What To Do This Weekend 29.07.21

What To Do This Weekend 29.07.21

Looking for things to do this weekend? Look no further – from restaurant openings and pop-ups to a flower arranging masterclass, our What To Do This Weekend guide has plenty of options for everyone.

BOOK AHEAD FOR THIS:
Eastbourne Pride

Brighton Pride may have been cancelled this year, but Eastbourne Pride is still going ahead. On Saturday 7th August, head to the seaside town for a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. Princes Park is hosting an all-day party with dancers, food stalls, live music and a prosecco tent, while the festivities will continue at The Bandstand with an 80s-inspired theme and fireworks display. Book ahead at Port Hotel, the stylish new opening to have on your radar, for a bingo brunch hosted by drag queen Shyanne O'Shea with riotous games and lip sync battles. Diners can choose from dishes like smoked salmon and eggs on toast or waffles with bacon and maple syrup, and drinks including the ‘Watermelon Sugar High’, made with watermelon liqueur, gin, Marlish sparkling raspberry, and a dash of glitter, no less. Tickets cost £30.

11-12 Royal Parade, BN22 7AR

Visit PortHotel.co.uk

BRING THE GIRLS HERE:
Night Tales Rooftop Bar, John Lewis
Oxford Circus

Hackney’s Night Tales has launched a new terrace on the rooftop at John Lewis in Oxford Circus. The space has been turned into an oasis of willow trees and lush greenery, with open sun decks and performance areas for live DJ sets. Diners can enjoy drinks from the gin bar, like gimlets and dirty martinis, and enjoy beers from some of London’s best breweries. In terms of food, chef Gizzi Erskine and musician Professor Green have partnered with Kitchen Ventures to bring their Giz'n'Green creations to the rooftop – expect sourdough wood-fired stuffed crust pizzas, with a range of tasty toppings. Later in the summer, the rooftop will also welcome Tacos El Ray, Local Greens and Happy Endings. 

John Lewis Rooftop, 300 Oxford Street, W1C 1DX

Visit DishCult.com

SHOP SUSTAINABLE FASHION: Rotaro x Airbnb

Digital clothing rental platform Rotaro has teamed up with Airbnb for a series of sustainable fashion experiences at a pop-up store on Carnaby Street. Visitors can book sustainable styling sessions with Georgie Hyatt, co-founder of Rotaro, to learn how to restyle outfits and find out about some of the best new sustainable brands hitting the shelves. You can also attend panel discussions led by guest speakers to learn how to consume fashion more mindfully, before browsing through the collection of clothes, all of which can be rented for summer occasions, like staycations and weddings. The best part? All proceeds will be donated to Protect Earth – even more of a reason to get on board. The pop-up will run until Friday 20th August.

45 Carnaby Street, London, W1F 9PP

Visit News.Airbnb.com

UP THE ANTE:
Psycle’s Summer Of Sweat Challenge

Ready to up your fitness game? Get involved in Psycle’s Summer of Sweat Challenge, which involves completing 12 challenges over 20 days in August. You can join live online classes or work out in one of the Psycle studios, where classes will be soundtracked by a high-octane playlist. The ‘Psycle at Home’ option includes a 30-day free trial, then unlimited access for £35 a month. To complete the challenge, you’ll have to take complete clasees from each of Psycle’s four ‘pillars of fitness’ sessions: Ride, Strength, Barre and Yoga – the Strength classes are great for a challenging HIIT workout.

Visit PsycleLondon.com

GET CREATIVE:
St-Germain x McQueens Flowers Bouquet
& Spritz Workshop

St-Germain has partnered with McQueens Flowers for a series of Bouquet & Spritz workshops, running at 6.30pm every Thursday throughout August. Taking place at McQueens Flowers studio in Mayfair, you’ll learn how to mix a delicious cocktail – the St-Germain Elderflower Spritz – before making a beautiful bouquet of flowers, taught by one of the studio’s tutors. After the workshop, you’ll get to leave with your own bouquet and a St-Germain Spritz Kit which contains a bottle of St-Germain, a bottle of Perrier Jouët Grand Brut Champagne, two cans of Perrier, two St-Germain glasses and a stylish carafe. Tickets cost £85.

McQueens Flowers Mayfair, 29 North Audley Street, W1K 6WY

Visit Eventbrite.com

ENJOY SOMETHING DIFFERENT: Alice In Wonderland At The Ivy Kensington Brasserie 

To celebrate the V&A’s exhibition Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser, The Ivy Kensington Brasserie has created a new cocktail menu and afternoon tea inspired by Lewis Carroll’s story. Created by the brasserie’s bar team, there are four limited-edition cocktails to choose from, including the ‘Queen of Hearts’ made with Beefeater Gin, strawberry puree, lemon juice, egg white and agave syrup; ‘Down The Rabbit Hole’ – a mix of Grey Goose Vanilla Vodka, limoncello, almond syrup, lemon and cream; the ‘Wonderland Spritz’ made with Monkey 47 Black Forest Gin, peach liqueur, Peychaud’s Bitters and Fever-Tree Mexican Lime; and a ‘Pool of Tears’ with Plymouth Gin, Maraschino Liqueur, Blue Curacao, pineapple, lemon, lavender and vegan foam. Diners can also enjoy the Wonderland Afternoon Tea, a mix of sweet and savoury treats from smoked salmon and cream cheese on beetroot bread, to salted caramel chocolate cups and passion fruit macaroons. 

