Brilliant things to do in London in February 2023

You nailed Dry January, smashed Veganuary and are even still going to the gym four times a week. It’s safe to say you’ve earned yourself a good night out — and the capital is more than happy to oblige. From decadent restaurants and exciting supper clubs to glamorous new bars (and the salons and spas to help get you ready), here’s our guide to the best things to book, see, eat and do in London in February 2023.

The restaurants: La Gamba, Petrossian Gourmet Café, Six by Nico and Petersham Nurseries

This month sees a couple of new restaurants join London’s bustling food scene, as well as established eateries expand their offering. First up is La Gamba, the brainchild of the duo behind Borough Market’s eponymous Applebee’s Fish, which will take form as a riverside tapas restaurant at the Southbank Centre. Opening on 13 January, La Gamba’s menu will largely showcase dishes and cooking techniques from the north-western Galician region of Spain, famous for its coastline. It’s unsurprising, then, that seafood dishes will shine throughout the menu, featuring fresh ingredients from its sister restaurant, including St Austell mussels cooked in a rich albariño and chorizo sauce, and Cornish crab and fennel tostadas. Alternatively, other hearty plates will feature world-renowned cheeses, such as Iberico pork cheek empanadas and Galician picanha steak with truffle and San Simón cheese.

Over in South Kensington, Parisian caviar expert Petrossian has just opened its first gourmet café in the UK. With outposts in Paris, New York, Brussels, Las Vegas and West Hollywood, Londoners can now join the hype and get their caviar fix either in the form of a sit-down meal or takeaway tub. The intimate café has just 16 covers and will serve an array of delicacies from 11.30am-7pm every day, accompanied by a range of fine wines, champagne and vodka. Offering a curated menu of delicacies and cult recipes, take your pick from dishes such as organic soft boiled eggs served with osetra caviar, oven-baked potato with caviar, truffle tartine, a wide range of smoked salmon and the famous Petrossian Croque, served with caviar, truffle or pata negra.

Now to those well-loved restaurants which are offering something new this month. Six by Nico — the utterly Instagrammable dining experience based in Fitzrovia and Canary Wharf which offers a playful six-course tasting menu that changes every six weeks — is currently offering a Peter Pan-inspired Neverland menu. Until 26 February, expect delectable dishes that transport you to a nostalgic land full of whimsical wonder while highlighting the most iconic moments from James Matthew Barrie’s iconic novel. Dishes from chef Nico Simeone’s experimental menu include The Lost Boys — ham hough and cheese ‘toastie’, celeriac remoulade, black garlic emulsion and golden raisin — and Captain Codfish: a delicious shellfish risotto with smoked cod bottarga. All we can say is expect the unexpected…

New for this month, Richmond institution Petersham Nurseries Café will welcome guests for candlelit winter dinners in its magical greenhouse restaurant every Friday and Saturday evening. Having previously hosted supper clubs scattered across the calendar, dinners will now be a regular fixture, with Thursday evenings rumoured to be added to the roster come spring. Having received a Michelin Green star two years in a row, Petersham Nurseries Café uses sustainable ingredients at the peak of their season, with a focus on British produce and Italian specialties. Guests can opt for two or three courses following its slow food ethos, with starters including earthy heritage beetroot with goat’s curd, honey, almonds, and apple and tender chargrilled quail with cauliflower couscous and a cumin-spiced yoghurt. For the main course, pick from braised lamb from with polenta and carrots or sustainably-caught red mullet stuffed with pine nuts, sultanas and chilli, with radicchio, orange and beetroot.

Visit lagambalondon.com and La Gamba, Royal Festival Hall, SE1 8XX; visit petrossian.fr and 6 Fulham Road, South Kensington SW3 6HG; visit sixbynico.co.uk and pick your London restaurant; visit petershamnurseries.com and Petersham Nurseries Café, Church Lane, Off Petersham Road, Richmond, TW10 7AB.

The supper clubs: Aquavit’s Taste of the Nordics and Toklas x Todolí Citrus Dinner

For the foodies who love experimenting with new flavours, London’s plethora of supper clubs and dining experiences are always on hand to offer something new. Mediterranean restaurant Toklas — brought to the Strand by the founders of Frieze — will host its inaugural Winter Citrus Dinner on 9 February with a special menu highlighting the coveted fruits. Toklas will host Vicente Todolí of the Todolí Citrus Fundacio — the man behind an 11-acre Spanish farm that is home to over 400 varieties of citrus, with a specialised library and laboratory dedicated to gastronomy and citrus oil research. Toklas is the sole UK importer of Todolí Citrus and this event will be the first tasting of its kind, providing guests the chance to learn more about rare varieties of citrus, before a sit-down, six-course dinner by Head Chef Yohei Furuhashi. Sample artichoke, Borneo lemon and sage fritto misto, scallop crudo with puntarelle and neapolitan lime and grilled duck and Bartoil Tarocco orange with endive.

