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This weekend, we're starting off with a drink at a subterranean bar and pulling a dance all nighter. Then there's a day of wine topped off with some Korean/Mexican flavours. Otherwise, kick back for a lazy Sunday and indulge in some savoury cocoa. Plus, there's a Foxlow review, a Bloody Mary roundup, and some Paris and Barcelona picks for the jetsetters out there.
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| This Weekend’s Picks |
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| • FRI Kench & Bibesy
• SAT TOAST Wine Sessions
• SUN Sunday Papers Live |
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| HAIL MARY: |
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| #BESTBMSEARCH |
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| We love a good Bloody Mary – nothing new there. But lately we've noticed the old breakfast classic has been given a shake-up. Menus dedicated to the rejuvenating cocktail have popped up all over town – Soho House, Village East and the newly refurbed Princess Victoria pub are worthy mentions with their welcome additions of red snappers, cucumber, beetroot and even Asian flavours such as hoisin and lemon grass à la the Hoxton Grill. For those who want to Worcestershire themselves – Bread Street Kitchen still gets our vote with its DIY approach at the Grey Goose Bloody Mary Bar. And ditching the convention of vodka, Rum Kitchen replaces the base with rum (obviously!) while Foxlow does it with gin and scotch. But, if you're just after the stiff classic, Merchants Tavern serves it exceptionally chilled but sans ice, meaning without dilution. Otherwise, look to the annual Tabasco British Bloody Mary challenge at Hawksmoor next week – best BM in Britain? We'll see about that. |
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Princess Victoria | Soho House | Bread Street Kitchen | Merchants Tavern | Rum Kitchen
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| SKATE AT SOMERSET HOUSE PRESENTED BY COACH |
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| NEW YEAR'S EVE 2013 |
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| Sponsored listing |
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| Ice skating at Somerset House on New Year's Eve – simply stunning! Add live DJs, champagne, mulled wine, cocktails and a hot pudding counter courtesy of Tom's Skate Lounge and Fernandez & Wells – and we say, lace up your skates. Plus, for those who want to avoid the usual overcrowding shenanigans but still want some NY spirit – Skate at Somerset House grants you exclusive access to the River Terrace for a view of the fireworks. Boom! |
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Skate at Somerset House, open daily until 5 Jan*
New Year's Eve tickets: £45 spectators, £62
skaters + booking fees, Strand, WC2R 1LA *excluding Christmas Day
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| FRIDAY |
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DRINK:
KENCH & BIBESY |
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PARTY:
EGG PRESENTS LEE FOSS, RUSS YALLOP & MARTIN IKIN |
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| Located next to Smithfield Market, new bar Kench and Bibesy has pulled out all the stops. The industrial interior (concrete fittings, meat hooks, copper tables) is complemented by innovative cocktails (think wood infusions and sous vide ageing). There are artisan sandwiches (oxtail is our pick) and craft beers by day, and seasonal tasting plates (braised pork lollipops) by night. Brought to you from the guys behind speakeasy Evans & Peel Detective Agency, Kench & Bibesy wouldn't be complete without a subterranean bar- accessed via a secret doorway, of course. |
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Egg: it's big, it's loud, and this Friday Hot Creations co-boss Lee Foss is headlining an all-nighter with his innovative blend of house, disco and R'n'B. Get ready to dance – Crosstown Rebel Russ Yallop and renowned DJ/producer Martin Ikin are also on decks, with a slew of other acts set to keep the party going 'til 8am. Don't say we didn't warn you – it's going to be a big one. |
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11am-12.30am
50-52 Long Lane,
EC1A 9EJ |
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11pm-8am
Egg London, 200 York Way,
N7 9AX |
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| RED BULL REVOLUTIONS IN SOUND |
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| #UJOUTANDABOUT |
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| Last Thursday evening, Christmas came early for UJs as we were lucky enough to be onboard with Hydra for the Red Bull Revolutions in Sound. 30 pods all rocking with the best London club nights, with thousands in a silent disco below; it was quite a feat, which Red Bull pulled off with aplomb. Our mole on the ground told us from the live streams, it looked like the YoYo pod- complete with Seb and Leo, Mark Ron and Lily A - was 'heaving' and the Channel 4 and Derrick Carter pods looked like they were rocking the party vibes too. Will Saul (#ujloves) set the tone in our Hydra pod with deep chic house and Kasra brought us back in time with some drum and bass. Add in the artist boat (a waiting tank for the artists going into the pods) and an after party with live MCs and 90s beats, and this was a definite night to remember. |
