Imagine a combination of healthy herbs, flavoursome flowers, juicy fruits, alcoholic tipples and a little night music thrown in and you have London’s hottest pop-up cocktail bar.
Lovely Lottie, the ‘Cocktail Gardener’ has created a fabulous roof-top paradise with botanically-infused drinks straight from the garden.
Last year, Lottie completed a one-year horticultural course at Capel Manor with honours and was looking for a vacant plot she could transform.
She found the neglected circular plot on the roof of the Brunel Museum, just across the road from her home.
In spring, with the help of fellow students, Lottie transformed the plot into a beautiful, edible garden with six raised beds radiating out from a central sundial.
By day, this rooftop cottage kitchen garden can be visited and enjoyed by all, while on Saturday evenings in September, Lottie places shimmering, coloured birds and flares among the plants, puts out the deckchairs, takes off her gardening gloves and rustles up the most amazing ‘prescriptions’ – her cocktail creations.
Visitors sip divine drinks amongst the foliage; honey and basil daquiris, whisky mint juleps, raspberry mint martinis and lavender gin fizzes with lavender sprigs as swizzle sticks.
Lottie uses borage blossom as decoration and also creates inspired, imaginative – and potent – creations such as lovage with brandy, gin with thyme or chocolate mint in whisky.
As Lottie says ‘Although we use lots of herbs and flowers, our cocktails really pack a punch.’
The marvellous Midnight Apothecary will only last until the end of September, so visit soon and reap the benefits!

Midnight Apothecary is going on till Sat 29 Sept, but then they have two specials - for Halloween (Sat 27 Oct) and Bonfire night (Sat 3 Nov.) In between, Lottie will be doing the bar for the Royal Horticultural Society's harvest festival event on 9 October.
www.brunel-museum.org.uk
Midnight Apothecary
Free entry, cash bar
Every Saturday in September 5pm-10.30pm
Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue SE16 4LF
Nearest tube: Rotherhithe
Buses: C10, 188, 381
Tours of the Grand Entrance Hall at 7:30pm (£5)
Google map: bit.ly/RVPDWG

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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The Chiringuito-with-No-Name at El Palmar beach, located half-way between Tarifa and Cadiz on the Atlantic coast is my favourite beach bar in all Europe.
This modest, unassuming shanty serves tinto de verano, a refreshing red wine and soda mix, boquerones (delicious deep-fried anchovies) and other tasty snacks. The charm of this secret gem lies in its unspoiled nature and totally undeveloped facilities. El Palmar is a deserted stretch of sandy, wind-blasted beach that goes on as far as the eye can see. There are no high rise concrete hotel blocks, no fancy restaurants, no lager louts demanding full English breakfasts.
Almost everyone in the bar is a local: either a crusty old fisherman taking a break from putting out the nets to discuss the tide and have a cold beer, surfer dudes or youngsters who come to watch the last 'golden ray' of the sunset while listening to local rock bands. It's always very, very windy here and there is little shade from the intense sun, except in the bar!

The bar can only be reached by car on route A-48 (autovia de la Costa de la Luz)

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The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town is a 'secret' speakeasy in Spitalfields. To find it, go to The Breakfast Club and ask to see the Mayor. If that doesn't work, try asking for Henri. If that fails, look for the huge Smeg fridge door in the corner, open it, and step through into - not a frozen Narnia, but a dark 'n' quirky cocktail bar, decorated with glitter disco balls, moose heads and retro wallpaper. The cocktails are pretty good and not too pricey, considering the location. A good choice for an unusual and fun night out.

www.themayorofscaredycattown.com
The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town
The Breakfast Club
12-16 Artillery Lane, E1 7LS
+44 207 078 9639
Google map: bit.ly/wMTEzc

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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The Dogstar has been a part of the Brixton nightlife scene for as long as I can remember. It used to be a grungy pub with a pretty dodgy reputation, however it has now cleaned up its act and provides live music and DJs every week in the main bar. Upstairs, there's a massive ballroom where cabaret nights, comedy clubs and parties often happen.

