Anna Carter

RIP to the endless oat flat whites. To the mango sunrises, and to the many, many iced matcha lattes. That’s right: almost four years after it launched, Pret a Manger’s subscription is officially coming to an end (as we know it). The membership provided five drinks a day and a 20 percent discount on food for 30 quid a month. It’s not completely over – from September, it will now cost a tenner a month for access to half-price drinks – but the days of feeling like you’re walking away with a free espresso, even if you’re actually paying the equivalent of £360 a year, are soon to be over. RECOMMENDED: The best coffee shops in London Caffeine is everything to Londoners. Grabbing a beverage on the commute is as much of a staple in morning routines as brushing teeth. Yet it’s becoming increasingly spenny to get your caffeine fix these days. Gone are the days of collecting your £3.20 flat white and spare change: we’ve officially entered the era of the £5 coffee. God forbid you add an extra shot or syrup, as you’ll need an extension your overdraft. At some places, it’s the alternative milk that tips the balance.  But fear not, not all is lost. This week I’ve managed to nab a coffee every morning (sometimes a sweet treat, too) and not spend a penny (audible gasp). Through a few cheeky tricks and smart planning, I hacked the system and bagged a free coffee every morning on the way to the Time Out office. Here’s how I did it.   Day 1: Ole & Steen  Photograph: Anna Carter Danish bakery

Head to Fulham and you'll find an exciting array of restaurants to tickle your tastebuds, from family-run pizza joints to cosy gastropubs – including London's only Michelin star pub. No matter what vibe you're looking for, take a look at our list of best restaurants - you'll always get a good feed in Fulham, with Sukho's Thai elegance and charm, as well as Megan’s on the Green's party-friendly brunch spot and Santa Maria's family-run Neapolitan pizzeria. Josephine might be the newest kid on the block, but we reckon it's the best.   RECOMMENDED: The best restaurants in Notting Hill.

From themed bars to secluded cocktail dens and cute spots for natural wine, small plates and nibbles, Brixton has a little bit of everything for its many night owls. Discover hidden gems and rowdy dance party locations from the local area as well as cocktails shaken every which way in our selection of the very best bars in Brixton, Herne Hill and the surrounding neighbourhoods. RECOMMENDED: The best cocktail bars in London. 

You’d think, given the general shortage of housing in the UK (which, according to Zoopla, has driven a 6 percent average rise in rents), that the country wouldn’t have many empty properties. But did you know that hundreds of thousands of properties sit entirely empty across the UK? Well, they do.  The UK actually has upwards of 760,000 individual dwellings sitting empty. To locate Britain’s abandoned property capital, a study from insurance company Alan Boswell looked at the total number of empty homes and compared it with the total population.  The study revealed that Gwynedd in northwest Wales is the UK’s empty home hotspot, with 5,286 abandoned properties per 100,000 people. The county is best known for its alluring picture-perfect views across Snowdonia National Park, and it boasts beaches, mountainous terrain and even a UNESCO World Heritage Site (the castles and town walls of King Edward). In other words, it’s a pretty sweet place to live – and the average house price is apparently just £136,000.  According to Alan Boswell, the place with the second-highest number of abandoned homes per 100,000 is Argyll and Bute in western Scotland (with 4,887), while third is Pembrokeshire in southwest Wales (with 4,331). Here are the 10 places with the most abandoned properties, according to the study.  Areas of the UK with the most empty and abandoned properties Gwynedd, Wales Argyll and Bute, Scotland Pembrokeshire, Wales Isle of Anglesey, Wales Ceredigion, Wales Highland, Scotlan

London has seen a lot of Virgin branded stuff over the years. Virgin records shops, Virgin radio stations, Virgin airlines and trains. One thing we haven’t had, however, is a Virgin hotel – until now.  This year marks the 10th anniversary of Virgin Hotels, and to mark the occasion the brand is opening its first outpost in London with a 120-room luxury lifestyle hotel in Shoreditch. It’s effectively re-branding the current Mondrian hotel on 45 Curtain Road.  Virgin’s owner Richard Branson is a London-born boy (he’s from Blackheath, to be specific), so it makes sense that he’s opening a Virgin Hotel here.  So what exactly can we expect from Shoreditch’s new Virgin Hotel? Well, it’ll be kitted out with tonnes of bright Virgin-branded red stuff, like red SMEG fridges. The brand also prides itself on early check ins and late check outs, no questions asked. Ideal if you find yourself in one of the area’s bars a little later than you’d like to admit. Check out Time Out’s best bars in Shoreditch here.  Other cool additions to the Shoreditch joint include a snazzy rooftop bar, plus a pool, restaurant, private members’ club, gym and treatment rooms. The Ibiza-based Blue Marlin will oversee the running of the members’ club, gym and spa, while BiBo, the Spanish restaurant headed by chef Dani Garcia, will remain on the premises. Grab a sneaky look at the Virgin Hotel’s rather sumptuous interiors below.  Photograph: Virgin Hotels Photograph: Virgin Hotels Photograph: Virgin Hotels

