What To Do This Weekend 11.07.24

July is South Asian heritage month, and to celebrate, The Standard has teamed up with Diet Paratha (the creative agency championing talent from the region) to host a BBQ series at its ground-floor restaurant, Double Standard. Over the next three Saturdays, a series of Asian chefs will take over the kitchen. On Saturday 13th July, the chefs from one of Paris’ best Sri Lankan restaurants, Kolam, will cook their signature street-food dishes, with specials like pulled BBQ jackfruit hoppers with seeni sambol, batu maju and gotu kola sambol, and lamb chops with roti and mango curry. Later in the month, LA’s Indian restaurant Badmaash will pop up on Saturday 20th July, before London’s Afghan restaurant Cue Point takes over on Saturday 27th.

Ground Floor, The Standard, 10 Argyle Street, King’s Cross, WC1H 8EG

Visit StandardHotels.com

Regular SL readers will know the fashion team loves Pink City Prints, the brand known for its feminine pieces made by artisans in Jaipur, so we were pleased to hear it’s holding a sample sale at Soho’s PM/AM Gallery. From Friday 12th (4pm-8pm) to Saturday 13th July (10am-5pm), customers can shop a selection of archive designs, block-printed pieces, and hand-embroidery clothing in a range of sizes from XS-L. Stock will be replenished throughout the sale, and all profits will go towards two charities: Smart Works and Sneh Girls Shikshan Sansthan, a school dedicated to providing free education.

37 Eastcastle Street, Soho, W1W 8DR

Visit Chicmi.com

Bedford Square by Tottenham Court Road will be transformed again this summer for the Cocktails in the City festival. Across three weekends this summer, visitors can expect an immersive and interactive cocktail celebration alongside live music, street food and games for the ultimate party. Some of London’s best bars will be showcasing exclusive drinks, including Tattu, Royal Cocktail Exchange, The Coral Room, The Thin White Duke and The Zetter Clerkenwell and Marylebone. You’ll also find pop-ups from brands like 818 Tequila and Ukiyo Spirits. London Essence is also returning as the official mixer partner for the fifth year.

11th-13 July, 8th-10th August & 5th-7th September; tickets from £22

Visit CocktailsintheCity.com

The Giant London Flea Market is the biggest in the capital and will take place at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Sunday 14th July. Over 100 traders are expected to bring thousands of unique and vintage pieces of homeware and furniture, as well as trinkets, objets and other one-off and pre-loved pieces. Across the venue’s multi-level car park, look out for artwork, reupholstered furniture, vintage lighting and other decorative accessories. Once you’ve nabbed a bargain, head to one of Here East’s canal side restaurants or cafés. Entry costs £2.  

3 Lesney Avenue, Stratford, E15 2GZ; 10am-5pm

Visit QueenElizabethOlympicPark.co.uk

Whether it's tennis season – or Zendaya in Challengers –  that's inspired you, now is the time to shop the official Wimbledon merch, as well as the brand crossover with Polo Ralph Lauren. From caps to pleated skirts, sweatshirts to graphic tees – complete with tennis-playing bears – there are plenty of pieces to help you nail the preppy trend.

Visit Wimbledon.com

Hyde Park’s British Summer Time (BST) festival is one of the biggest events on the music calendar. The weekend’s line-up includes Stevie Nicks (Friday 12th), Kylie Minogue (Saturday 13th) and K-pop band Stray Kids (Sunday 14th). Across the weekend there are plenty of free activities to get involved in, including a free open-air cinema, discussion panels, and football and tennis, as well as pop-up bars from numerous brands. There’s also an exclusive Incognito suite and salon by Camden members’ club The House of KOKO, in partnership with Casamigos, where guests can enjoy live entertainment and more.

Hyde Park, West End, W1Y 4AY

Visit BST-HydePark.com

For the third year in a row, Anya Hindmarch’s much-loved high-summer concept store, The Ice Cream Project, has landed at The Village in Belgravia. If you don’t fancy waiting in line to try 15 whacky – or delicious – flavours, like Branston Piccalilli, Heinz Baked Beans and Maldon Salt and chocolate, book a table to enjoy a blind tasting tea. You’ll receive a selection of scoops with wafers and sprinkles, as well as tasting and scoring cards to rate each flavour. Diners can also order ice-cream tubs and buy merch (like hats and t-shirts), all of which will be delivered straight to the table. 

11A Pont Street, Belgravia, SW1X 9EH

Visit AnyaHindmarch.com

Padel is the fastest growing sport in the world, with the likes of David Beckham and Nadal hitting the courts in their downtime. Over the last year, a slew of padel clubs have opened in the capital, including Rocket Padel in Ilford. Now London’s biggest club, the site is home to 11 indoor panoramic courts and two tournament centre courts. With sessions for beginners and intermediates, you can book private or group lessons, before relaxing in one of the social areas. Membership starts from just £23pcm.

2 The Drive, Ilford, IG1 3PS

Visit RocketPadel.com

From Friday 12th to Sunday 14th July, Taiwanese restaurant group Mr Bao is hosting a ‘Peckham Weekender’, bringing together 16 of SE15’s most loved restaurants and food spots to celebrate the neighborhood’s food scene – while giving back to the local community. Diners can choose from never-seen-before £8 specials, with £1 from each dish donated to Peckham Pantry, a community food club that supports low-income families. Dishes include scallops with spicy chorizo and cauliflower purèe from Peckham Cellars, French toast with mortadella and caviar by Levan, smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels by Rye Lane Bagels, and olive oil cake with peaches by Artusi. 

293-295 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4UA

Visit MrBao.co.uk

The Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award returns to the National Portrait Gallery. The annual competition is open to everyone aged 18 and over, and has attracted over 40,000 entries from over 100 countries over the last 40 years. From oil paintings to pencil sketches, every medium is encouraged, with entries judged by the National Portrait Gallery’s director, actor and podcaster Russell Tovey and other names in the art world. In the coming weeks there are numerous talks and events to celebrate the exhibition, including a talk from the judges at the gallery on Friday 19th July at 6pm. Exhibition tickets are free. 

St. Martin's Place, West End, WC2H 0HE

Visit NPG.org.uk

Across 11 nights of open-air gigs, the Somerset House Summer Series brings a fun festival atmosphere to central London – and a host of chances to see big names and up-and-coming artists in an intimate setting. This year’s line-up includes Pip Millet, Nia Smith, Corrine Bailey Rae and South African Amapiano DJ DBN GOGO. Courtyard bars will serve drinks all evening, while the San Miguel pop-up will be on hand with beers and Spanish snacks. Tickets start from £25.

Strand, Covent Garden, WC2R 1LA; 11th-21st July

Visit SomersetHouse.org.uk

Festival season isn't over yet. Just a short trip from London, this year's independent Brockwood Festival features DJ Seinfeld, Ross From Friends, Badger, Elka, Prospa, Hunee, Catching Cairo and Gardna as part of its line-up. TIBASKO and live music advocacy group Save Our Scene will each have a stage too, while Lab 54 makes its debut. St John Alumni, Jamie Smart of Cadet in Newington Green will host the Brockwood Feast with a special tasting menu and vinyl music. Daytime activities include breathwork, yoga, and a tipsy art class. Proceeds support the MIND Charity.

Bygrave Woodlands, Newnham, Ashwell Rd, Baldock SG7 5JX

Visit BrockwoodFestival.com