Your April Agenda | The Best Of London, April 2025
Want to see a nice, harmless April Fool’s prank played on a very attractive person? Just follow this link.
As for everything else fun going on this month? Well, there’s quite a lot, to put it mildly, ranging from an orchestral show that you take in by following the band through the city; a completely free video-rental nostalgia-fest; a chance to have a dinner in which the chefs have 18 Michelin Stars between them (and there are only two of them); a kitchen residency serving the cheesiest pizza yet created by the hand of man; a massive, 7.5-hour epic participatory video game (with dinner included), and a surreal combination of archery & deep-fried cookie dough. On a rooftop.
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POP UP EVENTS
Roundhouse Three Sixty | A month-long festival of music, arts, and culture
Housed in a former train depot where carriages could be rotated and sent off on different tracks, the Roundhouse was transformed from a glorified shed to Camden’s home of culture and performance back in 1966. Now, it’s hosting its Three Sixty Festival, in which you’ll see an eclectic lineup of bands & performers take to its spectacular circular stage, ranging from performances by Corinne Bailey Rae, to comedian Munya Chawawa, DJ Sherelle, and theatre productions like Daniel Kaluuya’s Sonder(s). Attendees can also enjoy visual arts installations, spoken word events, and club nights. There’s a lot going on, basically.
Details: 1st – 30th April | Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH | Event-specific pricing
Darkfield At The Ditch | Part immersive show, part video game
Darkfield is slowly but surely mastering the art of the small-scale, 360°, audio-led immersive experience. On that front, no-one can challenge them. And this month, they’re setting up shop in the eerie, abandoned, decaying network of cellars and tunnels beneath Shoreditch Town Hall. There, they’ll be putting on four shows (ARCADE, Eternal, Double, and Visitors) all of which are pretty much guaranteed to freak you out in some immensely satisfying way or another.
Details: 1st–12th April | Shoreditch Town Hall, 380 Old Street, EC1V 9LT | £14
London Games Festival 2025 | Level up your April
Sure. Video game festivals regularly take place on sofas all over the country. But this one’s official – and it’s got some pretty interesting stuff going on. You’ll get game expos, screenings, talks, and a Trafalgar Square takeover, the BAFTA game awards, and even a little bit of game-playing too.
Details: 2nd–13th April | Various London venues | Prices vary
Crazy Boules at Mercato Metropolitano | Boules meets ’80s arcade nostalgia
This month, Mercato Metropolitano will be graced by the noble sport of Crazy Boules. It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like: a mashup of crazy golf and boules, with a neon-stripped course that nevertheless has a distinctly unpolished charm. The idea is pretty simple – through a series of custom-built courses, you’ll have to try and hurl your silver boule down ramps, across jumps, and through loops to try and land it as close to the illuminated goal at the end as possible. Winners buy the street food.
Details: From 4th April | Mercato Metropolitano, 42 Newington Causeway, SE1 6DR | £8.30+ (50% for Opening Week from 4-11 April use code: OPENBOULES)
The London 50 Hour Improvathon | A non-stop improvised comedy marathon
If you can imagine binge-watching an entire 25-episode comedy soap opera in one sitting, only it’s a play and it’s completely unscripted, then you have some idea as to what the 50 Hour Improvathon is going to be. It’s titled ‘Because We Can Can Can!’ and is set in a notorious Parisian club, and the show runs continuously from Friday evening to Sunday night, featuring a live band and a rotating cast of performers, including stars from Olivier Award-winning Showstopper! The Improvised Musical and Tony Award-winning Mischief. Attend standalone episodes or binge-watch the entire series as sleep-deprived performers push the boundaries of spontaneous theatre.
