Welcome back to The Slice!
We’ve had a much needed break from the London heat, but according to the forecast, things are hotting up from Friday. One of the trickiest things about hot weather, as lovely as it is, is finding a lunch or dinner option that won’t have you dripping with sweat.
But we’ve got some recommendations that will leave you feeling refreshed rather than drenched, including the summer-perfect cold ramen at Tonkotsu.
We also try addictively tangy mushroom salad and sizzling beef at Sichuan and Cantonese institution Sanxia Renjia, as it celebrates 15 years.
Plus: Find out how to get your hands on half price pizza in Bethnal Green.
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. Indulge in some of Caso Do Frango’s newest additions to their menu
By Sabrina Barr
There are a few factors that take a restaurant from just being enjoyable to a golden recommendation in my books. The food needs to taste as though it’s nourishing my soul, and the buzzing atmosphere needs to make me feel welcome. Fortunately, Mayfair’s Casa Do Frango ticks all of the boxes.
With beautiful tiles and handpainted plates plastering the walls, I’m immediately transported to Portugal as I enter the door from London’s bustling Heddon Street. The signature Frango Piri Piri chicken dish is served so beautifully tender that the meat falls off the bone. Accompanied by the succulent beef skewers, the signature Casa rice with crispy chicken skin, roasted potatoes, and assortment of sauces (definitely go for the spicy aioli) – it feels like I’m being treated to a fancier version of a homecooked meal. Topped off with a zingy Piri Piri margarita – I was in Portuguese paradise.
Small plates from £6. Single plates from £14. 31-33 Heddon Street, Mayfair, W1B 4BN. Book here.
2. Sip on divine wine at the Roseblood Terrace
The newest (and largest) addition to central London’s wine bar scene is one of those places you’ll be telling everyone about. I know I have. Housed in a 17th century vault, tucked beneath the historic marketplace, Courtyard Cellars is a wine lovers private sanctum. There are over 1,000 wines from 100 regions across 10 different countries. You’ll fine seven arched cellars with wine bottles, including names such as Edmond de Rothschild, Roseblood, Lanson, Bruce Jack and Gonzalez Byass. Many of which are available by the glass to sip with charcuterie and artisanal cheese sharing platters.
Hop over the piazza if you’re looking for something more sundrenched, the Roseblood Terrace is a blush-pink fever dream focused around this exquisite rosé with its precise and taut flavours of white peach and watermelon. They’re showcasing a selection of Roseblood wines inclduing Roseblood Rosé (PDO Coteaux Varois en Provence Rose) until 12 September.
Hear more of Courtney’s thoughts about Canal on her TikTok.
Small plates from £8, big plates from £16. 11b Woodfield Rd, Westbourne Park, W9 2BA. Book here.
3. Taste Sichuan and Cantonese food at Sanxia Renjia
Central London in the summertime can prove a crowded and expensive affair – but Sanxia Renjia in Fitzrovia is a delicious retreat away from the heaving streets of Tottenham Court Road. The restaurant, celebrating its 15th anniversary, offers salt-of-the-earth Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine known for its trademark spice.
To the backdrop of a relaxing buzz, the Sanxia Appetiser Platter is the perfect gateway. The black mushrooms salad is an immediate hit thanks to an addictive tanginess. The vegetable dishes are the surprise standouts, with the sea spicy aubergine with green peas and chilli peppers the secret winner of the night through its bold seasoning. We devour the tiger skin grilled green peppers with black bean sauce, soy sauce and vinegar. For meat lovers, you’re spoilt for choice with the beef on a sizzling plate, tender and well-spiced throughout. Top the meal off with a beer, and it’s a slam dunk.
Starters from £6.80 and mains from £12.80. 29 Goodge St, Fitzrovia, W1T 2PP. Book here.
4. London’s best… restaurants to book on a 30 degree day
Mildreds
Best for: easy, breezy vegan food
When the streets radiate heat and movement feels like effort, Mildreds new Taste menu is sweet relief. Eight shareable small plates including the indulgent Kiri Hodi with paratha and the perfectly creamy Salsa Macha Hummus arrive like a breeze through a cracked window. Light yet richly satisfying, they’re the quiet backdrop to an evening that stretches. Pair with a cocktail from the Off The Rails menu, which takes you on a tour through Latin America.
Taste of Mildreds menu, £39pp. Soho. Book here.
