What To Do This Weekend 31.10.20

CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN IN STYLE HERE: Brasserie Of Light x Selfridges

There’s still time to enjoy this exclusive dining and screening package, courtesy of Brasserie of Light and Selfridges’ Cinema. On until 31st October, guests can enjoy a three-course meal, cocktail and cinema ticket for £55 per person. With a wide selection of bloodcurdling films on offer and appetising dishes, it’s one of the safest ways to mark Halloween in style this year. Dishes from the set menu include spicy edamame; tuna tacos; and wild mushroom and truffle rice balls; while mains range from yellowfin with lemon sole, sprouting broccoli, capers black olives and lemon zest; chargrilled chicken paillard; and miso aubergine with red tapenade, cauliflower couscous, flaked almonds, coconut yoghurt and rocket. Those with a sweet tooth can also enjoy soft-serve pistachio or vanilla ice-cream with raspberries, pistachio meringue and dark chocolate sauce. Diners can also enjoy one of the new cocktails, ‘The Pennywise’, which features spiced pumpkin syrup, mandarin purée, lemon juice, balla spices and MS Better’s Foamer Bitters, garnished with a candy floss web and served in an illuminated smoked cloche.

400 Oxford Street, Marylebone, W1A 1AB; until 31st October

Book here. 

SKIP STRAIGHT TO THE FESTIVITIES HERE: Holidate 

Halloween just not your thing? Netflix’s latest festive film drops this weekend, starring Emma Roberts (Scream Queens) and Luke Bracey (Hacksaw Ridge). Sloane and Jackson hate the holidays. And their enduring singledom leaves them subject to the judgment of their meddling family members or stuck with clingy, awkward dates on each festive occasion. When they meet, they pledge to be each other's plus-ones for each holiday celebration over the course of the year. The only issue is, they appear to start catching real feelings along the way. With a supporting cast including the always-hilarious Kristen Chenoweth and acting stalwart Francis Fisher, who says it’s too soon to get into the festive spirit? 

Available on Netflix from 28th October

GET BACK IN THE KITCHEN HERE: Paul At Home

Feeling inspired by the Great British Bake Off? Those keen to hunker down and stay in will be pleased to hear about French bakery Paul’s new online service. The new range features bread-baking kits and product sets and is available nationwide. Even better, to celebrate the launch, Paul has partnered with the 2019 Bake Off winner and pro-baker David Atherton on a  step-by-step recipe video using the bread starter kit for fans to follow along at home. The kit contains everything you need to create a delicious loaf, including 500g of strong white bread flour, 15g of active dried yeast, a bread proving basket, a Paul cotton sac a pain for keeping the bread fresh, a dough scraper and recipe booklet. As well as the two bread kits, there are also six product sets to choose from, all available for next-day delivery. Items include a selection of three jams; a coffee and hot chocolate bundle; and three bags of baguette crisps created using Paul bread with flavours such as Provençal herbs; sea salt and jalapeno; and garlic and herb.

Visit Paul-UK.com
 

CHECK OUT A SUSTAINABLE SHOP HERE: Climate Pledge Friendly

Internet giant Amazon has jumped on the sustainability trend by launching a newly-dedicated space on its site to sustainable products. By partnering with trusted third-party certifications to create its own certification, Compact by Design, the retailer will highlight products that meet specific sustainability standards to help preserve the natural world. Over time, it plans to add more certifications and work with manufacturers to certify more products. While products which meet the new Compact by Design criteria might not look very different, they will have a more efficient design. With the removal of excess air and water, the products require less packaging and become more efficient to ship. At scale, these small differences in product size and weight will lead to significant carbon emission reductions.

Visit Amazon co.uk

INDULGE IN SOME FILM-INSPIRED WANDERLUST HERE: Accidentally Wes Anderson

Inspired by the unique vision of director Wes Anderson’s films, this book travels to every continent to tell the extraordinary and unexpected true stories behind more than 200 stunning locations. Authorised by Anderson himself, and appealing to the millions who love his films, the book is based on the viral online phenomenon and community of the same name. Celebrating the aesthetic that millions of Anderson fans love – that being the symmetrical, atypical, unexpected, vibrantly patterned and distinctively coloured – Wally Koval brings together some of the world’s most Anderson-like sites in all their faded grandeur and pop-pastel colours to tell the story behind each one. 

Available at Waterstones.com

PUT THIS FASHION EVENT IN YOUR DIARY: Alex Eagle x Women For Women Virtual Car Boot Sale

Following Women for Women International’s first virtual car boot sale in May, the all-day fashion extravaganza is due to return this autumn. Hosted by Alex Eagle, in partnership with THE OUTNET and supported by DS Automobiles, the virtual fundraiser will take place worldwide on Saturday 7th November. Relax at home, skip the queues, avoid the sharp elbows and enjoy a full day of designer items at exceptional prices – straight from the wardrobes of the fashion elite. Leading designers, fashion icons, celebrities and coveted brands will be delving into their collections to bring you some serious deals on designer items – but from comfort of your own home. Raising more than £77,000 at the first event, think of the virtual car boot sale as the answer for fashion fans who want to shop sustainably and support vulnerable women through the pandemic: 100% of the proceeds from the event will go towards Women for Women International’s work with women survivors of war living in some of the world’s most dangerous places.