Details: 4th–6th April | Pleasance London, Main House Cabaret, Carpenters Mews, N7 9EF | £12 per episode
Blockbuster Pop-Up | Relive the ’90s with free chocolate & movies
We all know the story – in the year 2000, Netflix offered Blockbuster their entire company for just $50 million. Blockbuster said no. Fast forward two decades, and one’s worth $200 billion while the other is a punchline powered by KitKat nostalgia marketing. Want to see the carcass up close? Head to Soho from the 9th–12th, where you can browse the old-school shelves, pick a film (which you’ll receive a streaming code for, just to add to the poetic irony), and get a free sharing-size KitKat for your troubles.
Details: 9th–12th April | 59 Greek Street, W1D 4NQ | Free entry, no bookings (Wed to Fri 2:30pm to 8:30pm; Sat 11am to 5pm)
Brew//LDN | 100+ beer brands, and you
If you thought Brew LDN – hitting Between The Bridges this month – was just about beer, cider, spirits, beer, street food, live music, beer, and a little more beer, then you’d be wrong. Because there are also apparently non-alcoholic beers too.
Details: 10th-12th April | Between The Bridges, The Queen’s Walk, SE1 | £11+
Rooftop Film Club | Movie stars meet real stars
Rooftop Film Club is back.
Which is good news, because now, when people ask the question, “Where should I go to watch a selection of both the best classic and new release films under the setting sun and into the starlit night, with deckchairs, and a bar?” (as they often do) you no longer have to politely deflect and change the subject.
Details: From 10th April | Bussey Building, Peckham | £17-£25
Now Play This | An experimental games festival
Now Play This is an experimental games festival – and given that it’s in its 11th year, it’s looking like the experiment was a success. It’s returning to Somerset House this month, and the theme is “Folk Games: the stories we play together” — expect interactive performances, weird and wonderful prototypes, architectural mysteries, and games that change depending on how you play. It’s playful, thoughtful, and only slightly competitive.
Details: 11th–13th April | Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA | £10+
Office X Adidas | Exclusive Listening Party
There are office parties…. and then there are OFFICE parties – where, for one night only, you’ll be find yourself at the very heart of music, fashion, and culture (and not a limp sausage roll in sight). Think intimate, unplugged vibes courtesy of rising star Miso Extra, next-level food & drink, and a shot at bagging some extremely limited edition Adidas Pony Hair Sambas. Tickets are extremely limited but you can sign up for a chance to go here.
Details: Wednesday 16 April, 7-10PM | 3rd Floor, 55 The Broadway, London, SW1H 0BH
asses.masses | A participatory video game performance at Battersea Arts Centre
We know, great name. But the asses in question here are donkeys apparently, and the masses are you. The whole thing is a 7.5-hour epic participatory video game performance. The audience collaboratively plays through a custom game. It follows a herd of unemployed donkeys striving to reclaim their jobs in a post-industrial society. Described as “Animal Farm meets Pokémon meets Final Fantasy,” the performance invites participants to take turns at the controller, navigating the game’s challenges without prior instructions. Tickets include an evening meal, dessert, regular snacks, and soft drinks, with vegan and gluten-free options available.
Details: 12th–13th April, 1 PM | Battersea Arts Centre, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN | Pay What You Can (Recommended Price £20)
Cannabis: An Evening of Mythbusting | Separate the highs from the lies
Cannabis has always been a topic rich with myths, misconceptions, and deeply held beliefs that wouldn’t survive a six-second google search. But how much of what we think we know about it is actually true? That’s exactly what we’ll be finding out at our next exclusive Nudge Member Talk, taking place at the rather elegant Old Queen’s Head this month, as we welcome leading cannabis researcher Dr Martine Skumlien for an evening of mythbusting, cold hard facts, and a complimentary drink in hand (so you will have at least some stimulants).
Details: 16th April, 7pm | The Old Queen’s Head, 44 Essex Road, N1 8LN | £15 (includes drink)
The reopening of Roof East | Raising the games
For the past few months, life in Stratford has been roofless. But no more, thanks to the return of Roof East, a bunting-strewn outdoor oasis filled with high-altitude games, cocktails and deep-fried cookie dough. Expect crazy golf, neon-lit bowls, batting cages, cocktails, an open-air cinema, and a lot more.
