This weekend we're bouncing from Halloween to Dia De Los Muertos, fine dining to tuckshops and wine bars to techno raves. If you're craving truffles, we've sniffed out the best spots. Otherwise it's sherry, Looney Tunes, a Swedish master class, and an ending with a bang! This Weekend’s Picks • FRI Merchants Tavern • SAT Tuckshop • SUN Netil House UJ HALLOWEEN INSPIRATION TERROR IN AYNHOE PARK Ain't no party like a Love Brunch party. We knew Terror in Aynhoe Park, Love Brunch's Halloween bash last weekend, was going to be a big one – and it was. From OTT costumes to the spooky surrounds of an Oxfordshire manor house, Terror at Aynhoe Park delivered one of the best Halloween parties we've been to in recent memory. Click through for photos from the night, and be sure to come along next year. That's your Halloween inspiration, sorted. Now get out there and go party tonight. Photos VOTE NOW BOMBAY SAPPHIRE'S IMAGINATION SERIES FILM COMPETITION Sponsored listing Film junkies, take note: Bombay Sapphire has just announced the four global winners of its Imagination Series: Film competition. Showcasing the work of up-and-coming filmmakers, the competition asked fresh talents to interpret a short script created by Academy Award winner Geoffrey Fletcher. Bombay Sapphire is giving you the chance to vote for the fifth and final winner, who will be announced on November 14. Plus, by voting you'll be in the running to win a three-day trip to NYC for two people, including tickets to the Tribeca Film Festival 2014. Vote now! Bombay Sapphire Imagination Series: Film Competition, cast your vote here. FRIDAY EAT: Merchants Tavern PARTY: DIA DE LOS MUERTOS at CASA NEGRA The soft launch may be over but the silver lining? Refined dining, sans opening night kinks. The décor is akin to a traditional Manhattan bar-and-grill, but chef Angela Hartnett (of Michelin-starred Murano) and Neil Borthwick (previously at three-starred Laguiole in France) have created a rich Euro-centric menu of crispy pig's head with shallot marmalade, roasted quail with hazelnut pesto and foie gras, and grilled calves liver. As far as the cocktails go they've got the classics (martinis, old fashioneds and negronis) with some not-so-classics (The Ezra Street Runners, Charlotte's Rules and Jane Shores Sours). Move over, Halloween, it's Dia De Los Muertos, meaning it's time to re-visit the Casa Playroom. Although details are hush at this stage, what we do know is they're throwing a party and it's going to go large – think tacky and fabulous with Mexicana spirit strewn from the ceilings. And if you don't want to risk a run-in with the strict door policy, book a booth for dinner. Margarita flights all round. 11am-11pm Mains from £18 36 Charlotte Road, EC2A 3PG 9pm-late Book a table at playroom@casanegra.co.uk 54-56 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3QR IT'S TRUFFLE TIME UJ RESTAURANT ROUNDUP Prepare for foodie heaven: London's premier eating joints are celebrating truffle season with a line-up of menus that will have you salivating. Our friend Wine Chap is teaming up with Spitalfield's Super Tuscan for a five-course truffle and porcini dinner with vintage wine pairings on November 12. For a different take on truffles, Bocca di Lupo is going BYO - just bring in your own truffles, and the chefs will incorporate them into their winter menu (at no extra cost). Or you can pop across the road to Gelupo, which is offering truffles at close to wholesale price. Easy! Wine Chap | Super Tuscan | Bocca di Lupo | Gelupo RADAR 2013 THE BUSH THEATRE Sponsored listing This November RADAR returns to the Bush Theatre, following the success of the inaugural festival in 2012. Featuring twenty speakers, ten new shows, pop-up events and much more, RADAR brings together artists and leading theatre-makers from across the UK and Europe. From Bryony Kimmings' HEARTACHE.HEARTBREAK, an endless letter to lost loves across the world, to Caroline Horton's critically acclaimed Mess, RADAR is full of must-see theatre. Plus, don't miss RADAR Platforms, for a series of stimulating talks by some of Britain's most exciting new voices. Book now. RADAR 2013, November 6-21, performance tickets from £8-£15, Platform tickets from £3, book now. Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, W12 8LJ SATURDAY EAT: Tuckshop PARTY: Secretsundaze Halloween Asylum party For brunch with a bit of Antipodean flavour, head to Tuckshop. The first solo project from Magnus Reid (previously head chef at The Rooftop Café), Tuckshop is all about Aussie café culture, which means seasonal produce, expert baristas and simple dishes. Weekend brunch features a changing menu of classic favorites such as eggs and tomato chutney or herb and tomato quinoa. And although it's a tuck shop, the vibe is less school canteen, more Shoreditch cool. Case in point: Opening Ceremony had its one-year anniversary party here. Halloween may be over and it's not even technically Sunday, but as per usual Secretsundaze are doing it their way. Start your electro fuelled night at the Oval Space with German DJ Red Shape and Secretsundaze regular Sven Weisemann, with their brand of deep house. End the night with techno stalwart Function, who launched his LP at Berghain and is a regular at Panorama Bar. Expect an all-night shake up (Berlin style). Dress up or dress down it's whatever goes