the boldest cocktails for london cocktail week

Cheers! (Picture: Supplied)

Welcome back to The Slice!

We’re diving into London Cocktail Week headfirst this week,with some of the boldest and most innovative blends in the city. 

If you’re not sure how it works,it’s an 11 day drinks festival dedicated to specially created signature cocktails – like the umami Miso Espresso Martini at Dinings SW3.

In between sipping your way through some of the best bars,don’t forget to indulge in some tasty bites. From Paradise Cove’s hearty and wholesome Caribbean fare to The Barbary’s smoky bites cooked on a smouldering grill. 

We’re also telling you how to get your hands on a free coffee when you pick up a pastry at Filipino bakery Cafe Mama & Sons (we fancy trying the Ube Mochi Bow Croissant… yum!)

And for the icing on top of the cake,from today you can get hands on indulgent recipes from Black chefs from some of London’s most celebrated restaurants. Don’t miss out – sign up here.

Welcome to the Slice

The Slice is your weekly guide to what’s happening in London,so if you’re looking for restaurant reviews, drinks deals or just a great new exhibition to visit on a rainy Saturday in the capital,we’ve got you covered.Click here for this week’s edit of the best things to do in town.The Slice newsletter also a brand new look! We'll still be in your inbox every week,bringing you all the very best things to eat,drink and do in the capital. So if you want get the next edition before anyone else,sign up here!If you want to do it all on the cheap,you can also find our latest batch of exclusive hand-picked offers in partnership with Time Out here.

Things to do this week in London

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend,here are 12 of the best activities,dining,and drinking spots in the capital.

1. Treat yourself to slip-off-the-bone oxtail at Paradise Cove in Battersea

‘The recipes draw from ancestral techniques Chef Tee has carefully researched’ (Picture: Supplied)By Toyo OdetundeChef Tarrell Macintosh (known affectionately as Chef Tee) and team poured their soul,determination and handiwork into Paradise Cove’s characterful bricolage interiors,and the food here is undoubtedly made with love – and intuition. The recipes draw from ancestral techniques Chef Tee has carefully researched. Diving into their hearty and wholesome Caribbean (largely Jamaican-accented) fare,feels like being fed by that very close mate who can really cook.Slip-off-the-bone oxtail arrives in a subtly sweet,flavourful but not overly salty gravy. Then saucy curry goat packed with aromatics,and succulent paper-bag steamed prawns heady with garlic is a solid choice too,to be mopped up by the gently scented,bulbous,crusted dumplings. The jerk chicken is nicely charred,and retains the kick of heat that typically sets jerk apart.It’ll be quite the feat,but you must leave room for dessert – the rum-soaked Caribbean Bread Pudding is one of the most delightful renditions of the dessert I’ve had. My aversion to raisins was forgotten after one loaded,fluffy,spiced spoonful. Starters ‘n’ snacks from £5.25,mains from £14.55. 515 Wandsworth Rd,Battersea,SW8 4NY. Book here.

2. Share flame grilled bites at The Barbary

View this post on InstagramA post shared by The Barbary (@barbarylondon)By Sophie LaughtonIntimate is the key word at this Covent Garden stalwart: from the smouldering grill to the slick counter service of the central kitchen; couples sitting cheek to cheek,canoodling to bassy tracks as the air hums with spice and charcoal smoke. The flavours are inspired by the Barbary Coast and beyond – North Africa,southern Europe,and the Levant. There’s a short cocktail list – a ‘filthy’ martini,classic negroni or refreshing mint tea mojito – and a great selection of wines all by the glass. To start,order heavy on the dips and both breads to shred between you – the Jerusalem bagel is a fluffy,sesame-studded vehicle for the spinach borani (a lustrous Iranian yogurt dip). After that,the menu is separated between Land,Sea,Earth and Heaven. Their (rightfully) most famous dish comes under Land: a marbled ‘pata negra’ pork neck,massaged with ras el hanout,flame grilled,and served with confit garlic cloves that melt into sticky date syrup sauce.Ascending to dessert,we thought the honeyed baklava ice cream sandwich was rather divine until we tried the silky smooth pistachio crème of the hashcake. It’s paradise on a plate – and none of it too hellish on the wallet.Dips from £7.50,sharing mains from £24. 16 Neal’s Yard,Covent Garden,WC2H 9DP. Also in Notting Hill. Book here.

3. Try the delicious cheesecake at Rayuela

‘Each spoonful melts on your tongue’ (Picture: Supplied)By Patrycja ZarasAs rainy days set in,you might crave a little escape,even if it’s just on your plate. Spanish restaurant Rayuela offers a great one. While their paella isn’t really worth writing a postcard home about,their Basque cheesecake is a real star turn.Each spoonful melts on your tongue,revealing a creamy texture and a subtle sweetness that never overwhelms. Pair it with a glass of their refreshing Sangria and you’ll completely forget about the gloomy weather outside.Three Courses,£55. Four courses for £60. Unit 9C Dickens Yard,Ealing,W5 2TD. Book here.