Details: Reopens 17th April | Floors 7 & 8, Stratford Multi-Storey Car Park, E15 1XE | Free entry
The World Photography Awards | A very snappy exhibition
So, in 2023, the winner of the World Photography Awards turned out to be AI generated. The organisers tried to give the award to the photographer anyway. He refused to accept it. It was something of a kerfuffle. Anyway, everyone’s going to be scrutinising the images on show this year very carefully to make sure there was a heartbeat involved. And whatever the case, they’ll be absolutely stunning…
Details: 17th April – 5th May 2024 | Somerset House, WC2R 1LA | £17.50
Between The Bridges | A 4,000 sq ft festival of fun
Between The Bridges can most boringly be described as a “really big beer garden” but should more accurately be described as “a massive, free to enter al fresco adult playground which fuses a smorgasbord of bars and street food with DJs, live music, drag brunches and special events; all packed into four different dining areas right by the Thames.”
Details: Opens 17th April | Queen’s Walk, South Bank, SE1
Top Cuvée Easter Egg Hunt | £20k of prizes
We’ve all found ourselves desperately searching for wine at one point or another (right? Right??) so this grape-hooch themed Easter egg hunt from Top Cuvée should hopefully come naturally to most of us. It’ll all take place in the Park next to their Highbury shop, and there’ll be £20k of prizes to be won, including 1,000 full-sized Toney’s Chocoloney easter eggs, and a £500, wine-loaded grand prize goodie basket. It’s free, but just make sure to register first.
Details: 20th April, 12pm-5pm | Starting at Shop Cuvée, 189 Blackstock Road, N5 2LL | Free
The Conversation | Enlightening evenings in an atmospheric crypt
London’s church crypts are full of intellectual luminaries – but conversations with them tend to be pretty one-sided. Which is why it’s high time we had The Conversation: a series of thought-provoking evenings held in the atmospheric crypt below St Martin-in-the-Fields, featuring a talented array of philosophers, writers, scientists, theatre-makers and more. All of whom are, helpfully, alive – they include Hanif Kureishi, Maggie Aderin-Pocock, and David Spiegelhalter. After the main discussion, engage in personal conversations with the speakers at your table.
Details: Until 22nd April 2025, 6:30 pm every Tuesday | St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square | £15
Multitudes | Orchestras, poetry, circus, and cool graphics
Southbank Centre’s new festival Multitudes is basically all about orchestral music – only it blends it with everything from visual art, to poetry, circus, dance, movies, DJs, and weird immersive experiences. Highlights include the iconic Marina Abramović directing Satie’s Vexations, a Ravel number reimagined with aerial circus, Chineke! teaming up with George the Poet, a set from the Multi-Storey Orchestra, and a piece that involves a moving virtual orchestra that travels through the city as you follow.
Details: 23rd April – 3rd May | Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX | Prices vary
The Nash Sessions at Kew | Candlelit concerts in a very fancy greenhouse
The Nash Conservatory – a 19th-century glasshouse usually reserved for plant lectures and tasteful weddings – is once again hosting a series of candlelit concerts. Expect world-class jazz, classical and choral performances in a setting that’s all vaulted ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and flickering candlelight. Upcoming acts include the Asaka Quartet, Ronnie Scott’s All Stars and the London Session Quartet. No mosh pit, but plenty of atmosphere.
Details: 24th April – 14th August | Nash Conservatory, Kew Gardens, TW9 3AE | £30
Brick Lane Jazz Festival | Plenty of sax appeal
If you’re a fan of both music and roads named after building materials, we have some good news for you: the Cement Avenue Kazoo Fiesta Brick Lane Jazz Festival is returning this month. It’s going to be a three-day, genre-hopping, horn-blaring knees-up across a dozen East London venues – like Glastonbury, if everyone played sax and wore better trousers.
