Hello friends. We're back in business after a mini break, and this weekend we've got an eclectic mix of picks (we've laid off the parties after last weekend's carni blowout). There's Japanese fashion for the girls, a pop up barbershop for the boys, live hip hop and blues, cocktails on Sunday and a veritable selection of tees. And… bubbles and hotdogs. Enjoy. This Weekend’s Picks • FRI Loli-POP! at V&A • SAT Bubbledogs • SUN Blues at ECC LOTTERY The Big Chair Project Jamie Oliver has commissioned a host of big names to design a collection of chairs for his charity, The Better Food Foundation. Designers include Paul Smith, Quentin Blake, Sarah Burton, Christopher Bailey and Matthew Williamson to name a few (we want all of them in our dining room). Six will be available to win in a lottery, while the others will be auctioned online. Get buying. The Big Chair Project, ends October Buy a lottery ticket here FRIDAY ART: V&A Friday Late with MasterCard: Loli-POP! MUSIC: The Beatnuts at Jazz CafÉ Hello Kitty, J-Pop, Harajuku Girls… if these things resonate then you'll want to get down to the V&A for their Friday Late exhibition Loli-POP. Do as the Japanese fashion kittens do and be styled as a "Lolita" (there's a nail and wig bar), learn how to dress in a kimono and snap it all in a Purikamera photo booth. There's also live DJ sets, an illustration workshop, films and talks on the British influence on Japanese style. Konichiwa. Known for their in-yo-face performances, 90s tunes (and the debacle with JLo), hip hop group The Beatnuts are bringing the beat to Jazz Café this weekend. They've collaborated with everyone from Mos Def and Kurian to Cypress Hill, Method Man and Fatman Scoop, so expect sample-heavy tunes and a big party. Get down with Psycho Les and Ju-Ju (and if you miss it, they're playing at Outlook too). 6.30pm-10pm Free V&A, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL From 9pm £17 5 Parkway, Camden Town, NW1 7PG COMPETITION Bestival with Drambuie If you missed out on Bestival tickets then luck's in. Scotch whisky brand Drambuie are giving away a pair of tickets to this year's festival on the Isle of Wight. After you've had your fill from the main stages (Stevie Wonder, TEED, Major Lazer, Azealia Banks) head to the Drambuie Bar and enjoy some Rusty cocktails alongside a host of DJ talent. Drambuie is giving away a pair of weekend camping tickets and a cocktail masterclass with brand ambassador Bruce Hamilton To enter, simply email competition@urbanjunkies.com with your name and telephone number Bestival, September 6 – 9 Heads Up Paradise by way of Kensal Green's 5th Anniversary Sponsored Listing West London’s fave gastropub is turning five! To mark the occasion there’s a whole host of happenings in two weeks’ time. The five-day programme kicks off on Wednesday September 12 with a comedy night and a high profile invite-only do on Thursday. Then, get ready to party hard on Friday and Saturday with Norman Jay, Sam Young and Jazzie B. Round it all off with the Recovery Sessions on Sunday where the girls hit the decks (Jameela Jamil, Miquita Oliver, Gizzi Erskine and Jade Jagger’s Jezebels). And there’s even an exclusive £5 menu which will run from Wednesday to Friday. A birthday bash indeed. Paradise 5th Birthday, September 12 -16 9 Kilburn Lane, Kensal Green, W10 4AE SATURDAY EAT: Bubbledogs THEATRE: Jumpy Finally, it's here! Bubbles and dogs – or more precisely, grower champagne and gourmet hotdogs (and tater tots, FYI). Stay near the front of the restaurant for 10 different types (the Jose with guacamole, salsa and jalapeños, the BLT dog with truffle mayo), and a glass of something chilled, or head back to the Kitchen Table, where chef James Knappett (ex-Ledbury) will be hosting intimate dinners. The Royal Court's been churning out the hits recently: Jerusalem, Posh, Clybourne Park… and now recent sellout Jumpy is transferring to the West End. And rightly so. Shrewdly perceptive and razor sharp, April De Angelis' latest offering focuses on a mother and daughter at war. Expect a lot of laughs – Tamsin Greig heads the show – and some very inappropriate burlesque moves from Smack the Pony star Doon Mackichan. 