I ended up seeing a performance of a 19th-century Russian opera called Queen of Spades, and as morbid as it was, watching it under a canopy on a mild summer eve was one for the best night outs I’d had in a while. And I’m not even into opera!

The 2017 season just kicked off and runs until 29th July – so if you’re looking for something different to do this summer, this is a great shout. Check out my experience of last year’s event below:

The Performance

Behind The Scenes

Find out more about Investec Opera Holland Park.

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The USP: Pickett’s residency is all about pretty dishes intended to pack a punch with creative flavour combos. And the Sanderson collaboration makes sense; this is fine dining that suits everything we’ve come to adore about the trendy, Philippe Starck-designed hotel – from the wonderful service to the eye-catching interiors.

The food: Starters of delicately-flavoured sea scallops and the cornish crab with pressed watermelon are  gorgeous on all levels. But it’s the mains that really win. The poached and roast guinea fowl has been a diner’s favourite since the menu launched in June. This winning dish of tender gamey slices served with asparagus and leeks could’ve been a fancy Sunday roast, which is made all the better with a slathering of roast chicken gravy.

Guinea fowl with the poshest trimmings #allenpickett #sandersonLDN

A photo posted by Matilda (@mstillytilda) on Jun 25, 2015 at 1:28pm PDT

Another highlight is the eclectic combination of seared red mullet, razor clam, oxtail and onion, served with a saffron rouille sauce.  Thankfully, both mains leave enough room for dessert, which you’d be a fool to pass up – especially as the lemon and raspberry sponge is as delightful as it sounds.

Budget: Post pay-day. Set aside £100 for two if you’re going for the full works (starters, sides, mains, desserts and wine or cocktails)

Good for: A midsummer’s night, fabulous mains, yummy afters and plenty of Instagram likes

For more pics, check out our Tumblr.

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Off the back of a pilot  in 2011, UP Projects’ The Floating Cinema is pretty unusual, but it arrives for 10 weeks of programmes as innovative and creative as its cargo-style construction.

“Extra-Ordinary” will feature live art shows, tours along the waterways, a horror weekender – where films will be projected from the boat to the bank side – and a fancy dress screening of Frankenweenie near 3 Mills Studio where it was made. There’s also a number of on-board workshops and talks planned , unveiling some of the more interesting stories about the Lea Valley area where the boat will be regularly docked.

The events are the brainchild of artist duo Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie who say the compact space (which seats 12) will be a place for creative things to happen – and given our love for all things hip and arty, that’s just too good to resist.

For more info, visit: www.floatingcinema.info

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But if you continue toward Southwark, you’ll see that one place is just starting its working day, with people queued outside to get in before things kick off at midnight. No, it’s not a new club or trendy bar. It’s the Globe Theatre staging the next in its series of Midnight Matinees.

Two more times this summer, the Globe will be putting on performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (12 July) and The Tempest (9 August) in its open air theatre. Both shows begin under starry skies at 11:59pm. The night-time setting makes for an ideal backdrop for both plays. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is set in a magical forest where fairies play mischievous tricks on a group of wedding-goers. The Tempest, Shakespeare’s final play, also relies heavily on magic to tell the story of the sorcerer Prospero and his attempts to restore his political power.

If you want to truly replicate the Shakespearean experience, you can buy a £5 ground ticket to stand in front of the stage as most theatregoers did in the original Globe (seated tickets are also available for those unwilling to be on their feet for three hours). Regardless if you sit or stand, though, you’re sure to be swept up in the atmosphere and energy of the event which will help you forget the time…until you emerge from the theatre with the first streaks of sunrise in the sky. (Words: Barbara Cole)

For more info about Midnight Matinees, visit: www.shakespearesglobe.com/theatre/whats-on/special-events/midnight-matinees

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So one of the last fests worth checking out this summer is Mela – a celebration of South Asian culture combining traditional artists and up and coming talent with a line-up of classical music, British Asian urban artists, dance, comedy and cabaret, Asian-influenced street theatre, circus performances and more.

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Mela  promises to be better than ever with its vibrant carnival winding its way through the park led by show stopping sculptures and featuring the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Bollywood Brass Band and BBC Asian network DJs – and with great weather expected this Sunday, it looks like this is a definite for this weekend’s to-do list!

