From Crafty Classes To Outdoor Exhibits: 8 Fun Things To Do This Weekend

Stock up on your skiwear at this retro pop-up

Heading out onto the slopes soon? Get fashion ready with Coal Drops Yard’s new pop-up dedicated to retro skiwear. 

King’s Cross has teamed up with vintage stores Beyond Retro and Boutique by Shelter to launch ‘HOUSE OF SKI’, a fashion pop-up that’ll see you mountain ready in no time. Expect to find over 350 skiwear pieces at Beyond Retro, while over-the-road Boutique by Shelter has curated a selection of must-have pieces. 

London-based seamstress, design and 2022 Sewing Bee winner, Annie Phillips aka Made by Annie, has curated ten looks from Beyond Retro’s collection to rock this ski season. You’ll be cold-weather proofed in no time.

Escape the dreary weather & catch this film in cinema

The film everyone’s going to be talking about, TÁR sees Cate Blanchett take on the pivotal role of fictional musician Lydia Tár. 

Directed by Todd Field (In The Bedroom, Little Children), the film follows Tár’s journey as she’s set to conduct the most significant performance of her career. Though the film is fictional, it hopes to shed light on the pressures of the musical world, how they work and the troubles women face in the industry. Find out more about Tár.

Book in for a crafty class

Promised yourself you’d pick up a new skill this year? Put yourself to the challenge and book in for one of London’s best workshops and crafty classes. 

Whether you’re looking to learn the basics of pottery making, want to pick up a paintbrush or try out a meditation class, we’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up the best London workshops and classes.

Grab a bite to eat at London’s poshest bakery opening

A brand new opening in Chelsea Garden, Birley Bakery is the latest venture from Robin Birley, the owner and founder of private members’ club 5 Hereford Street and Oswald’s.

Executive pastry chef Vincent Zanardi and head baker Eshak Belabed will be overseeing the daily operations, offering a selection of classic French treats, as well as their own unique creations. The bakery will serve a range of bread, pastries, cakes, chocolates, ice creams and spreads, as well as takeaway coffee.

For more new openings, check out our January opening guide. 

Indulge in a fondue-fuelled bottomless brunch

What’s better than your everyday bottomless brunch? One that’s cheese-fuelled. Head over to Heritage Soho to get a taste of the sweet life and enjoy an array of classic brunch options and plenty of fondue. 

Hosted every Saturday and Sunday, this Soho spot adds a whole new twist on brunch. Choose between rosti benedict, rosti royale or rosti florentine, their twist on the brunch classics before making your way on the fondue course. 

The fondue is all-you-can-eat, using a blend of Vacherin Fribourgeois and Gryère cheese sourced from Switzerland. All served with bread, baby potatoes, pickles and your choice of parma ham, pork belly or mixed vegetables. 

Fondue doesn’t stop at the main course. Leave room for dessert and opt for either the quince cinnamon strudel, ice-cream Sundae or chocolate fondue for two.

Don’t miss Soho Photography Quarter’s latest exhibition, Fire/Flood by Gideon Mendel 

Venture out into the cold and drop by Soho Photography Quarter’s latest exhibition pop-up. On display until the end of May, Fire / Flood by Gideon Mendel brings together a series of works from Mendel’s collections, Drowning World and Burning World. 

This free outdoor exhibition takes over The Photographers’ Gallery’s new cultural space, showcasing Mendel’s response to the ongoing climate crisis. 

Drowning World is a collection of work charting floods across thirteen countries, sharing the shared human experience of the climate issue that travels across the globe. While Burning World documents the aftermath of fires that have destroyed homes, killed numerous people and burnt acres of land.

Roar with laughter at this darkly comedic theatre show, The Unfriend 

From the creators behind BBC’s Sherlock comes a dark comedy production starring Reece Shearsmith (Inside No. 9), Amanda Abbington (Sherlock) and Frances Barber (Silk).

The narrative follows Peter and Debbie who become friends with Elsa, a Trump-loving widow from Denver, USA on holiday. They agree they’ll stay in contact after the holiday ends but it’s not under Elsa invites herself over the pond to their home that they realise something isn’t quite right about her. After doing some digging online, they learn the real truth about Elsa but it’s already too late as she’s boarded her flight to London. 

The lives of themselves and their children are at stake and Elsa’s on her way to murder…

Looking for more shows? Check out the best theatre shows coming to London this year.

Grab a table at this vegan Pongal feast

Celebrating Veganuary, Tamil Heritage Month in London and Thai Pongal this weekend is Gopal’s Corner and Market Halls Oxford Street who are set to host London’s largest ‘Pongal feast’. 

Taking place on Saturday, Gopal’s Corner will be serving up a traditional Tamil vegetarian feast, with banana leaves piled with four vegan or vegetarian curries and all the trimmings. Think appalam (poppadom), dried chillies, relish, vadai (spicy savoury snack) and Pongal (traditional rice pudding). 

There are four sittings to choose from, whether you’re after a lunchtime visit or a dinner dining experience to remember.