After moving to London, you need to be prepared for the barrage of questions from family and friends all wanting to know: “What’s it like living in London?” Undoubtedly, the first answer to spring to mind will be - “It’s incredible - but bloody hell, it’s expensive.” And while there may be no upper limit on what you can spend on a night out in London, the city really doesn’t get enough credit for all the free and cheap ways it offers a great night out. To prove my point, here are a few ideas to enjoy an evening out in London for a tenner or less.
See a film
Visit Rich Mix in Shoreditch to see a film for just £6 on Mondays, or every day if you get a Rich Mix Mixer membership for those aged 18-25. Membership for a year costs £6 and comes with a free cinema ticket, so it’s already paid for itself. You’ll even have enough (just) for a beer afterwards.
Eat pizza
Try Franco Manca or Pizza Pilgrims where most (but, it has to be said, not all) pizzas on the menu cash in at under a tenner - they’re pretty big too, and easily shareable. A word of warning though - word has got out about these pizzerias and they’re extremely popular, so arrive early or be prepared to queue.
Drink cocktails
It’s not only in London where cocktails are notoriously expensive - but you can soften the blow with two-for-one offers during London’s happy hours. Try Simmon’s Bar, they have several different London locations and happy hour every evening with two for £10 on selected cocktails. Alternatively, Bar Story in Peckham offers a daily happy hour where you can get two of the same cocktail for £7. You could also venture to Bar Elba, a year-round rooftop bar in Waterloo offering two-for-one cocktails 4-6pm every day, with extra hours of fun Monday to Wednesday 9-11pm.
See some Shakespeare
Back in Shakespeare’s day, theatre was for everyone - nobility and peasants alike, and in keeping with this spirit, the Globe offers £5 standing tickets for performances. Standing up for a whole performance isn’t as taxing as you think it will be and allows you to experience the play in true Shakespearian style. If you’ve been put off Shakespeare forever by your English GCSE teacher, you should still give it a try; even the tragedies will make you laugh. If Shakespeare really isn’t your thing, you could always try an eccentric pub theatre play - one in particular to try is Etcetera Theatre in Camden where tickets to most performances cost £10 or less.
Have a laugh
Angel Comedy Club at the Bill Murray in Islington and the Camden Head in Camden (obviously) are famous for hosting big names in comedy performing work in progress shows, usually for less than £10. Even better, they also host regular comedy nights for free if you don’t mind who you see! You could also try Top Secret Comedy Club for a cheap laugh in Leicester Square.
Visit the Sky Garden
The Sky Garden on the top floor of 20 Fenchurch Street (more affectionately known as ‘the Walkie-Talkie Building’) is free to visit, though you’ll have to pay through the nose if you want a drink when you get there. Luckily, there is enough to see to keep you entertained without the drinks; you can enjoy spectacular views over the capital, made even more gorgeous if you can time your visit with the sunset. Entry is limited so you will need to book in advance.
