Time Out London guest blogger

With bank holidays, festivals and summer getaways, August is a pretty great month. But even if you’re not jetting off to sunnier climes, London has a plethora of brand new venues to discover and enjoy. Venue experts Hire Space have picked out five top new venues to help you make the most of the month.  Gabeto (pictured above) Gabeto, which means ‘our house’ in Spanish, has made its home in one of the stable blocks in Camden Market, bringing a contemporary vibe to the Victorian structure. The bar stretches the length of the ground floor, with booths and relaxed communal tables filling the space. Head up the industrial spiral staircase and the first-floor restaurant is bright, colourful and peppered with modern art and murals. The food is also a modern fusion of British ingredients with Latin flavours, brought to life by former Chiltern Firehouse chef Lee Andrews. The space is vast and also includes a year-round terrace, making the venue an ideal choice for Christmas parties, summer parties, birthdays, private dining and everything in between.  Amber Lakes   There’s a little bit of travel involved with this venue (full disclosure: it’s a short train ride from Clapham Junction), but it’s totally worth it. Amber Lakes is a 450-acre private reserve, with a 120-acre lake making up the vast majority of the site, alongside a stunning Scandinavian Lodge. The Lodge is the main events space and can cater for anything from conferences (although concentrating on anything but the view wou

The party season is imminent, soon to be surrounded by festive jumpers, the dulcet tones of Mariah Carey and the smell of mulled wine. So if you’re in need of a space for a Christmas party, some much-needed work drinks or even a birthday, the venue experts at Hire Space are here to give you some inspiration. Dust off those sequinned outfits and get ready for some fun-filled months ahead. Wonderlab at the Science Museum Unique is a word that’s thrown around a lot but this venue really does deserve the accolade. The Science Museum’s newest gallery, Wonderlab: The Statoil Gallery is now available for corporate event hire. The £6 million gallery is the Science Museum’s most ambitious interactive gallery yet and will feature over 50 exhibits in seven zones based on the scientific phenomena that surround us every day. The 1,600sqm space can accommodate up to 400 guests for evening receptions and dancing. Guests will have the opportunity to take the ultimate selfie in the infinity mirror, order experiments at the ‘Chemistry Bar’, watch a real-life lightning strike and dance the night away on a revolving solar system under a canopy of 500 stars. Bombay Palace   Bombay Palace is an award-winning Indian restaurant in the heart of London offering a delicious selection of dishes from Northern India as well as a selection of tasty and wholesome Indian street food. The restaurant has a plethora of options for events, from several private dining rooms to the lounge bar and patio. Separated

With all this warm weather, the city has exploded into colourful life. Mark Rigney offers his pick of London’s new public artworks Shok-1 (pictured above) Shok-1 has perfected a spookily translucent way of painting that makes his work look like massive X-rays. He’s stripped back the colours a little in his latest creations, coming up with images like this massive hand (probably) flicking the peace symbol. Titled ‘MasterPeace’, the painting was created in response to the nasty atmosphere that swept across the country in the wake of the EU referendum. Fournier St, E1.    Axel Void Born in Miami and raised in Spain, Axel Void – AKA Alejandro Hugo Dorda Mevs – was among the artists invited by Banksy to take part in last year’s ‘Dismaland Bemusement Park’  project in Weston-super-Mare. Strongly influenced by classical painting and drawing, he’s now back in the UK and has just completed work on this massive mural. It’s one of two murals painted as part of his residency at Unit 5 Gallery, which will stage a large-scale exhibition of his work early next year. Scawfell St, E2.    The Lord Napier Curated by local printmaker Aida Wilde, Hackney Wick’s iconic Lord Napier pub has been transformed into a riot of colour as part of the Hackney WickED Festival, a celebration of the local artistic and creative community. Wheatpasted posters, stencils, stickers and works by a host of local street and graffiti artists have breathed life back into this derelict pub. Mobstr, Edwin, Sweet Toof, D

