We may not have had a lockdown but 2022 was another year of extremes, and there’s still the big C (that’s cost-of-living crisis, not Coronavirus) looming large. We had the Platty Jubes and the Queue, 40-degree days and not being able to afford heating, the Lionesses brought football home and the Three Lions didn’t, war raged in Ukraine and a lettuce outlasted just one of the three Prime Ministers we had this year. Here’s what made LOTI over the past twelve months…
1. The Best Sunday Roasts
One of our fave things to do is go out for a Sunday roast and it seems like you lot agree – it really doesn’t come much better than a plate piled high with crispy potatoes, perfectly cooked tender meat, Yorkshire puds, and most important of all, plenty of gravy and an extra jug of it on the side.
2. Exhibitions, Particularly This One
From blockbuster art shows to immersive exhibitions, getting your culture fix in London has never been easier, but there was one installation that caught everyone’s attention this year. Aussie artist CJ Hendry had ten tonnes of recyclable white petal paper confetti fall from the ceiling of an old East End church as part of her Epilogue exhibition, and it had you queuing round the block to get in.
3. The Best New Restaurant Openings
Keeping up with the best new restaurants in London is a full time job and we’ve made sure that you’re always in the know so you can lead your mates and dates around the coolest new places around town by constantly updating our curated selection of the best new restaurant openings. And you can get a jump start on the best new openings for 2023 with this lot.
4. My Dad Wrote A Porno Live
We bring you info on all kinds of events but there was one that you went wild for this year. Smash hit podcast My Dad Wrote A Porno went back on the road this year after having to pause their live shows during the pandemic, and demand for Jamie Morton, James Cooper and Alice Levine diving deeper into the story of Belinda Blinked went through the roof.
5. The Best Swimming Spots
We’ve really had both ends of the spectrum when it comes to weather this year from freezing temperatures and December snow to 40-degree days in the summer. And 40 degrees in London is not a fun time, so it’s no surprise that you were searching out all of the places to cool off with a dip.
6. HP Sauce, Baked Beans and Mayo Flavoured Ice Cream
Queen of pop-ups Anya Hindmarch opened the wackiest ice cream parlour in town this summer, taking products that would typically be found in the pantry and putting them in the freezer instead. Her Ice Cream Project Store served up scoops of HP Sauce, Heinz Baked Beans, Lea & Perrins, Kikkoman Soy Sauce and Heinz Mayo flavoured ice creams and you couldn’t get enough.
7. FELT ‘R’ US
After bringing us the Bourdon Street Chemist last year, internationally acclaimed artist Lucy Sparrow came back with another mega felt creation. FELT ‘R’ US was fully felt superstore featuring her greatest hits, including 6-metre long The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Lunch, the felt operating theatre Triple Art Bypass, and Before the Arguments Begin, a fully loaded felt Christmas dinner table.
8. The Best Pubs in London
After the ever-changing restrictions of last year – remember when we could only socialise outside? – we all made up for lost time by getting back inside the pub, and if there’s one thing London knows how to do better than anyone else, it’s the pub.
9. Pleasing Pop-Up
Harry Styles brought his beauty brand Pleasing back to London and just in time for the holidays (and to mark the brand’s first birthday) and you loved it. The pop-up shop was stocked with Pleasing nail polishes, cosmetics and clothing, and of course, the space itself looked very aesthetically pleasing too.
10. Dior Cafe
Harrods was living its best Hansel & Gretel fantasy with the gingerbread-themed Dior Cafe pop-up, with Dior motifs, gold tableware, a luxe food menu, and little Dior perfume and handbag-shaped gingerbread biscuits.