How To Make The Most Of Your Weekend Starting This Friday

Head here for a BBQ party

For this Saturday’s foodie pick, Godet on Essex Road is opening its garden for a one-off Vietnamese-inspired barbecue party with Ling Ling’s on the grill and Two Flints brewery taking over the taps.

The menu is built around bún chả, with guests choosing from barbecued lemongrass pork, beer-brined chicken in ginger, citrus and garlic, or a smoked aubergine option with spicy sesame sauce, all served with rice noodles, pickled carrot and daikon and a fermented pineapple hot sauce. Book fast, this one will sell out.

Where: 382 Essex Rd, London N1 3PF
Book here

Try this irresistible pizza collaboration

Two of London’s most beloved food institutions have just joined forces to create a pizza that is well worth trying this weekend.

Crust Bros has teamed up with Vivek Singh’s Cinnamon Kitchen to put a Butter Chicken Pizza on their menu, and it’s as good as it sounds. Vivek’s signature butter chicken sits on Crust Bros’ classic Neapolitan dough with fior di latte, coriander chutney and pickled ginger, served with cucumber raita for crust dipping, with a Butter Paneer version available for vegetarians. Available at Crust Bros Covent Garden and Waterloo from September 8th, this may just be the collab of the month.

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

Try one of the best roasts London has to offer

If the colder weather calls for one thing, it has to be a Sunday roast, and few places are doing it better than The Parakeet in Kentish Town. Expect all the classic trimmings alongside signatures like hay-smoked chicken, whole grilled sea bream with piperade and braised leeks with pecorino sauce and smoked mushrooms, all with that extra depth of flavour that only comes from cooking over fire. It’s available every Sunday from 12:30pm and well worth the trip to NW5.

Where: 256 Kentish Town Rd, London NW5 2AA
Website: www.theparakeet.com

Pick up these limited-edition treats

If you’re in Notting Hill this weekend, there are two very good reasons to make a bakery detour. The Barbary Notting Hill has teamed up with its much-loved neighbour Layla for a four-day collaboration running from 10th to 13th September, with two exclusive bakes available across the two sites.

At The Barbary, a fig leaf custard tart with poached apricot, apricot jam and almonds is available for £9, while over at Layla on Portobello Road, a delicate baked rice pudding croissant tart with apricot and saffron jam and a caramel disc on top is available for just £6.50, with only 30 made each day. Both are available for four days only, so get there early before they sell out.

Where: 112 Westbourne Grove, London W2 5RU / 332 Portobello Rd, London W10 5SA
Website: www.thebarbary.com / www.laylabakery.com

Try this themed afternoon tea

With the Bayeux Tapestry returning to the UK for the first time in almost a thousand years, The Montague on the Gardens has created one of the most perfectly timed afternoon teas in the city to go with it.

Just a three-minute walk from the British Museum, the elegant Bloomsbury hotel is serving a Bayeux Tapestry-inspired afternoon tea daily from 1pm to 5pm, with delicate sandwiches, freshly baked scones and intricately themed pastries all served in the hotel’s conservatory overlooking the gardens.

Where: 15 Montague St, London WC1B 5BJ
Website: www.montaguehotel.com

Enjoy late-night drinks here

Head to Mitsu at Aethos London Shoreditch for an evening that seamlessly bridges East Tokyo izakaya culture with East London flair. You will walk into a stunning, moody space filled with red ambient lighting, vinyl DJ sets, and a decadent central bar.

The menu centres around vibrant sharing plates, featuring freshly prepared sushi alongside smoky dishes cooked directly over the open robata grill. Pair your meal with a craft cocktail or a brimful glass of saké to kick off an unforgettable weekend night out in the city.

Where: 10-50 Willow St, London EC2A 4BH
Website: www.atheos.com

Pick up a free Joe & the Juice breakfast

If you’re passing a Joe and the Juice this week, it’s worth getting there before 10am. To celebrate the launch of its brand new breakfast menu, the brand is giving away free freshly made breakfast wraps every morning from 9th to 13th September at selected London locations including Regent Street, Kings Road, Canary Wharf and North Audley Street, while stocks last. The new menu includes made-to-order wraps as well as yoghurt bowls, overnight oats and kefir chia pots.

Where: venues across London
Website: www.joeandthejuice.com

Room 86

Hidden underneath Japanese wood-fired restaurant MOI, Room 86 (formerly The Listening Room) is an intimate hideaway that’s been quietly making the case for Soho’s best late-night spot.

The venue blends a premium audiophile experience with dedicated genre nights, ranging from Old School Hip Hop on Tuesdays to Deep House paired with curated sakes on Thursdays. With its community-driven feel and late-night edge, whether you’re dropping in via its dedicated entrance or slipping downstairs after dinner, it’s the perfect space to enjoy a drink this weekend.

Where: 86 Wardour St, London W1F 0TQ
Website: www.room86.com

Visit this free Amy Winehouse exhibition

Marking the 20th anniversary of Back to Black, a free outdoor photography exhibition celebrating Amy Winehouse’s life, music and legacy has transformed 30 art benches across Granary Square and King’s Boulevard in King’s Cross into an open-air gallery.

It’s free, it’s open to all, and it runs until October 15th, so make sure to book in your visit.

Where: King’s Cross
Website: www.kingscross.com

Book your tickets for this must-visit cultural event

The Bayeux Tapestry has returned to England for the first time in almost a thousand years, and if you haven’t secured your tickets yet, consider this your official reminder to do so. Following a historic agreement with France, the 70-metre embroidered masterpiece depicting the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of 1066 is on display at the British Museum until July 2027, and it is every bit as extraordinary in person as you’d hope.

Where: Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG
Book here

Discover this textile installation

For this weekend’s cultural billing, The Westin London City’s Threads of Renewal installation is worth seeking out.

Created by textile sustainability artist Dr Katherine Soucie, the striking artwork transforms retired hotel linens into a powerful visual exploration of circular design, textile waste and renewal, centred around a symbolic door representing the transition from consumption to conscious choice. Visitors are invited to become part of the installation by donating unwanted clothing and textiles, allowing the piece to evolve as a collective expression of positive environmental action.

Where: 60 Upper Thames St., London EC4V 3AD
Website: www.marriott.com

Head to Somerset for This Harvest Lunch

If an afternoon of seasonal live-fire dining in the Somerset countryside sounds like exactly the kind of thing you need right now, Pharmacy Field Kitchen has two dates left this month, and they are well worth the trip. Across Saturday and Sunday, Merlin Labron-Johnson and his team are returning to Coombe Farm in Somerset for long, leisurely lunches celebrating the September harvest. £95 per person, including wine throughout, this is the kind of afternoon that is very hard to beat as summer gives way to autumn.

Where: Roundham, Crewkerne, Somerset, TA18 8RR
Book here

Head to Daylesford for an annual sheepdog event

If you are looking for slightly alternative weekend plans, the International Supreme Sheepdog Trial is back for its 120th year. The premier championship is coming to Daylesford for the very first time, with world-class handlers competing across the weekend against one of the most beautiful backdrops in England.

Beyond the trials, there’s Le Chameau welly wanging, live craft demonstrations, Hawkstone lager and Daylesford’s own organic cider to keep things going.

Where: Daylesford, Gloucestershire, GL56 0YG
Book here