7 Ace Things Happening In The Capital This Winter

From Viking vodka bars to alpine ski chalets, pop-up bars are out in force this winter and we are all over them. Whatever your poison, you’re well catered for. To highlight just a few, Valhalla Vodka Bar at Skylounge, Tower Hill is a rooftop Viking-themed bar with SnowQueen vodka cocktails and Scandinavian flame-cooked meat feasts; Lodge D’Argent is an alpine retreat atop Coq D’Argent offering Hennessy cocktails and croques-monsieurs aplenty; Forza Win in Peckham is all about the bubbling cheese fondue; then there’s the Winter Cabin at Gordon Ramsay’s York & Albany, complete with taxidermy, furs, toasted marshmallows and Bacardi hot toddies. Valhalla Vodka Bar, Skylounge, Tower Hill, opens 25th November through to February

As you’ve probably gathered, Peruvian cuisine is picking up serious speed (again!) in the capital. We saw it bubble up at the back end of 2012 and it’s recently blossomed all over again. Pachamama, the newest dot on London’s map of Peruvian eateries is brilliant. The subterranean restaurant in the middle of Marylebone serves small plates designed for sharing; dishes include sea bass ceviche with samphire and sweet potato, flamed octopus, chicken anticuchos, and purple potatoes with peanuts. Other great spots worthy of a pilgrimage are Ceviche in Soho (and its sister restaurant, Andina in Shoreditch), Señor Ceviche in Kingly Court, Soho, and Lima Floral in Covent Garden. Pachamama, 18 Thayer Street, London, W1U 3JY

Because Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland is religiously too damn busy, this year we’re all about Winterville, a brand new winter spectacle happening out East in Victoria Park. Opening on December 2nd and running right through to January 1st, visitors can anticipate a truly awesome winter wonderland; there’ll be hot cider bars, festive street food, ferris wheels, ice rinks, craft beers, roller discos and giant spiegeltents. Expect less tourists and even more fun. See you on the rink! Winterville, Victoria Park, 2nd December-1st January

Sunday dinners are great, but some says, err, hungover days, what you really want is a dirtier dinner, right? We’re talking burgers, hot dogs, fries with all the condiments, maybe even a boozy shake if you’re feeling up to it (everyone knows hair of the dog is the best hangover cute!) Welcome, Dirty Bones X Dirty Tommis — a sweet ass foodie collaboration which is reinventing Sunday lunch for the foreseeable future. This is when Dirty Bones, the hot dog diner in Kensington welcomes Dirty Tommis burger joint to its kitchen with open arms to offer an extra dirty, extra delicious menu each Sunday. Go hungry, leave happy. Dirty Bones X Dirty Tommis, Kensington, every Sunday 12-4pm and 6pm-11pm

The Southbank is the best bank. Thanks to the Southbank Centre, it’s always doing fun stuff, changing up and properly celebrating the seasons isn’t it? Following the excitement of the sandy beach in the summer, it’s now been transformed again into a festive haven for the Winter Festival, in association with NatWest. Visitors can grab a drink at the cosy Rekorderlig Cider Lodge or in the cute Christmas Tree Cafe. Elsewhere, there’s Christmas markets offering everything from roasted chestnuts to Christmas decorations and mulled wine, The Snowman shown on the big screen, cabaret, a Christmas Tree Maze, and giant illuminated rabbits as part of Amanda Parer’s art installation. Winter Festival at the Southbank Centre, 5th Novemer - 11th January

Remember the good old days of being a kid and going to a friend’s house on a Friday to stay up right through the night watching films and eating popcorn and sweets ’till sunrise — at which point you’d crash and Mum would drive over, pick you up, and put you to sleep on the sofa. Well, Pillow Cinema, the team behind Hot Tub Cinema is determined to bring that all back (with exception of the mothers bit). Hyped as “the cosiest ‘night in’ night out”, Pillow Cinema will see an intimate crowd gather under the former Shoreditch Underground Station, cuddling up on beanbags to watch cult movie classics, from Amelie to The Life Aquatic and Moonrise Kingdom. Tickets are sold per beanbag, so find a snuggle partner and an empty night and head on down. Pillow Cinema, Shoreditch Underground Station, Pedley Street, E1 5EW

It’s fair to say in winter, when it’s raining and cold out, you do have to put more thought into planning social evening activities. A) It’s dark so doing stuff outside is basically a no-go. B) It’s likely to rain so again, needs to be undercover. And C) Friends tend to bail more in winter (or is that just our friends?), so the plan needs to be extra good. We’ve got it: masterclasses. This winter, Revolution bars are hosting festive 90-minute masterclasses with cocktails, food and games, Mayfair Pizza Co. is hosting make your own pizza classes, and the molecular mixologists over at The Alchemist are hosting various creative cocktail classes. But the one that’s particularly brilliant is SUSHISAMBA’s Sushi & Sake 101 class. At £125 per person, don’t get us wrong it’s not cheap but it is extra special. You’ll learn more about, you’ll make (and eat!) plenty of your own and you’ll drink more sake than you’ve ever drank before (all for learning’s sake of course). Sushi & Sake 101, SUSHISAMBA, classes recommence in January '15