No, this post isn’t about that masked magician we see on TV showing us how he makes a tractor trailer disappear.

London has some of the world’s best hidden and secret cultural experiences.  And we’re here to dish it all out.  There’s some pretty cool sutff here and it’s only in London.

Becoming a VIP has never been this easy.  And we’re giving you the scoop.  Laden with exclusive offers, secret sales and invitation-only events to London’s West End, West End VIP has a dedicated online portal that will give you automatic celebrity status.  The biggest stores, hotels and restaurants on Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street have joined forces to offer killer deals.  Like scoring two VIP tickets to Les Miserables and an overnight stay at the Mandeville Hotel with complimentary afternoon tea.  Woot.

Skip from the lights of the West End to a more hidden (and slightly darker and creepy) venue for London theatre.  The St Pancras Church crypt is currently staging Warnings, ghost stories from British scholar M.R. James.   Members of the audience are invited to freely wander through the darkness, with the possibility of chance encounters, other-worldly images and terrifying surprises. 

Their slogan is Tell No One.  Secret Cinema attracts film fans looking for the latest in grounbreaking film making.  This secret society of sorts meets once a month in some of the oddest venues in London.  Screenings have been held in derelict theatres, rooftops, five star hotel parking garages and graveyards.   You need to be quick on the pulse if you want to sign up for the cinema.  The mystery locations are revealed the day of the screening.

So, there you have it.  Some of London’s best kept secrets.  Do you have any to share??

London is a perfect spot for gastronomic gallivanting.  Listen, we’ve all heard it before.  London just doesn’t have good food.  Well, to all you naysayers…I object!  It’s only in London that you’ll find everything from the world’s first organic pub to one of the most renowned food markets around. 

On my last visit to London, I visited the city’s oldest food market, Borough Market.  It’s made up of 70 stalls and stands where producers from all over Britain bring a plethora of fresh produce including fish, meats, veggies, ciders, cheeses, breads, etc.  Not to be missed is a restaurant called Roast. It’s pretty much built inside the market.  Their Welsh Rarebit is out-of-this-world. 

Jump across town to the world’s first organic pub, The Duke of Cambridge.  It’s been around over 140 years and features dishes like butternut squash, almond and mascarpone and whole baked red mullet with haricot beans. Pair that with one of their organic lagers.  Sigh.  Since 1998, their menu has been locally sourced from independent producers.

For foodies looking for a view that’s just as stunning the resturant’s menu, check out The Oxo Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie.  It’s situated on the eighth floor of the Oxo Tower. The Restaurant menu is stylish and creative – top quality ingredients beautifully presented with an innovative twist.  Take the loin of cod with red pepper and a chorizo puree or the wood pigeon with open walnut ravioli.  Open kitchen, live jazz and and speedy service.  Check, check and check.

Stick a fork in me, I’m done.

Bats, cats, toads, and rats. We bring to you freakishly scary things unique to London. Yes peeps and creeps, we take you to the darkest, creepiest, most spine-chilling of London’s offerings. Get ready, you’re about to be spooked! (insert evil cackle here)…

Prepare to be haunted. London Ghost Tours is sure to satisfy your taste for the paranormal. Journey to secret, hidden and historic places, to uncover and experience the spooky and sinister world of Haunted London. Venture down old alleyways and abandoned graveyards.  And who better to lead you to these eerie places than Richard Jones, the author of many writings on haunted Britain. Jones offers an unrivalled (and perhaps disturbing) level of experience and expertise when it comes to the capital’s darker history. 

Wander through the historic Tower of London and don’t be surprised if you hear a hair-raising scream or gasp when something (or someone) brushes past you. Sitting on the banks of the River Thames, the Tower is known to be inhabited by tortured souls, who were executed  in the tower over the years. Legend has it that an inexplicable bear also roams the Tower of London. You have been warned.

