A new and incredibly verdant drinking hotspot, a Shakespearean afternoon tea and a load of jazz; here’s what’s on this weekend in London
Words Helen Brown
Things to do this weekend in London
BEAUTIFUL ALLOTMENT
Discover a pocket of English countryside in the heart of the city. Brought to you by the Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings team, Beautiful Allotment is this summer’s latest drinking and dining hotspot, themed on a verdant and creative allotment. While allotments naturally find their homes on wasteland, this one has taken up residence in the stunning Victorian gardens of the Geffrye Museum and features bookable day beds, handcrafted potting sheds, makeshift cocktail bars and raised BBQ areas.
JAZZ ON THE LAWN
This weekend sees 606 Club join with Fulham Palace to present Jazz on the Lawn, an outdoor live concert series taking place over two successive evenings. This year’s season marks the tenth anniversary of this local arts alliance and welcomes high powered groove vocalist and 2017 “The Voice” finalist Michelle John, plus singer and daughter of jazz legends Dame Cleo Laine and John Dankworth CBE, Jacqui Dankworth.
GOSH! KINDNESS CAFE
No such thing as a free lunch? Think again. At the Gosh! Kindness Cafe, kindness is currency. Simply pledge an act of kindness in return for a complimentary, delicious Gosh! Plant Pot. The free-from, plant-based food brand is launching the inaugural cafe this weekend in London on South Bank, and will be offering visitors the chance to win a month’s supply of nutritious Gosh! goodies. Just capture and share your act of kindness on Instagram, tagging @goshfreefrom
DOGGIE AFTERNOON TEA
This summer, the recently opened Bluebird Café in White City will welcome guests and their four-legged friends to enjoy a very special afternoon tea. Available every Sunday from 2.30pm – 5pm and in partnership with PetsPyjamas, the exclusive afternoon tea will serve a doggy foodie’s dream menu. For £21.50 you and your pal will get vegan dog cookies, made with banana and vegan peanut butter, plus some naturally delicious and wholesome vegan treats from Lili’s Kitchen, along with a three-tiered selection of jam and cream fruit scones, chocolate swiss roll, and carrot and citrus cupcakes. £1 from each will go towards Wild at Heart Foundation.
MINDFUL DRINKING FESTIVAL
Thinking of taking it easy this weekend in London? Club Soda, the mindful drinking movement, is once again holding the only festival in the world for the sober curious this summer. Taking place this weekend at Spitalfields Market, the festival will give guests the opportunity to taste the new wave of alcohol-free drinks hitting the market. These include seven new alcohol-free spirits, nine alcohol-free beers and a host of drinks invented by radical alchemists, such as kombuchas, shrubs and elixirs. Cheers to a Sunday sans hangover.
WOMEN EMPOWERED
In the summer of what has been hailed as the ‘year of the women,’ iconic eatery sketch is empowering female artists in a celebratory exhibition. Coinciding with the City of London’s Women: Work and Power season, sketch’s summer exhibition invites the viewer to look into a variety of works, all by celebrated female artists. On show will be pieces from Eliza Douglas, Harriet Fleuriot, Hannah Quinland and Rosie Hasting, while works by Dianne Harris, Lauren Baker and Denise Jones will also be exhibited.
MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM POP-UP
The summer pop-up at Swan combines two of our favourite things: cake and gin. Throw in a Shakespearean twist and you’re on to a real winner. Inspired by A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the restaurant’s top floor will be transformed into the realm of Fairyland, lavishly decorated with flowers, trees, toadstools and butterflies. So Instagrams at the ready. The pop-up is split between afternoon tea in Titania’s Tea Parlour and evening gin bar at Puck’s Gin Emporium, and menus have been designed in reference of the famous play with mulberries, honey, mustard seed and the bar’s very own Love Potion.
FOOD & FITNESS AT FIUME
Wellness warriors will want to head over to Fiume for a weekend of food and fitness by the river. Taking place on 28 and 29 July, the Italian restaurant will be hosting festivities in partnership with Boom Cycle and luxury skincare brand, REN. Guests can expect a high-energy spin class, a luxurious goody-bag, yoga, a hearty Italian brunch, bubbles and a taste of Fiume’s brand new smoothie.
