Zabludowicz collection

It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for… restaurants are back! While we have to wait until next month to dine indoors, many London eateries have worked hard to transform their outdoor spaces, big or small, and lift our spirits again.

With such promising sunny days throughout April, there’s no better time to support your old favourites or try somewhere new. Just be sure to wrap up warm (especially for dinner), stay safe and be a gracious guest – there’s nothing more soul-destroying for restaurants than a no-show.

Here are some of the best terraces for a celebratory meal to remember…

The Berkeley Beach Huts

The Berkeley brings the nostalgic glamour of the Great British seaside to Belgravia for spring/summer with its glorious rainbow-coloured, stripey Berkeley Beach Huts. Inspired by iconic foodie seafronts such as Whitstable, Southwold and Padstow, fresh seafood and fun retro classics take centre stage.

Catch up with friends and family over magnificent seafood platters, grilled langoustines and five star fish and chips, alongside lighter bites such as brioche lobster rolls, plaice butties and crispy squid.

Leave room for dessert to enjoy a selection of ice cream sandwiches, ‘make a mess’ Eton Mess and best of all, a ‘Gourmet 99’ with no less than four chocolate flakes and ‘add your own’ toppings. Wash it all down with the finest British wines, maritime-inspired cocktails and shandies.

If you don’t managed to snag a highly-coveted beach hut, you can still soak up the seaside atmosphere on the surrounding terrace and counter. A trip to the beach has never been so luxurious!

Seabird

What could be more decadent post-lockdown than working your way through London’s longest oyster list with a bottle of Champagne and panoramic views over the city? Seabird – the photogenic rooftop restaurant on the fourteenth floor of The Hoxton Southwark – has a fabulous terrace and a summery sea-to-table menu.

Nestle on a rattan sofa among the tropical palms and take in the beach club vibes over Spanish and Portuguese plates like Squid ink rice, Iberico pork presa, Scallop ceviche and the famous Octopus roll. Don’t miss the traditional Torrija and Manchego cheesecake for dessert and plenty of frozen Caipirinhas.

Brat at Climpson’s Arch

Brat is set to continue its hugely successful residency at Climpson’s Arch, the London Fields coffee roastery, throughout 2021. Michelin-starred chef Tomos Parry celebrates the ritualistic simplicity of fire, bringing his Basque-inspired open fire grilling techniques to the marquee-covered courtyard.

Expect signature sharing dishes such as Whole roasted turbot, Crab with hay butter and wood fired breads, not forgetting that heavenly Burnt cheesecake.

The Tramshed Project

The Tramshed Project was created by Dominic Cools-Lartigue during lockdown as a place to eat, work and build on the spirit of community with wellness classes, chef residencies and cultural events.

It’s a new chapter for the grade II listed Tramshed building in Shoreditch, taking the baton from former restaurateur Mark Hix and replacing the iconic Damien Hirst Cock and Bull sculpture with new artworks from the Zabludowicz Collection. It also has a delightful terrace seating up to 50 on the pedestrianised Garden Walk.

Chef Andrew Clarke’s spring menu is an absolute joy with dishes including Fried calcots with Ogleshield fondue and hot sauce, Slow-roast lamb shoulder with potato and anchovy boulangère and Grilled baby chicken with baby leeks, lemon and aioli. Definitely a reason to stop by Shoreditch this spring.

Towpath Cafe

Take it easy with a casual lunch overlooking Regent’s Canal at Hackney favourite Towpath Cafe. Lori De Mori and Laura Jackson’s petite waterside cafe is the perfect spot to catch some sun and with a no-booking policy, there’s hope of scoring a table if you arrive at the right time.

You can look forward to grazing on rustic sharing plates of brown shrimp and kohlrabi, crispy lamb with houmous and caramelised onion and the much-loved grilled cheese sandwich with quince jam.

Circolo Popolare

Eating truffle straight from the copper pan in a secret garden sounds like the ideal way to emerge from lockdown. Big Mamma’s boistrous Sicilian trattoria Circolo Popolare has the prettiest terrace in Fitzrovia with colourful parasols and twinkling fairy lights.

Start with a big burrata, crocchetta and cured meats and follow with an indulgent grilled tagliata and spaghetti cacio e pepe served straight from the percorino wheel. Dessert is also a must with a classic Tiramisu, giant profiteroles or Instagram-famous lemon meringue pie.

If you loved Big Mamma’s Napoli Gang delivery service, you’ll have even more fun at the restaurant.

Have you started eating out in London again? Where have you booked for your grand return?

Art fairs can be great barometers for finding the new trends in collecting and while I thought painting was still top of the agenda, the London Art Fair are looking towards the future of photography.

I went to the preview and press conference where fair Director Jonathan Burton told that their increased interest in photography has resulted in Photo50, a showcase of work by 13 artists selected by a panel from the ICA, Goldsmiths and Anita Zabludowicz. They have also organised tours and talks about how to collect photography.

The main fair shows works represented by 116 leading galleries, 13 of them including Union, Atlas and Storm exhibiting for the first time.

Major galleries like ICA, Beaux Arts and Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert are featured in the main fair showing mostly higher priced works by leading contemporary artists and the big guns like Damien Hirst, Gavin Turk, Peter Blake and Bridget Riley.

The second room is dedicated to Art Projects, featured more daring, experimental pieces, represented by the likes of BEARSPACE, Sarah Myercough Fine Art, Sesame Gallery and James Hyman Gallery. Some key works include a sculpture of five severed toes by Alex Robbins, disturbing, mangled portraits by Yuko nasu and film noir-inspired Chromogenic prints by Thomas Allen.

The London Art Fair are probably one of the only fairs to try and please casual and high profile collector alike, with works starting from just £250 and going up to around £500,000. Jonathan Burton was keen to point out that despite a tough economic year, the fair is still flourishing and that they have adapted the concept to make art buying more accessible and inclusive of a wider demographic.

On the mezzanine level, I was pretty struck by this work by John Monks Marcasin at Long and Ryle. Beaux Arts also have an interesting, ethereal piece by Marlilène Oliver where feathers were suspended on thread from a spun coil.

art fair

But if you’re looking for a real bargain, head to the Whitechapel Gallery stand, where they are featuring a piece entitled Souci by Sophie Calle from her recent exhibition at the gallery. It’s a clinical yet strangely comforting work based on the final few moments of Sophie’s mother’s life. Consisting of a sandblasted glass plate, a metal framework and plastic backing, it is priced at a £2000.

There are a number of free tours, talks and discussions scheduled during the London Art Fair week and there are late night viewings until 9pm on Wednesday and Thursday.

London Art Fair, until 17 January – Business Design Centre, Islington N1. Tickets from £11/£9.

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