Where do the celebs hangout in London?
 

Can anyone recommend some restaurants / bars in London where one would be likely to spot some celebs?!!

They allegedly hang out at The Ivy but don't even think of trying to get a reservation unless you are a celeb yourself.

What type of celebs?

Old? Young?

Actors?

Athletes?

Musicians?

Celebs for no reason???

All of the above

Huh, gertie? Anyone can get a reservation at The Ivey, but you have to call at least several weeks in advance? Why? Because 90% of the diners have booked way ahead for the hopes of glimpsing one of the 10% or less of the patrons who ARE celebrities. However, I must admit that on most nights (at least late) you are very likely to see some celebrity there.

Very true, last time I went I was sat near Aalan Rickman on one table, and Alexander McQueen on another.

I must try harder. The chance of sitting near Alan Rickman is too good to miss.

In terms of bars/clubs and "celebs"...

Straight?

Gay?

Pretending to be one or the other??

Actually, I know of a fabulous bar south of the River where a few celebs have been seen on occasion but I think you might want to stick to the Ivey (a lot less messy and not as kinky).

Good luck.

oops hit the button too soon.

Other restaurants that attract the stars

The Wolsley
Mirabelle
J Sheekey
Gordon Ramsey at Claridges
Gordon Ramsey

These are all expensive restaurants that need booking wel in advance.

and the list goes on. There's really so many top restaurants and bars now that it's pot luck as to whether there'll be a celeb there or not.

The bars tend to be harder to get into (Met Bar, Light Bar in St Martin's Lane Hotel, to name but a couple)

LOVE his voice in the Harry Potter character. Liked him in "Love, Actually" but wasn't the same voice.

Thanks for all of that. I'm not looking for any celebs in particular, just someone someway famous so I can come home and say, 'You'll never guess who I saw' etc. Is the Ivy expensive?

Starrsville: I could hardly belive it was him in Hitchhiker's Guide.
Eiregal: yes, it's expensive but not if you're a celeb. It's not prohibitive though...give it a try.

I can't get a booking at the Ivy, they are fully booked for the 2 nights I will be there. Anywhere else for me to try? What about bars and clubs?

Many celebrities belong to private clubs in London, such as the Soho or Groucho. Unless you are a member or a friend of a member, you will never gain admission. My aunt belongs to the Groucho. When she takes me to lunch, I see the likes of Damian Hirst, Paul Simon, Paul McCartney, Fleur Cowles, Nigella Lawson, and the Duchess of Westminster. And you know what? These celebs are that fabulous, sweetie, when they have pudding running down their chin. :)

Actually, I'd rather look out the window whilst I am eating rather than speculate on Rupert Murdoch's bad comb-over.

Sorry, AREN'T that fabulous.

Talking of which, I sat next to Rupert Murdoch in Balthazar (NY) once. GOD his wife/girlfiend looks young.

Oh, and the IVY really isn't that expensive (for London). About £50 a head. You could always put your name down on a waiting list - I have a friend who often seems to sneak in on cancellations.

And it's often easier to get in at lunchtime.

This has been an extremely useful thread, as it has enabled me to add many entries to my Places In London To Avoid list.

Thanks, all.

I eat out often at the Pizza Express on Finchley Road and am bothered by tourists taking fotos of me and asking me to autograph their pizza mozzerla. I haven't noticed any celebrities come in here...

HOld on, Tom Cruise came in, he had been promoting War of the Worlds and he was soaking wet. He ignored me although we had worked together.

Alan Rickman was on our train a couple of summers ago, Caledonian Sleeper London - Edinburgh. Saw him sitting in the lounge car. Our sleeper attandant, Mary, said he's very rude and full of himself, but that Ewen Macgregor was on the train the week before and was very sweet & adorable.

The Connaught Hotel and bar is a good bet for celebs of a certain age; they make a great Martini as well($20 or so). Reservations required in the evening. JP

Is Annabel's still popular?

Hold on, as someone who has worked with many celebrities in the past (frock trade), you can't judge someone on an individual incident. Alan Rickman may have been having a bad day, found out he had prostate cancer, dog died, etc.

One of our clients, who was portrayed as THE BITCH FROM HELL by the US press, was one of the nicest ladies I have ever met. Then there was the famous male comedian who tried to stab me with an ink pen, although from his TV performances you would have thought he was a saint. Things ain't always what they seem, Dorothy.

I still remember the time Liz Taylor walked into the Steak Nicole restaurant (was close to Victoria Station but don't think it's still there) while I was having lunch with my husband's secretary. She was there doing a play -- think it was the one with Richard Burton -- in 1982. While it was a nice place, I never would have expected to see a celebrity of Liz Taylor's status in there. Who knew!

I had just the opposite encounter w/ Alan Rickman - after seeing him in Private Lives I ran into him outside of the theatre (I wasn't waiting by the stagedoor - just looking for a taxi not far from the Albery.) He was very gracious when I approached and said how much I had enjoyed the performance.

But my experience may be no more typical than the sleeper attendent (who was very out of line talking about other passengers BTW)

I have frequently run into celebs and actors afer plays in the west end. I saw Dawn French waiting for her car while I was waiting for a taxi in the court at the Savoy.

And have seen/talked to several over the years. Vanessa Redgrave, Judi Dench, Alan Bates (I cried when he died), both Sam and Timothy West (at different times) and others . . . .

As Janis said you can quite often bump into celebrities around the theatre district both pre and post shows. I work at Waterloo and quite often arrange to meet friends/relatives outside the Old Vic and we nearly always bump into someone, and far too many to list, but memorable occasions have been my sister walking into a lamppost in front of Sean Connery, my niece getting very excited bumping into Jude law, Nigel Planner (Neil the hippy in the Young Ones) buying huge bags of lentils, and for a couple of weeks I bumped into Prunella Scales every day, I was beginning to get concerned that she would think I was stalking her until one day I ran to jump on a tube train - as the door almost crushed me I came face to face with, yes, Prunella Scales, squashed together we smiled nervously and apologetically at each other all the way from Waterloo to Bond Street after that she would wave whenever I came across her.