What To Do This Bank Holiday Weekend: 26th-28th May
It’s here; the second May Bank Holiday! These last couple of months have been good to us when it comes to four day weeks and we need to make the most of this one because after this we have to wait until August… So how should you fill it? With plenty of brunches, street food, festivals, cocktails, beaches and rooftops, that’s how. We have your Bank Holiday weekend plans sorted.
Borough Market
Day of Pizza
Borough Market is a foodie paradise anyway but this weekend it will become even more so when The London Pizza Festival rolls into town. Stick with the classic margherita or go more experimental – there are 5 pop up pizza stalls each serving their take on the classic. Tickets include a glass of pale ale.
Sunday 28th May
Where: 8 Southwark Street, Southwark, SE1 1TL
Website: www.youngandfoodish.com
Sofitel London St James
Floral Gin Cocktail
Sofitel London St James have teamed up with Egerton Pink Gin for the duration of the Chelsea Flower Show to create a cocktail of the same name. The specially created Egerton Gin cocktail is made with rose liqueur and will transport to an English garden – tickets to the flower show not necessary.
Available until the end of May
Where: Sofitel London St James, Waterloo Place, London, United Kingdom
Website: www.sofitelstjames.com
GALA Festival
Festival in the City
This weekend, Brockwell Park will be transformed into GALA Festival for a whole day of disco, soul, funk and street food. Honest Burgers, Made of Dough, Forza Win, Kricket and Fatties Bakery (those brownies…swoon) are just some of the big independent names on the foodie line-up and as for the acts – you’ll hear DJs from Paradise Garage a stage takeover from Horse Meat Disco and a David Bowie tribute set from Late Night Tuff Guy.
Sunday 28th May
Where: Norwood Road, Herne Hill, SE24 9BJ
Website: www.thisisgala.co.uk
Skylight
Rooftop Activities
Skylight is the latest summer rooftop destination, over in Tobacco Dock. The 600-capacity venue will feature bars on each of the 3 levels, street food from We Serve Humans and Yiro and traditional English lawn games like croquet and petanque.
From Thursday 25th May
Where: Tobacco Dock, Wapping Lane, E1W 2SF
Website: www.skylightlondon.com
Mews of Mayfair
Al Fresco Afternoon Tea
Al fresco dining makes Mews of Mayfair stand out from the competition and if you’re already familiar with it then it’s time to head back pronto because their new afternoon tea isn’t sticking around. Here for the duration of the Chelsea Flower Show, the tea is suitably botanical thanks to a strawberry and hibiscus trifle, chocolate and nasturtium mirror cake and violet macaroon. The theme isn’t limited to tea – the cocktail menu has had a floral makeover too.
Until 4th June
Where: 10 Lancashire Court New Bond Street W1S 1EY
Website: www.mewsofmayfair.com
Pergola Paddington Central
Eagerly Awaited Summer Pop-Up
It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: Pergola on the Roof, aka our favourite summer rooftop destination, is finally opening the doors to its new Paddington home. Get excited for Pergola Paddington Central, West London’s newest, largest al fresco drinking and dining experience, open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Food comes courtesy of Patty & Bun, Mamalan, DF/Mexico, Decateur and, for the health-conscious, Raw Press.
Where: 5 Kingdom Street, Paddington Central, W2 6PY
Website: www.pergolaontheroof.com
Brixton Beach
Rooftop Beach
Where better to spend your bank holiday than a rooftop beach in Brixton. Brixton Beach returns this Friday fully-loaded with DJs, street food, cocktails and sand. Summer film screenings, beach barbeques and daily exercise classes are also promised so round up your mates and head over.
Friday 26th May
Where: Pope's End, Brixton, SW9 6JH
Website: www.brixtonrooftop.com
Ben's Canteen
Beer and Brunch in Battersea
Boozy brunch, it’s normally the realm of prosecco and bellinis – but what about beer? Maybe beer wants to get involved too. So Ben’s Canteen in Battersea are going to host a beer brunch in collaboration with We Brought Beer, where each dish is paired to a different beer. Wash down your fried chicken benedict with a Five Points IPA or accompany your smashed avo with a Kona Longboard.
Where: 140 St John's Hill, Clapham Junction, SW11 1SL
Website: www.benscanteen.com
Maddox Club
#LifesaBeach
Bank Holidays are great for holidays – the clue is in the name, but if you don’t have time to jet off to the beach then that’s ok, we hear you, as does Maddox, because they’re hosting a beach party on Sunday. You’ll have DJ Yakir Elia on the decks, summer cocktails, sweets and all the beach accessories and toys you’d expect to find on holiday. They’re encouraging you to wear swimwear too, good thing it’s forecast to be warm this weekend.
