Welcome back to The Slice!
We’ve been plunged back into chilly weather (with the odd peek of sunshine) in London. But that doesn’t stop us from soaking up those few rays on suntrap terraces… we’re just making sure we’ve always got a jacket to hand.
And because London does know how to do its thing when it comes to outdoor dining, we’re dedicating this issue to the best terrace spots in London, from Amélie’s immaculate views and silky smooth mousse au chocolat to soulful jazz and acoustic vibes at Amano’s Skyline Sessions.
We’re also telling you if Notting Hill’s Dove is worth the hype. Nigella Lawson sure thinks it is. According to her, they serve up ‘the best pork chops’ and a ‘sensational’ Gorgonzola burger. But the catch? Dove only sells 10 of them.
We managed to get a table, but did we get to try the oh-so-famous burger? Find out below.
Plus: Metro’s brand new food series, What’s Cooking, sees Food & Drink Writer Courtney Pochin interview guests to find out exactly what’s going on behind the scenes in the nation’s kitchens. For the first instalment, Jamie Oliver shares what he really thinks of McDonald’s.
Read on for a whole range of recommendations for 10-11 May, handpicked as always by The Slice.
Welcome to the Slice
The Slice is your weekly guide to what’s happening in London, so if you’re looking for restaurant reviews, drinks deals or just a great new exhibition to visit on a rainy Saturday in the capital, we’ve got you covered.
Click here for this week’s edit of the best things to do in town.
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This week in London
If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, here are 11 of the best activities, dining, and drinking spots in the capital.
1. Try the restaurant Nigella Lawson is raving about, Dove
By Courtney Pochin
As someone who considers the words of Nigella Lawson to be gospel, I had to try Dove immediately after seeing she’d raved about the Notting Hill restaurant in not one, but three Instagram posts. According to the foodie queen, it sells a ‘sensational’ burger as well as the ‘best pork chops’ she’s ever eaten. So good was this pork that she was reduced to ‘mesmerised inarticulacy’.
Unsurprisingly, she wasn’t lying about the pork chops, they are indeed delicious. Tender and juicy, with a tangy sauce that I couldn’t stop dunking the duck fat fries into. However, I think Nigella enjoyed them a lot more than me, as I wasn’t rendered speechless. They were good, but not that good.
As for the Gorgonzola Burger, I can’t confirm whether or not it lives up to the hype… as there weren’t any of them left. The off-menu item is made using trimmings from 50-day Highland Beef Sirloin Chop and there’s just enough excess meat to make 10 patties each day. I arrived 30 minutes after opening time and all 10 had already been snapped up. They won’t save them for anyone no matter how special you are. People have even tried to bribe them with cash. So lesson learned, if you want to try what some people are calling the best burger in London, you’ll have to get there before the doors even open.
Read Courtney’s full review of Dove here.
Small plates from £12. Sharing dishes from £44. 31 Kensington Park Rd, Notting Hill, W11 2EU. Book here.
2. Soak in the London sun at some of the most special terraces
Sabine
Best for: stunning views
There are loads of rooftop with rubbish views, but this is not one. With beautiful views of St Paul’s Cathedral, you can sit here and watch the world go by with a cooling glass of wine or a tasty Sabine Signature cocktail to sip on. We loved the refreshing Velvet Bloom – with Sabine gin, lychee liqueur, rose cordial, citrus solution.
With the citrus cutting the sweetness, it’s just right – a balanced gift of floral flavours. And the food feels just as special.Their chicken toast is a lovely invention – seriously crunchy (almost too crunchy) bread with creamy sweet n’ sour gochujang sauce.
Small plates from £6. Large plates from £18. Cocktails from £16.50. 10 Godliman St, St Paul’s. Book here.
Amano
Best for: a chic spot to unwind
To usher in the return of longer, warmer evenings, glitzy Covent Garden hotel Amano is welcoming guests to its tranquil rooftop terrace bar to enjoy Skyline Sessions, a weekly live music series of soulful jazz and acoustic performances.
The view up here is stunning – Covent Garden isn’t exactly high rise, so you have a panorama from Battersea Power Station to the London Eye and beyond. Take it all in over exclusive cocktails from Elephant Gin – this is the ultimate way to wind down at the end of a long week.
Skyline Sessions. 22 May. Entry and cocktail, £15. 34-43 Russell Street, Covent Garden. Book here.
Amélie
Best for: ultimate decadence
If you love people watching, Amélie’s terrace on Motcomb Street in Belgravia is the ideal spot to do it. You’ll be shaded by a giant parasol, a crisp glass of Miraval Provence Rosé in hand.
Just don’t skip the mousse au chocolat. Expect an entire chocolate mousse trolley brought to your table, with a giant bowl of the rich, silky smooth pudding to generously scoop from. You can pick your own toppings – like hazelnuts or a glug of olive oil.
For true decadence, opt for a little bit of everything and don’t offer your dining companions a single spoonful – it’s too good to share!
Cocktails from £13. Mousse au chocolat, £12. Pantechnicon, 19 Motcomb St, Belgravia. Book here.
3. Get served Lebanese French rotisserie chicken at Toum
By Josie Copson
Toum is a true Parisian escape. The chicken restaurant mixes Lebanese flavours with a French twist, literally. They’ve stuck their poultry on a rotisserie, a giant French spit. With burgundy booths, bar seating to watch the chefs and art deco light fixtures, this is far from a cheeky Nando’s.
