1 | Patty & Bun
Burger fans will already be aware of Patty & Bun's devilishly juicy creations, but this new Shoreditch site adds a whole load of party into the mix. Part diner, part dive bar, it serves some absolutely lethal cocktails (beware the Rechurch Reviver) and boasts a few new items on the menu, designed as light bites to be picked at amongst friends before your alcohol intake necessitates the more serious burger business. We got a bit carried away over the cheese balls (what it says on the tin: breadcrumbed spheres of cheddar deep-fried into crispy, melty nuggets and served with a spicy sauce), then there's the pickly ham and cheese melt, and the roast chicken dinner hash. Yes, it is now a thing. They're open until 1am at weekends and the real fun happens downstairs.
36 Redchurch Street, London, E2 7DP; pattyandbun.co.uk
2 | Vermouth on the Roof at Ham Yard Hotel
The roof terrace at Piccadilly's Ham Yard Hotel isn't normally open to Joe Public, so make the most of it this summer now that everybody – guest or not – can book tickets to the vermouth bar. £15 will get you a two-hour session taking you through the specially designed vermouth cocktail menu, which plays around with different types of this fortified wine alongside ingredients grown in the urban garden that secretly sits up on this terrace all year round. You get to enjoy a buffet of tasty Italian antipasti as you go, and once a week there are extra special master classes led by international vermouth experts.
Tickets available at designmynight.com or via email (vermouthontheroof@hamyardhotel.com)
One Ham Yard, London, W1D 7DT; firmdalehotels.com
3 | Summer Sky Riviera at the Gherkin
Unless you suffer from vertigo, there is something profoundly special about travelling to the top of one of London's great glistening spikes and surveying the grand old city from all points of the compass. At 180 metres, the Gherkin near Liverpool Street is the tenth tallest of them all and therefore a very special vantage point indeed.
And if you need another excuse to visit the excellent bar and restaurant Searcy's at the very top, get there before 1 September while their current pop - inspired by a 1950's French Riviera - is still installed. It's a fun background to a breath-taking view before you pop down a level for some excellent European cuisine.
4 | Ferragosto at 69 Colebroke Row
Cocktail maestro Tony Conigliaro will paying homage to his Sicilian routes this Sunday by marking the Italian festival of Ferragosto, a public holiday taken every 15th August. He will open the doors to his famous bar, 69 Colebrooke Row, serving Aperol Spritzes and homemade limoncello to guests whilst also employing the assistance of nearby restaurants Oldroyd and Bellanger to serve Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Spilling onto the street, there will be deck chairs, a jazz band and gelato to finish off with – plenty to complement some sunny weather – and with all proceeds going to local charity, Islington Giving.
Sunday 14th August, from 2pm; drinks will start at £7.50 with a suggested donation of £5 for unlimited nibbles69 Colebrooke Row, London, N1 8AA; 69colebrookerow.com
5 | Kiwi Crosstown Doughnuts
The Providores in Marylebone was opened 15 years ago by New Zealander chef, Peter Gordon. One of the first – and most influential – champions of fusion food, it is now a staple on the London restaurant scene. To celebrate its birthday, Gordon has created a special Kiwi-themed doughnut, which is now on the menu at the other company he co-founded, Crosstown Doughnuts. It has the tarte hit of homemade feijoa compote on the inside, and is topped with sweet manuka honey glaze and crumbly bits of ANZAC biscuits. This is one massive step up from bog-standard jam, and is fiendishly eatable. And it is a birthday, after all.
Available for £3.50 until 21st August at The Providores and Tapa Room, 109 Marylebone High St, London W1U 4RX or Crosstown Doughnuts, 4 Broadwick St, London W1F 0DA.
