It’s been a while since I have done an escape room and boy, was this one from the amazing people at Fox in a Box did not disappoint.
Fox in a Box, a newbie to the world of escape room, started in Dalston east London, earlier this year with franchise all over the world so if you see him popping up everywhere, then he isn’t following you 😉.
They currently have three rooms in Dalston, Prison Break, Zombie killer and Bunker.
I was kindly invited to play their Prison Break room with a group of Love Pop Ups London to beat the clock and try and escape before the guard returns to resolve the riots, and to ensure our life sentences was served.
The story of the game is that you have committed a crime and you have been sentenced to life in prison and the only way out is for you to escape!
As we were a group of ten, we played the prison break head to head where we were not only against clock, but to escape before the other team, a great way if you have a big group to and try not to end up on the wall of shame….
The room was well designed, with all the tools you need to work together to break yourselves free, strong communication and team working is a must!
There was kryptic clues, locks, and map work and physical task to really test out all your clue solving skills. So lots of things for everyone to get involved in.
Our team managed to escape with only two clues and 39:35 on the clock just beating our other team by nearly 15 minutes and avoided being posted up on the wall of shame! Well done team.
A great game and definitely recommend this, thanks to our games master Shola, you were great!
I have heard that that for the horror fanatics they have the zombie game which has made grown men cry….. Are you brave enough to try their rooms??
As a fan of escape rooms I can say that I had my fair share of escape rooms, and when I heard that London Escaped has some new rooms, I wasn’t going to say no to an invitation to try it out.
I visited with some of the community members from LovePopUpsLondon, thanks Jo for the invite.
On arrival we was told that this was one of their hardest rooms , which immediately got us all excited. I mean come on challenge accepted!
I must say that the room compared to what the pictures on the website is a little different from what’s advertised, for me it look a little unfinished. However I can see how they have put a lot of thought into the asthetic of the room to match the theme.
I felt that the room has a lot of interesting puzzles to solve but I personally felt that if you need a crib sheet to guide you along, then maybe the clues doesn’t flow as it should do?
I have to admit that there was times when me and the group felt a little lost and we had to ask for some clues as some of the task as a little impractical if I may say so myself.
We had a few team players who has never played an escape room before and they too felt a little lost.
I mean we nearly didn’t make it out of the room as we were expecting doors to automatically open as the clue seems to suggest it.. however, we did it in the nick of time.
I think the room isn’t hard as such if the room flows a little better. I wouldn’t suggest this to someone who has never tried an escape room before as it might make you feel a little disheartening.
Still a decent room from London Escaped and I know they have also added a few more rooms so I am sure there sure will be one which suits you!.
I think the last time I visited the London dungeon must of been when I was a teenager visiting with my school, so when I was asked if I wanted to go back and visit with a bunch of community members from LovePopUpsLondon I thought why not!
The London dungeon is a 90 minutes immersive experience with actors guiding you down the dark memories of the history of London.
You will be taken through time, where you will experience London in the plague, encounter with Jack the Ripper.
A visit down fleet Street to meet the one and only Sweeny Todd, of course don’t sit in his barber chair whatever you do!
Oh and if you meet Guy Fawkes on your way, don’t say a word, whatever they do to you…
The experience also comes with two ride experience a boat trip and 30ft drop experience (not for those who are pregnant or with heart condition, and those over 1’40m) unfortunately on the day we visited the boat ride was not open hence our overall experience only lasted 75 mins in total.
The experience is suitable for all ages as while it may be gruesome in places there are comedy which the team enact really well.
For me though I felt that after the many years since I have visited, there hasn’t been any updates on the stories (be it at the courthouse, the crimes seems not to have changed after all these many years)
One of the things I have noticed is that the groups are too large (groups are around 45) in numbers for everyone to really be able to see and enjoy themselves, at only 5’1 I am still barely taller than a teenager and when we are out in a small room, there was no way I could see what was happening.
There was also one room which had seating for 9 people in a group of 45? Seems a tad unreasonable for me.
I think the experience would of definitely benefited from a much smaller group of maybe 25 per group, this give people enough space to move around and no one is stepping over each other.
Also, the London dungeon is all part of the Merlin Group entertainment so would recommend that if you are a visitor to London to consider booking a combined ticket with another attractions to make the cost of the visit much more cost effective.
Also do book online as walk in tickets are much more expensive tickets online are 20% cheaper at £24 per adult and £30 at the door. The combination tickets online cost £40 for two attractions, much better value than just paying on the day. Book tickets HERE
So friends visiting from other countries always ask if it’s worth visiting, for me I wouldn’t think it’s a must do attractions, however if the size of the group are smaller and you get an more intimate experience and combine it with another attractions then sure go for it!
