03.02 2026 With news that Ministry of Sound and XOYO have just re-opened after massive refurbs, it’s encouraging to see two of the club greats coming back with a new lease of life. Now we just have to get some good news for restaurants. On that note, if you can, be sure to take advantage of the offers available across the city via the Good Food Guide’s first restaurant week, on until 13 February. Support your local; we’re sure they’ll appreciate it. Have great weeks all. xx Taryn and Team UJ xx Diners It started for us after a recent trip to the legendary Sherman’s in Palm Springs – a reminder of our love of diners. We then noticed Max and Helen’s in LA: Nancy Silverton and Phil Rosenthal’s newish diner, with wraparound queues and a menu that follows the same classic format. Which made us excited to hear that London’s just received a new diner of sorts: Café Kowloon by the Mr Bao and Daddy Bao family has swivel stools at the counter, facing the kitchen, as well as banquette seating. The menu might be different from your usual Americana fare – it’s Cantonese, and looks delicious – but the vibe feels similar. Warm, laidback, easy dining: we’ll take it. MORE INFO Hi-Lo Collabs Noma popping up in LA – is interesting. But Noma x Courage Bagels, creating a one-day-only bagel with oyster mushrooms, pumpkin bushi, black pepper, savoury rose fudge, nasturtium and bergamot on a hot sea salt sesame bagel: now that is special. More of this please. Prep School We have a weakness for anything that looks mildly collegiate! SHOP NOW Here, there, everywhere Just Opened TONIGHT! Bambi, the record bar and restaurant, is reopening after a huge refurbishment and is now twice the size, and will have DJs every night. Led by the founder of the much-loved One Club Row and The Knave of Clubs, they also have a new chef, who has crafted a great menu with eclectic influences (think ingredients like nahm jim, green papaya, coconut saffron, and dishes like peri peri prawns). Tiella Trattoria & Bar, serving homestyle Pugliese-inspired cooking, is now open on Columbia Road, in a restored, 175-year-old former Victorian pub. And across town in Fitzrovia, Aces Foodcraft uses Japanese precision with seasonal ingredients to create an extremely innovative offering; choose à la carte or a tasting menu at the chef’s table. And lastly, Claridge’s has a new bakery; we’ll take the smiley jammie dodger-inspired treat, please. Events Two of our faves, Jackson Boxer and John Javier, are doing a five night residency at Carousel, 17-21 Feb, with a tasting menu to celebrate the Year of the Horse, blending regional Chinese influences with modern technique; be there! As we mentioned, The Good Food Guide is running their inaugural restaurant month, with over 350 offers, including some from some of our favourite restaurants, like River Cafe, and Arlington, on until 13 February. Also on until 13 February is the fondue residency at Julie’s – if you can’t go skiing, bring the après vibes to you. Celebration Quo Vadis is 100! And to celebrate this milestone, their 2026 dinner series has been rightly updated to be called Quo Vadis & Friends: The Legends Series, and it’s especially brilliant. Tickets are released monthly in the Quo Vadis newsletter, sign up here. International Straker’s is going to NY (W Broadway) and so is Goop Kitchen (20 East 20th Street); Vecinos, from a legendary hospitality crew has just opened in Miami – it’s a neighbourhood spot, which makes a nice change from the never-ending list of bling international restaurants opening in MIA lately; Street XO is going to Ibiza (in oooof, the old Ushuaia Tower, now called The Unexpected Hotel, ooooof); the Catch Hospitallity Group (owns the overnight success, The Corner Store SoHo) is opening another NY restaurant, @or.esh, and The Fifth Avenue Hotel in NYC has martini butlers to serve the perfect in-room pours. Yes please! We Want to Try Tobi Masa, at The Chancery Rosewood for haute omakase with some of his signature dishes from his three-Michelin-starred restaurant Masa in NYC. There’s omakase, and then there’s omakase… Did you Know Reservations for three-Michelin star El Celler de Can Roca in Girona can be made 11 months in advance, and reservations open on the first day of every month, at 00:00 local time, meaning, we just missed trying this month! UJ Loves – Dish of the Month The strawberry, green mango, crispy jasmine fish, coconut salad at Plaza Khao Gaeng in Borough Yards – definitely one of the best things we’ve eaten in awhile. It’s a vibrant, flavour party, that’s properly spicy – we’ll be back! For that, and to work through the rest of their excellent menu. Coming Soon The brothers who founded Carousel, are turning their wine bar into a Mexican seafood restaurant, Cometa; opening 20 Feb. Temaki, a hand-roll bar that many travel to Brixton specifically for, is opening in February in Mayfair. From the Laughing Heart and Luca gang comes Osteria Vibrato on Greek Street; expect a dimly-lit cocktail bar, Murano chandeliers, terrazzo floors, tablecloths, banquettes – all the things we like, stay tuned. Another one we’re excited about, Simpson’s in the Strand….could it be happening this month? We can hope! Upstairs at Ronnie’s Now open After an extensive refurbishment (it’s been closed since 2024), Upstairs at Ronnie’s, the new 140-capacity music venue on the first floor of legendary Ronnie Scott’s, is reopening with an intimate plush auditorium and state-of-the-art kitchen. They also have a new members’ club backstage, The Greene Rooms, which will be a place for artists and members to hang out, and sounds great. The launch party for Upstairs at Ronnie’s is tomorrow, with pre-sale on for members. MORE INFO New Hotels Parador de Ibiza This one is exciting. Paradores, as you likely know, are government-owned historic buildings in Portugal and Spain that operate as hotels. And there’s a new one opening in Ibiza in March, that will be open year-round in the UNESCO World Heritage old town, or Dalt Vila. Prices look reasonable-ish in the shoulder seasons; they say they have (paid) parking, and the