London’s brutalist architecture is enjoying a new wave of appreciation. Peter Chadwick, graphic designer and author of ‘This Brutal World’, picks six of his favourite examples Alton Estate   A photo posted by Daniel James (@dannyjwb) on Jun 1, 2016 at 12:21pm PDT   This optimistic modern ‘utopia’ on the edge of Richmond Park was built in the 1950s. It was designed by a team of architects led by Leslie Martin, who had previously worked on the Royal Festival Hall. Five ‘floating’ blocks of flats inspired by Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation in Marseille are the focal point of the estate. Barbican Estate   A photo posted by Photo taker & Sky chaser. (@elikhan.photography) on Jul 12, 2016 at 2:24am PDT   Architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon came together in 1952, after Geoffry Powell won the competition to design the Golden Lane Estate. The Barbican project followed shortly after. Look beyond the show-stopping towers and you’ll find covered walkways, lush green areas and a lake. Barbican Centre runs regular architecture tours. www.barbican.org.uk. National Theatre   A photo posted by david weight (@davidweight23) on Jul 11, 2016 at 4:11pm PDT   This previously unloved building is today appreciated by a wider audience. Walk under Waterloo Bridge on a late summer’s afternoon and watch the shadows move around its concrete façade. One of my favourite brutalist views. National Theatre runs regular architecture tours. www.nationaltheatre.org.uk. Alexandra & Ainswo

The capital’s quaint mews streets offer relief from our city’s urban edge. Emma Geary from Instagram account @MewsingsLdn picks her favourites Warren Mews, Warren Street   #throwback to my first few months in London where plants were alive and beautiful and it wasn't rainy and gray everyday. 🕶🌿💐☀️🇬🇧#warrenmews #fitzrovia #london #londonmews #vscocam #mews A photo posted by Erica Siegel (@ericasiegel) on Jan 12, 2016 at 2:36am PST The Euston Road is the ultimate artery of the city, gridlocked with buses, tourists and those scrambling between Euston and King’s Cross. One street away is Warren Mews. It can be spotted through a square archway, like peering into a portal to the countryside, or back in time. Holland Park Mews, Holland Park   #mews A photo posted by AMY DARLOW (@amydarlow) on Aug 9, 2015 at 2:49pm PDT Holland Park Mews has a compelling geometry and formalism. It’s the attention to detail that makes each house so attractive: the stairways, the doors set perfectly into the facades, the wrought- iron balconies and perfect textural brickwork. They’re like a child’s drawing of houses! St Luke's Mews, Notting Hill   Sun finally came out 😊⛅️ #mews #street #portobello #Nottinghill #trees #door #bike A photo posted by Masha Zemtsova (@maria.ashworth) on Aug 26, 2015 at 11:32am PDT St Luke’s Mews is the most iconic in London: every home is painted – cobbles to roof – in mauves, grey-blacks, teal blues and adorable pinks. It’s where Keira Knightley’s chara

April brings the promise of spring staples such as daffodils, an abundance of frolicking lambs and severely discounted Creme Eggs. We can also delight in the opening of a host of new London venues. As ever, the venue experts at Hire Space have homed in on five hot new spaces with private­-hire potential. 1. The Escapologist   From the creative team behind the popular Adventure Bars comes this new Covent Garden hangout based on a fabled Victorian Escapologist nicknamed 'The Baron'. Styled as a Masonic lodge, the Earlham Street venue promises to be an enchanting spot for bespoke social and corporate parties. Guests can gather in The Grand Hall (complete with a secret door and private fridge), The Vault (a wood­-panelled basement space with padded seats), or even revel in the expansive entire venue if the host proves popular enough. 2. Little Bat   Hidden in a nook just off Angel’s Upper Street is this wonder­-filled and Wonderland-­themed bar whose name is dropped in the Mad Hatter’s riddle-­crammed poem. Shout out to Lewis Carroll. Run by the same innovative team as Shoreditch’s Callooh Callay (fittingly the name of that perplexing poem), Little Bat offers a flexible space for intimate or more sizeable parties, with a capacity of around 120. Tailor-­made drinks menus can be arranged for private gatherings, with shareable punch bowls of concoctions like 'Bathtub Smash' and 'Grumpy Thompson’s Ale' sure to make cocktail consumption into a cosy pastime. 3. Leman Street Tavern  