While the signature chicken is moist, it’s little lacking in flavour. That’s where the standout chicken jus comes in. The succulent and rich gravy is golden in both colour and taste, and it oozes seamlessly into the meat’s skin. Our dessert pick is tarte tatin, so sweet it’ll almost make you wink. The tart’s sticky consistency marries well with its soft vanilla ice cream companion.
If you’ve finished your food but the catchup isn’t done, head downstairs to the atmospheric underground bar. Cocktails are a plenty and they even offer £8.50 mini cocktails for the sober curious (or those with a big day at work the next day).
Rotisserie chicken. Half, £19. Whole, £38 (at lunchtime you can get a side and a green salad with it for £20). 18a Maddox Street, Mayfair, W1S 1PL. Book here.
4. Indulge in low-waste plates by Max La Manna and Tendril
Plant-first chef Rishim Sachdeva is teaming up with vegan influencer superstar, chef and cookbook author Max La Manna in collaboration with Rishim’s restaurant Tendril.
Taking place on 9-10 May, they’ve curated a delicious six-course plant-first set menu. Expect dishes like crisp green strawberry salsa on blue corn tostada, and pickled rhubarb & nettle tempura. Get your tickets here!
5. Get 50% off at the first Permit Room in London
The first Permit Room restaurant in London, from the team behind the beloved Dishoom, has officially opened in Notting Hill. Expect a menu slightly different and more casual to Dishoom, but fear not – favourites like the bacon naan will still grace the menu.
As part of their soft launch, you can get 50% off food until 9 May. Walk-in space is available!
6. Indulge in a new bakery and restaurant in Camberwell, Hello Jojo
Hello JoJo, a bakery and restaurant opens on 10 May. It joins a big family of other brilliant eateries as the latest addition to foodie strip Camberwell Church Street.
They’ll be serving up tasty bread and pasties, as well as salads and pastas.
7. See how good Bosch’s new hoover is by eating on it at FLOORS?
A new wacky concept is here: FLOORS. At this pop-up by Bosch, diners will be eating on the floor showing just how well their new vacuum can clean. The pop-up is inspired by research revealing that 43% of Brits follow the ‘five-second rule’ (so we won’t judge you if you do it too).
Dishes like lychee ceviche and black sesame mochi cake will be on the menu. 9 May. 7pm – 9:30pm. Get your ticket here.
8. Get 50% off beautiful salads at Mildreds in Soho
Get 50% off Mildreds new lunchbox to go, which aims to bring some life to Soho’s lunch scene. Brighten your day up with the Rainbow Connection, a crisp, colourful slaw with beetroot, carrot and plenty more lovely veggies.
The offer is available 12-16 May, Monday to Friday, 12–2pm. But hurry, once they’re gone they’re gone.
9. Try Shakara’s inventive dishes
New restaurant Shakara popped up in December 2024, aiming to find a space in the ever-growing family of incredible high-end African restaurants in London. With Victor Okunowo in the kitchen, a semifinalist of MasterChef: The Professionals, and former Akoko executive chef Ayo Adeyemi helping to develop the launch menu. These are impressive names, so it’s fair to say we had high hopes for Shakara.
They’ve got some seriously inventive dishes, like peppered goat and smoked marrow croquettes – beautiful umami bites beneath a crunchy outer layer. And the cocktails have cool twists too, like the Suya Sour, with its punchy spiced rim and plum garnish filled with dried plantain chips.
But long waiting times, overly salty jollof rice and underwhelming lamb skewers (they’re tender but lacking in flavour) tell us that this restaurant has a long way to go if it wants to follow in the footsteps of critically-acclaimed Chishuru, Akara and Akoko.
Snacks from £10. Cocktails from £16. 66 Baker St, Marylebone, W1U 7DJ. Book here.
10. Try Burger & Lobster’s new secret menu item
The humble fry has been taken to the next level with London’s newest The Lobster Loaded Fries at Burger & Lobster are designed for sharing.
You get two whole lobsters, gooey cheese sauce, and chives, drizzled with the cult-favourite Lemon and garlic butter sauce. To try it? Just tell a waiter that you know about the secret loaded fries in-restaurant.
11. Immerse yourself in all things literary at Fleet Street Quarter’s Festival of Words
A literary festival is landing at Fleet Street Quarter on 14-17 May, with a pretty impressive line up of speakers. Expect events across the world of current affairs and journalism, fiction and screenwriting.
Guests include Jeremy Vine, Larry Lamb, Reeta Chakrabarti, Iain Dale, Jimi Famurewa and more. Grab your tickets!
12. Get your hands on tickets for Shakespeare’s Globe Summer Season
The summer season has officially launched at the outdoors Shakespeare’s Globe, featuring a whole host of wonderful plays centred around love, revenge, truth, power and peace. It kicked off with a brand new production of Romeo and Juliet starring Abdul Sessay (Dear England, National) and Lola Shalam (Women, Beware the Devil, Almeida) as the famous ‘star-cross’d lovers’.
Next to launch is an adaptation of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. On for a limited nine-week run, it’s a gripping tale with paranoia and superstition sweeping through the town of Salem.
Romeo and Juliet, until 2 Aug. The Crucible, 8 May-12 July. Shakespeare’s Globe. Book tickets here.
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