Keep warm but stay looking cool as the big freeze bites

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London is all a-shiver. As daily weather reports breeze in with news of imminent snowstorms and freezing temperatures, we've pulled out our bedsocks to sleep in and have become accustomed to walking on frost-dusted pavements or crunching down on gritted roads and train platforms. Sure, we could go for a bracing walk in Hyde Park, but what everyone really wants at the moment is a cosy place in which to reheat for a few hours. If you haven't snuggled up under a rug by the radiator, here are our top 10 suggestions on where to keep warm in the city this week.

Palm House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
What: Home to London's tropical plants and trees and the biggest, steamiest greenhouse in town.
Where: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (£13.90/adults, £11.90/concessions; kew.org)
Heat rating: 25C average but gets up to 40C in certain parts.

London Fields Lido, Hackney
What: Unlike the Serpentine, you won't come out blue and shivering at London's only 50m heated outdoor swimming pool.

Grab your bikini and plenty of towels.
Where: London Fields Lido, London Fields Westside, E8 (£4.30/adults, £2.60/under 15s; hackney.gov.uk)
Heat rating: 25C

The Ship, Wandsworth
What: If you haven't stationed yourself next to this gastropub's open kitchen to watch burgers or bangers sizzling away, there's a massive roaring log-burner in the middle of the pub to stave off frostbite.
Where: 41 Jews Row, SW18 (theship.co.uk)
Heat rating: 27C

Porchester Spa, Bayswater
What: Two Russian steam rooms, three Turkish hot rooms and a
Finnish-style log sauna. Get as hot as you dare.
Where: Porchester Centre, Queensway, W2 (£25.65, gll.org)
Heat rating: Up to 53C

Butterfly Paradise at London Zoo, Regent's Park
What: A huge toasty inflatable tunnel with butterflies from all over the world flying freely overhead.
Where: Regent's Park, NW1 (£18.50/adults, £15.10/children, zsl.org)
Heat rating: 25C

The Old Queen's Head, Islington What: A heaving boozer with live music to dance to, an ancient fireplace and sofas to fall asleep on.
Where: 44 Essex Road, N1 (theoldqueenshead.com)
Heat rating: 25C

Dean Street Townhouse, Soho
What: Book in for a Soho Sleepover: take a hot date to dinner and if there's space upstairs after 11pm you can book in to a hotel room for £50 so you won't need to step outside until morning.
Where: 69-71 Dean Street, W1 (deanstreettownhouse.com)
Heat rating: Max 27C - you get to control the in-room heaters

Mangal Ocakbasi, Dalston
What: Dalston's best Turkish no-frills joint selling spicy minced lamb kebabs from a hot charcoal grill.
Where: 10 Arcola Street, E8 (mangal1.com)
Heat rating: Enough to turn your cheeks red. Stand next to the grill.

Foxcroft and Ginger, Soho
What: A cosy independent coffee house with mountains of cakes, hot sandwiches, seriously good flat whites in china cups and a cosy seating area downstairs.
Where: 3 Berwick Street, W1 (foxcroftandginger.com)
Heat rating: 24C

Bikram yoga, Primrose Hill
What: Yoga in a sauna - it will heat you up and make you sweat profusely so bring an extra layer for the cool-down period.
Where: 200 Regents Park Road, NW1 (£15/drop in; bikramyoga primrosehill.com)
Heat rating: 45C

PS
If your tongue's got the chill, Selfridges has just launched the "hottest chilli vodka on the high street", Naga Chilli Vodka (£39.99). With a Scoville scale (the measurement of the hotness of a chilli pepper) of 100,000, they recommend having a glass of milk handy in case you can't handle the heat ...