Andy  "andyravensable" B.'s Profile

The Green Man is first and foremost, a cider pub, which, being a fan of the alchoholic apply stuff, is a massive relief from the usual experience I get in most establishments, when I'm faced with the choice of drinking either Strongbow or Bulmers all night. The rather bijou little bar proudly sports a choice of nine ciders on draught, fifteen bottled, and four in flagons, including the eponymously famous Green Man Special, which has to be drunk with care, as too many can lead to a sudden sensation that someone's turned up the gravity all of a sudden, and make the next morning something you really don't fancy being part of. However, there are plenty of choices, and a fine evening can be had exploring the menu, from the old country flat ciders through to their more modern fizzy counterparts. The staff are accommodating when it's quiet, but can turn surly when the place fills up and they find themselves busy, perhaps the one thing that keeps me from giving it the full five stars. There's also a rather nice room upstairs that can be booked for large groups and parties, and there's frequently DJ nights and music being played, albeit sometimes on the painfully trendy side.

All in all, the Green Man is a pretty good pub to visit with friends, and it's somewhat out-of-the way location means it's nicely away from the main drag of Oxford and Regent Streets and TCR, while still being close enough for that bus home at the end of the night.

If you're planning a trip round London's alternative venues, Electrowerks on a Saturday night is a definite recommendation. Housing the now world-famous Slimelight club every Saturday, people come from all over the globe to visit London's oldest goth, industrial and EBM night, now over twenty years young. Running from around 11pm on Saturday night to 7am the following Sunday morning, this isn't a club for the faint-hearted, with up to three floors playing a range of music from old school Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim and Siouxsie and the Banshees, through to more modern hardcore industrial, techno and noise, such as Reaper, Noisuf-x and Aesthetic Perfection.

The building itself is an old warehouse, for that true industrial feel, so don't get dressed up in your finest if you're not prepared to have to put them through the wash soon afterwards, and each floor holds a dance floor, bar and toilets, as well as the ground floor giving access to an open area for smokers, housed within a warren of passageways and open spaces.

Officially, there's a membership scheme, allowing those who sign up for cards reduced price entry, and the ability to sign in new members. If you don't know anyone who's a member, then it's probably worth explaining it to the guys on the door, who, if you're dressed in the right attire, will probably let you in for full entry price anyway. The bar's quite reasonable, and sells a range of alcohol, soft drinks and sweets to keep those sugar levels going and you dancing well into the morning.

One small tip - if you're planning on making a full night of it, and going until they kick you out in the morning, you'd be well advised to bring sunglasses, as when you finally emerge in to the shining light of Sunday morning, from spending eight hours in a gloomy warehouse dancing your socks off, the sunlight's going to feel like God's own flashlight. Trust me - the shades really help here.

it's quite normal for regulars who don't feel like going to bed afterwards to go and find sustenance, or just somewhere to sit, and you'll frequently find a mixture of black-clad goths, studded rivetheads and day-glo cyberkids hanging around the coffee shops in Islington Green each Sunday morning. If you've had a decent night's sleep that night, best to be kind to them - that just might, one day, be you.

The Electric Ballroom is a great venue, and has been a cornerstone of London alternative clubbing for years. Just up the road from Camden tube station, the Ballroom holds a range of nights, from techno to pop, as well as the well reknowned metal and rock night Sin City, and the goth and industrial night, Inferno, and has held some incredible live gigs as well.

The club is fronted by a wide doorway, where most weekend nights you'll see a queue of people waiting to get in. Once inside and past the ticket booths and bouncers (who will pat you down and search your bag - best travel light if you're thinking of going), you're free to explore the club, which includes the massive main dancefloor to your left, a smaller one upstairs if you fancy a change in style, four bars selling a range of beers, wines and spirits, a coat-check by the door and an open smoking area outside, reached by the stairs up to the far left, past the bar on the left of the main dancefloor.