Most Londoners would agree that March spells the light at the end of the cold, stalagmite­-encrusted tunnel known as winter. We can now leave sludge and chapped lips behind and look forward to the Easter bunny, the excessive greenness of St Patrick’s Day, and the end of Lent, AKA the resumption of all the things we pretended to stop doing for a month. March also brings with it the opening of many cool new London venues. We asked venue experts Hire Space for the hottest new spots to hang out at this month. 1. Dickie Fitz We’re over 7,000 miles away from the Pacific, but for all those pining for a taste of faraway lands, Dickie Fitz makes it (almost) possible. Headed by Aussie chef Matt Robinson, the brightly decorated Fitzrovia joint captures the flavours of Asia and Australasia through dishes like steamed barramundi, lamb chops with sake, and tuna taco with pineapple and wasabi – along with bonafide Lamingtons for dessert. Standing on the site of the former Newman Street Tavern, the restaurant’s two floors are also hireable for private events, for when occasions call for a South­-Pacific slant. 2. Sosharu   Chef Jason Atherton has made his culinary mark worldwide with restaurants including Pollen Street Social and Berners Tavern. Farringdon’s Sosharu continues his focus on British ingredients, this time applied to a Japanese menu, creating favourites from the traditions of sashimi, teppanyaki and robatayaki (which, we’ve learned, is not food cooked by robots). And it gets e

February: the month that drew the short straw. Blink and it’s gone. This year’s a Leap Year, meaning the 28-day month is granted an extra day, out of pity. That’s why we have to pack into February the most events possible, adding to world holidays like Valentine’s Day, the Super Bowl and Slovenian Culture Day. Tick off these new London venues over the course of your 28 – nay, 29 – days. We asked venue experts Hire Space for the coolest new spots to see you through the month. 1. The Lighterman   Adding to the cluster of eclectic venues at Granary Square in King’s Cross is The Lighterman, a 'pub, dining room and bar'. Set on three floors in an expansive, industrial style, the multi-faceted establishment will offer craft beers, seasonal cocktails and wines, alongside wholesome food cooked in the on-site wood-fired grill and pizza oven. Putting February to the back of our minds, The Lighterman will undoubtedly be a popular summer spot due to its alfresco terrace, which will look out onto Regent’s Canal. 2. Ruby’s Bar & Lounge Elizabeth Blanchet   Below-ground boozing is a wily way to escape the February chill, with the added advantage that it’s cool when a venue doubles up as a well-kept, subterranean secret. This cocktail bar and lounge recently opened on Dalston’s Kingsland Road, and features comfy booths, a wine list picked by local connoisseurs, and Vietnamese food – like lotus root crisps and chilli soft-shell crab – from the people at Hanoi Kitchen. We're intrigued by th

Our mates at LondOntheInside have rounded up five things they’re pretty damn excited about this month. Street Kitchen 'Hatch', London Fields, open now We're big fans of the fast, fresh breakfasts and lunches that Street Kitchen serves up – those shakshuka pots have cured a fair few of our hangovers. So we're happy to hear they're opening a new 'hatch' in London Fields AND, what's more, there's 50 percent off until Feb 14, which given their prices is pretty cheap. Grab the voucher from their Instagram. NME Awards, various venues, Feb 1–15 Not digging the cold weather? Then get amongst it at one of these NME gigs, guaranteed to be hot and sweaty. There's a whole host of exciting bands all over town – highlights include Kid Wave at Oslo, Spring King at The 100 Club and Swim Deep at the Tufnell Park Dome. Long live the fire!   Frenchie, Covent Garden, opens Feb 2  One of our favourite restaurants in Paris is crossing the channel, opening in London this month. Frenchie Covent Garden will have a menu just like its Parisian counterpart and a wine list to match. Heart Preservation Workshop, Queen of Hoxton, Feb 6 Ever wondered what it would be like to rip your lover's heart out of their chest and preserve it? Us too. Which is why we'll be attending this one-off evening lead by professional mortician and pathology museum curator Carla Valentine.   Quadrophenia, Eventim Apollo, Feb 11 Like us, do you wish you'd been around in the '70s and rode Vespa along Brighton beach? Then check o

