SECRET SAFARI CLUB

Keep next Saturday night free, good readers. We thought this delightful summer we're currently blessed with in London might put you in the mood for something a little exotic...

Secret Safari Club will definitely be the place to be on Saturday 20th August. Dirty blue champagne cocktails & canapes will be served from 7.30pm by topless models in full body paint (as jungle animals, of course). Mingle and drink as a live band plays, then sit down for an unforgettable five course taster meal cooked by Fergus Shields, ex Head Chef at Hospital Club.

Rising DJ star Jack Smedley will then lead you onto the dance floor, where you will party until the small hours (3am, to be exact) with a bevy of gorgeous patrygoers, belly dancers, snake charmers, masses of balloons and of course plenty of booze.

The zone 1 location is a closely-guarded secret, but will be revealed here on the 15th August. Tickets are limited to just 200 people, so be quick. They are a bargenous £32, which includes cocktails, 5 course supper, dancing and even sneaky shots.  Get your tickets from here. 

All that's left to say is we'll see you there! In the meantime, let us listen to a bit of YELLE to get us in the mood.

LET US TAKE CARE OF YOUR WEEKEND

The sun is out and it's Friday afternoon; there's therefore never been a better time to be a Londoner. Here are a few suggestions for your weekend if you happen to be in the British capital. 

Tonight: Zoo Lates. London Zoo's sold-out summer treat returns, with every Friday night in June playing host to 'twisted cabarets', Silent Discos & BBQs - all festooned with plenty of booze of course. More info here.

Saturday: Disappearing Dining Club takes over Red Market's Summer House (outdoor private dining & drinks lounge) on Saturday for one of their famous feasts of fine dining, drinking, and for Dinner Dance guests, full access to the Flying Circus Party. More info & tickets here.

Sunday: Volupte's Sunday Tea Party is your essential cabaret fix for the weekend. Delicious tea served at the decadent restaurant, followed by fantastic live music & burlesque beauties. Expect lots of cupcakes and champagne. More info here.

THIS WEEKEND

XOYO is the place to be tonight in London. Jamie XX + v special guests will be playing their excellent sets in tonight's road-blocked FACT & Young Turks event from 10pm. It's £12 on the door & worth every penny. More info here. (EC2A 4AP)

And if you fancy something a little more sedate & bohemian, head over to Soho's latest gallery, Pertwee, Anderson & Gold, which is rapidly gaining a rep for all things whimsical & theatrical. Surrealist extraordinaire Nancy Foust's pieces are on display this Saturday, 12am - 5pm (W1D 3AQ).

MARDI GRAS IN CAMDEN

The Blues Kitchen in Camden is hosting a New Orleans style Mardi Gras party tonight, complete with marching band, live music & plenty of cocktails. Beads and feathers at the ready! 9pm-2am, 111-113 Camden High St, free before 10pm, £3 after.

EXPERIMENTAL COCKTAIL CLUB

Soho's revival is good news for us (as that's where we are based) and we may have just found ourselves a new favourite bar. The Experimental Cocktail Club is in the heart of Chinatown (13a Gerrard St), and you will definitely need to keep your eyes peeled as there are no indication of its existence from the street. Look out for this door:

Spread over 2 small floors, the first has an open and busy feel, the second is more intimate. The cocktails aren't cheap, £10 a pop, but expertly made (try the Renaissance; a blend of gin and champagne). The staff are skilled and personable, the music matches the decor: speakeasy-meets-colonial. Finally, and perhaps most crucially, it has a 3 am license - *cue choir of singing angels*. Go now before too many people hear about it.

TONIGHT: NOIR

Coco Sumner's Noir (last Friday of each month at Notting Hill Arts Club) has rapidly established itself as the leading club night in the indie/punk field, largely due to sell-out DJ sets by the likes of Miike Snow, Chris Cunningham, La Roux and live sets by White Rose Movement, Sian Alice Group and Too Young To Love.

Don't miss tonight's sets by Robin Scott-Lawson, Black Discs, Tago Mago and a very special guest... Doors open at 7pm, free entry before 8pm, £6 before 11pm and £8 after. 21 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JQ.