Canned negronis, raw wine, and a helluva lot of tequila (‘tis Cinco de Mayo), welcome the first weekend of May. We’ve also got Louisiana bites, kimchi and stilton grilled sarnies, and a new concept store to keep you entertained. Want more? We’ve mapped our favourite Spitalfields restaurants. Enjoy! This Weekend’s Picks • FRI Six Portland Road • SAT Notch • SUN Alex Eagle Lexington Tonight Cinco de Mayo at Rita’s Tonight, we’re doing Cinco de Mayo the Rita’s way with its one-night-only Mejico takeover: think tacos, tamales, and an all-agave drinks menu. Groups should pre-order the whole Swaledale chickens to feast upon with black molé, corn tortillas and piles of seasonal vegetables charred on the parrilla. Olé! Rita’s, 5.30pm – 11pm with the bar open until late, 175 Mare Street, E8 3RH Friday EAT: DRINK: SIX PORTLAND ROAD Raw Wine at The London EDITION Fans of Terroirs and their rustic French menu and excellent wine list should make tracks to Six Portland Road in Holland Park. Helmed by ex-Terroirs duo, the changing menu, like Terroirs, is simple with a less is more philosophy: think mackerel with monk’s beard and blood orange, pork and pistachio terrine and lemon sole with rainbow chard and brown butter. As for the wine? There’s a perfectly curated 80-strong list to choose from. We said it once, we’ll say it again, pink is passé. This summer, it’s all about orange vino. Ahead of the RAWfair, The London EDITION will be hosting a RAW Wine Bar pop-up in their basement, with the largest selection of low-intervention, organic and biodynamic natural wines in London. So, for those who need a 101 in this trend … 12pm-11pm Prices vary 6 Portland Road, W11 4LA May 4– May 16 From 5pm BASEMENT at The London EDITION, 10 Berners Street, W1T 3NP Top 5: Restaurants around Spitalfields 1. For BBQ done all ways, it has to be Pitt Cue Co. 2. Or, for simple BBQ goodness and access to your own beer tap, try Walter and Monty 3. If you’re going to queue for dinner, do so for Som Saa’s spicy Issan menu 4. For a healthy and hearty lunch, try Farmer J 5. From the brasserie menu and sultry bar downstairs to even the ‘bog art’, Blixen is a UJ fave Saturday DO: EAT: Notch Decatur If canned negronis and Nikkei bites sound like your thing, head up to London’s latest rooftop, Notch. It’s on the fourth floor of the Marriott Hotel Park Lane, though you wouldn’t know it by the décor of reclaimed school science tables, Edwardian floorboards, scaffolding, and rooftop swings. Fudo Shack will be dishing out Nikkei and Japanese plates, including sashimi pizzas, fried chicken and its version of pulled beef tacos. Oh, and did we mention canned negronis? Pamela’s, the Kingsland Road bar and restaurant (owned by the same folk as The Alibi) have just welcomed a new permanent residency to their kitchen, Decatur. Informal and fun, grab a table and make your way through the Louisiana menu, which includes charred okra with ricotta and red pepper jelly, Kentucky-style beer cheese and gumbo with rabbit and crawfish étouffée. Oysters have their own section on the menu; we’ll be ordering them chargrilled with garlic pecorino butter. 10am-10pm Prices vary 535 Oxford Street, W1C 2QW 6pm-2am Prices vary 428 Kingsland Road, E8 4AA URBAN MOUNTAINEERING WITH UP AT THE O2 A DAY OUT WITH A DIFFERENCE Sponsored Listing So, it’s going to be 24 degrees this weekend, we hear, meaning it’s time to get out with friends and enjoy our city… and Up at The O2 gives adventurous spirits the chance to enjoy a taste of urban mountaineering, with a climb to the top of the world-renowned entertainment venue for 360 degree views of our fair town. You even get to wear fancy explorer attire. Key points: it takes 90 mins, there’s a 350m walkway across and the viewing platform sits 52m from ground level. So, trade your normal outdoor fitness regimen in for something a bit different and climb Up at The O2. #SummitSelfies Prices for Up at The O2 start at £28 for adults and children (over 10). Book your date and time now here. OPENING SOON Morito Hackney Road The highly anticipated second branch of Morito is set to open on May 11. In keeping with Moro and Morito on Exmouth Market, its new Hackney menu will be a fusion of Southern Spanish, North African and Eastern Mediterranean dishes such as aubergine manti with yoghurt and pistachios, homemade halloumi with pickled za’atar and Moroccan lamb with goat’s curd. Drinks wise – it’s all about wine, vermouth and sherry. Morito Hackney Road, 195-195 Hackney Road, E2 8JP. Opens May 11 Follow Us! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram See what we’ve been snapping this week on Instagram! Sunday SHOP: EAT: Alex Eagle Lexington Cielo Blanco in Exmouth Market Alex Eagle’s Walton Street boutique has moved (dangerously close to UJHQ) to a bigger space on Lexington Street, Soho. Aside from the tight edit of covetable brands and well-stocked selection of Alex Eagle’s own brand, we’ll be heading to the concept store for the eclectic mix of homewares, art and magazines. We end as we started, with Mexican food. This time, we’re zoning in on newbie Cielo Blanco in Exmouth Market for our fill of tacos, enchiladas, burritos, tostadas… you get the picture. Once done, we’ll be in the basement bar going through their agave menu: tequilas, mezcals and sotols, oh my! 12-6pm Prices vary 6-10 Lexington Street, W1F 0LB 11.30am-11pm Prices vary 55-57 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QL UJ Loves F.A.T Hot Dogs and Kimchi & Stilton Sarnies by F.A.T by Freddie. Haven’t tackled F.A.T by Freddie’s Pickled cookbook yet (guilty!)? Well, good news, both Bubbledogs and The Ace Hotel have done the grunt work for us. The first has launched a F.A.T dog (pictured), inspird by recipe from the cookbook and the latter have delved into the archives and brought the famed Freddie’s F.A.T Kimchi & Stilton Grilled Sandwich to their in-house coffee shop. Enjoy! F.A.T dog available from Bubbledogs, 70 Charlotte Street, W1T 4QG | F.A.T Kimchi & Stilton Grilled Sandwich available from The Ace Hotel’s in-house coffee shop, Bulldog Edition RESERVED: SOM SAA In A Sentence Thai in Spitalfields Vibe & Décor Housed in a spacious converted warehouse but still part of the Square Mile means you can expect a melting pot of both sneaker-clad ‘creatives’ and suits. Expect to wait for a table (on our visit, the average wait time was two hours), but that’s easily done in the bar, as you sling back Muay Thai Kick cocktails (gin, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaves, basil and lime) and Bamboo Planter’s Punch (a blend of rum, guava juice, pandan syrup and lime). Flavours Anyone that went to Som Saa during their Climpson Arch residency knows the deal: it’s not your average neighbourhood Thai restaurant. If you want Pad Thai, move on. Instead, it’s about creative takes on Issan (northeastern region of Thailand) dishes with strong, fresh flavours. Think grilled chicken legs with tamarind dipping sauce, grilled aubergine salad, and dry crispy pork red curry – all of which were fantastic. For those who like their curries spicy, order the jungle – but, don’t say we didn’t warn you. The palm sugar ice cream with grilled banana for dessert was standout. Top Tip Go early. Tables are hot tickets and it’s first come first served. Stick to small groups, they only have a couple of big tables. Highlight We’ll be back for the palm sugar ice cream. Info 43A Commercial Street, E1 6BD 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.