389 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton SW9 8LQ
+44 207 733 7515
Google map: bit.ly/GVirih

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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The Tiger has a great presence, located right on the bustling crossroads at Camberwell Green. The cavernous, woody premises shows all the top sporting events on large television screens and is heaving for the rugby, footie and, most likely, the Olympic Games 2012.
On the menu are British favourites such as great roasts for Sunday lunch, and there are more adventurous offerings; such as fillet of Gilt Head Bream with fennel and lime dressing. There are plenty of veggie options too.
The Tiger is a great place to chill out with a cool drink, wake up with a coffee, or cheer on the team with mates.

www.thetigerpub.com
18 Camberwell Green, SE5 7AA
+44 207 703 5246
Google map: bit.ly/yOit8g

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Found by the picturesque harbour of Solva, an inlet that fills and drains completely of water, depending on the tide.
The Harbour Inn is a great place to sample Brain's bitter, a creamy, nutty brew. We enjoyed the fish and chips out in the sheltered beer garden and soaked up the last rays of the October sun while admiring the little boats stranded high and dry at low tide.

www.harbourinnsolva.com
31-33 Main Street, Solva, Pembrokeshire SA62 6UT
+44 1437 720 013
Google map: bit.ly/pG6cDA

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The Boathouse Tearoom is a little National Trust cafe, located by the world's smallest harbour and offering a great selection of hot and cold food to sustain visitors on the half-mile trek to Barafundle Bay. We tried the scones with home-made jam and clotted cream and bought some locally produced honey.

beta.nationaltrust.org.uk/stackpole
Stackpole Quay, Stackpole, SA71 5DE, Wales
+44 1646 672672
Google map: bit.ly/nIN09e

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Often voted the best beach in Britain, Barafundle Bay is definitely worth the walk over the rugged cliffs.
The wide bay is filled with golden sand bordered by dunes at the back and craggy cliffs with rockpools and secret caves on either side. A wonderful place for a picnic, a paddle or a potter in the rockpools.
Visitors can park their cars at Stackpole Quay, have a bite to eat in the National Trust cafe in the boathouse and see the world's smallest harbour, with room for just one boat!

Barafundle Bay, Stackpole Quay, Pembrokeshire, Wales
Google map: bit.ly/p5yNCJ

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Cromwell's Tavern is a friendly local pub, found near the castle in the heart of Pembroke.
It's a great place to try Welsh bitters and admire all the music memorabilia: framed pictures of Kiss, Jimi Hendrix and others line the walls and we didn't dare take on the locals at pool, after spotting all the trophies in a glass cabinet!

2 Westgate Hill, Pembroke, Dyfed SA71 0NU
+44 1646 682718
Google map: bit.ly/qC3vOO

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Charlie's Bar is the place to go for a great night out in Milford Haven. Situated near the docks and the marina, it's a small bar with several rooms, a pool table, pub quiz machine and very loud music blasting out on a Friday evening.

The Old Sail Loft, The Docks, Milford Haven, Dyfed SA73 3AF
+44 1646 690098
Google map: bit.ly/o1ndu7

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St David's Cathedral (Eglwys Gadeiriol Tyddewi) is one of the most beautiful houses of worship in Wales. Located in Britain's smallest city and nestling in the greenest hollow on the rugged Pembroke coast, the cathedral is a must-see for anybody visiting Wales.
There has been a church on this site since the 6th century and in the Middle Ages, it had a strategic position at the crossroads of the Celtic world: Ireland, Scotland, England and the Basque lands.

www.stdavidscathedral.org.uk/
The Close, St Davids, Pembrokeshire, SA62 6RH
+44(0)1437 720202
Google map: bit.ly/qJrvVJ

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This family-run ice cream parlour, cafe and restaurant is something of an institution and THE place to be seen in The Mumbles.
More than 30 varieties of Italian ice cream are produced each day - I wolfed down a divine selection of three sorbets: lemon, creamy strawberry and raspberry, served with a crisp wafer. There is great coffee and a fine dining menu, chalked up on the blackboard, offering pasta, pizzas, soups, stews and salads.
The cafe is always full and visitors gaze through the vast glass windows at the view of Swansea bay; it's almost like being in Naples on a cloudy day!

www.verdis-cafe.co.uk
Knab Rock, The Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4EN
+44 1792 369 135
Google map: bit.ly/pK8STM

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We arrived in Swansea at 11pm, long after everything in Swansea, bar the kebab shops, had closed.
After several days of bland burgers and delicious, but samey fish and chips, Rose Indienne offered a wake-up call to the tired taste buds.
Everything about Rose Indienne breathes class. The service is polite and friendly without being overwhelming. The decor is delightful and the selection of starters contained some spices I had never experienced before. The vegetarian dishes were top-notch and I would dare to recommend this place as the best Indian restaurant in Swansea, maybe in all Wales?

www.roseindienne.co.uk
73-74 St Helen's Road, Swansea SA1 4BG
+44 1792 467 000
Google map: bit.ly/okkSQR

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Desperate for an early-morning, wake-up brew, we found this tiny cafe quite by chance on the corner of a back street, ten minutes' walk from Swansea town centre.
It's located in a sweet former cobbler's workshop, and you can still see the gorgeous greeny-yellow stained glass sign reading 'Leonard's, for good boots and shoes' while you're perched on one of the three high, tractor-style metal (but surprisingly comfy!) stools. The coffee maker in the window is an authentic Elektra and there are sweet touches like the cobbler's wooden shoe mould in a frame and the little boot holding the door ajar.
Oh, and did I mention the coffee?
Smooth cappuccinos, rich dark espressos, lethal mocchas...all you could ask for, plus panini, home-made browies and bacon butties.
A real find.

