Welcome back to the Register, Favourbrook's sometimes monthly guide to living and dressing your best life in London. With the year-end fast approaching, London is ironically hotting up with an embarrassment of exhibition riches which we've curated for you. Like urban bloodhounds, we've also sniffed out the very best London dinner tables for people watching, because there are few better cities to watch the good, great, famous, and infamous do their thing. It's also opera season, which has catalysed our guide to dressing up for a trip to the Royal Opera House, one of the capital's few remaining institutions where the tradition of glamorous dressing should most definitely be continued!
Opera Divine: How to Dress For A Night At The Royal Opera House
The casualisation of society has thankfully not spread as far as the Royal Opera House where it is still the done thing to get dressed to the nines and enjoy the splendour of the opera in commensurately stylish attire. In the run-up to year end, the Royal Opera House is hosting performances of a number of ballets, while the operatic action starts proper on November 26th when Puccini's full-blooded drama Tosca delivers romance, revolution and intrigue in spades. For a guide on how to dress in an equally dramatic way and honour the tradition of opera style, read our guide here.
The Hottest Exhibitions in London Right Now
London is only second behind New York for art sales, numbers of galleries, and art exhibitions, so there are no excuses for not filling your creative boots with artistic inspiration. With some of the world's most influential galleries right here in Mayfair, as well as revered global institutions such as the Tate Modern, the National Portrait Gallery et al, London is a veritable smorgasbord of world class artworks, and at this time of year the galleries and museums pull out all the stops with headline exhibitions. We've handpicked the must-sees right here:
Anna Weyant, Gagosian, Davies Street
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolves? is Anna Weyant’s first exhibition in London, in the Gagosian's Davies Street space. Here's the gallery on the exhibition:
"In her new paintings, Weyant infuses elements of autobiography with the symbolic wit, portentous mood, and refined technique that distinguished Baby, It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over, her 2022 Gagosian debut in New York, and The Guitar Man, her 2023 debut in Paris. Weyant’s precisely rendered figure paintings and portraits undercut their subjects’ attempts at composure with gestures of tragicomic awkwardness, while her crystalline still-life compositions lend everyday objects a similarly unsettling and oneiric tinge, their muted palette contributing a reflective ambience."
Couldn't have said it better ourselves. In all honesty, Weyant's paintings are superbly creepy in the most 'can't quite put your finger on it' way, which makes them all the more intriguing.
Francis Bacon: ‘Human Presence’, National Portrait Gallery
Bacon's ouvre seems to have been doing the rounds in London in the last decade or so but we are not complaining. This time round, the focus is on Bacon's portraiture, often times macabre and freakishly distended. The exhibition begins with Bacon's infamous depiction of the pope and ends with the equally well-known triptych of his former lover George Dyer, two brilliant bookends to an absolute showstopper of an exhibition that features some of the rarer Bacon works. There are self portraits, portraits of close friends, but its the portraits of Bacon's lovers which strike with a fierceness that's difficult to put into words.
Van Gogh: ‘Poets and Lovers’, National Gallery
There are a few hat-tips to Vincent Van Gogh in the aforementioned Bacon exhibition so it's wonderful to see the great man's work just next door at the National. Billed as a 'once-in-a-century' exhibition, the National has managed to procure some of Van Gogh's greatest works: ‘Starry Night over the Rhône’ (1888, Musée d’Orsay) and ‘The Yellow House’ (1888, Van Gogh Museum), as well as ‘Sunflowers’ (1888) and ‘Van Gogh's Chair’ (1889), among many others. The show focuses on Van Gogh's two-year period in the south of France - particularly Arles - during which he became inspired by poets, writers and artists.
Monet in London at the Courtauld (27 Sept 2024 – 19 Jan 2025)
This exhibition reunites over 20 of Monet's iconic Thames series paintings for the first time in London. During three winters between 1899 and 1901, Monet captured the shifting light and fog over Waterloo Bridge, Charing Cross Bridge, and the Houses of Parliament. The Courtauld exhibition finally realizes Monet’s dream of showcasing these works in London, just steps away from the Savoy Hotel, where he painted many of them. The exhibit immerses visitors in Monet’s atmospheric mastery, reuniting the works he handpicked for his Paris exhibition in 1904.