Details: 25th-27th April | A dozen venues in Brick Lane | £22+
Paradise Under The Stars | 1950s Havana, without the airfare | Partner Content
Welcome to 1950s Havana, a moment in time so decadent, it literally caused a revolution, and where the Tropicana Nightclub is the hottest ticket in town. That same energy has inspired London’s latest Cuban cabaret show, Paradise Under the Stars – brought to life by The Lost Estate (the team behind 58th Street), this immersive show is packed with Cuban jazz, feathered showgirls, and rum-heavy cocktails. Expect live performances from Afro-Cuban trumpeter Yelfris Valdés, a sultry supper club vibe, and a full Cuban feast featuring lechón asado, croquetas, and churros. It’s not just dinner and a show – it’s a one-way flight to Havana’s golden age.
Details: Throughout April | The Lost Estate, 9 Beaumont Avenue, W14 9LP | From £62.45
Folk Weekend: Birdsong – You’ve Never Heard So Sweet | A musical celebration of avian inspiration
Birds are, in some ways, the original folk singers. And in many, many more ways, they absolutely weren’t, but it’s still a nice comparison. And this month, Kings Place’s annual Folk Weekend returns with a feathered twist. Expect live performances from the likes of Eliza Carthy, Martin Simpson and Chris Wood, alongside talks, workshops, and new compositions inspired by our chirping companions. If you’ve ever wanted to contemplate a blackbird while nursing a craft ale, this is your moment.
Details: 25th–27th April | Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG | Prices vary
The Tweed Run | An impeccably well-dressed jaunt around the capital
Brace yourself. Because you’ll be needing something snappy to hold up whichever charmingly fetching garment you choose to wear over your legs with at this year’s outrageously cheerful, sensationally dapper, and delightfully British Tweed Run. It involves hundreds of cyclists who will once more take to the streets for a gloriously British ride through central London. Expect vintage bikes, mid-ride tea breaks, and a picnic stop, all followed by a knees-up to finish. A prize is awarded for Best Dressed, but honestly, everyone looks like they’ve walked out of a 1930s menswear catalogue.
Details: 26th April | Start location TBA | Prices vary
Books in the Park | A literary festival set among the trees
Beckenham Place Park’s bookish bash returns with author talks, workshops, kids’ storytelling, and nature walks tucked into a day-long festival. Expect appearances from writers like Janice Hallett and Jules Acton, plus a pop-up bookshop, local food stalls, and the kind of genteel vibes that pair nicely with a paperback and a flat white.
Details: 26 April | Beckenham Place Park, Beckenham BR3 1SY | Free entry; some events ticketed
Classic Car Boot Sale | Drive a hard bargain
The Classic Car Boot Sale is essentially the city’s biggest, briefest vintage market, selling old-school threads, music, and bric-a-brac from a parade of beautiful vintage motors. It’s like a shop and a museum smooshed together. And this will be its 10th anniversary. If you’re planning on driving there, just make sure to park around the corner.
Details: 26th & 27th April | Granary Square, Kings Cross, N1C 4AA | £7
Winter Sculpture Park | Free art on a former golf course
So, every year Gallery No.32 creates a Winter Sculpture Park, which the public are free to wander around. This year, in a very avant garde move, they elected to open it on the exact day it stopped being winter. Very artistic interpretation of a calendar. In either case, they’ve filled a former golf course with cool sculptures by genuinely great artists including Elliot Macdonald, Maja Novak, Leah Hickey, and Sophie Fishel.
Details: Until 26th April 2025 (weekends only) | Former Thamesmead Golf Course, SE28 8QS | Free
Vogue: Inventing The Runway | 40ft legs striding across the screen
After hosting two blockbuster exhibitions (The Moonwalkers and David Hockney: Bigger and Closer), Vogue: Inventing the Runway is the Lightroom’s third show. It makes use of the magazine’s extensive archives, and the venue’s immense, 40ft wall-to-wall & ceiling-to-floor screens to deliver a breathtaking, 360° documentary like no other – involving a lot of very long legs.
