Still enjoying the Brat summer? Just because something is green doesn’t make it Brat, or good, or summery. By that logic, St Patrick’s Day, limes and ASDA are all Brat, and they’re just not.
It doesn’t matter either way, though: Brat summer is over. And while that means this season is now perhaps more conventional than Charlie XCX might like, London has plenty to keep you occupied.
New restaurant openings to tackle the heat alongside older stalwarts of London’s restaurant scene, a wine bar that would make even a Parisian swoon and a new restaurant-cum-cafe which makes a perfect park-based pit-stop.
Elsewhere, there’s a big cultural institution offering a Notting Hill Carnival warm-up, some fantastic live theatre in a new setting and Taylor Swift is back in town (well, sort of).
Sport, art, food, theatre, music and pubs: as ever then, a guide to everything that makes London great. Enjoy.
The hot table: Laphet Larder
Laphet has a lot to answer for, in the best kind of way. In 2017, Hackney was only just emerging as a food and drink destination as prices pushed Shoreditch and Islington sorts further afield and restaurant experimentation in that era expanded Londoners' appetite for a more diverse range of cuisines. Laphet moved from an edgy warehouse space in Hackney to plush restaurant digs in E1 and after the pandemic, expanded further to WC2: a signifier of the restaurant's (and Burmese food’s) increasing mainstream popularity. The latest site is in Bermondsey, and staples like the ginger salad, the braised mutton curry and the coconut noodles are still present. It’s a pan-London success story, with food that more than matches.
39-45 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XF, lahpet.co.uk
The (other) hot table: Goodbye Horses
Opening later this week in the former space of Michael’s Den, an ill-fated boozer on Halliford Road, Goodbye Horses is hoping for better fortunes. The business model is complicated, with a wine bar, coffee shop and ice cream parlour, all in the same space, all with different names, but we’re focussed on the main Goodbye Horses space here. The (odd) name is a hit song by Q Lazzarus — vaguely familiar to anyone who’s watched Silence of the Lambs — and perhaps nods to the central stage great music will take at the space. Owners allege they had to reinforce the floors after hauling in their vinyl collection (just wait until the punters come in). Food comes from ex-Papi chef Jack Coggins, and while the menu isn’t fully public yet, dishes including oxtail ragout and broken rice and baby leeks, green garlic and hazelnut are expected. Riffs on Papi food meets a Bambi-level focus on good music? Sounds good.
21 Halliford Street, London, N1 3HB, goodbyehorses.london
The old favourite: Trishna
Trishna is the type of Indian restaurant which continues to fly under the radar, quietly plugging away with both neighbourhood and critical acclaim to keep things interesting. Initially opened with a strong seafood influence, there are still nods to the presence of fabulous fish dishes, namely the scallops and the Hariyali bream. It remains a winner.
15-17 Blandford Street, W1U 3DG, trishnalondon.com
The drinking den: Bar Levan
French-led food-and-wine bars in London must be great to survive; there is simply too much competition across town for them not to be. Bar Levan meets the challenge. The food is solid, reliable, accessible in price and nothing too ambitious or pretentious to put people off, but the wine list is what cuts the moutarde as a drinking den destination. Owner Mark Gurney buys just 12 bottles of each wine, and when they're gone, he buys 12 bottles of something else. This conscious effort to rotate the list keeps things interesting, informative and ensures Peckham locals don’t need to endure repetition to enjoy the spot.
12-16 Blenheim Grove, London SE15 4QL, barlevan.co.uk
The culture fix: Taylor Swift Songbook Trail
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Free tickets to Taylor Swift? Not quite, but the V&A are offering a free walk-through trail to fans of T Swizzle, with costumes, videos and songs presented in a public display across the month. As ever with the V&A, costumery is the focus, with a glut of concert-worn garments on display, meticulously curated with a series of Swifties lending a fan’s eye to advise on which pieces to feature. For a top free event, this should help keep the Swiftie in your life happy.
Until September 8, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL, vam.ac.uk
The park pit-stop: Sylva Cafe
Taking over the now-defunct park Cafe Honle, Sylva arrives in that part of town between Deptford and Bermondsey — a place calling out for a decent restaurant — and with a lick of paint and gentle conservatory extension, Sylva already feels perfectly in situ. Its park side location is just the sort of thing to help make a day of a visit to Folkestone Gardens, with baked goods and pastries starting from under £2, and bigger sandwiches from about £11. Sitting in that conservatory is a great way to spend a lunchtime on a sunny day, before soaking up more rays at the park.
Folkestone Gardens, Trundley’s Road, SE8 5JE, sylvalondon.co.uk
The weekend bash: Tate Big Weekender
Ahead of Notting Hill Carnival (that’s at the other end of August), Tate Britain is partnering with this party purveyor to offer a weekend of celebratory, carnival-themed events. From a family-friendly day with dressing up and children's painting activities to a late night block party and steel drum players at the Sunday Social, there’s genuinely something to keep everyone in the family happy.
August 3 & 4, Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P 4RG, tate.org.uk
The sporting fix: The Hundreds Cricket
This weekend sees more of the the fast-paced “Hundreds” cricket at the Kia Oval and Lord’s, as the men's and women's Oval Invincibles teams take on the Northern Superchargers, followed by London Spirit vs Oval Invincibles on Sunday morning. The limit of 100 balls ensures teams go all out from the get-go, providing a thrilling alternative to the slow-burning, longer format matches. As ever, live music and added entertainment will feature at the Hundreds, so expect a packed out, vibrant sporting weekend.
August 2-4, Kia Oval, SE11 5SS, Lords, NW8 8QN, thehundred.com
The art fix: Rheim Alkadhi, Templates for Liberation at the ICA
Iraqi-born Rheim Alkadhi uses scale, material and her strong personal narrative to tell stories of post-colonial Iraq. Leaping from post-war narratives to environmental ones, Alkadhi confronts Iraq’s violent history with searing honesty. Fusing large format sculptural works, hanging tarpaulins and archival documentation, the exhibition provides a thought-provoking journey through the nation's history and the artist's response to recent Iraqi conflicts.
The Mall, SW1Y 5AH, ica.art
The ticket to book now (for later): Who’s Cooking Dinner
One of the leading fundraising nights for the Leukaemia UK charity, Who’s Cooking Dinner returns in September for its 25th anniversary bash. The format is simple enough: top culinary talent collaborate on a menu and punters pay for the pleasure of being cooked by chefs with a galaxy of stars between them. This year sees Jeremy Lee (Quo Vadis), Francesco Mazzei (once of Sartoria, now at Villa Corinthia, Malta), Tom Kerridge (Kerridge’s), Romy Gill MBE and Giorgio Locatelli (Locanda Locatelli) team up for the occasion. Expect a four-course fundraising feast with all proceeds heaped onto the £7m the charity has already raised since 1999. Don’t miss this.
