12 Wonderful Ways To Spend Your Weekend In And Around London

Book a table at this riverside pub

If this weekend calls for a well-earned pub lunch, I’d strongly advise you head straight to the Waterman’s Arms in Barnes.

The menu is produce-driven and changes with the seasons, with dishes like Utah beach oysters and comté toast. On Sundays, big sharing plates come out, including spit roast piri-piri chicken, lamb shoulder with green sauce and porchetta with fennel relish. Add a glass from the wine list, which leans towards minimal intervention and orange bottles, or a Daisy Marie with mezcal and passionfruit, and it’s an easy place to lose an afternoon. Dogs are welcome downstairs, and a portion of tables is kept for walk-ins, so you can drop in on the day.

Where: 375 Lonsdale Rd, London SW13 9PY
Website: www.watermansarms.com

Try this buzzy new opening

Jones’ Crumpets is opening its first permanent café on Golborne Road this month. The menu features larger crumpet-based dishes, including a hero breakfast and two savoury plates that work from morning to afternoon, plus a grab-and-go offering with house-made toppings.

Everything is available in any of the brand’s four flavours: Classic, Double Cheese, Cheese and Chive, and Dark Chocolate with a molten centre. Allpress coffee is on the menu too, making this a very good new reason to wander down Golborne Road.

Discover more November openings here

Where: 44 Golborne Road, W10 5PR 
Website: www.jonescrumpets.com

Watch this luxe light switch-on

Mayfair’s most glamorous street gets its festive glow this Thursday, when Bond Street closes to traffic for an evening of Christmas magic. Expect champagne and a festive DJ set at Montblanc, panettone from Etro, crêpes from Jimmy Choo and hot chocolate from the likes of Fendi and Burberry, plus musical façades from Cartier and Chanel, a roaming brass band and Santa outside Ferrari. The lights go on between 6 and 7pm after a live countdown, and it’s free to attend with no tickets needed.

When: 6pm, 12th November, 2026
Where: Bond Street, Mayfair, London W1S
Website: www.bondstreet.co.uk

Book a restorative massage at this pop-up

If your body is craving a reset before the festive season kicks in, Meanwhile at MASAJ is a very good place to start. While its Charlotte Road studio is being revamped, the bodywork brand has moved around the corner to Unlocked on Curtain Road, turning a pop-up into a sensory retreat of candlelight, scent and surround sound, with eight treatment rooms built from timber and woven canvas. The treatment menu matches its permanent studios, from deep tissue and sports massage to pregnancy massage and restorative full-body sessions, and every one is shaped around you rather than following a script. The pop-up also has a new ritual called In Our Hands, where you tell your bodyworker how you want to feel and leave the rest to them. It’s open daily until 6th December, and vouchers from £27.50 make it an easy gift too.

Get into the Christmas spirit at this pop-up

If you’re looking for an excuse to start feeling festive, Chelsea Peers is bringing a little Christmas magic to Covent Garden Piazza this Saturday.

The lifestyle brand’s one-day pop-up has hot chocolate on offer, a festive phone box that’s made for photos and exclusive discounts for anyone who stops by. There’s also the chance to win a pair of the brand’s signature pyjamas, which feels like the most fitting prize imaginable for the cosiest time of year.

Where: Covent Garden
Website: www.chelseapeers.com

Book into the ultimate staycation

If you’ve ever wanted a suit cut from scratch, The Pelham in South Kensington has just made it a lot more appealing. The townhouse hotel is now home to the first UK atelier of Maison Leoni, the Rome-born bespoke tailor whose clients have included members of the Royal Family, with every garment made in Loro Piana and Zegna cloth.

To mark the opening, the hotel has launched The Well-Suited Experience, a stay that includes breakfast, a welcome bottle of fizz and a private first consultation in the atelier, where you’re measured and can explore the cloth. A finished piece is typically ready about six weeks later, and it’s all moments from the V&A and the Natural History Museum. Rooms start from £355 a night, and the atelier is also open to non-residents by appointment.

