Tue 17 Dec, 2013 HOLIDAY ISSUE 2013 And here it is, our final newsletter of the year! We've embraced the festive season to bring you a feast of food options, with pork, a swanky Christmas lunch and shellfish galore. There's also some bubbly in the mix, a snowy cinema, Christmas markets, UJ-approved gift picks, a NYE bash, and a New Year's Day party too. It wouldn't be December without random acts of kindness (hi, WestJet) – head down to St Martin's Courtyard for a Christmas miracle of your own, where they're giving out gifts at random to 100 visitors. Happy holidays, and see you in 2014. FEAST I: BLACKFOOT It may be December, but forget the turkey: it's all about pork at Tom Ward and Allegra McEvedy's new Exmouth Market venture, Blackfoot. The ex-Leon crew have embraced all things porcine: think porchetta sandwiches with salsa verde (served straight from the counter, deli-style), slow-roasted belly with treacle and Szechuan glaze or Cherrystone clams with chilli crackling. There's an inventive drinks menu, too, with rhubarb highballs, British kirs and French wine on tap. Plus we hear that brunch is in the works for next year…we can't wait. Blackfoot, 12pm-10.30pm Mon-Sat Mains from £9 46 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QE Twitter HOLIDAY FLICKS: POP UP SCREENS' SNOWY CINEMA 'Tis the season to watch old school Christmas movies, and Pop Up Screens have you covered with their Snowy Cinema. Step through a wardrobe door in Notting Hill (yes, really) and enter a world of snow scapes, mulled wine, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street, and (UJ fave) Home Alone 2: Lost In New York. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals! Snowy Cinema, December 13-20, Tickets from £10 20th Century Thetare, 291 Westbourne Grove, W11 2QA Twitter | Facebook GIFT PICK I: CULTURE LABEL Take the stress out of playing Santa with Culture Label's expertly curated gift guides. From stocking fillers (David Bowie paper dolls, hello!), to puzzles for the kiddies and limited edition prints courtesy of The Whitechapel Gallery, the Guggenheim and more (should you want to break the bank), it's your one-stop shop this season. Culture Label, Items from £5 Twitter | Instagram | Facebook DRINK: WRIGHT BROTHERS SPITALFIELDS Amp up the festive cheer with the help of some bubbly at Wright Brothers Spitalfields. The seafood masters' new East London outpost features a vast Carrara marble bar, so settle in and take your pick from prosecco on tap, craft ales or a vintage-inspired gin cocktail (or two). Then choose some shellfish from the 1400 live selection in a massive seawater tank in the middle of the restaurant and enjoy some sea-to-plate dining action with whole brown crab, chargrilled lobster or Canadian Malpeque oysters. Shellfish and champagne? Count us in. Wright Brothers Spitalfields, 12pm-11pm Mon-Sat, 12pm-9pm Sun Drinks from £3.50, shellfish from £3 8/9 Lamb Street, Old Spitalfields Market, E1 6EA Twitter | Facebook THE GRUFFALO AT THE LYRIC THEATRE "The perfect holiday treat." The Times **** Sponsored listing If there's one book you remember from your childhood, it's probably The Gruffalo. You know, the story of a brave mouse who spins tall tales of the terrifying Gruffalo only to come face to face with the beast himself. Well, it's hit the bright lights (in musical form), moving into The Lyric Theatre until January 12. Book tickets now -shows are on early, so make sure to take it easy the night before- and make a kid's day. The Gruffalo is on until January 12 at The Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 7ES LAST MINUTE SHOP: CHATSWORTH ROAD MARKET Hackney is getting in the Christmas spirit with Chatsworth Road Market. On Sunday, stalls will spring up with vintage and homemade gifts (think bespoke art, custom jewellery, records and more), with the Hackney Singers on hand to provide a soundtrack of carols. Make a shopping pit stop at Herman ze German, Kimchi Cult and more when hunger hits, or drop by The Cellar pop up bar for mulled wine and hot toddies. The big red man himself is taking over Firefly Books with Santa's Grotto, bringing the North Pole to E5. Ho, ho, ho. Chatsworth Road Market, December 22, Free entry, Chatsworth Road, E5 0LH Twitter | Facebook GIFT PICK II: PIZZA PILGRIMS MASTERCLASS Put that Mixmaster back on the shelf: Pizza Pilgrims have come up with a better gift idea for the foodies in your life. The pizza virtuosos will be sharing their tricks of the trade in masterclasses at their van on Harvey Nichols' Fifth Floor. So get your aprons out and learn how to make dough, spin pizza like a pro and where to get the tastiest toppings. The best bit? You get