London is a work hard and play hard kind of city, so it should come as no surprise that London nightlife activities are abundant. There are varieties of night clubs in London. As a global centre of nightlife and entertainment, this city really does know how to let its hair down. There is a scene for everyone on any given night of the week — somewhere in the city of London.

For high culture, there is a plethora of options from the Royal Opera House and the Royal Albert Hall to hundreds of west-end (and fringe) theatres showing big name shows, packed with celebrities. Cinemas are plentiful, with star-studded premieres happening most weeks. For listings of shows, as well as club nights, concerts, and other events check out the weekly London listings magazine, Time Out.

And of course there are literally thousands of casual London bars and pubs, London restaurant bars/lounges, and clubs all across the city. There is a concentration of these across the West End and Soho, the latter being home to a thriving gay scene. Don’t be surprised if you run into a few famous faces around Soho either. The obvious draw for tourists is around the bright lights of Leicester Square, but if you know where to look, there are equally good, if not better bars outside the centre, around areas such as Shoreditch in the East, Islington in the North, Notting Hill in the West or Clapham in the South. Tamarai is one best night club and restaurants in London.

Traditional old London taverns can be found allover the city, the seventeenth-century George Inn at Borough High Street or The Crown at New Oxford Street are among the most noticeable, but in the bar section there are a lot of alternatives. Music fans are also very well catered for in London, with most major artists including the city in their tours, as well as hundreds of resident bands, musicians and DJs packing out venues across the city every night. Some of the more famous venues include the Brixton Academy, the Jazz Cafe, and the cavernous Wembley Arena.

Cruising and food seem to go hand in hand since dining has always been a vital part of the entire cruise vacation experience. It’s no surprise then that food and dining options are a big selling point for cruise lines. Today, cruise lines are offering more dining choices, modern menus, and great new venues in which to enjoy them.

To keep up with the increasing array of culinary and dining trends, cruise lines are investing in larger ships with innovative dining enhancements such as multiple restaurants with 24-hour dining and room service. These are just a few of the reasons why cruising is growing in popularity. On a typical day, cruise ship passengers may dine on oysters, shrimp cocktail, lobster, escargot, filet minion, rack of lamb, fresh salads, fresh fruits, exotic deserts like chocolate molten lava cake–and that’s just for dinner.

Most cruise lines offer vast choices in menus and venues. Guests can choose to eat al fresco or inside, grab a quick meal at a buffet, or spend the evening dining on a six-course menu. In fact, many ships have half a dozen or more dining venues on board. From delis and steak houses to Italian trattorias and French bistros, cruise ships have multiple dining options to please every palate and every craving.

Part of catering to cruise ship guests’ every need includes accommodating passengers who require diabetic, low-fat or low-salt meals, kosher or other special dietary requests or who just want healthful choices. Spa cuisine is now popular with many lines and guests now have choices of low-calorie, low-fat and heart-healthy foods. With the growing number of children sailing these days, most cruise lines offer special children’s menus designed to satisfy the littlest gourmand. Most offer the kid dining staples of chicken fingers, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled cheese and, of course, ice cream.

In addition to 24-hour buffets, pizza stands, and ice cream parlors, many cruise lines offer gourmet fare for the more sophisticated palate as well. Some lines host regular food-and-wine festivals and invite chefs and wine experts to lead seminars and tastings.

One of the big culinary trends in cruising is alternative dining venues where, for an additional fee, guests can indulge in a truly special dining experience themed around such cuisine as Asian, Italian, New Orleans or Seafood. Highlighting that commitment in food excellence, cruise lines also often feature menus created by celebrity chefs that highlight different food themes and employing cutting-edge preparation techniques.

Additionally, cruise lines have begun to follow land-based food trends more closely. As an example, more ethnic food is showing up on the menus these days from Thai to Indian. So, if you’ve been craving to explore new cuisines from different countries taking a cruise vacation is a great way to satisfy that gourmet curiosity.