1. It’s summer, get outside! There are lots of venues for an al fresco drink, I’ve chosen four:
   • (North-West) The Waterway, Formosa
     St W9, next to Grand Union Canal, near Warwick Ave tube
   • (South) The Windmill, Clapham Common
   • (East) right on the Thames, the Narrow Street Pub and Dining Room in Limehouse
   • (West) The Crown & Sceptre, Melina Road, Shepherd’s Bush. Nice garden at top boozer
2. Embrace the fact that going to watch virtually naked people prance about on stage in Soho is now considered acceptable. Burlesque, they call it. Whatever… it’s at the Arse, sorry Arts Theatre, and is sponsored by a terribly trendy new gin brand.
3. Travel on a Routemaster bus. You may think this is a terribly touristy thing to do, but they’re about to be phased out, and you’ll miss them when they’ve gone. There’s a scary amount of info about this on the interweb, but in summary, there are only five Routemaster routes left: the 14 (Putney Heath to Tottenham Ct Rd) and 22 (Putney Common to Piccadilly Circus) will be withdrawn on July 23, which will just leave the 13 (Golders Green to Aldwych, 38 (Victoria to Clapton Pond) and 159 (Marble Arch to Streatham) running until their eventual demise later in the year, the petitions to save them notwithstanding.
4. Enjoy the bargain prices, superb cuisine and wacky interiors of the Little Bay restaurants. There are four: York Road, Battersea, , Farringdon and Kilburn.
5. Go and see a play: it doesn’t have to be something grandiose in the West End, you could try one of the excellent smaller theatre’s like the Canal Café in Little Venice, the Bush in Shepherd’s Bush, the Royal Court in Sloane Square or the Latchmere in Clapham.
6. Go into a pub where you’ve had really bad service in the past, and order a Guinness Shandy. Leave with a malicious grin on your face a few minutes later when the hapless Australian who has taken the order becomes engulfed in brown foam.
7. Enjoy the unique opportunity presented by the Bar Show at Earl’s Court, June 7 and 8. If you want to meet everybody who's anybody in the UK bar industry, come on down and find them all under one roof. If not, go anywhere else in London during that period and be guaranteed not to see any of them.
8. Enjoy the ultimate all-day session on June 4 (interest in rugby an advantage.) Watch the first game of the British Lions tour of New Zealand. They play at 8.10am and lots of pubs will be showing it. The Sun in Richmond would be my bet. Then move on to the IRB Sevens at Twickenham, followed by Martin Johnson’s final match at the same venue in the evening, when his team will be taking on Jonah Lomu’s.
9. Go and have a curry in Tooting, it’s full of brilliant, cheap restaurants, the Time Out guide has a good summary.
10. (Chelsea supporters only) Put on your replica shirt and pop down to New Cross at around 10pm on any Saturday night. There’s always a chance to exchange banter, swap song lyrics and compare trophies with your fellow knuckle-draggers from local outfit Millwall FC

Ten Things to do in New York City

1. Walk The City
   New York is a walking city and there is no better way to feel the pulse of this humming metropolis than on foot. Look around you and listen to the snatches of conversation… check out stores etc. on both sides of the street… browse!
   
   This is a walk without a cause - no need to hurry.
   
   Walk # 1
   Broadway from Times Square to Houston Street… it is self explanatory stop often and not just for booze!
   
   Walk # 2
   Walk west on Prince Street from Broadway to Sullivan Street and turn left. Walk til you get to Blue Ribbon (on the left) stop in for oysters, they will open them in front of you at the bar. Walk back east (left) when you reach Spring Street and stop when you get to Balthazar (on the right just after Mercer) Have a drink and some bar food but don’t sing at the bar as they will toss you out.
   
   Walk # 3
   Start in the lobby of the Chelsea Hotel look at the art… that is why you’re there. Walk out the front door and turn left walk to the river and turn south (Left) walk til you reach Little West 12 th Street and turn left. Go a block and have a drink at Pastis… look for Madonna - she hangs out here. Continue along Little West 12 th Street til it turns into Gansvoort Street which ends when you reach West 4 th Street look down the block to the next corner - on the left is The Corner Bistro… go in and have the best hamburger in the city (you will have to wait for a table at the bar). Be patient and don’t make an ass of yourself and leave the bartender an obscenely large tip.
   