location couldn’t be better. We’re hoping it’s great. Nômade Temple Madrid Following their properties in Tulum and Holbox, Nômade are bringing their design-forward, shared experiences-focused hotel concept to Madrid; this time with an urban spin. There are 93 rooms with both individual and group options, a rooftop bar and pool, and a large House of Healing spa. Opens in March. Six Senses London We’ve mentioned this several times already, but it’s finally opening! Book now for stays from 1 March and check out London’s first Six Senses in The Whiteley, Bayswater. Here you’ll find Whiteley’s Kitchen, Bar and Café, the first Six Senses Place for members and guests, and of course, their spa with innovative longevity treatments, cryo, flotation, and more. Warblers at Trinity, Newfoundland and Labrador We have a lot of love for Canada, maybe now more than ever (yes, PM Mark Carney!). And we’re especially interested in those lesser-known parts. The recently opened Warblers at Trinity, which consists of two houses (with two and three beds) on a cliff in Newfoundland, looks perfect. Hiking trails, beachfront lobster tails, starry skies, whales, firepits, and forest walks. We say stay a few nights here, then drive (approx four hours) to the renowned Fogo Island Inn, which operates as a community-owned social enterprise (initially funded by an eighth-generation Fogo Islander who made a fortune in tech and wanted to return to her roots), where 100% of operating surpluses are reinvested into the local economy. Oh Canada! The Standard, Lisbon Lisbon neeeeeeeds this. Opening early summer in the historic Graça/Alfama neighbourhood, there will be a fun rooftop bar and pool, 170 rooms, and 24 long-stay apartments. We can’t wait to hear more about the F&B coming here, too. Art Basel Qatar Global Event Transfers Art Basel is heading to Qatar on 5-7 Feb (The Ned is there), and this 11-13 September, Formula 1 returns to Madrid as part of a 10-year deal. It’s also returning to Portugal in ‘27 and ‘28, in Portimão; if you go, dine at the Michelin-starred VISTA restaurant in the area – it’s outstanding. Primavera Sound is also going to Porto, 11-14 June (stay at The Largo). Disney on TikTok Last month, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of High School Musical, Disney released the complete film, via 52 clips, on TikTok. The future of film? MORE INFO Winter Olympics-Inspired Mountain Getaways With the Winter Olympics starting imminently (6 Feb), we’re craving mountain air! Here are some sky-high options for any time of year. Solo Palacio – Asturias, Spain Remember the getaway in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Oviedo? Well, it’s beautiful, and this mountainside hotel is about a 40-minute drive from Oviedo’s airport. This three-star Michelin restaurant, Casa Marcial, is about an hour and a half away from the hotel; looks worth the trip. Bellevue Hotel & Spa – Cogne, Italy Views, a spa, traditional restaurant, and location right at the crossroads of Italy, France, and Switzerland. It’s also a Relais & Châteaux. Forestis, South Tyrol, Italy It’s not the first, or likely the last time, that we’ve mentioned Forestis. Looks like exactly where you want to be in the Dolomites. MoMA Mart This looks fun. Grocery-store items that aren’t edible. On until 29 March at both MoMA Design Store locations (Spring Street and West 53rd Street), and online. MORE INFO La Dolce Vita Orient Express and Rocky Mountaineer New Route Last spring saw the first La Dolce Vita Orient Express train depart out of Italy. Showcasing Italian highlights, they have numerous different itineraries (Italian Winter, Soul of Tuscany, etc), and trip lengths. The cabins are luxe, the dining car serves dinner by Heinz Beck, and the trains make stops, so you can hop off to do things like visit a local vineyard in Tuscany or go truffle hunting in Monferrato. And in Canada, for a limited time this summer, the scenic, glass-domed Rocky Mountaineer train has a new route, Passage to the Peaks, running between Jasper and Banff for a heart of the Canadian Rockies experience. By Rotation x Uber If you’re absolutely desperate and can figure out how to use it (seems like first, you need to find something you like that’s near you; next, you need to coordinate pick up, and then you can have your item collected and delivered in under 60 minutes), then this service could work! If you try it, let us know. MORE INFO Solar Eclipse 12 August Where will you be…. 12 August this year sees a total solar eclipse that will go across the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain (there are other areas as well that will offer shorter views). We’re thinking Cantabria – inspired by this Condé Nast Traveller feature that mentioned it, looks perfect! Goldwin If you need functional high-tech outerwear, might as well make it Japanese-designed. Goldwin has a new flagship in London at 35 Broadwick Street. MORE INFO Retreats From this March, Surrenne, the longevity and wellbeing club located at The Emory hotel, will be offering luxe, four-day retreats at its south of France home, Surrene Riviera at The Maybourne Riviera. Retreats include a nutrition consultation with UJ fave Rose Ferguson and they’re themed: the first one is Spring Equinox (20-24 March), followed by Anti-Inflamatory Reset (17-21 April). Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay are also continuing their retreats this year, which will run all season. Highlights include The Reformer Escape with SEVEN Wellness Club from 16-20 April, and Holistic Hikes with Ibiza Hike Station (various dates, from April- October). Surrenne Retreats | Nobu Hotel Ibiza Bay Retreats Dance Is what we’re going to do a lot more of this year. Here are a few club things on our radar – 2026 is looking goooood! XOYO Has a new owner, and it’s just relaunched Phonox Two Shell for 4 Fridays starting this week – Mum is Calling! Ministry of Sound Has also had a huge refurb and just reopened FOLLOW US (c) 2026 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. 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