Located on the banks of the Thames, The Blue Anchor, a 300-year-old pub, is a great spot to spend a sunny summer afternoon. There’s a traditional 17th century pub-style ground floor bar and restaurant and a River Room upstairs with great views, but we think the picnic tables outside at the front, directly in front of the river, are the best seats. They do Sunday roasts and offer house cocktails alongside the usual pub drinks lists, as well as magnums, should you be with a group.

Jake Burger is a bit of a drinks industry legend. He began bartending when he was 18 in Leeds, and since then he’s won awards, owned various bars, and been an all-round innovator. He’s currently the creative director of The Distillery on Portobello Road, his long-time stomping ground, which includes a restaurant, hotel, and The Ginstitute. It also includes the opportunity to make your own bespoke gin – which is constantly rated one of the UK’s best drink activities – as well as a host of other special experiences. Read about Jake’s favourite west London things.

Three new west London restaurants for you to try.

In Hammersmith, just behind Sam’s Riverside is Sam Harrison’s new café Sam’s Kitchen, that serves breakfast, brunch and lunch, seven days a week, with takeaway all-day breakfast buns, too. 

In Kensal Rise, Morty & Bob’s is an neighbourhood family run restaurant, serving family-style dishes like whole sea bass with lemon vinaigrette, T-bone steak for two, and chicken parmigiana. They have a small terrace with fairy lights and wooden tables with heating and covering, meaning you’ll be protected no matter what the weather.  This will be their fourth location – not bad for a concept that started out as a street stall.

Coming to Olympia in 2025, the Wetherby Arts School is a new co-educational senior school that will have strong academics and great facilities, and also focus on visual and performing arts. The school will have a theatre with 200 seats and several performing, TV and media studios. There will also be classes on offer for local residents via an impressive partnership with the BRIT School. Registrations are now open.

Image by Fiona Whyte Photography

From the founders of Depop comes DELLI, an app that connects you to great independent food and drink products that can be shipped directly to your doorstep. Encouraging anyone who has a kitchen to become a ‘maker’, the DELLI app allows people to turn their hobby into a side hustle, or expands the reach of those already doing so. Several of the products are gluten and dairy free, and include feel-good ingredients like adaptogens and living bacteria. Current highlights on the app include the Smile Hot Sauce collection, D4100 Truffle Aioli, Korean fried chicken spicy dipping sauce, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil, eggs laid the night before, and rugged peanut butter. And the best part? This is a community, so you can ask questions/get feedback too.

Summer means it’s time to get outside, and urban paddle boarding makes for a fun afternoon. Start from Merchant Square in the Paddington Basin, and cruise around the canal taking in the sites, while getting your exercise in. You can do a group or private class, take a yoga or pilates class on the board, or just rent a board and go.

Do you know what a Titanosaur is? Break that word down and it becomes easy….a big dinosaur! Want to see one? For the first time in Europe, the Patagotitan Mayorum, a huge titanosaur, will be on display in an interactive exhibition at the Natural History Museum.  They say it might be the largest animal that ever walked the planet and this exhibition will show you how it survived and thrived on earth. Check out the events page for special events, workshops, sleepovers and more.

West London Welcome was formed to create a supportive community and spaces for people in west London who have left traumatic conditions. Here volunteers try to reassure, teach English, provide necessities like hot meals, and offer assistance in any way possible – from childcare to entertainment and advice – to try and support people as they find their way, somewhere new. Find out how you can get involved today.

Dublin-born CiCi now spends her time between London and Ibiza, and plays at some of the greatest clubs in the world, including Fabric in London and DC10 in Ibiza, alongside some of the biggest names, like Pete Tong and Josh Wink. For Love Olympia, she has stepped away from the club and made a playlist of summertime fun. We hope you enjoy it.

Is there anywhere better than London in the summer? We’d argue no, especially when the weather behaves. Here are five west London events for your calendar this summer.