There’s nothing like the buzz of the first May bank holiday weekend. London’s bars and restaurants are boosting that positive energy with excellent deals on cocktails and exciting one-off chef collaborations – not to mention a tiramisu trolley. There are also fascinating new exhibitions to see, plus your chance to catch some great shows before they close. Below, you’ll find Broadsheet London’s top picks for taking your three days off to the next level.
Celebrate Bussey Rooftop Bar’s reopening, Peckham
Peckham’s rooftop with 360-degree views will come out of hibernation this weekend with £6 cocktails and £10 pizzas on Saturday and Sunday. It’s a relaxed affair with sunset views and woodfired pizza; walk-ins are welcome and so are furry companions. Friday afternoon is set to be sun-drenched, so a table booking might be a good idea, and though the weekend might see some drizzle, there’s plenty of shelter. The bar's sister venue Rooftop Cinema Club also has tickets to this weekend’s screenings of new Oscar-winning hits with mystery thriller Weapons on Friday night and supernatural horror Sinners on Saturday night.
Re-opens April 30.
@busseyrooftopbar
Lose yourself in Chiharu Shiota’s Threads of Life Exhibition at Hayward Gallery, South Bank
This Sunday will be the last chance to experience Chiharu Shiota’s immersive installation of red string webs. The Japanese artist is best known for her web structures that engulf ordinary objects such as shoes, keys, beds, chairs and dresses. Since February, the Hayward Gallery has been enveloped in Shiota’s thread-based art that ruminates on death, memory and relationships.
Until May 3.
@hayward.gallery
Party the weekend away at Lost, Covent Garden
Central London’s most hyped (and arguably, most mysterious) club night inside Covent Garden’s former Odeon cinema will run for four nights across the long weekend. Things kick off on Thursday with east London rapper and DJ Lancey bringing his Club Blue night to the labyrinthine space. The setlist is a surprise for the rest of the weekend, with all revealed on the night, and the club’s usual no-phones policy.
From April 30–May 4, 9pm–late.
@lostnightclub
Snack like you’re in Seoul at Jung Festival, King’s Cross
London’s first-ever Korean food festival will take over Canopy Market in King’s Cross for four days. It’ll welcome more than 30 independent traders serving up street food-style plates such as Korean corn dogs, tteokbokki, Seoul-style pancakes, fish stews and a lot of kimchi. Look out for treats like gochujang fudge cookies and corn crumble cakes.
From May 1–4.
@jungfestival.uk
A burger bonanza at Planque, Haggerston
Wine “clubhouse” and restaurant Planque is collabing with Parisian smashburger sensation Dumbo – which launched on Bethnal Green Road last year – for a one-off menu of swanky takes on Dumbo classics. To start there’ll be oysters spiked with hot sauce, followed by nuggets “au poivre” and Planque head chef Seb Myers’s take on Dumbo’s burger, which he’ll serve with a gribiche-style sauce. It’s walk-in only, so arrive early.
May 3, from 2pm–10pm.
planque.co.uk
Catch Self Esteem in rock-infused musical Teeth ‘n’ Smiles, West End
Tickets start at just £31 for this weekend’s showings of rock musical Teeth ‘n’ Smiles, led by Rebecca Lucy Taylor (aka Self Esteem) at Duke of York's Theatre. It’s a revival of David Hare’s play, which premiered 50 years ago starring Helen Mirren. It’s a feverish portrait of a rock band which blends live music, rebellion and backstage chaos, now revived with new songs from Taylor.
Until June 6.
@teethnsmilesplay
Enjoy a one-off menu by top chefs at Newcomer Wines, Dalston
A Scottish-inspired feast in east London wine bar Newcomer will take place this Saturday from 7pm to late. It’ll host the pop-up collective Close Ties made up of sommelier Josh Bratt (The Barbary) and Jake Norman (general manager of Trullo) plus guest chef Oscar Goga (Carousel, The Clove Club) for an evening of curated vinyl listening, European wines and a one-off menu. Expect barbeque plates with malt-glazed lamb skewers, a tikka masala lobster roll and Buckfast ice cream.
May 2, from 7pm.
@newcomer_winebar
Check out London’s newest major museum with The Music is Black: A British Story exhibition at V&A East Museum, Stratford
The brand new V&A East Museum has launched with The Music is Black: A British Story in its top-floor gallery. It’s a multi-sensory exhibition through Black British music from jazz, lovers rock and jungle to grime and drill. Get up close to more than 200 objects, including Stormzy’s Banksy-designed stab-proof vest and Joan Armatrading’s guitar, wearing headphones that play music according to where you’re standing in the exhibition. The museum’s first two floors are free to explore, and when you’re hungry, you can head downstairs to Cafe Jikoni, the long-awaited follow-up to Ravinder Bhogal’s beloved Marylebone restaurant. Bonus: on Saturday, the museum will stay open till 10pm.
Open daily.
@vam_east
Ascend to dessert heaven with Barberella’s new tiramisu trolley, Canary Wharf
A new reason to head east this bank holiday comes in the form of a roaming tiramisu trolley at Barbarella, the glittering ’70s-inspired latest from Big Mamma Group. Launching this weekend and served Saturday lunchtimes and all day Sunday (plus a live band), the theatrical dessert trolley rolls out generous scoops of classic coffee and marsala, pistachio, and seasonal strawberry-lemon tiramisu.
May 2 from lunchtime and all day May 3.
@bigmamma.uk
Celebrate London’s DIY skating culture at Skate 50, South Bank
A new pay-what-you-can exhibition at Southbank Centre marks half a century of one of the world’s most famous skate spots. Skate 50 celebrates the story of the Undercroft Skate Space – the concrete-pillared hub beneath Queen Elizabeth Hall – through photography, film, sound and archive footage, tracing how it became a symbol of DIY London. It’s free for skateboarders, and worth pairing with a riverside wander.
Until June 21, not open May 3 or 4
southbankcentre.co.uk
Portuguese snacking takes over The Shaston Arms, Soho
Petite Soho pub The Shaston Arms will host Marcelo Rodrigues, the head chef of laidback north-east London restaurant Primeur, for an evening of Portuguese-inflected dining. Rodrigues’s menu will feature hits like sardines, a Portuguese-style rissole and “a sandwich for the ages”. Diners with bookings will have access to the full menu, while walk-ins are welcome to order from a more condensed selection to eat on the terrace.
May 4, from 5pm.
theshastonarms.co.uk
Book a high-energy long lunch (with unlimited handrolls) at Aki, Marylebone
A new Saturday brunch that promises unlimited temaki handrolls lands at Aki London this weekend. The new Hikari brunch – starting at £50 – mixes Japanese sharing plates with live DJs, and menu highlights include truffle edamame, rock shrimp tempura, Wagyu dishes and – for a bit extra – champagne.
The Hikari brunch will be available every Saturday from midday–4pm at Aki London, 1 Cavendish Square, W1G 0LA.
@akilondon
