The National Portrait Gallery opens late on Thursday and Friday evenings for the Late Shift. There’s a bar, a dj playing chilled out tunes and lots of talks and tours, most of which are free. We went on the ‘Queering the Portrait’ tour, which runs each Thursday at 7.30pm from 9th – 23rd February. We were taken round the gallery by a group of...

Poppies Fish & Chips in Shoreditch serve up proper chips, fish cakes, battered sausages and pasties in a gorgeous retro 1940s-Britain-themed restaurant. The chips were just like they should be – fat, and crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Service was great, our meals came quickly and the food was cheap too. Two fishcakes and chips cost £7.90,...

Fancy some free theatre and music tonight at 93 Feet East on Brick Lane? Two wonderful ladies have set up a new theatre company called Oryx and tonight is the launch night. There’ll be free pop up plays, Folkroom Records DJ’s and actors from the Mountview Academy for Dramatic Arts. On their website, they explain what they’re all about. “We aim to...

Last night I experienced the best dumplings I’ve ever had in London. A trip to China Town has never been very successful for me. The food is over-priced and greasy and they rush you out in an hour to get more tourists in. So I still to east London for my Asian food-cravings. But last night, I was taken to Jen Cafe, a tiny place with about 8 tables, jutting out...

The great things about art in London is that you can see lots of it for free. And the Whitechapel Gallery in east London is always well worth a visit to see some contemporary stuff. Not all the exhibitions held in this space are free, but there’s usually a good handful that are, whatever time of year you visit. Until 26th February you can see Rothko in...

If you’re a bit of a culture vulture and fancy some free music, art and short film this weekend, then make a trip down to Hackney Wick for their annual Hackney WickED festival. They’ll be showcasing local and international artists in and amongst gallery spaces and pop-up venues in the area. Situated opposite Hackney Wick station (on the overground), the...