Details: Until 26th April 2025 | Lightroom, Lewis Cubitt Square, London, N1C 4DY | £25
The Magician’s Table | Closeup magic & cocktails
The Magician’s Table is a pop-up immersive close-up magic show, and – cynicism alert – we often find ourselves a little disappointed by immersive shows, given the hyperbolic, quasi-evangelical over-promising, compared to the plywood-flavoured disappointment that so frequently ends up happening. Well, this one actually nails it. The closeup magic that the show is built around is genuinely mind-boggling, and brilliantly executed. The story ticks along nicely, there’s some great audience involvement, and the cocktails aren’t half bad either. Get there before it disappears into thin air….
Details: Until 30th April | Secret location in London Bridge | £72.45+
58th Street | Take a trip to 1930s New York | Partner Content
The team from The Lost Estate are back, and this time, they’re resurrecting the golden age of New York’s speakeasy scene in wild style. 58th Street is their latest immersive spectacle – a lavish fusion of theatre, live jazz from The 58th Street Stompers, burlesque, cabaret, cocktails, and a six-course Park Avenue feast from chef Ashley Clarke, all set in the clandestine world of Belle Livingstone’s infamous 1930s nightclub.
Details: Until May 18th | 133 Rye Lane, SE15 3SN | £59.50+
Astronomy Photographer of the Year | These photographers shoot for the stars
Want to see some truly stellar photography?
Head on down to the Astronomy Photographer Of The Year. It’s free, it’s in the National Maritime Museum, and it’s ready to blow your mind into cosmic dust until summer of 2025. This is the 16th year they’ve held the competition, and they’ve received thousands of entries from dozens of countries, narrowing them down to just the best 100 which they’ve displayed in the lightboxes that line the walls of the museum. And there are some insanely good images in there…
Details: Until Summer 2025 | National Maritime Museum, SE10 9NF | Free
Pope’s Grotto Open Days | 300 year old tunnels dug by a witty and slightly unhinged poet
So, back in the 1720s, in the sweet, innocent days before the iron fist of planning permission crushed the dreams of eccentric rich men with shovels, Alexander Pope dug a whole bunch of tunnels under his house in Twickenham. Those tunnels are, as one might expect from such a witty and slightly unhinged poet, beautifully atmospheric and suitably eerie – and they’re open to the public just twice a month from now until the end of the year.
Details: Open twice monthly from until December 2025 | Pope’s Grotto, Cross Deep, TW1 4QG | £10
Go To The Theatre
You may laugh, you may cry, you may vomit, you may do all three… See The Best Shows On At The Theatre Now
Take A Day Trip
London’s so enormous that just travelling from Notting Hill to Hackney can feel like a day trip.
But if you merely double that journey time (and in some cases, it might genuinely be quicker), you could also find yourself eating a chippie tea on the beach; hiking along glorious clifftops; walking down quaint cobbled lanes and enjoying a wine tasting in the vineyard where it was produced… Take a look at these 21 ideas
See An Exhibition
Soil in Action by Wim van Egmond © David Parry, PA Media Assignments
Okay look, we’re fully aware that it seems like we’re padding the list with entries like this. “An exhibition?? What a creative and offbeat idea!” you say. We hear you. Buuuut this month features some pretty great stuff on show, including the world’s worst pirate, Louis XV’s actual (stuffed) pet rhinoceros, and a dive into the imagination of Tim Burton… See the best exhibitions on right now.
Your Perks, this month | A brief reminder
Just as a quick reminder, as a Nudge Member you have access to:
- 50% off food at The Lavery
- 50% off burgers at Heard.
