5 reasons London is great in January

With some of the best cocktail bars in the world; tiny, hidey-hole, local boozers; award-winning theatre and exhibitions tucked round every corner, London is an incredible, marvellous, superlative city - even in January. It may be cold, it may be damp and we may be flagellating ourselves for numerous mince pie binges but where better to be than our glorious capital? There’s a sense of solidarity between dishevelled commuters, an acknowledgement that December’s extravagance is over but that’s no excuse to stop having fun. London is great, brilliant and wonderful - this is why…

Booze is way cheaper thanks to January sales

The prospect of summer is still months away, we’re poor and having an existential crisis - now is the time to give up booze? Absolutely not and London is here like a slightly tipsy auntie pouring blindingly strong G & Ts and wiping away our tears. Some of the city’s best bars are in on the secret too, offering you all the drinks and dinner you need at a fraction of the price with their January sales offers. Stuff yourself silly with 50% off food at dim sum palace Fu Manchu Bar or new opening Miusan, guzzle £5 cocktails at Hoxley and Porter and slurp your way through the city with £10 off your first round at Burlock, Opium and Salvador & Amanda.

Map Maison

From extended happy hours to 50% off food, it's safe to say we'll be skipping dry January. 

Exercise and wellbeing classes aren’t boring

The Lord giveth mince pies and mulled wine in December and taketh away the ability to fit into our jeans come January. Whether you’re doing the whole ‘new year new me' thing or just fancy a bit of a move and shake, ditch dreaded hours on the treadmill for a fun workout class. Turn yoga from a snore-fest into an ‘80s dream with Disco Yoga, get over the horrendous memory of THAT Year 6 assembly with an inspirational talk by Olympian Christine Ohuruogu or go mad on a punch bag before cramming key lime pie into your mouth at a Saints & Sinners event.

Disco Yoga

Pimp up your workout with disco balls, lycra and serious Tunes (yes, with a capital 'T').

It’s the best time to discover a seriously cool boozer without battling the crowds

After the apocalypse and rewriting of the history books, London will be remembered for one thing: it’s venerable pubs. From peeling wallpaper and wonky-eyed taxidermy to the vaulted ceilings of a former bank, the city’s boozers are as diverse as they are numerous. If you’re brave enough to undertake the challenge, January is the perfect time to find a new nook; there will be seating, no elbowing people at the bar and you will be rewarded with pints from your favourite brewery.

Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green

January is a great time to find a new pub, especially after those Christmas shenanigans.

Winter terraces and pop-ups are a great way to experience something different

In a city of nearly nine million people, there’s bound to be a few thinkers, a few doers and this January is the time to seek them out. Before you go all Louis Walsh and rating people’s x-factor, try these brilliant pop-up events. Cute, neighbourhood cafe Brother Marcus is inviting in everyone from Northern Fellowship and their swanky Yorkshire puddings through to Chicory Kitchen’s Persian plates. And if you still haven’t shaken your blues, head to a winter terrace for hot cocktails, cosy corners and views of the city that will make you fall head over heels all over again.

Queen of Hoxton

Rooftops aren't only for summer; The Queen of Hoxton's viking-inspired rooftop bar should keep you warm this winter. 

You don’t have to leave London to immerse yourself in a different world

If you’ve slurped all the warm cider you can stomach, disco yoga-ed your body into a sweaty heap and are still miserable, then there’s only one thing for it. To leave this world of skyscraper streets and fried chicken shops behind, and step into a dimension of killer zombies, French Resisters and 1920s debauchery. London is jam-packed with immersive experiences from fighting the hungry undead in Trapped In A Room With A Zombie to reliving your childhood at BallieBallerson.

Ballie Ballerson

Escape London's hum drum for a couple of hours at an immersive experience.