It's the week of St Patrick's Day! And if a good aul' bowl of coddle doesn't tickle your fancy, perhaps a spice bag will? Either way, our guide to celebrating St Patrick's Day in London has you covered. For all other dining and drinking happenings, like a culinary book club and an exciting new opening from our favourite Persian restaurant, scroll on down and find out what's happening in and around London this week.
Empire Tavern Opens in Hackney
A new pub diner is coming to Hackney, and is set to open this Friday 20th March. Designed as a vibrant space for locals, workers and theatre-goers alike, Empire Tavern will sit at the heart of Hackney’s social and cultural scene, as part of the Hackney Empire and opposite the Hackney Town Hall. The venue blends pub warmth with destination dining, craft drinks and a carefully curated programme of music and events. Of course, food is central to the concept, with casual all-day dining running from breakfast and lunch through to evening dining, pre-theatre and Sunday roasts. The evening menu features the much revered Leytonstone Tavern burgers, alongside the Bone Daddy Burger, exclusive to the Empire Tavern and featuring smoked, braised beef brisket, confit garlic mayo, Guinness gravy, crispy onions and a hunk of smoked bone marrow. For picky-bits, snacks deliver bold flavours, from smoked ham and cheese croquettes with pineapple jam and mustard mayo, to house hash browns with Cacklebean egg and chip shop curry sauce.
To wash it all down, perhaps a £10 margarita?
Lime Wood Hotel's Culinary Book Club
A two-hour train from London will bring you to Lime Wood Hotel, and aside from the luxury suites, healing surroundings and elegant high teas, a great reason to visit is their book club alone. This Thursday, they will be welcoming the award-winning food journalist and broadcaster Tim Hayward to the hotel. Tim is the food writer for the Financial Times and has received numerous accolades, including the Fortnum & Mason “Best Restaurant Writer” (2024) and Guild of Food Writers “Food Writer of the Year” (2024). He writes with wit, precision, and an unabashed love of culinary detail, while his books celebrate the rituals and pleasures that shape the lives of cooks everywhere. Arrive to a welcome cocktail, feast on a two-course seasonal dinner inspired by Tim's work, chat with Tim about his stories, inspiration and love of food, and leave with a signed copy of his book. Tickets cost £90 per person and are available to book here.
An Eid-ul Fitr Lunch at Somerset House
This Eid-ul Fitr on Sunday 22nd of March, Saliha Khan Sadozai (@3rdculturekat on Instagram) is hosting her very first Eid Lunch at the iconic Somerset House, hosted at Aram, the new café by Imad Alarnab. Led by Chef Sal, the event will feature a curated South Asian menu celebrating the flavours of Eid, from chapli kebab and aubergine borani banjan to saffron rice, slow-cooked lamb, and carrot halwa gâteau. Expect generous sharing plates, seasonal ingredients, and thoughtful cooking rooted in tradition. This one-day lunch event may have limited seats but everybody is welcome, whether you’re curious about Eid or looking to celebrate in a home away from home setting.
Early bird tickets are on sale now and can be secured here.
It's St Patrick's Day!
While we have a full guide to celebrating the day in London, we wanted to give a special shout out to Thrift Taco, who have set up shop at East London's favourite Irish pub, Howl At The Moon. Next week, During St. Patrick’s Week, Thrift Taco will be serving its regular menu of tacos, layered nachos, plus a very special addition to mark the occasion. Many think of Irish cuisine as spuds and cabbage, but real ones know it's all about the spice bag, an assortment of chips, crispy fried chicken, jalapeños, peppers and onions, tossed together and served as a mouth-wateringly salty comfort food, yearned for by the Irish diaspora. Thrift Taco will be re-creating the cult-favourite with a Mexican spin, served with a tricolour salsa. To wash it down? A pint of Guinness of course from the Howl's bar (which has been given the seal of approval.)
Berenjak Opens Another Location
If you've always struggled to get a reservation at their Soho and Borough locations, Berenjak have added another location to their ever-expanding brand to increase your odds. Their Mayfair restaurant opens this Friday and will be their largest restaurant in London to date, with more than 20 new dishes added on to the menu. The menu itself is yet to be revealed, but if it's anything like the Soho and Borough locations, we're sure it won't be long until a lengthy queue of hungry hopefuls start to form outside.
