This weekend we’ve got some fun antidotes to the grey skies. Start the weekend with some little baos, live music and lots of cocktails, follow on Saturday with a culinary trip to the Scottish Highlands and an all night smasher (with one of our favourite DJs), and end with some immersive and underwater art on Sunday. And if you’re up for exploring, King’s Cross seems to be the go-to ‘hood for cool new spaces (think floating bookstores and converted gymnasiums). This Weekend’s Picks • FRI Little Bao • SAT Unleash Terrace Party • SUN The Rising Tide TOP 5 Alternative Spaces in King’s Cross 1. Dine in a converted gymnasium at new restaurant The German Gymnasium 2. Shop for books on Word on the Water 3. If you haven’t already, go for a dip in King’s Swimming Cross Pond 4. See a show and have a few drinks at the outdoor bar and stage, Panarmonium 5. Beer, cider and music…sound good? Head to the Court Yard Festival this weekend Bombay Sapphire® ‘The Gin Journeys, An Exotic Journey to the Ends of the Earth’ at Sanderson- NOW OPEN Last week it was Ultimate Gin & Tonics all around as we celebrated the launch of Bombay Sapphire®’s pop up at Sanderson which is now open every evening for six weeks! Drop into Sanderson's courtyard to try an Ultimate Gin & Tonic twist - there will be a full menu available with a new ‘regional focus’ every two weeks. Up first, the Mediterranean (expect a sensory Ultimate Gin and Tonic twist with hints of fig and almond, heighten by an intriguing coffee atomiser). Or book into a complimentary masterclass and go to a midweek live music night. September is looking good! The Gin Journeys at Sanderson is open daily from 6PM until late. Entrance is free, and Ultimate Gin & Tonics and pairing menus are independently priced. To book a complimentary masterclass, held every Tuesday & Wednesday, email ginjourneys@bombaysapphire.com. Live music nights are held every Wednesday night as part of the Sanderson Sessions. FRIDAY EAT: Little Bao PARTY: Summer Tales Closing Party Take a break from the queue at BAO on Lexington Street in Soho and join Little Bao’s, on Old Compton Street. The Hong Kong pop up has a one-week residency in London at The Soho Kitchen and Bar, and if it’s anything like its HK counterpart, expect lines for their savoury pork belly and Szechuan baos and that sweet green tea ice cream mini bao, dripping in condensed milk. Bao down. It’s the last weekend of Summer Tales, so expect a banger of a leaving party: live music, food and drinks – all the essential ingredients. But it’s not goodbye forever. Come October, Night Tales will be back with Tokyo Nights: Japanese gardens, neon signs and, even a secret Love Hotel… September 7 - 13 Prices vary 19-21 Old Compton Street, W1D 5JJ 6pm - Midnight £5 on the door 288-299 Old Street, Shoreditch, EC2A FOLLOW US! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram See what we've been snapping this week on Instagram! Hofesh Shechter’s Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut at O2 Academy Brixton Sponsored listing This October, 40 dancers and musicians will rock the iconic O2 Academy Brixton, having wowed audiences from Paris to Hong Kong, Shechter's smash hit show returns to London for one last time. Performed as part of #HOFEST, a 4 week long season of dance in some of the capital's leading venues, Political Mother: The Choreographer’s Cut is a dance show like no other. Book now to see this extraordinary dance-work-meets-rock-gig. #UJLoves Political Mother: The Choreographer's Cut, 7 & 8 October at O2 Academy Brixton, SW9 9SL Product pick The Rise of David Bowie Ziggy Stardust is about to land in the form of Taschen's coffee table book: The Rise of David Bowie 1972 - 1973. Detailing the superstar both on and off stage by legend photographer Mick Rock, expect glitter, costumes and intimate unseen images of the Londoner throughout his career. All signed by the man himself. Pre-order now! Available online, starts from £450. SATURDAY EAT: Mac & Wild DRINK: Unleash Terrace Party Street food veterans The Wild Game Co. have found a permanent home on Great Titchfield Street. The concept: The Scottish Highlands, or as they call it ‘gun to plate’ cuisine. Expect meat done all ways, from tartar to steak and burgers – and, of course, whisky, lots of it. Tickets are still available for the Unleash Terrace Party, and what a line up! UJ fave Solomon will be on decks for four hours, recreating some of that Sunday night Pacha magic. Tickets are on final release, so be quick, unless you want to be that person trying for tickets at the door…before 7pm. 6pm – late Prices vary 65 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 7PS 4pm 6am £10 + Studio 338, 338 Boord Street, Greenwich, SE10 0PF NEW WEBSITE Bombay Sapphire® recipes, bookings and masterclasses Want more Bombay Sapphire® Gin and Tonic Twist recipes, or simply want to book for a complimentary masterclass? Find out everything you need to know about the ‘The Gin Journeys, An Exotic Journey to the Ends of the Earth’ at Sanderson here. SUNDAY DO: Absent SEE: The Rising Tide The Shoreditch Town Hall has been transformed into a central London hotel. A theatrical installation by Dreamthinkspeak, ‘Absent’ is based on the Duchess of Argyll, who lived in a hotel only to be kicked out, years later, broke. Expect a labyrinth of film projections, recreations of hotel rooms and secret doorways… the ghost of the Duchess lives on. Head to the Thames foreshore at Vauxhall, two hours either side of low tide, for London’s first underwater exhibition. The impressive exhibition 'The Rising Tide' by underwater eco-sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor features horses with petroleum pumps instead of snouts revealed by the tide each day. The idea is to question our dependence on fossil fuels. Whatever your thoughts, it’s a must-see. From 12pm £12.50 - £15.50 380 Old Street, EC1V 9LT Visible at low tide Free Thames foreshore at Vauxhall, adjacent to Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, SE1 7TW Our Country’s Good at the National Theatre Sponsored listing ★★★★ ‘An overwhelmingly successful production. Strongly recommended’ Independent ★★★★ ‘A remarkable celebration of theatre’s potential to regenerate lost souls’ Evening Standard Cerys Matthews makes her debut as composer for the stage writing the music for Our Country’s Good, now playing at the National Theatre. This epic, compelling play tells the story of the first ship of convicts arriving in Botany Bay, 1788, observed by a lone, mystified Aboriginal Australian. Crammed with England’s outcasts, it charts their journey, and that of the officers in charge, as they get to grips with the brutal reality of colony life in this vast and alien land. This profoundly humane piece of theatre, steeped in suffering yet charged with hope, celebrates the redemptive power of art. Click here to find out more about the play. Our Country’s Good at the National Theatre, South Bank, London, SE1 9PX. 500 Travelex £15 tickets are available for every performance. Book now. RESERVED Lobster Bar Vibe & Decor Banish thoughts of neon lobster signs and kitsch chains – the new minimalist Hackney décor is in full effect here: in-vogue marble table tops, brushed concrete and large industrial windows. Sleek and calm. It’s a good spot for a first date or intimate catch up with friends – lighting is low and tunes are soft. Flavours Exactly what it says on the tin: lobster, in all its glorious forms, from rolls to benedict and, of course classic and grilled. Plus, there are oysters, clams, squid, mussels… you get the picture. The seaweed puffs were fluffy, the crab croquettes deliciously creamy and truffle fries moreish. As for the lobster, we ordered the half grilled with garlic and butter – rich and tender, but small. If you’re hungry, go for the full lobster. Cocktails are inventive and on-trend: think bitter aperitifs, botanical gin sours and sea juleps with, of course, all the classics and spritzes. Top Tip Brunch here is served every morning from 10am-2pm, so nab a spot by the large windows, order a lobster benedict and enjoy a hit of vitamin D. Highlight Apart from the grilled lobster soaked in garlic and butter… the décor – it's achingly Instagram-able. Info Unit 2, 205 Richmond Road, E8 3NJ lobsterbar.co.uk WEEKEND GUIDE BY CS 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.