What's on in London this week: 27 February – 5 March 2023
Discover our pick of things to do in London this week: 27 February – 5 March 2023.
Explore London
Barnes Music Festival 2023
The Barnes Music Festival is set to mark its second decade this year with an exciting program of events centred around the theme of The Musical Environment. The festival will celebrate Barnes as an area of wildlife and natural beauty, and showcase music that reflects the environment and nature. It will also highlight the important role the environment plays in inspiring and nurturing composers and musicians. Over the course of two weeks, the festival will feature an impressive lineup of 37 events held at nine different venues throughout Barnes. The festival will commence with a captivating performance by the renowned pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, and will showcase a diverse range of musicians including harpists, flautists, saxophonists, singers, and a concert band. This year's festival promises to be an outstanding showcase of musical talent. Click here to explore the full programme of events.
Date: 4-19 March 2023. Location: Various locations in Barnes, SW13. Price: from £12.
90s Silent Disco in Grand Hall
Get ready to experience a blast from the past as the historic Grand Hall hosts a 90s Silent Disco for the very first time. Prepare to be transported back in time as some of the UK's top 90s DJs spin your favourite tunes, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of one of South London's most stunning buildings, illuminated in all its glory. Choose from two electrifying sessions to suit your schedule: the first from 7pm-9:30pm and the second from 10pm-12:30am. Don't miss out on the opportunity to dance the night away!
Date: Saturday 4 March 2023. Location: The Grand Hall Battersea Arts Centre Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN. Price: from £26.58. Book now.
Image: Greyson Joralemon
Wine Festival at Eataly
Eataly will be hosting a Wine Festival to celebrate Italian wines. The festival will allow you to walk through their wine cellar and meet their wine specialists who will share their knowledge, passion, and of course, wine with festival-goers. Taste more than 30 types of wines, with the option to buy a ticket including five or ten 75ml tastings, you’ll also get a Eataly wine glass and pouch to take home!
Date: 2 March - 4 March 2023, 4pm-10pm. Location: Eataly 135 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3YD. Price: from £27- £30. Book now.
Pottery taster workshop
The Ceramicist's Studio invites you to discover the joy of pottery with their upcoming taster class. Immerse yourself in the art of pottery making as you learn both the traditional potter's wheel and hand-building techniques to craft exquisite pieces. Hosted in their spacious studio, you'll have access to your own personal workstation and tools, creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere to unwind and enjoy a therapeutic session.
During the class, you will be guided on the key secrets of hand sculpting with clay, and how to throw on the potter's wheel. At the end of the session, your pottery pieces will be taken away to be professionally glazed and fired. They will be ready to collect after 2-3 weeks, making perfect handmade gifts or beautiful additions to your home decor. Delivery of your pieces can be arranged on the day.
Date: 4 March 2023 11am – 1pm. Location: SPACE Studios, Unit 4G, 90 Haymerle Road, SE15 6SB London. Price: £55 (2hr workshop). Book now.
Less then a meal deal comedy
Head to the City Comedy Club in the heart of London for a weekly dose of laughter from great comedic talent. To combat the rising cost of living, the good folks at the City Comedy Club are offering you laughs that cost less than a meal deal! With a previous lineup that has included previous celebrity mystery guests who have appeared on Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Russell Howard's Good News, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Comedy Central Roast Battle, and many more, you won't be short of laughs! The City Comedy Club is only a 5-minute walk from Old Street Station and an 8-minute walk from Liverpool Street Station.
Date: 1 March 2023. Location: City Comedy Club. Downstairs at Trapeze Bar, 89 Great Eastern St, London, EC2A 3HX. Price: £3. Book now.
Image: City Comedy Club
Wellness Service 2023 by Go Inspire UK
Go Inspire UK will present a wellness service for women that will last for two hours. The event includes a Sharing Circle, Cacao Ceremony led by Kosmic Cacao, meditation, a 45-minute Mindful Yoga session with Kelsey, a Journaling Workshop, and a Closing Circle and Refreshments. Participants are advised to bring their Yoga Mat, Water Bottle, Cup for the Cacao Ceremony, and a blanket or something warm. This event offers an opportunity to rejuvenate the mind, body, and soul while connecting with like-minded individuals. By the end of the two hours, attendees will feel refreshed, reconnected, and revitalised.
Date: 4 March 2023, from 2pm. Location: Polka Theatre, 240 The Broadway London SW19 1SB, Price: from £11.55.Book now.
Coffee Lovers
Discover our favourite locations to get your coffee fix in London this week:
Image: Mike Kenneally
Hjem Kensington, Kensington
While the Kensington High Street area is primarily populated by chain coffee shops, Hjem Kensington is a true hidden gem located just a short 9-minute walk away. Situated in a charming corner of Kensington, this organic artisan coffee shop is renowned for its exceptional speciality coffee. It is conveniently located near the picturesque Kynance Mews and boasts a delightful secret patio at the back. If you're in search of a cosy atmosphere with superb coffee, scrumptious pastries, chocolate cake, cinnamon rolls, as well as avocado toasts and fresh bread, look no further than Hjem Kensington.
