Carry Me Away... To London’s Coolest Hangouts

From new bars to old markets, London has no shortage of great places to visit on a girly weekend away… Here are a few of our faves.

The Little Yellow Door 

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London's charming Notting Hill is home to an eclectic mix of bars, from the historic Portobello Star to the more recently opened The Little Yellow Door. The latter is like a house party where guests can indulge in top-notch food, games, and great drinks and be rest assured they'll leave with a bundle of fun memories. 

Vico

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There's a new restaurant in town from the people behind Bocca di Lupo and Gelupo, offering low-priced Italian dishes, a pay-by-weight rule, plastic stools, and an ordering system so unconventional it has to be explained to first-timers. Confused? Challenge whole-heartedly accepted, especially when there's pizza involved. 

Book Club

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It doesn’t sound like a place for an exciting night out, but behind the sedate name is one of the most consistently creative bars in London. As well as great drinks and food, visit for the packed timetable of events, which includes bands, DJs, lunchtime discos, film dance-a-longs, alternative dating nights, ping-pong tournaments, informative talks, life drawing and classic video game nights. 

We'd love to hear your suggestions too, so why not tweet us @Nica_Handbags?

#CarryMeAway: On an Adventure

Not another weekend lazing around doing not very much at all! To kick off our Carry Me Away summer campaign, this month we want to inspire you to get carried away on an adventure. From indoor skydiving to swinging through the treetops, we've come up with some simple, short micro-adventures that will fit into a weekend and won’t break the bank!

                                                                     Zip it up

                                                                      

@RockReef

The Pier Zip in Bournemouth flies riders over 80ft above sparkling seas against a backdrop of seven miles of golden sand. Anyone wanting to uncover an outdoor activity that’s daring and a bit different this summer will find it in Bournemouth with the world’s first pier-to-shore zip wire! The Pier Zip even features two lines so that riders can race family and friends down to the beach. Pier Zip is part of an all-weather adventure holidays attraction called RockReef, which features indoor climbing walls and a highline aerial obstacle course. 
                                                       

Be a Hillbilly

If you’re after adrenaline-filled, high-octane fun then the Henley Hillbillies in the heart of the Dorset countryside is the place for you. Based on a 180-acre family farm, you can whizz around the beautiful scenery on quad bikes, off-road minis and even hovercrafts. If fast-paced off-roading is not your thing then try your eye with archery, crossbows, air rifles and clay-pigeon shooting. 

Ice and a Slice

Vertical Chill 

If you work in London within ten minutes of leaving your desk, you can be assailing an eight-metre wall of ice. The Ellis Brigham Vertical Chill ice wall in Covent Garden is basically a massive freezer where a fan blows icy air down your neck to complete that mountainside feeling. Don’t think you have to be an adventure sport keen-o to enjoy the experience; the hour long one-to-one session is enough time to learn all the skills. It's physically demanding but when you reach the summit and ring the cowbell it will leave you with a grin that will last all afternoon. The Manchester store has just opened one too. 

Monkey Magic

Enjoy one of the UK’s most thrilling outdoor activities at the original Go Ape! in Thetford Forest. Explore the forest from high up on a Tree Top Adventure – swing through the trees, zoom down zip wires and brave an obstacle course set metres up in the sky, all whilst enjoying the amazing views of one of Suffolk’s amazing natural environments. 

Back to Nature

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To get away from city life, stay in a yurt at Graig Wen in north Wales, situated in Snowdonia's national park. Borrow bikes from the site, cycle the length of the estuary and watch fish swimming, birds flying and beautiful reflections in the water. From there, cycle across Barmouth bridge and tuck into fish and chips on the sandy beach below. And if you’re still up for more adventure after a night under the stars, the nearby Cadair Idris mountain is a great climb. 

Where are you taking your Nica bags on an adventure to this summer? Tag your pics with #MyNica @nicahandbags as we’d love to see.