Tonkotsu
Best for: bye salad, hello cold ramen
Ever tried cold ramen? Well we can’t think of anything better than sipping on a light and refreshing broth when it’s absolutely scorching outside. Tonkotsu’s lip-smacking Hiyashi noodles are the perfect summer coolers. Choose from the Chicken Teriyaki, Chilli Tofu or Japanese Mushroom and get instant relief from the intense London heat.
Hiyashi noodle salad (AKA summer ramen), from £13.25. Various locations. Book here.
Jacuzzi
Best for: summer opulence
Jacuzzi serves up some real mouth watering, indulgent food. And with a large menu by anyone’s standards, there’s so much to choose from, light dishes included. The burrata al pistacchio is our summer pick. Fresh, rich and comfortingly cooling, scoop it up with the oh-so-crispy Sardinian carasau bread. The crab croquettes with lemon mayo hit every spot, salty and citrus-y in the most refreshing way.
Antipasti from £5, primi piatti from £18. Kensington High Street. Book here.
5. Get half price pizza at Bad Boy Pizzeria
Bad Boy Pizzeria is firing up their ovens this week, and they’re going big with a soft launch special: 50% off food and free beer all opening weekend! Expect a pizza by the slice shop by day, and casual vibes at night.
6. Try fried chicken burgers served three ways with Fortune Fried Chicken x Café François
Wash down fried chicken burgers with sips of negronis as Fortune Fried Chicken and Café François join forces on 7 August. Burgers are served three ways (including the Spicy Bangkok!). Just walk in!
7. See an enlightening exhibition LIMIN Southbank
From 8-10 August, head to LIMIN Southbank for an incredible experience. British-Trinidadian artist D’Arcy J. Sallion will present a new exhibition exploring nature, memory and sustainability. Get your FREE ticket here.
8. Go taco crazy at the London Taco experience
The London Taco Experience comes to Riverside East on 9 August, hosting some of the best Mexican street food traders from across London. Look forward to tasty tacos, churros, and Mexican ice cream. Plus a DJ and mezcal tasting! Tickets here.
9. Try the ‘Pibil Power’ pizza, a collab between Lime and Yard Sale
E-bike provider, Lime and Yard Sale have joined forces for a match made in heaven to create the wood-fired ‘Pibil Power’ pizza, bursting with bold Mexican flavours. It’s topped with Pork Pibil (a slow roast pork marinated in lime), sweetcorn, tomatillo salsa & red onion. Try it for yourself at all Yard Sale shops until 26 August!
You can also try it for free at their Lime Masterclass, a drop-in cycling safety pop-up. Protein Studios, Shoreditch. 9:30am-6pm.
10. Experience grilled goodness at Honey & Smoke’s supper club with Rukmini Iyer
Grill House Honey & Smoke will be joined in their kitchen by author of the Roasting Tin series Rukmini Iyer for a one night only supper club. Expect vibrant dishes like the Spiced Paneer Kofta with Yoghurt & Coriander. Book your spot here and indulge in some fiery, smoky goodness.
11. Cool down with some tasty affogato by Blank Street Affogato factory
An affogato factory is landing at Battersea Power Station this week by Blank Street just in time for the heatwave. £5 tickets include an affogato of choice (including the Salted Pistachio Matcha Affogato) and a voucher for a summer menu drink. Get your ticket.
12. Celebrate storytelling in all its forms at Free Books Festival
The Free Books Festival is back, celebrating their 5th year. Expect activities, workshops, panels, food and book freebies at Big Penny Social on 17 August. Bookworms, get your tickets here!
Evita at the London Palladium isn’t just the biggest show in the West End this summer – it has ended up being talked about around the world. That’s in part thanks to Hollywood A-lister Rachel Zegler’s awe-inspiring turn in the title role of Argentine first lady Eva Perón in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. But there’s another remarkable element of the production which has been slightly less talked about: Diego Andres Rodriguez, who is an exocet of charisma as the male lead Che, in what, unbelievably, is just his second ever professional role.
When I speak to him on a very sweaty Friday ahead of the evening show, his energy and charm radiate through the computer screen. He is the kind of performer who has ‘it’ – both off stage and on. He describes getting the call to say he had got the part in Evita as being like a scene from a film. When it comes to the future, Diego, says that as of now, he hasn’t got anything lined up for when Evita finishes its run in September. But he’s unlikely to be short of offers.
Evita. London Palladium. Soho. Tickets from £109.50. Book here.
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