Carry Me Away… To London’s Best Cocktail Making Classes

Got a girl’s weekend away in London planned? - Head to one of our favourite cocktail haunts and learn the art so that you can re-create and show-off for your friends at home.

Callooh Callay 

Image Source

A class at Callooh Callay includes canapés upon arrival and a tasting tutorial of 'The Four Cocktail Golden Ages'. Those with a competitive streak will be pleased to know that you fight it out with your classmates to make the best classic. The winner gets a £50 bar tab too - So it's worth rolling up your sleeves and giving it your best shot! The minimum group size is eight, but they can accommodate you any day of the week.

Lucky Voice 

Image Source

Cocktails and karaoke go together like Pina and Colada, and this one is a classic girls' night out. At Soho's Lucky Voice you'll get a lesson in basic bar-tending techniques and a turn behind the bar. Cosmo in hand, you can stay on to warble your way through I Will Always Love You in a private karaoke booth after the class!

Lucky Voice Soho.

Harvey Nichols Champagne Bar

Image Source 

Start the weekend with an Ab Fab-style hair of the dog on a Saturday morning. Harvey Nichols' resident bartender will guide you through balancing different flavours and making classic cocktail combinations, before letting you loose behind the bar to practice. Your ticket to Harvey Nichols Champagne Bar also includes a relaxing lunch at the adjoining Fifth Floor Restaurant.

Have you tried out any cocktail making classes yet? Why not tell us @Nica_Handbags on Twitter or in the comments below as we'd love to hear your tips. 

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 

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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?

Nica's Favourite Places: London's Little Venice

We've been so lucky with the hot weather lately and one of my favourite places to spend a sunny evening is around London’s Little Venice area. It’s pretty close to where I live, and if you have enough time, there’s also a lovely little walk along the canal from Little Venice to Camden town.

I love this area very much as it makes you feel like you've got out of the busy city for a while. Last Sunday, I visited a little place in the area called The SummerHouse with a couple of friends. It’s one of my favourite restaurants in the area, which is perfect for a few summer nights’ drinks, fresh healthy snacks, or even Sunday lunch, - like I did! 

Image Source 

Image Source

I opted for fresh fish and a crispy salad but if you fancy being a little naughty, I've heard that their fish and chips are amazing!  Plus, there's even the option of an all day brunch on a Saturday or you can keep it traditional with beef roast dinner on a Sunday afternoon.

 

The restaurant is right beside the canal too, so, it’s easy to feel like you’re on some kind of holiday as you enjoy delicious fresh food, and watch the boats sail by. If you’re in the area, you have to go and try it out!  

Image Source 

Where are your favourite places to spend a sunny afternoon? Why not get in touch and drop me a comment below. I always love to try out some new places. 

Don’t forget to follow us @Nica_Handbags on Twitter or @nicahandbags on Instagram for all of the latest #NicaHandbags news, which includes the odd sneaky peek behind the scenes too! 

Discover Nica's Favourite Places: Relaxing in Spitalfields London

Image Source

Whether it be somewhere that I go to derive design inspiration or simply to relax, I love to share some of my favourite places with you. This week, I want to let you in on one of Spitalfields London’s best kept secrets, Verde & Co, which is just on the opposite side of Spitalfields Market in East London. 

I love popping in here just before I trawl through the treasures that the market has to offer. They do lovely creamy cappuccinos as well as a variety of delicious teas, amazing fresh sandwiches and tasty retro sweets. They even do a really great range of antique ceramics!

In winter, it’s the perfect place to visit as it has such a cosy atmosphere, and each time you always discover something new, which is extra exciting!

Why not share your favourite places with me too by dropping a comment below or getting in touch @Nica_Handbags on Twitter?  I always love to discover new places. 

Nica HQ goes Vintage crazy!

Vintage 2011 at London’s Southbank is finally here! This amazing vintage festival kicks off in style today and here at Nica HQ we couldn’t be more excited! We love taking style tips from the past, whether it’s tea in pretty crockery, classic red lippy, classic fashion or stylish accessories! Southbank will visit various eras from the 20s to the 80s for their celebration of all things vintage, and with fashion shows, dancing, clubs and food there’s something for everyone! In light of our excitement, here at Nica HQ us girls have decided to raid our wardrobes and dig out our finest vintage pieces to show you. Be sure to come back daily to see each of our best vintage finds!

Share your vintage stories with us! Post pictures of your favourite vintage items on our Facebook page. If you’re going to Vintage 2011 at Southbank, be sure to tell us your favourite bits of the festival!