London just got a brand-new park. Called Central Park, the leafy, flower-filled space opened in Havering, east London, on May 31. The riverside development consists of two-and-a-half hectares of grassland – ie it’s an ideal picnic location, should we ever get any actual, proper summer weather.  Straddling either side of the River Beam, Central Park makes use of what was previously an abandoned brownfield site. In years gone by the area was home to a Ford manufacturing plant.  Central Park now has foliage and wildflowers, plus a cracking playground for little ones, complete with a river trail, jungle gym and climbing structures. If you’re after a new running route or want to scout out a destination for evening rounders when the sun actually shines (optimistic, I know), Central Park seems a great contender. It’s also a convenient spot if you feel like you’ve ticked off the city’s more popular, clichéd green spaces to spend a summer’s eve (we’re looking at you, Hampstead Heath).  Havering’s Central Park development ties in with the large-scale redevelopment of Beam Park. Another two-and-a-half hectare public space is on the cards in due course, planned for the western area of the site. Looking for more green spaces in London? We at Time Out have got you covered. Here are the city’s best major parks, its top local ones and the finest hidden spots, as well as the best places for picnics and BBQs.  Did you see that London is getting a new memorial to the victims of transatlantic s

Top bill on most people’s property wish list? Ample bedrooms, off-street parking for the hybrid, a home office... that sort of stuff. An entire museum dedicated to affordable high-street chain Poundland probably isn’t such a high priority.  If you’ve always wanted a pad with its own Poundland shrine, well, we have just the thing. A country house called Ludstone Hall has recently come to market with a Poundland museum. Yes, really. The museum in question sits on the first floor of Ludstone Hall’s coach house and it mashes up the histories of the estate and Poundland. The Ludstone section details artefacts found on the estate, while the retail area is all about P’land.  So, why does Ludstone Hall have a Poundland museum? Well, the mansion was owned by Poundland co-founder Keith Smith, who along with his son became a multimillionaire from £1 wares. The collection charts their success with notes, artefacts and memorabilia.  If you were hoping to get your mitts on all this Poundland memorabilia, we have sad news. Whilst the Ludstone Hall section of the museum will remain, the Poundland memorabilia will be donated to the company’s headquarters.  Poundland stuff aside, Ludstone Hall is a pretty swanky abode. Built in 1607, the Jacobean manor house offers nine bedrooms, seven bathrooms, four reception rooms, extensive office space and a cellar. Party lovers will be pleased to know the indoor swimming pool comes complete with a retractable stage (the perfect dance floor for any future

If you’ve popped by Fitzrovia over the past few days, you may have noticed some new additions have sprouted throughout the neighbourhood – namely some towering 16-foot fibreglass carrots. Of course, where there’s carrots on offer you’ll usually find rabbits, and giant bunnies are also hiding amongst the area’s urban meadow. These super sized sculptures are part of the 20th annual London Festival of Architecture, which is being held across the city this month.  The rabbit-themed installation intends to encourage visitors new to Fitzrovia to explore the area’s lesser-known pathways and its bohemian history. Ahead of the bunnies’ arrival, new benches were installed to allow tourists to sit and marvel at their presence. Spearheaded by architecture practice Able Partners and engineers Elliott Wood, the open-air exhibition has been created with support from the Fitzrovia Partnership, Camden Council and Transport for London. A month of pop-ups hopes to show ways in which London can become a more sustainable and collaborative place for future generations and wildlife.  And giant sculptures aren’t the only way that Fitzrovia is marking the 2024 London Festival of Architecture. Other cool local events include a guided tour of the Grade II*-listed Fitzrovia Chapel (on June 26) and a walking tour themed around ‘Architecture of Fitzrovia’ (on June 27). For children, a ‘Little People Reimagine Fitzrovia’ session will be held in the Fitzrovia Community Centre every Thursday of the month. W