1 | For Cocktails & Bar Bites: 45 Jermyn St.
It's always nice to have a posh spot up your sleeve that'll do for a top notch occasion without any starchy awkwardness. Such is 45 Jermyn St. – it may be tacked onto the back of Fortnum & Mason, and it may have a caviar trolley ready to go, but it by no means takes itself too seriously. So amble along early evening for a seat at their bar to try the new cocktails on the menu, accompanied by light bites from the suitably refreshing raw menu. The must try: Cornish mackerel and caviar tacos – high and low brow meeting in truly delicious form. Wash them down with a Negroni Inglese – a slightly umami variation on the fashionable favourite, containing Kamm & Sons in addition to the gin and vermouth. Or go for one of the Rickies, each of which comes with its booze on the side for you to add in yourself, plus a vial of acid (the legal kind) to season with yourself. There's nothing like a bit of DIY for novelty value.
45 Jermyn St., St. James's, London, SW1Y 6DN; 45jermynst.com
2 | For A Boozy Weekend: London Craft Beer Festival
We're not really sure what further encouragement you need than the words 'beer festival' but, in the fifth year of this annual event, the organisers have pledged to take things to "a whole new level." A ticket doesn't just get you entry, but a hall pass to try all the beers – every single one of them, from more than 45 breweries. Soak them up with food from nearby restaurants: fluffy sourdough pizzas from Radio Alice, Indian bites from Gunpowder, eclectic tapas from Morito, Berber & Q's famous shawarmas, onglet steaks and more. There's music, there's a secret wine and cheese bar to discover, there's a dollop of cider for good measure. Who could say no?
Tickets from £42.50, 4 – 6 August
Shoreditch Electric Light Station, Coronet Street, London, N1 6HD; londoncraftbeerfestival.co.uk
3 | For Your New Local: The Wigmore Tavern
What happens when a five-star hotel tries its hand at a pub? Just a really, really nice pub is all. Abutting one side of The Langham, The Wigmore is – obviously – incredibly smart, with beautifully embroidered upholstery and exceptional gin and tonics, but it genuinely does feel like an easy-going watering hole that you'd sneak away to after work, or on a Friday lunchtime. Especially since there is a brilliant selection of beers, wine on tap, and a knockout cheese toasty on offer. Given that the food is overseen by Michel Roux Jr., it's safe to say it's rather tasty, but he's stuck to what you'll genuinely want to eat, like ham, egg and chips (boosted by a dash of Sriracha), a cheeseburger made with ox tongue, and big fat chips sprinkled in Bloody Mary salt. The cubby hole room to the side would be perfect for more private birthday parties or the like, but equally makes a cosy little hideaway if you'd rather go incognito.
15 Langham Place, Regent Street, London, W1B 3DE; the-wigmore.co.uk
4 | For Jamaican Sundays: Rudie's
This weekend's talk is all about Usain Bolt, what with the World Athletics Championships. And this Sunday also just so happens to be Jamaican Independence Day. So use this as your cue to sample Rudie's – Dalston's modern-style Jamaican restaurant whose Jerk has got a lot of people very excited. For this weekend's festivities, the chef has created a special menu, which includes Jerk chicken wings, a crab, mango and lobster salad, and crispy goat's cheese wontons with pineapple and papaya chutney to start. And then there's poached snapper, or a curried goat cigar to move onto. Deep fried rum and raisin ice cream will be hard to resist, too, so why even bother? The £40 menu includes pre-starters and a cocktail on arrival.
Sunday 6th August
50 Stoke Newington Road, London, N16 7XB; rudieslondon.com
