here did August go? Soon we’ll be in the embers of the year — both literally (Sept... Nov... and so on), and figuratively — meaning post-holiday blues, schools restarting, general busyness and next it will be the great consumer nightmare. But until then, thankfully, there is now. This week sees two old favourite restaurants under the spotlight; one with a new chef, the other with a cracking menu up for grabs. Elsewhere there’s a chance to scale walls, knock back a bucket list cocktail and smoke yourself silly without a cigarette in sight. Get cracking. Tucked away under Maison Bab in Covent Garden is Kebab Queen, a 10-seater joint where the heady playfulness is matched by the delightful food. Enter new chef Pamir Zeydan. He’s taking over the hobs this week with an entirely new menu that leans into his Turkish heritage. Think spit-roast cağ kebab of aged mutton with puffed pita, heritage tomato ragù and smoked Turkish yogurt. Look out for manti, too. It’s a delicious Turkish dumpling, said to be his favourite. Cheap, no-frills eating has its place. That place is usually about 250 miles south-east in Paris in the so-called Bouillons, the most famed of which, Chartier, will serve three easy-going courses in 40 minutes for under €25. Both the expediency and the pricing of such feted places are coming to London courtesy Maison François’ new Bouillon menu. Think oeuf mayonnaise for £4, a plate of saucisson sec for £6, moules frites for £14 and ice cream at £1.50 a scoop. Served Friday – Monday, get yourself down here. Allez! An agaveria might seem niche, but Hacha is anything but. It’s an open, light-filled space in the heart of brilliant Brixton. If you haven’t yet had it, make this the weekend you try the Mirror Margarita, mixed with El Rayo. It’s a must-order, and something that should be on every Londoner’s bucket list. At £10 a pop, the drink is dangerously good value and for revellers taking the party home, the bottle shop downstairs is selling it pre-made. Turns out you can bottle happiness, after all. Pioneer Yvonne Rainer is one the longest-standing multi-disciplinary artists of her generation, with a career spanning five decades. She led the way in the American avant-garde, with film-making, choreography and dance. Her daring and enduring cinema touches on topics ranging from female ageing and lesbian sexuality to state power and revolution. Until August 27, the Yvonne Rainer retrospective premiers the 4k restoration of seven of her most influential films. Everyone loves a freebie. Yonder, the climbing studio, is hosting free Global Climbing Day sessions in partnership with outdoorsy brand The North Face. During the day, the space is completely open and the many of the classes and workshops are completely free to join. Perfect for seasoned boulderers and newbies alike but tickets are going fast. Shoreditch barbeque slingers Smokestak is hosting a celebration for making it to double digits — it’s 10 now, which is no mean feat in today’s climate. Founder David Carter will be hosting the all-day affair, with barbecue buns, burnt ends and brisket, with the party expected to last into the wee hours. The 10th anniversary of a wedding is often associated with tin, and accordingly here things will be celebrated with tinnies courtesy of the 40ft Brewery, which has specially brewed what they’re dubbing a “smashable” anniversary lager. It’s also only a tenner to get in, which seems fitting. A James Beard award might be unknown here, but across the pond it’s a rarified accolade few chefs achieve. Andy Ricker has. He arrives next week with a one-night dinner at Som Saa, the restaurant which pioneered much of London’s love of Thai cuisine this past decade. Dishes are set to include jin lung, pork meatballs cooked in turmeric, kai thawt makwhaen, poussin fried in pork fat and kaeng hang leh gae, and a Burmese lamb curry with pickled garlic. Hurry for tickets; this is sure to be a sell out.