Welcome back to The Slice!
We’re really being treated to fabulous weather this year, with sunny skies and 30 degree highs in abundance. And while we don’t look forward to those uncomfortably hot nights, we do enjoy how much London comes alive in the summer.
And we’ve got the best round up of events to help you make the most of it. This week we try renowned institution Applebee’s (no, not the US chain!), where you can get delectable grilled scallops and £1 oysters. Plus we see if new Italian Japanese fusion restaurant Angelina Osteria can match up to the Dalston OG.
We’ve also rounded up the drinks of the summer, including that oh-so-famous picante.
At the weekend, treat yourself to Bar Valette’s new £4 pintxos hour, indulge in bread-y goodness at Toklas Bakery’s sandwich market or watch the Euros at an unmissable home-from-home watch party.
Read on for a whole range of recommendations for 12-13 July, handpicked as always by The Slice.
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This week in London
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, here are TK of the best activities, dining, and drinking spots in the capital.
1. Get luxe for less with £1 oysters at Applebee’s
It first opened in 1999 as a humble fish stall in Borough Market by husband and wife fishmongers Joy and Graham Applebee, later turning into a restaurant and a stalwart of the London seafood scene. 25 years later, now with son Jack at the helm, Applebee’s has reopened with a grown up interior and fresh, elevated menu.
The menu can be divided into roughly two halves. There’s the snackier, smaller plates like grilled scallops (which come with three flavours of butter – sobrasada, coral roe and seaweed) and a deliciously brunchy smoked salmon and poached egg parcel. Then there are big dishes, from delicate Cornish hake on its own personal rösti to a vast Surf and Turf platter piled with glistening wild prawns and Côte de boeuf. Their thankfully unfishy puddings also get a star turn – their Sticky Toffee Pavlova is a genius, summery combination of two classic comfort desserts.
It’s a refreshingly versatile place that works just as well for a low-key lunch as a splashy celebratory dinner. Or even better, for early evening aperitivo – 4-6pm is Oyster Hour (Mon-Fri only), where they serve icy platters for £1 per oyster (and some of the biggest I’ve seen – I nearly drowned). Enjoy while people-watching on the terrace with a Gilda Martini in hand, which comes with a sliver of anchovy, fat gordal olive and tiny piquillo pepper. Now that’s a dirty martini.
Starters from £9, mains from £18. 5 Stoney St, Borough Market. Book here.
2. Try the ultimate fusion, Japanese Italian food at Angelina Osteria
For the sake of transparency, I’ll admit it: Dalston’s Angelina is my favourite restaurant in London. With its intimate atmosphere and innovative Japanese-Italian set menu, it set the bar high. So I was both excited and apprehensive about its new sister venue in Spitalfields. Can you have too much of a good thing?
Osteria Angelina’s à la carte menu focuses on pasta with Japanese flair and bold dishes from their Binchotan-fired grill. Housed in a beautifully restored Victorian warehouse, the open kitchen anchors the room. It’s livelier than the OG Angelina, with a large bar and an edgy, bass-heavy playlist.
The menu is designed to share, bringing joy to Libras everywhere and those affected by decision paralysis. A selection of small plates set the tone for what’s to come. The courgette flower stuffed with miso ricotta is crisp yet creamy; the kombu-cured bream with burnt butter is elegant and bold.
But the headline acts are the pasta dishes. The duck ragù fazzoletti with fried lotus deserves its own spotlight. Desserts are playful in colour and texture, like the brûlée black sesame cheesecake or the matcha Caprese with miso caramel gelato. Service is warm, the atmosphere stylish, but seating could be more comfortable. Still, it’s a confident, creative evolution, perfect for bigger groups – just don’t ask me to share the pasta.
Small plates £4-18, pasta dishes from £10, grill plates from £14. 1 Nicholls Clarke Yard, Spitalfields. Book here.
3. Treat yourself to £4 cocktails at laid-back restaurant Bar Valette
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Introducing Bar Valette’s new pintxos hour: get apéro style cocktails for £4 and a new selection of pintxos snacks including mini raw beef toasts and Txistorra sausage puffs! Just make a booking Tues-Sat from 5-7pm.
4. Try mouthwatering sandwiches at Toklas Bakery
A sandwich market comes to Toklas Bakery on 12 July. Joining the sandwich line up: new Roman restaurant Lupa by Ed Templeton, Theo James and Naz Hassan, the team at Elliot’s London and plenty more.
The market is free to enter and will run from 11am until 3pm or sell-out.
5. Go and taste what’s new at SOUND Cafe
By Rachel Moss
With its eclectic menu, SOUND at The Cumberland Hotel is a true crowdpleaser. I embraced full Americana with an indulgent Philly cheesesteak sandwich. The portions are enormous, so share the buffalo cauliflower starter (with margaritas to soften the heat), plus a millionaire brownie for pud.