Register here. 

SIGN UP TO ENJOY A LIMITED RESIDENCY HERE: Shaman x Alter

From the end of October, Shaman’s Leman Locke venue will welcome the ground-breaking vegan dining experience Alter for a six-month residency. Following a highly popular residency at The Dairy’s sibling venue Counter Culture in Clapham, Shaman will welcome Alter as it continues to expand people’s understanding of vegan eating. With a shared affinity for healthy, authentic dishes, responsibly sourced ingredients and relaxed dining, the collab is a no brainer. Founded by Andy Hogben, Alter aims to challenge the common perceptions of vegan food by never using substitutes. Instead, it champions dishes, techniques and cultures which are vegan without alteration – which means it’s for everyone. Having worked within the realms of Thai and Chinese cuisine over the course of his career, Andy weaves these inspirations and global street-food influences into Alter’s menus, with takes on Indian, Italian and even Nigerian dishes likely to find their way onto the menu through the course of the residency.

15 Leman Street, Aldgate, E1 8EN

Guests can sign up to reservations waitlist here. 

HEAD DOWN TO AN EXCLUSIVE NEW CONCEPT STORE HERE: Menier Store 

Bringing together some of the best quality food and drink, plants, homewares and furniture, Menier

Store will open its doors in Southwark this Friday. The Grade II-listed Menier Chocolate Factory, a pantry-style space, takes inspiration from the wider area of SE1, a location synonymous with good food and high-quality produce. The products will be curated by The Camden Grocer, alongside other artisan retailers including In-Tray Plants, contemporary Scandi homewares brand Att Pynta, vintage furniture specialist HRB Studio and antiques dealer Fleming Fine Antiques. A must-visit for those currently in tier two. 

51 Southwark Street, Southwark, SE1 1RU

Visit MenierStore.co.uk

BROADEN YOUR MIND WITH NEW WORKS HERE: Oracles In Sepia 

A three-month virtual series of cinematic-inspired performances – known as Oracles in Sepia – will run weekly every Thursday until 3rd December. Every week at 8pm, a different artist will debut a bespoke performance, occupying the space between cinema curation, art, event production and interactive theatre. Available to watch online for free, and supported by Arts Council England, the series will see eight artists respond to a curated short film, designed to speak to the unique moment we find ourselves in. Using their mediums – ranging from contemporary dance to comedy and performance theatre to calligraphy – the artists will harness the lens of the past to frame our shared future. Look out for names including Mengqi He; Sarah Jane Dobbs; Jonathon Luke Baker; Nu Nu Theatre; Libby Rodliffe; Ciarán Hodgers and Alastair White & Clara Kanter.

Visit CompassPresents.com

CATCH A LIMITED-EDITION BRUNCH HERE: Sexy Fish Fantasy Brunch series

Berkeley Square hotspot Sexy Fish has launched its Fantasy Brunch series in collaboration with Japanese craft spirits producer The House of Suntory – and there’s still time to book a table before the event ends. Sitting alongside brunch dishes such as smoked salmon buns with and onsen egg, kimchi fried rice and bacon will be a selection of cocktails including ‘Aegir’, featuring Haku vodka, jasmine, coriander, strawberry and soda; ‘Sirena’, a blend of Roku gin, strawberry, jasmine, pineapple and lime; and ‘Nāmaka’, with Toki whisky, coconut, pineapple, yuzu, Campari and soda. Throughout the series, guests will be greeted by performers dressed in mesmerising outfits, while DJs will bring the sounds of Mykonos and Ibiza to the capital. Further live entertainment will be provided by percussionists and saxophonists.

Berkeley Square, Mayfair, W1J 6BR; until 31st October

Visit SexyFish.com

TAKE A NEW SLEEP COURSE HERE: Sleep Deeply with Sophrology

Looking to improve the quality of your sleep? The ‘Sleep Deeply with Sophrology’ course takes place over seven weeks and addresses four aspects of your life to promote more restful slumber: body, mind, lifestyle and consciousness. Designed to rewire your mind and body into achieving deep, restorative sleep, night after night, the course and classes are led by Dominique Antiglio, a sophrologist at BeSophro Clinics, who brings more than 20 years of experience in tackling stress, anxiety and sleep issues. The live classes can be done lying down, standing up and even while moving, and involve breathwork, visualisation, meditation and light body movement to bring the body into the ultra-relaxed alpha brain wave state – a state that is scientifically proven to be restorative for the mind and body, and an ideal priming stage for sleep. With each week, you’ll better understand the mechanism of sleep, learn how to reverse the negative stress cycle and control your nervous system, how to tap into the alpha brain-wave state at any time, and pick up practical sophrology practices that are used by the best sleep hospitals and sleep retreats in France and Switzerland.

Visit Be-Sophro.com