This is a must visit for any Harry Potter fan! MinaLima is the design studio for the movie and…read moreinside here are one of a kind items and novelties you can't find elsewhere. There can be a line sometimes because the interior is not that big. Luckily, there was no line when we arrived in the early evening. We started on the main floor and there is the fireplace scene where all the letters come flowing through, great for pictures. The basement also has this scene and more unique items for sale and to look at. The staff were wonderful and we spent about 30 minutes there, but you could easily spend more time...and money!

If you are in London there are plenty of places for a Harry Potter fan to visit, and a lesser known…read moreone well worth a visit is MinaLima, the gallery and shop of Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima. They are a married couple who met while working on designing the props for the Harry Potter films. Inside the shop you will find MinaLima exclusive HP merchandise, including beautifully illustrated copies of the series - which weigh A TON. Downstairs they have on display actual props from the movies, which recalls fine memories of the movies. They have exclusive merchandise which you cannot get elsewhere (though you may buy them via their website).

This shop is obviously a recent addition. I say this pretty secure in my knowledge because I doubt…read morethe business for a Christmas decoration shop rages the whole year round.. but lo and behold, at the end of November, it is among us! Walking in and walking around is a pleasure though, the cobbled stones on the floor and the gentle Christmas music (the first I've heard in shops for a long time). Everything you could want to put on your Christmas tree is ready and waiting in this shop. Even some trees themselves! The good are quite expensive although when I look at them, I truly don't feel that they've come off the end of a production line.. little imperfections in some of the Santa sculptures and things indicate a bit more hand crafted work... I was particularly enamoured by the hand mate felt advent calendar. The staff are French and very friendly, wishing me a bonne noél. As I do to you, the reader, too!

Owner doesn't pay his staff and disappears after Christmas. Products are kept in storage for years…read moreand often badly damaged. Just a dodgy man selling cheap crap really

So excited to finally get a chance to do this…read more I'd heard about the Gingerline experience before, but their tickets are so darn hard to lay hands on. So, when Alex gave a couple of yelpers the opportunity to try them out, I threw as many hats in the ring as I could and was chosen for a 6pm slot on Tuesday. So much excitement to get into Version 2 of the Chambers of Flavour. When they send you your ticket, they ask you if you have any food allergies / intolerance. A friend with me had a shellfish allergy and she was well catered for during the experience. Now everything is kept super secret until the very end, including the location, until 4pm on the evening of. I received my text message at 4:30 and I just about managed to reach in time for my 6pm time slot. Thanks to the wonderful chaos of Oxford Street Station during evening rush hour in the midst of Christmas Shopping mania, making it a herculean effort to change lines. You have to reach on time, given their format, if you reach late, they won't be able to accommodate you in the next lot. This is not the WB studio and they only take a maximum of 16 people in at a time. So plan to be around the Liverpool Street / Islington area by 5pm, if you have an early slot. We were served a welcome alcoholic drink on arrival that was appreciated after the biting cold outside. A lovely machinist explained the concept to me and ran through a few rules (no photographs inside etc) The pre-experience space includes: - The bar which opens at 5pm. - A complimentary coat check where you can leave all bags and purses (recommended to leave your hands free during the experience) - Washrooms (best to use them here. There is one more opportunity mid way through the experience, but you will miss out a bit on the banter) - Seating space with tables. The bar had a nice variety of cocktails. Some could be consumed in the waiting area and there were 4 options that could be bottled for takeaway during the experience. (No other opportunity to buy drinks inside) They pack it in cooling bags and you can even choose a bottle of wine instead of cocktails. These drinks have to be paid for and are not covered in the ticket price. Prices are around 8-9 Pounds a glass. Mocktails too are available. The experience flows through a story, each phase takes you into a new space where you meet new characters, enjoy a nibble or a drink. Each room was equipped with water bottles, glasses and napkins. The performers were lovely, having so much fun. There's a lot of audience involvement at every stage. The food was much better than I expected (supper theater doesn't always have the best food, but ginger line has designed the experience around the food and that makes all the difference) Tips: 1. Leave everything at the coat check and leave your hands free. 2. Buy drinks at the bar, before you handover everything to the coat check. 3. Use washrooms at the start to maximise your experience inside. 4. Arrive early if you can. 5. Flat shoes and comfortable trousers/jeans make it easier to move around. 6. When you finally arrive, you may not be certain that you have found the right door and there's no one outside that you can check with. Just read the instructions carefully and you will know when you are at the right place. As you walk closer to the doors, you will hear some muted chatter. Have fun. I did love the experience and if I'm lucky enough to get tickets for the next one, I'd definitely return.

Of course this gets a 5 star! Gingerline is the best immersive experience happening in London right…read morenow. But it's all very hush hush. The location is only revealed hours before the experience is due to start and there is a very strict no photography/reveal policy. For just ~£60 you get a 5 course meal, the best improv actors you will ever encounter, and the chance to jump, crawl and run your way into different dimensions. With chamber of secrets you move between different rooms/worlds each with their own storyline whereas with classic gingerline you experience one long storyline from start to finish. Both are equally as good! One welcome drink is always given at the start of any gingerline experience but any others will need to be purchased. With chamber of secrets you have to calculate how much you will consume in 2 hours as you will not be allowed to buy drinks during the experience. This was quite stifling for me as I drank 3/4 of my bottle in the first dimension and had to proportion the rest of my drinks for the next 4. I do wish there wasn't a photography ban because I want everyone to know exactly how amazing the different rooms/food in gingerline are but at the same time it is refreshing to get everyone interacting with each other and the actors instead of being face down on their phones so what do I know. Now the actors and actresses where downright amazing! They were extremely quick witted and answered any random questions our slightly/very drunk group threw at them with ease. They really make the experience. I would recommend gingerline to anyone! If you can get tickets that is.. they're always sold out!

Great selection of craft beers to enjoy in or take away.. Oh and the coffee is AMAZING!read more

2 pound Swedish meatballs in central London? Hells yes! Look…read moreI'm a fan of IKEA food so it's no surprise I like this place but honestly it's a great spot to chill out and grab something simple (and cheap) to eat. With that modern IKEA fitout and ample seating, it's a nice spot to be. You can buy the pre-packaged food at the back (like frozen meatballs, Swedish crackers etc) but you can also buy hot and cold food and dine in or take away. Food ranges from meatballs (regular/chicken/vegetarian) in a variety of sizes which come with a barley and capsicum salad to tasting boards featuring fish or meat. There are also cakes in a cabinet including a delicious looking Daim cake (based on the Daim chocolates I assume) Drinks are also pretty cheap with coffee for a pound or tetra-pak fruit smoothies for 50p. I've had the Swedish meatballs (5 for 2 pounds) twice now and both times were delicious. Though I was a little disappointed it didn't come with the mash and ligonberry sauce but I'm a fan of this salad. Look it may not be Michelin star quality but it's hard to beat that kind of value. For a bit of extra fun, some of the tables have rolls of butcher's paper and crayons to draw with for hours of endless fun! Oh and there's free Wi-Fi too. WIN.