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Pride Month might be wrapping up, but celebrations are far from over – especially with Pride in London just around the corner on 5 July. There’s still plenty of time to show your support for the LGBTQ+ community and have a damn good time in the sun.
There are club nights, fun Pride themed bites to eat, and cheeky cocktails to drink. Find it all in this week’s London’s Best.
We’re also spotlighting a bold new women+ space and revealing where to score free pizza (yes, really).
Plus, season three of Netflix’s Squid Game launches on Friday. So it was only right that we tried the brand new in real life experience at Excel London. It’s made bold promises, but was it worth the wait? Let’s find out…
Read on for a whole range of recommendations for 28-29 June, handpicked as always by The Slice.
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Click here for this week’s edit of the best things to do in town.
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This week in London
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, here are 13 of the best activities, dining, and drinking spots in the capital.
1. Try bold French-Filipino dishes at Belly in Kentish Town
An intimate spot with daring French-Filipino dishes and unforgettable cocktails, Belly is the newest concept from the Maginhawa group (the team behind London favourites like Guanabana). The vibe is cool comfort; they’ve found the balance between food that feels special and a space that feels chilled out, with a mix of high-top seating and lower tables under a huge, quirky chandelier.
Every dish is a hit. Tender diver scallops sit in a malt vinegar and creamy fermented shrimp coconut sauce, beautifully presented. A piled-high serving of steak tartare arrives with a punchy coriander and mint aioli with nori crisps. The undoubted star is the tempura cod Pandesal. Once it’s gone it’s gone, and honestly? I’d be sad to miss out on this: delicate, flaky cod tucked in a slightly sweet Pandesal, a classic Filipino breakfast roll, with silky, tangy Ikura tartare sauce with salmon roe trickling down the sides.
For dessert, ube tiramisu is a fun Filipino twist on an Italian staple, with a boozy whiskey sauce as the finisher to an already flawless dish. Full belly, guaranteed.
Small plates from £8, larger plates from £22. 157 Kentish Town Rd, Kentish Town. Book here.
2. Indulge in dim sum from the 33rd floor of The Shard
By Josie Copson
The only thing more breathtaking than the view from the 33rd floor of London’s tallest building is my spicy cocktail. Sat by a vast window surrounded by red lanterns, I sip the Comfortably Numb – a fiery concoction of Grey Goose, Sichuan pepper, vanilla and lychee inspired by the elemental energy of my zodiac sign, the Rooster.
I’m at The Shard’s Hutong for the Bei Fang Dim Sum Series, featuring eight northern-style dim sum dishes (eight being a lucky number in Chinese culture). The dumplings are dramatically presented in tiers of wooden baskets, swirling with dry ice like the clouds drifting over the skyline outside. Get your chopsticks round the seafood spring rolls – their crisp shell gives way to sweet shrimp and scallops – and don’t miss the bean curd rolls, filled with the softest lobster. This is a gem worth trying before it’s too late.
Bei Fang Dim Sum Series, available until 28 July. Dim sum from £16. Level 33 of The Shard, 31 St Thomas St, London Bridge. Book here.
3. Head down to Damsel Collective, a brand new community space just for women+
Vibrant new women+ space Damsel Collective is now open in Hoxton, and it’s part café, part cocktail bar, part underground culture hub.
By day, sip colourful matchas and make new creative connections; by night, enjoy delicious experimental cocktails and vibey events.
4. Try the new and improved Madison Rooftop London
This summer, Madison’s Summer Terrace returns with a new identity, partnering with Aperol. Expect Aperol (of course), Sarti and Campari Spritz on the menu, plus a Mediterranean summer vibe you won’t want to miss.
5. Get in the party mood for Pride in London
Clapham Grand
Best for: daytime ravers
We love a day party at The Slice. (No need to worry about missing the last tube home or messing up your sleep routine.) If you’re in the same boat, The Pride Day Party at Clapham Grand is where you need to be.
The fun kicks off at 5pm with a sensational live performance from Nadine Coyle. Don’t want the fun to end? Catch Tulisa and Bimini at the After Party.
Clapham Grand, Clapham. Tickets from £15. Book here.
Albert Schloss
Best for: fun and glam
Soho’s Albert Schloss is transforming into a Safe Space Salon in collaboration with Absolut and Gaydio.
Expect a whole glam squad to help you shine and get set for the day, plus welcome drinks and bites, access to the Bottomless Brunchen Klub and more!
Albert Schloss, Soho. Find out more here, including how to win tickets.
Kapara
Best for: the ultimate Pride pit stop
The queer-owned Eastern Mediterranean restaurant in Soho is serving fierce flavours and even fiercer cocktails all month. Pride drinks have been specially crafted to honour the LGBTQIA+ community and the queer creatives behind the bar.
Choose from cheeky cocktails like the Pisco Inferno, the Rainbow Heatwave, the Thelma or the Louise. Plus its terrace will open for Pride London Day (5 July) as the Pride Pit Stop. Party!
Kapara, Soho. 1 June to 6 July. Book here.
6. Get yourself some merch at Pride’s pop-up shop
More Pride! Pride in London has opened a pop-up shop, where you can grab yourself merch such as rainbow pin badges and soy wax candles, as well as food and drinks.
You can also expect vintage Pride items, all from LGBTQ+ designers and makers. 7 Walkers Court, until 7 July. More info here.
7. Try CROSSTOWN‘s doughnut to celebrate Pride
A limited edition doughnut lands at CROSSTOWN this month. The Handmade Vegan Virgin Piña Colada Raindough-nut features a pink sourdough base with silky passion fruit jam and coconut-pineapple icing.
10% of sales go to Rainbow Grow Hackney, an LBQTQIA+ led gardening initiative.
8. Get your hands on free pizza at Crust bros’
Crust Bros’ biggest pizzeria to date will open in Covent Garden on 7 July. Are you free? If so, head down on opening day for some free pizza (served up between 12-5pm). You’ll even get to have your pizza curated by Crust Bros’ very own pizza stylist.
9. Try this duo’s take on the famous Spanish pan de crista at Burger & Beyond
It’s the final week to try the new Burger & Beyond collab, with chefs Tom Brown and Richard H. Turner.
They’re bringing you the Iberico pork & prawn pan de cristal’ – featuring Iberico pork, prawns, chilli, garlic, aioli, Ossau-Iraty cheese, hot honey, and slaw. And it’s served with a special pork jus for dipping.
10. Live out your burrata dreams at The Burrata Bar
If you love burrata as much as we do, head down to The Burrata Bar (4-5 July).
It’s a five-course feast dedicated to the creamy cheese, including baked n’duja burrata and strawberry & cream salad with a Pimm’s! Get your tickets.
11. Experience High Street Kensington’s new market series
A brand new Monthly Market series arrives at High Street Kensington from 28 June.
Head down to Phillimore Walk from 10am-5pm on the last Saturday of each month, to find a mix of contemporary makers and artists. Full monthly line-up.
12. See if the Squid Game experience lives up to the hype
Squid Game: The Experience landed in London with bold promises. While the set design impresses – especially the towering, eerie likeness of the iconic animatronic girl – and some of the guard costumes look convincingly lifted from the show, the overall experience falls flat. The games themselves lack any real skill or strategy, feeling more like themed time-fillers than actual challenges.
Immersion takes a major hit as you can clearly hear other groups shouting and moving through different rooms, and one of the games was fragile to the point of glitching during our run. That said, the bar space at the end is lively and fun, making it a decent post-game hangout – just don’t expect much more than Instagram fodder.
Squid Game: The Experience. Excel London Waterfront, Excel London. Tickets: Adults from £35, children from £25. Book here.
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