The weekend of love has arrived, and with it, plenty of activities across London – each ideal for spending time with loved ones, be they friends, family or partners. These are the best things to do in London this weekend (12 – 15 February 2026).
Indulge in Tarot & Champagne at Selfridge’s, post a love letter from London at Claridge’s, pick up some limited-edition sweet treats, or drink and dine at a cloud-inspired Valentine’s brunch. In this list of things to do in London this weekend you’ll find something to cover all forms of love – plus brand-new exhibitions and restaurants, Lunar New Year celebrations, and jazzy afternoon teas.
Start your weekend with morning stretching at sunrise yoga, or opt for something more indulgent with a Michelin-starred breakfast or take-out brunch from a new Mayfair bakery. Gather family and friends to check out some of the city’s best exhibitions right now – some opening, some closing – before settling into some of the most in-demand tables in town. End the day sipping cocktails with a view. This is where to find it all this weekend.
1. Have your cards read at the Valentine’s Tarot Night at Alto by San Carlo at Selfridges
Selfridges’ rooftop bar Alto, by San Carlo, is sprinkling a touch of love and magic this week with a Galentine’s twist. On Thursday 12 February, the London hotspot hosts a Tarot & Champagne evening, a stylish way to mark the season with friends. Expect a glass of Veuve Clicquot, a mini tarot reading from the Psychic Sisters, and some insightful wisdom courtesy of manifestation guru Josephine McGrail. With neo-soul vibes and golden-hour skyline views, guests can linger, with the option to stay on for dinner and cocktails. Celebrations continue until 15 February, with limited-edition desserts (hello, Dolce Heart) and playfully named cocktails including Eat Italian, Kiss French 75, Main Character Martini and the alcohol-free No Regrets. Whether you’re toasting friendship, romance, or simply you, Alto is serving love – with a view! Selina Julien
Thursday 12 February, 6pm – 10pm
Book tickets here
2. Pick Up A Galentine’s Treat At Floozie Cookies
Floozie, the stuffed cookie brand known for its tasty, gooey bakes, has just dropped a limited-edition flavour for February. Enter the Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookie: a rich red velvet base packed with vegan white chocolate and hiding a creamy vanilla cheesecake centre and very much not designed for sharing (unless you really love them). Swing by the Covent Garden store for a post-dinner sweet fix, box a few up as gifts for the girls, or order online with nationwide delivery if your Valentine’s plans are sofa-based. From 13 – 28 February, Floozie are also launching a new collaboration with Max Factor: order the limited-edition Marsh-Mellow Cookie Pop or the Mellow Velvet Hot Chocolate cookies from their Covent Garden store and you’ll receive a free Max Factor Mellow Blur Lipstick. Consider this your official excuse. Bibiana Obahor
Address: 15 The Market Building, Lower Ground, London WC2E 8RE
3. Drink and dine among the clouds at Café Ciel
Until 22 February, Café Ciel, located in the Grand Courtyard Pavilion at Raffles London at The OWO, has become a cloud-filled haven of food and fun – starting with the installation that greets you on arrival. Inside, browse the Valentine’s Cloud menu featuring creative takes on brunch favourites like Cloud Eggs (whipped and baked egg whites served with the yolk on hash browns) and a lemon-curd filled brioche. Two bespoke Perrier-Jouet cocktails grace the menu – La Vie en Rose, mixed with Malfy Rose, Plymouth Sloe, Lillet Rose and Perrier Jouet Grand Brut and the Rosé Cloud Spritz, with Codigo, elderflower, grapefruit and Perrier Jouet Blason Rose – or opt for Perrier-Jouet Blason Rose by the glass or bottle. On Sunday 15 February, a guest DJ takes to the decks to provide a chill, house and pop soundtrack for a Valentine’s Day Brunch. Katie Silcox
Address: The OWO, 7 Horse Guards Ave, London SW1A 2EU
4. Send a Love Letter from London with Claridge’s x Montblanc
Put pen, to paper, to loved ones at Claridge’s this weekend: Londoners and those visiting the capital are encouraged to write to that special someone (romantic love, or not) and pop their letters into the iconic Claridge’s Letter Box, which has been witness to meaningful communications between spouses, friends and family for decades. This week, it’s been named the ‘Claridge’s & Montblanc Love Letter Box’, in celebration of the brand-new Montblanc Meisterstück Romeo & Juliet collection, featuring a leaf pattern on its cap to represent Capulet’s orchard, where the love-struck couple first declared their feelings for each other. The hotel’s first ever poet-in-residence, Charlie Child, will also be conjuring up letters of love in the hotel lobby (12 February, 2pm – 4pm and 13 February, 3pm – 5pm), accompanied by Romeo & Juliet performances by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts at 3pm and 5pm. Katie Silcox