96 Kensington High Street, W8 4SG

Visit TheIvyKensingtonBrasserie.com

WATCH THIS NEW DOC:
Naomi Osaka, Netflix

Naomi Osaka is one of the best tennis players in the world, but her career has been far from plain sailing. After being fined for refusing to take part in post-match interviews at the French, she highlighted how media scrutiny and intense pressure impacts the mental health of top athletes. In this new Netflix documentary, you’ll gain insight into the tough decisions and ecstatic triumphs that shape Naomi Osaka as both an elite global superstar and a young woman of colour navigating a pressure-filled world. The doc follows Osaka over the course of two years, as she works on her game but also begins to find her voice. Whether you’re a tennis fan or not, it’s a must-watch.

Visit Netflix.com

HAVE A FUN NIGHT OUT HERE:
London Wonderground, Earls Court

London Wonderground has just opened in Earls Court. Hailed as ‘London’s biggest playground’ visitors can enjoy a spin on the retro fairground rides and watch a series of outdoor shows, from circus-style stunts and tricks to stand-up comedy performances. Every Sunday throughout August, guests can book tickets for Austentatious, an improv show based on Jane Austen’s fiction, or watch a performance by 360 AllStars, a cool breakdancing and BMX show. If you have little kids in tow, book tickets for Dinosaurs World Live or The Gruffalo, then relax at the artificial beach. Dal Napoli and Pabellon are providing the street food, while a selection of pop-up bars will take care of the drinks. Entry is free; ticketed events start from £15.

Visit LondonWonderground.co.uk

VISIT THIS COOL INSTALLATION: Marble Arch Hill

If you’ve passed Marble Arch recently, you would have seen a huge installation under construction – Marble Arch Hill. Having finally opened on Monday, visitors can visit the hollowed-out mountain which has a 25m viewpoint of the surrounding area. Climb to the viewpoint via a path that winds its way up the hill’s southern slope, then descend into the Great Hall in the middle – a hollowed-out space for future events and exhibitions. The hill will remain in place until January 2022; tickets start from £4.50. 

Oxford Street, W1C 1LX

Visit MVRDV.com

TRY NEW FLAVOURS:
Juici Jerk Summer Meal Kits

Juici Jerk, the award-winning Caribbean kitchen we discovered last year, has just released a new summer meal kit. Ideal for barbecue season, each kit has everything you need to recreate a delicious Caribbean feast at home, including sauces and spiced rum. Kits, which come in various sizes for groups of up to 12, contain jerk chicken wings, boneless chicken thighs, half a marinated chicken, cobbed corn ribs, jerk seasoning, a whole plantain, a bottle of Juici Jerk’s bbq sauce and rum and honey syce, and a bottle of jerk mayo. It also comes with bottles of spiced cut rum and Longtail mixers. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate the weekend. Kits start from £35.

Visit JuiciJerk.com/Meal-Kits

BOOK A TABLE HERE:
108 Brasserie Rosé Terrace,The
Marylebone Hotel

The Marylebone Hotel has just launched a new rosé terrace at its 108 Brasserie. McQueens Flowers have created a stunning floral display to decorate the space, while cult wine estate Miraval are providing the rosé. Diners can choose from a range of dishes, complete with rosé pairings and spritz cocktails. Seasonal dishes include grilled organic Scottish salmon paired with Miraval Rosé 2020; salt-baked beets with spring leaves, goat’s cheese, almonds and honey; and grilled tiger prawns with a mango and lime relish paired with Nyetimber Classic NV Rosé. To finish, diners can tuck into a delicious raspberry ripple sundae with a glass of pale rosé from Château du Rouet. There are also six cocktails to choose from, including the ‘Miraval Mojito’ and the ‘Pretty In Pink’ featuring 108 Gin, Cherry Heering and Rathfinny Rosé sparkling wine.

108 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2QE

Visit 108brasserie.com

 

ENJOY LIVE MUSIC: Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir, St. James’s Church Piccadilly

On Sunday 1st August from 2pm-5.30pm, and every first Sunday of the month going forward, Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir are performing a live gospel show outside St. James’s Church in Piccadilly. The free show will include a live band, spoken word poetry and storytelling. The choir will throw open the church gates to offer everyone an uplifting afternoon regardless of faith, background or age. Be sure to pick up street-food and drinks from the nearby vendors to enjoy during the performance.

197 Piccadilly, St. James's, W1J 9LL

Visit SJP.org.uk

READ THIS NEW NOVEL:
Nothing I Wouldn't Do By Sara-Ella Ozbek

Sara-Ella Ozbek’s new novel came out last week. Jax Levy is a twentysomething low-paid 'journalist' with no hope of progression. She has a love life centred around a string of bad decisions and a family too complicated to explain. But the one area that she has sorted are her friends – Clara, Omni and Alice are the loves of her life. So, when Clara announces her engagement to Ed, Jax hides her feelings of insecurity, and commits to becoming the perfect maid-of-honour. That is until she discovers something about Ed that will destroy everything. Panicked and irrational, Jax makes a snap decision to go on a wild mission to save her best friend from heartache. But the truth is far more complicated than Jax had imagined, and that decision soon comes back to bite her. 

Visit Waterstones.com

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