What To Book In London This March
HAVE AFTERNOON TEA HERE: The Lanesborough
Peggy Porschen is returning to The Lanesborough, where she held her first prestigious pastry chef position in 1999 after graduating from Le Cordon Bleu’s The Grand Diploma of Cuisine & Patisserie. This time Peggy, alongside her skilled pastry chef team, is back to design and serve a beautiful afternoon tea experience in collaboration with The Lanesborough’s head pastry chef Kevin Miller. The tea will feature some of Peggy’s signature creations, and classic afternoon tea essentials such as finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream and jam, plus, afternoon tea blends of Peggy Porschen and The Lanesborough. The tea will be served under the domed glass roof of Michelin-starred Céleste, accented with the pink aesthetics of Peggy Porschen – ideal for Instagram.
Hyde Park Corner, Hyde Park, SW1X 7TA; 3rd March-8th June
Visit OetkerCollection.com
CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY HERE: 14 Hills
In celebration of International Women’s Day 2020, 14 Hills is proud to present ‘A Recipe For Success’ – a breakfast event and panel discussion championing strong female voices, hosted by SheerLuxe founder and editor Georgie Coleridge Cole. Take in the views over London’s skyline while enjoying a buffet breakfast, juice bar, tea and coffee, followed by the talk where three influential women will share their successes, failures and advice. Georgie will be joined by British designer and co-founder of fashion label Rixo, Henrietta Rix, and Boom Cycle co-founder Hilary Rowland. Topics will cover what it means to be a woman in business today; the rise of women in the country’s top positions; correlations between sports, business and fashion; and the importance of notable and vocal women as inspirational role models.
120 Fenchurch Street, City, EC3M 5BA; 10th March
Visit Shop.DAndDLondon.com
BOOK AHEAD FOR THIS: Cocktails In The City
Cocktails in the City brings together some of the capital’s finest cocktail bars all under one roof in pop-up form for one weekend. Transforming the Vaults in Waterloo – an underground warren of railways arches and secret passageways – into a maze of sensory drinks experiences, Cocktails in the City invites Londoners to sip their way through show-stopping cocktails, discover hidden rooms and witness London’s cocktail-making elite in action as each bar competes to be crowned best bar. Bars confirmed for the event include: Nightjar, Laki Kane, Homeboy, Heads + Tails, Trader Vic’s, Merchant House, Ella Canta, Gaucho, Bourne & Hollingsworth, Opium Cocktail Bar + Dim Sum Parlour, Bloomsbury Club Bar and Genuine Liquorette.
Leake Street, Waterloo, SE1 7NN; 4th-6th April
Visit CocktailsInTheCity.com
START INVESTING HERE: Affordable Art Fair
Whether you know your Hockneys from your Hirsts, or are simply looking to dip your toe into the world of contemporary art, head to the Affordable Art Fair, where expert gallerists will be on hand to help you choose the perfect piece to suit your space, taste and spend. The fair will be hosting over 110 galleries, exhibiting 1,000s of original artworks at affordable prices (from £100 up to £6,000). Now in its 21st year, the fair will continue to deliver its mission to democratise art for all with the introduction of a new ‘Access’ section, which promises to help visitors better understand the art of collecting prints. The ‘art for all’ mantra is also embraced with female artists celebrated in an International Women’s Day programme backed by art historian Katy Hessel, while the new ‘Family Day’ aims to inspire children.
Battersea Park, Battersea, SW11 4NJ; 12th-15th March
Visit AffordableArtFair.com
SEE SOME INSPIRING WOMEN HERE: WOW Festival
2020 marks the tenth anniversary of Women of the World festival and to celebrate, the WOW Foundation is presenting its biggest and bravest festival yet. Over three days, WOW’s line-up of world-class speakers, activists and performers will be joined by thousands at the Southbank Centre to explore the state of gender equality across the globe and tackle the subjects that matter most to women and girls across the world today. This year’s headline speakers include Naomi Wolf, Deborah Frances-White (The Guilty Feminist), Scarlett Curtis, Sandi Toksvig, Emma Dabiri and Shazia Mirza. The three-day event kicks off on the Friday, with talks centred on one of the most pressing issues facing women today – domestic abuse. Guests will discover the facts, figures and what the real face of ‘intimate terrorism’ looks like and hear from the people who are making a difference.
