15.07 2026 What an exciting summer of sport this has been. First the Knicks, then Wimbledon and the World Cup. We will take all of these good vibes, and then some. COME ON ENGLAND! We hope you’re watching somewhere fun tonight. Have great weeks all. xx Taryn and Team UJ xx Petrol Station After a recent trip to Italy, noticing the haute Autogrill petrol stations on the side of the road, with chic diners sipping their cappuccinos in the AM and dining on plates of pasta with waiter service in the PM, got us thinking: are petrol stations across the globe due for an upgrade? And we aren’t the only ones. Supposedly there’s a new brand, Maggie’s Refuel in LA, inspired (at least the branding), it seems, by Mollie’s in Oxfordshire (the roadside diner and motel), and is going to be a new luxe ‘gas’ station that’s taken tips from Erewhon and other premium convenience stores. It will retain the spot’s original 76 branding, have collaborations with restaurants, and more. The project is backed by advisors from 7-Eleven and also has a food tech entrepreneur at the helm. We’d go! MORE INFO Johnny Boy's T Airbrushing Still on our LA kick, there’s something nostalgic about airbrushing. The new Johnny Boy’s in Stoke Newington has a menu that looks great – SoCal inspired, including all the global influences that make LA – as does the hip diner-inspired décor, but it’s their airbrushed Ts that we’re really swooning after. Want your own custom T? Try here. High Summer A mixed bag! We hope some relaxation time is on your horizon. And if so, you might need a croc raffia bag to keep you amused. SHOP NOW Dorothy's Around Town, Our Picks Just In News just in that the west London dream team behind Dorian (NHFS and Supermarket of Dreams) are opening a new Japanese restaurant, Nakimushi, close to Notting Hill Gate. New Behind excellent venues such as Foreign Exchange, Sol’s, Shreeji News, and Fort Road Hotel is Dorothy’s on Savile Row. An all-day caffè, bar and restaurant, they have St John pastries in the AM, sandwiches and salads throughout the day, and aperitivo and small plates at night. ‘Tis a perfect fit for its location. UJ Loves If you haven’t been to Vesper on Exmouth Road yet, go! As a reminder, it’s Jackson Boxer’s latest venue, with Dove’s super special 10 burgers a day, pared-back, light-filled, fresh design, and an ever-changing menu. He’s partnered with the Bar Crispin owner here, too, which seems like a great, well-suited combination. Offshoots We are big LPM fans – it’s one of our favourite tucked away terraces in London – and this September, they’re launching Le Café LPM, their new café concept in The Lanesborough. Over on Kingly court, Alta, the much-loved Basque restaurant, now has Bar Alta, a more relaxed space for pintxos on the ground floor. Smart! USA to LDN So, as we mentioned. LA’s come to Stoke Newington via Johnny Boy’s; NYC’s Dante is now permanent at Claridge’s; Buvette is trying LDN again in Covent Garden; and It’s Bagels has just launched Bodega Nights, with an NYC-style late night menu served until 11PM out of a takeaway window (we love a hatch) on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. News You know we’re not one for ‘meal deals’, but when it’s Nobu… Nobu London on Old Park Lane has a new Signature Lunch with some of its classics including yellowtail jalapeño, rock shrimp, and black cod, for £40. Looking for something hot? Noodle & Beer have new ‘love it or hate it specials’ where you can choose your Sichuan spice to be hot, very hot, or extremely hot – it’s good to see some properly fiery options. Culture and Dine The Marilyn exhibition is still on at the National Portrait Gallery; stop in at Portrait restaurant after for the Richard Corrigan-created, Marilyn-inspired snack menu. City to Sea We mentioned in our Ibiza newsletter that Jaïs is a Paris to Ibiza transfer, and now Paper Moon from Milan is opening in Porto Cervo. Announcements The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards are in Peru this year, and Netflix’s Chef’s Table is launching a food festival this August in Park City. Tratterhof