10 Cool Things To Do This Weekend
This weekend sees the return of some of London’s favourite summer activities, from food and literature festivals to polo in the park, best enjoyed with a dose of summer sun.
With the season, of course there are afternoon teas to enjoy and new outdoor brunches to visit – and we’ve got you covered with a list that can take you from food to fashion. Read on for our picks of what to do this weekend:
Soho Food Feast
Soho Food Feast is back for its 12th year with food stalls, live music, cooking demos, panels and workshops from some of London’s best restaurants including The Devonshire, Cecconi’s, Fowl, Andrew Edmunds, Jamie Oliver and Gunpowder.
To kick things off there’s a ticketed dinner on Friday hosted by founder Margot Henderson OBE of Rochelle Canteen, which will have a series of guest chefs each cooking a dish to form part of a six-course menu. Tickets are running low, so book soon!
When: 7th to 9th june
where: ST ANNE’S CHURCHYARD GARDENS, WARDOUR STREEt, W1D 6LB
Website: event.bookitbee.com
Polo in the park
This annual three-day polo event returns to Fulham’s Hurlingham Park, known to be the home of polo, with a full programme of events for the family. There are pitch-side bars, beautiful gardens, a Friends themed pop-up, champagne receptions and afternoon teas that you can book. Plus, plenty of games and activities for the kids on Family Day Sunday. And if you’re actually there to watch the polo, you can look forward to a thrilling England versus USA game.
When: 7th to 9th June
Where: Hurlingham Park, fulham
website: www.polointheparklondon.com
A Japanese style brunch
This carefully curated brunch menu offers flavours inspired by traditional and contemporary Japanese cuisine, paired with exquisite teas. You can enjoy dishes such us the signature seared nigiri, tuna tartare nori tacos, stir fried soba noodles, grilled sea bass, maki rolls and more, all paired with Japanese teas and some exquisite cocktails. Plus, your meal will be accompanied by live music from Japanese folk duo, Hibiki Ichikawa and Akari Mochizuki.
When: 9th June
Where: 50 Great Cumberland Pl, The Prince Akatoki
website: brunch-at-tokii-midori
An immersive fashion exhibition
Luxury streetwear brand Charles Jeffrey LOVERBOY, popularly worn by the likes of Harry Styles, Gwen Stefani and Tilda Swinton, will be exhibiting a behind-the-scenes look into the fashion house at this exhibition. Focussing on the artistry of its processes through a space designed in LOVERBOY’s signature maximalist style, the immersive show will be a good one to attend for anyone interested in learning about the creative processes behind fashion.
when: 8th June to 1st September
where: somerset house
website: my.somersethouse.org.uk
Taste of London
Taste of London celebrates its 20th year of bringing London’s favourite restaurants together in the ultimate summer food festival. There are cooking classes with Michelin-starred chefs, cocktail masterclasses, live DJ sets, artisan producer markets, a champagne garden, craft beer tastings and lots more to enjoy. Highlights on the line-up include Farzi London, Milk Beach, Faber, Roka, Norma and other stellar London restaurants who will have their signature dishes for sale here. Book ahead to make sure you don’t miss your spot!
When: 12th to 16th june
Where: regent’s park
Website: london.tastefestivals.com
JLF London
Jaipur Literature Fest London is returning to the British Library this year with an exciting line-up of speakers in a programme designed to shine a light on South Asia’s multilingual literary heritage. Some highlights to look forward to include novelist Elif Shafak in conversation with William Dalrymple, Hamnet author Maggie O’Farrell talking about her new novel The Marriage Portrait and BAFTA winning Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur discussing his life in films.
when: 7th to 9th June
Where: british library, 96 Euston Rd
website: jlflitfest.org/london
Afternoon tea at a secret garden
Over 100 gardens in London, normally closed to the public, will open their doors this weekend. Celebrating its silver jubilee, London Open Gardens gives visitors access to some of London’s most well-kept secret gardens and in honour of the event, The Montague on the Gardens has organised a special afternoon tea to enjoy in the Montague Street Gardens, a participant in this year’s event. If tea, champagne, cakes and sandwiches in the garden sounds good to you, go ahead and book a spot.
When: 8th and 9th june
Where: The Montague on the Garden
WEbsite: montaguehotel.com
A food market to raise funds for Gaza
This food market at St James’s Piccadilly will have some of UK’s chefs and food writers coming together for a cause. The Souk el Salam (Peace Market) offers some delicious food in aid of the Amos Trust, an organisation working to raise funds for Gaza, and MAP (Medical Aid for Palestinians) and the food market will feature great chefs, producers and suppliers selling some delicious food and drink. Also on the cards is a retail corner featuring spices, chutneys, oils and more to add to your kitchen cupboard.
When: 9th june
Where: St James’s Piccadilly
Website: www.amostrust.org/souk-el-salam
British Ice Skating Pride Disco
In honour of Pride month, the ice skating rink at the beautiful Alexandra Palace will come alive with dazzling lights and you can skate to your heart’s content with the backdrop of your favourite queer anthems, at this disco held in partnership with British Ice Skating. Open all year round, the skating rink is one of the highlights of the palace, and is open to everyone from beginners to pros – so head there this weekend with your best skating fits on.
when: 8th june
where: Alexandra Palace, N22 7AY
website: www.alexandrapalace.com
One to travel for:
Icons of British Fashion Exhibition
Celebrating the history of British fashion over the years, this exhibition celebrates bespoke designs from 12 world-class British designers at the largest fashion exhibition that the palace has seen till date. Titled Icons of British Fashion, the exhibition has a dedicated room in the palace for each designer, with some incredible designs on display by the late Dame Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney, Zandra Rhodes and more. It’s the perfect place to get a glimpse of the evolution of British fashion, and a great spot to visit if you’re planning to travel out of London this weekend.
When: Until Sunday 30th June
where: Blenheim Palace, woodstock, oxfordshire
Website: www.blenheimpalace.com
