Autumn always means a slew of new exhibitions and this year is no different; some big blockbusters have just opened as well as a timely one for Black History Month. We’ve got plenty of treats for you to check out this weekend.
1. #NordicSpiritNights Pop-Up
Nordic Spirit, the No.1 Nicotine Pouch in the UK is popping up in Soho with #NordicSpiritNights, an immersive experience set within a cosy Nordic forest. During the day the space will host a pop-up shop where you’ll be taken on a mutli-sensory journey inspired by Nordic Spirit’s Swedish heritage and flavours and get to sample the products. Come evening, there’ll be sunset suppers where you can feast on a Nordic-inspired menu and watch the Northern Lights whilst a guest DJ spins the tunes.
Sat 17th October 2020
10 Argyll Street, London W1F 7TQ
nordicspirit.co.uk
2. London Cocktail Week 2020
It’s been a challenging year for the drinks industry but things are looking up, especially as London Cocktail Week, the city’s biggest celebration of booze and bars, is back for 2020. As with previous years, one £15 festival wristband gets you access to £6 signature serves at hundreds of bars (all with high health and safety protocols in place).
Sat 17th & Sun 18th October 2020
Various locations
londoncocktailweek.com
3. Try the new brunch menu at Rondo at The Hoxton, Holborn
Rondo is the all new modern British restaurant at The Hoxton, Holborn from the William Lander (Quality Chef House) and Chris Gillard (ex head chef of St John for 15 years) who come with a weekend brunch menu to blow your socks off. Think Reuben hash, salt beef, pickles with mustard mayo and crunchy peanut blood cake with devilled fried egg bun. Hello…we know you’re into it.
Sat 17th & Sun 18th October 2020, 11am – 4pm
199-206 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7BD
thehoxton.com
4. Hot 4 U x Swift Brunch
To celebrate London Cocktail Week Swift has teamed up with pop-up kitchen Hot 4 U for a series of one-off brunch menus to showcase Havana Club’s Pro Edicion range. Hot 4 U duo Matthew Scott and Eddy Tejada will be creating new dishes specifically designed to be paired with one of the Havana Club Pro Edicion rums A, B, C and D. To go with the food, the Swift team will be shaking up bespoke cocktails using each of the rums as well as nodding to Hot 4 U’s use of local and seasonal ingredients. You can book a table by emailing Swift and there will be some walk-in spots available too.
Sat 10th October 2020, 11am – 4pm
93 Great Eastern St, London, EC2A 3HZ
barswift.com
5. Get Noodes as Supa Ya Ramen Dishes Them Out At Lucky Joy In Clapton
Kings of super (and soupy) noodles Sup Ya Ramen will be ladling out 100 bowls of ramen at Clapton favourite Lucky & Joy this weekend from 12pm sharp. That’s about as much information as we’ve got, but we all like a mystery, right? And those who dare to venture will be handsomely rewarded. Some of Sup Ya’s cultish concoctions have included bowls of celeriac, caramelised white miso and soy milk soup, gammon chashu, butter pickled onions and a soft egg; or a smoked bacon, morel and truffle mapo tofu with an extra egg. Fight you to the death for the last bowl.
Sun 18th October 2020, 12pm
Lucky & Joy, 95 Lower Clapton Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 0NP
luckyandjoy.co.uk
6. Bake For Beirut At Borough Market
Everyone loves a bake sale. Everyone especially loves a bake sale organised by two big names in London food: Clerkenwell Boy and Arabica. And when the bakes in question come from some of the city’s top bakeries and all the proceeds go to support those affected by the devastating explosion that rocked Beirut, Lebanon earlier this year, well… Plans are getting cancelled. That’s all we’re saying.
There’ll be sweet treats from Big Jo, the latest outpost from the guys behind Jolene and Westerns Laundry; Skye Gyngell’s Spring; The Good Egg and so many more. We’ve been stalking Clerkenwell Boy’s Instagram to see what’s in store, and we have seven words for you: tahini, chocolate and pistachio mini bundt cakes.
Sat 17th October 2020, 11am – 2pm
Borough Market, 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL
Boroughmarket.org.uk
7. The Bridge Theatre Is Back With A New Season Of Shows
So we all hate coronavirus. What else is new. But if there’s one tiny silver lining to come out of all this, it’s forced some of the most forward-thinking, creative industries out there to think in even more pioneering ways. In what world, for example, would you expect to watch a one-person play acted by none other than Ralph Fiennes or Tamsin Greig? The Bridge Theatre by Tower Bridge has cracked the code to socially distance performances, cutting down on the number of actors and crew. And because they’ve also cut back on audience numbers to make sure everyone’s the requisite distance apart, the theatre experience feels all the more personal, too.
Thurs 27th August – Sat 31st October 2020
3 Potters Fields Park, London SE1 2SG
bridgetheatre.co.uk
8. Made You Look
In honour of Black History Month, photographer Julian George and Gaucho and M Restaurants’ Executive Chef Mike Reid have curated a collection of portraits celebrating Black talent in hospitality. Made You Look features the likes of Zoe Adjonyoh, James Cochran, Kerth Gumbs, Nokx Majozi and William Chilila and aims to highlight the fact that BAME talent in the industry is underrepresented. The portraits will be on display at M Restaurant Victoria Street, Sketch and Boxpark for the whole month, so be sure to check them out.
Sat 17th & Sun 18th October 2020
Various locations
@mikereidchef
9. Get A 7” In You
Have you got room for a bit of mystery and 7” in your life? Stop sniggering at the back – we’re referring to something very worthy, you know. Secret 7″ is back for 2020 and this seventh show is the last and final round. The concept is the same: seven tracks from seven of the best-known musicians around are pressed to 7”. 100 editions are created, and they go up for auction on 1 November. What’s the secret? Well you won’t know which single you’ve bought or who designed the sleeve, until you’ve parted with your cash. The singles this year include Aretha Franklin’s ‘One Step Ahead’, Bob Dylan’s ‘Blind Willie McTell’, and Koffee’s ‘Toast’ and the likes of Anish Kapoor, Lubaina Himid, Gavin Turk, Jeremy Deller, Hattie Stewart and Michel Gondry are amongst the designers, so you could well end up with a mini masterpiece. The exhibition will be held at NOW Gallery in Greenwich with the auction happening digitally. With all profits going to Help Refugees, it’s a 7” worth going that extra mile for
Weds 14th October – Sun 1st November 2020
NOW Gallery, The Gateway Pavilions, Peninsula Square, Greenwich Peninsula, London, SE10 0SQ
secret-7.com
10. Hit The No.3 Gin Rooftop Party
The new James Bond movie may be delayed again but you can still recreate a bit of that 007 magic at home thanks to the new pre-bottled Vesper Martini from No.3 Gin. The four-time winners of the World’s Best Gin have teamed up with Alessandro Palazzi of DUKES in Mayfair (known for serving up the best Martinis in town) to create the cocktail. To celebrate the launch, No.3 Gin is taking over the Selfridges rooftop for the rest of October, with a series of interactive (and socially distanced) events throughout the month. Martini Mondays will see No.3 Gin hook up with DUKES, The Gibson and Bar Swift to shake up unique takes on the Martini. There’ll also be Martini masterclasses, taste-tests and history lessons – but the fun kind, we promise. Tickets cost £40 and include 10% off the pre-bottled Vesper Martini, a branded tote bag and No.3 Gin print. Email to book your spot.
Until Sun 1st November 2020, 12pm -10pm
no3gin.com