   Walk # 4
   Begin this walk with brunch at Ulysses ( 95 Pearl Street off Hanover Square… way south in the financial district) and flirt with the Bawdy Irish waitresses - they may be the most fun you will have all day! Sit out doors in the square at the picnic tables YOU CAN SMOKE OUT THERE>>>even CIGARS! After Brunch walk straight west through the financial district until you reach Ground Zero.
2. Hansom cab ride
   Go to the plaza hotel and have a drink in the Oak Bar. Get a window seat so you can look across the way at the horse drawn Hansom Cabs. Study the drivers and find one who really treats his horse with tenderness and pay up for the drinks. Walk across and hire that guy for a cab ride through Central Park. Best when there is a chill in the air and you are with a lover. Keep a flask handy for this.
3. Drink at the Rainbow Room
   Have one drink (they are $16.00) at a window-side table at Harry Cipriani at Rainbow Restaurant. Ask what happened to the famous bar that used to be there then bitch that they were fools to tear it out!
4. Drinks and a burger at PJ Clarks
   PJ’s is at 3rd Avenue and 55th Street. Go in the bar is immediately on the left. Tell them you’re a friend of Dales and he suggested you come in… If you get the right bartender you won’t be thrown out but tip him well! Have a burger at the bar (there is a slice of onion hiding under the bun, use it) have several drinks and talk to the people around you… it is a bar silly and you are supposed to!
5. Obey the Bar Maids at the W Hotel Lexington Ave
   Have a drink at Whiskey Blue but keep it simple, these women don’t want to break a fingernail… enjoy the view and do as you are told.
6. Have a drink at these five places
   1. Flat Iron Lounge
      (19th Street Between 5th and 6th avenue. The owner is Julie Reiner - ask for her.)
   2. Employees Only
      (on Hudson street just above Christopher street on the east side…there is no sign but there is a Taro reading fortune teller in the window) Ask for Jay or Dushan or Henry or Igor they are all bartender owners of the joint. The cocktails are made with meticulously fresh ingredients only! Watch out for the homemade Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce.
   3. Pegu Club
      By the time you read this Audrey Saunders one of the leading bartenders in the city/country will have her own joint up and running on West Houston Street. Audrey has been in residence at the Carlyle Hotel’s Bemelmens Bar for the last several years receiving serious accolades for her creative concoctions.
   4. Freemans Alley
      (An alley off Rivington Street just east of Bowery) Have a real Pisco Sour and lots of other wonderful drinks.
   5. Libation
      (137 Ludlow Street near Rivington Street) described as the three story play ground for the lower east side’s next generation - whatever that means. Really lively DJ’s play hip hop and the margaritas are good.
7. Dine at Megu
   Get a sponsor and dine at Megu… whatever you do don’t reach for the check! Have the foie gras and Kobe beef meatballs and everything else on the menu. Stick to the medium priced sake to avoid blowing your whole budget before you have a morsel to eat.
8. Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
   This is a summer activity. Start at the Bridge Café at 279 Water Street at Dover Street. Have a drink to fortify and head back west til you get to the pedestrian entrance to the bridge. Walk across the bridge and have dinner or lunch as the case may be under the bridge on the Brooklyn side at the River Café… an absolutely heart stopping view of the Manhattan skyline.
9. Go to a Broadway show of course!
10. Have a sandwich at the stage deli
    After the Broadway show have a late night sandwich at the Stage Deli ( 834 7 th Avenue at 54th Street). The waiters all look and act like Henny Youngman and the sandwiches will feed you for a week… if you have a fridge in your hotel room get a doggy bag!