Where: 3-5 Mill Street, London W1S 2AU, United Kingdom
Website: www.maddoxclub.com
100 Wardour St
All the Brunch
The Bank Holiday calls for extra celebrations and how do we celebrate? With brunch, obviously. As if it’s even a question. Looks like 100 Wardour St does too because they have two brunches this weekend. On the Saturday, they’re embracing all things Flower Power as part of their Spring Blossom City campaign with floral cocktails, live music courtesy of DJ Basil Percussion and the girls from Elite Squad London Glitter to make everyone shimmer. Then on Sunday they will be hosting Brunch 100 – The Bank Holiday Edition, where they’ll be hosting their bottomless brunch for the first time on a Sunday, because we all have to make the most of no work on Monday.
Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May
Where: 100 Wardour Street, Soho, London, W1F 0TN, United Kingdom
Website: www.100wardourst.com
Madison Restaurant
Rooftop Views and DJs
Rooftop views, DJs, cocktails and brunch – sounds like a dreamy Bank Holiday weekend. This weekend at Madison DJs will include Belle + Bex and Sugar Kube Trio; brunch will include black pudding, hash browns, wild mushrooms and fried duck’s eggs, cocktails feature plenty of gin and on the view front, you have the iconic St Paul’s.
Saturday 27th – Monday 29th May
Where: Rooftop Terrace, 1 New Change, St Pauls, London, EC4M 9AF, United Kingdom
Website: www.madisonlondon.net
The Petersham
Floral Cocktails
If you’re into gardening then a Bank Holiday weekend is the ideal time to spend some time outside tending to it, or in more likely in London, watering the few plant pots we have in our windows. Of course you can also show your appreciate for flowers with a floral cocktail at The Petersham. Escape inner London and head to the Richmond hotel, for their floral cocktails – Summer’s Garden and Passionfruit Bloom made from vodka and passionfruit liqueur.
Available now
Where: The Petersham Hotel, Nightingale Lane, Richmond, TW10 6UZ
Website: www.petershamhotel.co.uk
The Wonderland Collective
Boutique Market
The Wonderland Collective are back with their biggest and best pop-up to date. Taking place at The Broadway Bar & Grill in Fulham, the pop-up will be full of creative designers, makers and artisans from across London, so you can stock up on presents for upcoming birthdays, weddings or you know when you just fancy a treat for yourself. Traders include Bottlebee, Rebecca Buttons, Home Address, Happy Little Dolphins. As it is summer, the Bank Holiday and their largest pop-up there’ll also be a DJ and plenty of cocktails!
Sunday 28th May
Where: The Broadway Bar & Grill, 474-476 Fulham Road, SW6 1BY
Website: www.eat-me-drink-me.co.uk
Skylon
Children Eat Free
If you’re brunching with children this weekend, then we suggest Skylon. Why? 1) you have great views out across Southbank and the Thames 2) children under five eat free 3) children over five get 50% off and 4) they have live jazz on Saturday. Do you need more reasons? Ok, the menu includes the likes of Croque Madame, Brixton crab, spinach, brown crab, béchamel sauce and hollandaise and grilled Scottish salmon with English asparagus and hollandaise.
Saturday 27th – Monday 29th May
Where: Royal Festival Hall, London SE1 8XX, United Kingdom
Website: www.skylon-restaurant.co.uk
StrEATlife
Eat Your Way Around the World
If Bank Holidays aren’t the perfect time for street food and craft beer, then we don’t know when is. The sun’s going to be shining, you’re not going to have to worry about setting your alarm, and for a lot of us, we’ll have just been paid. StEATlife is North London’s biggest street food festival, where you can eat your way around the world at Alexandra Palace. Traders include Le Bao, Mother Cluckers, Bodeans, Rainforest Creation and Whole Food Heaven. On Saturday you’ll be eating to a soundtrack of live music and on Sunday it’ll be the turn of the DJs. If you can’t make it this weekend, then don’t worry they’ll be back in throughout the summer.
Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th May
Where: Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, N22 7AY
Website: www.streatlife.alexandrapalace.com
Avenue Restaurant and Bar
American Brunch
Avenue’s American brunch is running from 12pm – 4pm every day this weekend, which means you have plenty of time for that all important lie in before you stock up on the likes of buttermilk pancakes with bacon and truffle mac n cheese and if you want bottomless bubbles- then it’s just a short walk to Green Park where you can sleep it all off in the sun.
Saturday 27th – Monday 29th May
Where: 7-9 St James's Street, London, SW1A 1EE, United Kingdom
Website: www.avenue-restaurant.co.uk
Quaglino's
1920's Brunch
Quaglino’s are stepping back into the party era – the 1920s with an all-day brunch party that Jay Gatsby would be proud of himself. There’ll be bottomless bubbles, indulgent brunch dishes such as ham and gruyère omelette and sets from DJ Dave Delgado.
Saturday 27th May
Where: 16 Bury Street, London, SW1Y 6AJ, United Kingdom
Website: www.quaglinos-restaurant.co.uk
