A dull weekend in London? There’s no such thing — as long as you know where to look.
Here, we’re pointing in the right direction, whether you want to sample a delicious, underrated cuisine slap bang in the centre of town, get swept up in a club night, or simply have a good old chuckle.
Oh, and don’t forget it’s a monster weekend for rugby, too — here’s where to watch.
Try out a new Filipino restaurant in Soho
We’re always on the hunt for exciting new places to grab a bite to eat, and in Kasa and Kin, we think we’ve found it. Flying slightly under the radar since it opened back in November, the Soho spot is lovingly dedicated to Filipino cuisine — an underrated thing on the London dining scene, for sure. Pop in for delicious meats cooked on the robata grill, a hot noodle-packed broth, or an iskrambol for dessert (that’s a Filipino street food slushy).
52-53 Poland Street, W1F 7NQ, kasaandkin.co.uk
Lose yourself to Jon Hopkins at Fabric
The DJ and producer Jon Hopkins is best-known for his mind-bending brand of electronic music, so you can expect some rivetingly fresh stuff to be played when he headlines this night at Fabric. He’s far from the only attraction though, with all three rooms of the Farringdon club in operation, welcoming the likes of Violet, a main player in the excellent Lisbon clubbing scene, and NTS Radio favourite Debonair.
£30, 11pm-7am, Feb 26, 77a Charterhouse Street, EC1M 6HJ, fabriclondon.com
Get feasting with a new chef series
Dan Smith, whose Canterbury pub retained its Michelin star for 2022, is the first incumbent in a series of one-day pop-ups hosted at Rondo, the restaurant inside The Hoxton hotel in Holborn. With dishes ranging from hand-dived scallop with red meat radish, calamansi and smoked butter sauce, to Stour Valley guinea fowl, white asparagus, wild garlic and Périgord truffle sauce, and plenty of English sparkling wine courtesy of Nyetimber, it sounds like a winner.
£80pp, 6.30pm, Feb 26, 199-206 High Holborn, WC1V 7BD, thehoxton.com
Laugh along with the best LGBTQ+ comics
For the final instalment of its Friday-night series for LGBTQ+ History Month, the 21Soho comedy club will welcome a new batch of excellent stand-ups onto its stage. Head down for sets from drag comedian Holly Stars, south London double act Shelf (AKA Rachel WD and Ruby Clyde), as well as Phil Dunning and Mary O’Connell.
£16.50, 7.30pm, Feb 25, Manor House, 21 Soho Square, W1D 3QP, 21-soho.com
Strut your stuff at Sushisamba
It’s Carnival weekend — not just in Rio but here in London too. At both Sushisambas, there will be rattling, shaking parties, all glitz and feathers and endless dancing. Expect samba, batucada dancers, DJs through the night and a special, Brazilian-inflected menu, with Caipirinhas all round. Check the website for the full list of what’s on, from the Casa de Samba Bloco parties to a bossa nova brunch.
Until Feb 27, Covent Garden & the Heron Tower, Liverpool Street. sushisamba.com
Celebrate a belated Margarita Day at El Pastor
It was Margarita Day earlier this week (comes around sooner every year, doesn’t it?) but if you missed it from your diary, fear not. As part of a month-long collaboration, El Pastor — the taqueria with restaurants in Soho, London Bridge and Coal Drops Yard — is pairing its delicious tacos with a cocktail courtesy of tequila maker Herradura; a grapefruit-infused twist on the margarita.
