I recently went to the launch of Primo Bar‘s new Ladies’ Night.

The team at Primo has created a chic environment in which we womenfolk can catch up on the gossip, relax and enjoy a great value cocktail (just £4!) 

On the launch night they had a make-up bar by Benefit and a “hair-do-overs” bar by hair accessory designers Pearl & Ivy. It was a great excuse to try out some new products and the perfect antidote to a cold winter’s evening.

Women attending the next Ladies’ Night, on 6 January, can get style and fashion tips to kick off the New Year from fashion designer Dragana Perisic, stylist Yasmine Elsai, make-up artist Natasha Bloom and fashion photographer Yong Zhiyi. 

Ladies’ Night will be a regular feature at Primo Bar, the first Thursday of every month. And before the gents start whinging, the other side of Primo bar is open for everyone between 6 and 8pm. 

Ladies Night at Primo Bar, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge. Free entry 

I attended the beginners’ class taught by Nathan Brade  in the Primo bar, which has a great view over Westminster Bridge. We went through the basic moves and beats and after a few practice runs of the steps we were paired up.

With more ladies then men (always the way), it was great to see some of the pros step in and expertly lead the way.

What I didn’t realise about salsa was how glamorous it is- forget dancing in flats – here the higher the heel the better!

Dressing up to dance makes it into a real occasion and a fun Friday night out. The best thing is that you can be totally comfortable going on your own as it’s not at all imposing and everyone was super-friendly and just wanted to dance.

The teacher was great, and the band were incredible, as were the regular salsa goers who really knew their stuff.

The bar also served some wicked Cuban cocktails, which really gave me some confidence to get dancing when the band started. I didn’t really have much choice as the instructor, Nathan, twirled me around the room!

The best bit of the night came when he told me to relax my knees and suddenly my legs were in the air and my head near the floor. I had been professionally salsa “dipped” and even though it probably looked a complete mess, I felt so graceful and it was brilliant fun.

Salsa night at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge is every Friday from 8pm. Free for hotel guests and £8 for everyone else

On Saturday night I went to the shiny new Park Plaza Westminster Bridge to see the legendary Natalie Cole perform.

Natalie wowed the audience with her amazing vocals, energy and glamour (she was dressed in a short sparkly dress, big statement earrings and the ultimate accessory of a glittering microphone!)

It’s no surprise that a woman who knew Frank Sinatra as “Uncle Frank” knows how to put on a good show and Natalie received a standing ovation. She worked her way through classics and covered songs by some of the greats including Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington.

Celebrity spot of the night was Bruce Forsyth in the audience (he received a polite round of applause just for walking to his table!)

But the highlight of the evening was a “duet” of Unforgettable between Natalie Cole and her late father, Nat King Cole. Natalie sung live, while archive footage of Nat King Cole played on two big screens.

Next up at the Park Plaza Hotel Westminster Bridge is Paul Young on 11 December 2010.  £95 per ticket, includes four-course meal and concert. Book tickets.

To be in with a chance of winning, submit a photo of your favourite view of London to www.myviewoflondon.org.uk under one of three categories – people, places or escapes.

The competition is being run with charity Fight for Sight to raise awareness of the importance of eye research in preventing future sight loss.

You may have some tough competition as Joan Collins OBE is one of several celebrities who have sent in a photo.

The closing date for entries is 11 June 2010 so best get snapping this weekend!

Visit www.myviewoflondon.org.uk for more information.

Aristotelis beat off stiff competition from around the world (6,000 bartenders from 24 countries) to become 2009 World Class Bartender of the Year. 

The hotel’s general manager spotted Aristotelis in a newspaper and decided they just had to have him create a bespoke cocktail list for the hotel bar, Primo.

Passing the Houses of Parliament, we saw the huge building looming in the distance. This is a hotel of vast proportions: 1,000 bedrooms, two huge revolving doors at the entrance, multi-coloured light installations for walls, and not one but three receptions on the first floor.

We pitched up on stools at the bar and shook hands with a tired-looking Aristotelis. He’d flown in from Greece for just a week to set up the bar and train the bartenders; the next day he was headed off to host the heats of the 2010 World Class Bartender of the Year awards in Korea.

Still, he pushed on through and entertained us with a crash-course in some of his unique concoctions.

Here is a man who likes grapes – they seemed to feature in more than half of his cocktails, either within them or on top as a garnish. When he wasn’t adding grapes to his drinks, he was busy tossing them in the air and trying to catch them on the end of a toothpick suspended in his mouth!

We worked our way through a Vita Vini (vodka, red seedless grapes, lychee juice, Prosecco and lemon juice), Ginger Grape Daiquiri (Havana rum, lime juice, fresh ginger and white grapes) and my personal favourite Vodka Crème Brulee (vanilla-flavoured vodka, Frangelico, Grand Marnier and cream).

Looking around, I was surprised to see the bar was already quite full – despite having just opened – with a mix of hotel guests, businessmen and even Boris Johnson (although he slipped on his bike helmet and snuck off before I got a chance to nab him for a photo).

After we’d drunk our way through Aristoteli’s entire list and made Pinday the PR promise to invite us back when the hotel restaurant opens (watch this space), we wobbled off into the night a tad tipsy. What a great start to the weekend.

If you ever swing by, do let us know which one of the cocktails is your fave.