Despite all signs to the contrary, January has finally ended.
The longest month in living memory is over and, more importantly, you’ve been paid for that near-endless succession of days. Look, if there was a less clunky way to describe it, I’d have used it – January just was, and then continued to be.
To mark the march into February (see what we did there), we’ve picked out some of the best things you can do this weekend with all that money that’s burning a hole in your pocket.
1.Berber & Q Pita Party
There’s nothing quite like a massive blowout to celebrate payday, and this certainly ticks the boxes. Some of London’s best chefs are making special one-off pitas to mark the occasion, accompanied by shooters or wines, and there’s a massive party to follow. At the time of writing, tickets for the pre-party are scarce, but there’s still room to get your hands on some delicious specials and drinks such as a tequila and pomegranate sour.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pita-party-tickets-41307036458 – Sunday, 3pm-11pm, Exmouth Market, EC1R
2.Dinner at a new London restaurant
No more ramen noodles and beans on toast in February. It’s time to splash out, and it’s time to splash out somewhere you’ve never eaten before. That means somewhere like Chimis (the new restaurant from ex-Brindisa head chef Nico Modad) or Sabor (from Nieves Barragán, previously the head chef at Michelin starred Barrafina). Both opened in the last couple of weeks, so get out there before your friends so you can show off next time you see them
http://chimichurris.co.uk/ - Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 or http://www.saborrestaurants.co.uk/ - Heddon Street, W1B – All weekend
3.Films from The Fall
The untimely passing of Mark E Smith has seen fans of The Fall reminisce about their best memories of the prolific band. Moth Club in Hackney is putting on two films: Northern Cream is chock-full of newly discovered footage, while It’s Not Repetition, It’s Discipline has been described as “probably the nearest you will ever get to an official documentary on Mark E Smith and The Fall”.
https://billetto.co.uk/e/films-from-the-fall-tickets-255560 – Sunday 7pm-11pm, Old Trades Hall E9
4.‘Get Out’ late night screening
If you haven’t seen Get Out yet, what’s been keeping you? The Oscar nominee, which has also earned British actor Daniel Kaluuya a Best Actor nomination, deserves all the acclaim it received upon its initial release last year. Now, as awards season rolls around, Screen on the Green in Islington is giving you another chance to check it out with an 11.30pm screening.
https://www.everymancinema.com/screen-on-the-green/film-info/late-nights-get-out#scroll – Saturday 11.30pm, Upper Street N1
5.Ham Yard Hot Gin Roof
We can almost see the light at the end of the winter tunnel. However, just as we get a glimpse of warmer weather, we’ve been hit with a chill. You know how to deal with that? Hot gin, of course. Sipsmiths have combined with the Ham Yard Hotel in Piccadilly to host 90-minute sessions of hot gin cocktails on the hotel’s heated gin terrace. On Sunday you can even upgrade to add a three-course dinner at the restaurant downstairs, if that’s your cup of tea.
https://www.designmynight.com/london/whats-on/date-night/hot-gin-roof-back-with-a-poke - All weekend, from 6pm, Ham Yard W1D
6.Super Bowl parties
The 52nd Super Bowl takes place just before midnight on Sunday, with plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants staying open into the early hours. Whether you’re after a chilled night with a few drinks or a massive one with food and booze until 5am, there’s likely to be something out there for you. Check out our London Super Bowl Guide for your options.
Sunday, Various Locations
7.Vault Festival
The Vault Festival, held in Waterloo but away from some of the fancier theatres nearby, brilliantly showcases emerging talent in theatre, comedy, film and more. You might be too late for that musical based on Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, but you’ve got plenty of other options at your disposal including a work in progress show from comedian James Acaster – you can even check out multiple shows over the course of a day, if you fancy.
https://vaultfestival.com/ - All weekend, Leake St and other locations, SE1
8.Winterland
With hot alcohol, pizza and activities including curling and min-golf, Winterland proved popular last year and is making its return this week. The Fulham pop-up is fully-booked for advance tickets until later in the month, but there will be a small number of tickets available on the door if you fancy stopping by and trying your luck.
https://www.winterlandlondon.com/bookings – Friday 6pm-11pm and Saturday 2pm-11pm, Wandsworth Bridge Road SW6
9.Yorkshire Pudding Day
You might think there are too many designated days for certain foodstuffs. We say there aren’t enough. To mark Yorkshire Pudding Day, Hackney bar Oslo is massively upgrading its usual Sunday roasts. What does that mean? A roast beef dinner served inside a massive Yorkshire, that’s what.
http://www.oslohackney.com/2018/01/yorkshire-pudding-day-sunday/ - Sunday 11am-9pm, Amhurst Road E8
10.Zvyagintsev in Conversation
About as far as you can get from Yorkshire puddings, there’s a chance to hear from one of Russia’s most acclaimed directors. Andrey Zvyagintsev’s films, including Golden Globe nominated The Return, will be shown at the BFI throughout February, while there’s also a chance to hear the director discuss his body of work.
https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/andreyzvyagintsev - All weekend, Belvedere Road SE1
(Images: Pixabay/Rex)
