Welcome back to The Slice!
We know the weather is cooling down in London, but that doesn’t mean all the fun has to end.
This week we try Mallow’s Sicilian-inspired Ferragosto menu. Available until the end of September, you can try tasty dishes like the cream-stuffed courgette flowers. Who said vegetables have to be boring?
We’re also telling you how to get 30% off Kensington’s newest Italian restaurant, and how to get free cult NYC chopped cheese sandwiches.
And for one last slurp of the summer, we’re rounding up our frozen favourites – some of the newest, most unique ice cream specials available right now in the capital. That includes a delectable Peanut Butter Miso & Dark Chocolate Hardshake at Lyanass’ Sundae Lyan.
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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Things to do this week in London
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, here are 12 of the best activities, dining, and drinking spots in the capital.
1. Try an indulgent brunch at new kid on the block The Park
When I go out for brunch, there’s only one dish I’m really going for and that’s pancakes – the bigger and fluffier, the better. My favourite spot to indulge has long been Sunday in Brooklyn, but it’s fair to say The Park, a world grand cafe by Jeremy King, has firmly stolen my heart. Stepping into the place feels like being transported straight to New York – from the chic mid-century modern interiors, to the cool artwork lining the walls and the branded coffee mugs that waiters are constantly refilling.
And the food is wonderful too. We ordered Buttermilk Pancakes and the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bagel, two absolute American classics that offered a real taste of the States. The former sees three thick and fluffy pancakes piled onto your plate, topped with a sharp berry coulis and sweet mascarpone. My top tip? Ask for maple syrup and they’ll bring you an entire jug of the stuff for the table. As for the BEC, it was just right. 10/10, no notes. All of this was washed down with cocktails – spicy marg fans need to try the Green Chilli Paloma, it’s sweet and spicy with a hint of fizz.
Before we left, I couldn’t resist buying a branded baseball cap. You know you had a good meal when you want to take home the merch…
Eggs & Pancakes from £10. 2 Queensway, W2 3RX. Book here.
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.
2. Get an ‘only in London’ dining experience at SKEWD at Horizons
Sometimes in the middle of a meal, you simply have to stop in your tracks and think ‘honestly, only in London.’ Skewd, an open-fire Anatolian concept in Leicester Square is now open at the Horizons casino. It makes for a true ‘only in this city’ dining experience as you sit in the elegantly decorated dining room, almost hermetically sealed from the bright chaos of the tourists and the novelty shops outside – and yards away from roulette tables and blackjack.
Highlights, aside from the mocktails, are specialty lamb shish, coal-fired prawn skewers and a baked alaska so rich that you’ll feel like you’ve just scooped a jackpot on the betting tables. An extended soft launch will see a 50% off deal on food until the end of August. You’ll be grateful for this as the prices do reflect the central location. But if you want something that tastes Turkish, looks London, and is relatively wallet-friendly, you’ll make it your last big indulgent dinner of the summer.
Starters from £8.50, mains from £23.90. 1 Leicester Place, Leicester Square, WC2H 7RN. Book here.
3. Try a delicious frozen treat
Peanut Butter Miso & Dark Chocolate Hardshake
Best for: sweet treats with an adult twist
It’s your last chance to experience Sunday Lyan at Lyanass bar. Celebrating nostalgia and creativity, the menu will include tasty sounding dishes like the Peanut Butter Miso & Dark Chocolate Hardshake, Blackcurrant Leaf & Lemon Verbena Sgroppino, and Poached Pear & Pecan Praline Boulevardier. The collab between Marcelo and Lyanass taps into London’s rising love affair with frozen indulgence.
Ice cream, £5. Cocktails, £15. Lyaness, Sea Containers. Turn up or book here.
Cinnamon Ring Ice Cream Sandwich
Best for: true indulgence
Sourdough meets ice cream for Crosstown’s new icy cold range. With various desserts including the Cinnamon Ring Ice Cream Sandwich. It’s made with their famous Sri Lankan cinnamon sugar ring doughnut, oozing with vanilla ice cream, with raspberry compote, and freeze-dried raspberries on top. Yum! There are other tasty sounding gems on the menu too, like the Ice Cream ‘Holey’ Moly.
From £3.50. Various locations incl. Battersea Power Station and Canary Wharf. Just walk-in.
