The cranes of Nine Elms are visible from miles around, but this dusty and desolate stretch of road that connects Battersea and Vauxhall currently feels more like the Wild West than anywhere in South London.
It’s a while until the redevelopment project will see completion and the refurbished Power Station launches as flats, shops and restaurants, or the Northern line extension opens.
But a bit of life will be breathed into the area early, thanks to a series of foodie events this summer. They’ll offer a taste of the vibrant riverside area Nine Elms could soon become.
Street food: Street Feast
We told you about the outdoor cinema at Battersea Power Station last month, and you’ll be glad to know that it doesn’t come without sustenance. While the likes of Dirty Harry, Toy Story and Rocky will be screened, Street Feast (also behind Dalston Yard and Model Market) has set up camp at the power station’s base, bringing more than 20 food traders every Thursday to Sunday until 31 July. Among them are Anna Mae with her mac ‘n’ cheese, lobster roll-dealing B.O.B.’s Lobster, Indian-inspired and veggie-friendly Dosa Deli, and Kimchinary selling Korean burritos and all things kimchi. There’ll also be a Prosecco and oyster bar, cocktails and a rooftop rum shack.
The Power Of Summer runs 10 July - 31 August. Cinema tickets cost £7.50-£25, available here. General park admission is £4 on Thursdays and Fridays after 6pm and on weekends.
Supperclub: Walk On The Wild Side
Next week, the Radical Dining Society will take over the roof of the Embassy Gardens by Ballymore showspace for a five-day pop-up themed around wild flowers and gardens, inspired by the forthcoming linear park that will run from Vauxhall to Battersea once completed. An all-out six-course tasting menu by chef Toby Cartwright will feature dishes such as raw venison with wood sorrel, horseradish, douglas fir and rye; a nettle risotto; and cured salmon with wild fennel, sea buckthorn and wild rice crispies. The menu costs £75 a head including wine and a glass of fizz. Alternatively, £25 will get you entry to the event, a cocktail and a bowl of food from Aji Ceviche. Whichever ticket you have, the night runs until 11.30pm with cocktails and DJs in full swing throughout.
Walk On The Wild Side runs from 22 to 26 July. Buy tickets here.
Brunch: The Good Egg
Nine Elms couldn’t feel further much away from Las Vegas, but that’s the theme of a series of rooftop brunches that will be running in August on the site of what will become the US Embassy. For two weekends (9/10 and 16/17 August), The Good Egg will take over the roof of the Embassy Gardens by Ballymore showspace and turn it into a rather epic sounding brunch bar. Six stations will include an Eggs Benedict bar, an omelette bar, a brunch slider bar, and another serving pancakes, waffles and French toast. There’ll also be steak and egg hash, kedgeree and shakshuka as well as fruit salad. The best bit? Not only can you keep helping yourself to all of this good stuff until your heart’s content and your belly’s bulging, but Bloody Marys, Bellinis and Mimosas are also bottomless.
Tickets cost £35 and entitle brunchers to a two-hour slot in which they can make the most of the limitless food and drink. Tickets here.
