London celebrates St Patrick's Day with with an impressive programme of entertainment. There's the three day Irish film festival, The Sun Tavern is giving away free oysters and the Hothouse Flowers play a special gig.
Corrigan's Mayfair serves up a special feast in celebration of St Patrick's Day with a menu based on traditional Irish fare. Irish classics like Irish lamb stew served from the trolley and Mammy Corrigan's apple tart will be on the menu for the week. Sign up for the Feast of St Patrick's Day Masterclass on Saturday 21st March and you'll learn how to cook a classic St Patrick's Day menu, pick up skills like bread baking and filleting fish, and enjoy a four course lunch. For a more causal alternative, head over to Bentley's, Richard Corrigan's oyster restaurant on Piccadilly's Swallow street for a five course feast and live music in celebration of the Patron Saint of Ireland. At Corrigan's Dickie's Bar they're mixing Green Dreams and Apple Port cocktails made with green tea and citrus sherbet plus the Six Nations rugby match will be shown on a big screen on Saturday.
Part of the official Mayor-backed St Patrick's Day celebrations in London, the St Patrick's Day Film Festival brings award winning Irish films to the Regent Street Cinema, around the corner from the main event in Trafalgar Square. The three day festival opens with Calm with Horses, the acclaimed screen debut of director Nick Rowland, produced by Michael Fassbender. On Sunday, Oscar nominated director Lenny Abrahamson discusses his recent work, including a sneak preview of scenes from his much-anticipated TV series Normal People, adapted from Sally Rooney's acclaimed novel. In between are two programmes of original Irish short films - some of which will be shown on the big outdoor screen in Trafalgar Square - and a family film on Saturday afternoon.
With over thirty years of singing and playing all over the world, Hothouse Flowers has long been "Ireland's finest folk-rock export" (BBC). On Tuesday 17th March, Fiachna O Braonain, Liam O Maonlaoi and Peter O'Toole play a St. Patrick's Day Special at Subterania under the Westway. No two gigs are ever the same so it's hard to know what you'll get but you can expect "a whirlwind of highs and lows" as the Irish Examiner said of the band New Year's Eve concert at Cork Opera House where they played 'I Can See Clearly Now', covering Johhny Nash's original, before building to their best known anthem 'Don't Go' with O Maonlaoi "on his toes in a type of rain dance, like the Celtic druid he is" (Irish Examiner).
In place of the Northern Ireland Showcase at Borough Market - which has been postponed by Food Northern Ireland - Borough Market will be hosting a free celebration of Irish music, dancing and Irish food demos on St Patrick's Day. Northern Ireland celebrity chef Paula McIntyre will be in Borough Market's glass fronted Market Hall at lunchtime where Irish dancers and musicians will be performing. Aided by Borough Market's resident host Luke Mackay, Paula will be cooking up delicious traditional Irish dishes using products available from traders in the Market. Learn how to cook with mutton, create whiskey glazed salmon and put together a soda farl steak sandwich.
Following successful seasons in both Dublin and New York, Sebastian Barry's new play, On Blueberry Hill, receives a West End transfer in 2020 with a strictly limited run at the Trafalgar Studios. The critically acclaimed production comes from Olivier Award-winning theatre company Fishamble: The New Play Company, and sees Jim Culleton direct the work of Barry, who is regarded as one of Ireland's greatest living writers and is the current Laureate of Irish Fiction. Irish Times Theatre Award and Olivier Award winner Niall Buggy and Broadway star David Ganly both reprise their roles as Christy and PJ, a pair of friends and enemies who slowly reveal the events that have led to their explosive lives.
With an impressive list of over 150 whiskies, The Sun Tavern in Bethnal Green lays claim to having London's largest selection of Irish Whiskey so it's an obvious choice for Paddy's Day - one of their busiest days of the year. This St. Patrick's Day they've teamed up with award-winning bar Three Sheets to serve a limited-edition cocktail menu on Tuesday 17th March. Starting from 12noon and running to the wee hours, a live Irish band playing throughout the day before a special guest Irish DJ takes to the decks. Noel and Max Venning of award-winning bar Three Sheets take over the bar from 6pm to 9pm mixing Irish Whiskey cocktails including a White Russian with Coffee and The Shamrock Gimlet and Salted Coffee and Baileys Cream. In true Irish style, Guinness will be available on tap and Oyster Boy will be there to dish out free oysters from 7pm until 9pm but the shenanigans go on until 1am.
