The Frieze London guide nobody asked for

It’s that time of year again – Frieze Week – when the city gives over to the business fair and menty-b factory dressed up as a series of entertaining exhibitions and louche parties. (Pills? No, that’s my Priadel!) Word on the street says that the big collectors and savvy galleries are holding out for Art Basel Paris – let’s face it, the food, drinks and hotels really are better à Paris. But we’re invested in London, so we’re going through the motions. Seriously, there are some great things happening this week. So once again, not that you asked for it, the Plaster staff put their heads together to create an alternative guide on what to see and where to eat, drink, shop and stay in London during Frieze Week 2024.

See

Miko Veldkamp, ‘Buketan’, Alice Amati

This is Veldkamp’s first solo show in central London. Originally from Suriname, raised in the Netherlands, and now based in New York, Veldkamp blends the influences of all three places in his work, to create work which feels like stepping into a dream, both familiar and otherworldly. The exhibition touches on big themes – history, identity, colonialism and city life – but in a way that feels personal and thoughtful, as if he’s inviting us into his world to reflect on these ideas together. – Milo Astaire

8th October – 9th November at 27 Warren St, London W1T 5NB

Jonathan Rach: Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral Exhibition

If you’re a Nine Inch Nails fan or just interested in rock history or photography, this is one for you. For the first time in the UK, Jonathan Rach presents behind-the-scenes photos from the NIN ‘Self Destruct’ tour. These are no ordinary concert shots – Rach, a close friend of the band, captured intimate, never-before-seen moments from the 1994-96 global tour celebrating The Downward Spiral’s 30th anniversary. – MA

16th – 20th October at 2 Hoxton Street, London N1 6NG

‘Machine Painting’, Modern Art

Modern Art’s latest group show explores the innovative use of machines in image-making from the 1970s onwards. Here, 14 artists have embraced machines as collaborators rather than mere tools, as they harness mechanical processes to blur the lines between digital precision and more tactile ways of working. Featuring works by Plaster star Matthias Groebel, Wolfgang Tillmans, Tauba Auerbach and more, the show spotlights machines as dynamic partners for artists, not just cold contraptions. – Izzy Bilkus

7th October – 14th December at 4–8 Helmet Row, London EC1V 3QJ

‘Un Oeuf Is Un Oeuf’, TJ Boulting

I love an egg on almost anything, so when Hannah Watson from TJ Boulting alerted me to an event that would involve splatting some over her gallery walls with Sarah Lucas, I was obviously in. Lucas will be staging her 1000 Eggs: For Women performance on 8th October from 1-4 pm as part of a group show featuring personal faves like Maisie Cousins, Polly Morgan and Olivia Sterling. It’s open to women, those who identify as women, and men dressed as women. – Harriet Lloyd-Smith

11th October – 16th November at 59 Riding House St, London W1W 7EG

Hypha Studios

Right, here’s a crazy idea: give empty retail spaces over to artists. Why? Um, because there’s a massive shortage of affordable exhibition space. Wouldn’t artists have to pay? No, plus, landlords actually save money if their building is occupied. Whose amazing idea is this? Hypha Studios. Think of them as a matchmaker for artists and landlords, cutting out bureaucracy, barriers and BS. Where do I find them? They negotiate spaces for artists all over the UK, but they’ve got a lot going on in London this week. Highlights: ‘Antigone Revisited’ at Hypha HQ (Unit 3, Euston Tower); ‘Hoówen’, a show of international Indigenous and Diasporic artists at their new Mayfair space (8-9 Dover St); and ‘Uncanny Playgrounds’ (1 Sugar House Island), a freaky combo of childhood nostalgia and adult discomfort. – HLS

Hypha HQ, Euston, Unit 3, Euston Tower, 286 Euston Road, London NW1 3AS

20 Years Of Hyperdub with Kode9 + Lawrence Lek

Sadie Coles, Lawrence Lek and Kode9… maybe my dream blunt rotation? To celebrate Lawrence Lek being crowned the 2024 Frieze artist of the year, Lek and longtime friend and collaborator Kode9 are hosting a night at Elephant and Castle’s Corsica Studios. With one room screening Lek’s most acclaimed work Sinofuturist Trilogy, the night also marks twenty years of Kode9’s record label Hyperdub. Famed for releasing works by the likes of Burial, Hype Williams and Scratcha, Kode9 is playing a six-hour ode to Hyperdub set. It’ll certainly be a night to remember, so long as you haven’t had too many BuzzBallz. – Dora Densham Bond