Mountain Sky Hotel, Dolomites We’d wanted to go to the Dolomites for years, and wow did it deliver. Basing ourselves at the mountain-top Tratterhof Hotel, which is part of the Belvita Collection (Leading Wellnesshotels Südtirol), we hiked, we dined, we had a good time – and we even got an interview of where to go in the surrounding area, should you need a little (more) inspiration. READ OUR REVIEW AND INTERVIEW Unnecessary NYC Creative Ice Cream There’s a lot of interesting ice cream coming through. First, let’s go back to NYC’s LES, where Unnecessary NYC is serving dirty martini soft serve (yes please). Then over to LDN for flavours like wasabi peanut butter or McDonald’s fries at Big Kid Ice Cream. There’s also a Pepsi (bear with us) Y2K-inspired ice cream parlour pop up on 24-26 July (at The Designer Boutique Soho, 3-7 Friday and 11-7 Sat/Sun), serving flavours like cherry and vanilla sundae swirl and raspberry ripple; and a Bompas & Parr (they’re back!) ice cream supper club on 14 and 15 August. I scream, you scream…. Picardie to Paris Partner Content To help celebrate this summer’s recent GREY GOOSE® Hôtel in Picardie, we created The Goose Gazette newspaper for them. The issue includes content about their heritage in Picardie; their global launches, activity, and highlights this year; recommendations of what GREY GOOSE cocktails to drink in key European summer locations; and QR codes that take you to a playlist, a Little Blue Book Google Map Paris Guide, and more. READ IT HERE Lodge Park Megève Downsizing Big isn’t always better, as these two will tell you. Lodge Park in Megève has reopened after a year-long refurbishment, changing from a 49-room property to a 28-suite one. Locanda Cipriani in Venice, on the island of Torcello, has also reopened with just 10 chic suites. Jesús Rafael Soto, Pénétrable BBL Jaune Go, Go, Go An annual Hyde Park great, it’s time to check out the Serpentine Pavilion, by CDMX-based studio LANZA atelier, the David Hockney exhibition (on until 23 August) in the Serpentine North Gallery, and the fun Jesús Rafael Soto, Pénétrable BBL Jaune installation in Kensington Gardens. Outside of London, the Goodwood Art Foundation is a great day out that includes a large-scale iconic pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama; in NYC, get yourself to Clinamen by Céleste Boursier-Mougenot for his incredible sonic exhibition at Park Avery, with porcelain bowls floating in water, until 9 August. Scenic Route Looking for some train travel? We hear the train from Porto to Douro is an extremely scenic one and we’re big fans of the Douro in the summer: hiking, biking, wine tasting, lake swimming. MORE INFO Play Time Off somewhere nice? Maybe you need one of these? Pink | Multicolour | Hammock | Ball PRIOR Expert Organisation Seems like every day there’s a new company offering to organise your trips. Tablet have just announced that they are offering private customised trip organisation for Plus members. And David Prior, of the publication PRIOR, has been leading trips for a few years now; an upcoming one is Florence Behind Closed Doors, led in partnership with Cabana Magazine (three nights cost from $7,375). On the more reasonable end, if you’re going to Lisbon, no one knows the food scene like the self-proclaimed immigrant foodie. His Top 101 restaurant list is still one of the best Lisbon lists around, and he offers customised itineraries/experiences, too; just DM him. AND for Ibiza trip itineraries, of course, contact us! Run Around Town Two new reviews include a lunch spent on the ground floor of the buzzy, delicious Carbone, and a late dinner spent at the atmospheric, slick MA/NA, with a (not reviewed) snack at Café Clement thrown in. We do get around! REVIEW OF CARBONE | REVIEW OF MA/NA It’s hot outside, go inside. Book Now Electra/ Persona, NT With Cate Blanchett See Anish Kapoor, Hayward Gallery Until 18 October Hear Michael Bibi and Seth Troxler on the Thames 16 August Come on England! 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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