Cheer up, it may never happen!
Which is precisely what we’re worried about vis-à-vis the lifting of these restrictions, right?
But let’s face it, we’ve had plenty o’ fun despite lockdown, so we don’t see a single reason in the world why we can’t hold out four more weeks, especially when we have dining in the sky, big boozy brunches, a full-scale craft festival, and some great locations where we can watch the Euros and National Picnic Week to look forward to…
Oh, and don’t forget to send that Father’s Day card.
It’s lucky you have us.
Where to watch the Euros: Part 1
How do you fancy winning a seat at Wembley Stadium for the UEFA Euro 2020 game on June 26, courtesy of Heineken, with a Young’s hotel stay thrown in for good measure?
Well worth an enter, wouldn’t you say?
But while you’re waiting to see if those golden tickets could be yours, you might as well take in the other matches on giant screens across the Young’s pub network.
Go soak up the atmos with fellow fans or hire a private room for just you and your mates, then settle in to watch the footy with some half-time scran (it’s northern for ‘food’) in the form of a Euros Burger Shack slider sharer — that’s 12 mini-burgers (plant-based alternatives are available), plenty of sides and a bucket of 12 Camden Hells or Heineken — all for £17.50 per person.
Hurry, competition closes tomorrow!
Various locations across London.
Where to watch the Euros: Part 2
Sure, you could go to a sleepy old pub this Friday and watch England v. Scotland alongside some old men drooling into their half pints and maybe, if you’re lucky, the odd 1980s-style hooligan… or you could go to Pop Brixton, where things are a tad more lively.
Stock up on craft beers, load your table with street food from Baba G’s, Halo Burger and Mama’s Jerk, and drink in the atmosphere (and the beer, obvs) as you watch England (and any other countries you happen to like/be from) sail through to the finals on their giant screens.
That’s what we have planned at any rate.
And the good news is they’re reserving some tables for walk-ins — for the more, ahem… spontaneous among us!
49 Brixton Station Road, SW9.
Where to watch the Euros: Part 3
Sometimes, while taking in a Euro (no, we don’t mean harbouring a refugee from Brexit, we mean watching the footy), it’s nice that it’s just one part of your night out and not the whole focus.
Which is why, looking ahead to matches we don’t necessarily want to shout at, we’ll be taking in the canal-side location of Hackney Bridge.
You get the views, you get to dine at a selection of street food traders at In The Courtyard, you get to order from a great bar — and yet there is a massive screen for you to look at over the shoulder of your dining partner.
Everyone’s a winner! Plus all England/knockout stage tickets include one free beer per person and with every booking there’s the chance to win a £100 bar tab. What are you waiting for?
Echo Building, E15.
Something to trumpet about
It’s almost upon us, National Picnic Week (June 19-27, don’t you know?), the week in which we, er… have picnics and really appreciate them, even though by this time last year, with the weather, we’d been out so much you could’ve made sandals out of our skin.
Anyways, the reason we mention it is that Elephant Park, down in Elephant & Castle, is inviting you to pick up a tote from one of their local participating foodie outlets, fill it up from said outlets, then tuck in to your goodies as you explore their new rock and water-scape, Elephant Springs.
Expect plantain sandwiches from Miko’s, salt fish fritters from Tasty Jerk, gorgeous gyozas from Koi Ramen, iced coffee and pastries from Change Please, and many more.
Oh, and if you follow @elephantparklondon and upload your hot shots, you could win £500 worth of prizes — whoop!
From Saturday until August 31, Elephant Park, SE17.
Get sloshed in style!
While we’re on the subject of picnics, when it comes to al fresco eating we’re often in the mood for a liquid lunch, which is why we’re saving the details of Sun Tavern to our faves because they’ve come up with just the hamper for us: the Garden Picnic Cocktail Hamper.
It’s a mega-looking offering, loaded with Prosecco, rosé, a strawberry Kir cocktail for two and a couple of cans of Umbrella London Rhubarb Cider — and that’s just the drinks.
You also get olives, sardines and indulgent wheels of Camembert and Crottin de Chavignol goats’ cheese plus all the biccies and chutney you need to wolf them down.
And it all comes in a handsome hamper, complete with crockery, glassware, cutlery and coasters… so you don’t get sticky rings on the grass, we suppose!
Suspend your disbelief for this one
We’ve all got used to the whole al fresco thing over the last year or so, but this is ridiculous… in a totally brilliant way.
Putting the ‘up’ well and truly into ‘pop-up’, London In The Sky is back and inviting you and your mates to have your dinner while suspended 100ft above the ground right next to the O2 Arena because… why the heck not?
And not only do you get to have a specially curated food and drinks menu way up there, you also get to show the hell off on Instagram, with unparalleled views across the river as you get stuck in to the chow and the wines.
So you might be high, but you most certainly won’t be dry (unless you want to be, of course — no peer pressure here, thanks v much).
July 1-September 26.
Pretty things this way…
If you’re like us, you’ve spent the past year and a bit getting crafty. Not sneaky crafty, silly — we mean good with your hands.
Which is why the Cockpit Arts Summer Festival might just have a bumper year when it starts on June 25 — that’s next week by our reckoning.
More than 150 makers of 21 different crafty-type things — from textiles to jewellery, ceramics to wood, you name it — will be taking part not only live in the flesh down in Holborn and Deptford, but online too.
Join the workshops, hear the talks, go on a studio tour and… shop, shop, shop.
Hey, we wonder if those specially painted jars we’ve been turning out could be a thing…?
Free but you need to pre-book. June 25-27, Northington Street, WC1; July 2-4, 18-22 Creekside, SE8.
The booziest brunch in town?
They reckon they’re south London’s biggest and booziest outdoor brunch, but they’ve clearly never seen us throw a massive one in our back garden with three (count ’em!) flavours of Hula Hoops!
Actually, Vauxhall Food & Beer Garden may just have the edge on us, with specially themed game days and some of the biggest LED screens in London all set for the Euros, as well as drag bingo, quizzes, club events and comedy shows.
It’s all happening in its specially designed outdoor space, with astroturf, huge plants and what-have-you, featuring two bars, international food stalls and that world-famous Saturday bottomless brunch we were talking about.
With stuff going on all week — make that all summer! — we’re wondering if they’d mind us pitching a tent…
Until August 30, 6a South Lambeth Place, SW8.
Sign up to The Slice for weekly food tips
Get our tips in your inbox every week with The Slice newsletter. Sign up here.
Get fizzical with the Delevingnes
It looks like the capital’s favourite and most spectacular food festival, Taste Of London, has found a way of upping even its own tip-top game this year with the recent announcement of yet more fabulousness.
Expect an appearance by the lovely Delevingne sisters’ new premium Della Vite prosecco, Gizzi Erskine and Professor Green joining forces at their lockdown food venture Giz ‘n’ Green, and friend to the stars DJ Fat Tony on hand to spin what we used to call ‘choons’ at a special terrace party.
That’s in addition to your usual round-up of the finest restaurants, most famous chefs and dangerously tempting drinks outlets.
Basically heaven for anyone who likes their food and drinks.
July 7-11 and July 14-18, Regent’s Park, NW1.
Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Share your views in the comments below
MORE : Places in London you should visit, according to TikTok
MORE : Best new London restaurants openings for summer 2021, from Humble Chicken to Bao Kitchen
MORE : Drunken strawberries are our new favourite summer drinks treat
How to get your Metro newspaper fix
Metro newspaper is still available for you to pick up every weekday morning or you can download our app for all your favourite news, features, puzzles... and the exclusive evening edition!
Download the Metro newspaper app for free on App Store and Google Play
0 Commentaires