1 King Edward Road, Swansea
+44 7543 439 595
Google map: bit.ly/qW43nF

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FM mangal is a really friendly and welcoming Turkish restaurant, kebab joint and take-away venue nestling in the heart of Camberwell's resto-street.
I enjoyed a great late Sunday lunch (after a strenuous pingpong championships on Camberwell Green!) with two friends and we sat up in the high gallery and treated ourselves to cool, refreshing, post-pingpong pints of Efes beer.
'Mangal' is, apparently, 'grill' in Turkish and the 'FM' refers to the initials of the head chef, who prepared a delicious aubergine and minced lamb dish, complete with a vast range of salad selections.
Not being a cheapskate, but what really won us over was the hospitality and all the complimentary items!
While we were perusing the menu, the friendly waitress brought us some amazing, smoky barbecue-flavoured flat bread and fresh, sweet lilac onions marinaded in a divine balsamic vinegar mix. After the meal, we were presented with slices of pineapple - although, strangely, no plates or cutlery to devour it with!
Finally, we were offered tiny shot glasses filled with a selection of three liqueurs: banana, coffee and tangy cherry.
What a great way to round off a great afternoon!

54 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8QZ
+44 207 701 6677
Getting there: buses 12, 36, 171, 345, 436 to Camberwell Green
Google map: bit.ly/oSDdwX

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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Elephant offers authentic Pakistani street food in a modest setting in the uber-cool Brixton Village market. Meat curries, naan breads, daals, salads, rice dishes and divine samosas are served up by owner Imran Bashir using his mum's secret spice concoctions and the price is very reasonable.

55 Granville Arcade, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PS
+44 7590 389684
www.elephantcafe.co.uk
Google map: bit.ly/mQpVAk

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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The Crooked Well opened recently in Camberwell as the brainchild of some serious foodies who love British cuisine but the inventive and inspired menu also incorporates elements of the Mediterranean and tastes of sunshine. The venue is just beautiful, with gorgeous blue tiles behind the bar, giving the ambience of a Portuguese bar - more Coimbra than Camberwell! - and indeed, there are several bottles of excellent port to accompany the dishes or to sip while the sun goes down.

thecrookedwell.com
16 Grove Lane, Camberwell, London SE5 8SY
+44 207 252 7798
Google map: bit.ly/q4oKka

* Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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I suppose you could call this my local, and indeed it has the most 'local' feel of any of the pubs in the area. It's never full, just a couple of regulars lurking at the bar who look like they've been glued to the same spot for years. However, it's a great place to watch the footie on big screens and you can be sure of getting a seat and a pint.

43 Lyndhurst Grove, London SE15 5AN
+44 207 703 8057
Getting there: buses 12, 36, 171, 436 to Southwark Town Hall then walk up Shenley Road
Google map: bit.ly/n7xkhp

Lucy is our Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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Old-style boozer in the heart of Peckham with a pool table and cheap pints. Local artists hold exhibitions of their work in the back room.

96 Peckham High Street, London SE15 5ED
+207 639 2490
Getting there: overground train to Peckham Rye, buses 12, 36, 171, 436
Google map: bit.ly/nr4x0Q

* Lucy is the Been there local for London. You can read her profile here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/articles/london-local-lucy-mallows.jsp and follow her tips here: www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/travellers/LucyRM.jsp

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This Japanese noodle bar is a real find. It's not in the uber-cool Brixton Village so you stand a better chance of getting a table!
Delicious spring rolls, sushi, sashimi, bento boxes, big bowls of ramen, pan-fried noodles and rice dishes all under one small, modest roof, tucked away in a back street off Railton Road. Charming service and a good wine list. Highly recommended.

www.newfujiyama.com
5-7 Vining Street, Brixton SW9 8QA
+44 207 737 6583
Getting there: Victoria line underground to Brixton, buses 3, 35, 45, 133, 159, 345
Google map: bit.ly/oyluos

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