11 Of The Best Things To Do In London – This spring may feel as springy as a 35-year-old mattress, but that doesn’t mean London’s venues have collapsed. Besides, with both St. Patrick’s Day and Mother’s Day falling on the same weekend, it appears you’ll have to brave the somewhat dreary weather one way or another.
And, with the launch of the BFI’s queer film festival FLARE, the official opening of Trullo’s new wine bar, and even the opportunity to score some free Mother’s Day flowers, I’m sure your weekend plans will be worthwhile. Here are 11 of the best things to do in London this weekend that we discovered:
1 – Foodies (and drinkers? Okay, gross word, I can see why we don’t use it), rejoice: Trullo’s wine bar is now open for business.
Trullo, the critically acclaimed restaurant, has expanded its offerings to include a restaurant-side watering hole, where digestivo and aperitivo are served alongside salumi, arancini, oysters, and other delectable dishes. The restaurant made Time Out’s list of the 50 best London restaurants in 2023, and I’m sure their adorable-sounding wine nook will follow suit – run, don’t walk, to their gorgeous Highbury location.
Price: varies; you’ll be able to get a £7 glass, and I’ve heard of £18 takeaway wine bottles.
Location: 300-302 St Paul’s Rd, N1 2LH, London
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday evenings (we couldn’t find anything more specific, but I’d recommend arriving as early as possible) – walk-ins only.
2 – At Shelter’s preloved donation event in King’s Cross, get rid of your old clothes and shop for some new secondhand finds.
This Saturday, the homelessness and housing charity is hosting a preloved clothing event where you can donate unwanted clothing and/or shop for vintage and designer gems. Rumour has it that some Alexander McQueen jeans and a vintage Adidas jacket from the 1990s will be on the charity’s Coal Drop Yard shelves – can you beat us there?
Entry is free of charge.
Shelter Boutique is located at West Coal Drops, Kings Cross, London, N1C 4DQ.
Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
3 – The BFI Flare Film Festival, the UK’s largest queer cinema extravaganza, began this Wednesday.
Along with screenings of documentaries such as The Stroll and Who I Am Not, the festival also includes some entertaining quiz nights and DJ sessions. See you there!
Price: varies, but many of the ones we saw were between £9 and £15.
Location: various BFI Southbank sections (0 Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XT)
Hours vary depending on the show.
4 – Flabbergast’s no-holds-barred Tragedy of MacBeth is currently running at Southwark Playhouse, and it has piqued the interest of critics and audiences alike.
Following a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year, the show has returned to Southwark’s Playhouse for a four-week run of their arrestingly visceral show. The group performs Shakespeare’s tragic play in all its blood-soaked glory – the Telegraph describes it as “captivating as it is unsettling,” so come along for some truly evocative scenes.
Price: £16-£25.50.
77-85 Newington Causeway, SE1 6BD, London
Weekend hours: Friday and Saturday begin at 7:30 p.m.
5 – I can’t think of anything more wholesome (or Mother’s Day-appropriate) than a tea-blending class from Whittard of Chelsea.
Tea tasting, a biscuit and tea pairing session, and the opportunity to blend your own tea in a personalised caddy that you can take home are all part of the event. Aww.
Price: £20 per person
83 Chiltern Street, London W1U 6NF
Hours: Various times throughout the week
6 – I went to Mr Fogg’s brand-new Pawnbroker’s branch in Soho, and I’m so glad I did.
If you enjoy vintage aesthetics, beautifully presented cocktails, and truly tiny menus with adorable magnifying glasses, this is the place for you. My adult ‘In The Balance’ cocktails (on the scale) were delicious, and their stunning Priceless Heirloom offering (on the right) was lychee and raspberry perfection.
The (excellent) staff is also in on the Victorian theme, so expect appropriately prim outfits and a restaurant-wide tech-free look that is incredibly IG-worthy (I hope Fogg doesn’t come after me for this).
Price: around £13 for a (excellent) cocktail.
50 Dean Street, London W1D 5BQ
Weekend hours: Friday 4 PM-12 AM, Saturday and Sunday 2 PM-12 AM.
7 – Batman orchestra, in two words.
If you’re a DC fan, don’t miss this exclusive screening of The Batman In Concert on Saturday, March 18th. The night will include a screening of The Batman (2022) as well as a live symphony orchestra rendition of the film’s captivating score at the Eventim Apollo in West London.
Nananananananananananananananana BOOK HERE! (Sorry). Tickets cost at least £41.50.
45 Queen Caroline Street, London W6 9QH
Saturdays beginning at 6:30 p.m.
8 – This Mother’s Day, Bindy Street and Bloosmbury Flowers have teamed up to offer a limited number of free bouquets.
To get the free greenery, download Bindy Street’s event-suggesting app and show it to a member of Bloomsbury Flowers’ staff in their Covent Garden branch, but be warned: bouquets are limited, so you might want to get your skates on.
Price: £0
29 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5BB
Hours: until Sunday, when the free flowers run out.
9 – The brand-new venue Lo opens this Friday, combining Vegas-style entertainment with Mediterranean-inspired cooking (I’m sold).
Think acrobats, singers, dancers, and a delectable menu – the venue transforms into a glitzy nightclub later in the night, so there’s no awkward “where next?” period between dinner and dancing. Plus, who can resist Vegas-style entertainment, cocktails, and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine? You can’t go wrong with this.
The cost is determined by the event.
3-4 Coventry Street, London W1D 6BL
Weekend hours are 7:30 p.m. to late on Friday and Saturday.
10 – We think ASK Italian’s new Mother’s Day menu is pretty slick, NGL.
Their set-course menu is filled with delectable options like butterfly king prawns, creamy burrata, a creamy mushroom and truffle calzone, and (my personal favourite) chocolate gnocchi (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, become addicted, and told everyone you know about it).
With the set menu, you can get a passion fruit martini for £5, and there are vegan and gluten-free options as well (favourite child status: granted).
£25.95 per person for three courses from the Mother’s Day set menu.
Location: various locations throughout London
Weekend hours are 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
11 – Go to Skylight Peckham for a rooftop St. Patrick’s Day bash.
While the sun sets over Peckham’s skyline, sip a Jameson cocktail (or even a whiskey-infused burger). It’s exactly what Pat would have preferred.
Price per ticket: £10-£10
Theatre Walk (120 Peckham Hill St, London SE15 5JT), between Peckham Library and Mountview College.
Hours: Friday, March 17th, 5:30 PM-1 AM
