On a recent adventure to Kingston Upon Thames my friends and I decided to try out Essence. The fairly recently opened nightclub has been widely acclaimed so we went to see what the fuss was about.

Rumours did not lie, the décor was pleasant and colourful, the music was great, drinks were reasonably priced and the evening was a success. I’m told Wednesday and Thursday evenings are certainly the best nights there with a cool clientele and a lively atmosphere. There are also monthly Hed Kandi events for those hard core house music fans.

Essence can be found on the River Thames at Bucklands Wharf in Kingston. Visit the Essence Style Bar online for more information.

There are so many cool bar and restaurant venues in London and this is certainly one of the good ones.

Ruby Blue is situated in Leiscester Square, a high light because with the stylish, luxuroius and modern interiors of the venue it also has access to a terrace overlooking the popular tourist attraction. At night the terrace is lit up with blue lights making it a sight to remember amongst the backdrop of all the cinemas and theatres. Perfect for after work drinks, dinners and nights out, Ruby Blue can be found at Leicester Place.

Visit the Ruby Blue website for more information on the venue and for the drink and food menu’s.

If you’re into the indie/rock music scene and are in Sheffield, head to Leadmill. The live music and club venue is well known on the indie scene particularly for its association with the Arctic Monkeys, a Sheffield based band.

Being one of Sheffield’s main night spots many students are attracted by its cool and famous club vibe as well as its cheap drinks but it also has a large clientele of artists and the unemployed too, according to the website. With plenty of live gigs introducing up and coming stars this is one venue not to miss.

There’s a selection of club nights to choose from including Shag on Monday’s and Teenage Kicks on Tuesdays. Visit the website for information on more club nights and upcoming live gigs.

You may have heard of the CC Club in Piccadilly, London probably because of its endless celebrity attendees. The likes of Girls Aloud, Sugababes, Eastenders stars and Chelsea footballers to name a few have walked up the CC Club red carpet but you also may have heard of it, because of its R&B, hip hop, soulful house and funk party vibe. The popular and star studded venue holds club nights on Friday and Saturday nights which are fresh and glamorous. The purple venue is airy, cool and reasonably spacious with a Dom Perignon room available for private parties of 30 maximum.

Visit the CC Club website for more information about the venue, club nights and guest list.

My email account is constantly being bombarded with emails about ‘hot London clubs’ so for a friends Birthday we decided to check out Umbaba, an African inspired venue that has often been written about.

Pleasantly surprising, the venue is more spacious than some of the other ‘elite’ nightclubs I’ve experienced in London. The décor throughout the venue in keeps with the African theme and creates a light airy and relaxed vibe in the club. Music ranges from funky house to RnB Located off Carnaby Street in London the club is in the heart of the west end. There is an extensive cocktail menu but as you would expect the drinks are pricey. Single spirits and mixers cost around £9 but for a luxurious night out are worth it.

Visit Umbaba at 15-21 Ganton Street, London, W1 or go to the website to see the venue for yourself.

Embassy bar and restaurant is one of the hottest night spots in London, a place to see and be seen. Perfectly located in the centre of Mayfair, Embassy is spread out over three floors. The top floor is the restaurant which is all you expect a posh place to be, seating well spread out and waiters eager to meet your every need, the floor to ceiling windows give it a more exclusive feel and you are welcome to dine alfresco in the summer months. On the lower level of this floor there is a pre bar where you could also eat in a more relaxed atmosphere, perfect for those pre-club drinks or a small bite to eat.

The members bar is downstairs along with the VIP room which is situated between the top and bottom floors. The bar and club area is stylish, modern, opulent but a little bit cosy. The food and drinks are pricey and be prepared to order your main meat and vegetables or chips separately, the steak is absolutely worth it and the cocktails are refreshing.

Overall it’s a lovely bar and restaurant and worth a trip to see for yourself. The Embassy is located at 29 Old Burlington Street, London, W1S 3AP. Call 0207 437 9933 to book or visit www.embassylondon.com for more information.

London Bar Week has just kicked off (at 7pm) and I can only imagine the herds of people traipsing round Kingly Court to see what the fuss is about. If you haven’t heard of London Bar Week, it is basically a chance for bars and restaurants to offer a variety of promotions and entertainment to the public to show off what they can do.

The official launch is taking place tonight just off Carnaby Street and there will be flaring displays and cocktail mixing by top barmen to get the crowd going. Venues taking part include Red, Zebrano, The Diner, The Kingly Club, Canela, 24 London and La Trouvaille amongst others. All venues provide a unique experience from Portuguese cuisine to exotic cocktails to high-tech music and shooters.

The Kingly Club will be offering a cocktail called ‘Raise a Smile’ and 50% of the profits will go to Capital 95.8’s Help a London Child campaign. At La Trouville you can grab a champagne cocktail for £4, The Carnaby Cocktail will be available at Red, Canela are offering 2 for 1 on selected cocktails and 24 are offering free entry - normally £15. Loads more will be going on throughout the week as well so go take a look from Monday 4th to Thursay 9th June to see if there’s anything that takes your fancy.

Read more at Carnaby.co.uk for more information.