11th October at Corsica Studios, Elephant Rd, London SE17 1LB

‘Memories of the Future’ curated by Marco Capaldo

Work by Rhea Dillon, Remi Ajani and George Rouy will be on display at ‘Memories of the Future’, an exhibition curated by Marco Capaldo, the creative director of 16 Arlington and presented by Almine Rech. There’ll also be an installation of Dial-A-Poem (a poetry hotline first installed at MoMA in 1970), photography from Francesca Woodman and sculptures by Jesse Pollock and Sandra Paulson. – Emma Ralph

3rd – 19th October at Frieze No.9 Cork Street, London W1S 3LL

Urs Fischer, ‘Scratch & Sniff’, Sadie Coles

Sadie Coles HQ transforms the space into an artist’s studio for their latest exhibition, featuring a new body of work by Urs Fischer. Poppy and playful, Fischer’s works float between digital and traditional depictions. – David Spence

12th September – 9th November at 62 Kingly Street, London W1B 5QN

Marlene Dumas, ‘Mourning Marsyas’, Frith Street Gallery

Dumas’ show is a poignant and psychologically loaded meditation on love death and grief. – DS

20th September – 16th November at 17–18 Golden Square, London W1F 9JJ

Juliana Huxtable, ‘Heads & Tails in the Struggle for Iconicity’, Project Native Informant

Juliana Huxtable presents wavy, drippy works straight from your FYP in the East London gallery. I’m hoping to pick up some of her bumpers stickers. – Jacob Wilson

2nd October — 2nd November at Units 1 and 3, 48 Three Colts Lane, London E2 6GQ

Eat

Efes Restaurant & Bar

A worthy successor to the original Efes on Great Titchfield Street, this spot has great authentic Turkish food and the house lemonade is a must. – MA

56 Maple St, London W1T 6HN

The Tiroler Hut

If your attempt at escaping Frieze by venturing out of Regents Park wasn’t enough, then try escaping the country by dining at this Austrian restaurant in Queensway. It’s complete with waiters dressed in Lederhosen and oompah music. You could even have a go at some yodelling to release all of that pent-up tension. – Finn Constantine

27 Westbourne Grove, London W2 4UA

Casse-Croûte

I’m obsessed with this French restaurant! Just a quick walk from White Cube Bermondsey, Casse-Croûte is the perfect date night spot. A small but amazing seasonal menu, cute chequered tablecloths and great window seats for people watching on Bermondsey Street. – IB

109 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XB

Feng Shang Princess

Maybe it’s nostalgia for Plaster’s launch dinner, maybe it’s an excuse to give yet more page space to an urban treasure, but we couldn’t miss this off the rec list. The floating, red pagoda restaurant on Regent’s Canal is a mere stone’s throw from the tent and is certainly an experience your clients won’t forget. – HLS

Southern Star Cumberland Basin, Prince Albert Rd, London NW1 7SS

It’s Bagels

One of the few really good bagel shops in the city (forget Brick Lane, these days the white and yellow shops are filled with TikTokers and far too expensive). The menu features all the New York classics: lox, whitefish and dill pickles, all with a schmear, as well as some non-kosher options: bacon and egg anyone? If you can’t escape the fair, don’t worry, they also do delivery. – JW

65 Regents Park Road, London, NW1 8XD

King of Falafel

This Camden institution is a staple among the drunks, crust punks and vegans of the area. Reasonable prices, good portions. The falafel’s crunchy, the salad’s on point. You know what you’re in for. If grilled meats are more your vibe then go next door to Woody’s Camden, despite appearances and name, it’s not a steakhouse, it’s a Turkish ocakbasi serving kebabs and meze. – JW

King of Falafel, 2 Camden Rd, London NW1 9DL

Woody’s Camden, 1 Camden Rd, London NW1 9LG

Kipps Off License

Someone once told me you can’t put a price on perfection, but these jumbo samosas at Kipps Off License in Covent Garden only cost 1.8 Great British Pounds. Have them cold, warm or piping hot. – DDB

9 Endell Street, London WC2H 9BJ

Masala King

You can’t go wrong on Drummond Street – the road between Euston Station and Regent’s Park is home to some of the best Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants in the city – but if you’re looking for perfection, then drop by Masala King. It’s a no-nonsense Anglo-Indian curry house. If you come for the king, you best not miss. – JW