I still enjoyed my time and reliving my childhood memories, but I don’t think I would be back anytime soon. Thank you again for inviting me along.
Today I was invited with the @Lovepopupslondon community members to @Modernfables
new location to try out their current escape room #hypersomina.
The room is based on the many dimensions you and your body occupies, but which one is your reality and can you get back?
Do you still get flashback of your dreams your memories or are you slowly losing them.
Your challenge is to try to find your lost memories by retracing your steps, and working together to solve the various different clues in front of you.
As with all escape rooms I can’t tell you what goes on in there or clues on how you solve them.
However with 7 of us in there I felt that there was definitely enough things for people to do, everyone was able to take a task and use it as a group. I really enjoyed the teamwork element this room echoes.
The room itself may look linear but it’s not, there are steps but you don’t need to do them on order hence everyone can do a different part.
What I enjoyed most I think are the different props around, while some rooms are heavy on technology, this is more theme on the props and the story telling which makes the whole thing make more sense.
I also enjoyed the way the hints were delivered, really fits into the design of the room.
Our skilled games master
I have experience some rooms where you need to do or achieve something but makes no sense in the game which can only lead to confusion.
Of course each room has their red herring and I am sure we too were lead down the wrong path..but isn’t that part of the game?
I really enjoyed this game and would totally recommend this for a team building event with friend or work.
Also super excited we escaped in 52 minutes woohoo.
I hear Modern Fables are putting on a new game soon so watch this space.
It’s been a while since I did a food post here and this little restaurant just outside Elephant and Castle train station is something I’m truly impressed by.
I was kindly invited here with a few blogger friends from @LovePopUpsLondon to try out their amazing Europe meets South American cuisines. Let’s just say it did not disappoint.
@TupiLondon has a couple of locations one in Peckham Rye and the other is Elephant and Castle.
The decor of the place is simple but am super obsessed with the tropical ascent wall..great for that Instagram post I tell you.
First let’s start off some amazing cocktails, of course smoothie and juices are also available for those non drinkers, so fear not, no one is left out.
Espresso Martini and Very Berry SmoothieThe guilty line up
Next for the starters, we chose from a healthy selection available of meat, seafood and veggie options..
Spicy Prawns and Scampi in a tomato and white wine sauceLittle birds- fried chicken thighs with romesco sauceSquid with lime mayoGrilled chorizo with a chimichuri sauce
The starters were amazing and the spicy prawns dish was huge.. could definitely have had that as a light main dish
Once our stomachs were lines with drinks and starters we was ready for the mains, I chose the Muqueca which is a Brazilian seafood stew, and it was delicious, the stew was filled with prawns, mussels, scampi and fish, in a tomato and coconut and lime sauce with a hint of chillies to give it a slight kick
We also tried the Arroz Verde, which was a risotto dish with peas and asparagus, a very fresh and light alternative to the usually very rich and heavy risotto dish..it was served with a soft boiled egg that oozes.. a definite favourite!
Then we tried the spicy seafood linguine and the halloumi burger with an order of fries.
The portions are great for the value and the flavours delicious, would definitely come back if I’m in the area, causal location for friends or families.
Sides- grilled halloumi and broccoli dukkah
Thanks again for the invite to try out some great south America dishes.
It’s never ever a bad idea to bring a whole brunch of friends to a bar in London bridge with drinks on flow and access to a 20 man/ woman (let’s make sure we include everyone here) ball pit with over 20,000 balls… hallelujah!
So when Love Pop Ups London invited me with a brunch of the members from the community to a ball pit party I couldn’t really say no! I mean they didn’t even have to say flamingos and I was already ready to jump in.
So, bar Two Ruba is located inside the Hilton hotel with great views of the Thames…I mean what better way to enjoy London?
So while they have great cocktails with the most comfiest sofas to relax on, if you are looking for a place to arrange a group party, Two Ruba is happy to cater for all and if drinking is so last season then how about your own reservation at their private ball pit.
The ball pit is open to both adults and children however each reservation is private hire only, for more info click here
Did you know that Two Ruba, also have a ripple cocktail machine, what is that you might ask? Well it’s a selection of foam cocktails which they can help you impressed your special guest with a picture of their or yours face on the cocktail..now how’s that for impressive?
The venue can cater for small groups or your annual Christmas party..sorry ..I know it’s early but you gotta start planning if you want the best venue around!
With the private hire you can hire the bar and the ball pit together or separately, they also have a great selection of canapes to keep the hunger at bay..some of the canapes available include.
Crab on tortilla chips
Arancini
Chicken sliders
Jackfruit sliders (veggie)
Italian anti pasti board
Vegetarian board, with hummus and olives
Lemon cheesecake
Fruit skewers
For group bookings each canapes are charged per person, they can cater for vegetarians and other dietary requirements, they do ask you to let them know at least 48 hours before your booking to ensure they can make the necessary arrangements.