Ready for a full-on ghost encounter?  Take a trip into history and visit the Ten Bells Pub, associated with none other than Jack the Ripper.  This chilling legend horrificly and famously murdered Mary Kelly, his last victim, after she left this pub. Live-in staff whose bedrooms are on the upper floors of the building, complained of alarming encounters with a ghost. Dare you? And if you just can’t get enough of the Ripper, travel back to the year of 1888 when one of the worlds most infamous and dangerous serial killers stalked the streets of London with Mystery Walks. Be ready to discover things about London’s horrible history you never knew existed.

Still blood thirsty? Then grab a pint and enjoy lunch at The Gungastropub, said to be haunted by Admiral Horatio Nelson himself. Afterwards, head to the Queen’s House in Greenwich, believed to be terrorised by a mischievous child-ghost who pinches visitors’ bums, and a lady in grey who watches proceeding from the balcony. Better be on your best behaviour then!

We hope you live to tell the tale…

- Danielle McKinlay, Contributing Editor

Set jetting.  It’s a term we like to use here at VisitBritain and was actually first coined by travel writer Gretchen Kelly.  It’s a trend of travelling to destinations (bascially, film sets) first seen in movies.  Catchy, isn’t it?!  And it’s only in London where you can set jet until you cry uncle.  Really.  The city is one big movie set – from enchanted locales seen in films like The Duchess and Shakespeare in Love to sites of epic fight scenes in features like Sherlock Holmes and James Bond. 

Historic Greenwich is a great place to start.  Located just 20 minutes from Central London, Greenwich is chock full of places to set jet.  Take Greenwich Park, which was used in the recently released film The Wolfman starring Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins.  

Nearby you’ll find the Old Royal Naval College.  It was here that Kiera Knightley shot scenes from The Duchess and where one of the weddings from the 90’s hit Four Weddings and a Funeral was filmed.

Hop west to London’s South Bank, which has been the stomping grounds of wizards, ghosts and gangsters.  Westminster Bridge, for example, was were Harry and friends zip away on their broomsticks in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  The bridge has also appeared in the adaptation of Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta.  And I just had to put this one in…Westminster Bridge was where Glenn Close saw everything (inlcuding buses) in spots.  Yup, 102 Dalmatians was filmed here.

Down the river, there’s Tower Bridge.  (Not to be confused with London Bridge, btw).  It’s so iconic and has been in films dating all the way back to the 1950’s.  We saw it as the backdrop in Laurence Olivier’s Richard III (1955) and 60 years later in the final fight scene in Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes.

Tip Off  - Visit London is running an Only in London sweeps where you can enter to win 1 of 3 prizes.

This week on Unlabelled Britain, we’re pulling out some ideas on things you can only do in London.

Marketing in East London

London’s East End.  The former fringe district turned uber-cool hip destination.  Comparisons to Brooklyn’s Williamsburg might be inevitable, but not entirely apt.  For example, how many Sunday markets can you name in Brooklyn within walking distance of themselves?  Still thinking?  Well in East London, the Art meets West vibe is alive, innovative, and accessible.

London has a huge collection of markets, and it’s not just about food, but also art, fashion, and flowers.  And I’m just going to say it, Sunday is the day to hit East London.

Get off the tube at Liverpool Street and walk over to Old Spitalfields Market. It’s not your final destination but a chance to warm up  on the market atmosphere only found in London.  Independent designers are selling unique one-off pieces.  There’s some vintage mixed in for good measure as well.  Also, look for the stand selling Jersey Rock Oysters. When I was there in November, these were the meatier than my usual Blue Points and had a well balance briny flavor.

Next head off to nearby Brick Lane and the Old Truman Brewery for Sunday(Up) Market.  Imagine about 400 purveyors of vintage and designer clothing crammed into and old brewery factory building, then throw in some art exhibitions and a few stalls offering tastings of Brick Lane’s curry houses.   Taste here only, because lunch is right outside at the Rootmaster Bustaurant.

Out on the Brick Lane side, all you have to do is cross the street to end up in Backyard Market, which equals even more vintage clothes, but check out the vintage decor and furniture place on your left as you enter the alley that leads here.  Having trouble finding it?  Listen for the UK funk that led me there the last time.