1. Affordable Art Fair
   Now in its sixth year, the Affordable Art Fair is a showcase for contemporary art under £3,000. Taking place in London’s Battersea Park (SW11), it plays a crucial role in attracting young buyers into the art world. Don’t miss it from 17-20 this month (March).
2. Turkish Baths
   The Turkish Baths at Ironmonger Row have been described by the Evening Standard as "the best value-for-money stress-busting technique in town". The suite includes a steam room, a series of three hot rooms of varying temperature, marble slabs for massage and body scrubbing and an icy plunge pool. There are men only and women only sessions if you prefer keeping your bits to the company of your own sex – quite right too. (1-11 Ironmonger Row, EC1 Tel. 020 7253 4011)
3. Sadler’s Wells
   The best and most eclectic range of dance productions – from Argentine tango to Cuban ballet, Welsh opera and Harlem dance – are all here at this contemporary arts theatre. This month Sleeping Beauty on Ice (petit camp?) and Matthew Bourne’s Highland Fling (tres camp). (Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1 Tel. 0870 737 7737)
4. House Rules
   Thriving career, impressive flat but have no idea how to run your life? Make sure you buy Clare Coulson’s fabulous new book ‘House Rules’ with clever little tips on how to put bad habits behind you and live a stream lined stress free life. She’s the Fash Ed of the Daily Telegraph so the girl knows a thing or two (published on 10 March, £12.99 by Bantam Press).
5. V&A
   The V&A is the largest museum of applied and decorative arts in the world with pieces by Chippendale, Morris, Mackintosh and Wedgewood and now has the UK’s first permanent architecture gallery, forming the world’s most comprehensive architectural resource representing every major British architect from the late 16 th century to the present day. The last Friday of every month is a Friday Late View event which explores a contemporary idea, ranging across fashion, design, music, art and performance. The Museum stays open until 10pm on these evenings. This month the Arts & Crafts exhibition begins. (V&A, Cromwell Road 020 7942 2000)
6. The Refinery
   The Refinery is a haven for hedonists and the perfect spot for chaps to relax after a hard day pretending to do some work. Try one of the 15 minute ‘pit stop’ rapid relief sessions. And no, not that sort of relief you dirty boy. Other Refinery emporiums can be found in the City and at Harrods. (The Refinery, Brook Street Mayfair 020 7409 2001) 
7. Dine & Discover
   Reserve a table for lunch or dinner at one of Harvey Nichols restaurants across the UK and you will get a complimentary copy of a new, natty little guide called ‘Dine and Discover’ allowing you to plan a pre or post-lunch or pre-dinner off the beaten track discovery of the area. I wrote it. It’s great.
8. Luzmon
   Feeling fat? Want to tone up and make yourself presentable for the beach this summer? Pop into the Luzmon in Kensington where you get strapped into a chair and pulsed with electricity and heat. After a session you feel as though you have done a triathlon. It can completely change your body. (Luzmon 45 Phillimore Walk Kensington 020 7937 3200)
9. Paris
   Springtime in Paris is enough to put a bounce in your bunions but make sure you stay at the new Christian Lacroix designed hotel Le Petit Moulin in the Marais. Another Boutique Hotel Sezz opens this month too.
10. Snow Queen
    Instead of Easter eggs why not give your godchildren the totally inappropriate gift of a bottle of the vodka of the moment ‘Snow Queen’? Gwen Stefani and The Scissor Sisters couldn’t get enough of the stuff at the Brits after party apparently. Available from Harrods this month.

1. Abstaining from alcohol after Christmas is common for many, but that does not mean that evenings out have to be dull. Visit MJU, the bar in the Millennium Hotel in Knightsbridge, to try out their range of detox drinks.
2. Don’t mope around just because the festive season is over. Take time out for High Tea at the Lanesborough, for a touch of the highlife.
3. Feeling financially challenged after splurging over Christmas? Enroll as a member at Fifty, where you can try to double your money in the gaming room, or simply join Salvatore Calabrese at the bar to try out his new cocktail list.
4. Not found a bargain in the January sales? Fear not. The coolest cats in town are currently sporting WCC t-shirts. In association with Appleton and Wray & Nephew, they cost only £10, with all proceeds going directly to the Jamaican Hurricane Fund. Pick yours up at Lonsdale.
5. Put education first in 2005, and sign up for the WSET Professional Certificate in Spirits. The government recognised qualification is taught by Mark Ridgwell, and places are available for January’s class.
6. Make time in your diary to revisit old favourites that you may have overlooked. When was the last time you drank in Atlantic or Zeta? Ate at Nobu or Momo? Not all the best places to go in town are new...
7. ...if, however, you need some escapism from the bad weather in London, why not journey down to visit the latest resident of Notting Hill. Crazy Homies is Tom Conran’s nod in the direction of Mexico, with tequila and latin cuisine aplenty. Make mine a margarita!
8. Take advantage of BA’s January sale, and bag yourself a ticket to San Fran for under £250. Plan to get over there around March to help Julio Bermejo launch his new place, Tres Agaves – which boasts a signature dish of “meat in its own juices” -  whilst also popping in to Tommy’s, his original tequila bar.
9. Make a pilgrimage to the (reputedly) greatest English bartender in the World... Take the Eurostar and visit Colin Field at the Ritz in Paris.
10. Update your address books. Things are changing at Theme: I will be concentrating solely on drinks editorial in the magazine, additionally working on the bar show and spending more time concentrating on new product launches in the UK. Caroline Shaw will step up to become the Editor.

