Niia

Los Angeles 

My favourite late-night chic cocktail spot. Sometimes I'll get up and sing a song if I'm drunk enough.

A secret, tiny restaurant that reminds me of NYC. Best breakfast ever

My go-to Italian spot. You sit outside and feel like you're in Italy.

Understated jazz club where you'll often catch insane musicians.

I highly encourage getting stoned and seeing this strange and amazing museum.

Arguably the most iconic music and movie store ever.

Explore LA With Niia

Cami Layé Okún

Havana

I highly recommend a visit to the other side of the bay of Havana, the way to get there is by the “Lanchitas de Regla” (small boats). Known for being a town with a strong cultural tradition, especially with regard to Afro-Cuban religiosity and spirituality, it’s also a place known for its musicians.

The University of the Arts, built in 1976, is undoubtedly one of the city's architectural emblems. Twenty minutes from the centre of Havana, the ISA is a campus full of vegetation with domes and tunnels that from an aerial view, suggest breasts, fallopian tubes and vaginas. Despite having five buildings, you can only access the ‘artes circenses’ building that is currently abandoned. Ideal place to meditate, read or picnic with friends.

Exquisite live jazz club. Located in a basement of 23rd Avenue in the heart of the Vedado neighbourhood. A space where you can really get a feel for the musical talent found in the city.

The spot for fresh, natural juices. Ideal place to stop and cool down from the sun. It’s one of the few places I know where you can find a variety of juices without sugar, made in the moment with fresh fruits and vegetables. Only accepts national currency.

One of the best views of the city and sea. Admission is free for everyone, no matter if you are not staying at the hotel. Highly recommended spot for the sunset.

The greenest area in the city, where the smell of the earth is penetrating. With lush vegetation and trees brought from Africa, it is a space full of spirituality where many works of Afro-Cuban santeria are practised.

In the summer season there’s nothing better than swimming at Club Náutico.

This is a natural park where the facilities and nature merge in an enveloping way. Ideal to arrive by bicycle and enjoy the musical activities that are offered, mainly for children on weekends.

Havana would not be Havana without the Malecon. The Wall that protects the ocean and the place that gives us the best sunsets and sunrises from any point. It is the ideal place for all those things that make life more beautiful.

Havana with DJ, Cami Layé Okún

Sam Riddle

Detroit

Detroit is the birthplace of Techno and still hosts one of the most prestigious electronic music festivals in the world, contextually giving the city a rich history with record stores and DJ culture. Paramita is an unique record store that is also a wine bar and a steward in the Detroit beat scene.



Detroit is a potential gold-mine for the cannabis industry and will see an influx of jobs and industry in the city once marijuana is fully recreational. One disproportionate measure of the cannabis industry is that only 4.3% of the business is controlled by black owned companies. Furthermore, despite roughly equal usage rates, blacks in America are 3.73 times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana. Viola is a black-owned business and my favourite medicinal dispensary in the city, owned by former NBA star Al Harrington.

Cliff Bells is a Detroit institution and my favourite brunch in the city. Pre-Covid you could drop in here on a weekend morning or afternoon to hear live jazz with a scene that feels like a time machine or out of a Fred Astaire movie, as the NY Times described it.

With iconic shoe collaborations (see: New Balance) and a pivotal place in the street wear scene, especially in the Midwest - Burn Rubber shaped culture through its employees and friends that include Big Sean, Jay John Henry, Cliff Skighwalker and more hometown heroes.

Sweet Water is across the street from my favourite concert venue in Detroit, St. Andrews Hall. It was a ritual to visit Sweet Water before and after concerts to grab a meal. I haven’t eaten meat regularly in almost three years, but I still dream about their Buffalo Wings.

A library-esq used book store that boasts over an over 1-million book inventory across their two locations in Detroit and nearby suburb Ferndale. My father used to take me here as a kid and I would try my hardest to get lost in the maze-like-store so I could read until my heart was content.

Detroit has gotten a lot of attention for ‘ruin porn’; the trend of photographing delapitated buildings as if that was what represents the city. The Heidelberg Project flips that trend on it’s head a bit; as a city block-long outdoor community art exhibit that transforms discarded items into exhibits, sculptures and statements.

Coney Islands are kinda to Detroit as Waffle House is to Atlanta. There are so many great ones across all of Michigan including Lou’s in Detroit, Abe’s in Ypsilanti, and Sparty’s in East Lansing (where I went to college at Michigan State.) For this guide and looking at Downtown Detroit - the debate is American Coney Island vs Lafayette Coney Island, which sit next door from one-another. If you ask me its Lafayette all day.