Next, winding Brick Lane and take a detour right on Cheshire Street.  The boutiques here are where you’ll find some great unique designer items and memorable “un-souvenirs, ” including the vintage robot shop.  Also,  we’ll say it again, the Laden Showroom, or any of the tons of vintage shops along the way – are also worth a visit.

Now it’s time to pick up the pace, because the famed Columbia Road flower market is only open until 2pm. Map it on google or look for signs to the market at the intersection where Brick Lane meets Bethel Green Road.

After all that, you’re hauling a lot of stuff, and possibly still hungry…that’s why you’re stopping off at Cargo on the way back to Liverpool Street station.  This is a good chance for a snack at the restaurant and an opportunity to check out the live music set for the night.

We won’t even get into nightlife in this post. Nor will we mention the hundreds of stalls at Petticoat Lane Market, or  Borough Market (it’s a little south). Both are also vital markets that are worth a stop – but you’re already carrying too much.

Looking for more ideas? Here’s a few, and a few more.

Tip Off  - Visit London is running an Only in London sweeps where you can enter to win 1 of 3 prizes.

London has an East Village too.  And it just turned two – so have second.  The stellar Shoreditch club is on 89 Great Eastern Street.  Not only known for its acclaimed mix of top-notch and newby DJ talent,  East Village also has an award winning menu.  For those who worship int he house of  music, East Village is famous for its annual Good Fridays.

Get a feel for the beat by downloading one of their live DJ sets.

More info on the East Village and other clubs, check out the list of top DJ bars in London.

No secret to London fashionistas,  the iconic Brick Lane store, The Laden Showroom is celebrating 10 years of supporting & retailing up and coming fashion design talent.  Over the past short decade, a whole host of celebrities have frequented the store in search of hidden gems from indie producers.  It was also a stop on our recent blogger trip exploring the lesser known side of fashionable London.

The store stocks over 75 designers which include Bonnie, Chandelier, Collect, Connected Generation, Duke & Duchess, Flamingo, Glow, Gonsalves & Hall, JARLO, Love Milly, Orion London and Miss Milne.   Labels you may not be familiar with but are certainly worth making the trip over for.  But then again – starting feb 22nd –  The Laden Showroom will be launching a new on-line site.    Here’s a sneak preview of what gives the shop its pizazz:

More info and how to get there : The Laden Showroom.

Just this morning, the London-based bloggers behind British Airways’ best of NY/LON guide, Metrotwin met up with the 5 transatlantic bloggers we sent over to London (and later this week, Glasgow).   Among the London reps was  Metrotwin’s Anya Driscoll,  Beauty and the Dirt, and Urban Junkies.

What happens when 10 bloggers collide at the Arch Hotel’s Martini library at 9:30am?

They exchanged notes on top travel spots and random fun facts. Here’s a sample of Anya’s takeaways:

* ‘Bubble and Squeak’ is a sort of cabbage and mashed potato concoction that is nowhere near as exciting as it sounds.

* The best place to get a Guinness in New York is probably at Molly’s.

* Park Slope is a bit like the Crouch End of New York.

*If you happen to be born on Burns Night – even if you are American and not remotely Scottish -  you will be subjected to a lifetime of haggis jokes.

For the full list of learning’s, check out Anya’s post on Metrotwin’s blog.

Of course – the question on every one’s mind really was:

“@refinery29 –  Heading to a martini bar at 9:30 am. How early is too early for a stiff one? #BloggingUK”

You can follow this blogger trip by watching out the for #BloggingUK hashtag on twitter or by following updates from Jeremy Viray on @BritainInUSA.

We’ve picked five expert travel and style bloggers to go to London and Glasgow,  from Jan 27th to Feb 1st, and report on some of the in-the-know things shops, destinations, hotels.  This isn’t just a stodgy bus tour press trip, we’ve given them time to discover their own interests and let us know, and you, what’s worth visiting.

Plus, we’ve organized a meet’n'greet tip off with 5 London based bloggers that are currently powering the New York meets London destination guide, Metrotwin.

