My Perfect Summer Weekend: Sydney Lima
@SYDNEYLIMA
FRIDAY NIGHT
My ultimate Friday night would involve an evening in a really, really good restaurant. My favourites are Andrew Edmunds in Soho, The Plimsoll in Finsbury Park and E. Moro’s kebab shop opposite Finsbury Park station. If I’m meeting up with friends, I’ll tell them I’m probably going to be late and that they can order without me.
In the summer months, I usually find myself desperate for an orange juice and lemonade with lots of ice. But given this non-summery weather we’ve been having, I’ve recently discovered Guinness. Perhaps that’s a bit of a rogue choice for the summer? All I know is I can’t stand Aperol spritzes.
I’m desperate to try The Baring in Islington – I’ve been stalking its Instagram account for a while now. My dream set-up would involve trying a bit of everything, then having a couple of glasses of chilled red wine before seeing some music and being in bed by 12.15am at the very latest.
@THE.PLIMSOLL
SATURDAY
I live in Finsbury Park. I love it, but never expect to get anywhere easily on a match day. I often hide in Finsbury Park Picturehouse – I love going to the cinema on my own. There’s a disused railway line in Finsbury Park that takes you up to Highgate; it’s now called Parkland Walk. I’ve visually walked it on Google Maps and it was thoroughly enjoyable.
My favourite place for coffee is The Deli at 80 on Stroud Green Road. They just started doing these steak sandwiches which sell out every lunchtime, so you have to get in early. I had a phase of calling ahead to see if they had had the doughnut delivery too.
I’ve been avoiding cooking at home recently. The thermostat on my oven is currently broken so the heat just increases, continuously making the kitchen overbearingly hot. Instead, I’ve developed an addiction to Deliveroo that has got out of control. I was recently given Ixta Belfrage’s Mezcla cookbook, which I’ve been enjoying. Luckily there are loads of oven-free recipes that mean you don’t have to turn your kitchen into a sauna.
The ingredients I couldn’t live without are ’nduja and halloumi – I have them on everything. The one problem I find with following recipes is that no one shop stocks everything, so I find myself going everywhere and anywhere. I love a farmers market so I can trawl the cheese stalls. I think I’m allergic to cheese, but it won’t stop me. I went to Gruyere in Switzerland once and have since felt very refined by that experience as I have been on the hunt for gruyere ever since – especially the slabs with the salty bits.
If I had an entirely free weekend, I’d probably spend 24 hours watching reality TV, as my boyfriend won’t allow it. I tend to watch trashy TV to shut my brain down – and I hugely recommend Married At First Sight Australia for doing just that. I love the idea of watching 24 hours of Vanderpump Rules, The Bachelor and Love Is Blind, until my brain is truly fried. Then maybe I’d do some yoga to counteract all the sitting around. On a more highbrow note, I’ve just started the new Shane Meadows TV show, The Gallows Pole. Otherwise, I might go to Natasha Clancy at Kichi Studio for the best laser facials in London. At home, I always use 111Skin and Medik8 products.
SUNDAY
All the good bars seem to be disappearing, so I think I’m more of a pub person these days. The Pig & Butcher in Islington does the best Sunday roast, hands down. My favourite pub is The Holly Bush in Hampstead. I used to live next door and it was the best place to go in winter if you could get a table.
I struggle to commit to one book at a time, so I often have three books on the go. This can mean it takes me a lot longer to finish them, but that’s the way I read. My current three are When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris, Crying In H Mart by Michelle Zauner and Ask The Dust by John Fante – which I love so much, I’m reading it for the ninth time.
I’m in the middle of hosting a new monthly talk series at the London Edition, so on a Sunday evening I might prep for that. It’s called ‘The Monthly Digestif’ and it sees me and three guests go over the news stories of the last month. These stories can range from a former Power Ranger joining Only Fans and the viral New York Times article on ‘nepo babies’ to Boris Johnson's plan to knight his father and debating whether you can ever be truly uncancelled (ahem, Johnny Depp) – all with a drink in hand. My first one was with comedian Grace Campbell, Vogue columnist and internet funny man Raven Smith, and one of my absolute heroes – the journalist Jon Ronson. Next up, I’ll be chatting to The New European editor Matthew d'Ancona, along with some special guests.
In the summer months, I tend to stay in London and make the most of the good weather – ha! – then store up any holidays for winter. I would love to visit Marseille at some stage. In terms of summer traditions, I have an extremely guilty pleasure in that me and my friends still go to Reading festival despite no longer being 16 years old. Each year we say it’s the last time, but nostalgia always gets the better of us.
For more, follow Sydney @SydneyLima on Instagram. Her next Monthly Digestif will take place on 12th September – and you can book tickets here.
PIG & BUTCHER
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