Don't miss: 14 things to eat, drink and do in London this weekend: 7-9 June

Weekends are for fun. Weekends are for friends. Weekends are for fitting in as many activities as you can possibly cram in over such a brief – but enjoyable – period of time. Our favourite way to spend our days off is, of course, by eating great food and drinking great drinks. Living in a city like London, you'll never be lacking for a range of ace and tasty events running over the weekend. But choosing which ones are worth your precious presence (and, moreover, worth the Google Calendar invite) is a bit more difficult.

After all, there's nothing worse than spending your Saturday and Sunday at an event with limp burgers and weak cocktails. To help you make the most of your time off work and away from your glass office, we've created this handy little weekend round-up of the best food and drink events going on across the city. Anything you think we missed out? Well, feel free to be in touch with the events that you think we should be covering next week!

From gin festivals to half-price Indian food, here are the events that you should be pencilling into your calendar and putting on your radar this weekend.

14 things to do in London this weekend

1. Get your first drink free at Fugitive Motel

7 June; 199 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 0EL

Fugitive Motel – a kitsch 50s-60s West Coast style bar and kitchen – is officially opening its doors on 7 June

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Fugitive Motel – a kitsch 50s-60s West Coast style bar and kitchen – is officially opening its doors to Bethnal Green’s punters on 7 June. To celebrate its debut, the throwback joint is offering everyone who visits from 5-9pm that day their first drink on the house. Open from early until late, with coffee from local roaster partners Climpson & Sons at their all-day café and co-working space, the Fugitive Motel is somewhere you'll feel comfortable hanging out at any time of the day. Come evening the space rolls into a great night spot with drinks at the bar, including a stellar line up of craft beers on draft, kombucha on tap, and sourdough pizzas in the pizza lounge. Is it named after an Elbow song? Quite possibly. Does it sound like great fun anyway? Most absolutely.

fugitivemotel.bar

2. Watch a rice dumpling speed eating competition

7 June; 399 Edgware Road, NW9 0FH

Rice dumpling lovers will be put to the ultimate test with this rice dumpling speed eating competition happening on Friday 7 June at Bang Bang Oriental. Starting at 7pm, the competition will mark the beginning of this year's Dragon Boat Festival in China, where many indulge in the consumption of tasty rice dumplings – or Zongzi as they are known in China. Participants will be competing for three top prizes on the day. First place will be awarded with a £88 Voucher for Cruise Holiday Package bookings from Cruise Vista and what we can only assume will be a trip to the toilet for the annals. If you haven't already signed up to take part in the competition, but still want to enjoy some tasty rice dumplings, you can head over to Royal China One 68 Dim Sum where you can enjoy Hong Kong-style sticky rice dumplings for only £8.80 until 10 June.

bangbangoriental.com

3. Celebrate National Fish and Chip Day with free 'Vin & Tonic' cocktails

7 June; Various locations

Sarson’s Vinegar have partnered with fried fish purveyors Poppies ahead of National Fish and Chip Day to create a 'Vin & Tonic' cocktail

You've all had a gin and tonic before, so how about trying out a vin and tonic? Sarson's Vinegar have partnered with fried fish purveyors Poppies ahead of National Fish and Chip Day to create a 'Vin & Tonic' cocktail – a quirky twist on the G&T that is supposed to pair perfectly with a portion of fish and chips. To celebrate the great day of spud and skate, Poppies are giving away the first 100 of these cocktails for free. The cocktail is available from either of Poppies' Soho and Spitalfields London locations throughout the day, so be quick to make sure you don't miss out.

poppiesfishandchips.co.uk

4. Drink free Negronis at Al Dente

7 June; 51 Goodge Street, W1T 1TG

To celebrate Negroni's 100th birthday this June, pasta barons Al Dente are launching a brand new aperitivo hour on 7 June and offering 50 free negronis to their first 50 guests. Don't be too miffed if you miss out on the free drink, however. The aperitivo hour is pretty decent value for money, offering two negronis or Aperol Spritzes for £10 which you can then pair with aperitivi classics such as bruschetta, different Italian hams and focaccia with Sicilian olive oil. Happy birthday indeed.