Location: 3 Launceston Pl, London W8 5RJ. Instagram: @hjemkensington
Omotesando Koffee, Fitzrovia
Located in Fitzrovia, Omotesando Koffee is the first European location of the renowned Japanese brand, founded by Eiichi Kunitomo in 2011, in Tokyo. The café boasts a minimalist, zen-like atmosphere with concrete walls, light wood interior details, and ample natural light. The selection of specialty coffees is impressive, and customers can watch the brewing process at the open coffee station manned by professional baristas. This is one of the most visually pleasing places to enjoy a cup of coffee in central London. Alongside their expertly crafted coffee, don’t miss out on their signature Kashi, a tasty baked custard cube. Location: Rathbone Square, Fitzrovia, London W1T 1PB. Instagram: @omotesando.koffee
Ground by Coco, Chelsea
Experience the ultimate blend of coffee and home decor at Ground by Coco. Located within the Soho Homes store on the prestigious King's Road in Chelsea, Ground by Coco offers a curated selection of delicious coffee, unique home decor inspiration and stylish crockery. Whether you're a matcha enthusiast or simply looking for a new place to enjoy your morning coffee, Ground by Coco's menu of delicious coffee and matcha lattes is sure to impress. And don't miss out on their mouth-watering cakes, particularly the carrot cake.Location: Soho Home, 6 Duke of York Square, King's Road, SW3 4LY. Instagram: @ground.by.coco
Cafe Leon Dore, Soho
Café Leon Dore, located in the flagship store of New York's hottest menswear brand, has gained a lot of attention on social media thanks to promotion by TikTok and Instagram influencers. The Soho-based café has a chic Parisian-inspired aesthetic, with marbled floors and walnut-paneled interiors, but with a cool Brooklyn vibe. The café serves Greek-inspired drinks like Freddo Espressos and Freddo Cappuccinos, as well as croissants and traditional Greek cookies like Kourabiedes (almond), Melomakarona (honey and walnut), and Kulourakia (butter). It may be crowded on weekends with people looking to get a taste of its Instagram popularity, but it's a great spot for a coffee break, to work on emails, read a book, or people watch on weekdays. Location: 32 Broadwick Street, London W1F 8JB. Instagram: @aimeleondore
Café Kitsune, Belgravia
Known for its Paris-meets-Tokyo aesthetic, this cult favourite café serves freshly ground coffee, iced-coffees, and classic pastries and cakes with a Japanese twist. Whether you're grabbing a coffee to go (the Mochaccino's are a favourite) or enjoying their elegant Motcomb Street sun-terrace, make sure to try their double-baked matcha croissant or fox-themed biscuits, paying homage to the brand name ("Kitsune" means fox in Japanese). Location: Ground Floor, 19 Motcomb St, London SW1X 8LB Instagram: @cafekitsune
Click here for more of our favourite locations to get a good brew in the city.
Arts & Culture
Opening this week
Image: Nalini Malani, My Reality is Different, 2022
The Playground by HAART
Join House of African Art (HAART) for an exciting group exhibition titled The Playground, offering a captivating exploration into the world of childhood through the lens of five talented visual artists: Azael Langa, Lerato Motaung, Lindokuhle Khumalo, Olamide Ogunade, and Qhamanande Maswana. This exhibition will feature brand new bodies of work from each artist, and will be accompanied by a diverse programme of evening talks, live performances and music. Don't miss this unique opportunity to engage with some of the most exciting contemporary artists and their fresh perspectives on the theme of childhood.Date: Thursday 2 March - Tuesday 7 March 2023 Location: Hoxton Arches, 402 Cremer Street, London, E2 8HD. Price: from Free - £18 Book now.
Nalini Malani at the National Gallery
Enter a mesmerising world of artistry and imagination with Nalini Malani's latest exhibition, My Reality is Different. The exhibition space is engulfed in deep black, serving as a striking backdrop to the monumental artwork that spans over 40 meters of wall. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a collection of 25 new animations, expertly crafted to create a captivating panorama of nine large video projections that play in a continuous loop. Drawing from a unique selection of famous paintings at the National Gallery and the Holburne Museum in Bath, Malani's animations are nothing short of stunning. The exhibition's title, Nalini Malani: My Reality is Different, is inspired by a phrase often associated with Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, where the Cheshire Cat famously states, 'I'm not crazy, my reality is different from yours.’ Location: Sunley Room,The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London,WC2N 5DN. Date: 2 March – 11 June 2023. Price: Free.
