OH, LONDON, YOU'RE such a show-off. I don't mean that in a negative way – far from it – the occasions wherein the capital gets to fluff up its feathers and showcase the best of its food and drink scenes make me a very proud Londoner indeed, and go some way towards confirming what many of us already believe: that London as a food destination has officially become world-class.
Case in point: this October, the capital will become a hub for both a food and a drinks initiative, both of which span central London and a significant part of east and west, too.
Photograph via Woodford Reserve
The former, London Restaurant Festival, will see more than 250 restaurants give discounts and special offers on menu items throughout October, as well as coming up with unique dishes, too. There'll also be tours, grouped by area or by cuisine, where you'll have a dish and drink at up to six different venues.
Of course, the drinks scene is no slouch, either. London Cocktail Week ran from 5-11 October, and its rapid rise from an experimental event to the most hotly anticipated events on the culinary calendar is a mark of just how much there is to get excited about in the world of mixed drinks.
Sister events London Wine Week and London Beer Week have since joined in on the action, but for me, the chance to experience the work of some of the capital's best bartenders at decidedly non-London-seeming prices is too good to pass up.
Wristbands are a tenner; discounts on drinks mean serious savings. I don't know about you, but I'm clearing my schedule and stocking up on ibuprofen ahead of next year's. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've some bars to prop up. ■