4. London’s best… daring cocktails for London Cocktail Week

Time to sip on some innovative cocktails (Picture: Supplied)

The Tang Duan Durian at Speedboat Bar

Best for: a grown up dessert

If the mini cocktail trend isn’t your vibe,look no further than the Tang Duan Durian at Speedboat Bar. It’s one of three ‘Big Serves’,made with Homemade Durian Distillate,coconut rum,peanut butter and coconut puree.Think of it as a grown up dessert (because of the booze of course) but with ingredients like peanut butter for something extra fun!

Soho and Notting Hill. Book here.

The Chimi Hendrix at The Seed Library

Best for: chimichurri fans 

The Chimi Hendrix is daring. Chimichurri in a cocktail? You heard that right. The famous french Argentinian sauce finds itself as the plot twist ingredient in this drink,teaming up with J.W. Black Ruby,chimichurri,pineapple,honey and ginger ale.It’s created by World Number 7 and reigning Best Bar in South America,Tres Monos. Setting the tone for the night is vinyl DJ Nik Weston who will be spinning some fun Latino tunes.  

Seed Library,Shoreditch. Book here.

The Miso Espresso Martini at Dinings SW3

Best for: decadence

Miso is known for that umami punch,which is why it makes a great addition to sweet treats as well as savoury dishes.The indulgent Miso Espresso Martini at Dinings SW3 is made with rum,coffee liqueur,brown butter,miso,espresso and tonka beans for that ultimate salty-sweet pairing. Count us in.

Chelsea. Book here. 

5. Try The Salad Project’s new matcha

View this post on InstagramA post shared by The Salad Project (@the.salad.project)The Salad Project has opened in Notting Hill with a brand new Matcha Bar concept! As well as tasty,feel-good salads,you can now get yourself some hot and cold matcha classics from 7:30am. 

6. From Bushey to London… indulge in crispy,cheesy pizza by the slice

With slices from £5 (Picture: Supplied)

NYC-style pizzeria Vincenzo’s is making its London debut,opening on Bethnal Green Road. Come for their signature crispy,ultra cheesy pizza by the slice. They start at £5,with classics like Margherita or more inventive new flavours like Spanakopita.

Opening next month. Look out for The Slice’s review!

7. Celebrate all things chocolate this weekend

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[instagam]

It’s almost Chocolate Week (yes,that sounds like a dream come true to us too). So this weekend the Cocoa Runners Craft Chocolate Fair 2025 celebrates all things chocolate,with chocolate makers selling their products – plus talks and tastings. 11-12 October. Find out more.

8. Try Giacco’s new residency with a twist

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Neighbourhood Italian restaurant Giacco’s has a new residency with Jemma Harrison who is showcasing a menu with Eastern European influences and New York Jewish Deli vibes.

Expect a chicken schnitzel ‘Kiev’ with bright green garlic butter and more! Book here.

9. Get free coffee at this Filipino cafe

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Want to know a secret? You can sip on a free coffee at Filipino bakery Cafe Mama & Sons next week for coffee week!

Just use the code word MAMA at the till to redeem your free coffee,with the purchase of any sando,pastry or sweet treat. We’ve got our eye on the Ube Mochi Bow Croissant…

10. Dive into pond skimming… for free!

If you fancy a thrill,here’s your opportunity (Picture: Supplied)

Fancy trying ‘pond skimming’? It’s essentially skiers or snowboarders charging down a slope. And it’s going to be happening in Potters Fields Park this Saturday,giving Londoners the change to sign up and ride it themselves,all for free. 12-6pm. Get your free ticket.

11. Treat yourself to a macaron at PAUL and help fight Breast Cancer

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A post shared by PAUL Bakery UK (@paulbakeryuk)

This month,PAUL is raising money for Breast Cancer Awareness Month with £1 from every Large Raspberry Macaron sold being donated to Future Dreams. The macaron is filled with a sweet raspberry jam for the ultimate tasty treat. 

12. See The Harder They Come musical based on the 1972 Jamaican crime thriller

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★★★★

By Hugh Montgomery

Musicals based on movies are everywhere these days but few are as exhilarating as this show based on the seminal 1972 Jamaican crime thriller The Harder They Come. That was the country’s first feature film and featured reggae tunes by its star Jimmy Cliff and others. This adaptation,featuring Cliff hits such as I Can See Clearly Now alongside new songs by US playwright Suzan Lori-Parks,masterfully offsets its gritty story with infectious musical vibes.

At its centre is a commandingly charismatic performance by Natey Jones as Ivan,the country boy trying to make it in the city as a musician. From the opening number onwards,Matthew Xia’s vibrant direction and Shelley Maxwell’s uproarious choreography really capture the urban dynamism that initially intoxicates their hero. If the evening has a flaw,it’s that it’s a little long and baggy and could do with some judicious cuts. But come the final curtain-call medley,you’ll be too busy dancing in your seat to quibble too much.

Tickets from £19. The Harder They Come. Stratford East. Until 1 November. Book here.

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