For those of us who fancy a dance this weekend, St Patrick's Day will make it easy for you to find where the party's at. The annual celebration of Ireland’s patron saint will ensure London is heaving with celebrations that include singing and dancing, as well as a parade through the city centre and a festival in Trafalgar Square on Sunday 17 March. If you're looking to enjoy some traditional music, food and even dancing, then look no further. HELLO! Online have picked our favourite places to soak up the Emerald-aisle atmosphere, including some of London's best Irish pubs, this St Patrick's Day... Enjoy lovely Irish fayre in The Cow, Notting HillThis cosy, stylish pub in hip Notting Hill is known for its great oysters and Guinness. With a traditional rural feel and cottage-style net curtains, this beautiful Irish pub offers tasty delights such as whelks and winkles, fish stew and crab.
Watch the St Patrick's Day parade from the sidelinesMarching bands, dancers and street theatre will start the party in style – not to mention the 36-metre-long púca, a spectacular inflatable dragon designed by Keith Payne, who numbers the Rolling Stones and Tina Turner among his clients. The colourful display will represent all 32 Irish counties, and groups will be dressed in their traditional county colours. The floats begin their amble in Piccadilly from 12pm, heading along Lower Regent Street and Pall Mall and down to Trafalgar Square. Dance to live music in the Porterhouse pub, Covent Garden The Porterhouse pub, part of the Dublin brewery, boasts nine own-brewed ales, as well as ale, beer and lager from all over the world. Split over twelve different levels, you can find intimate corners or bigger areas perfect for a group. Live Irish tunes will be played throughout St Patrick’s Day, and if you don’t make it to the pub you can try one of their house-brewed ales in the VIP Hospitality Bar in Trafalgar Square after the parade. Traditional Irish dishes will also be on the menu, including Irish Stew, Dublin Coddle and Bacon & Cabbage.
Have some craic at St Patrick's Day Festival Traditional and contemporary Irish music and dance will be hosted in this free festival which runs from 12-6pm in Trafalgar Square. A comedy tent hosted by the London Irish Comedy Festival will also make sure there’s plenty of craic, and a film tent will screen shorts by Irish filmmakers. You’ll be able to sample produce all the way from the Emerald Isle in the food market, and children can have fun in arts and crafts sessions or have a go at Gaelic football – just a few of the many attractions on offer at the day-long festival for the whole family. Drink a pint of Guinness in The Toucan, Soho Rub shoulders with media moguls and screen stars in this tiny Irish bar in the heart of Soho. With its prime location just off Soho Square, the intimate two-floor Toucan could easily be mistaken for a Guinness museum, with publicity posters decorating the wallss, overlooked by a trio of toucans. Jimi Hendrix once played in the basement, where traditional Irish food is served, such as Irish stew and Rossmore County Cork oysters. And who said you can't sip a cocktail on St Patrick's Day? Guinness cocktails like the black velvet of Guinness and champagne will be on the menu on Sunday.
