale” which opens on the 28th January and is expected be very popular. The globe sums up why you should see it perfectly: “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Shakespeare’s late, great plays in the kind of theatre they were written for – the intimate, candlelit, indoor Playhouse.”
You can book tickets to the Globe here
Ed Grundy, Sales Manager, iGaming Business
Ed insisted that if you are in London you have got to visit a proper pub. We thought he was pretty spot on and his recommendation, “The Faltering Fullback” in Finsbury Park is pretty great as well.
The ivy-covered Faltering Fullback is four pubs in one. The front bar is a welcoming if bustling horseshoe-shaped affair, well stocked with draught and bottled beers. A curious assortment of objects – guitars, scarves, aeroplanes – hangs from the ceiling. The back bar continues the theme, in a more relaxed way. A third space is more raucous and centres around a pool table. But the real prize of the place is that it houses one of London’s most unusual beer gardens. London city guide describe it as “A bewildering series of stairs, gangways and terraces reminiscent of the Ewok village from Return of the Jedi.” We think that’s pretty apt with the recent release of Star Wars epsiode VII.
Check out “The Faltering Fullback” website here
James King, Group Head of Business Development, iGaming Business
James was split for his recommendation of what to do in London but eventually he settled on “The Harwood Arms” gastropub in Fulham. The pub is in a great location and isn’t far from the venue. It is also the only pub in London to hold a Michelin-star. James highly recommended ordering the scotch egg to start (it’s not on the menu so you’ll have to gather the courage to ask).
“The Harwood Arms” sums itself up very well: “Hidden away in the back streets of Fulham, the Harwood offers award-winning food and wine in a casual and relaxed setting. We champion the very best British produce with a focus on game and wild food.”
James was very keen to highlight the benefits of taking a morning run around London’s famous Hyde Park. He will be happy to lead anyone who is interested on Saturday Morning at 7am. Get in touch if you’re keen.
View “The Harwood Arms” website here
Emma Ridley, Events Executive, iGaming Business
Emma wins the award for being the most romantic of the iGaming Business team. Her recommendations are perhaps more suited to dating than networking but we wanted to share them with you anyway.
Emma’s recommendations are as follows:
For the prettiest view of London, take a stroll up Primrose Hill. Once you’re done, treat yourself for a short walk along the canal to Camden Lock for some super tasty food and cocktails at Gilgamesh.
Canal boat to Little Venice and lunch/dinner at The Waterway. The canal is a hidden gem of London – serene and quirky with some of the best pubs and restaurants around!
We may have jumped the gun calling Emma a romantic but we couldn’t help it. Her recommendations – “The Waterway” and “Gilgamesh” are two of the nicest places in London and definitely worth checking out.
See the websites for “The Waterway” here and “Gilgamesh” here
Haydn Williams, Marketing Assistant, iGaming Business
Haydn’s recommendation once again goes down the theatre route. While the West End is the famous theatre district in London and Shakespeare’s globe is packed full of history you cannot forget the National Theatre on south bank just by Waterloo Station. With its brutalist architecture and four theatres the NT is one of London’s most prized possessions. If you have time book yourself a backstage tour and see the huge workshops where they create all of the props and sets for their shows.
The theatre that created West End favourites like “War Horse” and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time” is a must visit if you are in London – even if you just pop in to the world class book shop. One show in particular catches the eye at the moment – wonder.land – a brand new musical inspired by Lewis Carroll’s iconic story with music written by Blur’s Damon Albarn.
The National Theatre describes it as: “A new musical inspired by Lewis Carroll’s iconic story, wonder.land is a coming-of-age adventure that explores the blurred boundaries between our online and offline lives.”
To view all the shows at the National Theatre and book tickets, click here.
So, those are a few of our team’s top recommendations of things to do in London while you’re not at LAC. We hope you find time outside of the conference to really enjoy London and make sure you tweet us if you do try out some of our favourite things.
If you haven’t registered for LAC yet then make sure you book your place today.
