1 year ago
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It's a Mother's Day *and* Paddy's Day double whammy, people.
Sure, this spring might feel about as springy as a 35-year-old mattress, but that doesn't mean London's venues have fallen flat. Besides, with both Paddy's Day and Mother's Day on this weekend, it's looking like you're going to have to brave the somewhat damp climes one way or another.
And with the launch of BFI's queer film festival FLARE, the official opening of Trullo's new wine bar, and even the chance to nab yourself some free Mother's Day flowers, I'm sure your weekend plans will be worth the trek. Here are 11 of the best things we found to do in London this weekend:
1. Foodies (and, uh, drinkies? Okay, gross word, I can see why we don't use that), rejoice: Trullo's wine bar is officially open.
Critical darling Trullo has expanded its offerings to include a restaurant-side watering hole, where digestivo and aperitivo stun alongside salumi, arancini, oysters, and more. The eatery made its way to Time Out's 50 best London restaurants in 2023, and I'm sure their adorable-sounding wine nook is fated for an equally stellar career – run, don't walk, to their gorgeous Highbury premises.
Price: depends – you'll be able to nab a £7 glass, though, and I've heard tell of £18 takeaway wine bottles.
Location: 300-302 St Paul's Rd, London N1 2LH
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday evenings (we couldn't find anything more specific, but I reckon you should try to get there as early as you can) – walk-ins only.
2. Get rid of your old clothes and shop for some new second-hand finds at Shelter's preloved donation event in King's Cross.
The homelessness and housing charity are hosting a preloved clothes event this Saturday where you can drop off any clothes you don't fancy and/or shop for some vintage and designer gems. Rumour has it that some Alexander McQueen jeans and a vintage 90's Adidas jacket will sit on the charity's Coal Drop Yard shelves – race you there?
Price: free to enter
Location: Shelter Boutique, West Coal Drops, Kings Cross, London, N1C 4DQ
Hours: 10 AM-7 PM, Saturday.
3. BFI Flare Film festival, the UK's largest queer cinema bonanza, kicked off this Wednesday.
Instagram: @britishfilminstitute
Alongside screenings of shows like documentaries The Stroll and Who I Am Not, the festival also includes some fun-filled quiz nights and DJ sessions. Catch you there!
Price: depends, but a lot of the ones we saw were in the £9-£15 range.
Location: various sections of the BFI Southbank (0 Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XT)
Hours: depends on the show
4. Flabbergast's no-holds-barred Tragedy of MacBeth is running in Southwark Playhouse – it's gotten critics and audiences alike excited.
Instagram: @flabbergast_theatre
After a much-hyped run in last year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the show has landed in Southwark's Playhouse for a four-week run of their arrestingly visceral show. The Bard's tragic play is realised in all its blood-soaked glory by the group – the Telegraph reckons it's as "captivating as it is unsettling", so head along for some truly evocative scenes.
Price: £16-£25.50.
Location: 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD
Weekend hours: starts at 7:30 PM Friday and Saturday.
Amy Glover / BuzzFeed
If you love old-timey ~aesthetics~, stunningly-presented cocktails, and truly tiny menus with adorable magnifying glasses, this place is for you. I loved my grownup 'In The Balance' cocktails (the ones on the scale), and their stunning Priceless Heirloom offering (on the right) was lychee and raspberry perfection. The (great) staff are in on the Victorian bit too – expect appropriately prim outfits and a restaurant-wide tech-free look that is (I hope that Fogg fella doesn't come at me for this) incredibly IG-worthy.
Price: £13ish for an (excellent) cocktail.
Location: 50 Dean St, London W1D 5BQ
Weekend hours: 4 PM-12 AM Friday, 2 PM-12 AM Saturday and Sunday.
7. Two words: Batman orchestra.
Warner Bros. Pictures
If you're a DC fan, you won't want to miss this exclusive showing of The Batman In Concert on Saturday 18th March. Showing at Eventim Apollo in West London, the night will consist of a screening of The Batman (2022) alongside a live symphony orchestra rendition of the movie's captivating score.
Nananananananananananananananana BOOK HERE! (Sorry). Tickets are £41.50+
Location: 45 Queen Caroline St, London W6 9QH
Hours: Saturday, from 6:30 PM.
8. Bindy Street and Bloosmbury flowers have paired up to offer a limited number of free bouquets this Mother's Day.
You'll have to download Bindy Street's event-suggesting app and show it to a member of Bloomsbury Flowers' staff in their Covent Garden branch to nab the gratis greenery, but be warned – bouquets are limited, so you might want to put your skates on.
Price: £0
Location: 29 Great Queen St, London WC2B 5BB
Hours: 'til the free flowers run out on Sunday.
9. Brand-new venue Lío is launching this Friday, and it combines Vegas-style entertainment with Mediterranean-inspired cooking (okay, I'm sold).
Think acrobats, singers, dancers, and a delicious menu to boot – the venue transforms into a glitzy nightclub later on in the night, so you won't need to worry about that awkward "where next?" period between dinner and dancing. Plus, I mean, Vegas-style entertainment, cocktails, and Mediterranean-inspired food? You really can't go wrong.
Price: depends on the event
Location: 3-4 Coventry St, London W1D 6BL
Weekend hours: Friday and Saturday from 7:30 PM 'til late.
10. ASK Italian's new Mother's Day menu is looking pretty primo to us, NGL.
Their set-course menu is brimming with delicious offerings, like butterfly king prawns, creamy burrata, a creamy mushroom and truffle calzone, and (my favourite) chocolate gnocchi (don't knock it 'til you've tried it, become addicted, and ranted about it to everyone you know). You can nab a passion fruit martini for just £5 with the set menu, and there are vegan and gluten-free options too (favourite child status: granted).
Price: £25.95pp for three courses from the Mother's Day set menu.
Location: various across London
Weekend hours: 11:30 AM-11 PM Friday and Saturday, 11:30-9 PM Sunday.
