TONIGHT
Magic Lantern Show

Billed as a Haunting Evening of Unreliable Tales and Pictorial Curiosities, the baser amongst us will simply view this for what the Victorians would have – secretive, subversive, and simple: Porn. Join Professor Mervyn Heard as he unveils a special collection of erotic French slides through the candlelit medium of projected images and live narration – kind of like the blue movies of yore, no?

Victor Wynd’s Academy, 11 Mare Street, E8 4RP, £10. 6pm and 8pm.

BOOK AHEAD
Electric Hotel

Curtain Twitchers and Peeping Toms get your binoculars at the ready, and put away those restraining orders – this is one private affair that you’re welcome to eavesdrop on. Electric Hotel is a fly–by–night installation brought to life by dancers and actors living inside the building – every night you’ll be invited to watch from the outside with a pair of headphones, catch glimpses of the stories unfolding within and peek into the private rooms and unnatural fantasies of the local residents. Definately one to book ahead for.

2nd–19th June, Goods Way, King’s Cross (Gasholder No8),242 Acklam Road, NW1. 9:45pm, £15.

SHOP
JCDC hits Selfridges

Known for his cartoonish creations (who else did you think dressed Gaga in her muppets?), Jean Charles de Castelbajac’s catwalk shows are always something of an alien affair – so who better to stage a style invasion at Selfridges? The French designer will be dressing five of the iconic store’s windows as a sci–fi story, whilst the Wonder Room will house examples of his collections and special, limited edition pieces to be sold exclusively for the duration of his, erm, 'stay’. Presumably his spaceship’s in for servicing.

Selfridges, 400 Oxford Street, W1A 1AB.

RESERVED
This week's hottest foodie destination

Towpath
Artfully unfussy canalside cafe
42 De Beauvoir Crescent, N1 5SB

Location
It might not be set in what you'd call the most glamorous surroundings but, in its own rough and ready way, this hidden Regents Canal-side cafe is quite the urban idyll.

Vibe
No-frills simplicity is the name of the game here, but don't be fooled by first impressions. The cafe's owners, food writer Lori di Mori and her photographer husband Jason Lowe, know their stuff; the food is super seasonal, the coffee (Caffe Piansa) is from Florence and the Brown Betty teapots are stylishly low-key. Dalston's arty, fashiony and foodie types are flocking.

Flavours
The blackboard features a newly chalked-up menu every day, usually including a couple of breakfast options (granola or porridge with stewed quince) a soup or stew, bruschetta (Swiss chard and chili, for example), a salad, the ever popular toasted Montgomery cheddar sandwich and a freshly squeezed juice (rhubarb, perhaps). You'd be hard pushed to spend more than a tenner.

Décor
To say it's not about the decor here is an understatement. Towpath is decidedly anti-design but the communal table and little touches like the flour sack covered chairs, Duralex tumblers and vintage china have not been added without thought.

Upshot
Appealingly honest and fuss-free, we love Towpath's integrity (they don't do take-away they don't want to litter the canal) but also like the fact that they're not against a little healthy indulgence; they recently held an oyster feast and, rumour has it, have just got their drinks license. So we say it's all over to Lori and Jason's for rosé!