#FLOFavourites this week:
Image: Whorled (Here After Here After Here), artist: Jitish Kallat, Somerset House courtyard, February 2023, © MTotoe
Jitish Kallat : Whorled (Here After Here After Here)
Whorled (Here After Here After Here) represents the latest courtyard commission by Somerset House, featuring the talented Mumbai-based artist Jitish Kallat in his debut major public commission within the UK. The installation features two intersecting spirals that span an impressive 336 metres, adorned with symbols that closely mirror the visual identity of the UK's road signage. These symbols serve as markers, highlighting the distance from Somerset House to various locations across the planet and beyond - from celestial bodies such as the Moon and Mars to distant stars nestled within the Milky Way.Date: until 23 April 2023. Location: Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA Price: Free.
M.K. Čiurlionis: Between Worlds
M.K. Čiurlionis: Between Worlds showcases more than 1100 works by Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis, a celebrated Lithuanian artist and composer, who is widely considered as the greatest artist of Lithuania. His works explored early abstraction, spirituality, philosophy, and our connection with the universe.
Date: until 12 March 2023. Location: Dulwich Picture Gallery, Gallery Road, London, SE21 7AD. Price: from £16.50. Book now.
Women of Bethnal Green at Work
Oxford House's heritage programme presents an exhibition of portraits captured by photographer Sarah Ainslie. The collection showcases a diverse range of women, including tradeswomen, community organisers, faith leaders, artists, and shopkeepers who contribute to the vibrancy of life in Bethnal Green. Over the past three decades, Ainslie has been documenting these remarkable women, and this exhibition offers a wonderful opportunity to celebrate their valuable contributions. Date: until March 31, 2023. Location: Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, Bethnal Green, London E2 6HG. Price: Free.
London Symphony Orchestra/Barbara Hannigan- Bach, Berg, Haydn & Vivier
Renowned for her exceptional ability to blend unexpected musical elements, Barbara Hannigan expertly weaves them together to create something truly revelatory. In this performance, Hannigan conducts two outstanding soloists: Veronika Eberle, a violinist praised by The Strad for her spotlessly pure and serene tone, and the fearless Greek soprano Aphrodite Patoulidou. Together, they bring four maverick masterworks by Berg, Bach, Haydn, and Claude Vivier into a deeply personal conversation.
Date: Thu 2 Mar 2023 7.00pm - 8.55pm, Location: Barbican Hall, London, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS. Price: from £18-£65. Book now.
Ravelle Pillay: Idyll
Chisenhale Gallery present Idyll, the first UK solo exhibition by Johannesburg-based artist Ravelle Pillay. Idyll includes eight never-before-seen oil paintings on canvas, ranging from near life-size to smaller portraits. The works are hung alongside a series of Indian ink drawings on acetate. Connecting sites of enduring personal interest to the fallibility of memory, Idyll continues the artist’s reflections on how we remember – history, places and people. Date: 24 February-23 April 2023. Location: 64 Chisenhale Road, London, E3 5QZ. Price: Free.
Last chance to see
Vogue x Snapchat
Image: Vogue x Snapchat Exhibition, Regent Street, February 2023, © MTotoe
Don't miss the final opportunity to witness the Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body exhibition, curated by Edward Enninful. This exhibition is a collaboration between Vogue and Snapchat, showcasing how augmented reality can elevate the world of physical fashion, by amplifying and transforming clothing designs through innovative digital experiences. The exhibition highlights six of the world’s foremost fashion brands and designers, including Dior, Kenneth Ize, Richard Quinn, Stella McCartney, Thebe Magugu and Versace. Date: until 5 March 2023. Location: 84-86 Regent Street, London, W1B 5HB Price: Free.Book now.
Orchid Festival at Kew Garden
Don't miss out on the spectacular Orchid Festival at Kew Gardens, as it draws to a close this weekend. This year's festival takes inspiration from the exquisite beauty and diversity of Cameroon, featuring impressive sculptures of the country's wildlife crafted entirely from plants. In addition, visitors can enjoy an exhibition of photography that captures both the everyday scenes and breathtaking landscapes of Lolodorf, Cameroon. As the festival is included in the admission fee to the Gardens, be sure to make the most of your visit and also take a stroll through the Palm House, where you can explore the wonderful collection of palms on display. Date: until Sunday 5 March 2023. Location: Kew Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE. Price: from £16.50. Concessions available. Book now.
Pop-ups & Venues
In today's eco-conscious world, creating the stylish home of your dreams or selecting your next fashion ensemble goes beyond mere aesthetics. For us at FLO, it's about making choices that align with sustainability values. By sourcing beautiful, one-of-a-kind antiques, incorporating vintage pieces, and repurposing found objects, we can give new life to old items and reduce our impact on the environment.