In this week's Time Out Magazine we informed you that the WeLoveHackney Campaign was launching with a party tonight at the newly reopened Dinerama in Shoreditch – an event arranged to protest against some pretty draconian licensing measures that Hackney Council was proposing. Essentially, the stiffs in the suits have it that the number of late-night clubs and bars in Dalston and Shoreditch is ‘reaching saturation point’ and negatively impacting residents. So, the council’s updated draft licensing consultation aimed at making it harder for new places to open in Shoreditch by enlarging the locality's Special Policy Area (SPA) – an area in which new licenses are issued only in 'exceptional circumstances' – whilst also maintaining Dalston’s pre-existing SPA (where license applications for new nightclubs and dance venues are controversially termed ‘not considered appropriate' by the council). The consultation also detailed a borough-wide hours policy for new license applications. But good news east London party people: the proposals have been rescinded, for now anyway. Apparently Hackney Council 'discovered' a 'minor error' which means that instead of closing the consultation this Friday, it'll now be postponed until next year. We reckon tonight's launch will be a celebration of this small victory and Hackney's nightlife, instead of a full-on war strategy meeting. Until next year, party on London! Find out more about the delayed proposal at hackneycitizen.co.uk. By Sammy Robson  

Our mates at LondOntheInside have rounded up five things they’re pretty damn excited about this month. Over to them... Shuang Shuang, Shaftesbury Avenue, opens Jan 4 A trip to Asia turned us into huge hot pot heads, so we’re happy as larry that Shuang Shuang, the specialist hot pot spot, is finally opening. Pork and crab wontons, fresh oysters and queen scallops dunked in a big bowl of Herbal River broth. Hell yes.  Lucky Chip Burgers & Wine, Ridley Road, opens early Jan Lucky Chip are finally doing it, going from pop-up to perm in Dalston. Branching out from just burgers and fries, the new spot will have a bigger menu and a very extensive drinks list – we’re talking over 100 bottles of wine here – happy New Year indeed.   Crap Christmas Present Swap Shop, Stories, Broadway Market, Jan 11 We hope you got everything you wished for this year but chances are you got at least one Christmas pressie that should've stayed in the shop. Enter Stories, who are helping people swap trash for treasure. Get down there early and give your gifts a good home.   An Evening with Rockett St George, The Hoxton, Holborn Jan 19  Now that Christmas is over and those decorations are down, why not have a little revamp. If, like us, you find yourself buying everything you like rather than what actually works in your house, you might want to get a little help from the experts at this interior design Q&A with expert Ellie Tennant. Goodie bag included.    Claw, Fish Market, New Street, Jan 23 Think you

  A photo posted by David (@therealmrlayton) on Apr 13, 2015 at 4:26pm PDT   Kat Romero rants for her right to eat on the Underground. Tube etiquette is taken very seriously in London. The looks of shock and disgust for anyone who dares stand on the left of the escalator. The rage you suppress when people refuse to move down the carriage. The overwhelming urge to scream ‘Look at your life, look at your choices!’ to any numpty who takes up an entire seat with their bag.   But this week, Margaret Thatcher’s former aide, Lord Sherbourne of Didsbury, added something else to the list of unacceptable activities on the Underground. Hot food. He wants to ban it. And as a late-night fried food fanatic who has yelled ‘Supersize me!’ at the staff of Chicken Cottage more times than I care to admit, I’d like to climb on top of my tub of KFC and fight for my fellow passengers’ right to eat reeking junk on the tube.  London is the greatest city in the world and I’ll fight any sass mouth who dares challenge me. But sometimes for us locals it can all get a bit on top of us. At the end of a long working day, you want to blow off some steam and let your hair down. Especially during the festive season. And after a questionable (okay, a huge) amount of Jägerbombs, all I want is a nice warm comfy tube train, and something that’s recently seen the interior of a deep-fat fryer. As I make my way home, let me be cradled in the bosom of a bargain bucket. Let hot wings clasp me to them. Let me curl u