for this Halloween/ Sunday/Berghain-esque bash. 9am-5pm Dishes from £3.50 471-473, The Arches, Dereham Place, EC2A 3HJ 10pm-6am Tickets from £22.50, book here Oval Space, 29-32 The Oval, E2 9DY TRY SWEDISH IN LONDON MASTER CLASSES Sponsored listing It's all about Scandi-cool these days, and now you have a chance to get in on the action with Try Swedish. Expect a culinary exploration through Sweden, with three days of master classes hosted by Gizzi Erskine, renowned food writer at The Sunday Times, and Edd Kimber, 2010 winner of The Great British Bake Off. Gizzi Erskine's classes will take guests through a three course "Compass Menu" focusing on Sweden's most epicurean regions, whilst Edd Kimber's Saturday baking sessions will focus on the Swedish tradition of Fika. Yum. Sign up now! Try Swedish Master Classes November 21-23, tickets from £25, book here Aveqia, 2 St Bride St, EC4A 4AD SUNDAY DRINK: Brilliant Corners Watch: Netil House: Bonfire night Vino drinkers, take note: there's a new wine bar on Kingsland Road. Brilliant Corners, named after a jazz record, naturally, is opening this weekend. Expect organic wine, charcuterie and cheese plates inspired by the Jura region of France. Plus, it's not just for evenings: coffee and juice drinkers can get their fix during the day, with nibbles supplied by East End bakery Say Cheese. If you can't beat them, join them. Yes, it's time to embrace bonfire night, and UJ's top pick for getting amongst it is Netil House. Uninterrupted views of London's skyline and Victoria Park with the comforts of hot toddies, blankets, homemade soups and stews make this spot a no-brainer. Plus, there's entertainment: poets, storytellers, musicians and lots of sparkles. Boom! Open from 2pm 470 Kingsland Road, E8 4AE 6pm-10pm £8 Advanced | £5 Members 1 Westgate Street, E8 3RL LAST CALL TO HALLOWEEN Twisted Circus Halloween party at Morton's If you are in the West End, have a spare £89 and fancy a Thursday night swank affair, head to the Twisted Circus. Setting up their tent at Morton's and the 2&8 Club, expect the usual cobwebs, skeletons, and ghosts but being in Berkeley Square it's House of Horrors with a side of zhuzh. Blow dry meets zombie. Twisted Circus Halloween Party, 7.30pm-late, £79 for club members | £89 for club guests book tickets here, 28 Berkeley Square, W1J 6EN PRODUCT PICK Lazy Oaf Looney Toons This cartoonish collaboration isn't for the faint-hearted: think Tweety, Bugs Bunny and Sylvester graphics rendered in eye-popping colour. The menswear and womenswear pieces feature American sportswear-inspired silhouettes. Get yours before it's gone! Lazy Oaf x Looney Tunes collaboration, pieces from £20, available online DRAKES TABANCO They're bringing sherry back! Location Anyone who's been to Charlotte Street in Fitzrovia knows the deal: moments from Goodge Street, a stone's throw from Oxford Street, and slightly more refined than its Soho neighbour. Vibe Meant to imitate a sherry tavern in Jerez; and it does. And with the legs of jamon, rustic tables, and dark beams, we're ready to pack our bags, again. The front bar feels like it was built for first dates and intimate chatter. Sherry is served straight from the barrel, giving the place its own identity, distinct from its siblings Copita and Barrica, while the charcuterie station at the back adds ambience to the brightly lit restaurant. Flavours Brought to you by Tim Luther and Nigel Howell, expect a 101 in all things Andalusian, starting with sherry. Lesson one? Banish thoughts of grandma on Christmas day. The by-the-barrel sherries range from the dry amontillado to the super sweet pedro ximénez with even a rare palo cortado, but our favourite is the nutty and dry oloroso, which has enough flavour to stand on its own but is the perfect accompaniment to savoury charcuterie platters. The food, which is mostly tapas, steers away from the patatas bravas camp and instead opts for more original, traditional Andalusian dishes. Our tip: get the sherry matching tasting menu, starting with the charcuterie platter with samples of Iberico pork tongue, cured sardines, mackerel pate, salmon gravad lax, which are all delicious (the pickled cockles will divide opinions). Meat-wise, we had the braised pig's cheeks and rolled lamb breast with lentils and rosemary. Both were done to perfection: the pig was melt-in-your-mouth and the lamb's crispy skin had a subtle crunch. For dessert, the vanilla ice cream with raisins drowned in pedro ximénez is a new favourite. Décor The tabanco is divided into three contrasting sections. The bar is intimate and cave-like, with dim lighting, dark wood and aromatic smells thanks to the aged barrels behind the bar. The restaurant is brightly lit with white walls and close-knit tables, and lastly, the charcuterie station features a curved bar with stools allowing for diners to eat, chat and peer into the goings-on of the dry kitchen. Upshot For those new to the sherry game, Drakes Tabanco is a must. Info Drakes Tabanco, 3 Windmill Street, W1T 2HY, 020 76379388 FOLLOW US! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram See what we've been snapping this week on Instagram! WEEKEND GUIDE by CS & NN | RESERVED by CS LIKE SHARE FORWARD PREVIOUS EDITION (c) 2013 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. 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