Address: Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR, United Kingdom
5. Shop at this Valentine’s Weekend Ceramics Market in Peckham
Hackney Flea Market’s next event, the Valentine’s Independent Ceramics Market, takes place this weekend (Sunday 15 February, 11am – 5pm), with more than 90 established, and early-career ceramic artists assembling at Copeland Park in Peckham. Whether you’re after cups for your kitchen, art and design sculptures for the lounge, or simply a browse, these pieces from UK and European craftspeople come at affordable prices. Katie Silcox
Sunday 15 February 2026
Address: Unit 8, Copeland Park, 133 Copeland Road, SE15 3SN, 11am – 5pm
£2 Entry (card payments taken), dog friendly, wheelchair accessible
6. Try a David Bowie-inspired afternoon tea
It’s been a decade since David Bowie died, so get ready to remember him in style with Café Royal’s dedicated afternoon tea which celebrates the Starman in all his glory. The connection goes deeper than cake; Bowie marked the end of his alter ego Ziggy Stardust with a legendary farewell party at the hotel, known as ‘The Last Supper’ attended by Mick Jagger and The Beatles among others. In the same opulent room (its gold-leaf walls and fresco ceiling makes Buckingham Palace look tired), guests can now enjoy a Bowie-inspired menu of sandwiches, cakes and scones bearing the musician’s face. Try either his favourite green tea or his go-to cocktail (a gin martini with one olive), and sit back while a pianist plays Bowie tracks all afternoon. This is a very special afternoon for any Starman fan. Ella Alexander
Now until 29th MarchAddress: Café Royal Grill, 68 Regent Street, W1B 4DY
Book tickets here
7. Brush up on samurai history at the British Museum
Utagawa Kuniyoshi Night Attack ofChūshingura 1851–2. Japan © The Trustees of the British Museum
Revealing both the reality and myths of Japan’s warrior class, Samurai at The British Museum opened last week, telling the true stories behind the legends so widely depicted in popular culture. “Much of what we think we know about samurai is invented tradition,” reads the museum’s website, but this exhibition delves into the real samurai culture – of both men and women. Battle gear is on display, but also pieces pertaining to how the samurai operated during times of peace, becoming poets and painters, for example. Discover the truth behind the tales via armour, but also paintings, photographs and textiles, and spend time exploring modern-but-not-always-accurate popular-culture depictions of the samurai too, examined here via video games like Assassin’s Creed and a Louis Vuitton outfit inspired by the 1,000-year-old culture. Katie Silcox
Now until 4 May 2026
Adults from £23, Members and under-16s free.
Room 30, The Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery, The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG
Find out more and book tickets here
8. Kick of Lunar New Year celebrations at these restaurants
Lunar New Year falls on 17 February 2026, but the celebrations have started at some London restaurants. The brand-new Cafe Kowloon is celebrating its launch, having swung doors open to guests on 4 February. The newest venture by the teams behind Mr Bao and Daddy Bao, it brings a taste of Hong Kong – food and vibe – to London Fields. Find it behind Wonton Charlie’s for dishes inspired by Hong Kong’s street food stalls, single-dish restaurants, cha chaan tengs and dim sum houses. Other London restaurants in the celebration spirit this weekend include House of Ming, with a special New-Year menu and festive decor throughout the month, and MiMi Mei Fair, where a four-course sharing menu designed to celebrate the Year of the Fire Horse is being plated up now until 7 March. Katie Silcox
9. Go for hot chocolate with friends
We never need an excuse to pick up a sumptuous hot chocolate, but if we did, the month of love seems as valid as anything else. Some of our favourites include Knoops melted chocolate buttons in varying percentages (100 per cent extra dark chocolate, please); Chin Chin ice cream’s theatrically presented mugs with blow-torched marshmallows; and Badiani’s version, served in a tall glass mug topped with whipped cream and a wafer biscuit. But, London has loads of wonderful hot chocolates on offer throughout every borough; no matter where you find yourself this weekend, there’s a cup of the good stuff nearby. Find more inspiration here. Katie Silcox
10. Pop into the new Claridge’s Bakery