1. Go to the most avant-garde, sexy performance around. Tropicana by Shunt will take you under the railway arches of London Bridge for no ordinary play: the audience participates as much as the actors.
2. Spend a weekend in a snug old boozer. The King's Arms in Southwark has been open for over a century and has a delicious antiquated charm.
3. Sweat in Turkish, Russian or Scandinavian style in London's York Halls - a little known haven of peace with one of the few remaining vapour rooms still in action. 
4. Eat at one of London's best Italian restaurants - Locanda Locatelli - and enjoy the best of the new season's truffles expertly prepared. 
5. Take a group of friends to S&M in Essex Road and rub shoulders with businessmen and taxi drivers. Order a few Desperate Dans; mountains of mash stuck with a dozen bangers.   
6. Go see Stuff Happens by David Hare at the National   a seething political documentary which is incisively directed by Nicholas Hytner.  
7. As the oldest restaurant in London, nobody does game as well as Rules . Book a table now while it's at its most delicious and go for the classic: roast young grouse with redcurrant jelly, bread sauce and game chips.  .  
8. Go and see  Black British Style at the V&A . The the first exhibition of its kind, it confirms this museum's reputation as one of the most forward thinking and exciting in  Britain.
9. Go to London's most beautiful department store: Liberty of course.  Perfect for Christmas shopping if you are that organised and full of beautiful things to put on your own list and put uninspired relatives out of their misery!  Delve into the warren-like maze of Ladieswear rooms for a spot of retail therapy once you've finished.   
10. Catch the best of the last Autumn mists in Cambridge: Punt down the River Cam (spot the Japanese tourists!) and warm up afterwards with lunch at Daniel Clifford's delicious Michelin starred restaurant at Midsummer House .

1. See The History Boys at the National Theatre. Alan Bennett at his best, funny, thought-provoking and a cast so good (Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Dominic Cooper) it’s worth seeing twice.
2. Sip Tony Conigliaro’s plum and mint Shochu in the cosy lounge below Roka on the Charlotte Street strip. You can dine from the restaurant menu in the bar too.
3. Admire the futuristic products of Marc Newson at the Design Museum, exhibition runs 23 rd Oct-30 th Jan.
4. Try the superlative cocktails of Massimo di Paulo at Deya’s bar. Drinks are served with mini-poppadoms and chutneys, Mojito-lovers will adore the Pudina Bison.
5. Laugh at the absurdity of the ‘destination’ restaurant world, sent up brilliantly in the New York-comedy ‘Fully Committed’. Extended due to popular demand until 17 th Oct. Then grab a bite in the bar at the Menier Chocolate Factory.
6. Hideaway and hibernate on cold evenings at the restaurant-bar-fireplace-boutique CVO Firevault, best book a table in advance.
7. Do Barcelona. Stay at Hotel Omm, visit Gaudi’s La Pedrera and nip into Cata 181 for some taste-busting tapas and wines by the glass. Alternatively live it up like a movie-star at the Grand Hotel la Florida overlooking the city.
8. Donate some dosh to cancer research, it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. Do it online: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/donate/giveonline/
9. Lose a night in Milk and Honey. You know you want to.
10. Buy my book and make an impoverished (but cheeky) writer happy.

