London awakens A post-Covid Spring
OFFERS: THEATRE, EATING, JUBILEE
London is springing back to life. Heathrow Airport reports that March was its busiest month since the start of the pandemic. The uptick is linked to the British government’s recent elimination of coronavirus restrictions, a welcome move for many travellers eager for their fill of British culture, including once-in-a-lifetime Platinum Jubilee events and experiences based on Bridgerton, the heady hit show from Netflix.
Some city stalwarts closed their doors during the pandemic. Among them: Cafe de Paris, a cabaret venue in the West End since 1924; Le Caprice in St James’, once a favourite spot of Princess Diana; and the physical locations of Debenham’s, the 242-year-old department store.
But throughout London, other cafes and shops bustle, scores of new bars and restaurants have opened and city squares teem with everyday life. Many of the Royal Parks are ablaze in daffodils and brimming with picnickers, while live theatre is back in the West End. The return of in-person events lends to the buoyancy of the Platinum Jubilee “Central Weekend” in June, when public celebrations will mark Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign.
Here’s more on what is new and noteworthy in London:
One of the buzziest spots is Sessions Arts Club in Clerkenwell, a reimagined 18th-century courthouse where artwork and crumbling, dramatic décor lend a fanciful patina to fare from chef Florence Knight. Dishes like sea bream with parsley and eel with creme fraiche are delightfully British with whiffs of France and Italy. Entrees range from £10 to £25 (or around R210 to R520).
Another new hit is KOL, Britain’s first Michelin-starred Mexican restaurant, where chef Santiago Lastra turns out items like pork belly carnitas with cabbage purée. On the ground level is The Mezcaleria, which serves kicky, mezcal-focused cocktails (six- or nine-course tasting menus cost £90 £125, without wine or mezcal pairings; cocktails at Mezclaria are £15).
Vegans and meat-eaters alike might be delighted with the restaurant Gauthier Soho’s pivot from classic French gastronomy to plant-based fine dining. One dish, rice with truffle “cream”, delivers the richness of dairy through a potato-and-lentil starch combination (the tasting menu starts at £50, without wine pairings).
When Leroy in Shoreditch adopted rotisserie chicken takeaway as a pandemic survival manoeuvre, the Michelin-starred restaurant might not have imagined the side hustle would evolve into a stand-alone eatery. Now, Royale sells whole or half-cornfed Anjou chicken, sides like leeks vinaigrette, and a hazelnut parfait dessert. (Whole chickens cost £30, sides about £10).
In Covent Garden, the New York-based design company Roman and Williams has transformed a 19th-century Magistrate’s Court into the first European Nomad Hotel. The selected art and textured materials imbue spaces with a contemporary edge and the restaurant is housed within a three-story glass atrium (rates from £409).
Two interconnected Geor
gian homes are now the 14-suite Beaverbrook Town House in Chelsea, where interiors designed by Nicola Harding offer vibrant colour combinations, lively prints and tassel-fringed upholstery inspired by London’s grand theaters (rates from £495). Hotel guests can access the leafy, residents-only Cadogan Gardens, as well as enjoy “Bridgerton”-themed experiences with the sister property Beaverbrook Estate in Surrey.
Lights are back on in the West End with blockbuster musicals like Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Six, a modern chronicle of the fate of Henry VIII’s wives.
For those seeking plays, there is Much Ado About Nothing at The Shakespeare Globe and the West End openings include The Glass Menagerie starring Amy Adams (from 23 May to 27 August) and
Prima Facie with Jodie Comer of
Killing Eve fame (through June 18).
At the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear exhibition brings together historical and contemporary ensembles to highlight the concept of gender fluidity. Expect to see 18th-century frock coats and suits worn by the Beatles, to gowns sported by the singer Harry Styles and the drag performer Bimini Bon-Boulash. Admission to the museum is free and there’s no timed entry; “Fashioning Masculinities” runs through November).
Surrealism Beyond Borders at the Tate Modern explores the global reach of the surrealist movement with works by lesserknown artists from Osaka, Japan, and Bogotá, Colombia, juxtaposed with paintings by Dali, Miro and Magritte (free and ticketed admission to the museum and advance bookings are recommended; runs through August).
In June, Britain celebrates the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II as its first monarch to spend 70 years on the throne with an array of offerings.