So whatever you are looking for I think Two Ruba can sure keep you and your party smiling all night long!
It was a great night with friends new and old, thanks again to Love Pop Ups London and Two Ruba for the invite, I can safely say that myself and our community really enjoyed our night out and we are definitely planning on our next visit!
Last night I was kindly invited by @LovePopUpsLondon for a night of art, burgers, laughter and drinks!
The event was one of The Paint Republic’s painting evening where you are guided by a qualified artist to paint your very own masterpiece.
Our goal tonight was a beautiful painting of two #flamingos and to be totally honest, as a non painter with no painting experience I was a little nervous about the whole evening and thought I wouldn’t be able to create the piece of work I proudly took home with. Scroll to the end for pictures.
How surprise I was to find out that, I too can paint! Yippee…
The event was hosted at the Stane Street Syndicate in Clapham and we was kindly treated to an evening of burgers from #Rubyjeansburger. Their burger menu isn’t the biggest but their combination was sure enough to tempt even the most picky eater.
I chose the Sloppy Jalopy, which was a beef patty, with hashbrown, jalapeno, cheese on a brioche bun…super yummy, we was also serves the biggest plate of sweet potato fries…I must also add, as a big group of 20 hungry punters, the kitchen staff did really well to make sure all the burgers arrived together and also catered for one special order of gluten free buns.
So with a belly happily satisfied, we moved on to the main event…let’s paint!
While we was busy filling our bellies our teacher Becky was busy setting up our tools and paints to get us started.
Each one of us, had a canvas on a stand, paint brush, water and a toothbrush (I’ll get to this later!) with a mixing palette together with some paint ready to get us started. There was also a flamingo painting she had prepared earlier as a guide for us.
Becky, gave us a quick tutorial of the paintbrushes we had and a quick reminder of our primary colours…no prizes for what the three colours are…
Becky also explained, the steps to creating our masterpiece, she was patience and walked around the room to make sure we all got the steps … however the main thing Becky told us was to have fun with 90’s music playing, and this was one art class where drinking is encouraged! Well if it didn’t go well then we all know who to blame.
My masterpiece
The session was for two hours, due to the drinking elements…(apologies) but it’s 18+ only and cost £25.00 which also includes the painting for you to take home with you. Click here to see booking options, they also have venues in London, Manchester, Chester, Liverpool, Shropshire and North Wales, so hopefully there is a location near you.
Class sizes are up to 20 people so if you are looking for a special event, birthdays or a team building function then this is an amazing opportunity. Sign up to their website as they usually have special and last minute offers available.
A really great night out and am looking forward to going back to practice my new developed skills.
Growing up in the 90’s one of my favourite TV game show has got to be The Crystal Maze, watching people scramble inside the crystal dome trying to stuff as many gold tickets into the letter box as possible. I remember watching the show, while shouting at the TV telling the contestants how they can solve their puzzles….now fast forward to 2019, yes it’s been that long .. I was invited to a press night for the new The Crystal Maze Experience’s new Piccadilly location on Shaftesbury Avenue, following a very successful launch in Manchester back in April 2017, along with a group of other bloggers from Love Pop Ups London
So, it was our turn to see if all those years of shouting at the TV can help us conquer The Crystal Maze, trying out their skills, mental, physical and mystery games within their four different zones; Aztec, Medieval, Futuristic and Industrial zone, guided of course by an eccentric zone master, quick hello to Aggy here!
Each team should have around 8 players, however don’t worry if you don’t have enough players they will match you with other smaller groups so that you that you can get that full team work spirit cause trust me you will need it!
Each team will get to play four games within each zone of the maze, so sixteen chances to win a crystal, and you know what a crystal meant? Yes, each crystal equates to 5 seconds inside the crystal dome!
The website recommends that this is not suitable for children under 13. With tickets charged per person starting from £49.99 each so while it’s not the cheapest experience you could find, I will not hesitate to bring friends back here…Book here
We started our game by following our maze master Aggy running to that memorable theme tune, our first stop was in the medieval zone, here our team played four games; Bakers dozen; Maid Marion Men; Ogres Lair; Spikes of death, in this zone we unfortunately didn’t win any crystal but we also had a lock in (yes, remember them, you are locked in if you do not leave your room in time or it was an automatic lock in when you do something that obviously you’re not mean to!) So we were down one crystal when we moved to our next zone. I was first up with a skill game, Bakers Dozen, however, I realised that a mathematical challenge was never going to be my strongest strength, so let’s pass on that. .
Next up was the Aztec zone, the entry to his zone as via a huge slide, and enough sand if you are missing avisit the each. There was definitely no expenses spared in re-creating this zone. Here we played the following: Sun God, Tripod; Prophecy and Rolling Log. We were more successful here and won 2 crystal, yay!
