Ravneet Gill – pastry chef, cookbook author and founder of hospitality platform Countertalk – has opened a restaurant in Chingford with her husband, chef Mattie Taiano (The Camberwell Arms, Som Saa and Llewelyn’s). Named after Mattie’s mother, Gina brings a modern chophouse vibe to the north London suburbs. Its short, ever-changing menu is all about quality British produce and bold, unfussy flavours. Look for starters like beets with pistachio and fried garlic, or a roast tomato vol-au-vent, followed by generous plates of spit-roast chicken with caesar salad and chips, or a daily handmade pasta. For dessert, the focus is childhood comfort – strawberry jelly with custard or Rav’s signature chocolate cake. 

92 Station Road, Chingford, E4 7BA

Visit GinaRestaurant.co.uk 

BAO is celebrating ten years in the game by reverting to its 2014 prices. Until 10th July, you can snap up classic buns – pork belly, beef short rib, vegan daikon – for just £3.50 a pop. Plus, there’s a new menu: charcoal-fried chicken steak with BBQ glaze, calamari bao, and the freshly invented ‘baonut’. Go early, go hungry.

Various locations

Visit BaoLondon.com

Following the success of modern French restaurant Patron in Kentish Town, the same team have opened a site in West Hampstead. French Society draws inspiration from traditional Parisian bistros, with candlelit tables, unfussy plating and a smart but accessible menu from head chef Louis (who’s been with Patron for seven years). Count on elevated classics like hand-cut steak tartare with crispy potatoes, white asparagus with beurre blanc, confit tomato tarte tatin, and a hearty Brittany monkfish stew with saffron rouille. For pudding, it’s all about chocolate mousse and cherry clafoutis.

77 Mill Lane, West Hampstead, NW6 1NB

Visit FrenchSociety.co.uk

If you’re heading to Lardo any time soon, get there early and swing into Bastardo first – the team’s new natural wine bar right next door. It’s all about laid-back drinks and mighty fine snacks. Inside, expect a changing line-up of around 70 low-intervention wines from across Europe, with 20 available by the glass. On the food side, there are bar snacks like olives and smoked almonds, indulgent small plates (think stracciatella with anchovy toast), plus ‘troughs’ of fresh pasta for sharing. It’s relaxed, buzzy, and exactly where we want to be sipping and snacking this weekend.

201 Richmond Road, London Fields, E8 3NJ

Visit Bastardo.Winebar

Need a wardrobe refresh? Wax London’s summer sample sale is where you’ll want to be. Expect up to 80% off its signature laidback tailoring, breezy overshirts and smart-but-not-too-smart staples – ideal for weddings, rooftop drinks or the commute. Most of the gear is made using responsibly sourced fabrics, so you can look good and feel great about it too.

The BOX, 4-6 Ram Place, Hackney, E9 6LT; 26th-29th June

Visit TheBox-London.com

Spyscape – the interactive espionage experience that made waves in NYC – has just landed in Covent Garden. This 25,000 sq ft spy playground lets you test your nerve, agility and code-cracking skills via challenges designed by a former MI6 head of training. It’s part museum, part Bond-style fantasy, with a dash of behavioural psychology thrown in. Tickets start from £23.

Spyscape, 45 Wellington Street, WC2E 7BN

Visit Spyscape.com

The site that once served fiery Sichuan fried chicken now slings next-level doners. Dirty Donny’s is the brainchild of DJ Simon Bays – and it’s already causing a stir in London Fields. The menu’s tight: just four kebabs, each inspired by a different city. Try the ‘Istanbul’ (lamb shoulder, romesco), the ‘Berlin’ (marinated chicken, feta, chilli) or the ‘London’ (classic lamb-beef mix, garlic, pickles). Add sumac fries, a pudding laced with pistachio cream and a soundtrack curated by Bays and his DJ mates.

Dirty Donny’s, 2 Westgate Street, E8 3RN 

Visit @DonnysDoners

Petersham Nurseries’ head chef Adrian Still is teaming up with Yayaka’s Vivian Papasotiriou for a one-night-only supper club. Expect elegant Mediterranean plates, seasonal ingredients and refined Greek wines, all served in Yayaka’s buzzing west London space. Think long-table energy, high-spec cooking and the kind of wine that makes you linger. Tickets are £65pp.

Yayaka, Unit 3 Dickens Yard, Longfield Avenue, W5 2TD; 28th June

Visit TicketTailor.com