What To Do This Weekend 25.08.21

BOOK A TABLE HERE: Park Row, Soho

Park Row is a fully immersive DC-inspired restaurant experience. With five restaurant and bar spaces inspired by some of Gotham City’s most famous (and infamous) residents, it’s a venue comic book fans will love. You’ll be guided in via a secret door, before descending down an illuminated staircase to reach the main dining room, where you can choose from dishes like salmon ceviche, duck breast with orange sauce, and sides oftruffle mac and cheese, and potato croquettes with lobster. Desserts are something to get excited about too – think theatre at the table where dishes are made right in front of you or blasted with liquid nitrogen. On selected evenings, you can enjoy music from a live jazz band and take part in immersive experiences in between courses.

77 Brewer Street, Soho, W1F 9ZN

Visit ParkRowLondon.co.uk

CHALLENGE YOUR MATES: TOCA Social, The O2

TOCA Social is the world’s first interactive football and dining experience. Groups of up to 12 can book a box at the venue in the O2, hire a pair of trainers and score goals on an interactive board. There are several games on offer – choose whether you want to eliminate your opponents on a leader board or split atoms in a science-inspired challenge. Once you’ve settled the score, tuck into fried chicken sandwiches, taco bowls, cheeseburgers and crispy chicken wings, washed down with post-match beers. Tickets start from £35pp.

The O2, Peninsula Square, Greenwich, SE10 0DX

Visit TOCA.Social

GET A SWEAT ON: Third Space, Islington

Luxury gym group Third Space has just opened a branch in Islington. The state-of-the-art facilities include an impressive custom-built track for running and dedicated cardio areas with heart-rate connectivity to help you train harder. There’s also a 20m pool with six lanes, a Mind & Body room for yoga classes and wellness sessions, and a marbled sauna area complete with a steam room and a hydrotherapy pool. Drop the kids off at the ‘Little Space’ play area while you train, or head to the ‘Escape’ Room, designed for pre or post-workout focus. There’s also acycle amphitheatre where spin classes are taught to high-octane playlists and light displays.

15 Esther Anne Place, Islington, N1 1UL

Visit ThirdSpace.London

BOOK A TICKET FOR THIS: Yam Carnival, Clapham Common

Notting Hill carnival might be cancelled again this year, but Yam aims to bring a little of the magic to Clapham Common on Saturday 28th August. A celebration of global Black culture, the line-up of artists includes Davido, Beenie Man, Honey Dijon and Ari Lennox. The event will also be hosting top African-influenced food trucks and chefs from across London. We’re particularly excited about Nigerian afrobeat singer Rema whosebanger Dumebi became a global hit two years ago. Tickets start from £79.

Clapham Common, Clapham, SW4 9DE

Visit YamCarnival.com

MAKE A RESERVATION HERE: The Engine Rooms, Highgate

For great Mediterranean food, head to new restaurant The Engine Rooms in Highgate. Diners can choose to eat in the courtyard or dining room, both of which have a relaxed atmosphere and stylish interiors. Headed up by chef James Harrison (of Taka Marylebone fame), the menu includes dishes like steamed Cornish hake with fennels and carrots; smoked cod roe mousse with shellfish oil; and lamb rack with toasted fregola, peas and broad beans. You can also feast on stone-baked pizzas and meze boards.

82-92 Great North Road, Highgate, N2 0NL

Visit TheEngineRooms.co.uk

SETTLE IN WITH A FILM: The Dry

The Dry has just been added to Now. Federal agent Aaron Falk (Eric Bana, Troy and Dirty John) returns to his hometown after an absence of over 20 years to attend the funeral of his childhood friend, Luke, who allegedly killed his wife and child before taking his own life. When Falk reluctantly agrees to stay and investigate the crime, he opens up an old wound – the death of 17-year-old Ellie Deacon. Falk begins to suspect these two crimes, separated by decades, are connected. As he struggles to prove not only Luke’s innocence but also his own, Falk finds himself pitted against the prejudice and pent-up rage of a terrified community.

Visit NowTV.com

FIND NEW CLOTHES: The Wavey Garms Open-Air Market, Hackney

On Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th August, head to Bohemia Place in Hackney to browse the Wavey Garms Open-Air Market. From 11am to 7pm, you can shop a range of vintage clothes and accessories across a number of stalls, from pre-loved Levi’s to rare jackets by The North Face – ideal if you’re looking to shop more sustainably and add some new items to your wardrobe without breaking the bank. Over the weekend, expect carnival music from a range of DJs, as well as street food like kebabs, burgers and Thai noodles. 

Bohemia Place, Hackney, E8 1DU

Visit Eventbrite.com

PRE-ORDER THIS BOOK: Renegades: Born In The USA

Based on their popular podcast of the same name, this volume from ex-president Barack Obama and rock ’n’ roll legend Bruce Springsteen has in-depth conversations, hundreds of exclusive images and archive material. The pair share thoughts about life, music and their enduring love of America, with all its challenges and contradictions. They get into everything from marriage and fatherhood to race and masculinity too. Inside the cover you’ll also find some of Obama’s never-before-seen annotated speeches and Springsteen’s handwritten lyrics for songs spanning his 50-year career. The book isn’t published until the end of October, but it’s one to have on your radar now.

Visit Waterstones.com