With this in mind, this week we had the pleasure of visiting two exceptional antique markets in London: Grays Antiques and Alfies Antique Market. These locations are brimming with special antique pieces and wonderful characters who are more than willing to share the fascinating stories behind these precious antiques.
Image: Nick Boston Antiques at Grays Antique, February 2023, © MTotoe
Grays Antiques, located in a grand building just across the road from the Elizabeth line entrance at Bond Street station, is a true gem in the world of antiques. It houses the largest and most diverse collection of fine antiques and jewellery in the world, with a selection of precious antique jewellery, antique silver, Chinese porcelain, and a cool contemporary art gallery. It is truly a treasure trove of history and craftsmanship, and the knowledgeable characters inside will delight in sharing their expertise with you. Location: 58 Davies St, London W1K 5LP. Instagram: @graysantiques
Image: Gillian Horsup, Alfies Antique Market, Marylebone, February 2023, © MTotoe
Alfies Antique Market is a must-visit destination for vintage and antique enthusiasts in London. Every moment spent exploring the market is a journey of discovering countless treasures. From vintage chic headwear, dresses, and jewellery, to antique frames, silverware, chandeliers, candelabra, and antique prize books, there's a vast selection of exceptional quality items to choose from. Additionally, the market boasts a spectacular rooftop café with stunning surroundings, providing the perfect spot to take a break and enjoy a moment of relaxation. Location: 13 - 25 Church St, London NW8 8DT. Instagram: @alfiesantiques
#FLOFavourite: Pick of the week
FREE ACTIVITY OF THE WEEK
Sunday Afternoon Comedy Show in Hackney
Head to Hackney for a fantastic Sunday afternoon filled with free stand-up comedy, featuring a range of amusing comedians based in London. The event offers two sessions, with the first beginning at 5pm and lasting for 75 minutes, and the second beginning at 7.30pm. The bar provides an array of food and drink options, and although admission is free, tickets must be reserved in advance. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime, and the event is open to those aged 16 and over. Date: Every Sunday. Location: Poster 182 Stoke Newington Road London N16 7UY. Price: Free. Book now.
FOOD OF THE WEEK
Claridge's ArtSpace Café
Image: Claridge’s ArtSpace Café
The past week marked the opening of Claridge's Hotel's chic new ArtSpace Café. The Café is open daily and boasts an emphasis on breakfast and lunch, with a dynamic menu featuring crêpes as a signature dish, as well as tortillas, toasties, croque monsieurs and madames, mega madeleines and, of course, a plethora of Claridge's cakes. Designed by renowned British architectural designer John Pawson, the Café features a patisserie counter, a magnificent marble communal table as its centerpiece, and a stairway leading down to Claridge's ArtSpace - a vast gallery which rotates exhibitions and is free for all to visit.
Currently on show at Claridge's ArtSpace until 17 April 2023 is New Frontiers: Movements in Contemporary Art, an insightful exhibition presented in collaboration with Ben Brown Fine Arts. Location: Claridge's, Brook Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 4HR Instagram: @claridgesartspace.
Interview of the Week
We had a chat with Solène Dequiret.
Image: Solène Dequiret, RBG Kew
Solène Dequiret is a Botanical Horticulturist. She is passionate about creating engaging glasshouse plant displays to translate Kew Gardens’ conservation work for visitors to wonder at, fusing science, art and nature. Click here to read the full interview.
Cause of the Week
This week's featured cause is dedicated to Shout - a free text messaging service that operates 24/7 to provide support for individuals experiencing a range of mental health crises, from grief and anxiety to suicidal thoughts. Launched by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May 2019, Shout allows those in need to simply text SHOUT to 85258, where they will be connected with a trained Crisis Volunteer who will provide guidance and support through text messages until they feel more at ease.
If you are interested in volunteering as a Crisis Volunteer for Shout, you can commit to 2-4 hours per week and undergo 25 hours of online training over a six-week period before beginning your work. All you need is a laptop and a secure internet connection to get started. Click here for more information on how to become a Crisis Volunteer for Shout.
Upcoming events
Daunt Books Festival 2023
Image: Ugur Akdemir
Daunt Books is set to host a two-day festival that promises to be a treat for bibliophiles of all ages. Taking place in their picturesque Marylebone store, the event will feature a series of talks and activities with an impressive line-up of guests, including Ravinder Bhogal, Jessica J Lee, Chris Power, Jennifer Higgie, Lucy Jago, and Magalene Abraha. Attendees can also savour scrumptious nibbles from neighbouring establishments. Events are available for individual purchase or as a part of a pass. For the full programme, click here.
Date: 16 March – 17 March 2023 Location: Daunt Books Marylebone, 83-84 Marylebone High Street,London W1U 4QW. Price: from £7 per event or 2 Day Pass for £60 (access to all events).
