Psst ... Wanna sample a selection of canapés accompanied by a few gin-based cocktails in a classy outdoor venue that’s usually not open to the general public? Yeah, us too. That’s why we’re looking forward to checking out Tanqueray Tables. “A series of intimate cocktail evenings hosted by the makers of Tanqueray gin and the folks from toptable.co.uk,” Tanqueray Tables is offering two occasions this summer to indulge in “an intensity of flavours through......

We at Londonist are firm believers in the old proverbs, and particularly that sage advice to "never look a gift horse in the mouth", which is why, dear readers, we are offering you the chance to win a right royal time at the world-famous Ascot races even though, technically speaking, the venue lies about six and a half miles out of our remit. Up for grabs for each of three lucky winners are a......

Londonist asks that most pressing of daily concerns: where to go on your lunch break. Taqueria 139-143 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RS Nearest Tube: Notting Hill Gate 020 7229 4734 Mon–Thurs: 12:00pm–11:00pm; Fri: 12:00pm–11:30pm; Sat: 10:00am–11:30pm; Sun: 12:00pm–10:30pm Expect to Pay: £8–£12 Rating: 9 out of 10 Spring, and a young woman’s thoughts turn towards frozen fruity cocktails – margaritas in particular. But as we haven’t yet persuaded our editor to expand this column to......

If a few months from now you’re sipping a cocktail at one of London’s trendier cocktail bars and you notice a few squishy gold flecked bubbly pearls floating around in your glass, don’t be alarmed; that’s just Cointreau Caviar. Yes, Londonist has seen (and sipped) the future of booze, and it’s ridiculously over the top, rather tasty and derived from a scientific molecular mixology process. Last night saw Cointreau’s London launch of what it......

Shish 2-6 Station Parade, Willesden Green NW2 4NH 020 8208 9292 11 am – midnight (Monday-Friday) 10:30 am – midnight (Saturday) 10:30 am – 10:30 pm (Sunday) Expect to pay: around £3 for an appetizer, £7 for a main, £6.50 for a cocktail Rating: 8 out of 10 We enjoyed last month's cocktail sampling visit to the Willesden Green location of Shish so much that we decided to see how the restaurant fared around......

Wednesday night, Cookbook Cafe brought in master chocolatier Keith Hurdman from Notting Hill's Melt chocolate shop to teach a small group about different chocolate varieties while getting a taste test of a whole table full of sweet treats. Aside from being absolutely stuffed by the end of the two hour event, we learned about different cocoa plants, tasted chocolates from around the world -- including the most expensive variety on sale today -- and......

Coconut, black pepper and rum frappé? Why not. Chive and pineapple with vodka? Sure. Maker’s Mark, Angostura Bitters and fig syrup? Hey, we’re so buzzed from the first two cocktails, at this point we’ll try anything. And at around six or seven quid per drink, we can (on rare occasion) actually afford a little frilly drink exploration. The Shish Bar and Cocktail Lounge in exotic Willesden Green (yes, the same Shish with that corner......

After the (non-)scandal of (un-)banned Tube posters, the works of Lucas Cranach the Elder are now well and truly on show at the Royal Academy. Painter, print-maker, illustrator, businessman, propagandist, and huge fan of the female nude, this is Cranach's first major exhibition in Britain. And while you're gazing at all the nakedness, remember; this was a mate of Martin Luther, and those erotic female nudes are all about Protestant devotion. Honest. Openings Ahoy!......