Welcome back to the Slice, your weekly guide to what’s on in London.
December is time for some serious pigging out (we’re preparing our stomachs for the big day, we promise). We’re feasting on melty Alpine cheese and sensational West African delicacies, washed down with plenty of not-so-Christmassy tequila. Don’t tell Santa…
The Slice’s Pick
Akara
The interior of Akara is simplicity at its most beautiful. The cream colour palette, the walls and arches of exposed brick and the warm lighting create a sophisticated, effortlessly cool atmosphere. You might expect tiny portions of ultra-refined food in such a setting, but instead, every (generously portioned) dish is a knockout. The eponymous fritter, a staple West African dish that’s perfectly crispy on the outside and smooth on the inside, is miraculous; select from fillings including ox cheek and tiger prawn, paired with a rich, silky hot sauce. Among a range of fantastic mains, it’s the BBQ Lagos chicken with Efik-style rice that stands out for its sweet-yet-spicy flavour. A delicious dessert and a glass of their chapman (a fruity, vibrant punch) rounds up an exquisite dinner. One for the must-visit list.
Akara from £7, mains from £10. 18 Stoney Street, Borough Market.
Food & Drink
Latest London news
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro.co.uk’s London news hub.
Notto
by Anna Staddon
NOTTO’s new opening in Covent Garden combines a relaxed and warm atmosphere with a decadent dining experience. It’s simple pasta done well. From spaghettini with white crab to rigatoni cacio e pepe, the focus is on high-quality, great-tasting ingredients rather than new and innovative flavours. The portions are small but the food is so rich that the recommended three pasta dishes between two was more than enough. If you order anything, let it be the tiramisu doused in coffee tequila – delightful! Oh, and they make a killer spicy margarita.
Starters from £7.5, mains from £11.5. 4 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden.
Mezcalito Brompton
by Rob Buckhaven
Tequila might not be the first thing you think of at Christmas, but Santa’s got to move on from brandy sometime. Perfect timing then that Mezcalito Brompton, a brand-new agave spirits bar and club has just opened in South Kensington, bringing a maraca shake of modern Mexican nightlife to West London. With a 40-cover cocktail bar on the ground floor and a boutique nightclub in the basement, it showcases signature cocktails like the Paloma, Picante and Margarita. Or why not ask for a Mexican version of an Espresso Martini, to the backdrop of resident DJs turning out Latin House and Reggaeton tunes downstairs?
Find out more about Metro Drinks Club at Naked Wines and purchase your specially-selected case from the Naked Wines range here.
Join Metro Drinks Club and save on wine
Fancy regular access to delicious drinks at tasty prices? Then welcome to the brand new Metro Drinks Club, brought to you in association with Naked Wines.
To mark this exciting occasion, Metro’s wine expert Rob Buckhaven has selected a series of cases from the Naked Wines range – offered at a very special price to Metro Drinks Club members.
Choose between a red, white and mixed 6-bottle case, or splash out on all three, to gain access to the Metro Drinks Club.
For £34.99 per case, including free delivery, you’ll get a best-in-market deal and save over £45 off the market price.
How to join – and save on your first casePurchase any Metro Drinks Club case and you’re in the club, though you can opt out at any time.
Read more here.
Follow the link to Metro Drinks Club at Naked Wines to join and purchase your case.
All Star Lanes
Christmas and New Year’s might be over soon, but we plan to keep partying well into 2024! All Star Lanes is pulling out all the stops this winter with not just bowling, but karaoke, Qbix and shuffleboard, plus a menu filled with tasty snacks, meals and cocktails. Banish the January blues by booking the Drink, Dine & Bowl offer (1 main dish, 1 cocktail & a game of bowling for just £25pp), available from 26 December – 31 January 2024, or go all out with the winter party special, with bottomless karaoke and bowling in your own private room for three hours plus snacks and drinks from £35pp.T&Cs and hire fee applies.
The Slice readers can redeem a free dessert with the code METRO25 when they book the January £25 Dine, Drink & Bowl offer.
NEW IN TOWN:
More: Trending
🧀 After a whirl round the ice at Somerset House, head to Chalet Suisse, the new pop-up restaurant from Jimmy Garcia, for Après-skate. Expect a wooden chalet décor, tasty mains (we recommend the Confit Duck Bun) and lots (we mean lots) of fondue cheese. A charming little restaurant for a taste of the Swiss Alps.
