Can’t face another weekend of drinking cheap cider in your local’s grotty garden or incinerating supermarket bangers on your old barbeque? There are much more interesting things to do this weekend and we’ve rounded up some of the best foodie adventures for your perusal. (We realise this is a bit late and we would have posted it earlier if it weren‘t for a pesky power cut. No Internet for ten hours - the horror!)
Treat someone special to a G&T at the Bombay Sapphire Dusk Bar - a seriously stylish pop-up addition to Somerset House. From 6pm each evening, the translucent structure glows blue (like the Bombay Sapphire bottle) - perfect if you’ve got a hot date to impress, or just like bright shiny things.
- Until Sunday, London’s Aussies, Saffas and Kiwis will be descending on Clapham Common for the annual Toast festival. It’s a huge al fresco celebration of the food and culture of the Southern Hemisphere so visitors can expect plenty of polo, live music, wine tastings and BBQ master classes. Like all good festivals, there will be a seafood and Champagne bar as well as hearty home-style dishes like Boerie rolls, kumara chips, salt and pepper squid, and sticky spare ribs. Suze of Mayfair will be spit roasting a lamb and John Torode and the team from Smiths of Smithfield will be serving up Thai duck salad and venison burgers. You can check out the full menus and ticket details on the Toast website.
- Need to catch up on the Wimbledon scores? Head for Swallow Street (near Piccadilly Circus) which has been turned into a temporary tennis court and outdoor dining area. ‘Ball girls’ from Gaucho will be serving up steak sandwiches and Argentinean desserts; while Bentley’s will be keeping things British with Pimms trifle, scones and strawberry ripple ice-cream.
Across town in Chelsea, you can dine al fresco on Bluebird’s astro-turfed terrace or take a seat in the tennis-themed Player’s Lounge at Gilgamesh. Adventurous eaters can try out their strawberry and cream wontons and sports fans can sip Murray martinis, made with Murray mint infused vodka.
- If you budget won’t stretch to Barcelona this summer, just head for Brick Lane where Tapas Fantasticas will be celebrating all things Spanish. There will be live music and flamenco dancing, as well as tasty tapas and huge pans of paella from Iberica, Dehesa, Lola Rojo, Moro, and El Faro. You can enter their competition to win a holiday to Rioja or swing by one of the free wine tasting sessions hosted by Saturday Kitchen’s Suzy Atkins and Olly Smith.
If you don't fancy any of the above, take a look at our New Openings page or our Special Offers for a bit of inspiration. Enjoy the weekend!