The Ballroom is a massive venue, and it's recommended you grab a drink and have a good look round when you start, to save you getting lost later! Also, I've found that you can keep yourself quite entertained by varying which bar and dancefloor you use throughout the night; try your mad dancing moves on the super-large floor downstairs, and visit the island bar before heading upstairs to survey your fellow dancers before heading into the upstairs room for something different to listen to and a more intimate dancing space. Head outside for a cool down and a breath of fresh, or not so fresh air if you're a smoker, before rejoining the crowd downstairs. Heck, if that doesn't keep you occupied, there's always a pinball machine and a few video games, too!

The Ballroom really is the best place to finish off a day in Camden, and if you do some research beforehand at the website, you'll be sure to find a night suited to your tastes.

The Intrepid Fox has moved from its original spot on Wardour Street in Soho, into the shadow of Centrepoint, to St Giles High Street, aptly situated directly at the end of Denmark Street, London's centre for guitar and musical instrument shops.

Sporting a large patio area at the front, a main bar, and an upstairs bar for events such as DJ nights and small gigs, the Fox is a pub for those who definitely enjoy their metal and rock music - suits beware, I've heard it said that the bar staff won't serve you if you turn up in workwear, and have even been known to emasculate people's ties if they're wearing them. Dress up, dress down, just don't look like you've just come from the office.

The bar's pretty well stocked, with a range of beers and wine, although only has Bulmers for us cider drinkers, although this really is a place you should be knocking back the Jack Daniels if you want true rock credentials. The music's loud and proud, with everything from Aerosmith and AC/DC to Pantera and Rammstein, and the inside of the building is decorated with a range of posters, and some rather cool sculpture hanging over the bar.

Definitely a place for a quick drink or two, to put in a whistle-stop tour of Soho, or for a last late-night drink before you get on the bus home, this place shouldn't be missed.

Ah, the Devonshire Arms, or "The Dev" as it's known to locals and regulars. This pub used to be a bastion of gothdom, with it being just the place to go after an afternoon's shopping round Camden, or to meet up with friends before heading out the clubs like Slimelight and Vagabonds on a Saturday night, but sadly, it's fallen into disrepair.

Some years ago, the Hobgoblin brewery that owns the place decided to take over running it, and kicked out Robin and Janine, who lived and worked the bar. Deciding to open up the pub to others than just the goth fraternity, they got rid of the dress code (which, if you're looking for somewhere not full of tracksuits and football shirts, used to actually be a good idea), and changed the playlist to include metal, reggae and more. The sad thing is, despite their best efforts, the pub really took a downturn, losing a lot of its regular customers, and inviting in some of the seedier aspects of Camden, including the punks who hang around Camden Lock, charging tourists to take photos of them.

Since then, the place has been pretty much the same, despite the brewery boys moving out and washing their hands of the place. I can only hope that the Dev one day sees someone willing to restore it to its former glory. If you've never been, it's worth a look, but don't expect anything great.

Big Red is an excellent place to go for an evening, whether it's for a quick drink (which always seems to turn into one or two more than expected), a meal with friends, or a special occasion, Big Red can accommodate it all.

Centrally placed on a junction between Holloway Road and Seven Sisters Road, making it a ten minute bus ride from Highbury, Camden, Finsbury Park and Archway, Big Red screams attitude from the moment you see it - the black exterior painted with flames and rock chicks, and the inside carries on the message - a large central island bar surrounded by heavy tables and booths, with an extensive rock and metal jukebox and a clientele ranging from bikers to teddyboys. The rear area has four large pool tables, and the staff are friendly and polite, without losing that hard rock edge.

The bar's quite well stocked, with a range of beer, but could do with a few more ciders in my opinion. There's also plenty of spirits, and the prices are just above mid level, for a bar just outside Central London. The food is excellent value for money, as portions are rather large - serious warning here: don't buy the ribs unless you're really hungry, or have brought a small starving family to help you finish them off. They're so large, I'm surprised you don't see a trail of cattle lining up to go in the kitchen.

One word of warning also - being close to Arsenal means this place cab fill up with footy fans on match nights, and the frequently put the match on a large screen and turn the volume up, making conversation on those nights somewhat tricky. Otherwise, it's a damn good bar - as anything with Megadeth, Killing Joke and Metallica on the jukebox certainly gets my vote!

