“As full of spirit as the month of May, and as gorgeous as the sun in Midsummer,” mused The Bard on May Day. To ensure that you're also full of spirit and gorgeous as the sun this weekend, we've put together your very own bank holiday guide. Whether it's sitting in the sun or bolting to Brighton, if it's worth doing it's in here...
If you want to…go alfresco
Madison Rooftop Bar, St. Paul's (above)
When the weather decides to be kind, the terrace at Madison is a rooftop suntrap worth knowing about. Currently decked out with loungers and parasols in Moët Ice Impérial’s trademark colours, this is the place to sip the ‘world’s first ever Champagne specifically created to be enjoyed on ice’. Why not get a group together and book out the sofa area for you and your pals? The real seduction is the view of St Paul’s and the fascinating optical illusion you’ll experience as you’re whizzed up in the glass lift. Proceed with caution as you whizz down with a belly full of bubbles.
Tom’s Kitchen at Somerset House, Strand
Re-opening this week is the aptly-named Tom’s Kitchen Terrace at Somerset House. Doing exactly what it says on the tin, sit back and relax as you sip cocktails and admire the muddy waters of the River Thames (which, by the way, you soon will be able to frolic in, as Thames Baths has just launched plans for a lido). With no swimming option just yet, content yourself with dishes such as seasonal asparagus with quail’s eggs, lemon and caper dressing and golden raisins, or baked scallops with puff pastry, dill and sea herbs. Round off with the Queen of Puddings: a messy concoction of brioche, custard, raspberries and meringue. On second thoughts, it’s a good thing swimming is off the cards because you’d sink after this lot.
If you want…Sunday funday
Bobby’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Brunch at The House of Ho, Soho
Drum roll, everybody: launching this Sunday is Vietnamese restauranteur and TV star Bobby Chinn’s hotly anticipated rock ‘n’ roll brunch. The place to banish the weekend’s cocktail-induced cobwebs, skip along to this Soho haunt, where you’ll be greeted with a Lychee Bellini to get the fun started all over again. Tuck into generous sharing plates of chilli-glazed chicken wings and seven spice marinated squid or a House of Ho signature, such as apple-smoked pork belly. The best bit about it? There’s unlimited bubbly. So no doubt you’ll probably be rolling out of there…
Bottomless Brunch at Flesh and Buns (above)
This izakaya-style basement joint from Aussie chef Ross Shonhan of Bone Daddies fame attracts a buzzing crowd and is packed most nights. Thanks to the addition of an unlimited Sunday brunch, it’s now pulling punters in daylight hours, too. With a cocktail on arrival, followed by chips, dips and edamame, unlimited hot and cold plates, signature flesh and buns and unlimited red or white wine or prosecco, topped off with a dessert for the table, ‘bottomless’ certainly won’t apply to your derriere by the end.
If you want…to party
Roof Party at Made in Brasil Boteco, Camden
Get into the spirit of summer with a Brazilian-themed roof party in the heart of Camden this weekend. Modelled on the traditional South American street stalls of Sao Paulo and Salvador, this buzzy booze-hole boasts the largest selection of cachaças in the UK, so you’ll have no problem slipping and sliding straight into party mode. Expect Acai Caipirinhas, Cachaça Sours and Chilly Mary Caipirinhas, with authentic petiscos (Brazilian tapas) including slow-cooked pork ribs and chilli-garlic prawns ensure you remain upright. With live Brazilian bands and DJs spinning the decks ‘til late into the night, shut your eyes and you could be at Rio Carnival. Sort of.
1970s Bank Holiday Bank Holiday Disco Party at Maggie’s, Fulham (above)
If you’re a 70s baby (or you really like Margaret Thatcher. Or disco. Or parties) don your grooviest garments and head down to Maggie’s 1970s Disco Bash on Sunday. In collaboration with Belvedere Vodka, you can slurp on retro cocktails while shimmying away to the likes of Donna Summer, Stevie Wonder and Jackson 5 under the twinkling lights of a giant disco ball. With staff clad in polyester leisure suits, bell bottoms, afros and platform shoes this seventies soiree is one to pull out all the stops for.
If you want…to get away
The Salt Room, Brighton (above)
Take advantage of the long weekend with an impromptu trip to Brighton. After an obligatory promenade along the pier, head to The Salt Room for a Taste of the Pier, a pudding consisting of candy floss, salt caramel and chocolate “99”, rum and coconut marshmallows, doughnuts, pebbles and honeycomb. Phew. Fortunately, they serve mains too; tuck into a sustainably-sourced seafood feast of cuttlefish, oysters, lobster or sea bass, alternatively share their signature whole market charcoal-cooked fish while admiring the sea view. We’re calling it a ‘micro-break’ and are sure there’ll be brownie points for suggesting it to a loved one.
Wheelers Oyster Bar, Whitstable
If you haven’t yet visited the quaint Kent fishing town of Whitstable, why not? Perfect for a bank holiday bolt, it’s been famous for oysters since the Roman times and Wheelers Oyster Bar is, surprise surprise, one of the best places to try them. Founded in 1856, the pink and blue facade is a Whitstable landmark; grab one of the four seats at the Victorian seafood bar for shellfish and salad, or make your way to the old-fashioned dining room at the back for fresher-than-fresh, straight-off-the-boat fishy offerings. Still not convinced? Let us tempt you with a lasagne of whole Kentish lobster with leek and wild garlic ragout, or halibut with a crab, avocado and lime cocktail with roast pepper and goats’ cheese dressing. It’s BYOB, so you might want to book somewhere to stay overnight... You have been warned.
This article was published 1 May 2015