What To Do This Weekend 23.10.23

Ever wanted to eat at Osteria Francescana? Massimo Bottura – chef patron at the three-starred Modena restaurant – is doing a one-off service in London this weekend. With his wife Lara Gilmore, he’s just released a coffee table book about their guest house Casa Maria Luigia. To celebrate, they are hosting a lunch on Sunday 29th October at the NoMad hotel. Diners will be welcomed with a canapé reception, before sitting down to a six courses of Bottura’s signature dishes in the Magistrates’ Ballroom. There’s also a chance to meet the couple and grab a signed copy of the book. Tickets cost £300.

28 Bow Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 7AW

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The Rugby World Cup final kicks off at 8pm on Saturday night. Round up the boys for a trip to sports bar Brigadiers, where diners can tuck into Indian dishes – in the main bar or the 16-seater private dining room. Go for the Saturday sports menu (£35pp) which includes poppadoms and chutneys, goat belly vindaloo samosas, chilli paneer lettuce cups, butter chicken burgers with masala fries, tandoori lamb pot pie, and a host of sides. Pour yourself a pint from the self-serve taps – and stay for a game of pool or cards after the match.

1-5 Bloomberg Arcade, City, EC4N 8AR 

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Manolo Blahnik has opened an immersive exhibition at Mayfair’s Xydrobe. The Craft Room is the brand’s first virtual reality experience where guests can see how its shoes are designed and made. The exhibition explores the history of the brand with pictures, sounds and scents to transport you to the shoemaker’s workshop. You’ll also see original sketches of its most iconic shoes, as well as a collection of men’s designs.

11 Carlos Place, Mayfair, W1K 3AX; until 5th November 

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We know that low-intensity workouts are great for the body, and that’s why Gymbox has launched a series of ‘Mind’ classes across its sites. Choose from the ‘Cocoon’ class for aerial relaxation – attendees relax in pods suspended in the air – or the ‘Portal’ class for deep meditation. Later, there will be weight training classes that include shaking therapy, breathwork and muscle relaxation sessions, as well as classes to help navigate short and long-term symptoms of anxiety and panic.

Various sites

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It’s National Pizza Month and, if you needed an excuse to tuck into a great slice, Yard Sale has teamed up with Tabasco to create a limited-edition pizza. Available at all sites until the end of the month, ‘The Sloppy G Remix’ is made with Tabasco-infused ground beef, red onions, assorted peppers and fior di latte mozzarella. Don’t forget to add on a selection of dips – we rate the Ribman Holy F*ck Hot Sauce for an extra kick.

Various sites; until 31st October

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Need to keep the kids entertained this week? Natural History Museum has you covered with its half term festival of family friendly events, talks and workshops. Drop in for free to a LEGO building challenge (Fri 27th) and craft workshops (Fri 27th), or book ticketed events including a prehistoric planet trail around the museum (Sun 29th; £2.50), a zoology tour (Sun 29th; £25), and a Jurassic animal show (Wed 25th; £8). Don’t miss the T-Rex show with ‘Teach Rex’ when kids can learn about the terrifying dinosaur and its habitat (Fri 27th; £10).

Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 5BD

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Inspired by the late-night cultures of New York and Paris, Stereo is a buzzy central London bar for drinks, dinner and live music. It’s hosting Halloween parties on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th October, when it will be decked out with spooky decorations. On Friday, guests will be encouraged to dress in black to enjoy live music from Damned at the Disco then a late-night DJ. Saturday is the big Halloween party with ghoulish performances and surprise guests. Tickets are free.

35 The Piazza, Covent Garden, WC2E 8BE; 8pm-3am

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Earlier this year, two-Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers opened Story Cellar at 17 Neal’s Yard. The Paris-inspired rotisserie-style restaurant launches its Sunday roast menu this week. Diners can tuck into the  signature rotisserie chicken or choose from roast beef ribs, pork belly with crackling, or vegetarian beetroot wellington – all served with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire puddings, honey-glazed carrots and crushed pumpkin. Order a bottle of red for the table and leave room for apple crumble, crème brûlée, or bread and butter pudding with orange custard. 

17 Neal's Yard, Covent Garden, WC2H 9DP

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