Thom Evans
“I love eating out and my go-to restaurant is always Estiatorio Milos on Regent Street. The Greek fish restaurant originated in Montreal before opening in London back in 2015 and has been a firm favourite of mine ever since. I’m addicted to the raw seafood bar but my friends and I also love to share as much off the menu in the main restaurant as we can. We are competitive eaters and the food doesn’t get much better than this.”
ART: Steve McQueen
You’ve likely heard of Steve McQueen’s Year 3 exhibition at the Tate Britain where he invited every Year 3 pupil in London to have their photograph taken by a team of specially trained Tate photographers. They included children from state primaries, independent schools, faith schools, special schools, pupil referral units and home-educated pupils. These class photos are brought together into a single large-scale installation, capturing tens of thousands of Year 3 pupils in a milestone year in their development. It’s pretty incredible to see. But if that wasn’t enough dear art fans, then marvel at the fact the Tate Modern are opening the first major exhibition of all McQueen’s artwork from his illustrious career spanning more than 20 years, that will overlap with his popular Year 3 project. McQueen is a Londoner through and through and his works are continuously inspired by the city that surrounds us all. The exhibition features film, photography and sculpture and his pioneering approaches that have paved the way for his peers. Don’t miss the chance to catch a close up glimpse of this innovative man when the exhibition opens on February 13th.
EVENT: Life Lessons
The 15th and 16th February sees the inaugural weekend of the Life Lessons Festival, brought to us by The Sunday Times at The Barbican. This thought festival aims to provide a fresh perspective to the audience through talks and debates with a host of best selling authors and influential thinkers including Bill Bryson, Derren Brown. Ruby Wax, Alain De Botton, Richard Dawkins and Rangan Chatterjee. The programme will cover topics from emotional health to a manifesto on working less, alongside an array of mindful activities such as yoga and crafting. Their mission is to “ find the answers to life, the universe and everything.” That seems easy....! They will “apply a healthy dose of scepticism and a large chunk of science to an industry and world built on promises”. The line-up of over 80 authors is stellar so it’s sure to be a fascinating weekend that will leave all attendees perusing for weeks after, hopefully instilling lessons we can take forth into our day-to-day lives. One day tickets start at £60 right through to a VIP weekend pass that includes premium reserved seating. The tickets are unsurprisingly selling quickly so be sure to head to the website asap to grab yours.
RESTAURANT: Padella, Shoreditch
If you haven’t heard of or let alone BEEN to Padella then what have you been doing for the last 4 years? Padella is an affordable fresh pasta restaurant in London Bridge that joined the trend for no reservations but has seen queues continue out its doors ever since, something that not everyone has managed to maintain. With the huge success of the London Bridge site under their belt they’ve finally announced the opening of their second site- the news we have all been waiting for! The new Padella will open its doors in Shoreditch this month serving up more of their critically acclaimed dishes such as pappardelle with beef shin ragu, and tagliarini with new season olive oil and Parmesan. The Phipp Street venue will also be home to the existing bakery as it moves to join the new gang and will continue the first come first serve approach of it’s big brother. We aren’t sure if this will halve the queues or if double the carb-hungry fans from town will now be heading over for a taste but either way, we’ll be in the queue with you.
MUSIC: Candlelit Concert
It’s not always easy to find a moment of calm amongst the fast paced chaos of London life so we’ve done the hard work for you. Take a church, a place of tranquility and peacefulness, add in some soothing (not for all admittedly) classical music and shazam, your oasis of tranquility awaits. There are a series of Candlelight Concerts taking place this month in some of the oldest and most beautiful churches or buildings in London such as St Martin in the Fields, St James’ Church, Piccadilly and Porchester Hall with music such as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Mozart’s Requiem. So grab a ticket and head on down for some relaxation and exquisite music. Some tickets are under a tenner so even the cost needn’t stress you out. Just make sure to turn your phone off to truly ‘disconnect’ as you ‘connect’ with nothing but the music and the atmosphere.