- 50% off sandwiches at Crunch Soho
- 50% off class packs at Re:Mind
- 40% off saunas at SweatLounge
- 50% off food at Noodle & Beer Soho
- Complimentary cocktails & desserts at Dinings SW3
- Complimentary cocktails & desserts for Sunday Lunch at Henri
…and plenty more to come throughout the month. See all your current Member Perks here.
POP UP RESTAURANTS
Michelle Igwilo at Joyau | Nigerian flavours, modern flair
Michelle Igwilo (aka @ogoisfooding) is taking over the kitchen at Joyau for four days at the start of this month with a knockout menu drawing on West African ingredients, Nigerian food culture, and British produce. Plus, you know, a whole lot of wine. Highlights include akara waffles with sour custard, pollock in banana leaf, and lamb suya with cucumber salad – plus rhubarb ginger cake with moringa Swiss buttercream to finish.
Details: 2nd–5th April | 353, Railway Arches, E7 0AQ
Burma & Beyond at JAZU | Burmese food from Robert Khaing
Burmese food is slowly, but surely, clambering its way into London’s food scene thanks to places like Lappet and chefs like Robert Khaing. Hailing from Yangon (the former Burmese capital), he’s popping up in JAZU for three weeks, serving up everything from prawn dumplings in mussel mohinga broth, to glazed pork collar with satay bread sauce, and a kaya French toast for dessert.
Details: Until 13th April | JAZU Bar, 1 Deptford Broadway, SE8 4PA
Rambutan & Cousins: Tamil New Year with Prince Durairaj | A festive culinary celebration
Rambutan continues extending its pop up family tree with another in its & Cousins series, this time celebrating Tamil New Year. To cater the festivities, they’re inviting in Chef Prince Durairaj of the Tamil Prince to put tougher devilled chicken lollipops, Jaffna mutton nalli roast, and coconut rotis with crushed coconut. And to wash it down, there are special edition beers like thakkali micheladas, goraka & lemongrass shandies, and green herb lagers.
Details: 14th April | Rambutan, 10 Stoney Street, SE1 9AD | £50
Counter Culture: Yannick Alléno x Raymond Blanc | An 18 Michelin Star dinner
Tell your wallet to look away now, because this dinner costs the same as 97 Tesco Meal Deals (assuming you have a ClubCard, that is). But it does include wine. And it is six-courses. Plus, there’s the fact that it’s being cooked by culinary legends Yannick Alléno and Raymond Blanc, who between them hold 18 Michelin Stars. They’ll be cooking up the likes of Japanese Wagyu millefeuille, or exotic fruit ravioli, and precisely zero Monster Munch.
Details: 16th April | Pavyllon London, Four Seasons Hotel, Hamilton Place, W1J 7DR | £350pp (with wine)
Paris à Londres at Levan | Parisian bistros invade Peckham (politely)
Levan is launching a new collab series bringing some of Paris’s most-loved bistros across the Channel for one-day residencies in Peckham. Each edition includes a set lunch menu at Levan followed by wine, music and general French revelry at the afterparty. First up: the team from cult Paris bistro Minibar, landing on April 27th for one très bon Sunday.
Details: 27th April | Levan & Bar Levan, 12–16 Blenheim Grove, SE15 4QL
Jordon King x Isla | Italian-inspired residency at The Standard
Jordan King (not to be confused with Abdullah II, the current king of Jordan) is a chef & food writer who has taken up residence at Isla in the Standard hotel. The previous tenant was Ixta Belfrage, and Jordan is hoping to fill her sizeable footwear with Italian-style dishes like crisp polenta with lemon labneh and anchovies, tuna crudo, and braised lamb with orzo….
Details: Until 29th June | Isla at The Standard, 10 Argyle Street, WC1H 8EG
Little Earthquakes | Cheesiest pizza ever?
