What To Do This Weekend 06.09.24

Are you assertive like Leclerc or smooth like Verstappen? There’s a way to find out at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium’s F1 Drive London. Beneath the stadium, you can race high-tech karts with LED steering wheels, a DRS (drag reduction system) button, and immersive audio, making every lap feel like the real deal. Perfect for all ages and skill levels, tickets start at £35 – bring the family or the boys.

782 High Road, Tottenham, N17 0BX; until 29th September

Visit TottenhamHotspurStadium.com

Felix Nash has spent the last 10 years supplying some of the best restaurants – St John, The Fat Duck, Lyle’s, The Ledbury – with the best bottles. This weekend sees the opening of his first permanent bottle shop and tasting space in London Fields, showcasing the breadth of cider and perry makers from across the country. Open every weekend, Friday to Sunday, it has a handpicked selection of bottles from the likes of Little Pomona, Oliver’s, Find & Foster and more – available to try before you buy. On Friday, just a few doors down at the E5 Bakehouse, The Fine Cider Company has partnered with the legendary bakery for a cider tasting out on the trestle tables in the E5 courtyard. Tickets cost £25pp – available here – and include five tastings of ciders/perry and a selection of cheeses, homemade pickles, bread and butter and Somerset oysters. 

399 Mentmore Terrace, London Fields, E8 3PH

Visit TheFineCider.Company & E5BakeHouse.com

This September, Leukaemia UK's famed event Who’s Cooking Dinner? returns to The Dorchester for its 25th anniversary, bringing together the UK's top chefs for an exclusive dining experience to raise funds for life-saving research. Since its inception in 1999, this event has raised over £7m, with renowned chefs like Tom Kerridge, Jeremy Lee, Elliott Grover and Jean-Philippe Blondet among those participating this year. The twist? Diners don’t know which chef will be cooking for their table. Tickets are now on sale, offering a chance to dine at tables of ten, with additional perks like access to the chef’s afterparty or a backstage kitchen tour.

The Dorchester, 53 Park Lane, Mayfair, W1K 1QA; 16th September

Visit LeukaemiaUK.org.uk

In a transatlantic burger exchange, New York’s smash-hit 7th Street Burger is landing in London for the first time. From 4th to 8th September, the gem of the East Village food scene is taking over Truffle Burger in Soho for a week-long pop-up, serving up cult cheeseburgers, loaded fries and a special Truffle X 7th Street collab. If you’re one of the first 50 to show up each day, you’ll snag a free burger.

22 Bateman Street, Soho, W1D 3AN; 4th-8th September

Visit Truffle-London.co.uk

Wine bar group Humble Grape turns 15 this month and is celebrating by treating its customers. Expect giveaways, special events and a treasure hunt with wine-related prizes. Diners celebrating their birthday this month will get a free bottle of wine – just add ‘ItsMyBirthday’ to your booking notes. Plus, there’s a Birthday Supper Club, hosted by founder James Dawson and top team members, featuring six iconic wines from the past 15 years. The one-night-only event will be held at its Fleet Street venue on 10th September.

Various locations; throughout September

Visit HumbleGrape.co.uk

Swap out the dancing crowds and ciders for intelligent conversation and cocktails and you get the Financial Times Weekend Festival. Returning to Hampstead’s Kenwood House, the festival has a whole host of interviews, talks and workshops to get your cognitive wheels turning. On the bill this year is Dragon’s Den star Deborah Meaden, legendary actor Ian Mckellen, writer and presenter Michael Palin, BBC presenter and journalist Mishal Husain and many more. Aside from the talks, there is a martini-making masterclass, an FT news briefing pub quiz, and tips on how to retire early from top investors. Tickets start from £190, with digital passes available from £114 to watch all the talks online.

Kenwood House, Hampstead Lane, NW3 7JR; 7th September

Visit UKFTWeekendFestival.live.ft.com

Ambassadors Clubhouse is the latest venture from JKS Restaurants, the group behind Michelin-starred spots like Trishna and Gymkhana, and cult favourites like Hoppers and BAO. In Mayfair, the new spot celebrates Punjabi food, drink and culture, inspired by its founders’ family heritage. Diners can expect regional classics cooked in iron woks and earthen clay pots – as well as standout dishes like the shahi patiala lobster korma and tandoori quail barrah pilau cooked in the in-house tandoor. A late-night music programme, AMBASSY, starts this month, and will see top DJs take to the decks.

25 Heddon Street, Mayfair, W1B 4BH

Visit AmbassadorsClubhouse.com

The annual St Katharine Docks Classic Boat Festival – next to Tower Bridge – is hitting the shores of the Thames this weekend. Over 50 vintage, preserved vessels will be on show, including several of the surviving Dunkirk Little Ships – which sailed across the Channel to rescue trapped Allied soldiers in 1940 – as well as a Navy P2000 vessel, and the fully-refurbished Thames sailing barge Gladys. Some of the boats will be available to board, where you can chat with their knowledgeable owners. Ashore you’ll find maritime talks, drop-in canoeing, boat-building workshops and enough drink vendors and street food to sink a ship. Entry is free.

St. Katharine Docks, Tower Bridge, E1W 1LA; 7th- 8th September

Visit SKDocks.co.uk

Iconic restaurant Bluebird Chelsea first opened its doors in 1923 as the Bluebird Motor Company, home to the iconic 1964 land speed record holder. This weekend, it’s partnering with Everatti, trailblazers in sustainable electric cars. From September 6th to 9th, the two brands are celebrating Goodwood Revival with a special-edition menu and a display of Everatti’s Mercedes-Benz W113 SL Pagoda in the courtyard.

350 King's Road, Chelsea, SW3 5UU; 6th-9th September 

Visit Bluebird-Restaurant.co.uk