From a bevy of firework displays to the arrival of the first festive events of the season, November is a wonderful month for the capital’s social butterflies. Whether you’re looking to wine and dine at London’s newest restaurants, get your Christmas shopping started early, or reacquaint yourself with some of the city’s best cultural institutions, there’s no excuse for an empty diary. Here’s our guide to the best things to do in London in November 2022.
The restaurants: Bantof, Kuro Eatery and Cavo
Hearty British classics are all well and good when the cold weather sets in but what grey days really call for is some international sunshine – and three new restaurants are promising just that this month.
No particular destination in mind for your slice of winter sun? Head on over to Bantof in Soho where London’s youngest Michelin-starred chef, Asimakis Chaniotis (also of Pied à Terre), is offering up a menu that meanders the globe. Think Mediterranean spinach and lemon risotto, Italian black truffle pizza and Asian-inspired sea bream tartare with avocado and yuzu. There’s also an innovative cocktail list by SuperNacular and a roster of DJs playing live at weekends.
If, however, you’re still reminiscing about that summer holiday on a gorgeous Greek island, Notting Hill’s Kuro Eatery is here to satisfy cravings for fresh langoustines, mushrooms a la grecque and tiramisu. Headed by chef Andriannos Poulis (formerly of Rovi, Cornerstone and Mazi), seasonality takes top billing so expect a regularly changing menu that demands repeat visits.
Finally, Tottenham Court Road’s futuristic Outernet building will welcome Mediterannean dining concept Cavo this month. The third outpost in the Cavo group, following openings in Greece and Spain, the menu will offer a wide-ranging taste of the Med, including tapas, raw dishes, an extensive seafood offering and a whole section of dishes cooked on a Josper grill.
Bantof is open now, bantof.com; Kuro Eatery is open now, kuro-london.com; Cavo opens in late November, cavorestaurant.com
The night out: The Moët & Chandon Suite at the Kit Kat Club and Don’s Farmacia
For some months, the hottest theatre ticket in town has been Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club and a new collaboration with Moët & Chandon promises to up the ante even further. Available for private hire, the new Moët & Chandon Suite at the Kit Kat Club promises a night of exclusive entertainment, including pre-show cocktails, champagne and canapés, access to the best seats in the house and a unique champagne pairing culinary experience designed by chef Hayden Groves.
For an equally immersive theatrical experience, head over to the BFI Bar Southbank where, for two weeks only, famed tequila brand Cazcabel will be opening the door to Don’s Farmacia: an experiential pop-up bar inspired by the Mexican apothecary of founder Don Cazcabel. Accessed via a hidden door in the bar’s drawing room, allow the pop-up’s ‘pharmacists’ to prescribe a restorative cocktail as your peruse the vintage medical journals and curious jars and vials lining the walls.
The Moët & Chandon Suite at the Kit Kat Club is open now, from £300 per person, kitkat.club; Don’s Farmacia is open from 2-14 November 2022, tickets via designmynight.com
The bars: Velvet and The Libertine
The arrival of dark evenings calls for one thing: sophisticated cocktails in cosy surrounds. Time, then, to book a table at Velvet – the sleek new cocktail bar at the Corinthia London hotel. Featuring interiors by David Collins Studio and a menu designed by legendary mixologist Salvatore Calabrese, expect inventive, theatrical serves offered in sumptuous, deeply glamorous surrounds.
At the other end of the scale, The Libertine, a new bar and restaurant in the City’s Royal Exchange, promises a lively post-work libation with capacity for up to 450 people. The subterranean space is divided among a large bar, destination restaurant and two private dining rooms, and will offer classic cocktails and an extensive drinks menu, alongside a menu of modern European fare.
Velvet opens on 1 November 2022, corinthia.com; The Libertine is open now, libertinelondon.co.uk
The culture: The Soho Hotel, Ryuichi Sakamoto x Krug and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye
As ever, the arrival of autumn heralds a tidal wave of new exhibitions, plays and shows in the capital but, before that, the Soho Hotel is offering a chance to catch up on two stellar productions you may have missed. On 3 and 4 November, respectively, it will be screening recordings of the National Theatre’s The Seagull (starring Emilia Clarke) and Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet in its intimate private cinema. Tickets start from £30, or from £60 including a welcome drink and meal at the hotel’s Refuel restaurant.
Music more your thing? Fine champagne brand Krug has teamed up with celebrated Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto to create a unique musical experience titled Seeing Sound, Hearing Krug. Inspired by Champagne’s exceptional 2008 harvest, a year which yielded no fewer than three Krug vintages – Krug Clos du Mesnil 2008, Krug 2008 and Krug Grande Cuvée 164ème Édition – Sakamoto has created a suite in three movements, which will be performed in 15 countries across the globe over the coming months. Each performance will be accompanied by a sit-down dinner paired with each of the three Krug champagnes; don’t miss your chance to experience this unique event when it comes to Caledonian Road this month.
Art fans, meanwhile, can get their fix at the Tate Britain, which will be restaging its exhibition of works by Lynette Yiadom-Boakye from 24 November. Originally presented in 2020, Fly In League With The Night was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns but will be returning to the UK following an acclaimed international tour. Bringing together more than 70 paintings by this esteemed figurative painter, this is a rare opportunity to peer into the mind of an artist who creates human subjects entirely from her own imagination.
The Seagull, 3 November 2022, and Romeo and Juliet, 4 November 2022, firmdalehotels.com; Seeing Sound, Hearing Krug, 23 November 2022, £295 per person, tickets via eventbrite.com; Lynette Yiadom-Boakye: Fly In League With The Night, from 24 November 2022, tate.org.uk
The masterclass: Photography workshops at Montcalm East and Lavender Green wreath-making
Feel like getting creative this month? As part of its photographer-in-residence programme, Shoreditch’s Montcalm East hotel has enlisted Rose Stewart-Tomes to host a series of masterclasses for budding photographers. A number of workshops are on offer, including sessions focusing on the basics of lighting, flower photography and colourising, and will be held in the hotel’s dedicated photography studio.
Alternatively, get in the festive spirit a little early this year with wreath-making classes from Chelsea-based florist Lavender Green. A society favourite, chosen by both Sophie Wessex and Pippa Middleton for their weddings, master of the art of creating gorgeous botanical wreaths using British foliage, seasonal flowers and luxurious finishing touches. With three wreath sizes available and maximum class size of 12, it’s the perfect way to create a bespoke Christmas adornment for your home.
Photography workshops at Montcalm East, from 5 November 2022, montcalmeast.com; wreath-making classes at Lavender Green, from 26 November 2022, from £95 per person, lavendergreen.co.uk
Read more: London’s best cocktail bars
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