For many, January is the most miserable month of the year. It’s cold, it’s dark and Christmas is to be forgotten for another year – which, to our mind, is all the more reason to fill your diary with things to look forward to.
Taking part in Dry January, Veganuary or vowed to make 2023 the year you finally get that six pack? The good news, for better or worse, is that so ingrained have these January traditions become, that the capital is bursting with events, launches and pop-ups that even the most abstemious can take part in without breaking their New Year’s resolutions. Here’s our guide to the best things to do in London in January 2023.
The restaurants: Vori and Edit
A new year means the chance to sample new food and, as ever, 2023 will see a host of exquisite new restaurants open in the capital. So why not push the boat out and try one this month?
Vori, a new Greek neighbourhood restaurant from the team behind former City favourite Hungry Donkey will be opening its doors on the elegant tree-lined Holland Park Avenue on 5 January. The restaurant will offer an inventive take on traditional cocktails, indigenous Greek wines, and beers from award-winning Greek microbreweries as well as a delicious feasting menu. With distinct flavours from Vori’s charcoal oven, the ancient cooking method will take centre stage, connecting the element of fire with seasonal produce, imbuing dishes with a delectable smokiness. Pick from grilled kalamari, Santorini fava and caramelised onions or lamb chump, tahini, honey and rosemary chickpeas.
Over in Hackney, former architect-turned-restaurateur Elly Ward will be launching hyper-seasonal, veg-forward restaurant Edit on 18 January. The kitchen will be led by chefs Fabrice Jacquet and Beth Olivier, who have curated a modern British plant-based menu using ingredients sourced from local small-scale farms, foragers and independent producers. The daily-changing menu is devised in accordance with seasonal availability and harnessing ‘root to fruit’ principles of zero waste cooking. In January, diners can expect small plates such as roasted salsify with smoked aioli, crispy kalettes with purple potato mash, and beetroot à trois, followed by larger plates of wild mushroom fricassée with creamed barley and wilted chard, salt-baked turnip with lentil ragu, and seaweed-cured celeriac with oyster leaf and radish.
Vori opens on 5 January 2023, vorigreekitchen.co.uk, 120 Holland Park Avenue, W11 4UA; Edit opens on 18 January 2023, edit.london, 217 Mare Street, E8 3QE
The theatre: Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons and The Sleeping Beauty
Image: ROH/Johan Persson
Although the Christmas stage productions and pantomimes wind down at the beginning of January, it definitely doesn’t mean the curtain closes on the West End. Jazz up your diary with a trip to the theatre, whether you fancy a classical ballet or a new production.
First presented in Covent Garden in 1946 after the post-war re-opening of the Royal Opera House, The Sleeping Beauty featured Margot Fonteyn as Princess Aurora, Robert Helpmann as Prince Florimund and Beryl Gray, who died earlier this month aged 95, as the Lilac Fairy. Nearly 80 years later, the iconic Royal Ballet production returns to wow the crowds, following the popular three-act format restored to the company’s repertory in 2006 and incorporating original designs by Oliver Messel alongside Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score. Oozing with spellbinding choreography, this production also includes an array of virtuoso sequences, including the Rose Adage — one of the most testing challenges for a classical dancer.
A new production with a star-studded cast, Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons has been billed as a hilarious and provocative play, directed by BAFTA– and Oscar-nominated Josie Rourke. Starring Jenna Coleman and Aidan Turner, expect a tender and funny romantic comedy about what we say, how we say it, and what happens when we can’t say anything anymore. Book your tickets now: the show is at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre for a limited time only before it tours to Manchester and Brighton.
The Sleeping Beauty, 16 January – 6 June 2023, roh.org.uk; Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons, 18 January – 18 March 2023, lemonstheplay.co.uk
The workout: JAB Boxing and Zen Reset at Mama Shelter
If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to boost your exercise regime, then you’re in luck because London has plenty to offer in the world of health and fitness. Sweat it out and burn countless calories in a hardcore workout session or bend and stretch in a relaxing yoga class — both are great ways to move your body and feel good.
JAB Boxing, the elite Mayfair boxing which has quickly gained a cult following, will be hosting an exclusive one-month residency at The Curtain Club, the member’s club at the Mondrian Shoreditch. Running from 23 January to 18 February, the fitness pop-up will be open to all, marking the first time JAB Boxing has travelled to East London since it was founded by former England boxing team captain George Veness. Sessions offer authentic boxing training including a mix of bag-work and ground-work, programmed to teach the fundamentals and skills that boxers use in their everyday training routines. Book single classes from £27.50 or a personal training session from £120.
If you’d rather ease yourself back into a regular fitness regime this month, book a slot at the New Year Zen Reset Events at Mama Shelter Shoreditch on 21 and 28 January. Partnering with the London Botanists and Good Yoga Life, the event kicks off at 9am with a restorative 60-minute yoga flow session led by Good Yoga Life’s Samantha Stone. Next up is some downtime with teas infused with the London Botanists’ CBD drops to enhance feelings of relaxation before tucking into a brunch of fresh and healthy dishes to leave guests glowing. The menu includes curly kale crisps served with salted raw cacao porridge, coconut and cilantro pancakes topped with curried passion fruit yogurt, and poached wild salmon fillet served with grilled leeks and drizzled with rose and herb sauce.
JAB Boxing at The Curtain Club, from 23 January 2023, from £27.50, jab-box.com; New Year Zen Reset Events, 21 & 28 January 2023, £65, mamashelter.com
The bars: Superfood Cocktail at Drake and Morgan and SAD bar at Sketch
Whether you’re partaking in Dry January this year or feel like you need a good tipple to get through the start of the year, the capital’s cocktail bars have got a menu for every taste. Drake & Morgan has released a new cocktail collection that aims to ‘do good’ for mind and soul with its superfood ingredients. Served at its 17 venues across the capital — including The Folly, The Refinery, The Happenstance and The Sipping Room — the new menu features bright blue spirulina margaritas, the UK’s first adaptogenic espresso martini and even matcha tea-infused cocktails. Our pick is the Butterfly Pea Flower Tea: a blood sugar level-balancing concoction rich in antioxidants and fused with lemon, raw honey and ginger beer.
Over in Mayfair, beat the January blues at Sketch’s first-ever SAD Bar, created in partnership with non-alcoholic spirit brand Atopia. On 12 and 13 January, guests can book the 45-minute experience where Atopia mocktails will be served in a room adorned with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) lights — proven to put you in a better mood, boost energy and alleviate symptoms of SAD by simulating exposure to natural sunlight. You’ll also be able to take a bottle of Atopia home to perfect your new favourite non-alcoholic serve a try.
Drake & Morgan Superfood cocktails available now, visit drakeandmorgan.co.uk; Atopia x Sketch SAD bar, 12-13 January 2023, sketch.london
The culture: Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair
The Tea Party by Delphin Enjoulras
Looking for a culture fix? Head to the Mayfair Antiques & Fine Art Fair at the five-star London Marriott Hotel from 12 – 15 January 2023. This year marks the first edition of the event since it was halted by the pandemic and will boast a good mix of antiques courtesy of the British Antique Dealers’ Association and LAPADA Association of Art & Antiques Dealers. As one of the biggest events in the art world, you’ll be rubbing shoulders with international interior designers and collectors as well as people seeking their own unique pieces for their homes.
12-15 January 2023, £10, mayfairfair.com
Read more: Low and no: The best London bars for alcohol-free drinking
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