Tuesday 14 April, 2015 Get your tickets here! Prime time spots, glasto-style snap-ups, and scalpers for…restaurants. Welcome to pre-purchased tickets, the latest ‘trend’ working its way through the set-menu scene. And thanks to a crop of trailblazing tastemakers, good or bad, it’s here to stay. In LA, Trois Mec has been doing it for a couple of years. The hottest ‘ticket’ in town (figuratively and literally), reservations are sold weekly for the restaurant's 26 seats and five-course tasting menu. Wine not included. We thought disaster; we were wrong. Great food with a buzzing atmosphere for under $100. Simple and democratic. However, over in Chicago’s Next Bistro, the process gets more complicated (and costly). The compulsory six-course set menu is covered by the ticket price, but the chalkboard of a la carte items is not. From carrots ($9) to a seafood platter ($130 for two), the rules are strict; chalkboard items can only be added or substituted at an additional cost. Here in London, The Clove Club is set to follow suit later this year, starting with dinner, with dynamic pricing system, Tock. Meaning the price of tickets will depend on the desirability of the reservation time. The later the reservation, the more expensive the meal (£65 or £95 for the same set menu). No refunds. No bookings vs. tickets – it begins. by CS Calendar Picks This Week's Picks SEE SHOP EAT DO The avant garde work of Sonia Delaunay at the Tate Modern. April 16 – August 9, £16, Bankside, SE1 9TG. Preen from £20. Yes, it’s sample sale time. 26 South Molton Lane, W1K 5AB. April 17-18. Fried chicken makes a comeback via the newly opened Joe’s Southern Kitchen & Bar. 300 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2TG. Now open. Go back to the 90s with Urban Food Fest's Nostalgia Night. 162 - 167 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6HU. April 18. From 5pm. Free entry. BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE PHOENIX FUNDRAISER SPONSORED LISTING An evening of live entertainment – all for a good cause. Expect comedy from Stewart Lee, Tim Key, Bridget Christie, Arthur Smith and Mackenzie Crook. There will be theatre from Lemn Sissay, Toby Jones and Forced Entertainment. Plus, numbers from Jerry Springer: The Opera and music from Beatbox Academy and Kneehigh Band. All this and more at one almighty bash! All proceeds go to support Battersea Arts Centre's recovery following the fire. Get involved! Battersea Arts Centre Phoenix Fundraiser, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX, April 18, 7:30pm. LIKE SHARE FORWARD PREVIOUS EDITION (c) 2015 Urban Junkies. All rights reserved. Reproductions of any portion of this website only with our express permission. Urban Junkies is a free weekly mailer. All listings and features are editorial: We do not receive any payment from venues, artists or promoters. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information listed but we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.