Quality Wines – neighbour and sister to the ever outstanding Quality Chop House – is starting a Sunday Series. The Farringdon spot didn’t used to open on the sabbath, but every month or so it will now be hosting guest chefs in its kitchen. Cooks from Chishiru, Mangal II and Tiella are all booked in, starting with Decatur pan rattler Tom Zahir this Sunday 25th May. Count on him for up to eight dishes with a southern US bent – and, of course, there’ll be a few decent drops to pair with his flexible menu.

88 Farringdon Road, Farringdon, EC1R 3EA

Visit QualityWinesFarringdon.com

A couple of proper players on the east London cocktail scene have teamed up to open Parasol in Dalston. In the basement that used to be The Nest club, Andy Kerr (Sun Tavern, Umbrella Project) and Tom Gibson (Ruby’s, Corrochio’s) have created a warm space inspired by trips to Mexico and Morocco. Signature serves include the June Bug (Takamaka overproof rum, pineapple, banana) and the smoky El Diablo Guapo (Quiquiriqui mezcal, palo santo, blackberry). There are low-intervention wines from Provisions Wine & Cheese, and the new place is open to 2am Wednesday to Saturday, fuelled by DJs spinning classic NYC-style mutant disco.

36 Stoke Newington Road, Dalston, N16 7XJ

Visit Parasol-London.co.uk

Heads up. It’s only a couple of weeks until Chestertons Polo in the Park lands in London for its 2025 edition. It’s taking over handsome Hurlingham Park for three days – and each day offers something slightly different. Friday 6th June is built around the big game: an international match between England and Argentina. Saturday is Ladies Day, then Sunday is dedicated to families, before the music’s turned up from 2pm for the now classic Polo Day Party. On all three days, anyone looking to cut loose should be eyeing up CALA – the pitchside VIP area where champagne, Pimm’s and cocktails flow freely at private bars and via direct table service. 

Hurlingham Park, Fulham, SW6 3RH; 6th-8th June

Visit PoloInTheParkLondon.com

It’s London’s first serious festival weekend of the year. A host of one-dayers are taking over Brockwell Park – Field Day has relocated there from Victoria Park this year, or you could try Cross the Tracks for something a bit funkier on Sunday – but we’re shining a light on Gala in Peckham Rye Park. For its tenth birthday, it’s landed a live performance from Caribou and a DJ set from Floating Points. A couple of big names from Detroit, Theo Parrish and Moodymann, will also be helping it celebrate. Day tickets start from £39.50 plus booking fee.

Peckham Rye Park, Straker's Road, Peckham Rye, SE15 3UA; 23rd-25th May

Visit ThisIsGala.co.uk

Knight of the realm? Perhaps Britain’s most enduring and emblematic designer of the last half-century? Come on, you know Paul Smith already. Starting Thursday over in Hackney, there’s a sample sale of his wares. Menswear, womenswear and accessories will all be on offer at up to 80% off their original RRP, starting from just a fiver. Now those are deals worth jumping on the Overground for.

4-6 Ram Place, Hackney, E9 6LT; 22nd-25th May

Visit TheBox-London.com

In New York, it won more Tony awards than any other show last year. Now Stereophonic has landed in the West End. It’s the late 70s and an up-and-coming British-American rock band are struggling to lay down the album that could make or break them – cocaine and some tricky personal relationships are getting in the way of the artistic process. The original music, which is recorded live each night, has been written by Will Butler (ex-Arcade Fire) and lands as beautifully as the performances from the still largely original cast.  

St Martin's Lane, West End, WC2N 4BG; opens 24th May

Visit StereophonicPlay.com

Tom Cruise is one of the last old-school movie stars out there. In our eyes, he’s retained that rare status because he’s never taken the Marvel money. Instead, he’s spent three decades doing his own IRL stunts for the Mission: Impossible octology. But the end game is now here. The eighth and apparently final instalment landed in cinemas this week, with Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and his band of renegades having to see off a rogue AI once and for all. Here’s hoping The Final Reckoning hits the heights of the franchise’s brilliant Ghost Protocol, Rogue Nation, Fallout run of the 2010s.

Various locations; out now

Visit PictureHouses.com

Following its success last year, the Coravin World Wine Tour is back. The maker of the revolutionary wine-by-the-glass system has created another celebration that will see select restaurants offering an exclusive Coravin wine list, spotlighting rare and iconic wines not typically available by the glass. As well as popping up at the likes of Thomas in Cardiff, Climat in Manchester and Lapin in Bristol, the tour returns to the capital, where some exciting wines will be served at Jackson Boxer’s Brunswick House and his newcomer Dove, as well as Petrus by Gordon Ramsay and Bacchanalia. We imagine a glass of 2016 Roagna Barbaresco Albesani will pair perfectly with one of Dove’s off-menu gorgonzola burgers…

Various locations; until 31st May

Visit Coravin.co.uk

Opening this week at the Barbican, Feel The Sound is an exhibition that takes music beyond the auditory and into multi-sensory territory. Dotted around the arts hub, it comprises 11 interactive installations that use new tech and original artwork to show how sound can impact our bodies and how we feel. There’s even a chance to feel music without any sound – and don’t miss the Joyride installation out in the car park, which channels the heady days of boy racers and Y2K raves.

Silk Street, Barbican, EC2Y 8DS; opens 22nd May

Visit Barbican.org.uk