Some Greek pies, yesterday.

So with picnic weather now upon, well as close as we get to picnic weather in this land of capricious climatic conditions, we’ve teamed up with our neigbours from Little Greek Pie Company, located just down the road from our London offices, to offer this delicious prize.

One winner will collect the handsome package of two slices of any pie, two salads, two yogurts with any two toppings and a fruit juice each! Said winner shall be walking away from da LGPC with a packed hamper, ready for a hedonistic, Hellenic feast of dreams.

All you need to do to get your mug in our jug is enter in ONE (think two, but one less) of these simple ways:

1. Email us with the subject line “Greece me up”

2. Tweet us saying “RT this to win Greek delights from @littlegreekpie company”

Closes Tuesday 7th June, 11am. Not exchangeable for cash or anything other than what’s stated above; them’s the rules so don’t hate the player, hate the game.

Forget Pizza Express (and those weird shops that pop up by theatres and sell pizza at 7am), if you want a slice of cheesy goodness in London you’re spoilt for choice. Perhaps even too spoilt. So where is the best pizza in London?

Franco Manca: There are now two branches of Franco Manca (the flagship in Brixton, and another in Chiswick). You guys love both, although you’re not massive fans of the queues and strange opening hours at the Brixton branch. But the Chiswick branch is getting the thumbs up for being a bit more restaurant-y.

Santore: I only ever hear good things about Santore, and some Qypers say that they’re the best in London for pizza. They do a delivery service too. It’s on my list. When Qypers say something is this good, it’s usually true.

Santa Maria: People rave rave RAVE about this place all the way out in Ealing. You guys say “The real deal … and the next best thing to having pizza in Naples.” Can someone drive me to Ealing, please?

Icco: People like Icco for two reasons: The fast lunchtime service, and the prices. Better than Franco Manca and Santore? Probably not, but there aren’t many places in central London you can get a hot lunch for under a fiver.

Strada, Southbank: OK, so this is the wildcard of the pack. It’s actually NOT the best pizza. But I’ll bet you’re absolutely stunned by the view, and forget that your lunch isn’t perfect. The view means it’s worth the trip.

And the one you’re not so sure about? Pizza East. It might look snazzy but Qypers are only giving it three stars at the minute. Why? Apparently it’s nothing special and a bit pretentious, with good pizza being overshadowed by average service.

Have we missed an awesome pizzeria? Do you have a surprising little gem you know about and we don’t? Tell us about it in the comments, or better yet go and a write a review so we can *ahem* get a pizza the action.

Flickr image from arnold | inuyaki‘s photostream.

It seems that a new pop-up shop or underground supper club materialises in London almost every week now. But what about the secret treasures that the masses haven’t discovered yet? Here’s a few hints for you to find our favourite places hidden around the city – just don’t tell anyone!

Covert curiosities

If you’ve got time to spare, don’t spend it bumping shoulders with tourists in the British Museum. Discover something a bit different and dive into the vast campus of UCL in Bloomsbury to see if you can find the Petrie Museum of Egyptology. Your reward, if you are successful, will be a torch with which to explore their quirky display of shrunken heads, ancient erotica and mummies.

The Petrie Museum by Derringdos

For the really curious, why not step inside the buildings of the notoriously secretive Freemasons? Located in Covent Garden, Freemasons’ Hall does tours throughout the day, so you can get a sneaky peek of what the place looks like from the inside (even if you can’t find out what they actually do there!)

Sly Tea Break

If you need to rest your feet, don’t pick the nearest Starbucks – instead, head to the Soho Secret Tea Room above the Coach and Horses pub. Here, you can take your pick from 16 different types of tea and relax to the authentic sounds of gramophone records away from the crowds.

Sneaky shopping

Whilst everyone has been talking about the most recent pop-up in Topshop, some truly secret shopping gems are waiting to be discovered in east London.

Nestled down an alleyway in Whitechapel, the East End Thrift Store sells vintage clobber at bargain prices – whilst there is a designer section upstairs, not many things on the main floor cost more than £15.

The lovely Jessica Chorley

Continuing with the shabby-chic vibes, Jessica Chorley off Columbia road is worth a sneaky peek. Only open at weekend, the shop somewhat resembles the living room of your mad great aunt, with lots of lovely pieces of jewellery, stationery and crafty bits.

In contrast, if you stumble upon Viktor Wynd’s Little Shop of Horrors in Bethnal Green, you may well be left a little speechless by the slightly disturbing selection of oddities on offer. Take a trip down into the basement (if you dare!) and you will see what we mean…

Hidden Eats

After a hard day’s treasure-hunting, you’ll need somewhere suitably exclusive to dine. Secret supper clubs of the moment include The Pale Blue Door, where past visitors have been entertained by a Portuguese drag queen between courses, and The Disappearing Dining Club which hosts a monthly dinner dance for eating, drinking and dancing into the wee hours of the morning.

The Dining Room of the Disappearing Dining Club

Clandestine Cocktails

And finally, if you need to quench your thirst, London is positively bursting with mysterious bars waiting to be discovered.

Hidden somewhere on Sloane Avenue, Bart’s gives off a speakeasy vibe. Staff wearing checked shirts and braces serve drinks to your table and will be happy to point out the well-stocked dressing up box if you’re feeling adventurous!

Similarly quirky is the Mayor of Scaredy Cat, found – amazingly – by walking through a certain Smeg fridge in The Breakfast Club in Shoreditch. If the fridge doesn’t excite you enough, moody lighting and an extensive cocktail list makes this place a pretty impressive place to take a date.

The enticing bar at Jub Jub

And finally, for the true drinks enthusiasts amongst you, the Jub Jub Bar is a members-only bar hidden behind a wardrobe in Callooh Callay. What makes this place special is that the only way you can earn a key to the door is by proving to the staff your dedication to cocktails!