Welcome back to The Slice!
Smash burgers had their moment last year – and in 2025, they’re still pretty popular. Sam’s Kitchen is having some fun with West London residents by giving away one golden ticket to one lucky person. You’ll want to read on to find out how that can be you.
We’re also telling you where to find authentic Portuguese food in London (no, not Nando’s!). London has so much to offer, and delicious Pastéis de Nata, succulent grilled prawns and fried sardines are right on your doorstep if you look hard enough.
Plus: Who doesn’t love a good old-fashioned jacket potato? Preston-based Spud Bros Express are down in London until the end of February only – now’s your chance to try their famous spuds (if you don’t mind a queue).
Read on for a whole range of recommendations for February 8 and 9, handpicked as always by The Slice.
Welcome to the Slice
The Slice is your weekly guide to what’s happening in London, so if you’re looking for restaurant reviews, drinks deals or just a great new exhibition to visit on a rainy Saturday in the capital, we’ve got you covered.
Click here for this week’s edit of the best things to do in town.
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If you want to do it all on the cheap, you can also find our latest batch of exclusive hand-picked offers in partnership with Time Out here.
This week in London
1. Win free Sam’s Kitchen smash burgers for a year
So, Sam’s Kitchen has just launched onto Deliveroo. About time. To celebrate, they are giving away a golden ticket to one customer who orders their smash burger, from Thursday to Saturday this week. The lucky winner will find a golden ticket in their Deliveroo order, then be able to claim one free smash burger every week for an entire year.
Having originally launched in summer as a pop-up before becoming a permanent fixture last Autumn, these succulent smash burgers have already gained a massive following. It’s no wonder really, when The Sam’s Smash & Grab burger is a bespoke blend of ribcap, chuck and aged beef all sourced from revered West London butcher, HG Walter and combined with housemade pickles and Sam’s secret sauce.
Choose from a cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger or a chorizo jam cheeseburger — always with the option to double up. Add a side of house fries with pickled shallots, crispy shallots, jalapenos and cheese, or even loaded chorizo fries.
Burgers from £11. 17 Crisp Rd, Hammersmith, W6 9RL (order from home!). Book here.
2. Try cod fritters and Pastéis de Nata at some of the best Portuguese restaurants in London
O Cantinho de Portugal
Best for: Portuguese home-style cooking
Bright and airy, with a huge menu, O Cantinho is a beautiful spot on Stockwell Road. Salt cod fritters are a must-order. The outside crunches perfectly, hiding beneath it a delicate filling of perfectly proportioned cod and potato. Fried sardines (so fresh you’ll forget you’re not in Porto) are served with grilled bread, tomato & peppers.
And for dessert? The manager, Carla, topped off an already sensational meal with the Portuguese dessert of dreams: some freshly baked Pastéis de Nata. If you told us they’d been freshly baked in Lisbon, we’d believe you in a heartbeat. Authenticity is guaranteed here.
Starters from £6, mains from £14. Book here.
Estrela Bar
Best for: if you’re trying to recreate your last holiday
Long-standing restaurant Estrela has been feeding the people of Little Portugal since 1996. With traditional plates dotted about the walls, Estrela feels comfortable and homely. Some of the dishes could have been richer: the garlic prawns lacked an intense enough notes of garlic to really make the dish sing; and the cod fritters miss the mark on the potato to cod ratio. But the Arroz de Marisco (seafood and rice stew) stunned us into silence. Dive in to find more and more gems as you get deeper: prawns, squid mussels, lobster, clam and crab swimming in a luscious tomato stew. In between the low murmur of the Portuguese news playing on multiple TVs, and Portuguese words flying around between diners – Estrela is the closest you’ll get to Lisbon without jumping on a plane.
Fish dishes from £19.50, meat dishes from £13.90. Book here.
Caso do Frango
Best for: if you’ve grown out of going to Nando’s
When Caso Do Frango popped up back in 2018, it was hailed as the fancier, more authentic answer to Nando’s. Though we were slightly sceptical — partly because of the lack of fish on their menu. Their fried salt cod fritters are somewhat salty (saltier than O Cantinho’s) in a way that might be overwhelming if you had more than two. But the accompanying lemon aioli is gorgeous.
A must-order is the cauliflower which, recommended by the waiter, comes doused in creamy coriander yoghurt. Pair this with the Casa rice (elevated when eaten with the yoghurt but a bit dry without).
You won’t hear the Portuguese news as background noise or be able to order fresh fish, but Caso Do Frango is worth a try for something a bit more upmarket.
Small plates from £8, large plates from £13. Book here.
3. Want more? Try food by Portuguese-Angolan chef Almeida da Silva at Volta do Mar
Volta do Mar is such a neighbourhood spot, but I don’t think that means we should let Chelsea’s well-heeled locals have all the fun. It’s a family affair, with Portuguese-Angolan chef Isabel Almeida da Silva in the kitchen and restaurateur husband Simon Mullins welcoming regulars out the front.
The name means ‘return from the sea’, the food taking inspiration from Portuguese-speaking regions around the world, from Brazil to Macau to Mozambique.
