La La Land in London: How to live the LA life over here
Eat clean
Bel-Air
What could be more LA than pre-ordering your Mexican quinoa with avocado-lime mayo via an app for ease of collection? At the end of this month this “feel-good fast food” Cali takeaway is opening a bigger branch in Farringdon, with added chopped egg Fat Stack bagels.
Info: 54 Paul Street, EC2 and 12 New Fetter Lane, EC4, opens January 30, bel-air.co
Bo Drake
An East Asian/Mexican barbecue joint that fuses three of California’s favourite cuisines. That means Korean fried chicken, smoked pulled pork with spring onion oil, and kimchi everywhere.
Info: 6 Greek Street, W1, bodrake.co.uk
Farmacy
Venice in LA is the militantly cleansed, vegan centre of the #wellness movement — at Butcher’s Daughter they proudly “treat fruit and veg as butchers would meat”, resulting in a whole menu section dedicated to avocado toast. Get the Venice vibes at Camilla Al Fayed’s veggie restaurant with cashew “cheese” or a spirulina hummus Earth Bowl.
Info: 74 Westbourne Grove, W2, farmacylondon.com
Pomona’s
A West Coast-inspired newbie in Notting Hill which collates classic LA food trends. Try Cobb salad (impossible not to say in a faux-Californian accent), sweet potato toast with avocado, coconut labneh and cilantro gremolata.
Info: 47 Hereford Road, W2, pomonas.co.uk
Train dirty
Afterburner at Third Space
If you’re in training for the next X-Men movie, it’s not enough to just burn calories during a HIIT workout: you need EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) as promised in this new class. It will ensure your body is shedding fat even while you’re swigging your post-workout nut milk.
Info: Various locations, thirdspace.london
Surfset at Gymbox
LA loves a fusion workout as much as kimchi tacos, and the latest at Sandbox Fitness involves lunges and squats while balancing on a surfboard.
Info: 12 Leather Lane, EC1, gymbox.com
Black Light Burpees with The Viking Method
Nicole Scherzinger apparently uses this brutal class, and if it’s good enough for her... Prepare for a hardcore 60 minutes of jumps, planks, squats and crawling (very 2017).
Info: February 9, St Martin’s Lane, WC2, thewellscene.club
Barre
Perfecting your pliés is essential if you want to recreate La La Land scenes. Try it in LA temperatures at hot body barre at Paola’s Body Barre in Fulham or at flexi-space FRAME.
Info: paolasbodybarre.com and moveyourframe.com
Shake it off
The 606
Ryan Gosling’s character’s dream is to open a jazz club, much like The 606 in Battersea — it’s been going for 40 years.
Info: 90 Lots Road, SW10, 606club.co.uk
The Phoenix and The Electric
Were Gosling and Stone watching their film it wouldn’t be at a chain. Soak up that movie theatre magic at London’s oldest cinemas: the 105-year-old Phoenix in Finchley or the 107-year-old Electric in Notting Hill.
Info: 52 High Road, N2, phoenixcinema.co.uk; 191 Portobello Road, W11, electriccinema.co.uk
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