What To Do This Weekend 17.04.21

What To Do This Weekend 17.04.21

Looking for things to do this weekend? Look no further – from a new restaurant opening to a garden festival, our What To Do This Weekend guide has plenty of options for everyone.
Photography: HAMPTON COURT PALACE

BOOK A TABLE HERE: The Red Duck, Balham

Now that restaurants are open for outdoor dining, there’s one place to have on your radar – The Red Duck in Balham. Set to open today, the restaurant will serve a range of contemporary Chinese dishes. The menu includes classics such as Singapore fried noodles, chicken chow mien and crispy aromatic duck, as well as 35-day aged ribeye with ginger and spring onions, jasmine tea smoked ribs, hakka paneer, and salt and pepper tofu. There’s also a selection of organic wines from some of London’s best suppliers on offer, too – think Vino, Tutto Wines and Newcomer Wines. Outdoor seating is expected to go quickly, so don’t delay making a reservation. 

1 Ramsden Rd, London SW12 8QX

Visit TheRedDuck.co.uk

VISIT THIS NEW STORE: Astrid & Miyu, Notting Hill

Regular SL readers will know how much we love jewellery brand Astrid & Miyu, so we’re pretty excited about their new store in Notting Hill opening today. The branch will be the first to offer all three services in store – piercing, welding and tattoos – so you can treat yourself to some post-lockdown sparkle or an inking. A great way to spend an afternoon, expect to find their signature Instagram-worthy interiors throughout. Shoppers can also purchase a range of products from small brands that Astrid & Miyu have coached and supported through lockdown – look out for dreamy homeware and accessories in store. To celebrate the launch, you’ll also get a complimentary coffee from Grind to enjoy while you shop. 

177 Westbourne Grove, London, W11 2SB

Visit AstridAndMiyu.com

GET CREATIVE AT HOME: Desert Terrarium Workshop

On Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th, Obby will host a series of terrarium workshops over Zoom so you can learn how to make a stylish desert-inspired creation at home. Using cacti and succulents, you’ll make an open terrarium to mimic the landscape of arid desert plains, while leaning fun facts about their history and how to keep them alive. Before the event, the team will send you everything you need to get started, including a glass vessel, tools, stones, soil, moss, driftwood, and a mix of cactus and succulents. Classes start at 11am or 2pm. Tickets cost £52.

Visit Obby.co.uk

The Red Duck, Balham
The Red Duck, Balham
Astrid & Miyu
Astrid & Miyu
Tulip Festival, Hampton Court Palace
Tulip Festival, Hampton Court Palace

ENJOY A DAY OUT HERE: Hampton Court Tulip Festival

Head to Hampton Court Palace this weekend to take in their annual tulip festival. Visitors can stroll through the courtyards and formal gardens to see over 100,000 tulips on display. The gardeners have also curated a unique display of 60 rare and historic bulbs and specialist varieties, including the famous Hortus Bulborum from the Netherlands. Hampton Court Gardens look particularly beautiful in the spring – don’t forget to visit the puzzle maze, which is the oldest in the world, and the National Plant Collection. The tulip festival will be available to see until Monday 3rd May. Tickets cost £15.

Hampton Court Way, East Molesey, KT8 9AU

Visit HRP.org.uk

EAT WELL AT HOME: ByRuby

Ideal for last-minute suppers, ByRuby is the new premium ready meal brand to know about. The team can deliver their tasty frozen meals to your door, so you always have a quick and healthy meal to hand. With seasonal produce, organic meat and fresh vegetables from New Covent Garden Market, there are over 30 dishes to choose from, including fish pie, beef ragu with orecchiette pasta, coq au vin, butternut and tomato risotto, cauliflower korma, three bean chilli, and miso ramen with rice noodles and tofu. You can buy individual dishes or choose from bundles so you can try a few options – we’ve got our eye on the coconut chicken curry and ‘Death by Chocolate’ brownies.

Visit ByRuby.co.uk

TUNE INTO THIS NEW PODCAST: Soft Voice

Looking for a new podcast to tune into? Soft Voice is a dark comedy about a 25-year-old estate agent called Lydia (Naomi Scott). When she was four, Lydia started to hear voices inside her head. Soft Voice (Bel Powley) and Dark Voice (Olivia Cooke) are at odds with each other, while one seeks to repress her desires, the other tries to pursue them. Soft Voice tells Lydia exactly what to do – from the yogurt she should buy to who she should date – but when Dark Voice threatens to throw everything out of balance, Lydia struggles to suppress the two conflicting voices. There are five episodes to listen to so far, and we can’t wait tune into the rest which is released later this month.

Podcasts.Apple.com 

Ride or Die
Ride or Die
By Ruby
By Ruby
Birdy Livestream
Birdy Livestream

TUNE INTO A LIVE PERFORMANCE: Birdy At Wilton’s Music Hall

Tonight at 8pm, Birdy will take to the stage at Wilton’s Music Hall for an hour-long live performance to celebrate her new album, Young Heart, which is released on 30th April. The Skinny Love and Deep End singer will be accompanied by a new band to perform a series of tracks from the album, as well as some well-known hits. It’s her first album in five years, so it’s safe to say we’re pretty excited to hear her new music, most of which was written in LA and Nashville. If you can’t make the live performance tonight, it also will be available to watch on demand. Tickets cost £16.

Visit Driift.Live/Birdy

WATCH THIS NEW FILM: Ride Or Die, Netflix

Ride or Die lands on Netflix today. Born and raised in a wealthy family, Rei (Kiko Mizuhara) has lived a life without need. One day, she hears from Nanae (Honami Sato), who she had feelings for in high school, and the two women are reunited for the first time in ten years. However, Rei’s happiness is short-lived as she is shocked to see that Nanae is covered in bruises as a result of domestic violence suffered at the hands of her husband. When Nanae tells her friend that she feels cornered and fears for her life, Rei tells her: “Your husband should disappear.” Hearing this, Nanae mutters: “If so, could you kill him?” A dark and gripping film, you’ll be hooked from the first five minutes.

Visit Netflix.com

GET THE DRINKS IN: OXLEY Cocktails

If you’d rather stay in this weekend, ensure your drink selection is ready to go courtesy of OXLEY Gin, in which has collaborated with some of London’s best bars. Celebrating the gimlet cocktail, Swift, Nine Lives and Three Sheets have created their own twist on the classic drink which traditionally contains gin and lime cordial. Each limited-edition drink is available to purchase throughout April from selected retailers. We can’t wait to try Swift’s ‘Elderflower Gimlet’ which contains OXLEY Gin, white wine, Aquavit, cordial, and a dash of orange bitters – the ideal alfresco aperitive.

Visit SpeakeasyAtHome.co.uk

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