The catwalks of London Fashion Week and awards show after parties remind us all that London really is at the centre of all things stylish. The glitterati come out to paint the town red and London’s sexiest restaurants, bars and hotels are filled with the great and the good.
If glamorous parties (or, more likely, craning your neck to peer into them) isn’t your thing then London has plenty more besides. From a bar crawl that stretches from N16 to E1 to a new play on at the National celebrating Britain's NHS, this is everything to see, eat, drink and do this weekend.
The hot table: Big Night
No, not the film — Big Night in this case is the latest small plates restaurant to hit East London. Inspired by Japanese izakayas, the space is centred around British-leaning staples, with added Asian-inspired touches. Think lamb hearts with XO sauce and beetroot with daikon and green chilli. Everything is cooked over coals. It’s affordable, too, with dishes starting at £8, and sides from £4. A perfect serve alongside a cold one. Or two.
177 Morning Lane, E9 6LH, bignight.info
The old favourite: KOBA
Good Korean BBQ is fun and best shared with loved ones. Linda Lee’s KOBA is among the best around. Plates of meat, mushrooms and vegetables arrive with palpable generosity and are set about the table’s communal grill. It’s fun without ever being a gimmick and there’s an immediacy to this kind of straight-off-the-fire eating. For a lunch in town, expect to pay under £35 per head all in, which these days feels a steal.
11 Rathbone Street, W1T 1NA, kobalondon.com
The drinking den: Bar Kinky
London really loves a speakeasy. As a city, there will never be enough slightly secretive underground hideouts to satisfy the collective thirst of those seeking booze-fuelled revelry. Bar Kinky is new and found underneath Kinkally, a Georgian restaurant in Fitzrovia. As is de rigueur these days, expect creativity and savoury flavours throughout the drinks menu. In the “Nature” cocktail: bourbon, porcini mushrooms and Pedro Ximenez.
43 Charlotte Street, W1T 1RS, kinkally.co.uk
The crawl: Margarita Mile
Today (February 22) is National Margarita Day. For those who simply desire a salty rim and a spicy marg, the “Margarita Mile” bar crawl (from February 19 until 25) will be where to spend a significant portion of this weekend. There are a whopping 26 bars taking part, from Stoke Newington’s Red Hand to the Paloma Café in the City. Best bet is to hang around near Great Eastern Street, as the biggest collection of bars are clustered here (Alfie’s, Apothecary East, Umbrella Workshop and Bar Kick to name a few). The Star in Shoreditch is doing two for £12 Margs before 8:00pm to get things going.
Across East London, starinshoreditch.co.uk
The culture fix: Nye
Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan, the father of the NHS, is said to be the man to have had the greatest influence on British politics without ever becoming Prime Minister. Nye is described as a “Welsh fantasia”, telling the story of Bevan's life — from coalfields in Wales to high office in Westminster — through a series of captivating lucid dreams. Actor Michael Sheen lends significant gravity to the titular role whilst the outgoing Rufus Norris of the National Theatre directs. Opening this weekend, this one will be a very hot ticket.
Olivier Theatre, South Bank, SE1 9PX, nationaltheatre.org.uk
The art fix: Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind at Tate Modern
While both TATE Modern and Britain have been hosting LFW events this past week, the career retrospective for Yoko Ono at Modern feels like a return to the institution’s artistic roots. In fact, the exhibition is a delightful expanse, described by the Standard's own Ben Luke as “a tautly structured argument for Ono’s place as a major figure in conceptual and performance art”.
Until September 1, Bankside, SE1 9TG, tate.org.uk
The ticket to book now (for later): Diengo Chou at Viajante87
Renowned Costa Rican chef Diengo Chou is set to join Viajante87 for a one-off dinner celebrating the best of Latin American culture as part of a cultural exchange. Paired with cocktails taken from one of the region’s best bars, Selvática Social Club, Chou’s menu will feature little-known ingredients like pejibaye, or heart of palm, and mirliton squash, a variety local to Costa Rica. These rare, prized ingredients will be a part of dishes served alongside four signature cocktails.
Tickets £95, March 12, 87 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JZ, viajantebar.com
The other ticket to book now (for later): Empire Empire x Begging Bowl
Empire Empire, the self-proclaimed “disco-themed” Indian restaurant in Notting Hill, is set to host a series of collaborative dinners this March. Caravel, Le Bab and the aforementioned Big Night are all getting a look in, but Peckham's Begging Bowl caught our eye most of all. Jane Alty, the restaurant's founder and executive chef, will bring a menu of Thai-leaning skewers including “muu ping”, marinated grilled pork neck with tamarind, and a fiery sea bass curry with cauliflower.
