AGENDA
UJ’s Pick of the Best

It’s been a long time coming but we’re finally proud to say our new calendar is up and running. So, if you don’t find anything in this particular Weekend Guide that takes your fancy, check out our line-up of the best of the rest, including New York’s Loft club hitting London on Sunday and full sample sale listings.

INTERNATIONAL
Mondrian LA Summer Offers

Because we just can’t guarantee sunshine in a British summer, UJ have concocted an ingenious contingency plan. Go to LA. Which just became a whole lot more appealing thanks to the Mondrian’s summer offers; ‘Double Up’ has rates from $395 including breakfast for four daily (quote PKFUB4), the ‘West Coast Package’ rates start at $315 and include $100 of hotel credit (quote SPSAMP. Valid through 7/9/11), and the ‘Girlfriend Getaway’ starts at $350 including a Studio Suite with $100 spa credit and 2 cocktails (quote SPSAMP). See you Stateside.

WIN UDDERBELLY TICKETS
Sponsored Listing

E4 Udderbelly Festival returns to Southbank Centre this April, with their longest season ever, and UJ have five pairs of tickets to give away. The iconic Purple Cow has become an instantly recognisable annual fixture on London’s Southbank hosting affordable comedy (all tickets are under £20), cabaret and theatre from around the globe. They’ll be helping to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Festival of Britain with special events like the ‘National Treasures’ season, including acts old and new from Rory Bremner to Jason Byrne, Paul Daniels to Jack Whitehall. The Magners Pasture’s sunny bar and food garden is perfect for chewing the cud in the summer (excuse us) too. To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets, EMAIL US and tell us what makes you laugh.

COMPETITION
Win Tickets to Perrier’s Taste of Nostalgia Cocktail Night

On Wednesday 6th April, Perrier sparkling natural mineral water will launch Perrier Nights – a series of mixology events that will celebrate the history of cocktails by transporting you back in time starting with a 1920s bar, heading through the 70s disco era and landing squarely in the present day. To celebrate Perrier is offering three lucky winners a pair of tickets to Perrier Nights at No. 6 Fitzroy Square. To be in with a chance of winning, head over to our Facebook page, give us a ‘Like’ and tell us – what country does Perrier come from? A) Italy, B) France or C) Germany?

AUDIO SUSHI - NEW PODCAST
Chill Downtempo Mix

To get you in the mood for our trip to Mallorca in May, Audio Sushi have compiled a laid-back Balearic mix. It’s so ‘sunny’ you can almost feel the heat and taste the mojitos! If you haven’t booked your places yet get on it! And if you have; the countdown is on.

Click through to listen...

RESERVED
This week’s hottest foodie destination

Spuntino
Italian-American snacklettes hit Soho in style.

61 Rupert Street, W1D 7PW.
no telephone, no reservations.
Mon-Sat: 11am-midnight, Sun: noon-11pm.
www.spuntino.co.uk

Location
Right round the corner from Patrick Cox’s X-rated cupcakes on Brewer Street, Spuntino is innocuously nestled in between XXX DVD-rental shops, ‘toy’ shops and other salubrious tenants. It all feels rather fun and wink-wink rather than seedy though, so don’t let that put you off.

Vibe
The space is small (25 covers) and the punters like to chat – there’s a sense of community around the long bar lined with bolted-down stools, as diners compare notes on shoestring fries, mac & cheese and various sliders. You’ll get a warm welcome from the team hanging out behind the counters, and owner Russell Norman is generally in-house and all too happy to pass on recommendations too. It gets pretty packed as the no reservation policy has people lining up against the wall waiting for a space to open up.

Flavours
This diner affair is an avid exploration of Italian-American classics. The beef and bone-marrow slider is succulent and tender, mac & cheese arrives bubbling in a searing frying pan (apparently the Head Chef tried out 12 different recipes to get the perfect, stringy texture), and the salads (loved the baby gem and soft boiled egg combo) are a perfect fresh accompaniment to fried stuffed olives and gorgeous eggplant chips with fennel yogurt. Thinly sliced pineapple and liquorice ice-cream tastes like an amped-up Blackjack, and don’t leave without trying the peanut butter and jelly sandwich dessert. Kitsch at its best, and not hard to believe, as Russell told us, that he consumed 25,000 calories in five days doing ‘research’. Cocktail hour is also meant to be a mean affair with an ‘absinthe washed’ glass and teapot concoction.

Décor
The space is a triumph of lovingly exposed original Victorian glazed mosaics with an uncovered archway towards the back leading to the only table in the house. The American-imported ceiling’s been raised by a good meter or more, with bits and bobs picked up from flea markets across the pond making up the interiors. Metal goose lamps line the brick walls, a custom made red blown-glass ‘exit’ sign hangs above the door, and handcrafted wire cages cover carbon filament bulbs which hover over the pewter topped bar. Get messy with paper menus that double as placemats, and slop your ‘Cup of Joe’ from its tin camper cup. No fancy lattes to be found here.

Upshot
The laid back vibe coupled with clearly accomplished cookery is perfection – we could’ve hung out for hours if it wasn’t for the steadily increasing influx of traffic hungrily waiting for a coveted space at the bar. There may be no reservations but with opening hours from 11am ‘til late we’d recommend dropping in any time for a nibble – Spuntino, after all, does mean ‘little snack’.