Freshly Social

Action Against Hunger: The orginization behind the Putney pop-up restaurants

Rebecca Mascarenhas who owns and runs popular Putney Restaurant, Phoenix, is the lady behind the wonderfully generous idea of hosting some of London’s top restaurants and chefs in her very own Putney restaurant. The drive is in aid of raising much needed funds for the island of Haiti which is still struggling to get back on its feet after the disastrous earthquake that hit the island earlier this year. The Putney restaurant owner is working in conjunction with Action Against Hunger and is currently doing an excellent job of raising funds for Haiti.

The basic formula is that up to 15 dates will be arranged when popular restaurants will take over Mascarenhas’ Putney restaurant for a day. Chefs and staff will work for free and do one service each. Patrons can expect to pay a flat rate of £60 each for a three course dinner of the highest drawer.

London club and live music venue, The Putney Halfmoon, recently managed a heroic effort to avoid closure. After being handed a notice of eviction in November 2009, the club’s owners and fans alike had just 2 months to save the historic music venue from closing its doors at the end of January this year.

The London night club in Putney which was established in 1963 has been staging live music almost every night for close to 50 years. Some of the UK’s finest bands of modern times performed there during the early stages of their musical careers, namely The Rolling Stones, U2, Kasabian, Van Morrison and Kate bush, to name just a few.

London is renowned for its interest in theatre and film, cloudy weather and intermittent heat waves and an overwhelming number of pubs. People come from all over the world to experience the atmosphere of a proper British pub. And nowhere is the experience more worthwhile than Putney where pubs of all shapes, sizes and ages abound and you can find a mix of good old fashioned pint of ale, refined wines, nutritious pub grub and sophisticated dining.

Some of the more unique and highly recommended pubs in Putney include:

•    The Duke’s Head: At 8 Lower Richmond Road, Putney, the pub is suffused with ye olde worlde charm; original fireplaces and gleaming woodwork, but youngsters will also enjoy the basement pub, which often boasts live music, while a private room with a lovely view of the river caters to large groups and private parties.