131 Drummond Street, London NW1 2HL

Gupta’s – Indian Sweets and Savouries

Need a sugar rush? Go to Guptas. This sweet shop on Drummond Street (over the road from Masala King) sells all sorts of Indian sweets: mithai, barfi, ras malai and more. If you don’t know where to begin then ask for a mixed box, but make sure you pick up jalebi and gulab jamun. – JW

100 Drummond Street, London NW1 2HN

Mountain

You’ve finished your Mayfair / Soho gallery rounds, now you’ve come over all carnivorous. It happens, it’s basic biology that viewing art depletes iron levels. What’s on the menu? Grilled Sobrassada! Nice, and? Raw Scallop & Monkfish! Oof. Friesian Beef Sirloin! Fabulous, tell me more… Tripe! Ok, too far… – HLS

16-18 Beak St, London W1F 9RD

Pario

Damien Hirst is opening Pario, ‘a dining concept’ at his Newport Street Gallery this week. The food, by chefs Charlie Bryant and George Browne, is focused on seasonal British produce, while the decor is pure Hirst – stained glass pill windows, pill-printed leather banquettes, and glass-cased butterfly prints. – JW

9 Newport Street, London SE11 6AJ

Drink

The Devonshire Arms

No, not The Dev you’re thinking of, we’re talking about the heavy metal, punk, and rock & roll bar in Camden. Different drinks, different vibe. Clear your Saturday night plans and get a ticket for Retribution Alive. On the line-up: Crowgod, Lowdown, Outback, The Day of the Locust, Blue Tree Monitor and Kowa Axis. – DS

Peyton and Byrne

Hands down the best tea spot in London. – MA

226 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5QP

Passyunk Avenue

This American dive bar in Fitzrovia is an affront to the eyes in the best way. With walls covered in dollar bills, neon signs and animal horns, this is the perfect people-watching spot for kitsch memorabilia fanatics and questionable NFL bros. – MA

80 Cleveland St, London W1T 6NE

Simmons

You’re down in London for the day, you’re looking for something to decorate the new Barratt home, you love art, you love Banksy, and you love pink cocktails. Go to any of them, they’re all the fucking same. – JW

BuzzBallz from any local corner shop

At Plaster we try our best to keep our finger on the pulse, and we know that BuzzBallz are all the rage right now. The psychedelic cocktails-in-a-can ignite something inside me that feels inherently deviant – it’s very Eve eating the forbidden fruit. It’s very Tide-poddy. Pick your poison – personally, I’m going for a Tequila Rita, and maybe a Choc Tease for dessert. At 13.5% ABV, these cheeky little things are exactly what the doctor ordered, especially when you need something to take the edge off after a long day of Frieze-ing! Found in any good Off Licence. But remember kids, BuzzBall responsibly. – DDB

The Boogaloo

The perfect quiet escape from the chaos of Frieze. This local spot in Highgate is my long-time favourite: with a cozy interior, an old jukebox and plenty of dogs to be found in the beer garden. – IB

312 Archway Rd, London N6 5AT

Ballie Ballerson

Here’s a way to break the ice with your new Frieze buddy (or maybe you’ve both trauma bonded after a painful private view conversation and need to diffuse the situation). Head over to Shoreditch’s ball pit bar ‘Ballie Ballerson’, the final boss of Thursday night team building drinkies. Release your inner child, although they might turn out a little unhinged. – DDB

97-113 Curtain Rd, London EC2A 3BS

The Lucky Saint

Of all the months to cut back, I’ve chosen October. After a session in the Frieze tent, I’ll be going straight to The Lucky Saint, a booze-free boozer just off Great Portland Street. – JW

58 Devonshire St, London W1W 5EA

Shop

Neels Newsagents

What is there to say? It’s a newsagents and it’s near Regent’s Park. Come here for all your cigarette / lighter / fizzy can / newspaper / scratch card / Oyster card / overpriced beers and shitty wine needs. According to the reviews, they do have a card limit (good excuse to put some treats on the company card). – JW

159 Robert Street, London NW1 3QR

Aelfred

It’s easy to love what’s out of reach. For me, that’s mid-century Nordic homewares. I was introduced to Aelfred, London’s largest warehouse of the stuff, at the launch of my friend TF Chan’s new book on Louis Poulsen. It’s a treasure trove of rare vintage Scandi delights, from furniture to decorative and functional smalls by the likes of Alvar Aalto and Børge Mogensen. Design-gasm! Ok, so this one’s a little off-piste, in an industrial no man’s land in Bow, but it’s the perfect place to melt away the brain-Frieze. – HLS