Jammy Dodger’s just got chic. Yes, you read that right, and it’s all thanks to the newest bakehouse in town: Claridge’s Bakery. This brand-new opening is adjacent to London’s grande dame hotel, Claridge’s, and led by acclaimed chef and baker Richard Hart. Designed to celebrate British baking, stop by for a selection of nostalgic favourites: Scotch Eggs and Marmite Cheese Straws, for example, alongside sweet treats like Bakewell Tarts, Walnut Whips and the now not-so-humble Jammy Dodger. Katie Silcox
Monday – Friday, 8am – 4pm; Saturday – Sunday: 9am – 4pm
Address: Brook’s Mews, London W1K 4HR
11. Be one of the first to try this new Georgian restaurant
There’s a very exciting new restaurant in London, and it’s on one of the capital’s best streets for foodies. Welcome to DakaDaka. Taking up no. 10 in a row of notable restaurants and calling established names like Heddon Street Kitchen, Piccolino, Ambassadors Clubhouse, Fonda and Sabor neighbours, this two-storey modern Georgian restaurant places emphasis on open-fire cooking with dishes spanning makhali (grill) – beef ribs, pork chops, John Dory – and other Georgian favourites like khachapuri (stuffed flatbread), shampuri (skewers) and khemsi (small plates). The wine list is curated to celebrate Georgia’s 8,000-year winemaking heritage. Katie Silcox
Address: 10 Heddon St, London W1B 4BX
Open now. Book here
12. Try a Michelin-starred breakfast tasting menu
Move over Michelin-starred evening tasting menus, London’s first ever Michelin-starred breakfast tasting menu has launched. Pull up a chair at Pavyllon at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane to try it. Created by executive chef Benjamin Ferra y Castell, and under the guidance of chef Yannick Alléno, this five-course menu comprises dishes like tiramisu pancakes and French toast with freshly pressed juices (or amuse-juice as the restaurant has named them), pastries by chef Francesco Mannino and Eggs Royale – go all out with added caviar. Katie Silcox
Available from 6.30am on Saturdays and 7am Sundays, until 10.30am
£70 per person with an optional drinks pairing for an additional £20pp
Book here
13. Flow Into The Weekend With Sunrise Yoga at art’otel Battersea
Start your weekend as you (perhaps) mean to go on at art’otel Battersea, where sunrise yoga kicks off at 7.30am sharp on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 February. Taking place in Perola Bar on the hotel’s 14th floor, one-hour gentle flow yoga classes are led by @jinisyogi. Overlooking the Battersea Power Station chimneys and with breakfast included (coffee or juice and a pastry), this is one very good reason to get up and go this weekend. Katie Silcox
Starts at 7.30am. Equipment provided.
Address: 1 Electric Boulevard, London SW11 8BJ
Find out more and book here
14. Dine At One Of London’s Newest Restaurants
There are plenty of new restaurants in London to try, and one we’ve got our sights set on is Chargal, the newest Turkish spot to hit Mayfair. Brought to you by Serdar Demir, the man behind Turkish fine-dining restaurant The Mantl in Knightsbridge, and spread across three floors, Chargal uses oak-charcoal cooking to serve up delicious plates of mezze (kuru cacık, hummus, muhammara, manti and more) alongside main dishes like pistachio lamb cutlets, lamb fillet with smoked aubergine, and a fish platter comprising scallops, sea bass, octopus and carabinero prawn. Don’t miss the dark chocolate sorbet made with fennel pollen and olive oil for dessert. Katie Silcox
Address:11 Berkeley Street, Mayfair, London, W1J 8DS
Book here
15. Enjoy The Traitors: Live Experience with friends
Were you hooked on the latest season of The Traitors? If you’re missing the twists and turns of the show and are convinced your tactics would leave you with the trophy then it’s time to find out if you’re right. Let out steam with family and friends at The Traitors: Live Experience in Covent Garden, where you become just like a contestant in the show. The experience lasts about two hours (longer if you fancy taking it to the bar) as you’ll be sent missions to win and conversations to start. Let the lies (or is it the truth?!) all come flowing out… Ella Mansell
Address: 60 Short’s Gardens, Covent Garden, WC2H 9AH
Tickets start from £29.50
Book tickets here
16. Drinks with the girls at Kitty Hawk
Address: 8 St. Martin’s Place, London, WC2N 4JH
17. Take a Day Trip
While not technically in London, all of these trips are very easy to reach from London – whether for the day or overnight. Top spots include Bath to warm up in the spa waters; Oxford to spot the university (and Harry Potter) landmarks; Canterbury to see the cathedral; Winchester to pick up a sale bargain on a historic high street; The Cotswolds for winter rambles; Margate to blow the cobwebs away on a beach walk; and Brighton to shop the pretty lanes (and Laines). All are less than two hours from London. Katie Silcox