11.30am-4pm and 5.30pm-11pm Dishes from £6 70 Charlotte Street, W1T 4QG 7.30pm Tickets from £15 Duke of York's Theatre, St Martin's Lane, WC2N 4BG PRODUCT PICK Tee #1 New independent London T-shirt brand Another Batch have just released The Hound T-Shirt. Doggy detailing, hand stitching and silk screen printing on 100% cotton. Look out for exclusive 'batches' from the brand which takes its inspiration from J Dilla. The Hound T-Shirt, £28 PRODUCT PICK Tee #2 Angels, keyboards, beanie babies… it can only be Jeremy Scott for Adidas Originals. Check out the psychedelic look book video here. Jeremy Scott x Adidas Originals, all £110 SUNDAY BARBERSHOP: Auchentoshan Presents… Murdock London at Zetter Townhouse MUSIC: Blues at ECC One for the grooming types. Murdock London will be setting up (barber) shop as part of the Auchentoshan Presents series. Get there early and receive a complimentary treatment – a wet shave, beard trim or hot towel facial – before hearing a talk and tips on traditional grooming for you modern day men-about-town. All with those Zetter cocktails (try the Dandelion Collins). Swap Sunday night blues for Blues. Head through the battered, unassuming door of ECC on a Sunday night and you'll be transported to the Blues heyday in New Orleans. They've just launched a new music series which will see different bands take to the stage every week. Next up is Stay at Home Records. 6pm-10pm Free – RSVP to london@auchentoshanpresents.com 49-50 St John's Square, EC1V 4JJ From 10pm Free – reserve at event@chinatownecc.com 13 Gerrard Street, W1D 5PS ESCAPE Soho Beach House Miami If you haven't had your fill of rooftop bars, pools and beaches yet, take advantage of Soho Beach House's Summer Breeze offer. For the whole of September they're offering last minute rates for last minute holiday-goers. We say go for Labor Day weekend. Call +1 (786) 507 7900 or email reservations@sohobeachhouse.com and quote "Breeze" to check availability and rates. Until September 30. Reserved Pizza East – The Chicken Shop – Dirty Burger 79 Highgate Road, NW5 1TL | 020 3310 2000 Location Inbetween Kentish Town and Tufnell Park, the restaurant trio has given suburban NW5 a kick of East London-meets-NY cool. Vibe Pizza East, like the ones in Shoreditch and Notting Hill, is positively brimming with people at all hours. It's mostly the North London set – gorgeous 20-somethings, groups of friends and families old and young (we were sat next to a clan, everyone from toddlers to gramps). The Chicken Shop is good late night – a crowded, dark, subterranean barn-like diner with loud music – while Dirty Burger out back fits with the American-style burger shack trend du jour. The latter two do brown-bag take out. Flavours Pizza East's menu is similar to its East and West siblings. Octopus and peas to start is meaty and fresh, while the 4-cheese Mac 'n' Cheese is the best one we've had since Spuntino. Pizzas come in both inventive and classically simple forms – think porchetta and crackling with mozzarella, classic margherita, San Daniele ham and datterini tomatoes, and burrata, aubergine and chilli. For simple eats and quick service, head downstairs to The Chicken Shop where you can order a whole, half or quarter rotisserie chicken and sides. The meat slides off the bone, the crinkle-cut chips are crisp and salty, and the corn is all buttery goodness (plus the hot sauce is a winner). And Dirty Burger is just that – an aged beef patty, thinly sliced gherkins, lettuce, cheese and a mustardy burger sauce, while sides are chips and (red) onion rings. Order a milkshake for extra indulgence. Décor Upstairs, Pizza East feels similar to the Shoreditch original, very "on the continent" (food bar, wine by the carafe, legs of Parma ham hanging from the ceiling) mixed with NYC (exposed brick, glass and wood). Downstairs, Chicken Shop is a suitably dark diner, with a counter facing the rotisserie and separate crowded tables. Dirty Burger stays true to its name, serving its patties from a corrugated iron shack with minimal seating. Upshot Three great eateries means triple the fun: go for pizza with big groups, The Chicken Shop for dates and Dirty Burger for late night munchies. @PizzaEast | @ChickenShop | @dirtyburger Reserved Archive > WEEKEND GUIDE by MY & JC, RESERVED BY JC LIKE SHARE FORWARD PREVIOUS EDITION (c) 2012 Urban Junkies. All rights reserved. Reproductions of any portion of this website only with our express permission. Urban Junkies is a free daily mailer. All listings and features are editorial: We do not receive any payment from venues, artists or promoters. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information listed but we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.