The Blues Kitchen in Camden

I have always wanted to visit the Blues Kitchen in Camden, so when the time came to organise my 23^rd birthday drinks I decided this would be the venue for the celebration. I’ve had enough of trendy Shoreditch and Clapham and thought it was time to promote the nightlife of North London. Before our designated table was ready we met up at the fun and quirky Proud Galleries just down the road, at the end of a fairylit path. Proud was packed full of arty enthusiasts dancing the night away, I love the vibe in there and am looking forward to returning to hopefully see a band in action, and try out the cute stables-cum-private seating area.

The Blues Kitchen is known best as a vibrant music venue, but also has great food and a wonderful selection of whiskies and bourbons. I am yet to try the dinner menu but have heard the burgers and salads are fresh and yummy. In the flurry of the evening I forgot to try one of their famous cocktails, which are apparently ‘the very best out there’.

Weekly events such as ‘Roll & Tumble’ and ‘The Sunday Blues Jam’ entertain the crowds playing upbeat classics. The band usually starts around 10.30 and this is when it gets super busy. Thank God we managed to skip the queue of shivering girls and went straight in. Inside it was packed, we were literally barely able to move. The service was quite disappointing, and our reserved area was occupied by an oblivious group of rowdy punters leaving us all rather stranded in the busy bar crowd. Eventually we were seated and the party could commence.

The theme was lashes and tashes, a bit of an experiment; much to my surprise most of my friends rose to the challenge, donning beautiful long lashes or dashing moustaches – one dedicated friend even grew his very own tash for the occasion! Everyone looked fabulous. I wore my very special top and bottom lashes, glittering and sparkly all night, though you can’t really see the true glory of them in the photos above.

After much chatting and sipping of drinks, we struggled out onto the dance floor at the back of the venue to boogie to the band. Great music, and an amazing atmosphere, it was clear that everyone was having a ball. It was soon time to go, heels came off (I amazingly wore them for the whole night!) and we jumped in a taxi home. Brilliant venue, wonderful outfits, and the best friends a girl could wish for.

The Enterprise

The venue, The Enterprise, felt strangely familiar to me as I walked in a few nights ago; perhaps because the friendly relaxed atmosphere gave off a welcoming vibe.

The Enterprise pub (just over the road from Chalk Farm tube station) is now home to Music News Underground. Music News aims to promote upcoming new bands, showcasing their talent and reviewing the gigs afterwards. The monthly music nights kicked off with female singer Alice Watts in May of this year.

You enter through the bustling pub, up a narrow staircase in the corner of the room and into a dark dingy little space, ready to be illuminated by whichever band is chosen for the night.

When leaving the pub, I noticed the surrounding hip shops and cafes, in particular a few vintage/costume shops caught my eye. Definitely an up and coming area of London – the great Roundhouse is opposite and Camden Town is only a two minute walk. I made a mental note to return to Chalk Farm.

Gilgamesh Restaurant in Camden Town

Gilgamesh is one hell of an experience. As you approach it in edgy Camden Town it looks almost like a temple... glowing against a dark backdrop. After ascending a tall escalator you see that the interior is even more impressive.

Gilgamesh advertises itself as a restaurant, bar and Babylon lounge, although I would say it is almost a club as well. It is a glorious relief from the chaos of the Camden Town markets that surround it.

I have read mixed reviews about Gilgamesh, though few can deny its amazing presence. Many visitors complain that the service is poor; I found quite the opposite to be true and was treated like royalty. Our group visited the bar area first, and joined the buzzing crowds. Luckily the massive space is able to accommodate everyone and we managed to find a table easily. I was treated to a relaxing massage by wandering masseurs; it was so calming I almost fell asleep.

It was 11 o’clock when we dragged our weary bodies to our grand table and received complementary glasses of Champagne from the lovely Gilgamesh girls. The food is good, although pricey. It’s worth watching out for deals on the internet, we got a great set menu deal on Top Table. We shared a variety of veggie and meat dishes between us – the duck and watermelon salad was palate-intriguing but my favourite was the creamy Thai vegetable curry, even though it was a little too spicy for me. After a long and lively supper we were invited to the VIP area to dance and continue our night.

We exited by the awe inspiring staircase - as you descend you follow the intricate hand-carved ‘Tree of Life’, a magnificent work inspired by the friezes at The British Museum. Back on the streets of Camden I reflected on the glittering palace I had just visited.