Mike Kelley: ‘Ghost and Spirit’ at Tate Modern (3 Oct 2024 – 9 Mar 2025)
"Ghost and Spirit" at Tate Modern highlights the conceptual artist Mike Kelley's exploration of memory, trauma, and cultural identity. The exhibition delves into Kelley’s darkly humorous and provocative art, drawing on personal experiences and broader cultural phenomena. Thematically centered on ideas of haunting, the show reveals how Kelley used various media—installations, drawings, and video—to question societal norms and expose the "ghosts" of the past. Known for pushing boundaries, Kelley’s work in this exhibition examines the tension between the material and immaterial, memory and amnesia, leaving a powerful impression on viewers.
‘Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael’ at the Royal Academy of Arts (14 Sept 2024 – 5 Jan 2025)
This blockbuster exhibition at the Royal Academy celebrates the Renaissance masters Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael. Through a stunning collection of drawings, sculptures, and paintings, the exhibit showcases the virtuosity of these titans of art, offering insights into their creative processes and the monumental impact of their works. Focusing on their mastery of human anatomy, composition, and technical innovation, the exhibition explores how these artists revolutionized Western art. Visitors can experience the interplay of their distinct styles and the lasting influence they had on generations of artists.
London's Best Restaurants for People Watching
We're a gregarious bunch us humans - we love to see and be seen, and when that also involves eating world-class food - then you have the perfect recipe for contentment. London is not short of fantastic, fabulous people, most of whom can be seen enjoying one of the world's best dining scenes. So if you're looking to rub shoulders with the capitals cognoscenti, or merely do a bit of celebrity spotting at the city's top tables, this hotlist is just for you:
The Dover, Dover Street
A hotspot for discreet celebrity dining, The Dover on Dover Street in Mayfair is a stunning restaurant offering classic Italian dishes cooked to perfection. When you first enter through the front door, a thick velvet curtain separates you from the bar area, from which the hubbub of conversation tantalises your ears. The dining room is an intimate space, styled out in mid-century wood panelling and with tables perfectly presented, spaced so that one can't quite hear the conversation going on at the next table, which creates a buzzy atmosphere. When we were there, Tracey Thorn from Everything But The Girl was on the corner table - if you were born in the 70s that might mean something to you!
Sael, St James’s
Award-winning chef Jason Atherton recently said goodbye to the institution that was the Pollen Street Social, only to say hello to Sael, tucked away on the corner of St James’s Market. The menu celebrates the very best of British heritage cuisine, and being new you can definitely count on seeing some familiar faces. Upstairs is where the fun is though - the Apples & Pears bar is a swanky speakeasy where art meets attitude, and where London's glitterati let their hair down.
The River Café
A long-standing favourite on the celebrity circuit, The River Café’s idyllic setting on the Thames and its celebrated Italian menu make it a magnet for stars. The open-plan layout offers a great view of the room, giving diners a chance to spot actors, musicians, and international artists who frequent this foodie institution. Its understated sophistication appeals to A-listers seeking quality over flash.
The Wolseley
An iconic London institution, The Wolseley’s grand art deco interiors and prime Piccadilly location attract everyone from A-listers to politicians. With a constant buzz of activity and a reputation for excellent service, it’s one of the best places to see and be seen in London. The elegant but lively atmosphere ensures that people-watching is always on the menu.
Arlington, Arlington Street, Mayfair
Legendary restauranteur Jeremy King's newest gem was much touted as Le Caprice redux, especially given it is on the former's old site. But Arlington has become its very own thing, and one of the most sought-after tables in London. The St. James's restaurant . The menu is a journey through British and European classics, and while the food is amazing, the people-watching is even better. King's restaurant's have always been able to draw in famous faces, and Arlington is no different.
