9 Things To Do This Weekend In London

Visit this season’s coolest pop-up at Harrods

Just when we didn’t think London could get any cooler, Louis Vuitton teamed up with artist Yayoi Kusama for a mega collaboration.

Instantly recognisable for Kusama’s polka dot prints, you’ll have probably seen one of their many location takeovers pop-up on your social feeds since launching last week. London’s very own collaboration sees Harrods transformed by Kusama’s iconic world. 

You’ll find everything here, from limited edition Louis Vuitton accessories, fragrances and clothing to a pop-up exhibit taken from Kusama’s work. You may even find an AI version of Kusama popping up around the collection too… 

Feeling peckish? Stop by the patisseries counter on the ground floor and sample edible artworks, from choux buns to colourful macarons.

When: Until 13.02.2023 
Where: Harrods, Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL 
Website: www.harrods.com

Don’t miss the opening weekend of Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons 

The Serpent star Jenna Coleman and Poledark’s Aiden Turner will star alongside each other in the highly anticipated Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons. No, I didn’t just press paste on my keyboard four times by mistake, this is the lengthy title of Sam Steiner’s debut play. 

Swaying from convention, this story sees a lawyer and a musician fall in love in a pet cemetery. As if that wasn’t unusual enough, a new law in their country states that every person can speak a maximum of 140 words a day. Follow as the pair become accustomed to the new bill, navigating their lives through silent notions, from sign language to charades, eye contact and even playing the drum to tell the other how they feel.

Looking for more new theatre? Check out the big theatre shows arriving this year.

When: Until 18.03.2023 
Where: Harold Pinter Theatre, Panton Street, SW1Y 4DN
Book here

Celebrate Chinese New Year at this dim sum masterclass

Lunar New Year is this weekend and Yauatcha City is going all out to celebrate. The popular Cantonese dim sum teahouse in Broadgate Circle will be celebrating the Year of the Rabbit with an exclusive menu, dessert, cocktail, macarons and pineapple pastries, all inspired by traditional Chinese favourites.

Want to give dim sum making a go for yourself? The restaurant will be kicking off its 2023 classes with an exclusive Chinese New Year dim sum masterclass. Guided by their talented team, you’ll have the chance to learn how to make steamed, fried and baked dim sum, delving into the tricky world of folding techniques.

Look forward to making six different types of dim sum, alongside a lunch of crispy duck salad, their limited edition floral scallop cheung fun and of course your dim sum creations. Plus a sweet sesame bunny petit gateau for pud. 

Looking for more celebrations? Check out our guide to the best Chinese New Year events.

When: 21.01.2023 
Where: Broadgate Circle, EC2M 2QS
Website: www.yauatcha.com

Don’t miss Saatchi Gallery’s exhibition, Bitter Nostalgia 

You may have missed this one in the lead-up to Christmas but it’s definitely worth experiencing this weekend before it closes next week. UK based Gallery BEERS London are showcasing Bitter Nostalgia at the Saatchi Gallery, an exhibit highlighting works from artists Hyangmok Baik and Adébayo Bolaji. 

The exhibition is a celebration of nostalgic themes, from memory to emotion, the past and our processes of recollection as both individuals and the public. Celebrating activism and historicity, this is a collection that should be seen.

When: Until 25.01.2023
Where: Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Road, SW3 4RY
Website: www.saatchigallery.com

Banish your January woes at this light show

Thought all of the light shows were finished for the season? Think again. This month sees Canary Wharf’s annual Winter Light Show return for its seventh season.

Running from 18th – 28th January, Canary Wharf will be transformed into an illuminated haven, home to 20+ installations. Showcasing work from the world’s greatest light artists, head down this January to see everything from a family of giant mammoths at Riverside to a fibre-optic tunnel in Wood Wharf.

When: Until 28.01.2023
Where: throughout the estate, canary wharf, E14 
Website: www.canarywharf.com

Book in for a Mediterranean taste sensation at Carousel

Bringing a slice of the Mediterranean to a dreary January in London is Carousel’s next foodie pop-up. 

Translating as ‘little party’, Little Jarana is a laidback bistro that pops up every summer in the Mallorcan coastal village of Deiá. Led by Abraham, renowned for his culinary travels and time at Michelin-starred ‘Terra’ in Sant Feliu de Guíxola, Catalonia, this Carousel pop-up will be bringing flavours inspired by his travels. 

Expect dishes such as mackerel, citrus egg; bonito, almond and cauliflower; razor clams with lardo and chipotle; chicken, seeds and radicchio; and pears, amontillado and cream.

When: Until 21.01.2023
Where: Carousel, 19-23 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 1RL
Website: www.carousel-london.com

Enter Mayfair’s very own ‘Winter Forest’

Proving January doesn’t have to be the dreary month we think it is 34 Mayfair and their brand new ‘Winter Forest’ pop-up. 

On display until Friday 24th February, head over to the Mayfair restaurant to experience their colourful installation and cocktail menu in full effect. They have teamed up with Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin to curate a special limited-edition gin-based cocktail menu, featuring the likes of the ‘Monkey Club Fizz’, featuring Monkey 47 Schwarzwald Dry Gin, raspberry, rose and Champagne; and the ‘Papagallo’, a riff on the classic ‘Jungle Bird’, made with Monkey 47 Barrel-Aged Gin, pineapple, lime, passionfruit and gentian.

The restaurant has been dressed up too, with a magical archway greeting you upon entering and a red flower-filled terrace.

When: Until 24.02.2023 
Where: 34 Mayfair, 34 Grosvenor Square, W1K 2HD
Website: www.34-restaurant.co.uk

Grab a bite at London’s hottest brunch spot

Still on the hunt for London’s best brunch? We’ve found a serious contender for you. Introducing Sunday in Brooklyn, the NY restaurant serving up some of the finest breakfast dishes America has to offer right here in London. 

From giant fluffy pancakes topped with hazelnut maple praline and brown butter to cheddar scramble with Long Island potatoes, toast and your choice of bacon, sausage or avocado, these are dishes designed with a little – ok, a lot of – indulgence. 

Home to stylish Brooklyn-inspired interiors and anecdotes, you’ll feel as though you’re strolling streets from across the pond.

Where: 98 Westbourne Grove, W2 5RU 
Website: www.sundayinbk.co.uk

Book ahead for Angler’s special tasting menu

Executive chef at Michelin-starred Angler Restaurant, Gary Foulkes, has teamed up with tea specialists, Lalani & Co, for an intimate one-night dinner on Thursday 26th. 

The special tasting menu will kick off with a welcome Matcha cocktail and canapés before featuring dishes such as sea bass tartare with oyster cream, green apple and shiso; steamed wild turbot with squid ink noodles, katsuobushi dashi and Japanese mushrooms; and Yorkshire rhubarb with white chocolate, pistachio and ginger beer. All of the dishes will be paired alongside tea with tasting notes from the founder of Lalani & Co, Jameel Lalani.

When: 26.01.2023
Book by emailing cyinthiac@southplacehotel.com

Try your hand at chocolate making

Fancy trying out something a bit different? Book yourself in for a chocolate-making masterclass. Over at Hotel Chocolat’s Monmouth Street branch, you’ll find the chocolate maestros offering intimate classes perfect for parties, anniversaries and team-building sessions. 

You’ll be guided through the art of chocolate making, learning the ins and outs of roasting, conching and tempering, before being guided through the grinding cocoa nibs process. You’ll be taught Hotel Chocolat’s tricks of the trade, even sampling a few goodies along the way.

Where: Cocoa Vaults, 4 Monmouth Street, WC2H 9HB 
Website: www.hotelchocolat.com