Here’s how the Little Earthquakes pizza is made: chef Neil Rankin takes a little wildfarmed regenerative flour, makes a six-inch focaccia base, throws on some creative toppings, and then covers the whole thing, top-bottom-and-sides-360-degrees in cheese. It’s a cheese-lover’s fantasy, a cardiologist’s nightmare, and a curious diners’ chance to get something completely unique – and it’s popping up at the Railway Tavern for the foreseeable. It’s also worth noting that it’s first-come-first-served until they run out each day.
Details: 6pm – 9pm every Tuesday to Friday and 3pm – 9pm on Saturday | The Railway Tavern, 2 St Jude Street, N16 8JT
Tasca at Câv | Iberian-inspired residency in Bethnal Green
Chef Josh Dallaway’s CV could double as a kind of ‘best London wine bars’ list, featuring places like 107 Wine, The Laughing Heart, Oranj, and Bruno – and now he’s set up his own restaurant concept, which is popping up long-term in the excellent new cocktail bar Cav. Drawing inspiration from the family-run eateries of Portugal & Spain, Tasca’s menu features inventive dishes like jambon beurre gildas, pork & prawn cachorrinho (a hot dog-like sandwich), and salted goat’s milk ice cream.
Details: Throughout April | Câv, 255 Paradise Row, London E2 9LE | Nudge Members get 50% off cocktails from 9th – 20th April
Trullo at Harvey Nichols | Fresh pasta in a fresh space
Trullo is now a stone-cold classic, having been one of the first restaurants in London to spear-tip the fresh pasta golden age we all live in way back in ’08. And now it’s Benjamin Buttoning its way back to a simple pop up on the fifth floor of Harvey Nicks for the next three months. Expect classics (beef shin ragu, pici cacio e pepe, etc) a few new dishes (including tagliarini with Beluga caviar) and some stellar wines.
Details: Until 3rd June | Fifth Floor, Harvey Nichols, SW1X 7RJ
Dough Hands @ The Old Nun’s Head | Pizza that’s all about the crust
What with the fact that you can throw a stick in this town and hit six pizza places, it takes something special to stand out from the gluten jungle – and Dough Hands has that something. It’s the work of chef Hannah Drye, and she wields a near-monastic focus on creating perfect, crisp crusts using regenerative flour from Shipton Mill and Wildfarmed. Of course, the toppings don’t go without their due attention, and you’ll find the likes of ‘nduja & hot honey; soy-roasted mushrooms; and more.
Details: Throughout April | The Old Nun’s Head, 15 Nunhead Green, London SE15 3QQ
Ling Ling’s at The Bluecoats | A+ modern Chinese food in a pub
If there’s a prime spot for a pop-up in London, odds are Ling Ling’s has already rolled in, taken over, and left everyone raving about it. We’re talking everywhere from Bambi, to Papi, The Plimpsoll, The Dusty Knuckle, Mortimer House, Peckham Cellars, and many more. And somehow, she never misses. But now, this roving kitchen queen is settling down (sort of), with a residency at The Bluecoats pub. Expect “no rules” modern Chinese food (chicken & Thai basil wontons, “Dad’s” aromatic duck salad, and matcha & white chocolate tiramisu) alongside a superb Sunday roast.
Details: Throughout April | The Bluecoats, 614 High Rd, N17 9TA
Rake | Excellent modern British food in a pub
Rake has recently finished a residency at The Gun (RIP), and it was – pun intended – banging.
For the new year, it’s moved onto the climes of The Compton Arms. It’s a modern British restaurant concept helmed by a hyper-talented trio of chefs including Jay Claus, Peter Ward & Syrus Pickhaver – their collective CVs include top-tier joints like Brat, ACME Fire Cult, and Quo Vadis, and it bloody well shows. Their food is very British, highly satisfying, frequently creative, and skilfully executed. Let’s hope there’s more to come.