1. Eat at Michelin starred chef Paul Merret’s new gastropub, The Farm, if pubs get any sexier the police will have to be called.
2. Dive into the new season’s collections and ready yourself for autumn sass, the sexy tweedy look is rocking it everywhere and look hot on the round British botty: from Top Shop’s butter yellow coat to Paule Ka’s hot pants and shirt to Vuitton and Versace’s Ooh Miss Jones, tighter than tight pencil skirts. Tweed Is It Bitch.
3. And Boys, have you been to the revamped Kilgour French Standbury yet to check out the Savile Row take on modern style. (Also, more boys in a little bit of eyeliner please - all the guys do it in Morocco)
4. Supersize Me. The film of one man¹s journey into the heart of cholestrol darkness as he eats only fast food for month. It’s time to ditch the Maccy Ds for good.
5. Be it Biarritz or St Tropez, get on the cheapest flight to the sun you can find to eat fish by the sea one last time. Supplement your summer tan, and keep it into autumn for that authentic smug jetset gleam.
6. Martini Mummy? Tell her to dress up and take your Mum out for a flash dinner and cocktails, we take this lifestyle for granted, whereas she will be like a kid at the zoo. I suggest an early dinner at Tom Aikens and then after dinner cocktails at the lady pleasing Blue Bar at the Berkeley.
7. Read Veiled Kingdom by Carmen Bin Laden. As sister-in-law to THAT Osama chap, westerner Carmen Bin Laden provides a compelling insight into Saudi society and the Bin Laden family role within it.
8. Drink Innocent juices and smoothies, I have a fruit crush on one of the owners, and unlike all other pre-pack smoothies they contain nothing artificial, just up to three portions of your daily five in a damn tasty (just like that fella) fix and a bottle with jolly amusing packaging.
9. Are you really in a bad mood, or do you just need more sex/vitamins/exercise?
10. Spontaneously go for lobster, chips and champagne just for the hell of it with lover, friends or for the full modern glamour tip, dress up and go out on your own - the window seats at Randall & Aubin, Soho are perfect for the lone diner.

Robbie Bargh
Managing Director of The Gorgeous Group

1. A Saturday morning Virgin Mary with Scrambled Eggs and a side of Bacon at The Electric
2. A Ketel One Martini and a bowl of Chips at The Light Bar in Glasgow
3. Stop off for a glass of Dom Perignon at Selfridges London
4. Chilli Salt Squid at London's E&O washed down with a Ciroc Martini
5. Tuck into a South American Burger with a classic Old Fashioned at Eagle Bar Diner, London
6. Get out of town for some country air at Babington House Nr Bath and order a Tanqueray No Ten Martini with your Eggs Benedict
7. Order a bottle of Rioja and plate of Chorizo at Galicia Tapas Bar London (020 8969 3539)
8. Make a reservation at Inn the Park St James London, order a cool Gin and Tonic and an open sandwich
9. Ask one of the bartenders at Milk and Honey, London to make you an Angel Face
10. Have a Hakka with your Duck Spring Rolls at Hakkasan London ( 020 7927 7000)

Pascal Aussignac
Head Chef at Michelin starred ‘Club Gascon’ and co-owner of newly opened ‘Cercle’

1. Fish Pie at J. Sheekey
2. Sunday afternoon tea at the Wolseley
3. Order one of Salvatore Calabrese’s martinis at the Lanesborough’s Library Bar
4. Saturday lunch at the Havelock Tavern in Shepherds Bush( 020 7603 5374)
5. Breakfast at Carluccio’s in Smithfield
6. Bloody Marys at the Charlotte Street Hotel
7. Chocolate from La Maison du Chocolat (020 7287 8500)
8. Rest your feet with a post shopping lunch at Busaba Eathai on store Street (020 7299 7900)
9. Go to the cinema then have supper at Lebanese restaurant, Noura in Victoria (020 7235 9444)
10. Madeleines with coffee at St John Bread and Wine

