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The conkers are under foot, the leaves are turning tawny, and the knitwear is at the ready. Instead of the beach-themed cocktail buckets and spiked lollipops, autumn has freed London to focus on serious ventures that include rescuing the dwindling club scene, celebrating 1980s mainland Chinese dining, and making fish sexy again. We asked venue experts Hire Space for the coolest new places to hang out at this month.
1. The Pickle Factory
It's been a difficult year for the UK clubbing scene. First there was the sad closure of Plastic People in January, followed by the announcement that the number of UK clubs has almost halved in the last decade. But there is hope on October's horizon. The Pickle Factory – sister venue of legendary Oval Space – is opening its doors. Expect an industrial warehouse aesthetic, underground DJs, and an eclectic array of pop-ups in this Bethnal Green venue.
2. The Good Egg
In a gastronomic collision of bagels from Montreal, stuffed pittas from Tel Aviv, and crispy fried chicken from California, three men have created Stoke Newington brunchery The Good Egg. This international tri-fusion comes from the founders' childhoods and travels, coupled with a strong belief in the importance of breakfast. And in case you're wondering, that burger in the photo is an aged beef and bone marrow patty with pickled onion and a runny egg, all wrapped up in a challah roll.
3. Chinese Laundry
Inspired by '80s Chinese family life and food, Chinese Laundry is 'a casual dining room'. Rather than doing your laundry, you'll be able to delve into authentic northern mainland Chinese cuisine, tasting slow-cooked dishes 'like grandma used to do.' It's designed with a bizarrely oriental-kitsch style, and when you throw a couple of exotic 'Baijiu' cocktails into the mix, you've got one seriously original Islington venue.
4. Cinnamon Club
In the last 15 years, Cinnamon Club has been at the beating heart of parliament, drawing in a huge number of MPs, including our current Prime Minister. The modern indian dishes are served inside a grand library, with dark wood panelled walls and double-height ceilings. And after a massive refit, there are even more books in their library, not to mention entirely new dishes.
5. Sexy Fish
Really, the name should be enough. But Sexy Fish is backing up its moniker with some serious seafood, coming from as far as Madagascar. Their dishes are like miniature sculptures (see above), but they wont be the only art in the restaurant. There will be three original works from Frank Gehry, designer of Bilbao's Guggenheim, and an epic ceiling mural from Vanity Fair's Michael Roberts. It's expensive, but it's pretty special. And if nothing else, there's the name.
For more awesome London venues, head to hirespace.com.