Summer inconsistency (weather, sporting prowess, holiday troubles) continue, but, as ever, what remains a constant is the breadth and depth of London’s cultural offerings.
Restaurant openings are steady and reliably pleasing, lively wine bars help to punctuate neighbourhoods otherwise bereft of options, and BAFTA-winning actors take to fringe theatres to tackle meaty indie roles.
Elsewhere, Michelin-starred chefs from Scotland arrive in town for one night only, a Peckham Afro-Caribbean joint celebrates its second birthday, and there’s a handful of events to have on your radar for the next few weeks.
As ever, then, here’s what you need to know about in London this week.
The hot table: Cloth
The closure of Bowling Bird means London no longer benefits from the Peter Langan-ish hospitality of John King. A shame. Still, on the same site is a restaurant King would be likely to approve of, a stylish, olive green room with a stonking wine list. Cloth is from Joe Haynes and Ben Butterworth, a good-time, stylish pair of wine importers (hence the list), who say they don’t mess around too much with the kitchen, letting them get on with a European-influenced, modern British menu. Which means there is excellent pasta served next to caper-spiked tomato sauces with mozzarella, great fists of turbot, excellent chips, enormous slices of tart. It’s very good; built for longish lunches or dates when the night snuffs out the sun.
44 Cloth Fair, EC1A 7JQ, clothrestaurants.com
The old favourite: Lyle’s
Lyle’s — young, cool, forward-thinking Lyle’s — is 10 years old. Christ. It’s is the sort of restaurant that inspires people to rhapsodise over; about the freshness of its flavours, the innovation of chef James Lowe’s approach. But here’s a confession: for years, I’ve (DE) listened to those rhapsodies with my eyes glazed over. I’d written it off as a St John-lite. But a recent visit served as a spank of a reminder about how wrong I’d been. Lowe’s cooking is precise and technical but it offers a soothing satisfaction too. Menus change daily: at lunch there is choice, at supper its set-menu only (£119). What’s cooked is whatever the team have sourced that morning; not just seasonal, then, but fresh to the point of obsessiveness. It is a powerful way to do things. Another decade awaits.
56 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6JJ, lyleslondon.com
The drinking den: Sol’s
Bayswater has already welcomed Jeremy King and his opening of The Park and soon a new Six Senses hotel will further invigorate the area with punters and hospitality. Until the glitz and glamour, a low-key wine bar offering from the team behind the popular Fort Road Hotel in Margate and Foreign Exchange news (also in Bayswater) has quietly opened. Sol’s is set to serve St John focaccia sandwiches (there’s a real sandwich thing going on right now), deli goods and, naturally, superb wines. Writer Mina Holland has collaborated on the wine list and a slew of European regions, from Burgundy to Roussillon, Macedonia to Catalunya, have been tapped to pair with chef Harry Farrow’s snacks and seasonal plates.
25 Leinster Terrace, W2 3ET, instagram.com
The guest chef dinner: Abajo X Unalome
Abajo is the little-known 10-seater counter beneath HUMO and a new collaboration dinner between head chef Robbie Jameson and Glasgow-based Graeme Cheevers sees the latter bring his unique Scottish influence to town for one night only. Kicking off a new dinner series dubbed “Amigos de la Casa”, further friends of HUMO and Abajo are set to host further such events over the coming months. This weekend, though, expect Orkney scallops with dashi custard and smoked mussel sauce, as well as prawn tartare and “toast” with prawn jelly and caviar. It’s a lavish dinner, lavishly priced at £150 a head, but what are Saturday nights for?
12 St George Street, W1S 2FB, abajolondon.com
The (other) guest chef dinner: Rambutan & Cousins
This Sunday, Cynthia Shanmugalingam of Rambutan will host the first of her new four hands dinner series dubbed Rambutan & Cousins. The events are centred around expressions of London food and cooking with a Sri Lankan twist and the first in the line up of guest chefs is Indonesian supper club host Eats With Spoons, AKA Rahel Stephanie. With a menu inflected with both Indonesian and Sri Lankan flavours, expect dosa with andaliman-infused tofu, tempeh pineapple curry and butter roti. Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng of Borough Market sando slingers TÓU and Abby Lee of Mambow are next up on the roster, so keep a weather eye out for future tickets too.
July 28, 10 Stoney Street, SE1 9AD, sevenrooms.com
The art fix: Up in Smoke: John Booth x CAN at the NOW Gallery
Colourist John Booth and architectural studio CAN have partnered on a playful gallery takeover on at NOW in Greenwich. Named Up in Smoke, the show combines Booth’s bold and vibrant colours with CAN’s contemporary architectural approach with inventive effect, telling the story of Greenwich’s famed chimneys (hence the name) and exploring the industrial and residential heritage of the area. Climb through, explore and revel in the magic of this light, bright show which celebrates the 10th anniversary of the gallery.
Until September 22, Soames Walk, SE10 0SQ, nowgallery.co.uk
The party: Jumbi’s second birthday
The multi-hyphenate (restaurant-Hi-Fi-music-bar-cum-club) Jumbi is turning two, but instead of cake and a bouncy castle, expect a warehouse rave by way of a daytime carnival. The (brilliant) Afro-Caribbean fare that usually marks Jumbi out as a destination is on pause this weekend as they takeover the warehouse opposite in Copeland Park with a line up of DJs including Charlie Dark, Tash LC, Bradley Zero b2b Retromigration, Sophie McAlister, and plenty more besides. For a day-into-nighttime bash, don’t miss this one.
July 27, Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Road, SE15 3SN, jumbipeckham.com
The theatre fix: My Father’s Fable
This weekend is your last chance to catch the debut play by Faith Omole. The show delves into themes of connection, grief and complex family relationships as our protagonist, Peace, mourns her late father while discovering the existence of a half-brother in Nigeria. Despite warnings from her mother, she invites him over to England and Omole’s arresting drama unfolds. BAFTA winner Rakie Ayola stars alongside Tiwa Lade and Theo Ogundipe in this unmissable performance.
Until July 27, Bush Theatre, Uxbridge Road, W12 8LJ, bushtheatre.co.uk
The ticket to book now (for later): London Craft Beer Festival
The ultimate beer-lovers day out is back in August and with a day’s worth of frosty cold ones included in the price, it also happens to be an exceptional value event. From British brewery favourites like Deya and Gipsy Hill to big international brands such as Budvar and California’s Urban Roots, the representation is broad but the craft ethos connects them all. Alongside all that beer, the ideal stomach-lining drinking food is set to be served from Bone Daddies, Chick N’ Sours, and Flesh and Buns. This always sells out, so nab your tickets now.
August 9 & 10, Tobacco Dock, Wapping Lane, E1W 2SF, londoncraftbeerfestival.co.uk
The (comedy) ticket to book now (for later): Paul Merton and Suki Webster’s Improv Show
Have I Got News for You star Paul Merton has teamed up with comedian Suki Webster for an improv comedy show at the London Comedy Store. Each show is, as the name suggests, improvised, but in the safe hands of comedic experts Merton and Webster. Expect a fast paced evening of improvised games, scenes and stories as these two masters of surrealism and improvisation join forces to create a barrelful of joyful laughter.
