11 of the best things to do in London this weekend (February 22-23)

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.

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.

The Slice newsletter also a brand new look! We'll still be in your inbox every week, bringing you all the very best things to eat, drink and do in the capital. So if you want get the next edition before anyone else, sign up here!. 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.

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.

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. 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. 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.