Details: Throughout April | The Compton Arms, 4 Compton Avenue, N1 2XD
Uyen Luu | Vietnamese supperclubs in London Fields
Uyen Luu has her fingers in a lot of pies. She’s a chef, a cookbook author, a food photographer, she hosts cookery classes, and she does indeed throw the occasional supperclub, all from her London Fields studio space. Head on down and you’ll be treated to all manner of fragrant & lovely Vietnamese food (pho, chicken papaya salad, 5-spice pork belly, etc). No pies, though.
Details: 5th, 11th, 12th, 19th & 26th April | Unit 32, Regent Studios, 8 Andrews Road, E8 4QN | £60pp
Yagi Izakaya at Kernel | Japanese comfort food in a brewery
The Kernel just got a promotion: Yagi Izakaya has moved to serve up its splendid Japanese comfort food, ready to be washed down with the ultra-fresh brews. Expect the likes of chicken karaage burgers, shokupan prawn toast, and burnt cheesecake with miso caramel.
Details: Weds-Sun throughout April | 132 Spa Rd, SE16 3AE
ROCCO at The Montpelier | European coastal cuisine, in Peckham
The Montpelier’s kitchen is now helmed by ROCCO, offering a menu inspired by European coastal cuisine, and it shore is good. Seriously though, it is. Expect whole grilled fish, BBQ meats and top-tier oysters, all prepared with seasonal British produce and live-fire cooking.
Details: Throughout April | 43 Choumert Road, London SE15 4AR
Mamapen | London’s best Cambodian eatery
The Sun & 13 Cantons
Mamapen is London’s only Cambodian restaurant – and it’s a pop up at that. And if, when hearing that, you thought ‘Really?? That feels like it can’t possibly be true’, then you’re not alone. In a city with the sheer depth of culinary choice that the capital has (we have Eritrean eateries! Javanese joints! Qatari cafes!), it definitely seems weird. So it’s a very good thing indeed that Mamapen exists, because otherwise we’d be missing some punchily flavourful, delightfully unfamiliar, and remarkably good food.
Details: Throughout April | The Sun and 13 Cantons, Soho, W1F 9NG
POP UP BARS
Bar Night at Novelty Automation | Pop up bar in a surreal arcade
Novelty Automation has some truly weird arcades. There’s a Money Laundering cash drop, an ‘Auto Frisker’ that will pat you down like a mechanical bouncer, and a ‘Small Hadron Collider’ among many others. It’s like satire meets surrealism meets stainless steel. And for one night a month, there’s a pop up bar there too.
Details: 3rd April, 5-9pm | 1a Princeton St, Holborn, WC1R 4AX
The Rebellious Wine Club | Female winemakers & tastemakers take on wine myths
Settling into Bourne & Hollingsworth as of this month, The Rebellious Wine Club invites first class female talent from the UK’s wine industry in to start debates, bust myths, dive into grape-based rabbit holes, and generally mix things up. This month, you can learn liquid lessons about ‘New Wave Spain’ from Liberty Wine’s own grape-sorceress Róisín Kennedy.
Details: 24th April | Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings, EC1R 0HU | £39 (inc. wine & snacks)
The Guinness Bar at The Ned | A three-month stout celebration
Over at The Ned – the slickly-delivered hotel-slash-culinary-destination-slash-members’ club – you’ll currently find a pop-up bar devoted to delivering the ultimate Guinness experience, thanks to the fact that it has the shortest lines in the City, meaning they have a plausible claim to be offering the freshest pint of Guinness in London. Alongside pints of the iconic stout, the menu includes Guinness-inspired cocktails like the Barkley Café (a Guinness twist on the Espresso Martini) and the Royal Velvet (a riff on the Black Velvet). Food offerings feature dishes such as mini beef and onion pies with Guinness gravy and Guinness Cheddar croquettes with garlic mayonnaise and parmesan.
Details: Until 17th June | The Ned, 27 Poultry, EC2R 8AJ | Walk-ins only, no reservations
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