pastificioaldente.com

5. Sample local produce at Hampshire Food Fare

7-8 June; 8 Southwark Street, SE1 1TL

The rich food heritage of Hampshire is being given the spotlight at Borough Market's Market Hall for a weekend dedicated to showcasing some of the country's finest food producers. That includes sparkling wine from Black Chalk and Raimes Sparkling; cheese from Beau Farm and Lyburn Cheese; biltong from Stag and Bull, and many more quality Hampshire-ites in the building. The ace Winchester Distillery will also be there with bottles of Twisted Nose gin, flavoured with Hampshire watercress— and a perfect way to mark World Gin Day on the Saturday.

boroughmarket.org.uk

6. Dance your socks off at Field Day

7-9 June; The Drumsheds, Meridian Water, N18 3BW

Andrew Whitton

Carolina Faruolo

Andrew Whitton

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Field Day is embarking on a new chapter in 2019, moving to a new home in the form of Enfield's Meridian Water. The new location features ten acres of outdoor space plus four gigantic, interlinking warehouses. Enfield might feel like the other side of the planet, but here's why it's worth the journey: this year's line-up spans every musical genre you'd ever want from a festival. Along with its tasty music, Field Day brings together the cream of London's street-food scene to cater for all appetites. With more than 60 unique food stalls from some of London's most renowned markets, you could easily bill the festival Food Day. We're really glad they haven't. We're just saying that it would have been easy. Tons of tasty vendors will be keeping you full of dancing fuel and rumour has it that it's also going to be something of a craft beer extravaganza. Bulldog Dry Gin and Camden Town Brewery have hopped aboard the Field Day express to whet your appetite with IPAs and G&Ts that are well above your typical zoo-grade festival beers.

fielddayfestivals.com

7. Chow down on half-price food at Ooty Station

7-16 June; Ooty Station, 66 Baker Street, W1U 7DJ

The latest venture from the talented team behind south Indian restaurant Ooty, Ooty Station is opening on 7 June

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The latest venture from the talented team behind south Indian restaurant Ooty, Ooty Station is opening on 7 June to offer a range of Indian-inspired bar snacks, lunch items (think: malli chicken wings, mutton methi samosas and light-as-air dosas) alongside a cracking selection of cocktails and beers. With an off-street outdoor terrace and counter bar dining inside, it's set to be an ideal place to laze away a couple of languid hours on a hot summer's day. To celebrate the opening you can nab yourself 50% off food from 7-16 June. And, as if that wasn't tempting enough, Ooty Station is also going to be showing the Cricket World Cup on its wide-screen TV. Howzat?

ooty.co.uk

8. Dine with a conscience at Beyond Food Supper Club

8 June; 139 Tooley Street, SE1 2HZ

Beyond Food Supper Club, a gourmet supper club with a social purpose, has invited chef and food writer Ping Coombes to guest at its latest event on Saturday 8 June at Brigade Bar + Kitchen

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Beyond Food Supper Club, a gourmet supper club with a social purpose, has invited chef and food writer Ping Coombes to guest at its latest event on Saturday 8 June at Brigade Bar + Kitchen from 7-10pm. Coombes will be offering diners a modern twist on the food of her childhood while still incorporating some of the Brigade team's signature smoke and grill cooking techniques. For £45, guests will be treated to a four-course meal and a complimentary cocktail upon arrival. The menu includes dishes like chilli bean roasted aubergines, labneh and crispy tofu skin; torched mackerel, rojack and iberico pork; wood roasted rare rump, fermented chilli bean, lime and lemongrass dressing with rice noodles; and sweetbread spring rolls.

designmynight.com