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| Click here to view photos |
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| INTERNATIONAL PICK I |
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| LOVE BRUNCH PARIS |
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| Join the party train with the Love Brunch crew, who are taking their unique blend of brunch and daytime partying to the City of Love (how appropriate). Crossing the Channel on December 14, Love Brunch will take over Paris' Alcazar Restaurant & Bar, set in a 17th-century real tennis court, no less. We hear that DJs Hugo Heathcoate, Jolyon and Parisian based Thomas Lesnier will be providing the tunes, while the food will be a mix of British and French fare, served up by Guillaume Lutar. Bon appétit! |
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| Love Brunch Paris, 12pm-6pm, December 14, Alcazar, 62 Rue Mazarine, 75006, Paris, France, Tickets £15, book here |
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| SATURDAY |
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DRINK:
TOAST PRESENTS THE WINE SESSIONS |
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EAT:
KOME LA AT THE DOLLS HOUSE |
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| If you're a wine lover, wine drinker or just wine curious, this one's for you: TOAST is back, this time presenting the Wine Sessions. Riding the crest of London's burgeoning obsession with vino, the sessions bring together a who's who of the city's wine talent, with talks from Jancis Robinson and our friend Wine Chap; bars by Tutto, Passione Vino and Sager + Wilde (with their cult toasties); food from Trullo and James Lowe; a bookstore run by Shoreditch gallery Material, and music from Daniel Willis of the Clove Club. All talks include tastings (of course). Book now - and bottoms up!
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We have Korean/Mexican food trucks in LA to thank for the explosion of street food in recent years. Kome is giving you a chance to taste the flavours that launched a thousand street food stalls, during their three-day residency at the Dolls House. The culinary double act of Korean and Mexican food is full of innovation: the tasting menu includes kimchi quesadillas, spatchcock BBQ Korean chicken, bulgogi fries, and homemade black sesame ice cream. We hear that reservations are being snapped up fast, so book now! |
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11am-10pm
Tickets from £15. Entry to the bar and bookstore is free
The Crypt on the Green, Clerkenwell Close,
EC1R 0EA |
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From 6pm, bookings essential. Email to book
£25 for the tasting menu
The Dolls House, 35 Hoxton Square,
N1 6NN |
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| GETTING OUR ART ON |
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| ART BASEL |
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We're going to Art Basel! If there is anything you think we need to cover, please let us know: tweet us at @urbanjunkies or email us.
Art, events, fun things: we're there!
xx The UJ Team |
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| YOUR WEEKEND MIX, COURTESY OF ANDREW DAX |
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| UJ SOUNDS |
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| Andrew Dax, UJ friend and Creative Director/Co-founder of Latin Pacific club Chakana, sent over this mix prior to the launch of the club on November 25. Chakana is so far shrouded in secrecy (there are no photos of the venue), so make do with this mix 'til you get through the doors! |
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| Chakana, 23 Orchard Street,
W1H 6HL , opens November 25 |
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| SUNDAY |
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SEE:
Sunday Papers Live |
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EAT:
RABOT 1745 |
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| Settle in at Cecil Sharp House, where the guys behind the Wilderness Festival have curated a laid back event in honour of lazy Sundays. Sunday Papers Live focuses on Sunday traditions, with a day of intimate talks, hearty roasts, cheering tipples and more. Expect to sit back in a cosy living room while enjoying Bloody Marys, breakfast burritos courtesy of The Breakfast Club, a Ginger Pig beef roast, meandering walks across Primrose Hill, and the star attraction: broadsheets brought to life by London's cultural treasures: think broadcaster Jon Snow, the 37-piece Wilderness orchestra and more. |
