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Metro
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
12 best things to do in London this weekend including 'stunning' rooftop bars
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. 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. The Slice newsletter also a brand new look! We'll still be in your inbox every week, bringing you all the very best things to eat, drink and do in the capital. So if you want get the next edition before anyone else, sign up here! If you want to do it all on the cheap, you can also find our latest batch of exclusive hand-picked offers in partnership with Time Out here. If you're looking for something to do this weekend, here are 11 of the best activities, dining, and drinking spots in the capital. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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! 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! 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. More Trending Guests include Jeremy Vine, Larry Lamb, Reeta Chakrabarti, Iain Dale, Jimi Famurewa and more. Grab your tickets! 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. MORE: I tried the £60 meal Nigella Lawson keeps raving about — it wasn't what I expected MORE: I snooped through Jamie Oliver's kitchen — and discovered what he really thinks of McDonald's
Metro
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
I tried the £60 meal Nigella Lawson is raving about — it wasn't what I expected
Over the last few weeks, Nigella Lawson has shared not one, not two, but three posts about a particular London restaurant on Instagram, each one more fervent than the last. In her first post about Dove in Notting Hill, the 65-year-old cook claimed it served the 'best pork chop' she'd ever eaten. So good was the pork that it had reduced her to 'mesmerised inarticulacy' and she couldn't stop thinking about it. The second lamented about the 'dream' starter of a potato pizzette, which she cheekily described as a 'potato pancake crossed with a plump pizza dough' topped with mortadella and 'quiveringly bulging' burrata. And finally she praised a 'sensational' Gorgonzola Burger which has garnered such a cult following that it's practically impossible to get hold of one – just 10 are available each day and once they're gone, they're gone. As someone who considers the words of Queen Nigella to be foodie gospel, I knew I needed to visit Jackson Boxer's restaurant immediately, so I booked myself in for lunch last Saturday and made sure to get a table as close to the opening time as possible. The doors opened at 12pm and I arrived promptly at 12:30pm but alas, I was already too late to try the viral £18 burger, it had completely sold out. What makes the burger so special? It's made with incredibly good quality meat – trimmings from Dove's 50-day Highland Beef Rib that's a staple elsewhere on the menu. There's just enough excess meat leftover from it to create 10 burgers each day, with the rib getting mixed with brisket, chuck and aged beef fat to create the patty. This is topped with a young Gorgonzola Dolce from northern Italy and finished with a condiment made from onions that's cooked for six hours in caramelized butter before being served on a toasted potato roll. It's an off-menu dish you'll only find on the restaurant's blackboard and there's no way to pre-order one ahead of time. You can't bribe staff with a large sum of money to save you one (people have tried and failed) and even journalists or influencers doing a review aren't able to beat the system and request special treatment – something I wholeheartedly respect. As such, I'm unable to confirm whether or not the burger lives up to the hype, but I can tell you that Nigella wasn't wrong about the pork chops… at least, not completely. They're tender and juicy with a tangy sauce that I couldn't stop dunking the duck fat fries into. And while a portion for two might cost £60, there's a LOT of meat on the plate – you certainly won't go hungry if you order this. I do have to confess though, I think Nigella enjoyed the pork chops more than me. They're very good, I'll give her that, but they didn't render me speechless and I haven't been dreaming about them all week. And if I'm being really honest, I wasn't a big fan of the pizzette. I loved the idea of it – especially the fried potato base – but as a whole it was too salty for my palette (I blame the smoked bonito mayonnaise). I've also decided mortadella isn't for me – it just tastes like fancy Billy Bear ham. Sorry Nigella. Nestled a few streets over from the bustling Portobello Road, Dove is rather minimal in terms of design. Neutral coloured walls, wooden tables, rattan chairs and some splashes of terracotta-coloured upholstery make up the inside. It's cosy and inviting. At 12:30pm on a Saturday in May, the restaurant is packed, with tables spilling out onto the street. But inside diners aren't missing out on the sun, as there's a giant skylight in the ceiling that fully opens up when the weather is nice. More Trending The food isn't the cheapest, but the cost will vary depending on what you order and some of the more expensive dishes are intended for sharing, so you can split the cost with a pal. Prices start from £4 for olives and pickles and rises to £96 for the Beef Sirloin Chop that serves two/three people. While I might not have been the biggest fan of everything I tried at Dove, there's no denying that the food looks incredible on plates. It's simple and elegant with no OTT garnishes or unnecessary add-ons. It's obvious that Jackson and the team take what they do there very seriously and are trying to create something special. For me, it wasn't what I expected. The reality of the meal didn't quite live up to the resplendent picture Nigella painted of it on social media, but as we all know, taste is subjective. View More » I'm not fussed about going back for the pork chops again, but I will be making it my mission to nab one of the burgers soon. After trying the 'world's best' burger recently, I need to know how this one compares… Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Man, 22, dies falling from London rooftop after night out MORE: First picture of 'super nice' and 'helpful' man stabbed to death in his flat MORE: The cheapest TfL station to live near revealed — where rents cost £1,400
