The Prince of Greenwich: London's Museum Pub

Written by Nika Garrett on .

The Prince of Greenwich:
London's Museum Pub

I have always had a weakness for pubs and could possibly live on a diet consisting solely of fish and chips and beer, if it wasn't for health reasons. There are many pubs in London I love but The Prince of Greenwich is surely unlike any of them.

It's not fish and chips you should expect upon arrival, but the finest southern Italian food, from homemade pizza and pasta to fresh fish and seafood and mouthwatering desserts. Should you be lucky, Pietro La Rosa himself will greet you like a long lost friend and you're likely to fall under his spell like I did nearly 3 years ago. The whole place is filled with fascinating objects that wouldn't be out of place in a museum. Indeed, The Prince of Greenwich is a museum pub.

'You must have coffee and you need to eat' says Pietro with a smile. I make my excuses about coffee as it's 4pm and I'd risk a sleepless night. I'm amazed to learn he has his coffee before bedtime at 2am and doesn't need more than 4 hours of sleep. Pietro is full of energy and only his grey hair and beard betray his age. He is an amazing host and before I know it, a mix of irresistible bruschetta and a glass of chilled beer appears in front of me.
'We eat the same food upstairs with my family' my Sicilian host admits. Pietro is having a cappuccino while I'm holding an artichoke bruschetta in one hand and a pen in the other one.

David Bowie in Soho

Written by Nika Garrett on .

David Bowie in Soho



For your comfort the group consists of maximum 10 people.
This walk is available as an exclusive walk (£50 for a group or 1 to 5 people). Please contact for details. 


Join Nika Garrett in London's Soho and discover how this place shaped David Bowie's career.
Bowie was only 14 when he was first introduced to Soho and its artistic and possibly also seedy places by his older half - brother Terry.
In the 1960s Soho was a creative hub. It was a place where you could get inspired, meet other musicians, agents and journalists, buy your instruments, play gigs, record your music and obviously let your hair loose. Soho was an exciting place of endless opportunities.

 

David Bowie Birthday Tour

Written by Nika Garrett on .

David Bowie Birthday Tour

David Bowie would have celebrated his 70th birthday on 8th January 2017.

Join me in London's Soho and discover how this place shaped his career.
Bowie was only 14 when he was first introduced to Soho and its artistic and possibly also seedy places by his older half - brother Terry.
In the 1960s Soho was a creative hub. It was a place where you could get inspired, meet other musicians, agents and journalists, buy your instruments, play gigs, record your music and obviously let your hair loose. Soho was an exciting  place of endless opportunities.  It witnessed Bowie's initial struggle as David Jones and David Bowie and his final success as Ziggy Stardust.
From Denmark Street to Heddon Street we will be celebrating Bowie's Soho on his birthday.

This tour was originally commissioned by Museum of Soho for Record Store Day and a pop up exhibition Bowie's Soho held in April 2016.  The tours were enthusiastically received.
I have recently had a pleasure to deliver this tour for the Editor of The London Visitors. You'll find the article on page 48 in December/January edition.

Tickets are £12 paid on the day. Special offer tickets are £10. Tour starts at 2pm and lasts about 1 hour 45 minutes. To book your place and for further details please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Time for Soho 24 #Soho24

Written by Nika Garrett on .

Time for Soho 24 #Soho24

Why would anyone voluntarily deprive themselves of sleep in order to spend 24 hours in Soho?

The idea of Soho 24 came to me one evening in a pub in 2014. You must know that feeling when you're enjoying yourself in an excellent company until you realise that unless you leave right now, you will miss your last train home?  A thought occurred to me that once a year I would love to stay in Soho day and night. I would like to explore new places, revisit those corners I love, meet people and celebrate this exciting area of London.

Soho in particular and London in general has been changing dramatically. Since the 1st Soho 24 in autumn 2014 we have seen the closure of Madame Jojo's, 12 Bar Club, the Stockpot, and that tiny corner coffee house called 34B... Kettner's has been covered with scaffolding and is awaiting new future while the sign on Italian restaurant Da Aldo currently says 'closed for refurbishment'. The fate of Berwick Street market and Curzon cinema is uncertain.

Soho 24 is first of all about creating memories about Soho we love before some of our favourite places and people are gone... It's about celebrating Soho,  its past and its present, iconic places and real Sohoites.

I will stay awake for 24 hours thanks to great company of my friends, exciting adventures, loads of best coffee available in Soho and hopefully some fantastic drinks consumed in moderation...

Please join me and my Soho 24 team on Twitter and Instagram and follow the hashtag #Soho24 from 3pm on Friday 29th July till 3pm on Saturday 30th July. This is our 3rd Soho 24 and this year we have a theme: 1940s Soho. You can read about our previous adventures here in the blog.

Share our tweets/posts to enter a draw and win a private tour of your choice in London with me or one of the lovely gifts donated by Soho places and individuals. Your comments are most welcome but please don't forget to add #Soho24.

I would love to thank the following businesses and individuals for donating prizes and for their support:

Bar Italia

My Place

author Clayton Littlewood

Gem Bar Soho

Museum of Soho

Soho Society

British Record Shop Archives

 

David Bowie in Soho charity tour

Written by Nika Garrett on .

David Bowie in Soho charity tour

On the 10th September I will be rowing 8.5 miles with my fantastic team Buoys & Gulls for The AHOY Centre based in Deptford. This charity is working with vulnerable, disadvantaged young people and disabled people. 8.5 miles is a big challenge considering that I have never touched an oar in my life before... We are looking forward to our training in August.

Please help us reach our target of £1,800.

On Sunday 24th July I'm offering my David Bowie in Soho walk as a charity tour. A suggested donation per person is £10. I'm also available for discounted private charity tours from £30. Finally, we are organising a Charity Night in Twickenham with DJ and prizes. This event will be held on Saturday evening 27th August. Tickets are £5 per person.


Oarsome Challenges

Please have a look at our JustGiving donation page and get in touch via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or text at 07757 630 823 to book your place and receive further details.