Soho in the Summertime: My Top Ten Gems
By SohoLisa | Sunday, August 15, 2010, 15:26
It’s rare that we Brits can claim to have enjoyed an actually summer in the capital. I’m not talking about the occasional break from grey skies, downpours and the odd furtive glance from a reluctantly shining sun, but the genuine article, all ice-cream van chimes, water fights, tender scarlet shoulders and terrible male footwear choices! This year, I think we can all happily say we were afforded a pretty decent attempt at an actual season this year and Soho in the summer was the place to be this year.
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What are your favourite things to do in Soho in the summer?
In my opinion, each city and town’s appeal changes with the weather; a summer in Soho is so different to an autumn in the exact same spot. It got me thinking what my favourite top ten summer Soho gems were and to also find out what you guys all thought too. So below, in no particular order, are my top ten – what are yours?
The chance to enjoy open space in Soho is one that should be seized at the first opportunity and with only three green spaces in the area, this was a difficult choice. St Anne’s Church gardens are a great place to sit and watch the world go by and Golden Square is equally a pleasant spot for lunch. But I think Soho Square just pips the two at the post. It’s the perfect spot in the summer to sit in the sun and relax amongst the hustle and bustle of Soho. Even with the droves of art students, tourists and office workers all seeking a slice of the summer pie, Soho Square is a little oasis of tranquillity that I just love.
Summer just isn’t summer without the obligatory ice-cream, which invariably you’ll drop half of on the floor or down yourself, but we love it just the same. My favourite place in Soho to indulge in the cold stuff is Gelupo, who billed themselves as ‘a taste of Italy in the heart of Soho’, so you know their ice-cream is going to be delizioso. Gelupo have a great selection of flavours ranging from a more familiar pistachio gelato to the more unusual Avocado and honey sorbet and pine nut and fennel seed ice cream for the more adventurous among us. Try their gelato cake if you have the chance, its well worth the subsequent brain freeze you’ll suffer after wolfing down a slice or three!
If you like me equate summer with sitting in beer gardens with a cold pint, getting a touch sunburnt, eating far too many peanuts and doing battle with a cider-loving wasps, then you might have a bit of a job finding a pub with a garden or any outdoor space of any description. There are however the rare few that do and perhaps my favourite of these is The Angel on St. Giles Street. For starters it’s a Samuel Smith pub, with ticks a box in the first instance (good beer, good prices) and despite the garden closing early evening, it a great place to sit and pass the time on a hot, summer’s afternoon.
One of the things I love most about going on holiday to a country with a warmer climate than our own (and let’s face it, that’s most places!) and dining alfresco in the evenings. Soho has long battled with red tape, traffic and rapidly diminishing street space when it comes to having tables and chairs situated outside, though there are always those who manage to squeeze a small spot out front to be enjoyed, if you don’t mind having a battle of your own in securing it for yourself! One of my favourite places to eat has found a perfect solution to the lack to pavement space by turning their roof space into a dining terrace. The menu at Soho House has a good selection for vegetarians and is rather reasonable in terms of price and there is enough variety to suit all palettes and better still, you can enjoy all that outside, overlooking Soho. It’s a great way of cooling down and escaping the crowds below.
Sometimes it can just get a little too hot for comfort ad when it does, I love to head to the nearest cinema to cool down, take in a film, before venturing back out into the heat. My favourite cinema in the whole of Soho and the world, has to be the Prince Charles Cinema just off Leicester Square. It’s my favourite place to go to watch a classic re-screening, warble away to a Rocky Horror Picture Show Sing-a-Long or take in a black and white, 1950’s art house flick. With prices at £1.50 for members or £3.00 for the rest, the Prince Charles Cinema has often provided me with a much needed sanctuary in all weather.
This foodies market is ideal for picking up those extra bits for a perfect summer picnic, lending a touch of luxury to any hamper. Running every Saturday until the end of the year on Rupert Street, you’ll be sure to find something tasty to quench your thirst or silence a grumbling tum.
We all like to look good, whatever the weather, but with the summer and the heat, comes the desire to flash a little flesh and expose a little more than usual. When summer is upon us, it’s time to get our pasty pins out and give our tootsies an airing, but after months of damp, chilly days, we could perhaps all do with a little pampering and preening to look and feel our best. My favourite place to make me feel a million dollars is The Powder Room, brought to us by the retro beauties that are the Powder Puff Girls. The new boutique that has opened in on Carnaby Street recently is a pink paradise and with all the treatments on offer, the girls with have you looking your best in a jiffy!
Now although I do love my Soho and summer is a great time to be right in the thick of it, there does come a time when all you want to do is leave the crowds and head out of London for a bit. I recently wrote about Zipcar which are available to hire right off the street! With the promise of MINIs, Golfs, Prius', Insight Hybrids, BMWs and more to choose from, heading out to the seaside of the country will be even more fun in a car of your choice – maybe there will even be convertibles to choose from!
If the crowds don’t bother you, then why not take a gentle stroll through the Covent Garden market and take in the sights, sounds and smells of the many different stalls and street performers, not to mention tourists! Only a short walk from the heart of Soho, this pretty albeit overly popular market, is even better in the sunshine.
Having only recently re-opened following an impressive £25m development, the Marshall Street baths are the perfect place to take a refreshing dip when the heat gets too much. With the white Sicilian marble-lined pool with green Swedish marble walls, the baths provide a level of luxury not often found with a local council project.
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