Glorious things to do in London this week (10-16 August 2020)

11 Aug 2020 | Updated on: 27 Sep 2022 |By Luxury London

Your indispensable weekly guide to what's on in London  

Alighieri Old Town Pop-up, Islington

London-based jewellery brand Alighieri has opened a new pop-up on Islington’s Dingley Place. Rather fitting during London’s ongoing heatwave, the space has been designed to resemble a traditional Italian piazza, with terracotta and sun-bleached yellow walls and trailing greenery. Alighieri’s gold jewellery is beautifully curated alongside postcards, dried flowers, ceramics and baskets of espadrilles, as well as ‘modern heirlooms’ that inspire the collections. Guests can also book a table at the al fresco Casa Luna pop-up restaurant, which sits just six. The Italian-inspired trattoria has been created with Pasta Evangelists and promises antipasti, bowls of freshly rolled pasta, aperitifs and wine.

When: throughout AugustLocation: Dingley Place, Islington Website: alighieiri.co.uk

Al Fresco Dining in Chelsea

Pavilion Road, Chelsea

Following the easing of lockdown restrictions, Chelsea has expanded its al fresco offering by creating additional outdoor seating across Duke of York Square and Sloane Square. Additionally, Pavilion Road is now completely car-free, allowing for sun-drenched, al fresco dining at brunchtime favourite, Granger & Co, and pocket-sized seafood restaurant, The Sea, The Sea. Hans Bar & Grill, the smart brasserie adjoined to 11 Cadogan Gardens hotel, is hosting grill nights every Thursday and Friday from 6pm-9.30pm. Select dishes including beef fillet, surf and turf with scallop and king prawn or grilled aubergine, which can be enjoyed on Pavilion Road’s eminently charming, cobbled terrain.

When: throughout AugustWebsite: sloanestreet.co.uk

Gauguin and the Impressionists at Royal Academy of Arts, Mayfair

Manet, Monet, Renoir, Corot and Degas are among the impressionist painters on display at the Royal Academy of Arts this month. Works are on loan from Copenhagen’s prestigious Ordrupgaard Collection, which was assembled by a wealthy Danish couple on the advice of French writer Théodore Duret, who championed Impressionist artists. The exhibition closes with a series of works by French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin, which charts his career from Brittany to Tahiti, and the development his distinct use of colour and simplified forms.

When: 7 August – 18 OctoberPrice: £17; pre-booking is essentialOpening hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 11am – 5pmLocation: Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BDNearest station: Green Park/Piccadilly Website: royalacademy.org.uk

Among the Trees at Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre

If a summer spent in lockdown has left you craving the great outdoors, get a quick nature fix at the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery. A new group exhibition explores the intrinsic relationship between humans and forests, through 37 arresting works. The immersive display takes you from Colombian rainforests and remote Japanese archipegos to Isrealian olive groves, while highlights include a cinematic portrait of a 30-metre-high spruce tree by Finnish filmmaker, Eija-Liisa Ahtila, and a vast cardboard forest by French artist, Eva Jospin.

Price: £12; pre-booking is essentialOpening hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 11am – 7pm; Sunday 10am – 6pmLocation: Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, Bishop’s, London SE1 8XXWebsite: southbankcentre.co.uk

Book now for Regent Park’s Open Air Theatre

Price: from £25 per person When: from 14 August 2020Location: Regents Park, NW1 4NUWebsite: openairtheatre.com

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