Where: 15 Cromwell Pl, South Kensington, London SW7 2LA
Website: www.thepelham.com

Get in the festive spirit here

For an atmospheric holiday evening in the heart of the City, head to The Ned this Friday, as choirmaster Gareth Malone leads his choir through a stirring mix of traditional favourites and contemporary festive hits.

Guests can soak up the grand former banking hall’s festive spirit with standing tickets from £75, or upgrade to seated spots at Nickel Bar for £150 with half a bottle of Perrier-Jouët Champagne included. For the ultimate indulgence, Millie’s Lounge and Cecconi’s are serving a decadent three-course dinner for £195 per person alongside prime views of the performance. Tables and tickets are strictly limited, making early booking via The Ned’s website essential for this landmark holiday celebration.

Where: 27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ
Book here

Try out this reformer Pilates class

Following its London debut in Shoreditch this summer, JETSET Pilates has just opened its second UK studio in Fitzrovia, and it’s already tipped as the it-spot for Pilates girls.

Bringing its signature 50-minute reformer workout to 72 Margaret Street, the studio is a modern spin on classic reformer Pilates, pairing controlled, spring-based movement with dynamic sequences and curated music for a challenging full-body class.

Where: 72 Margaret St, London W1W 8SU
Website: www.jetsetpilates.com

Treat yourself to a proper pampering session

Looking for the perfect weekend treat? Pop down to one of Edward James Salons’ four luxury salons in Battersea, Balham, Putney or Richmond for a dose of self-care, from a polished cut and bespoke colour to an indulgent hair treatment.

The award-winning group is known for its personal approach and beautiful interiors, and the Handbook girls are hooked. Products from Aveda, Oribe and Beauty Works are used throughout, while extensions are their known speciality. Founder Edward James, a Beauty Works Global Ambassador, creates natural, seamless transformations, from a subtle boost of volume to extra length, with tapes, nano rings, micro rings and wefts all on offer.

Where: Venues across London
Website: www.edwardjames.com

Spend an evening inside Nyetimber’s Sussex estate

If you’ve ever wanted to see behind the scenes at one of England’s most celebrated sparkling wine producers, Nyetimber is opening its Manor Estate in West Chiltington for a rare winter dining experience taking place this weekend.

The evening will begin with a sparkling reception and canapés, followed by a four-course seasonal menu from Executive Chef and former MasterChef winner Steven Edwards, inspired by the South Downs and built around estate-grown produce. Each course is paired with one of Nyetimber’s wines, finishing with the pinnacle of its winemaking, 1086 by Nyetimber.

Where: Nyetimber Vineyard, Gay Street, West Chiltington, Pulborough RH20 2HH
Book here

Escape the city to explore world-class art

If you’re craving an inspiring autumn weekend break beyond the capital, swap London’s familiar museum halls for the UK’s vibrant regional art scene.

From coastal pavilions to rustic farmstead sculpture compounds and pioneering photography archives, some of the country’s most exhilarating cultural spaces sit just a short train ride away. Pack a weekend bag and browse our full curated guide to the 8 best art galleries to visit outside of London.

Secure tickets to this essential Christmas experience

Winter Wonderland returns to Hyde Park for Christmas 2026, with gates opening on 19 November, and this year’s line-up is a real treat. The new Magical Ice Kingdom presents Neverland is the one to see: step through the Jolly Roger into a frozen world carved from over 500 tonnes of ice and snow, with a donation from every ticket going to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.

Elsewhere, Gandey’s K-Pop Dragon Circus makes its London debut, and booking early online unlocks savings of up to 25%, with £1 tickets available Monday to Thursday throughout November.

when: 19 November 2026 – 3 January 2027
where: Hyde Park, Serpentine Road, London, W2 2UH
website: www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com