What To Book In London This August

GET THE GIRLS TOGETHER HERE: Rooftop Film Club

Whether you’re a diehard Disney fan or a hopeless romantic, the Rooftop Film Club has you covered this month. With the heatwave due to continue, grab yourself some sunset cocktails and meet your friends at the Bussey Building in Peckham for films such as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and La La Land. Over on Rooftop East it’s all about the ladies as their celebration of women in film means screenings of Girls Trip and Pretty Woman – and if you miss the good old days of floppy-haired Hugh Grant, they’ll also be showing Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral towards the end of the month.

Various locations; throughout August

Visit RooftopFilmClub.com
 

MIX CULTURE AND COCKTAILS HERE: Rio Cinema x Untitled

Tony Conigliaro’s restaurant and bar Untitled has announced its next wave of eclectic films showing as part of its ongoing collaboration series with Rio Cinema, kicking off with D.A. Pennybaker’s Monterey Pop – an ode to the wild spirit of the 1967 pop festival. For just £20, you’ll start with a plate of yakitori skewers from the open charcoal grill and an ice-cold Asahi Super Dry beer in Untitled’s Moon Garden, before heading over the Rio Cinema for the screening – with a cocktail created by Tony and his team thrown in for good measure. Music fans should keep an eye on the schedule to see such gems as the Ian Curtis Biopic Control.

538 Kingsland Road, London, E8 4AH; 2nd August, 23rd August and 26th September

Visit Untitled-Bar.com
 

GO ON A BIKE RIDE HERE: Picnics And Pashley Bikes

What better way to enjoy this balmy British summer than with a bike ride and a luxury picnic? The Kensington Hotel wants you to make the most of this glorious weather by getting out an about on one of their custom-made Pashley bikes, followed by a traditional cream tea. Explore the tree-lined avenues of Kensington and take a pit-stop for some scones in Hyde Park, complete with picnic blanket – and not forgetting the all-important bottle of British bubbly, Ridgeview Cavendish Brut, to quench the thirst from all that peddling.

109 - 113 Queen's Gate, South Kensington, SW7 5LP; throughout August

Email info@townhousekensington.com to book.
 

GET INVOLVED IN A SING-ALONG HERE: Little Shop Of Horrors

Is there anything better than a trip to the theatre? Yes, actually – when that theatre is in the great outdoors in the middle of summer. This month’s play at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the musical greats, Little Shop of Horrors. Sing along to classics such as Somewhere That’s Green with Seymour and Audrey (played by Marc Antolin and Jemima Roper), and gleefully boo bad man dentist Orin, played by Busted’s Matt Willis.

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Inner Cir, London NW1 4NU; 3rd August – 15th September

Visit OpenAirTheatre.com
 

BE AT ONE WITH NATURE HERE: Beautiful Allotment

Created by the team behind the Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings, Beautiful Allotment is a newly-launched homely drinking and dining experience. Roaming ‘garden-tenders’ with wheelbarrow bars bring drinks to guests as they lounge on sofas among plants, and for those looking for a bite to eat, the food will be almost entirely BBQ-led and locally sourced, with delicious and ever-changing wholesome platters of vegan, vegetarian, fish and meat options.

Geffrye Museum, 136 Kingsland Road, London, E2 8EA; until 26th August

Visit BeautifulAllotment.com
 

TRY SOME NEW TIPPLES HERE: Rathfinny on the roof

To celebrate the recent launch of their Sussex sparkling wines, Rathfinny Estate has joined forces with Soho’s renowned Ham Yard Hotel to offer a decadent al fresco summertime rooftop tasting experience. ‘Rathfinny on the Roof’ will present guests with the opportunity to taste Rathfinny’s recently-released Blanc de Blancs 2014 and Rosé Brut 2015, as well as three cocktails using their unique Seven Sisters gin on Ham Yard’s exclusive rooftop garden, complete with stunning views of the London skyline.

1 Ham Yard, Soho, London W1D 7DT; 6th August – 19th August

Visit designmynight.com to book tickets

SATIATE YOUR BBQ CRAVINGS HERE: Dram & Smoke

For two nights only this August, pop-up restaurant Dram & Smoke is landing in a warehouse in north London for an epic summer party that’s all about great drinks and even better meat. Beast Feast, just moments from Tottenham Hale station, is set against the raw backdrop of a semi-outdoor warehouse. The project takes a pop-up with a penchant for the best of British produce and adds a dramatic fire rack cooking device (that looks part barbecue, part medieval torture chamber) and creates the flavours and ambience of an adventure by the campfire. For £40, guests are welcomed into the vast industrial space with a Nitro Whisky Spritz cocktail, followed by a two-course family-style feast menu, including slow-cooked iron-crossed goat marinated in chilli, garlic and rosemary; miso and chipotle mussels; and cedar smoked pork ribs – so wear your stretchiest trousers.