Paul Wootton
Editor Class Magazine

1. Give sherry another go. Buy a fresh bottle of fino or manzanilla, chill it and serve it in a copita or wine glass (not a thimble), accompanied by salted almonds, olives and some chorizo. Then dance some flamenco. Hide yourself away on your own if you must, but do it.
2. Johnnie Walker Blue Label – drink it the way they recommend. Take a few sips of iced water to chill your mouth down, then take some whisky in your mouth and allow it to linger on your tongue. Then swallow. The texture of this whisky is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted. An expensive but delicious treat.
3. You’ve heard the hype, now go and check it out for yourself. Yauatcha (from the team that brought you Hakkasan) serves up fabulous dim sum and a mind-boggling array of teas ( 15-17 Broadwick St, London W1. 020 7494 8888).
4. As an alternative to a champagne aperitif, serve up the fruit beer Belle-Vue Framboise in flutes instead. It’s a delicious, dry, raspberry-flavoured lambic beer from Belgium. Available from Safeway.
5. This month, drink vodka neat or not at all. But don’t shoot it – sip it and savour it.
6. Go and see Hamlet at the Old Vic theatre. Trevor Nunn’s production of Shakespeare’s famous tragedy is a gem, and Ben Whishaw, the 23-year-old who plays the Danish prince, is set to be a star. Begin your evening with a pint of Carlsberg in homage to the play’s Danish setting, a G&T in one of the theatre’s bars, or a vodka or two at Baltic, just a short walk away. (Old Vic, The Cut, Waterloo, London SE1. Box Office: 0870 060 6628).
7. Have lunch at Le Cercle, the new restaurant and bar from the boys behind Club Gascon. The focus is regional France, the menu is full of small dishes at reasonable prices and there are 16 wines by the glass specially selected to match the food. It’s going to be a hit. ( Le Cercle, 1 Wilbraham Place, London SW1X. 020 7901 9111).
8. Persuade your parents not to read the Daily Mail.
9. Who says Spain can’t make great white wine? Wine from the grape variety Albariño is still little known in the UK, largely because the Spanish drink most of it themselves. Produced in the Rias Baixas region, in the north-west of Spain, it offers peachy, floral aromas and a refreshing acidity on the palate – ideal for summer and ideal for ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) drinkers. Martin Codax is a good example. Available from Majestic, priced £8.49.
10. Always go the extra mile

1. Get yourself down to the bar at The Connaught for Angela Hartnett's sublime new menu of bar tapas, including chorizo in red wine - the cheapest Michelin-starred cooking in London and perfect with their excellent mojitos.
2. Drink a pint of Warsteiner, one of the world's great lagers, on draught at The Westbourne in Notting Hill; NB be sure to ask the barman if it's a freshly-tapped barrel. Warsteiner sits around as most people inexplicably order Stella instead.
3. Take a bottle of Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon (available from Majestic and Tesco's but only occasionally - call before you go) to Mohsen (0207 602 9888), the Persian BYO restaurant on the Warwick Road, Kensington, and match it with a marinated lamb fillet with saffron rice (chell-o-chenjeh) and a bowl of fresh herbs and goat's cheese wrapped in freshly-baked unleavened bread.
4. If you can't make it to the Westbourne, try a pint of Freedom Organic lager from Rocket in Brook's Mews, Mayfair - it's now brewed in Germany and it's delicious. And it's organic so it's good for you.
5. Buy a bottle of The Balvenie Port Wood Finish 21-year-old Scotch for the most delicious whisky experience ever.
6. Order a bottle of Jacquesson Cuvee 728 Champagne at Milk & Honey - £40 for a Champagne that's one of the richest and most sophisticated you'll ever taste.
7. Buy and smoke a Cohiba Siglio Six, the new Cohiba. If possible, buy from duty free at Heathrow or Gatwick where they're £15 instead of £23 in the West End.
8. Take a carnivorous friend to eat sukiyake (shabu-shabu-nabe) at Sakura on Hanover Street: a feast of Kobe-style Japanese beef cooked in a vinegar, soy and fresh vegetable soup at your table, surrounded by genuine Japanese people smoking genuine thousands of fags.
9. Have a volcano bowl tiki drink for two at Trailer Happiness - don't snigger, just do it.
10. Buy some Barbaresco Coste Rubin, Tenimeni Fontanafredda, 1999 from Enotria Wine Cellars, for a delicious, ready-to-drink wine that shows how great Nebbiolo really can be when it's still young.