Valentine’s Day is over for another year; thoughts can return to more regular goings-on, away from ridiculously-priced set menus and roses at five times the usual mark-up.
This weekend, there are supperclub tickets to be booked, live music and poetry to be heard, art to be seen and a new drinking den to dive into.
Look out, too, for new openings in east London, and a Michelin-starred pop-up that can’t be missed. Here’s everything to eat, see and do this weekend.
The hot table: Whyte’s
Following a run of successful pop-ups, Whyte Rushen’s new permanent site has finally arrived on Hackney’s Mare Street. Rushen serves up fare on the more experimental side of things, like foie gras nuggets or frogs legs self-described as: “a pair of amphibious extremities in a warming Parisian embrace, atop a pool of the creamiest parsley sauce”. Fortunately, his cooking chops are better than his literary ones, having cut his teeth at Brat, Scully and Kerridge’s. It looks a bit of a winner.
Unit 3, 143 Mare Street, E8 3RH, whytesrestaurant.com
The old favourite: Cally Munchy
Recently, African food across London has been getting the recognition it deserves, with both Akoko and Chishuru achieving a coveted Michelin star. Time to explore Cally Munchy, then, the permanent replacement for Akwasi Brenya-Mensa’s Tatale at the Africa Centre. The small but well-thought-out menu includes dishes such as afro bao, an African/Thai mash-up featuring moi moi and efo, there’s wagyu suya as a main course, and classic jollof rice and peas with Ghanaian kelewele features too.
66 Great Suffolk Street, SE1 0BL, callymunchy.com
The can’t miss pop-up: Hiroki Morokata at Oranj
Hiroki Morokata, a current chef at the two Michelin-starred Ikoyi, is popping up at natty east London wine bar Oranj for a four-day residency this weekend. Morokata’s background includes time spent at KOL in Marylebone and the acclaimed Caveman in Tokyo. He’s set to bring a Japanese-inflected menu, with dishes including fried dumplings with mackerel and almond cream, squid ink udon noodles and carrot cake with orange and long pepper custard. Creativity and calibre wrapped up in a handy residency.
Until February 17, 14 Bacon Street, E1 6LF, oranj.co.uk
The drinking den: 42
42 is the relatively new bar opening from Gymkhana, occupying the space underneath the popular Indian haunt. The den is about as elegant as it's possible to be, evoking a kind of Delhi club-within-a-club feel. It’s a dark, art-laden space that feels like a secret members’ club, but in fact is open to the public. With the restaurant upstairs having just won its second Michelin star, enjoying some impressive cocktails with glittering bar snacks adds another layer of luxurious appeal.
42 Albemarle Street, W1S 4JH, 42.london
The culture fix: Quentin Blake, Now
Arguably one of Britain's best loved illustrators, this weekend is the last chance to catch Quentin Blake: Now at Cromwell Place. The exhibition presents a snapshot of newer work, most of which was created over the past year. It includes a selection of pieces previously shown at INK with Hastings Contemporary last year, plus other images across various formats and mediums, utilising everything from a trusty ballpoint pen to the Stabilo watercolour pencil. Blake’s compositions are, as ever, in his inimitable style, with humour and movement at their heart.
Until February 18, Cromwell Place, South Kensington, SW7 2JE, cromwellplace.com
The live performance: Alter Ego
The Hackney Empire and Discover Young Hackney present Alter Ego, a platform for young and up-and-coming artists to perform on the big stage. With music throughout from M24, Suli Breaks and Boy Blue, a glut of young east London singers, dancers, poets and rappers, all aged 14-18, are set to perform, with the audience choosing on the night which performer will be crowned the winner. From £4 a ticket, supporting the next generation of London-based artists never was so easy.
February 16, 291 Mare Street, E8 1EJ, hackneyempire.co.uk
The odd-ball: Lymphomania
Valentine’s might have come and gone, but that’s no reason to lose that lovin’ feeling. Gymbox has this week launched Lymphomania, a self-massage class that helps participants up their lymphatic health using, they say, “mindful movement and touch”. The lymphatic system is the one that the body uses to rid the body of toxins, so it’s worth keeping in good nick — especially as it needs movement and stimulation to keep it on top form. The classes, which do exactly this, are a mix of breath work, massages, and yoga-inspired stretches. One for a weekend dedicated to unwinding and self-care.
Across London, gymbox.com
The ticket to book now (for later): Dumplings’ Legend at Frank’s
Chinatown favourite Dumplings’ Legend is to host a takeover at Frank’s bar beneath Maison Francois next week, celebrating French flavour profiles within the beloved Chinese dish. Expect French classics given the dumpling treatment with moules marinière dumplings, escargot dumplings and a dumpling filled with the restaurant’s own award-winning pâté en croûte. Dumplings’ Legend will be bringing staples including spicy peking duck and at £50 per person, the 18-dumpling menu with welcome cocktail feels decent value.
