Welcome back to The Slice!
It’s almost the Bank Holiday weekend, and we’re still holding on to that last bit of sunshine before the weather starts to turn. And we’ve got another packed issue for you this week.
Why not make the most of the three-day weekend by sitting on Mercer Roof Terrace grazing on snacks and sipping on refreshingly cold cocktails? Or get a free Aperol Spritz at Market Place – just tell them ‘I’m here to celebrate!’
We also had to go big for National Burger Day. We’re telling you where to get the best deals – including a buy one get one free deal at HANBAAGAASUUTEEKI. It’s an amazing bargain, as it’s a double cheeseburger so you get not just one but two patties. Yes please!
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.
The Slice newsletter also a brand new look! We’ll still be in your inbox every week, bringing you all the very best things to eat, drink and do in the capital. So if you want get the next edition before anyone else, sign up here!
If you want to do it all on the cheap, you can also find our latest batch of exclusive hand-picked offers in partnership with Time Out here.
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. Take in the sun at Mercer Roof Terrace
By Rachel Moss
Who doesn’t love a London rooftop? With views of both St Paul’s and The Shard, Mercer Roof Terrace at Vintry and Mercer has one of the most stand out views in the capital – with a new summer menu to delight foodies. For a light lunch with added decadence, opt for the Cornish lobster & prawn roll, where perfectly bouncy brioche hugs lemon mayonnaise, avocado dots, celery and caviar. It comes with a garden salad and crisps, but order the triple cooked chips for an extra treat.
Don’t worry about being too full for pudding – the desserts here are dainty and fresh, with strawberries and meringue featuring heavily across the menu. The Bakewell tart comes with a surprise basil gel, ready for you to pipette to taste. And to wash it down? Cancel those work meetings, because Mercer has partnered with Minuty to elevate your afternoon with a Provençal flair.
Starters from £11, mains from £19. 20 Garlick Hill, City of London, EC4V 2AU. Book here.
2. Indulge glowing chicken wings and tender curry goat at PATOIS
Fusion dishes like crispy jerk chicken spring rolls and jerk mushroom hummus grace the menu at PATOIS, celebrating the rich diversity of the Caribbean. But don’t be fooled. Nikkai Whyte, the Peckham-based chef who leads PATOIS can do it all. Aside from fusion dishes, the menu also includes some of her signature dishes like the Little Dutty Goat Patty, slow cooked with curry goat and spices. The glowing fried chicken wings are perfect if you have a sweet tooth, juicy in the middle with the perfect crisp exterior. And if you find yourself craving a zesty kick, the memorable Ginger Lemonade and Lemon & Limeade drinks are stunningly refreshing.
Small plates from £4.50, mains from £12.50. Drinks, £3.50. BOXHALL City, 1-27, The Arcade, Liverpool Street, EC2M 7PN. Just walk-in.
3. London’s best burger deals for National Burger Day
Honest Burgers
Best for: if you want a classic burger
Honest Burgers has cemented themselves into the London burger scene. They pride themselves on using the best quality meat, and you can bet their burgers are ‘always fresh, never frozen’ as per their slogan. Staples on their menu include their classic beefburger, made with Honest beef, sweet red onion lettuce and relish. And they’ve got a number of halloumi specials on at the moment, including the Halloumi Your Way: Fried Chicken.
For National Burger Day, you’ve got the chance to win one of 1,000 free burgers. Just sign up to their new loyalty app Honest Insiders. And if it turns out not to be your lucky day don’t worry, you can still enjoy 20% off any burger.
Burgers from £6.25. Various locations. Just walk in.
HANBAAGAASUUTEEKI
Best for: if you want a smash burger bold flavours
Just when you thought the burger scene couldn’t get any better, in comes HANBAAGAASUUTEEKI (say it slowly: han-baa-gaa-suu-tee-ki). Joining Bleecker and Shake Shack in Victoria, they’ve got a menu that’s far from boring. American burgers meet punchy Asian flavours here, courtesy of visionary chef Fatih Alkan. Their Another Double Cheese Burger is juicy with a caramelised crust. But it doesn’t stop there. Their two off-menu secret burgers, including the Szechuan Chicken, are a whole party of flavours…
For National Burger Day, HANBAAGAASUUTEEKI is treating you to a free Another Double Cheese Burger with any burger!
Burgers from £9. Victoria. Just walk-in.
Butter Chicken Bao Burger at Farzi
Best for: if you want a twist
Modern Indian and Michelin recognised Farzi has landed at BOXHALL, Liverpool Street. You can get a selection of modern Indian dishes, like the Chicken Tikka Wrap, the Chicken Lollipop and even dessert: the Parle G Cheesecake.