Unit 2B, Autumn Yard, 39 Autumn St, Bow, London E3 2TT

Shreeji News

Shreeji News isn’t your regular newsagents, this offy on Chiltern Street has been through some changes over the years, and it’s now an upmarket magazine shop and tobacconist with a coffee and pastry bar. If you’re in the area, you simply have to check it out. – JW

6 Chiltern Street, London W1U 7PT

Amsterdam of London

If you’re over from NYC and missing the dank smell of weed that lingers over the city, go to Amsterdam of London, Camden’s finest head shop. You can’t actually buy weed (not even the medicinal stuff) but you can get papers, filters, pipes, bongs and hemp-flavoured sweets. – JW

Basement 232 Camden High Street, London NW1 8QS, United Kingdom

Waste!

Waste! is East London’s swaggiest store. Not only is it a treasure trove of DIY ephemera, handmade clothes and an infinite number of artist made zines – enough to make any hoarder spontaneously combust – but Waste! Space also hosts a number of exhibitions too. If you’re not a fan of sensory overloads then maybe give this one a miss. The inside of the shop looks like a teenage bedroom on steroids, but if said teenager had immaculate taste. – DDB

270 Hackney Rd, London E2 7SJ

Alfies Antique Market

Mooch around the four-story maze of antiques, get your tarot cards read and then head to the rooftop cafe for their all-day breakfast menu. – ER

13 – 25 Church St, London NW8 8DT

Plaster Frieze T-shirts

There’s nothing like an impulsive internet purchase after a hard day’s work. If you’re chasing that good dopamine high, then Plaster has got just the thing for you.

shop.plastermagazine.com

Stay

Forget The Standard and The Edition, take a look at these bargain hostels, all under £50 per night.

Bell House Hostel

3.0 stars, 96 reviews, from £24 per night

Google Reviews say: “There’s hostel then there’s this! Booked a single room and it was like a prison cell. There was a window at the top of the room where pigeons frequently landed and would try to enter the room scratching their claws at the window all day all night. The window was absolutely filthy with mould growing across the entire glass. On top of this the window had no blind / curtain so at 4.30am the room was as light as jesus himself. Rude wake up.”

91 Bell St, London NW1 6TL

Smart Hyde Park Inn Hostel

3.3 stars, 1934 reviews, from £44 per night

Google Reviews say: “Only recommended if you’re staying one single night and you’re desperate for a cheap one close to the centre because some basic amenities are not provided but that is what you’re paying for.”

48-50 Inverness Terrace, London W2 3JB

Safestay Kensington

3.5 stars, 1653 reviews, from £32 per night

Google Reviews say: “TL;DR: Good location, bad staff and cleaning, sketchy vibe. STAY AWAY FROM THIS!!!! The worst experience I ever had in a hostel. Even trying to be reasonable, the experience was just bad.”

Holland Park Ave, Holland Walk, London W8 7QU

Phoenix Hostel London

3.5 stars 888 reviews, from £44 per night

Google Reviews say: “Very bad experience. Rooms were too cramped for 8 beds. Two triple bunk and one single bunk with barley enough floor space. Toilets are nasty and it was absolutely the worst hostel I have ever stayed, especially the price point. I can accept the quality if the price point made sense…”

6 Daventry St, London NW1 5NX

St Christopher’s Inn

3.7 stars, 496 reviews, from £28 per night

Google Reviews say: “It’s not really a hostel. It is a bar with rooms upstairs. There is no reception (you literally do the check in at the bar till), no lounge area, not a single sofa to chill and of course no kitchenette. The room was super humid, the sheets were humid, the cleanliness was ok but it was so small that my bed was less than a meter from the toilet and the bathroom sink.”

165 Borough High St, London SE1 1HR

Exmouth Arms

3.9 stars, 822 reviews, from £49 per night

Google Reviews say: “The room was unbearably hot. Beer was decent, daytime staff were pleasant. I tried to order pizzas late at night. the guy working said only if we didn’t make a mess outside. I mentioned that if you’re getting paid to provide service, isn’t cleaning up part of that? He then told me the kitchen is closed and denied me the 2 pizzas I ordered. I was willing to pay and would have offered him a decent tip but, he wasn’t having any of it. Extremely lousy service from the evening worker. Doubt I’ll ever return. Very disappointing.”

23 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QL