I've been a fan of Garlic and Shots for years, celebrated several birthdays there, and can honestly say it's one of my favourite places to go - either as a venue to spend the whole evening, as a way to start the evening off, or even a chance for that last-gasp nightcap.

G&S is made up of three parts - the restaurant section you see when you walk in, an open seated area you at the back for smokers and/or diners, and the underground bar, playing rock and metal until the early hours, serving drinks only.

The restaurant is certainly an excellent reason to visit Garlic & Shots - serving a range of garlic based dishes, from the best garlic bread in town (half a farmhouse loaf soaked in garlic butter, none of your dry, crispy, Pizza hut style garlic slices here), to the reknowned Vampire steak and Garlic burgers. While the feel of the venue is somewhat of a biker/rock bar, with posters adorning the walls while you eat listening to Alice In Chains, Johnny Cash and AC/DC, the quality of the food is excellent, and of a much higher calibre than initial expectations might suggest for such an establishment. Wine and beer can be served with your meal, although the selection isn't very wide reaching, I can recommend a bottle of the Calhungetta Merlot, especially with the meatier dishes. Do bear in mind though, when you sit in the front area, you will be expected to order food, not just drinks.

The open area to the rear provides a chance for the smokers to sit with a drink, and maybe even some food, and is quite a good place to spend a summer evening, away from the bustle if Soho for a few hours.

The downstairs bar is famous for three things - late opening, loud heavy metal, and the list of 101 shots, which, at roughly £2.50 each, can provide an excellent start to an evening of excess. I firmly recommend, especially if it's your first time at G&S, to try a Bloodshot - a mixture of tomato juice, pepper, tobasco, chilliand vodka, this Bloody Mary on kerosene certainly opens the eyes a bit, it's a rite of passage for my friends and I. The dowwnstairs can get full at times, and if you're a group between four and eight, it's best to get there early and take over the bunker area to the back and left.

So, don't believe all the reviews saying "I went there once and it was too loud for my poor little ears and I don't like garlic anyway" - this is a place to unleash your inner metaller, line the stomach before a night's drinking and dancing, or to take the hot rock chick you've been meaning to ask out for ages (just make sure she likes garlic first!).

Recently reopened, this pub sports a wood lined saloon lounge, tables out front for smokers and those who wish to watch life going by with a pint, and, best of all, a large 1930s styled marble floored room to the rear, which is airy, spacious and beautiful. A fully stocked bar, with all the usual beers, wines and ciders as well as a few unusual choices. The friendly staff make it an excellent place for a week night drink, or somewhere to spend a Sunday afternoon with the paper.

Incognico has to be a firm favourite of mine. Tucked away, round the corner from the bustle of Cambridge Circus and Charing Cross Road, this little French bistro provides a haven of calm, style, and, above all exquisite taste that makes it the perfect place for a pre-theatre meal, getaway for a romantic occasion, or venue to spoil a loved one on a special occasion. Somewhat on the pricey side, but Incognico is certainly the place where you get what you pay for - the food is sumptuous, lavish and delicious, and their wine list is encyclopedic. If you've never been, I can certainly recommend the duck with pommes fondants - my girlfriend and I practically end up having it every time we're there!

The Cherwell Boathouse is a restuarant situated right next to the actual boathouse itself, which rents out punts on the river Cherwell, allowing one to hire a punt, and then return to the restaurant afterwards to talk of one's adventures, while watching fellow punters trying their hand.

The restaurant itself is a delightful mock-Tudor building, oozing distinction, and occupied with a friendly and attentive staff who are willing to cater for all kinds of visitor. The food itself is British style haute cuisine, allowing for some fabulously delicious dishes such as rolled belly of lamb, pork noisettes, and crab soup, along with an interestingly stocked wine cellar. Pricewise, it's a little on the dear side, but certainly worth it, should you wish to entertain a loved one, or, as was my case, hold a birthday lunch for a relative.