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There's a new cocoa restaurant in town – with a twist. Rabot 1745 has a focus on cocoa's savoury side, with chef John Bentham's cocoa-centric cuisine that melds the culinary traditions of the West Indies and Britain. Think guinea fowl marinated in roasted cocoa and slow-cooked aubergine, or Angus steak served up with white chocolate horseradish mash. Of course, desserts are on the menu too – our pick is the mousse collection, which showcases vintage cacaos from Saint Lucia, Vietnam and Ecuador. Plus, we hear the restaurant (overlooking Borough Market) will throw open its terrace in January next year. |
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11am – 11pm
Tickets from £30. Food not included with entry
Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road,
NW1 7AY |
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9am-3pm & 7.30pm-10pm
Mains from £16
2-4 Bedale Street,
SE1 9AL |
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| International pick II |
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| BOUJIS BARCELONA |
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| If you're lucky enough to be headed to BCN (or if you just need another excuse to visit), we've got good news: Boujis is launching its new BCN club on November 29. Modelled on the West London hotspot you know and love, the Boujis outpost in the buzzing (and posh) Sarria-Sant Gervasi district has the original venue's trademark glamour. Looks like a trip is in order. |
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| Boujis, opens November 29 |
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| BELVEDERE (RED) TERRACE AT HARVEY NICHOLS |
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| Shoppers, take note: Belvedere is moving into the Fifth Floor at Harvey Nichols to celebrate the return of the BELVEDERE (RED) Special Edition bottle, created in partnership with The Global Fund and RED initiative to achieve a global AIDS-free generation. The terrace installation includes a miniature Belvedere Palace, and the menu has two winter warmer Belvedere drinks, as well as bespoke cocktails and canapes. Visit now! |
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| Belvedere (Red) Terrace, Fifth Floor at Harvey Nichols, 109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RJ |
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| RESERVED |
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| Foxlow - Hawksmoor's braver sibling |
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| Location |
| Just off Clerkenwell road on St John street. The restaurant is a worthy addition to the quality neighbourhood offerings (Zetter Townhouse and Bistrot Bruno Loubet are a stones throw). |
| Vibe |
| Sophisticated but relaxed. Suits mingle with creatives and the lack of music alongside gentle chatter lends itself to a friendly vibe. The staff help, too. |
| Flavours |
| The menu follows the same principles of Hawksmoor (but with Richard Turner overseeing the menu that's no surprise) – good quality produce, executed just right – but that's where the similarities end. The chefs at Foxlow use less traditional cuts of meat, seafood, plus salad – all with creative muscle. Bacon ribs with maple and chilli, Iberico pork 'plumas' and Monkfish with chermoula – tick, tick, and tick. The Anchovy and Goats Butter Crisps, although not what we were expecting (crackers served with whole anchovies), just added kudos to the original menu. We loved the salad bar for holding its own against the meat heavy menu – we wanted to try them all, but stuck to the Vinegar Slaw and Baked Beetroots with Hazelnuts and Horseradish, (again, tick and tick). Dessert is fantastic. We had the cherry pie which was warm, zingy but sweet at the same time. Soft-serve sundaes with peanut butter and jelly and bourbon caramel looked good, too. The cocktail list follows the same principle as the food – traditional but with creative twists. From the Pickle Buck (rye, maple, lime, pickle juice and ginger ale) to the Smokestack Mary (gin, tomato, chipotle, smoked paprika and peated scotch) and the Miami Dolphin (a rum, lime, strawberry Pina Colada), we almost forgot we were there for dinner. |
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| Like Hawksmoor, there is an art-deco theme but with a softer touch. From the menus to the dark green, brassy and wooden hues – the attention to detail is apparent. We're liking the separate spaces, too. The first room includes restaurant and counter seating plus the salad bar (#ujloves) while the second room includes the bar and more intimate dining. Upstairs is mostly booths, so if you're booking for a group that's where you want to be. |
| Upshot |
| We already want to go back. |
| Info |
| Foxlow, 69-73 St John Street, EC1M 4AN | @FoxlowEC1 |
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Click here for more Reserveds
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WEEKEND GUIDE by NN RESERVED BY CS |
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2013 Urban Junkies. All rights reserved.
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