First weekend of February has hit us cold and fast. For the brave, ignore the elements with an outdoor lantern festival and tropical blowout. But for the rest, stay indoors with a hot bowl of ramen on Friday, pay a visit to London’s latest neo-bistro on Saturday and on Sunday, kick back with an Indian brunch and Chinese dinner. Enjoy. This Weekend’s Picks • FRI Magical Lantern Festival • SAT Brixton Winter Carnival • SUN Eighty Six List Top 5: things to do this February 1. Wine connoisseurs book into The Line Up at The Typing Room. Think seven food courses and seven wine pairings with seven different approaches — from seven of London’s top sommeliers 2. Check out the bright, seedy and Instagrammable neons at Light’s of Soho’s latest exhibition, Love Hz 3. Compare and contrast the different flavours of the humble carrot via Sager + Wilde’s carotene cocktail menu 4. Book tickets to The End of Longing, the new play written and starring Matthew Perry 5. NFL fans, head to Balthazar. Come 11.30pm on Sunday, the bistro will transform with five super-screens, astro-turf, foam fingers, popcorn machines and an all-American menu KITSUNÉ FRENCH KISS PARTY Sponsored Listing Pucker up for the annual Kitsuné French Kiss Party, next Saturday on Valentine’s weekend. The Parisian posse are set to quash the love song cliches with a heady mix of house and nu disco flavours, with a line up that includes fun loving DJs The 2 Bears and house and hip-hop DJs Star Slinger. Oh, and giving into the spirit, Village Underground will be awash with pink lasers, lots of balloons and ‘love’ themed cocktails. Want in? We have a pair of tickets with a vintage Kitsuné CD to give away. Simply enter here or book tickets now at www.residentadvisor.net Kitsuné French Kiss Party, Saturday February 13, Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3PQ Advance Tickets £14 / £16.50 Friday SEE: EAT: Magical Lantern Festival Tonkotsu Notting Hill As part of Chinese New Year, Chiswick House and Gardens have been transformed into an outdoor light festival. Walk the various garden trails, which include life-sized animals from pandas and flamingos to kangaroos and elephants, famous sights such as Beijing’s Temple of Heaven and Mount Huaguo, and entire folklore scenes – all recreated out of lanterns. Let it glow! Arctic winds call for big steaming bowls of ramen. The latest Tonkotsu has set up shop in Notting Hill. Unlike its noodle shops in East and Soho, this one will be counter-style, we assume, similar to its ramen bar in Selfridges, serving old favourites, plus some Notting Hill Tonkotsu-only specials. Drinks wise, we hear it’s all about the matcha beer. Matcha, matcha, matcha! 5pm to 8.45pm From £16 Chiswick House & Gardens W4 2QN 12pm-10.30pm Prices vary 7 Blenheim Crescent, W11 2EE The Ruinart Lighthouse The original Champagne house has launched its sensory experience, a 101 in the history of the chardonnay grape explored via digital installations and artistic collaborations. For those who prefer hands-on learning experiences, book in for the The Ruinart Tasting, hosted by the Cellar Master, Frederic Panaiotis, which includes a glass of Ruinart Blanc de Blancs and Ruinart Rosé and two prestige cuvees. Chin chin! The Ruinart Lighthouse The Violin Factory, 35a Cornwall Road, South Bank, SE1 8TJ February 9&10. Tickets for the 1.5 hour tasting are £35 and can be purchased here Saturday EAT: PARTY: FRENCHIE Brixton Winter Carnival Le Chabanais may not have survived London, but hopes are high for Frenchie, the latest neo-bistro that’s just crossed to our side of the Channel. Similar to its Parisian parent, the menu reads of the owner’s travels: pulled pig sliders, bacon scones and ricotta tortellini. Interior wise – don’t expect a bare-bones neo-bistro but rather a sleek and polished London outpost. In celebration of Bob Marley’s birthday, we’re giving our winter warmers and alpine themes a rest for a tropical blow out via The Brixton Winter Carnival. Expect the lot: three stages of carnival sounds, dancers, live performers, steel drummers, braid bars… Plus rum punch, coconut cocktails and a jerk BBQ to see you through until 4am. 12pm-10.30pm Prices vary 16 Henrietta Street, WC2E 8QH 10pm-4am £15 The Prince of Wales, 467 Brixton Road, SW9 8HH Follow Us! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram See what we’ve been snapping this week on Instagram! Calendar pick: Handel And Hendrix in London Speaking of music legends, we’re paying a visit to Jimi Hendrix’s London pad. Find out more Sunday EAT: EAT: Brunch at Kricket Eighty Six List We love a Dishoom breakfast but there hasn’t been much in the way of competition, until now. Kricket in Brixton has launched its new brunch menu, starting today. It’s no reservations so expect queues for their riffs on Indian classics, such as duck egg bhurji with smoked haddock, masala butterbeans with poached eggs and Goan sausage rolls. Those nursing post-Sunday party heads should try the bloody maharaja or spiced rum masala chai. More food, but this is more of a Chinese New Years knees up, courtesy of the Eighty Six List – our favourite group of hospitality sinners. As part of their monthly Sunday Sessions, aimed at showcasing new hospitality players, a chosen chef, sommelier and/or bartender takes charge of the five-course menu. This Sunday, it’ll be at Brunswick House with a Chinese inspired menu – think duck heart skewers XinJiang style, sweet and sour pig tails and wontons – washed down with Peckham’s Ali Baba Juice cocktails. Happy Chinese New Year! 11am-4pm Prices vary Pop Brixton, 49 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PQ 6.30pm-10.30pm £30 for 5 courses and drinks (not including wine) 30 Wandsworth Road, SW8 2LG WEEKEND GUIDE BY CS LIKE SHARE FORWARD PREVIOUS EDITION (c) 2016 Urban Junkies. All rights reserved. Reproductions of any portion of this website only with our express permission. Urban Junkies is a free weekly 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.