Your London Bridge Agenda

Your London Bridge Agenda | What’s on this June

It’s June.

Shout it from the rooftops.

As the rooftops are finally open, properly, with it being summer now. Which means you can sip cocktails in the sun (without the need to wear extra layers), and yes, shout ‘it’s June’ if you desire…

Much of the focus for what’s on in London Bridge this month is, understandably, on what you’re able to do outside, with a coupling of enticing indoor things sprinkled in for variety. If you don’t like beer gardens, wine tastings, outdoor film screenings, a one-night residency from one of Spain’s top chefs and a critically-acclaimed adaptation of one of the world’s great plays, then look away, but if you do…

… hang tight and read on, for all the good stuff happening around London Bridge in June.

We’ll begin with beer gardens, as having a mental map of their whereabouts is absolutely essential to surviving any London summer. Take your pick from Bunch of Grapes, The Woolpack, Bermondsey Bar & Kitchen and The Rose & Crown, all jostling for your attention and less than a 15 minute walk from London Bridge Station.  

In terms of the larger open-air spaces with street food and pop-up bars, there’s Vinegar Yard (sport fans: they’ll have the Ashes and the football finals up on the big screen) and Flat Iron Square. For open-air spaces many floors above ground level, London Bridge Rooftop is in full swing and the team have opened up their bookings-only 6th floor sun-trap terrace. They’re also open on Tuesdays now, in case you’re ever in need of a mid-week drink with an unimpeded view of The Shard.

Image: Haydon Perrior (Vinegar Yard)

If you just didn’t have the time in May to check out some of London’s biggest art exhibitions, then all hope (and time) is not lost; Czech artist Maria Bartuszová’s survey of suspended balloon-like sculptures at Tate Modern is still plugging along (until June 25th), whilst the exhibition dedicated to unearthing Andy Warhol’s hidden talent, textile design, at the Fashion and Textile Museum, has a little longer to go (until September 10th). If you did manage to tick off these, then White Cube Bermondsey has new art in the form of Anselm Kiefer: Finnegans Wake (starting from June 7th), which sees the artist try to make sense of James Joyce’s famous novel of no clear plot – through paintings, sculptures and installations. 

Theatre heads, head over to The Bridge… the theatre, to dodge any confusion. Co-founder Nicholas Hytner’s raucous adaptation of classic musical-comedy Guys & Dolls is one of the best shows on in London right now. Since opening, it’s received strong word of mouth from the city’s stage reviewers and, alongside elaborate period costumes and a high-energy cast that’s a blast from start to finish, features an immersive aspect for audiences. And venturing further down the river (but well worth the extra steps) – Meltdown Festival is also back at the Southbank Centre in June, headlined and curated by French pop star Christine and the Queens, with gigs, free events, and the odd addition like BitterSuite in the line-up.

Guys & Dolls

Over in Borough Market, Adejoké Bakare is still holding down the fort at the Globe Tavern with her pop-up Joké & Friends, serving reminders as to why the new Chishuru (opening in Fitzrovia, hopefully at the end of summer) is arguably the year’s most awaited restaurant return. 

Also to pen in the calendar… on 13th & 14th June Barrafina Borough Yards will have a guest chef in Borja Marrero, head chef of sustainable rooftop restaurant in Las Palmas, Muxgo (which earned a Green Star at this year’s Michelin Awards). It’s the second of their ‘Invita’ events and the premise is a basic yet bulletproof one: fly over Spain’s best chefs and then give them free reign in the kitchen for two nights…

Barrafina Invita 02: Borja Marrero

From one country on the Iberian Peninsula to another… Portuguese small plates restaurant (apologies if you were expecting Andorra) Bar Douro is teaming up with Portuguese wine producers for Sunday tastings this month. Each will cost you £5 for 5 samples of wine and they also have an inviting outdoor terrace for al fresco dining. 

And finally, Summer by the River is back for three months, from June 1st- 3rd of September. This means gigs, events, food stalls and everything else that normally comes with a free festival. Have a gander at the programme here. It also means outdoor cinema at The Scoop every Tuesday, where on a hot summer’s evening you can catch flicks huddled together under the evening gaze of a lit-up Tower Bridge.

It’s quite the scene…

The London Bridge Agenda

➊ Maria Bartuszová | Until June 25th | Tate Modern

➋ Andy Warhol: The Textiles | Until 10th September | Fashion & Textiles Museum

➌ Anselm Kiefer: Finnegans Wake | From 7th June | White Cube Bermondsey

➍ Guys & Dolls | Playing now | The Bridge Theatre 

➎ Joké & Friends | Until July 1st | The Globe Tavern

➏ Barrafina Invita 02: Borja Marrero | 13th-14th | Barrafina Borough Yards

➐ Meet the Winemaker | Every Sunday | Bar Douro

➑ Summer by the River | From June 1st | The Scoop

Looking for more ideas? Check out The Nudge’s full June Agenda