The venue is family-friendly at 6pm (think upmarket TGIs…with robot waiters!) but transforms into a sophisticated diner-cum-cocktail bar at 8pm when the daily live music starts.
Warm-up acts from £9, the main event from £14. The Cumberland Hotel, Great Cumberland Pl, Marble Arch. Book here.
6. Make the most of free shakes at King’s Cross’ FREE pop up
You can get free sky-inspired shakes at King’s Cross’ free pop-up with Arla LactoFREE and Bompas & Parr, just in time for the heatwave.
Try flavours like Dawn Rising, In Bloom and MilkyWay. Available 10-11 July, 11am-5pm. Battle Bridge Place, King’s Cross.
7. Explore the history of the famous tiramisu – then get a taste
We’ve seen all sorts of weird and wonderful twists on the famous tiramisu.
On 16 July, food writer Niki Segnit is leading a unique session on the dessert at Fortnum & Mason, exploring the evolution of the iconic Italian dessert, from its traditional roots to modern, looser interpretations through conversation, expert insight, and forensic tasting. Tickets here.
8. Try a drink of the summer
Paloma
Best for: a fruity little number
Paloma is having a moment. It’s one of the star drinks of 2025, with bars across the capital putting their own spin on it. It’s believed the name comes from ‘pomelo’, Spanish for ‘grapefruit’.
Simple and refreshing, the Paloma is typically made with tequila, lime juice, and, of course, grapefruit soda. We’ve already been sipping on plenty of them this summer, and recently tried the ‘El Pichon’ at Cinco’s made with melon and verbena. We’re big fans.
Corrochio’s Cinco. El Pichon, £13. Book here.
More Palomas!
Paloma with a twist? Introducing Not a Paloma! at The Cinnamon Club. This is a bold Indian spin on a tequila classic, blending pink peppercorn tequila with a pomegranate reduction and a lively grapefruit fizz. Book here.
Or try the Punto de Partido (the Spicy Paloma) from the London Essence menu at Ham Yard Hotel. It’s featured at the Wimbledon ‘Centre Court-Yard’ pop-up as part of a Wimbledon-inspired cocktail menu. Book here.
Picante
Best for: if you usually order a spicy marg
Soho House didn’t invent the Picante, but it’s their signature thing. So much so that for the first time, they’ve introduced brand new twists on the classic – like the passion fruit & lemongrass.
But the traditional one that we can’t get enough of is simply made with a chilli pepper, coriander, tequila, agave nectar or honey and fresh lime juice.
‘Picante’ means ‘spicy’ or ‘piquant’ in Spanish, so it goes without saying: you can’t have a picante without the kick.
Soho House. Picante, £14.
Sarti Rosa Spritz
Best for: the ultimate pink drink
The Sarti Rosa Spritz would look good from any angle – she’s a real beauty. Similar to an Aperol Spritz or our other new favourite, the Limoncello Spritz, it features an apéritif liqueur made with Sicilian blood oranges, passionfruit, and mango. It’s elegant, pretty and fruity.
Get it at Greenwood as part of their 2 for £20 deal, between 4-6pm for Aperitivo Hour on their brand new terrace.
170 Victoria Street, Victoria. 2 spritzes for £20, Mon-Fri 4-6pm. Standard price, £13.50. Book here.
9. Watch the Women’s Euros at this home-from-home watch party
An unmissable home-from-home watch party takes place for the Women’s Euro on 13 July. Watch England x Wales right on the big screen, no squinting needed.
The ‘Ballers’ Banquet’ by Just Eat will also feature temp tattoo bar, photo booth, FIFA station, foosball table & exclusive giveaways. Tickets here.
10. Celebrate Bastille Day with Café François’ très amusant fête
Experience a full fête for Bastille Day on 14 July at Café François. Look forward to circus performers, their annual snail race, pétanque tournament and more. Book your table here.
11. Sit back and relax at Paddington Basin’s open-air film screenings
Look out for Paddington Basin’s open-air film screenings, returning to Merchant Square. From Dirty Dancing to Mamma Mia, there are some real classic on the schedule, all for FREE. Find out more here.
12. See off-kilter romcom musical Lovestuck
Above all else, Lovestuck deserves points for originality. When, after all, will you ever see a show again in which the heroine sings a tragic power ballad while carrying a plastic bag containing her own poo? Created by two of the trio behind hit podcast My Dad Wrote A Porno, this off-kilter romcom musical lifts its story from a surprising source: the real-life nightmare that went viral in 2017. It was the story of a woman on a date who got stuck outside her love interest’s bathroom window, upside down, after failing to throw away an unflushable poo.
Songs mostly suffer from the affliction of so many modern musicals – perfectly engaging while you’re listening to them but completely forgettable. Still, the show has a great premise, a decent gag rate and warm, heartfelt performances.
All in all, there’s enough good stuff to suggest that with tweaking this production could have a longer life beyond the Theatre Royal Stratford East, possibly in the West End…
Lovestuck. Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square. Stratford. Tickets from £10. Book here.
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