La Dolce Vita is an Italian festival held in the centre of London at The Olympia. It is a four day event that celebrates some the county’s most popular culture and really makes you feel like you’re in the centre of Italy. The festival will be packed with hundreds of exhibitions all devoted to Italian cuisine, fine wines, fashion, travel, property and loads of Italian related events.

If you fancy visiting the festival you can go on Thursday 8th March (opening night) known as the Gala Evening, doors open at 6pm and close at 10pm, the price of a ticket is £35. Alternatively you can go Friday 9th to Sunday 11th when the cost of a ticket is just £16 for adults and £8 for children, children under 5 years can go free.

If you fancy a taste of real Italian culture without having to travel too far then La Dolce Vita could be right up your street. The festival is being held in The Grand Hall at The Olympia Exhibition Centre in London. See the official website for more information on the different events taking place.

Taking inspiration from New York Restaurant Week, London Restaurant Week is set to become the most delicious week of the year. During 9th and 17th March lastminute.com are offering the chance to reserve a table at one of London’s finest restaurants at a fraction of the cost – availability may be limited though so it’s best to book early to secure your place.

A two-course lunch for £15 or a three-course dinner for £25 can be enjoyed by those who otherwise may not get to experience such fine dining. You can book for free and if you pay on MasterCard when you get to the restaurant you will also be eligible to enter the prize draw.

If you’re feeling lucky you could always take your chances in an auction and bid for a table, all the money raised from the auction will be donated to Help a London Child.

Restaurants include the Michelin starred Tamarind, Nahm, Richard Corrigan at Lindsay House and Rasoi Vineet Bhatia. Book tickets now!

If you’re into stand up comedy and you fancy a night out then this could be your last chance to book tickets for Funny Women Stand Up on Thursday March 8th. The venue is Hammersmith Palais on Shepherd’s Bush Road and there will be comedy acts from Jan Ravens, Jo Brand, Ayesha Hazarika, Rebbecca Carrington & Joe the Cello, Liz Carr, Suzy Bennett and more.

The show is being held to raise money for ActionAid who work to protect and help women and also V-Day: Until the Violent Stops who raise awareness of violence against women. All funds raised on the night will go to these charities. Doors open at 7pm but the first act will begin at 8pm and the price of a seated ticket is £20 which includes a free glass of wine.

You can book tickets through Ticket Master or call the Funny Women booking line on 0870 163 3408. Check out the Funny Women Website for alternative venues.

The oxo tower is one of London’s most architecturally interesting buildings but is rarely mentioned in London tour guides. It was built in the early 20th century as a power station but in 1920 the building was purchased by leibling Meat factory, makers of OXO and underwent major structural changes. As part of these changes the architect proposed to display the word OXO in electric lights on the tower but was refused permission as this sort of advertising was not allowed at the time. The clever architect got round this set back by designing the windows in the tower to spell out the words so as light shone out from within the building the Word OXO could be seen.

Today the tower still lights up the grey south bank but is now home to shops and two restaurants which are definitely worth a visit if you are looking for somewhere a bit different to eat in London. The top floor restaurant bar and brasserie, owned by Harvey Nichols, offers excellent food and is glass fronted so many tables have an amazing view of the Thames and the City, meals cost about £50 excluding wine.

On the second floor is the Tamesa restaurant offering a cheaper alternative with meals for about 25 pounds…although i think its worth paying the extra just for the amazing environment that the top floor provides. Take a look at the OXO page on the Harvey Nichols website for more information on the menu, prices or how to make a booking.