8 Exciting Things To Eat & Do In February

Right, we have all once again crawled, wept, and shivered our way through January. Our reward? A month dedicated to feral pink romantic displays and making eyes at your boiler. Don’t worry everyone, Spring is coming. But until we get there, we’ve got you covered with feelgood exhibitions, free sake tastings, and plenty of other delightful activities to make sure you have a great month. Read on for a light festival that’s perfect for date night, Valentine’s specials that actually aren’t naff, and a whole lot more. 

GO TO A FREE SAKE TASTING

We like drinks. End-of-a-long-day drinks, birthday drinks, cosy drinks, one-too-many drinks, and of course, everyone’s favourite–free drinks. Brand new shop Mirai Sake on Commercial Street is hosting a series of free tasting events called YUMMY SAKE throughout the month and apparently they use AI to match you to your perfect sake. Very Black Mirror, very exciting. All you need to do to secure one of the 1000 spots is book your space free-of-charge here. 

GET INVOLVED IN A V DAY SPECIAL

In our humble opinion, Valentine’s is less about feeling the love, and more about tasting the love. NB: we’re talking about food, this is a family-friendly site, get your minds out of the gutter. But whether you’re single or all loved up this Valentine’s Day, there are some specials that are definitely worth trying. Shoutout to our personal favourites, Yard Sale’s beloved heart-shaped Valentine’s pizza and Koya’s deeply adorable chocolate bars based on a Japanese tradition involving ‘obligation chocolate’. If you’re looking for a romance-dodging situation with friends, upmarket tapas spot Bibo is also doing an XXL 12-person tortilla designed to be shared by everyone you love. Because nothing says we’re single and not remotely bitter like 60 eggs and 3 kilograms of potatoes, right?  

For more Valentine’s Day inspiration, hit up our guide Where To Celebrate Valentine’s Day, Even If Your Date Is Your Dog.

EAT OYSTERS & ENJOY BATTERSEA LIGHT FESTIVAL

We’re 99% sure that when Dumbledore said ‘happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light’, he was talking about checking out a giant tiger light installation and eating at Wright Brothers in the midst of a global pandemic. Don’t try and tell us that Albus didn’t love a round of oysters, that wizard was bougie. Anyway, The Light Festival at Battersea Power Station is back and not only is it totally free, it’s also conveniently located right by Wright Brothers charming terrace. You can expect plenty of innovative light installations from artists from around the world and importantly,

Wright Brothers seafood is reliably great. 

HIT UP THIS IMMERSIVE BOB MARLEY EXHIBITION

Life hack: listening to Bob Marley every day throughout the winter will make you feel significantly less like a slug stuck in a snowstorm. We know, with advice like that it’s almost like Rhonda Byrne is in the room. Anyway, the Bob Marley One Love Experience will be taking over the Saatchi Gallery from February 1st, running for ten weeks. An immersive exhibition featuring Marley photographs, endless memorabilia, and massive art installations. Tickets start at £22 and it’s a casual ten minute walk from La Mia Mamma’s excellent £35 three-course set menu, or you can hit up more of The Best Restaurants In Chelsea with the help of our guide. 

BOOK A TABLE FOR THE LEDBURY'S BIG RETURN

Even if you only have a lukewarm interest in London restaurants, you’ve probably heard of The Ledbury. One of those famously fancy places that tended to always pop up on ‘the world’s best restaurants’ lists, the original restaurant sadly didn’t reopen following the first lockdown back in 2020. But now they’re back, baby, with a new look, a new head chef, and an entirely casual £180 eight-course tasting menu. And although we imagine that getting a table here is going to be at best tricky and at worst, impossible, it’s worth getting a head start on your booking if you’re in the market for a special occasion. 

TRY SQUID GAME DATING [INSERT EYEROLL HERE]

Well, this was inevitable really, wasn’t it? Someone somewhere witnessed the horror, bloodshed, and relentless trauma of Squid Game and thought, you know what that reminds me of… dating. And thus, we bring you Squid Game Immersive Dating. This absolute chaos is kicking off on Sunday the 13th with a Red Light / Green Light Zoom session where successful players will progress to an IRL Valentine’s date night, involving more games and potentially some flirting over marbles. You can buy your tickets here, where it also helpfully states ‘don’t worry, no one will actually be murdered’. Ain’t love grand? 

CHANNEL YOUR INNER OLYMPIAN AT THIS ICE RINK

As people who regularly try to retrieve their charger with their toes so that they don’t have to sit up, we are using ‘inner Olympian’ very, very loosely here. But still, if you fancy getting in the spirit of the Beijing Winter Olympics then Queens in, erm, Queensway has got you covered. A self-coined ‘frozen playground’–also happens to be what we call our flat when we can’t afford to turn the heating on–they’re running £50 nights involving curling, live coverage from Beijing, bowling, and an ‘Olympic Rings’n’Burger’ situation from Meatliquor. You also get your money back if you win something called ‘The Challenge’, which we definitely won’t because we’ve also heard that there will be eggnog present. On from the 4th until the 20th, you can get your tickets on their website. 

BUY NICE STUFF AT THE LONDON VINTAGE HOME SHOW

On Saturday the 26th, the Vintage Home Show is taking over St Mary’s Church in Primrose Hill with plenty of unique pieces from the 1930s to the 1970s. Think retro artwork, teak sideboards for that party you keep meaning to host, and enough funky chairs to make you feel like you’re Austin Powers’ flatmate. Early-bird entry is six quid but from 11am tickets are just £4 and importantly, well-behaved dogs are allowed along too. To make a proper day of it, head for breakfast, brunch, or lunch at Greenberry Cafe, a charming all-day spot around the corner that’s perfect for a great plate of eggs or a hearty salad.