Unmissable events in September

By The Artful Diner (@TheArtfulDiner)

I’m a strong believer in late summers. And because we had such a miserable start to ours this year, I’m willing the sun to shine well into September. A girl can only hope, right? And, if the jet stream lets us down again, it’s not the end of the world; there are plenty of fun events going on this month both indoors and outdoors.

Here’s what’s on my to-do list this September…

I love the outdoors, so I’ll be making the most of the last signs of summer by joining guide Marion Blair to discover some of London’s hidden gardens on 2 September. Afterwards, I’ll treat myself to lunch at Paternoster Chop House.

Who doesn’t love free fun? From 8-9 September the Mayor’s Thames Festival will transform the riverside into a cultural melting pot with a range of free events. I’ll be heading down on September 8 to watch the acrobatic circus displays of Circolombia and get my fix of Colombian culture. Then on 10 September I'm going to try out 3 South Place, the British diner at D&D's first hotel, opening on 3 September.

On the 12 September we have tickets for King Lear at the Almeida Theatre (if you have tickets before the 16 September you can still make use of the Evening Standard offer of three courses for £20 at Almeida restaurant). Then, on Thursday 13 September I plan to visit Grand Marnier’s month-long pop-up Bubble Bar at The Brixton Clubhouse. I’ll try a Grand Ginger cocktail and watch the sun set from the London rooftops.

Whenever I hear word of a new outdoor cinema in the capital, I get very excited. The Scoop at More London has been running free events all summer and from 12-28 September they’ll host a range of free film screenings in central London. I love a romantic flick, so I’ll be attending the screening of Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris on 14 September.

I'm off to an IDCF charity dinner with four fantastic young chefs at Plateau on 17 September, which is also the date when the Old Bengal Warehouse opens its doors for the first time. On 20 September I'm going to a launch for the new art wall at Kensington Place - it's temporarily replacing the mural, which has long been a fixture at the restaurant. Artist Jelly Green is creating 13 new paintings for the space.

Then it's Blueprint Café on 22 September to celebrate British Cheese Week by creating my own cheese board. Assuming I haven’t sampled too much cheese, I plan to enjoy a lavish dinner at Sartoria on Sunday evening (23 September). The restaurant’s monthly menu is themed ‘Best of Italy’ and I love my Italian food. (For bakers and fans of legend Mary Berry among you, that weekend it's also the first Cake and Bake show at Earls Court.)

Further information:

Find out more about what's on in D&D London restaurants.

Pssst! Don’t miss out on D&D’s new restaurants and first hotel, opening this September.

Image: Dinosaur at a previous Thames Festival - credit Jack Hardy.