Something for the Weekend: June 24 - 26
Not going to Glastonbury? Us neither. But who cares: London has sparkly parades, super-cool street food and a Great. Big. SLIDE
Not going to Glastonbury? Us neither. But who cares: London has sparkly parades, super-cool street food and a Great. Big. SLIDE.
Words by Charlotte Cox
FUN: ArcelorMittal
Orbit Slide
Drop everything! Because whatever plans you had, we're about to trump them. From Friday, the Olympic Park's huge red twisty sculpture (aka the ArcelorMittal Orbit) fulfils what was surely its true destiny and becomes… the world's tallest, longest, fastest HELTER-SKELTER SLIDE. Which, we feel, is all we need to say. Race you to the top.
From 24 June; £15
Olympic Park, Stratford, E20 2ST
FUN: London Hong Kong
Dragon Boat Festival
If Game of Thrones has taught us anything, it's that dragons are cool. (And that big weddings are a really bad idea, but that's a separate conversation.) So we suggest you head down to the London Regatta Centre on Saturday, where it's going to be full of them. Only here it's not so much the flamey, destructive kind of dragon, more the Hong Kong-style, boat-based dragon, as more than 40 teams take to colourfully decorated canoes to race along the Dockside. Plus, there's an Asian food festival, live music, DJs and even a retro caravan bar serving Pimms and prosecco. Something that Westeros lacks, we'd imagine.
26 June; free
London Regatta Centre, Dockside Road, E16 2QT
FOOD: Foley's
We love it when the second on the bill becomes the headline act. And so it is with Mitz Vora, former sous chef at the ever-trendy Palomar, who this week does a Florence Welch and steps up as the star of his very first restaurant. And he's done it in style – at new Fitzrovia joint Foley's he takes sharing plates inspired by street food along the Spice Route, and turns them into something special indeed. Spiced sweet potato fritters with grilled pineapple, red onion and saffron coconut curry, grilled octopus with black sesame puree… As Flo would say: we've got the love.
23 Foley Street, London W1W 6DU
POP-UP: Night Tales –
The Hackney Wick Chapter
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we shall begin. There once was an uber-cool pop-up called Night Tales, which for two summers became famous as having the finest DJs and tastiest street eats in all the kingdom (of Shoreditch). But for 2016 they adventured to the mysterious lands to the east (of Hackney) – and used their magic to transform an old car scrap yard into a realm of quirky concept bars, delicious food shacks and pounding dance floors. And so we all ate jerk chicken from Rudie's, NYC pizza from Slice Guys and mac 'n' cheese from Nanny Bill's, drank spiced mojitos at the Lazy Flamingo Bar and danced to London's biggest DJs – and, basically, lived happily ever after. The end.
24 June-28 August; £3
1-2 Hepscott Road, E9 5HA
NIGHTLIFE: Pride in
London 2016
Given recent world events, this year it feels more important than ever to party at Pride. Don't miss Saturday's out, proud, joyous and hyper-colourful parade celebrating LGBT+ communities, starting at the north end of Regent Street, heading past Trafalgar Square and down to Whitehall. Bonus points for spotting Sinitta on an old milk float… And of course, parade's end = after-parties ago-go. Try Archer Street's Pride Street Party for NSFW cabaret (archerstreet.co.uk); Beyond The Big Top for anthems and acrobats (coronettheatre.co.uk); or Straight Nasty Pride After Party for pop à la Kylie/Spice Girls/Destiny's Child. (http://vfdalston.com/).
25-26 June; free
Various locations
DRINK: The Dog House
Time to start misbehaving, people: thanks to the new downstairs bar at Bernardi's, Marylebone, we're all going to want to be in The Dog House. Because here not only will you find super-stylish arty interiors, a sundowner-ready courtyard and Italian cicheti (small plates), you will also find signature cocktails, house spritzes and a WHOLE MENU dedicated to negronis. With 12 – yes – TWELVE different varieties to try. Work your way through them all, and we suspect it may be far easier to get into the dog house than to leave...
Now open
62 Seymour Street, W1H 5BN
WELLBEING: Yogasphere
at the View From The Shard
Yoga. It's all about
reaching a higher plane, elevating body and mind. And at Yogasphere at The
Shard, we mean that quite literally. Taking place on the 72nd floor,
here you roll your mat out among the clouds (well, next to the huge
floor-to-ceiling windows) and admire the amazing views over the capital as you
stretch out through an hour-long hatha class. Use the London Eye as a gaze
point in tree pose, admire St Paul's from downward dog. And if you dare go
upside down? Natural highs, guaranteed.
Every Saturday; £40
The Shard, Joiner Street, SE1 9QU
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