And brand new for National Burger Day, try the £6 Butter Chicken Bao Burger, stuffed with creamy butter chicken and chilli mayo with a Tibetan fluffy bao holding it all together. It’s easy on the wallet, and is perfect for the curry fans out there.
Butter Chicken Bao Burger. BOXHALL, Liverpool Street. Just walk in.
4. Get a free cocktail at Sexy Fish, but there’s a catch
It’s your last week to get a free cocktail at Sexy Fish. The catch? 🐟 You’ll have to return their iconic fish shaped chopstick rest if you happened to ‘borrow’ one. There’s no judgement ’round here!
The ‘no questions asked’ Missing Fish Campaign offer will run until the end of August.
5. Try the ultimate ice cream and cocktail combinations at Lyaness
Sunday Lyan at Lyaness is back with a twist. They’re pairing up with Marcelo’s Ice Cream to offer you some grown up ice cream and innovative cocktails – including the Peanut Butter Miso & Dark Chocolate Hardshake.
We can’t wait to try it. The menu is available right now up until 31 August.
6. Get your hands on a free refreshingly cold aperol spritz at Market Place
Market Place is giving away 100 free Aperol Spritz per day over the August bank holiday.
Just head down to one of their venues in St Paul’s, Vauxhall, Harrow, and Peckham and tell them ‘I’m here to celebrate’ to get an ice cold Aperol Spritz on the house.
7. Pasta Evangelists is launching a breakfast menu! Be one of the first to try it and get a free hot drink
Pasta Evangelists is launching a breakfast menu, featuring tasty poached egg dishes cooked in fresh Italian sauces – including a fiery ’nduja and red pepper sauce with poached eggs. Yum!
To celebrate, get a free hot drink at 7-8am on 26-29 August.
8. Try a tasty cheeseburger empanada… you’ve never had a cheeseburger like this before
A one-of-a-kind cheeseburger empanada is landing, a collaboration between De Nadas Empanadas and Tommi’s Burger Joint.
The freshly baked Burgernada is available at all De Nadas shops for £4 and Tommi’s in Marylebone will feature a Tommi’s Tango Burger (T.T.B), which will be served with a deep-fried mini Burgernada with every order for £14.
9. Treat some dogs to some treats, courtesy of Sticks’n’Sushi, for National Dog day
It’s International Dog Day on 26 August. And Sticks’n’Sushi is inviting you to grab your pooch and bring them along for some foodie fun.
Until 31 August, all dogs can get a free take-home box from Pooch & Mutt, filled with salmon and fennel probiotic fish-shaped treats.
10. More National Dog Day celebrations! Take your dog down to Big Penny Social for some tasty treats
Walthamstow beer hall Big Penny Social is back with its annual dog show, Pooches & Pints!
Raising money for All Dogs Matter, look forward to tasty organic treats for your pooch. Or if you don’t have a dog, just come by and enjoy!
11. Listen to the joyful sounds of soca, calypso and more at the legendary Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival is back for its 59th year to celebrate Caribbean culture, and it wouldn’t feel like August bank holiday without it!
You can expect the usual mix of joyful soca, calpyso, samba and more – with sound systems, steel pan drums, delicious Trinidadian ‘Roti’ and more. Find out everything you need to know here.
12. Get your hands on some second hand goodies or play mini golf at Peninsula Summer
It’s your last chance to experience Peninsula Summer at Greenwich Peninsula.
Head down to the Charity Super.Mkt for some stylish second-hand finds, or have some fun at Wild Swing Mini Golf for a technicolour crazy golf course by art duo Graphic Rewilding.
13. Every Brilliant Thing
★★★★
By John Nathan
In this most intimate of West End theatres, Lenny Henry cosies up to his audience. He makes them laugh and pulls them into his show in a way that never feels awkward – all while confiding the inner life of someone with an emotionally distant father and a suicidally depressive mother. Duncan Macmillan’s one-person-play of 2014 illuminates this dark territory with enough humour to call the show a comedy.
In this revival, Henry is the first of five slated to perform the work during its run. The list – and this show is all about lists – includes Jonny Donahoe, who helped develop the play, One Day’s Ambika Mod and Sue Perkins. It finishes with Minnie Driver. They all play an adult who relates the mechanism by which from the age of seven they attempted to convince their mother that life was worth living. How? By creating a list of every brilliant thing worth living for.
In Jeremy Herrin and Macmillan’s production, Henry is at his best segueing between an adult and the bewildered boy who started the list as a lifeline to throw his mother. He builds a trust with his audience as they seek to diminish the stigma of mental ill health. The play is coincidentally revived in the aftermath of the heartbreaking inquest into the death of ex-England cricketer Graham Thorpe, who died by suicide. I do wish he had seen it. It may have helped.
Tickets from £24.50. Eventim Apollo. Until 30 August. Book here.
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