Opened in 2023, Master Wei is an independent Chinese restaurant from Guirong Wei, who recently starred in the Emmy-nominated Chef’s Table on Netflix. A restaurant dedicated to showcasing cuisine from Shaanxi, Guiron’s hometown province in northwest China, here you’ll find things like their signature hand-pulled biang biang noodles (called this because of the sound they make on the countertop when they are ‘slapped’), as well as favourite Xi’an street food snacks like spicy cumin beef buns and pot sticker. Master Wei has locations in Hammersmith and Bloomsbury.

Known for her clean lines, balanced use of colour and imaginative details, Beata Heuman, originally from Sweden, set up her London practice in 2013. Her book, Every Room Should Sing, showcases 10 of her studio’s projects, with advice on decorating your own home, including how to create a truly unique space. She also has an online shop with homewares designed by her studio, such as cushions with unique prints; candles with signature house scents; small-scale wallpaper, uplifting light fixtures; and other unique furnishings.

The Sunday Times recently called her ‘the queen of good taste’ and we couldn’t agree more. We love her style, we love her designs, and we’re happy that her studio is close to Olympia.

Beata has taken the time to give us some of her favourite west London restaurants and running routes, as well as some studio news and festive decorating tips.

No matter what you do this holiday, a good gift on hand is always helpful. But finding interesting, useful gifts from independent retailers is not easy! With this in mind, we’ve asked three Olympia staff for gift ideas from west London businesses. 

Bettina Gimenez

Communications Manager, Olympia

Gift chosen:

Pentolina gift card.

Why did you choose this gift?

I’ve eaten there a couple of times since I started working at Olympia and the food is always absolutely delicious!

Canteen – W10

The site that was once Pizza East on the corner of Golborne Road and Portobello has been refurbed, and it’s looking good! Now in the hands of The Pelican (and Hero W9), this launch is a follow-on from their teaser pop up last summer in the same space. We’re hearing good things: an Italian restaurant with two ex-River Café chefs at the helm, doors that open straight onto bustling Portobello, canteen décor, and a new menu. 

Foreign Exchange – W2

It’s hard to be the first to do anything in London, but this part foreign exchange, part newsagent, part coffee shop seems like one. Located on Leinster Terrace, which always feels like London of yesteryear, head here for coffee, snacks, cakes, juices, a great magazine selection, and enough seats to hopefully perch while you read. 

Urchin – W11

For five months, Notting Hill Fish Shop’s new ‘cooked’ Japanese concept, Urchin, will be in residence during the evenings at the Supermarket of Dreams. It will be fresh, interesting, and is a teaser for their restaurant of the same name, to come. Reservations here. 

Don’t Tell Dad – NW6

Another hyphenate venue, Don’t Tell Dad will be a new bakery/restaurant on foodie Lonsdale Road. In the mornings, they’ll have things like savoury Danishes and rich croissants, and from lunch it will be a French/British restaurant, with an ex-Noble Rot chef in the kitchen. 

Dinner at SK – W4 

Sam’s Kitchen in Chiswick are running a new, intimate, more fine dining menu every Thursday-Saturday evening. There will be seasonal three-courses, with optional matching cocktails and wine pairings. They can also host private events for up to 24 guests. Check out an example menu here.

We had a very successful launch of our Off The Shelf pavilion during the London Design Festival, and the ‘On the Shelf’ programming in the space continues into winter with two residencies.

First, artist Liang-Jung Chen has created a festive installation that references feng shui principles to ring in the new year right; there are silver trays with water around the structure to encourage the flow of chi and bring light, abundance, peace and harmony. On until 13 January. Then, from 13 January-28 February, Lauren Macdonald, an artist that works at the intersection of craft, tech and labour, will create an interactive, playful wood and natural light pigment installation.

Two of London’s favourite restaurateurs, siblings Zoë and Layo Paskin, have just launched The Barbary in Notting Hill, which takes inspiration from flavours from the Barbary Coast. This excellent addition to the neighbourhood will join their portfolio of award-winning restaurants and bars including The Palomar, Evelyn’s Table, The Blue Posts, The Barbary Covent Garden, and The Barbary Next Door, as well as a host of other projects through their company, Studio Paskin.

To celebrate the opening of their latest restaurant, they are offering a dinner for two (up to a value of £200), to one Love Olympia reader. 

To enter, Like both @olympialondon and @thebarbarylondon on Instagram and tag who you would take with you as a comment on the Barbary competition post on our @olympialondon page. Good luck!

Olympia is thrilled to announce that leading fitness brand 1Rebel are opening here next year. 1Rebel are known for their boutique gyms, with energetic classes like Ride (spin), Reshape (treadmill and weights), Rumble (boxing), Reformer (pilates), and their latest addition, Reset (recovery therapy, with hot and cold plunges), at their High Street Kensington branch. We can’t wait to have them at Olympia; more news soon. 

Also in Kensington, BoxcleverLDN, a much-loved boxing gym (they have a very, very loyal following) have relocated from Mayfair to High Street Kensington. Contact them to try a training session. 

And lastly, from the founder of Spotify comes Neko Body Scan in W1, which will give you a ‘preventive health check scan’ in just a few minutes, for £299.

We’ve mentioned Coco the Clown before: the famous clown was Nicolai Polakovs OBE, who performed every Christmas for 37 years with the Bertram Mills Circus in Olympia Grand at Olympia Events. Well, Bertram Mills actually launched the first circus in London, a 16-act show for the holiday season, at Olympia Events on 17 December 1920. Happy holidays!

Paddington’s new movie, Paddington in Peru, has just hit the big screens (see their trailer here) and to mark the occasion, there’s a Paddington in Peru pop up shop next to Platform 1 at Paddington Station, with exclusive merch, until March 31. They also have an online shop with more collections.

From festive things like new additions at the annual Hyde Park Winter Wonderland fair and various caroling events to an interesting franchise exhibition at Olympia Events, here are our picks of what to do this winter to make the most of west London.

Remember to look out for our very own 24/7 digital assistant, “Hello Olympia”, which will be appearing via stickers placed throughout the Olympia neighbourhood. If you see one, just scan the QR code to ask the assistant questions and discover what we have in store for Olympia, from our ongoing events and exhibitions to information on the exciting new additions set to open from 2025. Have a question now? Scan the QR code above and text your query.

Forbes

Olympia Pavilion 

“A marriage of ‘art and science,’ the arresting pavilion by Rio Kobayashi is Olympia’s first-ever engagement at London Design Festival, and the artist and maker’s largest installation to date.”

Sleeper 

citizenM Hotel Opening

“citizenM has unveiled a first look at the design of its fifth London hotel, citizenM London Olympia. Set to open in 2025 as the 38th hotel in the brand’s global portfolio, the property will form part of the transformed Olympia.”

Dezeen

Olympia Revamp Nearing Completion

“An elevated public realm and performance venues are taking shape on top of the Olympia events centre in west London as part of its transformation by UK architecture practices Heatherwick Studio and SPPARC.”