Itinerary Location: Shepherd’s Bush | Duration: 5 Hours
If the tiny matter of a thunderstorm is threatening to dampen the flames of a hot date…
…don’t take a rain check.
Instead, take your paramour on a whirlwind tour from Shepherd’s Bush Green all the way to 1970’s Los Angeles… all without being outside for more than 10 minutes.
Here’s your crib sheet for a rainy day date in West London…
➊ NEXT DOOR RECORDS | 6pm
If your significant other is nurturing a growing collection of interesting vinyls, take them crate digging at Next Door Records. And if they’re not… take them there anyway. This cosy little record shop has fingers in many pies, from the eclectic selection of music to the stellar coffee and hand-picked natural wine collection. The team – a group of friends whose genuine enthusiasm for everything they do pervades the shop – also invite in a rotating line-up of chefs to take care of the food. It’s therefore the perfect starting point for your rainy day date, because you could actually quite happily spend the whole day here, working your way down the menu.
Limit yourself to a little vinyl browsing with a coffee or glass of wine, then swing a left out the shop down Uxbridge Road. Take a right as you come to Shepherd’s Bush Green, and duck into the Hoxton Hotel…
–
➋ CHET’S | 7.30pm
Unless you and your date really hit it off in Next Door Records, you’re just sticking to the ground floor here. Time to pay a visit to Chet’s, a smart, retro eatery that combines zippy Thai cuisine with American diner influences.
Chet’s started out as a pop-up and has now gone permanent here at The Hoxton thanks to a slew of praise. It comes to you from chef Kris Yenbamroong, who also runs the (deservedly) hyped NIGHT + MARKET in LA. The menu is a mouthwatering feast of fusion dishes, from the wedge salad laced with candied pork jowl and spicy nam jim; to the firecracker lobster noodles; and loaded curry fries to go with your waterfall lamb steak. Finish off with a wildly indulgent banana liqueur-spiked milkshake (made with Milo chocolate powder and condensed milk), and walk it all off as you head up Wood Lane towards…
–
➌ FLIPPER’S ROLLER BOOGIE PALACE | 9pm
In short, this is the best roller disco in London. In long, it’s a roller disco that originated in 1970’s L.A., gained a reputation for being ‘Studio 54 on wheels’ during its three short years of operation, and which has now, finally, been revived inside a Grade II listed Victorian power station in Shepherd’s Bush. By Usher.
Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace doesn’t undersell itself: it’s 34,000 sq ft of pure entertainment, from the pitch-sized rink lit by a maze of roving spotlights, to the upstairs lounge with mojitos on tap and actual palm trees. And as for the boogie part, well, they bus in some of the city’s most talented record-spinners to keep the floor moving.
Whether you’re a born skater or not, it’s pretty much impossible not to have a laugh here. You’ll start off just ‘taking a quick spin’, and end up rolling out of there hours later… before returning to hand in your skates, and setting off for your next destination.
Head right up the road towards Wood Lane station, and make one final stop just opposite…
–
➍ THE ROOFTOP AT THE BROADCASTER | 10.30pm
Pictured here in drier times, The Rooftop at the Broadcaster is a high-altitude hang-out with dozens of outdoor tables, a festoon-lit pergola… and a realistic approach to the British summer. So you’ll also find huge awnings and retractable panels that can spring into action at a moment’s notice to shelter you from the skies (which, to be fair, you are just that bit closer to up here).
It’s worth coming here rain or shine for the lofty views (it looks right onto the iconic old BBC Television Centre), the cocktails (spanning from summery spritzes to a maple-loaded Old Fashioned), and the atmosphere, with DJs playing late into the night on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays…
…and they always go down a storm.
The Itinerary:
➊ Next Door Records | 304 Uxbridge Road, London W12 7LJ
➋ Chet’s | Goldhawk Road, Shepherd’s Bush Market, London W12 8DF
➌ Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace | Ariel Way, London W12 7SL
➍ The Rooftop at the Broadcaster | 89 Wood Lane, London W12 7FX
Want to explore more of London? Discover more interest-piquing Nudge Itineraries…