Look out for hash tag #BloggingUK and updates from our own Jeremy Viray on @BritainInUSA in the next few days to follow these five:

Sarah Menkedick

Sarah Menkedick is a freelance writer and editor currently based in Oaxaca, Mexico. She is a contributing editor at Matador Network, a contributing writer at Change.org (she blogs about women’s rights), and she maintains a website called Postigres devoted to creative nonfiction and photography inspired by travel. Sarah has been traveling, teaching and exploring the globe for five years.  She has lived and taught in France, China, Japan and Mexico, and traveled to more than fifteen countries. She speaks fluent French and Spanish and can amaze Mexicans with her capacity to eat devastatingly spicy chilés.

Where to check Sarah out and follow her:
www.posatigres.com
matadorabroad.com
@Matadornetwork

Andrew Hickey

Andrew is a travel writer/blogger for his own Brooklyn Nomad and the Social Media guru at CheapOair.  He has visited numerous destinations around the world and never gets sick of traveling. Some of his favorite spots to hit up include Dublin, London, Zurich and San Francisco.  His work has appeared in USA Today, New York Times, MSNBC, AOL Travel, Yahoo! Travel, and more.  Andrew is also the mastermind behind the blog of CheapOair.  You can look to his blog, Brooklyn Nomad for tips on deals but also food, nightlife and music when he travels. You’ll likely find him writing about curry and pubs while on the trip.

Follow Andrew:

www.thebrooklynnomad.com
blog.cheapoair.com
@BrooklynNomad
@CheapOair

Connie Wang

Connie is the associate editor at fashion, style, and shopping website Refinery29. Refinery29 is the ultimate online destination for discovering the newest and best in style, shopping, and emerging trends from the runways to the streets. Every day, Refinery29 delivers up-to-the-minute insider reports on the designers to know and the coolest global street style, breaking fashion news from sample sales to boutique openings, along with the best local shopping reports from experts who know their cities best.  She has also been published in Teen Vogue, Vice Magazine, Radar (RIP!), Fashion Week Daily, and Chictopia.com.

Get more on Connie:
www.refinery29.com
@Refinery29
@conniewang

Annie Scott

Annie Scott is a freelance writer slash editor in New York City. Writing for AOL websites including StyleList, Gadling, Luxist, Slashfood, and Holidash, and editing for Tonic, she has traveled the globe and covered everything from New York Fashion Week to Singapore’s Grand Prix, and interviewed everyone from oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle to fashion world darling Tim Gunn. Annie specializes in travel, luxury, style, honest product reviews, humor, and living the good life wherever you go. She has a personal blog called The Annie Scott Experience.

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See what Annie’s up to:

www.luxist.com
www.gadling.com
@luxist
@gadling
@AnnieScott

Lee Carter

Hint Magazine

Lee is the founder and editor-in-chief of the New York fashion site Hintmag.com, a Webby Award winner and original online fashion magazine. Hint Magazine takes an edgy look at the fashion industry and the media. It features the latest reviews of fashions and emerging designers and takes a peek at the new stars in the modeling scene. He also contributes to a variety of international fashion magazines.

Read up on Lee:
Hintmag.com
@hintmag

You can track their trip, send suggestions, and and chat with us when you follow #BloggingUK and updates from our own Jeremy Viray on @BritainInUSA in the next few days to follow these five.

Think you know, Britain?  CheapOair is hosting a contest, today through Friday, where you can use your knowledge to win a trip for two to London.

Simply answer the daily question on the official CheapOair blog each day between 8am EST and 6pm EST Monday January 25, 2010 through Friday January 29, 2010 to be entered into the drawing. Two entrants will be picked each day. Then check out the CheapOair blog on Tuesday February 2, 2010 for the big announcement! A winner and their guest will be flown round-trip to London, where they will enjoy 3-nights at the hip base2stay hotel. They are even throwing in two Oyster cards so that you can see more of this great city!

Two entrants are picked each day for the final grand prize trip- so be sure to check out CheapOair daily for the next week.  Go Now >

CheapOair offers one of the largest selections of airline tickets, hotels, car rentals, vacation packages and travel deals obtained from multiple sources, including three of the most respected and widely used reservation systems.