Weekend Guide: Best Things To Eat, Drink & Do in London on Bank HolidayBy amelia richards
As the first bank holiday weekend of the month rolls around, we take a look at the best things to take you through from Friday to Monday:
Things to Do This Bank Holiday: Friday 3rd May 2019
For A Friday Night Feast: Re-Opening of Pergola Paddington
What: Pergola Paddington has reopened for the season with a host of new restaurants added to their – as always – immaculately curated line-up.
This year’s vendors include Smash Patty, from the brand behind Patty & Bun, where the concept is simple: mouth-wateringly moist burgers achieved by ‘smashing’ the beef mince patty on the griddle and then pressing it with the back of a burger flipper. Babek Brothers, of halloumi fries fame, are also in residence, as are poké bowl aficionados Honi Poké and, the latest concept from the team behind Salvation in Noodles, An Choi, meaning ‘to eat together’. Grab their famous spicy wonton dumplings or the Pergola exclusive – spicy fish sauce fried chicken!
When & Where: WEDS: 12pm – 3.30pm / 6pm – 11pm, THURS – SAT: 12pm – 11pm, SUNDAY – 12pm – 10.30pm, 5 Kingdom Street, Paddington Central, W2 6PY
How Much: Free entry plus a glass of ‘Frosé’ on the house when you sign up to their newsletter here.
Things to Do This Bank Holiday: Saturday 4th May 2019
For a Book Launch: Bryony Gordon’s ‘You Got This’
What: ‘I wanted to be a unicorn. I wanted to be a princess. I wanted to be an astronaut. But the thing I really wanted to be more than anything else, was a little less like me,’ so says journalist, mental health advocate and all-round super woman Bryony Gordon. Bryony shares her fabulous guide for teenage girls in this interactive, thought-provoking and esteem-boosting afternoon. It’s a must for every parent of a teenage girl, sure, but ultimately it’s a must for the teenage girl in all of us. Because ‘the most powerful thing you can be when you grow up is yourself.’
When & where: 2.30-4.30pm, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 8XX
How much: £14.50 – £17.50. Tickets available here.
For a Pop-Up Creative Residency: TOAST at Paper Mill Studios
Learn how to create the perfect canapés with seasonal chef Alexandra Dudley on Monday
What: From Saturday 4th – Monday 6th May lifestyle brand TOAST will be hosting its first ever ‘creative residency’ at Paper Mills Studio, North London. Inspired by its Spring Summer collection ‘The Unknown Path’, TOAST has gathered together a group of its most inspiring friends to host a series of walks, talks, and workshops designed to unlock creative potential.
Free to attend, the three-day Residency is a space for calm and contemplation and will offer a thoughtful programme of creative workshops and activities, encouraging women to try their hand at something new.
Free events include a live demonstration of wood carving by TOAST New Makers Takahashi McGil and traditional Taiwanese tea tasting by Xu Tea House and Restaurant. Molly Martin will also be available for teachings in repairs and ways in which to give your garments a new lease of life, and throughout the weekend books will be available from the TOAST Book Club for all to enjoy. A café by Little Cooking Pot will also offer lunch, light refreshments and drinks throughout the weekend.
When & where: 11am-6pm Sat & Sun, 10am-4pm Mon, Paper Mill Studios, 9 City Garden Row, London N1 8DW
How much: Free to visit. Some workshops bookable at extra cost here.
For a Live Podcast Record: Fearne Cotton Interviews GoT’s Maisie Williams
What: Fearne Cotton brings her hugely popular Happy Place podcast to life with this very special live recording featuring Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones actor and activist, and James Bay, BRIT Award winning musician. Expect in-depth conversations with both guests about the changes they have made in their own lives in pursuit of happiness, and how they aim to help their fans to find a happiness too. Expect to leave renewed, refreshed, inspired and uplifted!
When & where: 7.30-10pm (doors open from 7pm), Troxy, 490 Commercial Road, London E1 0HX
How much: £28 and available to buy here.
Things to Do This Bank Holiday: Sunday 5th May 2019
For A Traditional May Day Fête: The May Fair
What: The May Fair is set to bring traditional May Day entertainment to Grosvenor Square this May Bank Holiday weekend, with Maypole dancing, music, food and entertainment.
The two-day event will bring nostalgic delights of the much-loved Great British seaside Bank Holiday experience to London. Expect a pier-side funfair, including a helter-skelter, carousel and coconut shy, and, for when you get peckish, the obligatory fish and chips, ice-cream and candy-floss.
When & where: 11am-6pm Sun & Mon, Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, London W1K 2HP
How much: Free entry
For a Mexican Fiesta: Cinco De Mayo at Wahaca
What: Latinos in London & Wahaca: Come and dance like a Mexican this Cinco de Mayo at Wahaca Soho’s Azulito Bar. As well as live music and disco lights, they’ll also be serving up £5 Margaritas all weekend long in celebration of the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla. Enjoy your Margarita with delicious Pork Pibil Tacos, Grilled Cheese and Chargrilled Steak Taco or (and?) their yummy Corn Fritter seasonal special.
When & where: Latinos in London is at 7pm on Sunday, £5 Margaritas from Friday ’til Monday; Wahaca, The Azulito Bar Lower Ground Floor, 80 Wardour St, London
How much: Free entry – just come down!
Monday 6th May 2019
For a Vegan Brunch Special: The Good Egg Stoke Newington
What: On the menu at for one month only to celebrate Bianca Bridges, aka @breakfastlondon‘s, new book is this banger of a brunch dish: griddled cornbread, chilli pickled aubergine, cashew labneh, zhoug & dukkah. Yes please! ‘Breakfast London: Where Real Londoners Eat’ is available to buy here.
When & where: Available until the end of the month 93 Stoke Newington Church St, Stoke Newington London N16 0AS
For a Last Chance Exhibition: Don McCullin at The Tate Britain
What: Don McCullin began taking photographs in the 1950s, documenting his surroundings and local community in his native Finsbury Park. While he is probably best known as a photojournalist and war correspondent, he has also consistently engaged in documentary photography in Britain, depicting scenes of poverty and working class life in London’s East End and the north of England. From the homeless and disenfranchised population of Whitechapel in the 1970s to the industrial landscapes of Bradford, Liverpool and Durham, McCullin has exposed changing social conditions in the UK. In 1993, McCullin became the first photojournalist in history to be awarded the CBE. Not to be missed.
When & where: Monday between 10am-6.30pm, Tate Britain, Millbank, Westminster, London SW1P 4RG
How much: Free for members, £16 non-member general admission. Available here.
