Arts & Culture
Originally published on Sunday, 9th August 2015
The Culturist: August
Breathable booze, an outdoor screening and a hoverboard are just some of the things on this month’s schedule. Plus, Italian street food has gotten an upgrade, a new (wicked) hotel has opened and we’ve spilled the beans on how to get tickets to the impossible. You’re welcome. Enjoy!
SEE: HAMLET
Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS £10.50 August 5 – October 31
Good news if you missed out on tickets for Benedict Cumberbatch’s Hamlet (the fastest-selling ticket in London theatre history). The good folks at the Barbican will be releasing 30 £10 day-of tickets, daily. The Barbican and its stars have remained tight-lipped on the production – the sets, score and costumes – it’s all still to be revealed. Get there early for a chance to see Sherlock tackle Hamlet. Or there’s always the returns queue…
DO: PLAYGROUND & PROOF
Opens late August 3, 140a Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8PA
The trend of top notch street food continues with the opening of Bocca di Lupo’s Vico. Based on an Italian ‘piazza-eria’, the restaurant will be serving up pizza by the slice, polpette, arancini and fried tidbits of Mediterranean seafood, but sans menu. Instead, the concept is entirely based on daily market finds and the chef’s fancy. Expect minimal seating, house wine by the carafe, a Gelupo stand and some fried desserts – we can already taste the cannolis.
EAT: VICO
Brooksby’s Walk, E9 6DA
Fans of Upstairs at the Ten Bells should be thrilled by the news that boys Jarrod Cooke and Chef Giorgio Ravelli have opened a new bar and rooftop restaurant. Cuisine wise, dine on similar northern Italian flavours to those at the Ten Bells such as beef carpaccio with smoked Sicilian prawns, goat ravioli with tomato and ricotta and razor clams in grapefruit vierge. As for us, we’ll be heading in for the weekly Sunday BBQ, if only for the ginger glazed pork ribs.
STAY: THE ZETTER MARYLEBONE
Opens 14 August Rooms from £258 28-30 Seymour Street W1H 7JB
Wicked Uncle Seymour has finally opened his hotel. The Zetter Marylebone keeps the same eclectic vibe as the original (owned by eccentric ‘Great Aunt Wilhelmina’, so the ‘story’ goes…). Cocktails and light bites are had in Seymour’s Parlour, devised by Tony Conigliaro and Bruno Loubet, and the rest of the house is dedicated to the bedrooms: 21 bedrooms, 2 studio suites, and a lavish rooftop apartment. But because we know there’s no rest for the wicked, make Seymour proud and rent the entire townhouse for a posh ol’ knees up.
PARTY: ACID FUTURE
August 8, From £42.50, 12pm - 11.30am, 50 Porters Walk, E1W 2SF
Now, throw yourself into the canon of acid house. This Saturday Seth Troxler is set to take over London's Tobacco Dock to pay homage to the UK’s acid house history and heritage, inviting friends – The Martinez Brothers, Skream, Craig Richards, DJ Harvey (to name a few) – to pay their respects. But if three floors of pumping electro gets too much, and it will, head up to the rooftop to the Smokey Tails barbeque and cocktail pop up. We hear Seth will be smoking both decks and grill.
BREATH: BOMPAS AND PARR’S ALCOHOLIC ARCHITECTURE
From July 31, Cost: £10, 1 Cathedral Street, SE1 9DE
The wacky culinary geniuses are back with a floating bar of sorts. For six months find their cocktail cloud — aka a walk-in cloud of breathable cocktails — floating in Borough Market. And don’t expect just one flavour hit: the alcoholic weather system has a full drinks list comprised entirely of spirits and beers created by monks: think Chartreuse, Benedictine, Trappist beer and Buckfast. Breathe responsibly!
BOOK: AMY OUTDOOR SCREENING AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY
August 24, 7pm, From £15, Royal Academy Of Arts, W1J 0BD
For those who haven’t seen Amy, tickets are still available for the outdoor courtyard screening at the RA. Hosted by pop up Nomad cinema, not only will there be live jazz but there’s a a special Q&A after the show with director Asif Kapadia, so questions at the ready! Get there early, order some snacks and secure your spot front and centre. Or, book a premium ticket for seating and a G&T on arrival.
DON’T MISS: ENTER.SAKE PRESENTS SAKE SAKE
August 5, 7pm - 12am, €90, Lips Ibiza Beach Club, Porreres 1, Playa d’en Bossa, 07817 Ibiza
If you’re in Ibiza tomorrow night, don’t miss the annual ENTER.Sake dinner – think music and a five-course dinner paired with flowing sake. The leading lights of the sake industry from Japan will be there to tell you the difference between your Shuharis and Sookuus and Richie Hawtin will be fueling the tunes. Suffice to say, not your usual Wednesday night dinner. To secure your table email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
