This bank holiday promises a lot. There are a whole bunch of big ones events and exhibitions taking place in London this month, marking the start of what is often called the 'summer season', but the guide eschews the ordinary in favor of the less familiar.
From American comedians making their UK debuts to two-day raves, this is a guide for the curious. We also have news of a big celebration of African culture and a live music festival in South London.
As always, there's food and drink in abundance, with a new sun terrace to keep revelers happy in the heat, and restaurant openings that promise East London a slice of European grandeur.
This holiday weekend, take a leaf (or two) from this book and discover something off the beaten path.
The warm table: The Brush Grand Café
Charlie McKay
Grand cafés are normally something you'd find in Paris or Vienna, or perhaps Mayfair, but hip Hoxton is getting a touch of Euro glamor with the opening of Brush. A menu of all-day classics such as roast chicken and wiener schnitzel, alongside a range of trendy flatbreads and cleverly prepared cocktails. A drunken bruncher on holidays.
The old favorite: Kricket Soho
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Kricket first appeared in Pop Brixton almost a decade ago and in that time the vibrant modern Indian restaurant has gone from strength to strength. Their Soho restaurant feels as sleek as ever with stirring tomato pani puri, kashmiri lamb ribs and “Keralan Fried Chicken”: a more than acceptable riff on a famous fast food brand.
The sun visor: Forza Taps
Caitlin Isola
Taking over the enormous suntrap that is the Weston Terrace at the National, Forza Taps is the latest offering from the successful Forza Wine and Forza Win collective. Serving drinks on tap, alongside a few signature 'Italian-style' snacks, you can expect seasonal, sunny fare – think basil and pork grattato and courgettes with garlic and mint – and more than a few of the famous 'Custardos' (coffee) from the location. and custard).
The dinner: close ties at Carousel
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A catered party until late? No reservations, £5 on the door, and DJs, this is about as close to a wine as you can get ranting as one can get. Carousel's Joshua Bratt and Trullo's Jake Norman team up with Sager + Wilde's Diarmuid Goodwin to serve up some seasonal dishes alongside glasses of 'undiscovered gems' from the fine wine world. A real little party.
The culture fix: fragile beauty
FATHER
The V&A's latest major photography exhibition feels less bloated and more encyclopaedic. It brings together a vast catalog of images from the private collection of Sir Elton John and partner David Furnish, exploring fashion, portraiture, culture, style and the common thread that connects it all: beauty. Tickets are scarce, so get one while you can.
The art fix: Bloomsbury women outdoors
Vanessa Bell, Garden at Monk's House, Sussex, 1947 © Bradford Museums & Galleries
© Legacy of Vanessa Bell. All rights reserved, DACS 2023 / Bridgeman Images
Another newly opened show is coming from the Garden Museum, Lambeth, with a special focus on the green spaces surrounding the women of the famous Bloomsbury set. From Virginia Woolf and her garden at Monk's House to art patron and photographer Lady Ottoline Morrell who presided over Garsington Manor, this exhibition explores the impact these gardens and landscapes had on this most influential cohort.
The flowery day out: Chelsea in Bloom
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Produced alongside the RHS flower show (also this week) Chelsea in Bloom is the more relaxed, open floral display covering a larger area within SW3. It's nice that this year's theme (Flower Festivals) puts a little focus on Chelsea's food, with edible features at some of the streetside installations and restaurants, from the Cadogan Arms to the Surprise, each serving special dishes.
The market: Pop Up Africa
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In Spitalfields this weekend, around 60 traders, vendors, restaurants and artisans will open their shops to celebrate all things African, with an emphasis on West African food. In addition to all that food, Culture Tree's documentary ÀWÒRÁN will be shown.
The untold story: Women of the RNLI
RNLI
The National Maritime Museum's latest exhibition celebrates the lives of the pioneering women who helped found the RNLI and who continue to support the charity's activities today. To mark the RNLI's 200th anniversary, the exhibition covers personal essays by volunteers, photography and documentary films to showcase this little-discussed part of the organisation's rich history.
All night long: HOME 10th anniversary party
In Greenwich, 338 Studio's tenth anniversary party will see a great line-up of DJs from around 4pm on Sunday until the early hours of Monday. In other words: a real all-nighter. Expect techno and house from headliner DJ Raresh and more relaxed beats from the famous Priku in the beautiful indoor and open-air location. A paradise for ravers.
The comedy ticket: London Real Deal Comedy Jam
In his UK debut, actor Jordan Rock – who starred in the 2016 Netflix show 'Love' – takes to the comedy stage alongside veteran comedians Shabbz Kariem, Kyrah Gray and Wilson Milton. Rock, brother of the better-known Chris, is fiercely self-aware (self-proclaimed “the most affordable Rock”) and this special celebration, hosted in the famous arches below Waterloo, should go down a treat.
The festival: Wide awake
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King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Young Fathers and Slowdive are the headliners at this vibrant Brockwell Park festival. Promising to showcase the most interesting emerging musicians in a line-up alongside a range of established favorites, the festival is a mix of eclectic genres, all fiercely independent and, where possible, locally produced (such as South London's Fat Dog) .
The ticket to book now (for later): Michael Caines X Atul Kochhar four-handed dinner
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Later this month, chef Atul Kochhar will welcome one of Britain's most celebrated chefs, Michael Caines MBE, to his Mayfair restaurant Kanishka, for the next installment of his four-hands dinner series. The menu includes scallop tartare, the best roasted part of Devon lamb and a roast quail with onion and truffle confit. A blow-out dinner for the end of the month? Something to look forward to.