This week's bumper guide is indicative of just how busy London is at this time of year. It's not just Christmas fun; there are new restaurants opening faster than you can say “I don't want sharing plates” and, from cosy corners to seductive culture, cuffing season never looked so promising.
Below, the latest parties, restaurants, gigs, bars and cultural goings-on should be enough to keep even the most intrepid Londoner entertained over the coming weekend.
The hot table: La Palombe
French Basque inspired La Palombe opened this month to quiet fanfare. Owned and operated by the family-run Il Portico (found next door), La Palombe promises an altogether more Gallic affair, with dishes like Basque prawns served with samphire and red pepper ragu, bavette steak (avec frites) and whole chargrilled mackerel with sobrasada sauce. Owner James Chiavarini knows what he's doing; expect excellence. Bon appetit.
267 Kensington High Street, W8 6NA, lapalombe.co.uk
The old favourite (in a new space): Mambow
“Malaysian heat, juicy wines.” That’s the self-styled mantra at Mambow, now in its new permanent digs in Clapton. The new space means a new, more ambitious menu, which is terrific considering how delicious the Peckham original was. New dishes include otak-otak toast (a take on prawn toast) and umai, a Sarawak-style ceviche with coconut milk and tamarind granita.
78 Lower Clapton Road, E5 0RN, mambow.co.uk
The drinking den: Rondo wine with Abbie Moulton
Author of New British Wines (and Standard contributor) Abbie Moulton is set to host a weekend wine sesh at the Hoxton Holborn this Saturday. Pouring four of Britain’s best burgeoning bottles (including the often sold-out Artefact from Castlewood Vineyard), the event will see Moulton share her extensive wine knowledge in her trademark light-hearted, approachable style, while Ronda snacks are available should the state of refreshment require them.
November 25, tickets £30, 199-206 High Holborn, WC1V 7BD, thehoxton.com
The culture fix: London Migration Film Festival
Since 2016, the London Migration Film Festival has sought to shine a spotlight on issues and stories surrounding migration and immigration. This series of 24 events features creatives such as artist and filmmaker Julianknxx , producer Toby Chai, and Rosie Carter of Hope Not Hate, as issues around identity and culture are explored across a range of breathtaking films, shorts, panels and parties. As one of London’s younger film festivals, this is essential weekend viewing.
November 29, across London, migrationcollective.com
The art fix: David Yarrow, Storytelling at the Maddox Gallery
This weekend is the last chance to see the works from award-winning photographer David Yarrow. The exhibition, Storytelling, features three new pieces drawing inspiration from the likes of Peaky Blinders and features subjects including Cara Delevingne, Bill Nighy and David Gandy. One for the shutterbugs.
Until November 26, 12 Berkeley Street, W1J 8DT, maddoxgallery.com
The party: FUTURE presents Benny Benassi, Offaiah, Tobtok, PS1
Dancing the night (or morning) away is what the weekends are for, right? Benny Benassi, Offaiah, Tobtok and many more stud this line-up of DJs set to take the party long into the wee hours and beyond. A proper overnight dance music session at Ministry of Sound.
November 24, tickets from £15, 103 Gaunt Street, SE1 6DP, ministryofsound.com
The gig: The Twang
Indie stalwarts The Twang are playing just one date in London this weekend, with a handful of tickets remaining for the O2 Academy gig. Whilst Either Way and Wide Awake remain the best known tracks from their back catalogue, the band have a host of top tracks from their five studio albums, their classic sound indicative of the successful 2007-2014 era they revelled in. If you were 17 in the mid-noughties (or just crave the sound of some spiky guitars), this one’s for you.
November 25, tickets £32, Angel Central, N1 0PS, ticketmaster.co.uk
The ticket to book now (for later): Barolo and truffle dinner at NoMad London with Giulia Negri
What better way to revel in the dark evenings and cooling weather than with warming Barolo wines and plentiful truffles. ‘Tis the season, then, for the Giulia Negri takeover dinner at the NoMad where a Piedmontese menu focusing on truffles will be expertly paired courtesy this second-generation winemaker and NoMad wine director Bella Babbit. Expect some of the region's best Barolos alongside veal tartare, white alba truffle tagliatelle and barolo-braised beef cheeks. Buono, no?