ESCAPE ROOM: Flight 338
If you have a fear of flying then don’t panic because obviously this flight doesn’t actually leave terra firma but it does take place on a decommissioned private jet. The closest some of us may ever get to a private jet frankly but we’ll take it. Flight 338 is the latest escape room release from The Riddle Within, the same company behind Escaping Bad and Chernobyl. This time you’ll get to experience a dramatic escape, with the sunniest destination of all: freedom. This is the first ever escape room to take place on a plane which definitely adds to the novelty and in terms of storyline, you take on the role of an ex bank robbing gang member...naturally. You’ve turned away from a life of crime since but you’ve been framed (Hello Mr Beadle) for a crime you didn’t commit so have to escape from the prisoner transport plane you have been forced to board. Find the clues left by another member of the gang in order to secure your bid for freedom and a life away from the prison walls. Have we sold it? Good. Tickets are available here so gather your most trusted comrades and take on the challenge. Flight 338 will ‘take off’ just a short walk from North Greenwich tube station.
MUSICAL: Pretty Woman
One of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic stories of all time is now coming to the West End after a record-breaking run on Broadway! Pretty Woman was released in cinema’s 30 years ago and has become a cult movie for so many ever since so it’s no surprise that the theatre production has seen such success. The lead characters, Vivian (played by Aimie Atkinson) and Edward (played by Danny Mac), are unlikely soulmates who overcome all odds to find each other… and themselves. The musical production allows us to experience the moments we all adore from the movie as we get to know these iconic characters in a whole new way. The Musical features direction and choreography from a powerhouse creative team representing the best of music including two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell, an original score by Grammy winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton and is guaranteed to lift your spirits and light up your heart. Tickets for the production at the Piccadilly Theatre are available via the website and frankly, if you don’t buy tickets, it would be a big mistake...HUGE.
VISIT: Kew Gardens Orchid Festival
Did you know Indonesia is made up of 17,000 islands? That has blown our tiny minds and somewhat expanded our travel wish list. In addition to this fact, you should know that Indonesia is also home to 5000 different varieties of orchids so it comes as no surprise that Kew Gardens are opening their 25th Orchid festival this month, celebrating these vibrant and popular beauties and the Republic of Indonesia. The Orchid Festival will fill the Prince of Wales conservatory from February 8th where we can “immerse ourselves in the Tropics” and celebrate the world’s largest island country. In addition to the colourful and fragrant floral displays, there will be after hours events with Indonesian music, dance and cuisine alongside talks from the Kew experts or alternatively you can go behind the scenes on one of the exclusive Nursery tours. Depictions of other wildlife including lifesize animals such as orangutans and tigers will keep you on your toes and teach us all even more about the region. We think these vivid displays are exactly what we need to brighten up an otherwise dreary month. Tickets for this month long festival are available on the website and priced from £16.50 for adults and £4.50 for children.
CHARITY OF THE MONTH: London’s Air Ambulance Charity
London’s Air Ambulance is the charity that brings the hospital to the patient when time is critical, serving the 10 million people who live and work in London. Their advanced trauma team operate 24/7, using a helicopter from sunrise to sunset and rapid response cars at night or in adverse weather conditions, with their amazing team performing innovative and potentially life-saving procedures on-scene that are usually found in the emergency department. The Charity was founded in 1989 and to date has treated over 40,000 critically injured people and attended most major incidents in London including the recent London Bridge attack. This incredible service costs around £10million each year to deliver so to donate to them please visit their website here and help them to continue their inspiring work.
APP OF THE MONTH: Down Dog
‘New Year new me’ extends into February obvs and flexibility is high on our list of improvements for 2020. With that in mind we’re recommending the Down Dog app this month for yogi’s of all levels and experience. With Down Dog you get a brand new yoga practice every time you come to your mat. Unlike following pre-recorded videos, Down Dog won’t make you do the same workout over and over again as the app is filled with over 60,000 different configurations, meaning you have the power to build a yoga practice you love! As they say “Your body can do it, it’s your mind you need to convince”. So let’s see how true that is!