Belvedere Road, South Bank, SE1 8XX; 6th-8th March
Visit SouthbankCentre.co.uk
BOOK TICKETS FOR THIS: City of Angels
The Donmar Warehouse’s Olivier Award-winning production of City of Angels is almost ready to hit the West End. Josie Rourke’s “ingenious, stupendous revival” (Telegraph) premiered in 2014, when it was hailed as “a blissful evening” (The Stage) that’s “smart, seductive and very funny” (Evening Standard). With a swinging score by Cy Coleman and David Zippel and based on the brilliantly witty book by Larry Gelbart, City of Angels is a musical love letter to the glamorous world of old Hollywood and film noir. Stars Hadley Fraser, Theo James, Rosalie Craig, Rebecca Trehearn, Jonathan Slinger, Nicola Roberts and Vanessa Williams.
2 Charing Cross Road, West End, WC2H 0HH; from 5th March
Visit NimaxTheatres.com
GET INTERIORS INSPIRATION HERE: The Kensington
Guests are invited to spend an afternoon talking all things chic and stylish with British designer and cook Sophie Conran, over an intimate lunch in townhouse hotel The Kensington. The one-off event offers design aficionados an opportunity to gain personal inspiration from the daughter of designer and restaurateur Sir Terence Conran and food writer Caroline Conran. Sophie will reveal tales from her life and her varied career, sharing interior tips and style inspiration for hosting and entertaining guests at home, plus news on her latest designs. Tickets cost £40pp and include a three-course lunch at The Kensington’s signature restaurant, Town House.
109-113 Queen's Gate, South Kensington, SW7 5LP; 10th March
Visit Eventbrite.ie
SEE A SERIES OF PLAYS HERE: New Nordics Festival
Fast-rising theatre company Cut the Cord has launched a new initiative designed to shine a light on Nordic plays and spread awareness of modern Nordic theatre. New Nordics Festival will take the form of a four-day festival and will take place at east London’s Yard Theatre, working with a mixture of upcoming and high-profile theatre writers in the Nordic region (including Lisa Langseth who currently writes and directs for Netflix; and Vivian Nielsen who has received a Reumert Prize for her work). Six directors from the UK have travelled abroad to explore what Nordic theatre and culture is – and will present a play from each of country. Subject matter will range from climate change to fir trees, garages, loneliness, cows and Ikea, with each giving a glimpse of the countries they come from.
Queen's Yard, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN; 18th-21st March
Visit TheYardTheatre.co.uk
GET IMMERSIVE HERE: Studio 5ive
Studio 5ive’s new immersive theatre event, Waiter! There’s a Murder in my Soup!, will run for the duration of March. While dining over a three-course meal, the audience will be taken back to 1946, where socialites, dignitaries and cultural bigwigs have gathered for the grand opening of Marchioness du Jour’s performance. But all is not as it seems. When a chilling murder is discovered, the lavish soirée quickly becomes a crime scene. Over the course of dinner, renowned detective Susan Gusset and her fellow diners must race against time to unmask a killer before coffee is served. A special menu includes dishes such as heritage beetroot with lamb’s lettuce, hazelnuts and goat’s curd; followed by braised beef cheek with heritage carrots and parsley purée.
3 Fulton Road, Wembley, HA9 0SP; until 29th March
Visit TroubadourTheatres.com
TRY A NEW SUNDAY ROAST HERE: Julie’s
Julie’s Restaurant has introduced a new Sunday lunch menu. Created by chef-patron Shay Cooper, the Sunday menu features traditional roasts in Shay’s elegant, contemporary British style, complemented by seasonal starters and desserts. Starters range from light sea bream tartare with pickled celery, red cabbage, cucumber and lovage dressing to heartier smoked pork, guinea fowl and duck terrine with pickled pear and sauce gribiche. The centrepiece of Sunday lunch is, of course, the roast itself and Julie’s offers a choice of three: Cotswold white chicken with hispi cabbage, chipolatas, Yorkshire pudding, and bread sauce; sirloin of aged beef with braised oxtail-stuffed onion, horseradish cream and duck-fat potatoes; and Suffolk pork with quince purée, glazed turnips and mille-feuille potatoes. Guests can round it all off with vanilla rice pudding with poached rhubarb and mint ice-cream.
135 Portland Road, Holland Park, W11 4LW
Visit JuliesRestaurant.com
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