What’s New
Pulse Club Sauna
Pulse Club Sauna have opened their first flagship in Fulham with the am of making sauna and ice bath culture a regular and affordable routine. Urban Village LDN were invited down for a sneak peek before they officially opened this weekend. As soon as we stepped through their doors on the North End Road we were given a warm welcome before heading down to check out the main space where the community sauna and four ice plunge pools are located. The interiors are stunning think soft lighting, bare brick walls, wooden cylindrical plunge pools and waterfall showers all combining to make what feels like a relaxing social space.
We caught up with co-founder Keiran to find out more. “I wasn’t particularly keen on saunas or gyms and everyone knows about the science behind hot and cold therapy. I’d been invited to try it in East London and really didn’t want to go but I’d been having problems sleeping so thought I’d give it a try. When I came out I felt great and I slept well that night. We want visitors at Pulse to leave feeling better than when they started. The sauna culture is growing in the UK although it’s been around in Scandinavia for 100 years. We’re not here to compete with gyms we want friends to come in, socialise and we’ve made it as affordable as we can to be built into routines not seen just as a treat. We’re not for super fit gym guys we’re an inclusive welcoming space for everybody”.
Pulse Club are opening next in Putney and we asked why Fulham first? Keiron told us “we weren't looking to target Fulham, we looked at sites across London but North End Road had life to it and we thought we’d compliment the fitness studios around us. The area has great transport links and a broad mix of people. We learnt a lot building the Fulham club and our aim is to roll out in similar areas not Zone 1 but more residential areas. We’ve had a great response from our early taster sessions and the local community has been really supportive”.
The opening offer, three sessions for £30, has proved popular so hurry and head to the link below to see if there are any slots left, limited to the first 100 people. Standard pricing will be off peak £17 (Mon - Fri before 5pm) on peak £22 and they will be announcing guided classes and memberships soon.
Common Pizza
Common Pizza has opened where Ollie’s used to be in Parsons Green and when we walked past recently it looked extremely lively! The name we assume comes from their original open air hangout on Clapham Common, by the skate park, which proved to be a bit hit when they opened in spring last year.
Fulham is their first restaurant and you can expect New York style thin crust and deep pan Detroit style pizza. After you’ve picked what style you’re going for, next chose your pizza (red, orange, green or white) then your sides (salads, easy bites including buffalo wings and mac and cheese). They have a great selection of dipping sauces, choose one or go for all five (no double dipping if you’re sharing). They also have a made without gluten menu, not for those with serious allergies as they use the same oven, but if cross contamination isn’t an issue they have gluten free pizza and also a made without gluten vanilla and strawberry or peanut butter cheesecake.
The space and interiors pay homage to an American style diner and the soundtrack reflects the sounds of Detroit and the streets of New York with hip hop, Motown, techno and American classics playing. It seems like Common Pizza have got off to a great start since opening on Parsons Green Lane and have looked busy so take note, they take walk ins only (groups of 8 or less). Get in touch if you’ve got a bigger group and if there are queues, don’t panic we’ve been told they seat people pretty quickly.
Get Set Swim
You’ve probably seen hoardings up at Fulham Island by Farm Lane for quite a while now but that is set to change as Get Set Swim are getting ready to open very soon. Fulham is the fifth and newest location for this swim club designed with warm, calm pools and small classes. Their instructors help children and adults swim with confidence and learn at their own pace. Parents can either relax whilst their children are having lessons, enjoy a cuppa, catch up on emails, or watch the lesson and siblings can play safely in a dedicated play area.
Get Set Swim was founded by Claire Harrison, a swim school expert with over two decades of experience, after becoming frustrated by the common challenges families faced with traditional swimming lessons; spaces that felt cold and unwelcoming, chaotic changing rooms and inconsistent teaching.
Get Set Swim began with a few classes and has grown into a community of more than 8,000 families and adults. Get Set Swim aren’t just for parent and baby or children’s classes, their instructors also help adults from nervous beginners to supporting fitness, open water and triathlon goals.
We can’t wait to see this space finally unveiled and brought to life after years of not being used and boarded up. If you’re interested there are free trails on offer and early bird bookings for the month of April. To find out more about lessons and the Get Set Swim approach head to the link below.
Kokodoo
After serving authentic crispy Korean fried chicken from food trucks across the UK, catering outside stadiums and corporate events since 2016, Cordon Bleu trained chef and founder Mary Yoon and the team behind Kokodoo picked Fulham as the location for their first flagship diner.
The offer here is pretty simple battered boneless Korean fried chicken where you chose a base (sticky rice or skin on chips) and a glaze (including sweet & spicy, fiery chilli, honey glazed). Alternatively enjoy grilled marinated chicken, hot wings or a kimchi chicken burger. This award wining team cook chicken fresh for every order, no hot holding!
We of course approve that they chose Fulham for the flagship and it was exciting to watch the effortlessly cool interiors go up at an impressive rate. We love the stainless steel shop front, lightbox menus, warm white interiors and red branding. They’ve also been holding live DJ sessions on a Saturday night. Next time you’re heading off to catch a bite before a film at Vue why not pop in to Kokodoo at 8 Fulham Broadway, order the Korean chicken option of your choice and take a seat at their communal table.