Welcome back to The Slice!
We’re well and truly in heatwave territory this week, and we’re not complaining. It’s going to be a scorching 30 degrees on Friday in case you were wondering – and we want to bask in it as much as we can!
Today, we’re letting you know the best ways you can make the most of the summer fun – including a free maritozzi giveaway courtesy of Ave Mario. Soft sweet buns oozing with creamy mascarpone… yum. And in case you thought we forgot, we’re telling you how you can get your hands on a free glass of bubbly for National Prosecco Day today. What could be better than that?
We’ve also been on the hunt to find the best mini cocktails in London, so when you’re feeling dainty and want to drink mindfully, this is the list for you. That includes mini cocktails at Chiave, where music and mixology meet. Try the Killer Queen Bloody Mary with Belvedere Vodka, Clamato juice and a secret spice mix. All the flavour packed into a few sips!
Plus: Metro’s Editor-in-Chief Deborah Arthurs reviews the new Afternoon Tea-Quila experience at Virgin Hotel Shoreditch – with bold flavours from dishes like prawn and bone marrow tacos, plenty of theatrics, and more.
In case you missed it, check out Courtney’s Ask Me Anything on Reddit
Metro’s specialist food writer, Courtney Pochin, hosted an Ask Me Anything! She answered everything from the next biggest food trends, to her best restaurant recommendations and more.
Welcome to the Slice
The Slice is your weekly guide to what’s happening in London, so if you’re looking for restaurant reviews, drinks deals or just a great new exhibition to visit on a rainy Saturday in the capital, we’ve got you covered.
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 10 of the best activities, dining, and drinking spots in the capital.
1. Eat at Brother Marcus’ brand new stunning Canary Wharf branch
Brother Marcus’ brunch menu has got some tough competition – because their dinner menu really sings. Their Canary Wharf branch opened this summer, with a dreamy outdoor terrace and a retractable roof to accommodate our increasingly hot summers. They have an Eastern Mediterranean mezze-style menu – that means sharing a few dishes is your best bet (which is perfect because there are too many tempting dishes to choose just one).
To start, what could be better than the fun Rip & Dip Platter for this hot weather? Though pricey at £19.80, the variety is amazing. I alternate between three cold creamy dips – including my favourite, the beautifully smoky cumin packed aubergine baba ghanoush & harissa oil – and pack as much on to the soft, fluffy pita as I can. The Greek salad comes with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, olives and green peppers, and crisp olive oil rusk – all cushioned by the creamiest whipped feta.
But exclusive to the new Canary Wharf branch is the Souvla & Skewers menu. Served on a bed of begendi (a creamy aubergine béchamel sauce), Aleppo butter (pepper-infused butter for a spicy kick) and spring onions, the flavours of the fall-apart lamb kofta skewers keep replaying in my head.
The finisher is the baklava sandwich (share between two or three friends and don’t say we didn’t warn you). This dish is seriously rich – in the best way possible. Flaky, honeyed baklava is balanced with pistachio ice cream that adds the perfect amount of lightness.
Rip and dip platter, £19.80. Mezze from £6. Skewers from £12. Reuters Plaza, YY Building, Canary Wharf, E14 5HX. Book here.
2. Indulge in Italian food with a hint of NYC cool
Florencio Pizza in Mayfair delivers on flavour. The stracciatella pizza is a must – creamy and fresh. And, whatever you do, don’t skip dessert – the banana split ice cream (that they make from scratch around the corner) had me in banoffee heaven. Chatting to our table neighbours who visit regularly, we’re recommended the chocolate mousse as another star dish – one for next time.
Prices are decent for the area, and the restaurant has a smart, welcoming layout. There were plenty of Italians dining in too, which is always a good sign. For proper Italian comfort food with just a hint of NYC cool, Florencio is well worth a visit.
Pizza from £12.50. Dessert from £5.90. 14 Seymour Place, Marylebone, W1H 7NF. Book here.
3. Try tequila-infused treats at Afternoon Tea-Quila
For a taste of Mexico head to Hidden Grooves inside Virgin Hotel Shoreditch, where a Mexican afternoon tea, dubbed Tea-Quila, has been launched to celebrate new flights to Cancún. Three glorious cocktails accompany a tower stacked with treats – including a watermelon and steak sandwich, tequila macarons and scones with jalapeño jam and tequila cream.
A theatrical iced Earl Grey Margarita poured from a dry ice teapot into a salt-rimmed tea cup sets the scene before the main event is ushered in with hot beef empanadas, Montgomery cheddar or jalapeño with sticky short rib ‘mexi-scones’, octopus with sour cream and prawn and bone marrow tacos. For the finale: perfectly crispy mini churros, earthy with cinnamon and dipped in dark, spicy chocolate.
Pair those with the Holy Chipotle cocktail (tequila reposado and corn liqueur, smoky, spicy and sweetened with chipotle honey) then end with the Foam Fiesta – a tequila, hibiscus and grapefruit concoction with a sea salt foam. Dream of white sands and turquoise waters. Or just scan your menu for a 65% off trip to Cancún and head out with Virgin for the real deal.
11-24 August, 1-4pm. £49.50pp for tea, additional £35 to include one of each cocktail. 45 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, EC2A 3PT. Book here.
