London Date Ideas – Real Food Market, Live TV Show Audience & L’Entrecote

Every week on 30 Dates, I showcase new Date Ideas, and Venues I’ve come across as I learn more about our lovely Capital!

This week has been a busy one, and I’ve been lucky enough to visit several noteworthy spots.

I’ll start with what I did last Friday though, as I think it works well as a date idea on two counts.

Real Food Market, South Bank

 

Die-hard 30 Dates fans will recognise the Market as where I had lunch with TOWTS on Date 2 of my 30 Dates!  Last Friday night was the first time I’ve been back on the South Bank with the food market open, and it was incredible.  I’d forgotten just how great the variety of international foods is, and how incredible the smell is!

I went with a friend before we headed to the Last Leg filming, which I’ll talk about in a second, and we both thought it was incredible.  The food is reasonably priced, and you can have the most diverse picnic going, all freshly cooked and piping hot.  We dined on chorizo, pasta, halloumi, Harissa chicken and salad, and drank Prosecco on a picnic bench out back of the Royal Festival Hall.  It’s a great venue for a low-key date, with lots of talking points, as you wind through the busy market.

The Market is open Fridays 12-8, Saturdays 11-8, Sundays 12-6pm.

Being Part of A TV Audience

As I mentioned earlier in the week – I got tickets to go and watch The Last Leg being filmed last Friday night.

 

I went on ‘The Applause Store’ and was simply part of a ticket lottery for the free tickets.  Obviously the earlier you spot the tickets, and the more flexible you are time wise, the more likely you are to be successful.  It was probably the fourth time I’ve applied for Last Leg tickets, so you do have to be patient, but there are lots of other shows, and other websites which do free audience tickets.  Of course I picked one of my favourite shows, so I was bound to have a great time, but it’s one of the best free evenings of entertainment I’ve ever had.

The Riverside Studios, where the show is filmed, were about a five minute walk from Hammersmith Tube, so it was really easy to get to, and because I picked a show which was being filmed live, at 10pm on a Friday night, there was plenty of time for dinner and drinks beforehand.

I’d definitely recommend signing up to the mailing lists for a couple of the Audience Ticket providers – you never know what you could get to watch.

Le Relais de Venise – ‘L’Entrecote’, Marylebone

So this week I had the most Parisian of experiences that London has to offer!  L’Entrecote (please excuse the absence of accents, I can’t find them on this keyboard!) is a steak restaurant … and only a steak restaurant!

Basically there is no menu!  There are no reservations.  There is no ketchup, or mayonnaise.  And there is no such thing as a medium-rare steak.

But the whole experience is incredible!

It’s one of the most stubborn restaurants I’ve ever been to – but equally hilarious, and really economical for Marylebone.

You queue on the street, and you can drink in the queue, thanks to the neighbouring pub.  The restaurant’s popularity sees the queue curling around the block!  Once inside, the only choice you’re given is how you like your steak cooked, and what you would like to drink.  The steak options are blue, rare, medium and well done.

Then you have a set starter – a salad with walnuts, which was really good.  Followed by steak and frites.  There are no sauces, because the steak comes with their very own, yummy special sauce.  The main course is served in two parts to keep your food hot – and it was delicious!

Yes, the french maid-like waitresses verged on rude, and I couldn’t eat my chips with ketchup and mayo, but I loved every minute and the steak was some of the best I’ve eaten in London!

Miss Twenty-Nine xxx