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Things to do in London this weekend (May 27-29)

Provisions on Holloway Road  (Handout)
Provisions on Holloway Road (Handout)

London’s going-out scene is nothing if not eclectic, and this weekend’s cultural calendar is as gloriously varied as we’ve come to expect.

Head out into the capital to explore everything from the city’s newest Iranian restaurant, to a (literally) dazzling exhibition, to music festivals covering indie rock, reggae and more.

Here’s what to get up to.

The restaurant: Berenjak

 (Marcus Cobden)
(Marcus Cobden)

Persian spot Berenjak has grown into a firm Soho staple since it first opened back in 2018 — Dua Lipa gave it some celebrity kudos when she named it among her London faves earlier this year — and now it’s opened a second site in Borough Market. Expect mountains of rice, juicy charcoal-grilled kababs, rich stews and more.

1 Bedale Street, SE1 9AL, berenjaklondon.com

The bar: Provisions

 (Handout)
(Handout)

Provisions has been serving the wine and cheese needs of Holloway locals as a delicatessen since 2015, and this weekend it’ll resurrect its in-shop bar — something that hasn’t happened since the pandemic. Head along to sample all sorts of wine — natural, organic, biodynamic; white, red, orange; old and rare — as well as cheeses, cured meats and more.

From May 27, 167 Holloway Road, N7 8LX, provisionslondon.co.uk

The exhibition: Gold at the British Library

 (Handout)
(Handout)

All that glitters is not gold, but the manuscripts, books, letters and documents that make up this new exhibition at the British Library certainly are. The 50 artefacts featured make up an “extraordinary collection”, our reviewer wrote in their four-star review, and “show how gold was used in times when the medium was the message”.

£8, until October 2, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB, bl.uk

The event: Wide Awake and City Splash festivals

Wide Awake (Luke Dyson)
Wide Awake (Luke Dyson)

It feels like it’s been a long time coming, but London’s festival summer is finally upon us. Brockwell Park is the site of two excellent festivals this weekend: on Friday and Saturday, it’s Wide Awake, exploring left-field indie, jazz, electronic music and more, while Sunday is City Splash, which celebrates the intermingling of African, Caribbean and British culture through music, food and drink.

Various prices, SE24, wideawakelondon.co.uk / city-splash.com

The club night: DQSD Deptford Queer Soundsystem

A queer soundsystem party in the grounds of a 16th century naval building, completely free of charge? Sounds like a winner. A collaboration between the London Borough of Culture, Deptford venue The Albany, campaign group Love Music Hate Racism and R3 Soundsystem, it’ll feature DJ sets from OK Williams, Hannah Holland, Black Obsidian Sound System member Gin, Adonis founder Shay Malt and more.

Free, 12pm-6pm, May 29, The Master Shipwrights House, Watergate Street, SE8 3JF, ra.co