Things To Do In London This Weekend May 26-29
It's bank holiday. Act accordingly...
EXHIBITION: Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion
'Haute Couture is like an orchestra whose conductor is Balenciaga.' So said Christian Dior, and we're not arguing. The shift, the tunic, the baby doll… all thanks to the Spanish design supremo. The V&A's new blockbuster exhibition Balenciaga: Shaping Fashion brings together more than 100 of his pieces, as worn by everyone from Ava Gardner to Gloria Guinness, plus work by labels following his lead (think JW Anderson, Phoebe Philo, Molly Goddard...). In a word: gorgeous.
27 May-18 Feb; £12
V&A, Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, SW7 2RL
FOOD: The Curtain
So it seems that members' clubs are having quite the renaissance. The Ned, Disrepute... And now, The Curtain. Shoreditch's newest 'excuse me madam, can I see your membership card?' venue features 120 luxe guest rooms and suites, drinks from cocktail specialists Trash Tiki, a rooftop brassiere and pool... Which is all lovely for those splashing the cash to join. What we're REALLY excited about, however, is the open-to-all restaurant, Red Rooster. With a menu by acclaimed NYC chef Marcus Samuelsson, featuring famed dishes from his original Harlem outpost (including devilled eggs with sea urchin mayo and candied bacon - YUM), plus live funk and soul music AND a Sunday gospel brunch, it alone is surely worth a visit. Membership card or no.
Opens 26 May
The Curtain, 45 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, EC2A 3PT
DRINK: The Napoleon
We're about to spill Shoreditch's best-kept secret. Because sharing's caring. And also because, when it concerns 'London's booziest hotel', this secret is way too good to keep to ourselves. An unassuming east-London bar from the outside, The Napoleon is actually a tardis of fabulous, featuring, as it does, a Spanish taverna-themed sherry and tapas bar on the ground floor, a whisky den featuring a split oak tree as one long table-cum-whisky dispenser in the basement and – best of all – a gorgeous vintage Italian-style cocktail bar on floor one. Named The Devil's Darling, this place has a grand marble bar, the most knowledgeable staff in the business and a drinks list based on classic cocktails from back in the day. It's basically not possible to drink here without feeling you're in a Fellini film. A good thing, you'll agree… Plus, if you really want to push the boat out, you can stay in the boutique hotel room (yes, just the one) on the top floor – where a drinks hatch will dispense concoctions from all the bars below. You see? We weren't kidding when we said this hotel was London's booziest. Get there now before everyone else catches on.
Now open
The Napoleon, 9 Christopher Street, EC2A 2BS
NIGHTLIFE: Feelings Bank Holiday Beach Party at Shoreditch Riviera
There are parties. There are bank holiday parties. Then there are day-to-night bank holiday BEACH parties, thrown at new outdoor pop-up Shoreditch Riviera and celebrating the finest in Chicago house music. Happily, this all-dayer falls firmly into the third category. Run by uber-cool party crew Feelings, you can expect bars, beach vibes and beats aplenty, with sets from the likes of Steve 'Silk' Hurly, Tyree Cooper, The Menendez Brothers, Don & Digb¥ and Suspiciously Delicious. There'll also be an independent record fair, street eats and the chance to keep the good times rolling with a night-time stint at Village Underground. Bank holiday is GO.
27 May; from £8
Feelings, Shoreditch Riviera, 288 Old St, London EC1V 9LA
DRINK: Bloomsbury Club Bar x The Baxter Inn
Usually, getting to drink in The Baxter Inn is a bit of a faff. Mainly because it's in Sydney, and even the most intrepid of Uber drivers isn't going to take that journey on. But wait! The good news is, this weekend we can drink in The Baxter Inn – named the Best Bar in Australasia three times in a row – right here in London, as part of The Bloomsbury Club Bar's excellent Residencies Project. Expect bespoke, multi-sensory cocktails designed by Baxter's beverage director, exclusive whiskies direct from its 630-strong collection, and – wait for it – Old Fashioneds. ON TAP. Get there before Saturday, or face a 24-hour plane journey to try it.
24-27 May
The Bloomsbury Club Bar, 16-22 Great Russell St, WC1B 3NN
POP-UP: Pergola Paddington Central
You can never have too much of a good thing. Especially when that good thing is Pergola, the hit White City pop-up with a knack for turning once-shabby rooftops into boozy, foodie, flower-decked verandas. With that in mind, we bring you glad tidings: a second location is opening this very weekend – way out west. Well, in Paddington, anyway. And it's only going to go and be west London's largest al-fresco drinking and dining venue, isn't it? Hit the roof at 5 Kingdom Street to find food care of Patty & Bun, Mamalan, Decatur and DF Mexico; summer spritzes care of two fairy-lit cocktail bars; and sunshine care of, well, THE SUN. Yep, definitely a combo you can't get too much of.
Now open
Pergola Paddington Central, 5 Kingdom Street, Paddington Central, W2 6PY
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