If, like us, you’ve found the Easter weekend has crept up on you and you’re sans plans, keep reading – we’ve put together the ultimate hitlist for the four-day weekend. From languid lobster brunches and new al fresco haunts to drinks with a view, fail-safe party spots and, even, club nights with Idris Elba and the Wu- Tang Clan – your staycation starts now! This Weekend’s Picks • FRI Blades at Hush Mayfair • SAT We Dance Again with Black Coffee • SUN So Fresh So Clean with Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan) at KOKO Top 5 Places to kick back and party It’s not just about club nights. Here are our fail safe venues for good times, anytime 1. The Gun, is a neighbourhood pub where quick drinks turn to loose nights. 2. For house party vibes all weekend, every weekend, head to The Old Queen’s Head 3. For those nights when only tequila will do, pop into The Pink Chihuahua 4. Or, try Crazy Homies in Notting Hill 5. All hail Queen Adelaide, The George and Dragon’s replacement Tonight Idris Elba at EGG Nothing like an all-nighter to kick off the Easter weekend. And when it includes Idris Elba on decks, well, all boxes are ticked. He’s playing live at Egg LDN with a slam dunk of a line up, which includes a special special guest from Hot Creations / Defected… bets on who it is. Tickets are, not surprisingly, already on fourth release – be quick! Idris Elba at EGG, 200 York Way, N7 9AX, £18 Friday EAT: DRINK: Blades at Hush Mayfair Duck and Waffle Good Friday calls for a leisurely lobster brunch – and that’s exactly the main star at Blades in Mayfair: that, and steak and whiskey. Come for lobster cooked all ways, from whole Cornish lobster and lobster salad to lobster tagliatelle. Traditionalists could have a crack at the surf and turf option. Finish with whisky flights all round. For some sophisticated Good Friday libations, try Duck and Waffle’s Easter cocktail list. Begin with the Beetroot & Chocolate Royale (beet, cacao liqueur and Champagne), before ordering the Nutella negroni and finishing up with the pièce de résistance, Easter Eggs (coffee-washed Bacardi superior, with hay-infused white chocolate and black truffle). Cheers, three days to go! Prices vary Lancashire court, 8 Brook Street, W1S 1EY Open 24 hours Easter cocktails are £14 each Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY Book Now: The Moët Academy A VIRTUAL AND IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE TO CELEBRATE THE ART OF CHAMPAGNE IN LONDON If you’re in need of an escape but can’t get away from London this long weekend, book yourself into The Moët Academy. The grape to glass event allows you to visit Épernay via a 360° virtual reality projection, exploring the original vineyards of Maison Moët, without leaving the UK. Fizz wise, you’ll learn the differences between Champagne styles, and taste various cuvees (specifically the Moët Impérial, Rosé Impérial, Moët Grand Vintage 2006 and Moët Ice Impérial alongside a sparkling wine and base wine, plus a preview tasting of the soon-to-be-released Moët Grand Vintage Rosé 2008 – that’s seven glasses in total) at only £45 per person. Bargain! The Moët Academy will take place from 21st March – 3rd April 2016 at Condé Nast College, 16-17 Greek Street, Soho, W1D 4DR. Tickets for a 90-minute session at the Moët Academy are £45 per person and are available to buy from www.moetacademy.co.uk Saturday EAT: PARTY: The Ivy Kensington Brasserie’s outdoor terrace We dance Again with Black Coffee For those looking to get started on al fresco dining, The Ivy Kensington Brasserie’s newly opened outdoor terrace seems like a good start, if only for their very British addition of a retractable roof and windows. Open daily until 10pm, come from breakfast and stay for a full, three-course dinner – washed down with one of the 12 cocktails. Straight off the back of P Diddy’s after party during Miami Music Week, Black Coffee is set to shake up Electric Brixton with his biggest show in London to date. Tickets have sold out, but we have it on good authority that there are a limited number on the door. So be that person and get there early for a chance to dance to his African infused house beats. 8am to 11.30pm * the terrace closes at 10pm Prices vary 96 Kensington High Street, W8 4SG 10pm, £30, Electric Brixton, Town Hall Parade, SW2 1RJ BOOK NOW: Champagne and Chia Seeds We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again: we’re big believers in balance with an “everything-in-moderation” mantra. For those who agree with us, book yourself into the aptly named Champagne and Chia Seeds retreat. Led by the brilliant Holly Pannett, in a luxe six-bedroom St Tropez villa, the five days comprise challenging fitness options, twice daily yoga classes and a nourishing, digestion-friendly menu. Nothing is compulsory and everything is encouraged in moderation – Book now! Champagne And Chia Seeds, April 30- May 5. From £1,780. Just outside St Tropez Restaurant Disco: Black Axe Mangle So far, we’ve had Shotgun’s old-school hip-hop and Blacklock’s 90s power ballads on repeat. Now, for the long weekend, we’re tuning into our favourite ‘metal and mangal’ restaurant. Aside from Chef Lee Tiernan’s rebellious take on the traditional Turkish mangal and ocakbasi, it’s their playlist of classic rock with all the usual suspects: Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Metallica… that has us coming back. Listen to it here. Black Axe Mangal, 156 Canonbury Rd, N1 2UP Sunday EAT: PARTY: Absurd Bird So Fresh So Clean with Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan) at KOKO Another Southern American chicken place has winged its way into the capital, but we’re not complaining. Post-party heads should seek comfort in their menu of southern fried chicken (which includes everything from wings to burgers and waffles), sides of sweet potato bake topped with marshmallows (yes, really!) and cornbread pudding. Desserts include carrot cake cream cheese sandwiches, an adult’s only dipsy cake and… crack pie, which has (finally!) made its way to London. Now, time to kick it with Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon. As part of the birthday celebrations for hip hop party, ‘So Fresh, So Clean’, the legendary Raekwon will be bringing back the 90s with chart toppers from the era: think Naughty By Nature, Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, Souls of Mischief and of course Wu-Tang. He’ll also be performing songs from 36 Chambers alongside some from his own back catalogue. Baggy jeans and du-rags are optional but preferred. All day, Prices vary, 54 Commercial Street, E1 6LT 10pm-5am, from £15, Koko, 1a Camden High Street, NW1 7JE MONDAY PICK: The Lightermen Fourth day of the long weekend: time to go easy on the wallet with a visit to The Lightermen – which is also the last day of their soft launch period (50% off food). Expect not only a huge new space in King’s Cross (it spans the entire eastern side of Granary Square) but also an extensive British menu, which includes everything from burgers and wood-fired grill meats to heartier mains (think fish and chips and braised lamb shanks) and salads. Plus, of course, there’s a lengthy drinks menu – best enjoyed on the alfresco terrace overlooking Regent’s Canal. The Lightermen, 3 Granary Square, N1C 4BH, 7.30am-11.30pm 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. 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