Detroit with Artist Manager, Sam Riddle

Gilles Peterson

London

Out of curiosity for me, I’ll always go to Cafe Oto. The music played there is really Avant Garde and improv, but I personally find that really interesting these days.

If you're okay with the West End's sort of touristy, theatre-going audience, Ronnie Scott’s is pretty good. They get decent people in and you can sit down and watch world class music. And to be fair, at a place like Ronnie Scott’s, the stories are incredible. I’m so glad it is still around and they care about it. I know it's probably not the most fashionable or edgy answer and not everyone can afford to go - but it’s a bit of a date spot, somewhere for special occasions.

I think Atlantis is really good because they’re not online. I love John who works there and I've been spending a lot of time at the shop recently. You will genuinely find a gem there because someone hasn’t googled it and found online. You can actually find some really great stuff, so I'd say my favourite record shop as of late has definitely been Atlantis.

Brawn was the first restaurant in London that I felt had a community feel. In places abroad like Germany, Austria, France, or Japan, I've always found that there was a real close association between the winemakers and DJs - a real kind of community.
In London, I felt like there isn’t always that kind of community... Until I met Ed Wilson, Chef and owner of Brawn. We get on like a house on fire. He's amazing. His restaurants are amazing and the food is too. He's humble and is an incredibly rare Chef that's so knowledgeable about wine.

I really rate the guys at Noble Rot. It’s run by really brilliant people who have an incredible magazine which has become a monthly mag, almost like a cult thing. It’s about wine and they’ve sort of changed the whole landscape of wine understanding. Both their restaurants are really good and quite old-fashioned and so I big them up.

I like what the crew behind Primeur have done. I even had my birthday party here.

I've got to give Fink's a bit of credit. I'm a shorts guy so will come here for an espresso or piccolo.

West Reservoir is a good little walk. It’s an amazing spot. Feels like suddenly you're in the country - you’ve got the reservoirs, the swimmers, the church in the background. Coming back from Arsenal, if you’re going to a game and then go all the way back there at night time, it’s amazing.

Gilles Peterson's Favourite Spots in London

Joshua Idehen

Stockholm 

The closest thing Stockholm has to an illegal speakeasy from the 1920s. Smoky, tiny and full of surprises.

The coolest museum in Stockholm. Read that again. And it goes on 'til 10pm. Read that again.

This is where you see the best up-and-coming jazz that you can dance to before it costs an arm and a leg.

I have searched high and low, and here is the finest chicken korma Sweden has to offer. Trust me, I’m Nigerian.

I have never eaten here, but I’ve been to the poetry open mic at least three times and I can vouch for that. Guaranteed to meet a few characters every time, and the host is a gent.

Hear me out on this one: yes, I know it's a popular nightclub venue, for good reason. I went there in 2018 after a gig and four years later, I have a daughter.

7 Chill Nights Out in Stockholm with Joshua Idehen 

Yasmin

Mexico City 

I love playing at YuYu cause it’s what a real nightclub should be - a dark, sweaty little basement, a sound system you can feel in your bones and a no phones on the dance floor policy. Mostly techno & electronic music, but you can find some more soulful disco and house played here too.

A slick Japanese inspired speak-easy bar with a delicious hi-fi sound system. The house record collection is great, the cocktails are great and the heated toilet seats are also, great.

Casa Franca is a sexy spot and my favourite place to enjoy live music. They host regular Jazz and Blues nights with a rotating line-up of the cities finest musicians and the place itself has lots of cosy corners to make out with your date in also.

As a straight woman I’m probably not the one to tell you what the best Queer club night  is, but I have enjoyed many a Saturday night dancing in Sic. They always have a sick (pun intended) line-up of DJ’s and a dance floor full of friendly faces. Only open on Saturdays.

I love love love Teatro Lucido, it’s part theatre, part venue, part club, part someone’s home.. It’s a unique experience where everyone is a part of the performance, from immersive theatre to live bands to erotic poetry to DJ sets, anything can happen at Teatro Lucido. Check their instagram for dates / events.

An absolute must if you’re visiting CDMX, guaranteed good times with a live salsa and cumbia band in a beautiful Salon with checkered dance floor. Get a table with your friends, buy a bottle, order some fries and stay there dancing till 4AM. I’m not telling you to take mushrooms here but I’m not telling you not to either.

Choza is everyone’s favourite spot to be honest. Its got a vibe like no other, the food is out of this world and owner Tyler and in-house selector / MD Covagrooviest have been building a record collection full of rare and wonderful audio delights for years. On Mondays they have the “Lunes Listening Lounge” where they play 3 records in their entirety alongside guest DJ’s, friends and family. You can catch me there hanging, eating and sippin’ most weekends.

