What To Do This Weekend 20.09.23

For an affordable plate of pasta that hits the spot, few places rival Padella in Shoreditch. To celebrate Negroni Week, the Italian restaurant is offering £2 negronis with any plate of pasta until Sunday 24th September. The negroni has been created by master mixologist Mr Lyan, using a blend of three vermouths for the perfect balance of sweet, stiff and bitter notes. All that’s left is for you to choose your dish – we recommend the ricotta ravioli with butter and sage, or the ’nduja fettuccine. 

1 Phipp Street, Shoreditch, EC2A 4PS

Visit Padella.co

The National Portrait Gallery now has the Take A Moment exhibition in its new Spotlight Space. The show features over 200 portraits of recognisable faces. Each celeb has been photographed with their eyes closed, symbolising a moment of reflection to raise awareness for World Mental Health Day next month. Visitors can see portraits of Idris Elba, Ricky Gervais, Louis Theroux, Damien Lewis, Brian Cox, Fatboy Slim and Rob Beckett, to name a few. There are also portraits of everyday heroes, including the London Fire Brigade Soho Watch. Tickets are free.

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

Visit TakeAMoment.uk

Jackson and Frank Boxer’s Vauxhall restaurant Brunswick House has relaunched its weekly jazz night series for a limited run. On Tuesday nights until the end of November, guests can head into the venue’s cellar for live jazz music, headed up by the renowned Mark Kavuma. Expect bar service with beer, limited-edition Woodford Reserve cocktails, and a weekly changing wine menu. Enjoy dinner upstairs in the main dining room pre or post-show, or book the basement Vaults space for private dining. Available for walk-ins only, the first gig starts at 7.30pm, with the second at 8.30pm. 

30 Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall, SW8 2LG

Visit BrunswickHouse.london

Succession star Brian Cox has teamed up with BBC Maestro to teach an online acting course. The course will look at how to deliver memorable performances, capture – and hold – an audience’s attention, and embody a multitude of iconic characters. Brian will direct you through practical exercises designed to help them master the stage and screen – and you don’t need to be a budding actor to enjoy the course. Think of it as a chance to watch the man who played Logan Roy delve into scripts and talk about character development.

Visit BBCMaestro.com

If you’re not actually heading to Munich this year, book a table at King’s Cross restaurant German Gymnasium for some of the best Bavarian food in the capital. Until Monday 2nd October, guests are encouraged to don their best lederhosen for the Oktoberfest celebrations. The restaurant has been decked out, ABK Beer will serve up Bavarian pints, and there’s a new menu to try with dishes like roast pork belly rolls with beer sauce, cabbage, and dumplings; roast chicken with potato salad; and German meatloaf. On Friday nights, an oompah band will ramp up the atmosphere. 

1 King's Boulevard, King’s Cross, N1C 4BU

Visit GermanGymnasium.com

On Saturday 23rd September, conductor Edward Gardner will launch the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s new season with a performance of Mahler's 'Resurrection' Symphony at the Royal Festival Hall. The famous piece of music starts with a funeral march and finishes with a hopeful quartet, symbolising a journey from dark times to a world reborn. The orchestra comprises 118 musicians, including 12 trumpet players who will add drama offstage, as well as 200 choir members. Tickets start from £10.

Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, South Bank, SE1 8XX

Visit LPO.org.uk