Don’t forget your hat and gloves (Picture: Supplied)
Welcome back to The Slice – our exclusive guide to what’s on in London,where we bring you trusted reviews,sneak previews,and amazing deals and discounts.
The clocks going back an hour might mean darker evenings,but it also means Halloween,Bonfire Night,and Christmas (which is eight weeks away!).
So there’s lots to celebrate. This week,we’ve rounded up some of the best firework displays in London,including the only free display still available in the capital. So wrap up warm,and prepare to see some pretty cool lights in the sky.
You can also have fun this week without spending too much money,with a buy-one-get-one-free deal at Shake Shack,and some free pumpkin ravioli as part of 27 Old Compton Street’s fight against food waste.
You’ll get both glam and history in one irresistible experience (Picture: Supplied)By Alexander O’LoughlinMezcal is the old glam It girl we’ve all forgotten about,quietly waiting in the shadows while her younger sister,tequila,dominates the spotlight. But make no mistake,mezcal has been dazzling palates for centuries,with origins that trace back to pre-Hispanic Mexico. Crafted from roasted agave hearts,this storied spirit has a personality all its own: smoky,sweet,earthy,or floral,depending on the region and method of production.
That’s date night sorted (Picture: Ryan O’Donoghue Photographer)By Zineb LazraqBottega 35 brings Tuscany to Kensington High Street. Candles flicker on every table,casting a warm glow over cute paintings and a single-page menu that keeps things refreshingly simple. The pasta is the star,hand-rolled,perfectly al dente,and dressed with just the right amount of sauce. Standouts are the pappardelle ragù or the mafaldine twirled dramatically in a pecorino wheel with truffle. The pumpkin risotto is autumn in a bowl.Feeling fancy? The lamb cutlets grilled with rosemary and olive oil,are juicy,fragrant,and worth the splurge. Creamy burrata arrives like a small work of art,all silky freshness. And you’re going to want to save room for dessert: a friendly waiter rolls up with a trolley tableside to assemble your tiramisu right in front of you. Bottega 35 is warm,intimate,and effortlessly elegant.Antipasti from £3.75,pasta from £16. 35 Kensington High St,W8 5EB. Book here.
The Khao Soi Roll is what we dream about (Picture: Supplied)By Courtney PochinWith wild nights at Infernos firmly behind me,and I haven’t had a reason to head to Clapham High Street in a while. But Tirak firmly changed that – and I can see myself going back again.That’s because the new Pan-Asian restaurant is serving up a fusion of food that really packs a punch – and I’m not just talking about all the chillies. Three to four small plates and one larger plate are recommended for two people.Highlights include the Khao Soi Roll,which sees crispy fried chicken served on a flaky roti and drizzled in a rich Khao Soi sauce and the Chicken Momo Chaat,a steamed dumpling filled with chicken and topped with a fragrant tamarind green chutney.If you’ve got room opt for some sides too – the Kachumber Salad is fresh and zingy,while the paratha and dal are a deliciously classic pairing. Don’t be put off if the restaurant is a tad empty,once word gets out about this place,those tables will be filling up in no time.Small plates from £8,large plates from £15. 102-104 Clapham High St,Clapham,SW4 7UL. Book here.
For the deep pan pizza lovers (Picture: Supplied)Ria’s opens their brand new Soho branch on 1 Nov. Their Detroit-style pizza served at their Notting Hill original became a cult success.To celebrate the new opening,you can get 50% off food from 1-3 Nov. Book a soft launch table here.
Vegans don’t have to miss out… (Picture: Supplied)Feeling in the Christmas mood yet? Black Lines are. They’re bringing some festive cheer to the Southbank on 5-8 November and 12-15 November with their dairy-free Oatnog float. It’s indulgent,creamy,and you’ll be able to get your hands on samples of the drink.They’ll also be serving up their signature bottled cocktails,including the Tommy’s Margarita and Negroni. 
(Picture: Frederick Wilkinson)Over 22 million pumpkins go to waste in the UK each Halloween,that’s enough for 100 million meals! So 27 Old Compton Street are giving away free pumpkin ravioli to anyone who brings in their pumpkin leftovers from Halloween between 3-5 Nov.It’s the idea of chef-owner Nima Safaei,who created a leftover pumpkin recipe that promotes sustainability and screams comfort food.
‘It balances cleverness with simple pleasures’ (Picture: Hugo Glendinning)By Hugh Montgomery★★★★Now spooky season is upon us once more,lots of us will be turning to horror movies to entertain us through the rest of the month. But theatre can prove equally effective in the frights department,as this supernatural stage chiller determinedly proves. Written by League Of Gentlemen co-creator Jeremy Dyson and actor/writer Andy Nyman,it’s now 15 years since it premiered and has enjoyed multiple revivals since,with good reason. It balances cleverness with simple pleasures: there is knowing commentary on why we enjoy being frightened,alongside some proper,no-nonsense jump scares.The basic premise is that a professor of parapsychology,Philip Goodman,is delivering a lecture on the allure of ghost stories. Sceptically dismissive of the paranormal,he references three people he has met who have claimed to have had encounters with the other side. The show’s gradually building sense of dread is topped off by an ending which is genuinely ingenious,as well as shocking. Add in some truly nerve-jangling lighting and sound design and it makes for one of the more stressful evenings out you could possibly imagine – in the best sense. Tickets from £48. Peacock Theatre,London. Until 8 November. Book here.Do you have a story to share?
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