Something For The Weekend: 18-20 Nov
It's beginning to feel a lot like… Oh, you know what.
FOOD: Taste of London Festive Edition
If you often find yourself torn between going to Hix, Pizarro and Kurobuta for dinner, then: a) we want to be you, because you know how to live; and b) your dilemma has just been solved. Because this weekend you can eat festive dishes from all of the above – plus many more top London restaurants including Tredwell's, Oldroyd, Darbaar and Bubbledogs – in one place: Tobacco Dock. That's right, foodie fest Taste of London is kicking off the season by making us jolly with demos, masterclasses, cocktail mixing classes and a craft beer trail – not forgetting, importantly, a dessert bar. Two words of advice: Elasticated. Waistband.
17-20 Nov; from £15
Taste, Tobacco Dock, Wapping Lane, London E1W 2SF
NIGHTLIFE: Bedrock 18 at Ministry of Sound
Many things have come to an end this year. Fabric. Bake Off. Civilisation as we know it. So in such uncertain times it's nice to have a bit of continuity; something we can rely on. Enter dance music legend John Digweed, who's celebrating 18 years of his pioneering imprint, Bedrock. And he's doing it in style, with a huge night at another bastion of good times, Ministry of Sound. An all-star cast including Lauren Lo Sung, Montel and GW Harrison will be keeping the crowd moving – but the main event is a special extended set by Mr Digweed himself, where he'll be showing us just why he's been a figurehead of quality house for so many years. And that, you really can depend on.
19 Nov; £29.12
Ministry of Sound, 103 Gaunt Street, Elephant & Castle, SE1 6DP
POP-UP: Winter Wonderland
You may not have heard of this small-scale, under-the-radar gather, but… Nah, we're just kidding. It's the Christmas fair to out-merriment them all and it's back and bigger than ever. Taking over Hyde Park, this year sees a magical ice kingdom with real snow, sugar plum fairies aplenty at The Nutcracker on Ice, the UK's biggest outdoor ice rink and more mulled wine than you can shake a Christmas tree at. Plus there's roller-coasters, a giant observation wheel and two – count em, TWO – circuses. Which, by our calculations, is exactly twice as much fun as one circus.
18 Nov-2 Jan; free
Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, London W2 4RU
THEATRE: Trainspotting
Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose to see the hit stage version of Trainspotting, which transfers to The Vaults this week. Anyone alive in the 90s will know that this will entail much effing, blinding and era-defining monologuing as we revisit Irvine Welsh's brutal tale of heroin addict Mark Renton and his smacked-out Edinburgh friends. Only this time you're right in the action, as the immersive staging means events unfold around you. And as anyone who's seen the 1996 film know, that may well involve faeces, Underworld, and babies crawling across ceilings. Consider yourself warned.
Until 15 January; from £20
The Vaults, Leake Street, SE1 7NN
POP-UP: Skate at Somerset House
And Christmas is officially... Go! Which means it's time to whirl, twirl and pirouette (or cling desperately to the side) at this, London's most romantic outdoor ice rink. As well as the chance to get slip-slidey amid the fairy lights, there's a Christmas Arcade courtesy of Fortnum & Mason, and the finest in après-skate cocktails at the Skate Lounge. What's more, on selected dates proceedings are taken over by club nights from the likes of Rough Trade, Green Man and Dimensions, turning the rink into a dance floor with a difference. The difference being, presumably, that you can fall flat on your face at any given time. Rave with caution, people.
17 Nov-15 Jan; from £8.90
Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA
FOOD: Hipchips
OK, so you know those nights where you set out to have dinner with friends but you get so full on crisps and dips first that it never quite happens? Brilliant, aren't they? Well, now the whole procedure has been formalised and made a whole lot more gourmet with the launch of Soho restaurant Hipchips. On a mission to reinvent the potato chip, here they cook them fresh and serve them on conveyor belts with a whole host of savoury and sweet dips. Think Peruvian ceviche, smoky cheese fondue, beetroot and lemongrass marmalade and – deep breath – Nutella, salted caramel and cheesecake. Yes, really. Madness or genius? There's really only one way to find out…
Now open
Hipchips, 49 Old Compton Street, W1D 6HL
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