This year Mr Fogg's will be turning the beer green in celebration of St Patrick's Day on Tuesday 17th March. The emerald bitter is served at three of Mr Fogg's drinking dens across London - at Mr Fogg's Tavern, Mr Fogg's Society of Exploration in Covent Garden and Mrs Fogg's Dockside Drinkery and Distillery in Broadgate Circle. In the spirit of Irish celebrations, there'll be Roe & Co Irish Whiskey cocktails, plenty of Guinness and Irish music played live at each venue. Plus, at Mr Fogg's Tavern, Fanny McGee will be cooking up a storm with dishes including a Guinness Lamb Stew and a traditional Colcannon where Phileas' favourite Irish Ceilidh band playing old Irish classics into the evening.
Taproom by Brixton Village, the second outlet from the Taproom team, found within Brixton Village, is putting an Irish twist on their line-up of South London craft beers as they get set to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a five-day Guinness takeover from 12th to 17th March 2020. Running alongside their roster of beers from suppliers within the local community, the takeover will feature fun hats, bunting, 3D foam printing, samplings of Roe and Co Irish Whiskey, Hop House 13 Irish lager, and of course, plenty of Guinness. TableSnappr will also be on hand to deliver food from the global range of restaurants around the market, including Jalisco, Fish, Wings & Tings, and an exclusive St Patrick's Day special from Black Bear Burger. Worth noting that on Saturday 14th March, the first 15 people and the last 15 people at Taproom will be the lucky recipients of a free pint of Guinness each, with trad band Newick Folk on hand to lead the party into the evening.
Based on a fictional flatshare between friends, The Little Yellow Door is a house party that you can invite yourself along to. Going from pop up to permanent, the Notting Hill cocktail bar has found a longterm home on All Saints Road. Set over two floors, the flatshare is a home from home, complete with open plan kitchen and a living room with fireplace and sofas. It's filled with colourful and quirky finds and mismatched furniture - the ideal spot for early evening cocktails and dinner. Downstairs discover a secret hideaway open till 2am. The Flatmate's Den is kitted out with backgammon and poker tables, retro games and a music corner for vinyl records and DJs. Weekends are set aside for Saturday bottomless brunches and Sunday roasts; classic home comfort dishes. As with The Little Blue Door in Fulham, you need to let the flatmates know you're coming in advance via WhatsApp.
The London Irish Centre in Camden is hosting a three separate events for St Patrick's Day on Saturday 14th March and on the saint's day itself, 17th March, from live music to an Irish breakfast and tea dance. On the Saturday before St Patrick's Day, Irish folk band Kila headline the big gig but before that there's an Irish breakfast and tea dance during the day. If you want to avoid the shamrock hat madness on St Patrick's Day itself, settle in for a night of music, comedy and spoken word followed by a traditional Irish session in the front bar. Come straight from work or home and you can enjoy a pre-show music session before the main show.
Discover the cultural charm of Ireland at The Jugged Hare this St Patrick's Day at a five course feast with a different wine for each course. Hosted in collaboration with Guinness, the Irish-inspired menu offers comfort food in the form of potato soup, cheddar soda bread, slow-cooked Irish stew and roast beef. Guinness cake with Baileys ice cream brings the evening to a sweet conclusion.
London's oldest whisky specialists is bringing the spirit of Dublin to East London this St Patrick's Day with an exclusive night of cocktails and celtic treats at Milroy's of Spitalfields. As well as Teeling Whiskey cocktails there'll be live Irish music and oysters from Carlingford Lough shucked in front of you by Mother Suckers. Set across four floors, each area will be serving a special whiskey menu of delicious drams, with the main party in the ground floor Whiskey Bar. Sip on a Teeling Whiskey Ginger or Teeling Irish Coffee alongside original creations from The Proofing Room team. Entry is free on a first-come-first-served basis from 6pm, with complimentary nibbles and cocktails from £6.50.