Mela takes place on Sunday, August 19th at Gunnersbury Park from 1pm- 9pm. For more info, visit www.londonmela.org

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The Icecreamists

Market Building, Covent Garden Market WC2E 8RF (Tube: Covent Garden)

Famed for their controversial breast milk ice cream, The Icecreamists are intent on liberating ice cream lovers “one lick at a time” to the wonders of creative –  and titilating –  gelato. From the sex bomb – made with natural viagra, absinthe and lemon – to the Baby Goo Goo (that mama milk), they like to push the boundaries but really pride themselves on quality of their creams – so  it’s hard to deny the intensity of favourites such as peanut butter, apple and vodka sorbetto and the popcorn which are definitely worth a scoop or too. As for the Baby Goo Goo,  well…let’s just say for all its creamy sweetness, we’re happy to tick that box and move on – but where The Icecreamists really shine is with their spiked sorbetto cocktails. The Miss whiplash– raspberry and vodka – and the Molotoffee cocktails (with toasted meringue) are just gorgeous and come highly recommended.  www.theicecreamists.com

Comboco

8 D’Arblay St, London, W1F 8DP (Tube: Oxford Circus)

Comboco is quite the find – this cafe in Soho recently started doing gelatos and have since trialled curious  flavours which they make in house such as tomato, chilli and basil and avocado, pear and gorgonzola. But when they’re not dabbling in savoury sorts, they do a really good sweet selection including peanut butter,  ginger and honey, coconut, and lime sorbet, all made as organically as possible.  Still, the real reason you’ll want to visit Comboco is to have a “smashed combo” where you can create your own jumbled flavour with whatever toppings and sauce you like – and it’s fun to see how it’s made.  www.facebook.com/Comboco

The Foundry

3-7 Delancey St, Camden NW1 7NL (Tube: Camden Town)

The Foundry bar and restaurant in Camden has only been around since the top of the year, but they’re getting in on the ice cream game by making all their varieties from scratch and offering seasonal specials like the Diamond Jubilee  – a clotted cream ice cream with meringue, fresh strawberries and topped with “diamonds” made from Blue Curaçao liqueur.  But their cucumber and mint sorbet  – inspired by a cocktail – is unlike anything we’ve ever heard of and is a delicately-flavoured refresher which is perfect for when the heat is on in the capital. www.foundrycamden.co.uk

Carom

100 Wardour Street, Soho W1F 0TN (Tube: Oxford Circus)

In India and other Asian countries, a heavily creamy dessert called Kulfi is all the rage for its yummy custard base, rich flavours and quality (as unlike Western ice-cream, it takes much longer to melt!).  Contemporary Asian-bar Carom in Soho offer a fantastic kulfi  in pistachio, mango and lychee, topped with sauce and pistachio nuts and makes for a lighter alternative to gelato.  www.meza-soho.co.uk

The Chin Chin Laboratorists

49 – 50 Camden Lock Place, Camden NW1 8AF (Tube: Camden Town)

Designed appropriately to resemble a science lab, The Chin Chin Laboratorists have discovered how you can speed up the preparation time of ice cream by using a little liquid nitrogen (which if you didn’t know is ridiculously cold). Here, you can try the creams beforehand before marvelling at the spectacle of it being made within minutes.  Flavour wise, they offer vanilla and chocolate, but also have a  low-fat milk ice cream (Olympic Torch Marshmallow) which is a light option but made lovelier with your choice of fresh sauces including caramel.  www.chinchinlabs.com

Gelupo

7 Archer Street, Soho W1D 7AU (Tube: Piccadilly Circus)

No quest for remarkable ice cream would be complete without a visit to Gelupo. Hailed by the likes of Time Out and Zagat, this parlour likes their gelato pure and tasty, with unique flavours like Rice, Watermelon sorbet and the sweet and nutty Marron Glacé making this summer’s cool list. They’re all for combining flavours too and encourage the bitter chocolate sorbet with coconut or blood orange.  Works a treat.  www.gelupo.com

Ozone Coffee Roasters

11 Leonard St, London EC1Y (Tube: Old Street)

Where Starbucks and co could once lay claim to inspiring the growth of coffee culture in the capital, there’s now a rise in coffee connoisseurs who are challenging the chains by embarking on a mission to introduce coffee lovers to a quality cup of joe. Ozone Coffee Roasters are among the new wave, and known for their fine roasts, they’ve teamed up with Gelupo to create an Espresso gelato and sorbet. They’re both extraordinarily bold and tasty (and even come with a shot of espresso you can pour over it), so if you’ve ever wondered what good coffee can taste like without getting your tongue burnt, these are definitely worth a try. Other flavours at Ozone include the sweet and tangy Blood Orange.  www.ozonecoffee.co.uk

Have you tried any weird or unusual ice creams in London? Let us know in the comments section…

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La Linea is nearly in London and every April,  the Latin music festival takes over various venues in central London to bring the best of contemporary Latin music to our city.

For those not hip to Latin music, the  festival presents the perfect opportunity to learn more about it. Brazilian singer-songwriter Ceu is definitely worth checking out, and as the biggest-selling Latin recording artist in the UK, her music combines dub, samba and electronic and she will soon be crossing over into more mainstream music so head to Koko to check her out.

Also the London Lucumi Choir sing songs from the living tradition of Santeria music (also known as Lucumi) brought to Cuba from West Africa. Playing at Rich Mix,  their performance also features a screening of “Matanzas: Growing into Music” exploring through music and dance the preservation and renovation of cultural traditions in Cuba today.

While London has a great selection of indie bands and urban nights, La Linea is a chance to inject some new music into your summer playlists. Visit www.comono.co.uk/la-linea for further info. (Words: Lucy Palmer)

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