Start your voyage in Iberia with Ibérico Ham, Chorizo & Smoked Ham Hock Croquettes, followed by plump grilled prawns in a blazing Mozambican style sauce, and a solid hunk of well-seasoned Macanese pork chop. Finish with a rather British pud — sticky toffee with Madeira-spiked caramel drizzled over it. (If there were a place to indulge in an after-dinner glass of Port or Madeira, this is it — they’ve quite the collection.)
But they’re all overshadowed by a brilliant green bowl of Arroz Verde, a rice dish from Mozambique, stewed in a herby broth that tastes as verdant as it looks. In freezing cold February, it’s the perfect remedy: utter sunshine.
Small plates from £15, mains from £22. 100 Draycott Avenue, Chelsea. Book here.
4. Indulge in parcels of creamy, crunchy feta at Hovarda
The ever-daunting Canary Wharf is striving to become London’s next post-work dinner location, with glitzy Turkish/Greek restaurant Hovarda one of its newest hotshots.
There’s an emphasis on seafood — fitting given the on-water location — and the sea bass ceviche, a light and airy entrée that pairs delightfully with Sauvignon Blanc, is a highlight. Also worth a mention is their Saganaki — little parcels of creamy, crunchy feta drizzled in honey.
It’s an exceptional dining experience, whether you take a date or a mate, or simply come for cocktails — Hovarda transforms into a dynamic venue after dark with performances from international DJs.
Meze from £8, mains from £20. 5 Water St, Canary Wharf. Book here.
5. New Spanish-Greek restaurant PYRÃ has landed
New Spanish-Greek restaurant PYRÃ launches in Queen’s Park today. Expect fire-grilled dishes, and tapas in a chicer than chic setting.
We’re most excited about the deconstructed gyros made with slow cooked lamb leg, and the Ferrero Rocher baklava (doesn’t that sound like a heavenly combination?).
6. Try jacket potatoes with unique toppings
If you haven’t seen these viral jacket potatoes doing the rounds on social media, you have now. The Preston-based jacket potato truck, serving up jacket potatoes with toppings like chicken curry, chilli con carne and cheese is in London until the end of February.
You’ll most likely have to queue, but if you’re a jacket potato super fan, the wait will be truly worth it.
7. See the lights at Battersea Light Festival
It’s the last chance to catch the free Battersea Light Festival which sees eight stunning light art installations (and a brand-new installation created exclusively for Battersea Power Station. See it shining both inside and outside the Power Station from 8am to 11pm daily.
Take a look at this handy light festival map. Until 23 February.
8. Get ready to have some sex myths debunked while eating some good pizza
Everything is being laid out on the table at Sleazy Pizza’s Res-erection of the Condom event. With condom use in the UK at an all-time low, XO! by Flo are sitting down with sex educator and illustrator Evie Plumb of @cliterallythebest and presenter Scotty Unfamous.
Are you ready for them to de-bunk some myths? Get your £5 tickets here, and get ready to raise a glass to safe sex (CBD drinks and soft drinks available!).
9. Try playing giant chess at NARS’ pop-up
Calling all makeup lovers: NARS is holding an immersive pop-up. You’ll be treated to a free drink from NARS’ cosmetics coffee truck (we can’t say no to a free drink), and will get the opportunity to enter different rooms with games – including a giant chess board.
Oh, and the first 100 customers each day will get a goody bag worth over £80.
FREE. 22 February, 9am to 7pm – 23 February, 11am to 6pm. Covent Garden.
10. Go beyond theatre at this otherworldly London shop
Review by Martina Andretta
As I take in the dimly lit room, a strong scent of incense lingers in the air. I wonder where it’s coming from, and what is about to happen next. It’s just past 8pm on a weeknight, and I am locked in a timeless shop with its austere owner and 9 strangers. All around us, in this ‘place you know but you don’t fully recognise’ – as the curator fittingly describes it – is a worn collection of trinkets, shiny treasures with a story to tell.
If you’re a fan of immersive shows and Punchdrunk-esque theatre, then Vinicius Salles’ The Shop for Mortals and Fools is an exciting offering. Inspired by one of the greatest tragedies of ancient times – Euripides’ The Bacchae – this is an intimate, unsettling performance. Expect it to defy convention and go beyond traditional theatre, offering an exploration of power, gender, and fate. The story unravels – very physically and unpredictably – in front of you, with each participant’s journey shaped by the decisions they make.
Every object and line is layered with meanings, enough to keep you deciphering for hours afterwards. Most dates are sold out, but at the time of writing, there are a few tickets left.
The Shop for Mortals and Fools is at Stanley Arts, 12 South Norwood Hill, SE25 6AB, until Saturday March 1st. Tickets are £20. Book here or sign up to Vinicius’ newsletter for updates on where they’re heading next.
11. Find out how to get cheap tickets to some of the best theatre shows at London Theatre Week
If you missed out on the London Theatre Week window last time, don’t panic – it’s back bringing you access to some pretty good deals.
From timeless musicals like Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre, Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, and The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre – to gripping shows like Elektra at the Duke of York’s Theatre, which stars award winning actress Brie Larson as she makes her West End debut. Over 65 shows are featured in total, and you can get savings of up to £50 per ticket.
Tickets available from £15, £25 or £35. 17 February to 2 March. Book here.
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