See London by night on these River Thames disco cruises

If you’re planning a night out in London, you should think about indulging in a little river cruise and disco combined with our new Thames Disco Cruise events! Heading out to a restaurant with friends is all very nice, but if you fancy doing something different, these river disco cruises are just the ticket.

You head off from Westminster pier at either 19:00 or 20:00 and you’ll cruise along the Thames on a this small double-deck vessel that can host up to 120 people. The lower deck has a bar area and a dance floor large enough for you to show off your finest disco dancin’ moves, whether you’re a dancing diva or more of an Uncle-at-a-wedding type of groover.

On the upper deck there are seating areas for you to enjoy a hot chicken supper and a second bar. The decks are both heated, so you can enjoy a cruise any day of the year. There is even an outdoor area at the front of the boat for some fresh air, or to satisfy those smokers.

The cruise lasts around four hours and once docked back at the pier, you can keep the night going as you’re offered free VIP entry to Opal bar and nightclub, which is just alongside the Thames on Victoria Embankment.

We think the best way to enjoy this cruise is during the evenings when it gets dark early-ish, so you can make the most of all the sights of London lit up as you cruise along the River Thames. We also think this is an event perfect for nights out with friends - perhaps even a stag or hen do?!

Have fun on a wine tasting experience so you know your gamay from your chardonnay

Us Brits are getting more and more into wine these days, so it comes as little surprise that off-licences, restaurants and even supermarkets are getting on the Beaujolais Nouveau bandwagon, with the 2009 crop of wines winging their way over from France on the 19th November.

Of course, the race to get the first bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau to the UK is really all about marketing, but hats off to the 4000 or so wine producers in the Beaujolais Villages - they’ve created a wine phenomenon.

In fact, the production of this young wine is really quite strict. First of all, Beaujolais Nouveau can only be produced in the Beaujolais villages (you’ll see AOC or appellation d’origine controlée on the bottles), all grapes must be harvested by hand and only gamay grapes can be used.

The grapes are then fermented quickly using a special process to bring out the flavour whilst not being bitter, then you’ve got your wine from grapes harvested just a few weeks before, hence the nouveau to describe the ‘new’ wine. And no matter when the grapes were harvested, the aim is to release the wine on the third thursday in November.

Beaujolais Nouveau will be arriving on 19th November

If you’re wanting to get some insider knowledge on vino before Beaujolais Nouveau day, we can recommend a little wine tasting session with the experts before you crack open the wine at home.

Even though many wine buffs think we shouldn’t believe the hype as the red wine produced is just too young, we think it’s a fun event in the wine lover’s calendar and if the wine doesn’t age well, we’ll just have to get on with drinking it!

Start off an evening in London with a bang - go Champagne tasting in central London

Mmmmm…Champagne the tipple of choice for newly wedded couples, bling bling rap stars and podium finishers. The effervescent golden drink really is one of the best known drinks in the world and one of the most prestigious (as well as being one of our personal faves - our other half is always saying we have expensive tastes!). So, imagine our delight when we got word that Into the Blue is now offering a Champagne tasting experience!

Of course, it’s not just about sipping various selected Champagnes, at this central London venue you’ll be regaled by the resident wine expert who’ll give an informative insight into how Champagne is made (including just how they get all those lovely bubbles in the bottle!), where Champagne actually comes from and why it can only be called Champagne if it’s produced in that region of France.

This really is fascinating stuff and of course, you do get to taste some rather fine champers as well. As a perfect accompaniment to all that champers, you’ll be served smoked salmon, canapes, cheese, biscuits and water to create that indulgent, luxurious ambiance that Champagne is synonymous with.

The great things about this experience is that it takes place at a convenient central London venue in WC1 throughout the year and the tastings are between 19:00 and 21:00, so it’s the perfect aperitif to a night out in the capital.