Guava Soft Serve
Best for: some fruity guava goodness
The Sri Lankan and South Indian restaurant is known for its vibrant flavours – and the Guava Soft Serve gives you a lovely balance of freshness and spice. Smooth, creamy, it’s layered with a delicate guava compote. And it’s finished with a light dusting of chilli-citrus salt, adding a subtle heat (we love a kick).
Guava Soft Serve, £5.50. Hoppers King’s Cross. Book here.
4. Get far from boring vegan food at Mallow
By Izzie Jones
Mallow is the older, refined sibling to the vegan dining chain Mildreds, and centers seasonal veg in a showstopping style – all in a bustling upmarket dinner setting. The Sicilian-inspired Ferragosto menu features seven lively courses. Moving from the bite-sized, such as a delicious Polenta Crostini with fresh dill and tangy onion jam, to a fresh tomato salad peppered with fried capers. Before taking a dive into the theatrical cream-stuffed courgette flower that bursts open. The accompanying dessert, the cooling chocolate semifreddo with a handmade pecan crisp is a must try. Who said vegan dining will leave you unsatisfied? For the drinks too, try the surprisingly delicate apricot negroni, the ideal foil to the richness of some courses.
Mallow also have a Plant-Powered Summer Menu, available until the end of September. Priced at £38 per person, it includes a selection of snacks, starters and mains like the Mojo Rojo croquettes and Kashmiri gobi.
Ferragosto menu, £45pp. 12 Park Drive, Canary Wharf, E14 9ZW. Book here.
5. How to get your hands on free sandwiches courtesy of New York City concept Bodega City
Cult NYC concept Bodega City is officially in London for the very first time, wrapping up the summer Truffle Burger & Friends pop-up series. The launch kicks off on 29 August with a special giveaway of the chopped cheese sandwich for the first 250 guests who visit the pop-up from 5pm.
6. Get 30% off the new Tuscan-inspired restaurant Bottega 35
Brand new restaurant Bottega 35 is opening in Kensington (taking over from Zuaya). You’ll be able to enjoy hand-rolled pasta, wood-fired grills, and a Tuscan-inspired vibe. And the best part? They’re offering 30% off all food and drinks for their soft launch. Available all September. Just book to redeem.
7. Try another frozen favourite at Big Mamma
Big Mamma’s Lo Sgroppino is the ultimate grown-up slushie, a homemade bergamot sorbet blended with Italicus liqueur and limoncello, topped off with a fancy pour of Champagne. You can get it now at all eight of Big Mamma’s UK restaurants!
8. Khao bird is getting a new home in Soho
Northern Thai restaurant Khao Bird is going permanent, and has decided to put down its roots in Soho after a residency in London bridge. Set across two floors, it’s set to be ‘inclusive and affordable’. We loved it when we tried it back in January, read our full review here and look out for its opening in October.
9. And Brother Marcus too
Slice-favourite Brother Marcus is opening a new branch in Soho this September. Expect the well-loved brunches, lunches and dinners – and bold fresh flavours.
10. Head down to Chiswick for free open studios, animals and nature
Chiswick House is holding a free open studios and family day on 30 August. Expect different crafting stations and even follow a self-guided nature trail where you can spot bees and butterflies. Find out more.
11. Get prepared to take in all sorts of different voices at London Podcast Festival
Are you podcast crazy? Go down to the London Podcast Festival at Kings Place, for a nice mix of both mainstream and niche podcasts. 4-14 September. Find out more.
12. See Tony Award-winning show Good Night Oscar
★★★
One thing’s for sure: this play is a great showcase for star Sean Hayes, best known for his role as scene-stealer Jack in sitcom Will And Grace. As US pianist, composer and famously acerbic talk show guest Oscar Levant, he masterfully plays a deeply troubled character who is light years away from Jack’s high-energy campness. The problem is, though, that Doug Wright’s drama doesn’t amount to much more than a star vehicle. The story creates a fictionalised version of a real-life moment in Levant’s life in the 1950s, when he was given a temporary leave of absence from a psychiatric institution so he could be on a TV show.
Wright has made the programme Levant is appearing on the celebrated Tonight Show, and imagines the fraught lead-up to his appearance, as he struggles to hold it together while the network head tries to limit what he talks about, knowing what his no-holds-barred humour is like. Notionally, it’s a play that deals with a whole heap of themes, from freedom of speech to the relationship between genius and suffering. But it’s stymied by the shallowness of its script, which is big on quippy dialogue and low on insight, including when it comes to its protagonist.
Standard tickets from £20. The Barbican. Until 21 September. Book here.
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