So, you’ve got some spending money available in your bitcoin wallet and you’re wondering about where you could spend it in the real world, rather than simply making online purchases with it.
More and more bricks and mortar places are accepting bitcoin payments as the digital currency gradually becomes more mainstream. In theory, it’s now possible to spend a whole weekend in London using only bitcoins to pay for it. Let’s take a look at a few of the ways you can spend bitcoins in the UK’s capital.
Eat up, drink up!
A number of different food outlets now take bitcoin, including some of the big chains like Starbucks and Subway. But some of the independent bars and restaurants – like burger restaurant Bit Bourbon in Camden Lock – accept bitcoin payments too. If it’s cakes and coffees you’re craving, head to the Sawmill Cafe and Bakery in West Ham Lane, Stratford – the award-winning cafe also handles bitcoin transactions.
There are a number of bars and pubs that take bitcoin too, such as the Pembury Tavern in Hackney. This was the first London pub to accept the digital currency back in 2013.
Source: Sawmill via Facebook
Get some entertainment
There’s so much entertainment that’s free in London that you won’t necessarily need to draw down from your bitcoin wallet to have fun.
Walk down the Embankment or through Covent Garden or Leicester Square and it’s sometimes difficult to get round the crowds of onlookers watching different street entertainers’ acts.
Many of the nation’s finest museums are located in London and offer free entry to visitors. You could spend an entire weekend exploring The British Museum and still not see half of what it has to offer, for example. Founded in 1753, this institution houses more than eight million items that illustrate human history from the dawn of time to the present day.
However, if you want to have some amusement while you’re waiting for a bus or tube, or just having a bit of downtime in one of London’s beautiful spaces like Green Park or Hyde Park, then you could always play bitcoin games on your phone. It’s as easy now to place bets with bitcoins as it is with a fiat currency and specialist bitcoin casinos are the most logical places to play. If you want to find out more about the ins and outs of bitcoin gambling, the Bitcasino website has a guide that makes for a good read to clue you in on the basics. A couple of lucky games may end up boosting your weekend spending account; you never know!
Source: Hostelbookers via Facebook
Stay the Night
Although a number of different travel websites can provide you with London accommodation that can be paid for in bitcoin, Clink Hostels take bitcoin payments directly. Clink78 and Clink261 are located near King’s Cross and St Pancras stations and in traditional hostel-style, offer a vibrant social setting as well as somewhere to sleep. Just note that to pay for your stay in bitcoin, you need to email your booking request rather than booking online, and they’ll sort out the reservation for you.
Without a doubt, it’s entirely feasible to spend a weekend in London using only your bitcoin wallet. You may just need to do a little forward planning and map out the places that accept bitcoin before you get there.