Next up the Industrial zone, again I tried another skill game; Pipe Dream, again not very successful…I have learnt that skill games are not my strongest skill (sorry) however my team mates where more successful here with Worldwide Strategy; Traffic Light and Power Saver all of which they came out with a crystal each!!
Our final zone was the Futuristic zone, this time we played a more tactical game, putting our strongest players up to ensure the most crystal win we can get… unfortunately it didn’t pay off as we only came away with two more crystal here…from Emojoy; Rock It; Alien Operations and Hive Mind.
So one question, have you been keeping up with the number of crystal we have won??? Drumroll please!!! Yep 7 (remember we lost one as we brought one of our teammates out!) So, what does that mean? Yes, 35 seconds inside the crystal dome to grab as many gold tokens we can get our hands on….
Here comes my favourite part, yes, when Aggy shouts ‘Will you start the fan please’ 35 seconds later and we successfully grabbed 103 gold tokens, winning!!
As a food lover and all, I love an opportunity to try out new and different places to stuff my face (sorry, I meant enjoy some food with some friends😉)
So when @Lovepopupslondon and @Rosso invited me and some bloggers to try out their prosecco flowing brunch event, even if I was busy, I cancelled all plans… Like who ever says no to a brunch with prosecco.
Rosso is located in the very central High Street Kensington, of West London so an ideal location if you’ve just finished a shopping or an cultural visit to the many local and free museums London has to offer.
The decor of the restaurant is tastefully designed with lots of pictures opportunity for those who love to capture every moment. There was lots of amazing wines, prosecco on offer and the staff was more than happy to explain their selection to you.
On arrival the staff has beautifully placed some amazing starters out in the main dinning area, I really love this concept, an unlimited buffet style starters, all freshly prepared and constantly topped up..
The selection of bread on offer was great, I’ve never tried charcoal bread, and it was super yummy!
This was the first of the many plates I had…😉
The mozzarella balls to me was the star of the show, super creamy and totally yummy…I could eat that all day.
Rosso carbonara with figsSpicy arrabbiata chitarra spaghetti with seafood ‘nduja’Florentine poached eggs with bacon and hollandaise sauceMixed bean, poached eggs, sausage crumble served with crunchy pancetta and lemon zest
The choice of the main was a little limited and we had a vegetarian in our group with some severe allergies, which the restaurant tried to accommodate.
I chose the spicy arrabbiata however I couldn’t taste any seafood nduja? I also felt the dish was a little bland to my liking, a little more salt was required.
The desserts selection was a little on the limited side also however some of the tartlets were definitely worth saving my desserts stomach for!
Similar to a Bakewell tartLemon muffins- a little on the dry sideThese were definitely my favourite
I had a great time enjoying the food and free flowing bubbles which the server made sure our glasses were never empty, such great tentive attention.
The meal was finished off with a great coffee..
Thank you again to Rosso for the invite, a great venue and super reasonable free bubbles brunch if you are looking for a place around the High Street Kensington area.
It’s been a while since I last visited Cluequest to find out what is new with Mr Q and Professor Black sheep, following the last game of Revenge of the Sheep, I was intrigued by what the people at Cluequest have planned for us, and I was surely not disappointed.
I and a few agents from @LovePopUpsLondon went down to see if we have what it takes to take on whatever nasty plan Professor Black Sheep has waiting for us for this new game cQ ORIGENES.
As we arrived we was briefed by Mr Q special agents, Professor Black Sheep is back and he has released a new virus in to the computer systems which could wipe out all of our existence, omg I hear you say..
The story goes back to the beginning when Mr Q and Professor Black Sheep were both human, what turned them into the animals they represent today?
Our mission if we choose to accept was to return to the lab where the SD card containing the virus lies and destroy it before it destroys all of our livelihood today!
However before we can start, as humans how do we get into the lab designed to fit a sheep and a mouse? Enter the Shrink-O-Mat.
This game was both challenging and rewarding at the same time, as usual you have 60 minutes to find solve all the puzzles and get out before the time is up!
As per all my escape room reviews, I won’t spoil the fun for you, but I can assure you that you will enjoy yourselves and the props for the game has been carefully planned out and with a group for 6 the games was not linear based but all very logical so everyone could be participating in different puzzles.
Unfortunately for us we weren’t able to make it out before the 60 minutes was up and needed an additional 1:44 seconds to complete our mission. However, I’ve been told current success rate is only 15% so I guess the extra minutes we had wasn’t too bad..
Definitely for me 4* in my rating for escape room, great puzzles, great props and plenty to keep the team entertained.
Thanks again to the team at Cluequest for a great evening out!