4. London’s best… mini cocktails
Noisy Oyster
Best for: feeling dainty
Noisy Oyster’s mini cocktails are all designed as an accompaniment to the delicious seafood. Our pick is the Agave, made with Tapatio Blanco tequila, Mezcal Verde, Cocchi Americano and Oloroso Sherry. The combination of the kick from the Americano and the sweetness from the Sherry makes for the perfect little sip (without the hangover).
Mini cocktails, £9. Shoreditch. Book here.
Chiave
Best for: music meets mixology
Intimate cocktail bar Chiave is putting their own spin on the mini cocktail trend, with a very apt mini cocktail menu. Highlights include the Killer Queen Bloody Mary with Belvedere Vodka, Clamato Juice and a secret spice mix – and their miniature take on an espresso tini, the Alla Turca Jazz with Planteray dark rum, Turkish coffee and Espresso.
Mini cocktails, three for £9 or six for £15. Shoreditch. Book here.
Bar Lina
Best for: modern twists on Italian cocktails
Bar Lina have hopped on the weeknight-friendly tiny cocktail trend in collaboration with bartender and author Tyler Zielinski – a published expert in the game. The collection is three 50ml drinks: Bar Lina’s savoury tomato twist on a classic – the Bloody Martini, the dark cherry-forward Fragolino and our favourite of the night, the Art of Simplicity – a light Prosecco and Grapefruit Fizz.
Mini cocktails, £4.50. Until 31 August. Canary Wharf and Shoreditch. Book here.
5. Get your hands on free maritozzi in celebration of Italian public holiday Ferragosto
To celebrate Ferragosto, FREE maritozzi (that’s soft brioche buns filled with creamy mascarpone) will be waiting for you on 15 August.
Get your hands on one from 12pm right outside Ave Mario in Covent Garden, and feel like you’re in Italy!
6. Try Korean jiggae at an After Spice Party
New Korean-inspired noodle brand Namdong, is hosting an After Spice Party you can’t miss on 15 August. Look forward to noodles in three flavours – beef jjigae, chicken jjigae and kimchi jjigae. Plus, expect upbeat tunes and traditional Korean games available.
All at BeatBox in BOXPARK, Wembley. Join the waitlist for your FREE ticket here.
7. Get free prosecco with this secret password
Get a free glass of prosecco at Pivot Bar & Bistro in Covent Garden today for National Prosecco Day. But you’ll need the secret password: Prosexy!
8. Go to a one-night-only Iraqi supper club by Suzie Bakos
Iraqi-born chef Suzie Bakos is taking over Jimmy’s BBQ on 17 August. Get ready to taste a mouthwatering, Middle Eastern six-course tasting menu featuring dishes like aubergine & harissa chickpeas and traditional kunafe for dessert. Book here.
9. Enjoy beer and food tasting at Tonkotsu
Take a tour through five carefully selected craft beers, matched deliciously to Tonkotsu’s signature menu items by beer expert and drinks journalist Melissa Cole.
19 August at Tonkotsu East from 6:30pm. Book here.
10. See The Science Museum’s new free exhbition and learn all about food sustainability
A new free exhibition at The Science Museum looks at how science is creating more sustainable ways of growing, making, cooking and eating food.
On until 4 January 2026. Get your FREE ticket here.
11. Get dancing at Southbank Centre’s Dance Your Way Home line-up of events
Join the movement at Southbank Centre’s Dance Your Way Home, celebrating the ways we’re connected through dance. An exciting line-up of dance events are taking place until 25 August, including a FREE party by the leader of Ezra Collective, a FREE dance jam session with The Clore Ballroom and more.
Take a look through the events here.
12. Have some free summer fun at The Dark Horse in Camden
A series of FREE summer sessions at The Dark Horse are kicking off, a celebration of music, culture, community, and everything in between. Expect a blend of London’s top DJs, up and coming artists and summer cocktails.
Read all about it here.
13. Head down to The Vinyl Market in Spitalfields for all things vinyl
The Vinyl Market in Spitalfields is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Hoxton Radio is hosting a free-to-attend live broadcast from the market on 15 August between 10am-2pm. So come by and listen to some tunes!
14. See Britain’s Got Talent winner Sydnie Christmas’s star performance in 101 Dalmations – The Musical
By John Nathan
In this musical version of the nation’s favourite dog tale (sorry) the power singing of Britain’s Got Talent winner Sydnie Christmas threatens to blow the spots off this show’s 99 pups. Christmas plays Cruella De Vil with a sneer that could silence a snarling Bully XL at 500 paces.
The plot, adapted by Zinnie Harris, takes its lead (sorry again) from Dodie Smith’s novel rather than the animated Disney version of the spotty (not shaggy) dog story. Yet this production, directed by Bill Buckhurst, has lost much of the charm and wit that made the world premiere at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre in 2022 so enjoyable. Whereas Kate Fleetwood’s phone-carrying Cruella was more social media influencer than fashionista, Christmas’s Cruella is just, well, cruel.
An evening that might have finished with its tail between its legs is thankfully elevated by Christmas’s voice and charisma, both of which fill the Apollo’s cavernous stage. She is a talent destined for the West End.
Tickets from £24.50. Eventim Apollo. Until 30 August. Book here.
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