What To Do This Weekend 02.08.23

London Sneaker School is a new store on Savile Row where visitors can design their dream sneakers in bespoke consultations. Use the tailormade service to design trainers like Jordan 1s and Dunk SBs with premium leather and hand-painted designs by local artists. You’ll be involved in each part of the design process before your chosen pair are hand-crafted in London.

20 Savile Row, Mayfair, W1S 3PR

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The National Portrait Gallery closed its doors in 2020 for a major refurbishment. After reopening last month with a major exhibition from Paul McCartney, tickets quickly sold out. If you didn’t manage to get any, Larry’s – the slick late-night cocktail bar now in the gallery vaults – is offering late-night viewings of the exhibition before guests go to the bar for martinis and nibbles. Browse portraits of McCartney over the years before heading downstairs to eat and drink among 100 hand-picked portraits in the bar, all of which celebrate characters of London’s West End. Available on Friday and Saturday evenings, tickets cost £40pp and include a cocktail and bar snack.

St Martin's Place, West End, WC2H 0HE

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Sofar Sounds brings secret concerts to everyday spaces around London, including shops, galleries and even living rooms. On Friday 4th August from 7.30pm to 10pm, it’s putting on a special event at vegan and veggie restaurant Powerplant in Camden. Guest can expect live music from three diverse acts (names will be revealed on the night) while enjoying canapés, plant-based pasta dishes and Italian cocktails. Tickets cost £25pp.

89 Chalk Farm Road, Camden, NW1 8AR

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Abbey Road Studios is offering visitors a rare chance to see one of its iconic recording spaces. Over two weekends in August, it will open the doors to Studio Two for a series of exclusive talks exploring the past, present and future of the world’s most famous recording studio – where The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Amy Winehouse and many others have laid down classic records over the decades. Led by Recording The Beatles authors Kevin Ryan and Brian Kehew, the lectures will tell the story of the studios by exploring its rooms, equipment and talented engineers that have played a part in creating pop culture. Tickets cost £140pp.

3 Abbey Road, St John’s Wood, NW8 9AY; 4th-6th & 11th-13th August

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Sessions Arts Club, within the restored Grade II-listed Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell, is one of our favourite restaurants in the capital. It’s just opened its rooftop terrace for summer with a new menu from head chef Florence Knight and a selection of spritz cocktails. Available through to late evening, the terrace menu includes plates like radishes with butter and sea salt; honeymoon melon with prosciutto; brown crab with sea purslane and chilli; and almond cake with lemon curd and cream. Order cocktails like a pisco collins.

24 Clerkenwell Grange, Clerkenwell, EC1R 0NA

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Laurie Lewis is the guy who followed bands around in the 70s to get candid shots of the era’s most famous rock stars, like Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin and Def Leppard. On Thursday 3rd August from 6pm to 8pm, he’s hosting a talk at Camden Collective as part of the area’s ‘Inspire Summer’ series. Laurie will discuss a varied career that has also seen him cover serious events in disaster zones across the world. Tickets are free.

5-7 Buck Street, Camden, NW1 8NJ

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KFC is about to open its first – wait for it – omakase dining experience. To celebrate the launch of the Colonel’s new Teriyaki Burger, on Friday 4th August diners at a custom-made restaurant in Waterloo can try a selection of dishes created by Japanese chef Akito Greenland. Six courses include KFC yakitori, popcorn chicken on bamboo skewers with teriyaki sauce, mini chicken fillet nigiri on sushi rice with garlic buttermilk mayo, and the Teriyaki Burger itself. Tickets are only £11pp with all proceeds going to the KFC Youth Foundation.

3 Mepham Street, Waterloo, SE1 8FS

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