February will also see sophisticated Scandinavian restaurant Aquavit host the second event in its Scandi Supper Club Series. Taking place on 24 February in the Piccadilly-based restaurant, Sous Chef Gianmarco Abramo will guide guests through a 12-course journey through the Nordics. Expect knockout plates such as breaded halibut cheek served with hovmästarsäs (a dill-scented mustard sauce) and pickled chilli; rich bone marrow with traditional Knäckebröd baked flatbreads and a micro herb salad. Other highlights include the ‘pickled herrings in four seasons’ — pickled herring fillet served four ways — inspired by Italian composer Vivaldi’s best-known work The Four Seasons.

Visit toklaslondon.com and 1 Surrey Street, WC2R 2ND; visit aquavitrestaurants.com and 1 St James’s Market, St. James’s, SW1Y 4QQ.

The bar: The Alligator Bar

Wave goodbye to Dry January for another year by whetting your whistle at one of the capital’s hottest new bars. Louie — a French-inspired jazz bar that elegantly blends New Orleans, Paris, New York and London — is relaunching its live music bar on 2 February. The Alligator Bar, which takes its name from the restaurant’s motif, has been spruced up and will now play host to the restaurant’s renowned live music events. To coincide with the reopening, enjoy a new tipple or two from the specially-curated cocktail menu which, for now, is being kept under wraps but will no doubt be delicious.

Visit louie-london.com and 13-15 West Street, WC2H 9NE.

The spas and salons: The Skin Lab, Aire Ancient Baths and Townhouse King’s Road

January was a long month, so we’re all in need of some TLC. Head to The Skin Lab by Augustinus Bader x Lanserhof — a new partnership at Lanserhof’s flagship facility on Dover Street in Mayfair — which combines the research of Augustinus Bader with the clinical expertise of Lanserhof. Taking appointments throughout February, this is the first UK-based bricks-and-mortar destination for Bader and offers his bespoke facial The Method, a professional treatment incorporating the brand’s exclusive TFC8 technology. Other treatments on the menu offer a rich selection of lab-grade technology, from radio frequency, full-spectrum LED, microdermabrasion, microcurrent, ultrasound and microneedling.

From 11-14 February, Aire Ancient Baths London — a wellness destination in Covent Garden that offers thermal baths, relaxing massages and luxurious rituals in an 18th-century townhouse where the author of Peter Pan once lived — will be offering romantic experiences to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Taking inspiration from the stars, specifically Venus and Mars’ position between Gemini and Pisces — an astrological moment of balance and connection for romantic couples — guests can embark on a sensory journey complete with aromatherapeutic oils and hot stones in the Love Constellations massage. Or perhaps opt for Aire’s popular Red Wine Bath — a private red wine soak with a guided wine and cheese tasting in combination with the ancient baths experience.

Premium nail salon Townhouse has opened its King’s Road outpost in time for February, and is on hand to help with all of your nail and cuticle needs. The salon, which has several sister stores across London, including in Kensington to Knightsbridge, uses the highest quality, non-toxic products with a full vegan range available too. Pegged as one of the best nail brands in the capital, it would be simply rude not to check out its newest Chelsea shop.

Visit lanserhof.com and Lanserhof at The Arts Club, 17-18 Dover Street, W1S 4LT; visit beaire.com and Aire Ancient Baths, 2-3 Robert Street, WC2N 6BH; visit townhouse.co.uk and 261 King’s Road, Chelsea, SW3 5EL.

The pop-ups: Dior Mitzah at Harrods and The Manifest Workshop by Roxie Fanousi

Until 25 February, Dior disciples can get their hands on the limited-edition Christian Dior Mitzah Collection, exclusively sold at the brand’s latest pop-up in Harrods. Mitzah Bricard was Christian Dior’s eccentric muse and is famed for daring to wear leopard print before anyone else. This print, which has become a house icon, decorates the Mitzah makeup and La Collection Privée Christian Dior Collection which includes lipsticks, eyeshadow palettes and nail polishes. Be quick because when it’s gone, it’s gone.

‘Queen of Manifesting’ Roxie Nafousi will be at Alexandra Palace on 5 February for her much-anticipated Manifest workshop celebrating the release of her new book. Taking a deep dive into the world of manifesting, Nafousi promises to teach everything you need to know about the practice while guiding you through her unique seven-step process alongside powerful coaching exercises. The event on 4 February has already sold out, so if this sounds like it’s up your street get your ticket sooner rather than later.

Visit harrods.com and 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL; visit alexandrapalace.com and Alexandra Palace, N22 7AY.

The theatre: Breathless and Shirley Valentine

Heading to Soho Theatre following its Fringe-first winning run in Edinburgh, Breathless is a funny, honest and stylish exploration of the knife-edge of hoarding, from the joy to the addiction and suffocating shame. From 7-18 February, Laura Horton’s award-winning theatre show is a projection of her own experience of clothes hoarding and will likely have you laughing and crying in a fun emotional rollercoaster.

Classic musical comedy Shirley Valentine will kick off its 12-week run at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 17 February. This revived production of Willy Russell’s 1986 stage show stars multi-award-winning actress Sheridan Smith as protagonist Shirley Valentine. The one-woman play follows the life-affirming story of a woman who got lost in marriage and motherhood. She has a secret dream and an airline ticket. If you’re looking for a joyful night out in February, this is the show for you.

Visit sohotheatre.com and 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE; visit shirleyvalentineonstage.com and St Martin’s Lane, WC2N 4BG.

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