Here Are 7 Of The Very Best Things To Do In London This Weekend

Don't let this weather get you down!

In a word, this week has been glum. Sure the sunny spells are welcome, but if you ask us, they're too few and far between (has nobody told nature it's officially Spring yet???)

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It honestly feels like we're on the 65th day and the 4th season of this week already!

Still, there's no reason to give into a weekend mope. London's events include Oxbridge's iconic boat race, a 24-hour waffle bonanza, and even a wholesome city-based romcom if you don't fancy heading outdoors! Here are seven of the best things we found to do in London this weekend:

1. Grab the chaps and chapettes and roll on down to Oxbridge's boat race this Sunday.

Instagram: @theboatraces

Oxford and Cambridge will go head-to-head in a water-based war for sporty supremacy this Sunday, so head to the Thames for a four-and-a-quarter-mile race that runs from Putney Bridge to Mortlake. Hundreds of thousands of spectators will be joining you for a peep at their prowess, so prep for a wholesome day out!

Price: £0.

Location: Putney Bridge to Mortlake.

Hours: from 1pm onwards.

2. Duck and Waffle are holding a waffle week, during which you can grab the fluffy food 24/7 while overlooking London's skyline!

Instagram: @duckandwaffle

Famed for their duck benedict waffles, this Bishopsgate restaurant is offering everyone's fav food with a gourmet twist (and a gorgeous 40th-floor view) 24/7, three meals a day, this week! Toppings veer far from your Nutella and strawberry expectations, though. Expect smoked duck breast, poached eggs, hollandaise, and sriracha on their duck benedict, alongside a spinach, parma ham, and gruyère, as well as a veggie avocado delight.

Plus, they've launched an all-new dessert menu that includes a pickled carrot cake, a decadent white chocolate and tanka bean mousse, and a deep-fried Mars bar (I've written before about how much I love those, so it's not one to miss). Bliss.

Price: Waffles range from £15-£24.

Hours: 24/7 (sorry, but a 12 AM waffle pilgrimage does sound pretty romantic). However, the waffle week specials and the deep-fried Mars bar only last til the 25th!

Location: 110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY, Floor G, Salesforce Tower.

3. If you haven't heard of The Bill Murray in Islington (a spot where I've seen acts like Isy Suttie and Nish Kumar for a fiver), allow me to introduce you to your new fave spot.

Instagram: @angelcomedy

Angel comedy group (which also offers nightly shows in The Camden Head) has a star-studded repertoire of comics and a promising list of up-and-comers. And if you're wondering what the deal is with sub-£10 tickets to see acts like Rosie Jones, Richard Herring, and Phil Wang, the venue is famed for comedians trying out new/work-in-progress material.

The trade-off is that they get to see how audiences react to their new stuff, and lucky pub-goers get to see acts (like, once, James Acaster) for £9.50ish a head. They choose their new comics brilliantly too, so whether you're seeing a big name or some brand new talent, you're bound to have yourself a laugh-filled night for under a tenner.

Price: £9.50ish.

Location: 39 Queen's Head St, London N1 8NQ.

Weekend hours: Friday and Saturday, various hours for various shows.

4. Okay, okay, it's not specific to London, but I reckon the city is the best place to catch new rom-com, Rye Lane.

Instagram: @searchlightuk

The London-based film seems to have understood rom-com requirements better than almost ~every~ offering since around 2004. A good romance movie should be fun, vulnerable, witty, packed with chemistry, and ideally contain at least one long sob. Head along for a viewing either before or after a city-wide stroll; it'll bring the beauty of the Big Smoke out like nothing else.

Price: Depends where you end up!

Location: Cinemas across the country, though I reckon the Peckhamplex on the eponymous Rye Lane would be a lovely shout.

Hours: Depends.

5. Head to subterranean bar Alma for their bangin' new music residencies.

Instagram: @almabysucre

This cocktail bar is secreted away underneath the must-try restaurant Fernando Trocca, and offers relentlessly stunning cocktails alongside some equally gorgeous tunes. Expect R'n'B magic on a Friday, and high-energy jams from DJ Karistoca on Saturday. They also offer '70s bops on a Thursday, and an emerging singer-songwriter night on Wednesdays. Catch you there?

Price: £16ish for a (stunning) cocktail.

Location: 47B Great Marlborough St, London W1F 7JP.

Weekend hours: Friday 7:30 PM – 12 AM, Saturday 9 PM – 12 AM.

6. BFI Flare Film festival – the UK's largest queer cinema bonanza – kicked off last Wednesday.

Instagram: @britishfilminstitute

Alongside screenings of documentaries The Stroll and Who I Am Not, the festival also includes some fun-filled quiz nights and DJ sessions.

Price: Depends, but a lot of the ones we saw were in the £9-£15 range.

Location: various sections of the BFI Southbank (0 Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XT).

Hours: Depends on the show.

7. Mosey on down to Haugen for some Alpine delights (hello, fondue).

Amy Glover / BuzzFeed

Like all of us, I'm constantly looking for permission to fulfil my deepest cheesy urges, so it's a good thing that Haugen's menu features so many drowned-in-dairy Swiss classics, like fondue and gooey raclette potatoes). The delicious offerings don't stop there, though. I loved my crunchy, tender chicken schnitzel and perfectly-spiced red cabbage, and my brilliantly balanced cocktail was the ideal boozy/sweet combo.

Side note: my flatmate, who came with me, doesn't drink alcohol, and he said the restaurant's mocktails are among the best he's tried. The chocolate fondue is as satisfying to eat as it is to dunk freshly-cut fruit slices into, and the service was accommodating and friendly. Add all that to the fact that the gorgeous restaurant really does look like an Alpine eatery, and you've got yourself a foolproof meal out!

Price: £18/£23 for a set menu, £13.50-£26.50 for a la carte mains (side note – they've got a two-for-one cocktail deal in their gorgeous rooftop bar ATM).

Location: 9 Endeavour Square, London E20 1JN.

Weekend hours: Friday and Saturday, 12 pm–12 am, Sunday, 12–11 pm.

Will you be checking out of any these things this weekend? Let us know in the comments!