🦞 Burger & Lobster, the chain famous for – you guessed it – burgers and lobsters, has created a new, er, unconventional new dish, the B&L Crosstown Doughnut Burger, consisting of three burger patties with cheese tucked in between a donut. The sweet-savoury balance wasn’t quite there for us,but those curious-minded among you should give this bizarre mixture a try!
🥝 Caravan, the popular New Zealand eatery, has opened a new branch in Covent Garden. Their show-stopping small bites are as good as ever (our favourite was the crisp chilli salt tofu – bursting with flavour).
London’s best… winter rooftops
BEST PANORAMIC: Florattica.
Nestled amongst the clouds and skyscrapers that loom over the City is Florattica: a rooftop bar that can safely boast about having one of the best views of London’s skyline. Take a seat in the resplendent interior or on the heated terrace, sip on a fruity Cachai cocktail, feast on some delectable small plates (we love the Chicken Gyoza) and simply take it all in.
Cocktails from £16. Top floor at Canopy by Hilton, 11-15 Minories, The City.
BEST HOT: Wagtail x Casamigos Winter Terrace.
Things are heating up over at Tower Bridge. Wagtail’s swanky rooftop bar is staving off winter’s chill with a fiery Mexican cocktail menu courtesy of Casamigos (that’s George Clooney’s tequila brand to you and me). Go bold with chocolate and cherry with Fuego or embrace the heat with Calor, their twist on a spicy marg. Not your vibe? Book one of their igloos downstairs for some Nordic hygge.
Cocktails from £18, 68 King William St, The City.
BEST FUN: Skylight Tobacco Dock.
Ice skating on the roof of an old warehouse, you say? Christmas in East London means the return of Europe’s first real-ice rooftop rink, this year surrounded by cosy igloos. After your skate session, snuggle up inside with mulled wine and cheesy street food, or upgrade to the ultimate alpine feast – raclette. You earned it after all that exercise!
Skate from £15pp for 45 minutes. Tobacco Dock, Wapping.
What’s on
Santa Claus IS coming to town
We’re tracking Santa across the capital this week ahead of his big arrival on the 24th…
🎅Camden Market has transformed into a festive wonderland this December, complete with Santa’s Grotto, with entertainment from Santa’s elves (obviously), stilt walkers and roaming musicians every Saturday, along with some more adult musical entertainment on Thursday nights.
🚢 Forget the sleigh – Father Christmas has a boat now. An UberBoat to be precise, and he’s coming down the Thames to hand out sustainable gifts to kids travelling on the service on Sunday 17 December. Check the timings and details here.
⛸️This December, Santa will be swapping out the snowy North Pole for disco balls and roller skates at his new festive grotto located at London’s only pop-up indoor roller skating experience for families, Rollerscape in Wembley Park. Tickets cost £15 per child with 50% off skating.
Theatre
Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Stranger Things: The First Shadow is now thrilling audiences in London’s West End. Brought to life by a multi award-winning creative team including BAFTA, Emmy, Olivier and Tony Award-winning director Stephen Daldry.
Hawkins, 1959: a regular town with regular worries. Young Jim Hopper’s car won’t start, Bob Newby’s sister won’t take his radio show seriously and Joyce Maldonado just wants to graduate and get the hell out of town. When new student Henry Creel arrives, his family finds that a fresh start isn’t so easy… and the shadows of the past have a very long reach.
10,000 additional tickets have just been released at £30 and £50 across 2024 – book yours here today!
Tickets from £20. Until August 2024, Phoenix Theatre.
Kids Corner
Christmas at KidZania
KidZania London is inspiring children to give back this Christmas, by inviting kids aged 4 to 14 to share their KidZos (KidZania’s unique currency) with the charity KidsOut, dedicated to bringing fun and happiness to children in and around London.
The initiative encourages them to spread festive spirit and kindness through fun career role-play activities within the indoor city. Families are also invited to ‘Elfmas’, a special experience to take caring and sharing to the max!
£54.50 per child, £34.50 per adult. 2 December 2023 – 7 January 2024, Westfield London, Shepherd’s Bush.
See you next week!
MORE : Looking to relocate? These are the cities Londoners want to move to the most
MORE : International superstar surprises London commuters with performance at King’s Cross
Get need-to-know travel news, inspiration and advice from Metro every week.
Sign up here…
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.