As the name suggests, this is the spot for Sunday afternoon through evening partying. Always bringing a heated line-up of international and local electronic DJs, the venue is pretty special also, located in the Historic Centre of the city on the 6th floor with killer views, definitely slide through for a sunset rave.

Yasmin's Guide to Nightlife in CDMX

Lordkez

Johannesburg

This is a collection of shops, restaurants and galleries all in one space in Johannesburg. My favourite spot to go to when I am there is called "Peachy" they have incredible "Asianesque Wings" that you need to try out. They also have live music which is always great, especially when it is Jazz!

This is one of the best places I have been to in Johannesburg. The food is incredible, the music is so nice and the overall aesthetic of the place is amazing, in fact, I shot some scenes for my music video "Sunday" in the venue. When you go there you need to ask for Katlego Mlambo, he is the head chef - award winning type of guy.

This is a really cool place to go chill on a Saturday afternoon, it is a food and drink market that happens in the city, great views, good music and tasty food is always a good combination.

My favorite part about these gardens is the river with the fish, I like feeding the fish, it is so peaceful and green. Oh, they also have ducks and ducks are really cute. Sometimes, you just need to sit under a tree and breathe in fresh air with your shoes off, this is the perfect place for this.

This is an old school cinema based in Braamfontein, which is near Johannesburg city centre. They showcase indie films there, both local and international. It's really great to spend an evening watching indie films and eating popcorn, I feel so vintage when I do that.

This place is really cool, it is a lifestyle centre made up of over 100 empty shipping containers filled with different fashion and retail stores, there are also some really cool coffee shops with great doughnuts, they sometimes have live music too, if you watching live music you need a glass of wine. South Africa has the best wine.

This rooftop is on the 15th Floor of a designer hotel in the middle of Johannesburg City Centre, the views of the city are incredible and the sunsets are even better. If you ever find yourself in this beautiful venue you have to try the Oysters, they are unbelievable.

Explore Johannesburg with Lordkez

Venna

The most legendary jazz club in London Town, I’ve been lucky to perform in & watched various musicians play. You’ll always learn something new there.

I saw Terrace Martin & Robert Glasper perform there with their group R+R (was a special one for me!) & seen some of my favourites there over the years. Also been there to perform when JVCK JAMES was supporting Ella Mai.

Amazing sax shop by Blackfriars, I can spend hours in there staring at stuff I want. They also have practice rooms you can get for the day and shell a practice.

My local OG music shop in forest hill that i buy my reeds and i get my sax serviced in, they also offer tuition if you’re trying to learn how to play or need to brush up.

My guy Jackum put me onto Nicky & he’s helped me with picking equipment over the last couple of years or so, I’ve done some wicked sessions in the recording studio they have in the back too.

My favourite record shop, the list of records I need from this place is LONG, stuff for sampling + stuff you just need in the collection. You’ll find most of records you already knew you wanted & even more you’ve never seen before. The best Black Music is sold in Sounds of The Universe, in my humble opinion.

London's Best Jazz Spots with Venna

It's bright and airy, and also has a private meeting area and a decked terrace space which is nice for fresh air or on warmer days. It never feels too crowded and the bakery is a nice bonus. I'd definitely recommend the empanadas!

There are a few options for working from here. The hot desk area is great and you can also hire out the recording studios (DJ decks and podcasts); if you need space to have a meeting with other people and use the comfy seating to chat. It's right on the river, and so nice to pop out and enjoy the view for screen breaks.

It's a jazz club by night and more of a cafe in the day. The seating area is limited but it actually means you get to interact with people. I once met a senior member of a big agency in here who was interested in connecting after overhearing about the kind of work I was doing. The hot chocolates are 10/10 too.

This gem is in the basement in one of the wings of Somerset House, great for hot desks and they also have private phone booths along with rentable lockers if there are things you want to leave there (computer monitors, keyboards, etc). Also great for meeting other freelancers and small business owners.

This one is for coffee lovers. You choose the type of beans you want and they travel via overhead tubes to the coffee machine – gimmicky but fun! The seats in the back are great for meetings and deep work.

This little independent coffee shop started in what could best be described as an alley in Croydon, and has now grown to become a central hub in the community. I like coming to soak in the pieces from local artists and grab a pint (yes, pint) of iced coffee.

This place is great for meetings and co-working, though they do have a 5PM cut off before it turns into a restaurant-slash-bar for the night. I can highly recommend the food menu, especially the pizza!

If you’re looking for somewhere quite central then this is a good option. Their decor is all horse riding themed and visually inspiring. The fresh juices are a great health kick, though on the pricier side.

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