Your Weekly Agenda | 29th November – 3rd December 2021
If you’re looking for a nice, gentle way to ease into the festive season…
…tough luck.
Because next week is mercilessly unleashing a barrage of festive cheer upon us all, from carolling in the streets round Columbia Road with late night shopping and a brass quintet, to mince pie bao; hidden raclette forests; wreath-making; and a Christmas market round Henry VIIIth’s place…
Main image: Borough Market
MONDAY 29th
The Raclette Bar x The Secret Winter Garden
Push past the fur coats hanging up in the old wardrobe at The Regent in Balham, and instead of finding a frostbitten land of perennial winter overseen by a malevolent witch, you’ll find a perfectly charming winter retreat with igloos, a heated terrace under a canopy of ivy and twinkly lights, and a pop up from The Raclette Bar – who are serving melted cheese, grill-your-own veggies and Alpine meats, and bottomless sides of fries, pickles, potatoes and more…
Details: Open weekdays from 5pm, weekends from 11am | The Regent, 21 Chestnut Grove, Balham, London SW12 8JB | Book here, menu £27pp
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Benny Ramen x Junsei
Ben Sumadiwiria is one well-travelled chef. Born to Chinese and Japanese parents in Germany, he studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before joining the Yamato Ramen Noodle School in Japan and traversing Tokyo’s backstreets to discover the secrets of authentic ramen. Joining him on that journey was Junsei exec chef Aman Lakhiani, and now the two are joining forces once more for a two day collab, serving up a seven-course tasting menu of ramen and yakitori dishes inspired by Japanese street food.
Details: 29th & 30th November | Junsei, 132 Seymour Place, London, W1H 1NS | £75
TUESDAY 30th
Wreath-Making Workshops with My Ladygarden
My Ladygarden has been described as ‘Barbie’s florist’, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next fortnight you can enrol at the School of Ladygarden for a wreath-making workshop. You’ll get to recreate one of their two maximalist, hyper-colourful 12″ wreaths to take home, and slurp on BYOB wine as you go.
Details: Tues & Thurs until 7th December | The Factory, 21-31 Shacklewell Lane, Dalston, E8 2DA | £85
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Have Christmas Dinner, In Bao Form
Veal stuffing bao with pickled Brussels sprouts. Pour-your-own gravy. Mince pie brandy bao with vanilla custard. There are festive specials, and then there’s Bao…
Details: Available from 29th November in all Bao restaurants
WEDNESDAY 1st
Windowology: New Architectural Views from Japan
An exhibition on windows? Seems like something worth looking into. Japan House‘s latest installation delves into the cultural significance of windows in Japanese architecture, like how sliding screens can manipulate space, and different types of windows are used to change the light in traditional teahouses. It’s all been put together by Tokyo’s Window Research Institute, who seem like they’d be the experts on the subject, and will even feature a walk-in installation using mirrors and film to play with perception.
Details: 1st December – 10th April 2022 | Japan House, 101-111 Kensington High Street, London, W8 5SA | Free, but book ahead
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Columbia Road Market Christmas Wednesdays
If you’re looking for an excuse to miss the Sunday morning crowds at Columbia Road, their late Wednesday openings are the perfect opportunity – you’ll find carollers (this year accompanied by a brass quintet), Christmas trees and shops open till 9pm.
Details: 1st, 8th, 15th & 22nd December, 5-9pm | Columbia Road, E2 7RG
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Four Corners at Rondo La Cave
These glorious slabs of pizza are the work of Detroit-style dough-spinners Four Corners. They’re going to be settling in for the next three months at Rondo La Cave, the subterranean natural wine bar in Holborn that’s designed to host an ever-changing series of residencies in its kitchens. They’ve teamed up with an International Pizza Consultant, Anthony Falco, to create toppings like the Vodka Meatball (meatballs, vodka sauce, parmigiano) and the Beef & Onions (smoked entrecote, white onions and pomegranate molasses), which you’ll be able to wash down with those hand-picked bottles from small-scale growers.
Details: From 1st December | Rondo La Cave (underneath The Hoxton), 199-206 High Holborn, WC1V 7BD | Book here
THURSDAY 2nd
Borough Market Kitchen Lates
Borough Market Kitchen, the street food portion of London’s celebrated food market, is a blessing for anyone working nearby after a gourmet lunch fix. But on Thursdays throughout December you’ll be able to visit after work, too – they’re keeping the stoves burning after the market closes, and many of the traders (like Tacos Padre, Horn OK Please and shuk;) will be serving seasonal specials, too.
Details: Thursdays in December until 9pm | Borough Market Kitchen, 8 Southwark Street, SE1 1TL | Free entry
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Live Music at Tap & Bottle
One of our all-time favourite wine dens in London, Tap & Bottle are hosting the first in a series of live music nights this Thursday. The interiors are a beautiful blend of cosy, mismatched furnishings and crumbling exposed brickwork, while the outside terrace – nestled amongst the chimneypots – is heated and festooned with lights. As always, there’s over 100 wines to pick from, and they’ve just launched a festive menu, too, with mince pies, mulled wine and charcuterie & cheese boards built up from neighbouring Borough Market.
Details: 2nd December | Tap & Bottle, 64 Union St, London, SE1 1SG | Book a table here
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Fondue Thursdays
It’s time to put your waistband into gentle training for the upcoming festive period – and there are worse places to do that than The Cheese Bar in Camden, who are bringing back Fondue Thursdays. Every week they’ll be serving their set menu of three British cheese starters, fondue and a side for £23pp – or for a couple of quid more, you can plump for that month’s special restaurant collab fondue. First up is Bone Daddies, who are adding a Japanese twist to the pot with their Cornish Gouda & Yuzu number…
Details: Thursdays throughout December | The Cheese Bar, Unit 93-94 Camden Stables Market, London NW1 8AH | £23/25
FRIDAY 3rd
Boxpark: We Are 10
That’s right. Boxpark is 10 years old. And like most 10 year olds, they’re celebrating by hosting three-day festivals at all three of their shipping container villages, with DJ sets, live music from Garage Supper Club, Hip Hop Karaoke and more.
Details: 3rd – 5th December | Boxpark Shoreditch, Croydon & Wembley | Individually ticketed
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Hampton Court Palace Festive Fayre
You’d be hard pressed to find a more extravagant setting for a Christmas market than Hampton Court Palace – and this weekend they’re filling the courtyard with festive food and drink, dozens of stalls selling seasonal gifts, a bandstand with live music, and jousting. You could even combine it with a little ice skating…
Details: 3rd – 5th December | Hampton Court Palace, Hampton Court Way, KT8 9AU | £25.30
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Looking for more things to do in London? Check out these great exhibitions.