The Sands End Street Party is back!

If there is any street in Fulham that knows how to throw a street party it's Stephendale Road, thanks to the Sands End pub. I have been to two of their brilliant street parties over recent years and loved the heady combination of BBQ fumes and local live music on my doorstep. With the weather more akin to southern Spain than SW6 at the moment it's unsurprising they have another one in the pipeline for next week.

This year the Sands End Pub is hosting its annual street party on the 27th July, 2013, from 12:00pm to 8:00pm outside the pub on Stephendale Road.The Sands End Street Party will offer street food, pimms flowing bars, a music stage, retail stalls and children's entertainment. In support of Ray's Playhouse, the family friendly event will also include the popular entertainment duo, Sharky & George, as well as fun activities including face painting to rides. 

It's bound to be brilliant fun and one not to miss on the SW6 social calendar - you can read our review of the  2011 street party here too - http://southwestsix.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/stephendale-street-party.html 

Pappa & Prosecco

A good local Italian is imperative in these parts. Whether it's a summers eve and you want to while away an evening with friends and plenty of prosecco, or a cold Sunday evening in the depths of winter and only chili linguine will do. I came across a new find last week, and lucky for me it's very local and was a balmy summers eve, with plenty of the aforementioned prosecco. 

Pappas Ciccia, Munster Road is brilliant for many reasons, it's lively and rambunctious like a good local Italian should be, the food is lady and the tramp lovely and it's BYOB! Italian through and through, the service is informal and on the slippery border between amusing and over-familiar. Every table was buzzing with locals slurping red wine and devouring cheesy slices of crisp pizza.

Pappas Ciccia is the type of place where you arrive sober and stressed and leave feeling tipsy and carefree. With another branch an even closer two minute walk from my flat I can see this is going to fast become a firm Friday night staple. 

We are lucky to have a few great Italians in SW6, here is a round up of the best:

Best for food - Gola
Best for lots of laughs and lemon cello -Il Pagglacio 
Best for a hot date - L'antico
Best for dancing - Mare Moto
Best for f**k the diet - Made in Italy

Barbarella is back!

Barbarella is where my mother had her hen party in 1986 and so it was with much amusement that I found myself sitting with three girlfriends in a booth last month enjoying their back to their 80's themed menu. An inspired idea by their PR team, the menu was 80's but, even better - so were the prices. £2.50 for a starter and £5.00 for a main course made for an extremely economical evening. It also made me think, god my mum's hen do must have been cheap compared to the going rate now!

All things 80's aside I loved how they had revamped the restaurant. It was very sexy with a slick of polished finishings and fabrics throughout, enhancing the private members club vibe. Booths offered plenty of privacy whilst the lighting remained on the flattering side of dim, meaning if you haven't visited since the 80's you needn't worry about the lines of time giving you away. We enjoyed peach Bellinis from the bar and were really impressed with the service, outdated it was not - our gorgeous Italian waitress was wonderfully attentive.

Live music from a talented singer slash sexy guitarist kept us entertained whilst we devoured our dinner as if we hadn't seen carbs since the 1980's. This place really comes into its own at the weekend with options to drink, dine, dance or do all three. It's a great Fulham local and one that I hope will be around for another 25 years, although I shudder to think what the prices will be by then!

Address: Barbarella, 428 Fulham Road, London, SW6 1DU, UK
Phone: 0207 920 6430