to eat your pizza masterpiece at the end of the class. Yum. Pizza Pilgrims Masterclass, Classes run until January 31 Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor, 109-125 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RJ Book here, £40 per head Twitter FEAST II: CHRISTMAS DAY LUNCH AT BERNERS TAVERN Not in the mood to cook up a feast on the 25th? Back away from the kitchen and leave Christmas lunch in Jason Atherton's capable hands. With dishes including game terrine with pear and saffron chutney, mulled wine sorbet and classics such as Norfolk bronze turkey and Christmas pudding, holiday dining has never looked so good. So gather the troops and celebrate Christmas in the opulent surrounds of Berners Tavern – they'll even take care of the washing up for you, too. Berners Tavern, December 25 £130 per person, make a reservation on 020 7908 7979 10 Berners Street, W1T 3LF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: CHRIS BRACEY, GOD'S OWN JUNKYARD UJ fave Chris Bracey is a busy man. After lighting up the world with his neon art and creating an Ultimate Gin & Tonic, he's now re-opening his electric wonderland God's Own Junkyard. The studio is full of Bracey's work for The Dark Knight, Alexander McQueen, David LaChapelle and more. So if you've had your fill of the usual Christmas lights (Carnaby Street, Oxford Street, etc), get down to Walthamstow and check out some lighting of a different variety, or drop by Scream Gallery to see Bracey's work in Telling Tales, a typography show on 'til February 8. Should you want to pick up some neon goodies for yourself (or those on your Christmas list), Bracey's even got a pop up at Selfridges. We told you he was busy. God's Own Junk Yard, Open now, Free entry Unit 12, Ravenswood Industrial Estate. Shernhall Street, E17 9HQ Twitter NYE PICK: #STREETFEASTNYE It's been a big year for Street Feast, and they're seeing out 2013 with a bang. Head straight to Hawker House on the 31st for nine hours of eating, drinking and dancing. Traders including Baba G, Rola Wala, Yum Jungle and Vinn Goute will be serving up foodie faves, while Ben Spalding's Stripped Back will offer a multi-course menu featuring 10 of the best dishes of 2013, plus a peek at the future with a taster of 2014. It's not just about the food: expect amped up additions including a Champagne bar, live jazz, and Making Waves DJs Yam Who? and Capita dropping tunes to keep the party going 'til 3am. Street Feast, 6pm-3am, December 31 £10 for Early Eaters; £15 Full Feasters; £10 Late Nighters; Tickets for Stripped Back are £66 and include a cocktail on arrival. Book here 38-50 Pritchards Road, E2 9AP Twitter | Facebook NEW YEAR'S DAY PARTY PICK: CIRCO LOCO For those of you who want to keep partying on from NYE, Circo Loco is kicking off 2014 with a massive bash. Taking over The Coronet with all-star line-up, expect Circo Loco favourites, up and coming artists and in-demand producers on the deck…it may be in Elephant & Castle, but we say have a posh brunch first, then head over to disco the night away. Everyone from DC-10 resident Davide Squillace to Berlin-based techno duo Tale of Us, Infinity Ink (Ali Love and Luca C), Lee Foss and Richy Ahmed will be dropping beats across the nine hour event, so grab a ticket and start the year on the dance floor. Circo Loco, January 1, 2014, 9pm-6am, Tickets from £35 The Coronet, 28 New Kent Rd, SE1 6TJ Twitter | Facebook WE'RE OUTTA HERE: #UJAWAY 2013, you've been good to us: from smoked everything to cocktails on tap and XXL venues, it's been a wild ride. As the year draws to a close, Team UJ is jetting off far and wide: from Palm Springs to Marrakech, Sydney to Bristol and even Tulum. So if you've got any travel tips for us, or great finds from wherever you are, send them our way (info@urbanjunkies.com), and stay tuned for dispatches from @urbanjunkies on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays! See you next year. ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH 2013 UJ ROUNDUP So, it was UJ's second year at Art Basel Miami Beach, and although we were a bit more organised this time round, it was still hectic. From choosing which parties to go to (Takashi Murakami and Pharrell at Silencio, or the Vuitton after party at Le Baron), where to eat (Yardbird or Joe's), and which shows to visit (the main fair, Design Miami or Wynwood), it was a whirlwind. Yet as always, we came away super inspired… and caught some sunshine while we were at it. Fun. Click through for our highlights from ABMB. Special thanks to Stevie King @ Purple PR and Federica Amati @ No. 8 for sorting us out. FOLLOW US! 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