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Where to meet & chat with friends in London

13 replies

spiderontheceiling · 03/11/2022 21:21

This thread title may sound silly but bear with me! We're a bunch of old friends in our mid-40s who all used to live in zones 1 & 2 and spent many a Saturday & Sunday meeting up at each other's flats and chatting over endless cups of tea. We might have gone out at some point for lunch or brunch or often spending the afternoon morphed into going out drinking and partying in the evening but the common theme was comfy, quiet surroundings to sit & chat.
How can we re-create that now if we want to meet up in London but none of us live there? Last time we met up, we met for lunch but were kicked out after 3 hours and then struggled with what to do as everywhere - coffee shops, bars and pubs - seemed busy and without room for a group of 6 to turn up and chat. Also, we don't want to take the piss. We're not heavy drinkers so don't feel comfortable sat for hours in a bar or pub nursing a drink. Nor, though, do we want to be taken for a ride and pay a premium for afternoon tea or something when we'll all be more interested in catching up that the fancy sandwiches.
Any suggestions?
I'm not exactly selling it so I can see why no one offers this as a commercial venture as there'd be no money in it!

OP posts:
NuffSaidSam · 03/11/2022 21:23

Starbucks or similar? If you go to Bank/Liverpool Street area where it's absolutely dead on a weekend, you'll have no trouble, particularly in the afternoon (does get busier later on).

Mardyface · 03/11/2022 21:25

One of you needs to join a Club.

Sapphire387 · 03/11/2022 21:25

Café in the basement of St Martin in the Fields

StopMakingAppointments · 03/11/2022 21:25

Join a members club or book a hotel and split the cost.

AcrobaticActuary · 03/11/2022 21:27

The House of St Barnabas in Soho is an affordable members’ club if you’re doing this as a regular meeting event.

BryceQuinlanTheFirst · 03/11/2022 21:27

When me and my DH were younger we used to spend hours sitting in the national theatre having a drink, there are loads of alcoves and it's cosy and you can have a chat (or a snog in our case lol)

DietCokeExtraIce · 03/11/2022 21:27

Festival Place on the south bank has lots of different places to sit / relax.. we used to take our own food and drink in, not sure if this is still possible it was a few years ago but worth looking at!

JingsMahBucket · 04/11/2022 02:34

I was also going to recommend the bar at the BFI on Southbank. Also the National Theatre.

YouCanDoItRight · 04/11/2022 07:27

Museum cafe restaurants. Preferably a big one where you can take your pick of establishments. Go to Kensington and hop between the museums.

Cafe at the Tate on the soubank? Or the members bar at the top? £45 each but you can use that year round. Incredible views and interesting people.

Cafe lounge at holiday inn? Comfy sofas. Lots of people hang out there for hours.

YouCanDoItRight · 04/11/2022 07:32

Hire a studio Airbnb for the day and have a potluck there! Much cheaper combined then all of you paying for lunch/dinner and drinks. And you can stay as long as you like and spread out as much as you want, and have a bit of privacy, and even some music!

You need to make new friends in London who will invite you over to theirs.

MsPrism · 04/11/2022 07:36

Festival Hall - street food market out the back and lots of nice nooks to sit in. I spent most of DD’s childhood there - wonderful place.

zen1 · 04/11/2022 07:37

I used to spend many a Sunday afternoon in the Festival Hall with friends drinking tea and reading the papers. It’s warm, it’s free and you can buy drinks as and when without anyone hassling you to ‘move on’.

Thesoundofmusic23 · 04/11/2022 08:35

I was coming on to say Festival Hall too. Such a great space.

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