18. Step into the wonderful world of Wes Anderson at The Design Museum
Wes Anderson’s characteristic visual symmetry, funky colour schemes, tongue-in-cheek exaggeration, but often serious plot lines, are known to all – avid fans or not, his films are inescapable. This Design Museum exhibition is a behind-the-scenes snapshot into the incredible productions, as over 700 items from the archives are on display for the first time ever in the UK, marking the first ever retrospective of the filmmaker. The exhibition is arranged largely chronologically, sectioned out by film. In each, marvel over everything from the colourful costumes, clips from the movies, mini set replicas (the entire Darjeeling Express included), on-set BTS stills, soundtrack snippets, and all the props you could think of, from sketches, to books, to typewriters to perfume bottles, and even the iron tasseled keys from The Grand Budapest Hotel near a scaled model of the entire hotel. As co-curator and chief curatorial director of the Design Museum, Lucia Savi explains, Wes Anderson’s “extraordinary archive is testament to his unique cinematic approach,” and this exhibition is a wonderful prompt to revisit your favourites from his work. Ella Mansell
Wes Anderson: The Archives is open now until 26 July 2026 at the Design Museum.
Address: 224-238 Kensington High St, London W8 6AG, United Kingdom
Book tickets here
19. Hunker down in a Soho Listening Bar
Image Credit: Eleonora Boscarelli
Inspired by the Tokyo-style underground bars of the 1960s, listening bars have become all the rage across the world – including right here in London. One of the city’s newest is The Listening Room, which opened in October 2025, inside Wardour Street’s MOI restaurant, a Japanese-inspired grill and omakase bar. An intimate lounge-bar on the lower ground floor of the restaurant, this space serves small plates, sushi and low-intervention wine, sake and cocktails – and all with music at its centre. Live DJ nights at weekends are a mix of digital and vinyl sets, and the sound system is sharp – boosted by the expertise of London-founded audio specialist Friendly Pressure. Katie Silcox
Address: The Listening Bar, MOI , 84 Wardour St, Soho, London, W1F 0TQ
Walk-ins welcome, or book a table here
20. Visit This Exhibition At The Royal Academy Of Arts
The conversations between artists – of all disciplines – is so important to the lineage of art. Art: Mrinalini Mukherjee and Her Circle is a multi-disciplinary exhibition spanning a century of South Asian art. Indian Modernist art movements are presented in their many forms through approximately one hundred artworks, spanning collage, sculpture, painting, prints, textiles, and more. In 1949, sculptor Mrinalini Mukherjee was born into post-Independence Bombay (Mumbai) to parents (Leela Mukherjee and Benode Behari Mukherjee) who were influential artists themselves. This would start a lifetime of creative friendships, collaborations, and conversations, each honouring India’s artistic traditions in unique ways by Mukherjee and her contemporaries. A Story of South Asian Art: Mrinalini Mukherjee and Her Circle is the first time Mukherjee’s work is on display amongst those who both informed it and were inspired by it; approximately one hundred works mark one hundred years of art, drawn out via sculpture, painting, drawing, textiles, ceramics, prints. Ella Mansell
Open now until 24 February 2026
Address: 6 Burlington Gardens, W1S 3ET
Book tickets here
21. Last Chance: Browse the UK’s largest ever retrospective of Lee Miller, fashion and war photographer
Fashion-model-turned-war-photographer (one of very few female war photographers, too), Lee Miller lived an extraordinary life. Her work has previously been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery (2005), the Victoria and Albert Museum (2007) and Imperial War Museum (2015), but the largest retrospective of her photographic work in the UK is now on display. More than 250 of her prints – including many never-showcased-before – are on display at Tate Britain, and take us on a chronological journey through her remarkable life and contributions to French surrealism and fashion and war photography, displayed alongside her still life and landscape shots from Egypt, where she lived between 1934 and 1939. Eye-opening, daring and emotional – this is an exhibition well worth carving out time for. You might even find you need to visit more than once. Katie Silcox
Ends 15 February 2026
Address: Tate Britain, Millbank, London, SW1P 4RG
Tickets cost £20 / free for members
Book tickets here
Lead image collage includes: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861), Tomoe Gozen riding away after the Battle of Awazu. Colour woodblock print, 1852 © The Trustees of the British Museum.jpg
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