Stronghold, 18 Ashley Road, Tottenham Hale, N17 9LJ; 10th & 11th August

Visit DramAndSmoke.com
 

GET A SLICE OF THE SEASIDE HERE: Searcy’s St Pancras Pop-Up Beach Bar

Sit back and enjoy art, Champagne, Plymouth gin cocktails a fusion food menu that celebrates the best of UK and France in Searcys’ St Pancras Champagne Bar this summer. The renowned station bar has partnered with Perrier-Jouët to create Club 150, an elegant beach terrace that effortlessly transports guests to France’s best coastline without even getting on the Eurostar. Each Saturday over the summer months, DJs will provide a chilled soundtrack and for special occasions, a dedicated VIP area worthy of St Tropez, with room for up to 40 guests, is perfect for private parties fizzing with Perrier-Jouët Champagne.

Grand Terrace, St Pancras International Station, Kings Cross, London N1C 4QL; until 9th September

Visit StPancrasBySearcys.co.uk
 

GET MYSTERIOUS HERE: The Great Masked Ball

Until 11th August, The Great Masked Ball invites Londoners to take part in a fairytale that fuses dance, music, immersive theatre and gastronomy into the ultimate summer night out for their production of Swan Lake. Put together by an all-star team including Masterchef winner Tim Anderson, set creators Darling & Edge, choreographer Eleesha Drennan and the creatives behind Gingerline, the masked ball takes place in a secret location and encourages guests to indulge their debauched side during this dark performance.

Secret location; until 11th August

Visit GreatMaskedBall.com
 

GET YOUR AL FRESCO FIX HERE: Carnaby Street Eat

This summer, Carnaby’s best restaurants, bars and cafés are taking it outdoors for an al fresco summer party. For one day only, Carnaby street transforms into an outside dining experience, where you can tuck into signature plates and cocktails from over 30 different cuisines. Sustainable seafood and festival stalwarts Claw will be serving street food-inspired dishes, including their famous crab and lobster rolls, while the menu at Stevie Parle’s Pastaio will feature cacio pepe bucatini, parmesan rigatoni and blackberry prosecco slushies. Korean fried chicken from Jinjuu, British oysters and prosecco from Wright Brothers Soho and chargrilled chorizo burgers at Dehesa. Taster plates start from just £5.

Carnaby St, Soho, London W1F 7QS; 11th August

Visit Carnaby.co.uk
 

TASTE THE DELIGHTS OF MEXICO HERE: 34 Mayfair

Art Deco-inspired restaurant and bar 34 Mayfair is hosting the ultimate Mexican fiesta in its Tracey Emin-decorated private dining room. From 6th – 10th August, legendary Mexican bar Licoreria Limantour will take over The Emin Room for ‘34 Mexico’, a cultural clash of cocktails in the heart of London. Ariana Ruiz, acclaimed bartender from Licoreria Limantour, will bring the bar‘s unique spin on contemporary and classic cocktails across the Atlantic with a ten-strong cocktail menu, which features a range of their most popular drinks, including the piquant Ascuas, (Monkey 47, amontillado sherry, roasted watermelon, fiery Togarashi, lime and orange bitters), the tart and botanical Mr Pink (Plymouth Gin, pink grapefruit, rosemary, lime and orange bitters) and the Black Forest Punch (Absolut Elyx, tawny port, lemon, Ancho Reyes liqueur, hibiscus water, cinnamon and cardamom).
 
34 Grosvenor Square Entrance on, S Audley St, London W1K 2HD; 6th – 10th August

Visit 34-Restaurant.co.uk
 

GET YOUR DISNEY FIX HERE: Tale As Old As Time Afternoon Tea

Popular with locals and tourists alike, the Tale as Old as Time Afternoon Tea is inspired by the iconic characters and scenes of the Oscar-nominated Disney film Beauty and the Beast. Offering guests a fairytale afternoon spent with friends and loved ones, this whimsical tea features Mrs. Potts china, together with a delicious assortment of sweets and savouries, allowing guests to gorge on treats inspired by the iconic movie. Highlights of the menu include Vanilla & Gold Jelly, presented in shot glasses with the ever-symbolic rose petal immersed inside; a Spiced Snow Ball Macaroon (Coconut & Chocolate); and a Chocolate Clock Tart, featuring an image of the lovable Cogsworth’s face. And of course, taken from everyone’s favourite song from the film, ‘Try the Grey Stuff’ White Chocolate Mousse is a dessert recommended by none other than the iconic candelabra, Lumière.
 
109-113 Queen's Gate, Kensington, London SW7 5LP; reservations open for August
 
Visit TownhouseKensington.com