Editors on… our cultural highlights
What the editorial team at Sextras is reading, watching and recommending this month
La Camionera, Hackney
London’s lesbian renaissance
Dani: After much fanfare, Honey and I visited La Camionera for the first time. Obviously, it’s perfect. Alex, Clara and the team have done an impeccable job of setting it up; from the warm lighting to the intimidatingly cool staff and Sapphic clientele, everything is divine. When we made our inaugural visit, La Cami wasn’t serving food yet – Honey was wasting away on a bottle of wine and a handful of almonds by the time I arrived, poor thing – but the kitchen is now open and I have it on good authority that the tapas offerings are extremely delicious. I will be back soon to partake in lesbian tapas.
FLINTA bars aside, I’ve dined at a plethora of pasta restaurants in the past month: Lina Stores in King’s Cross, Bancone in Covent Garden, Terra Rossa in Islington and Tom’s Pasta in Hackney. I know what you’re thinking: “Dani, you’re Italian, why not just make pasta at home?” It’s a good point, and I do make an excellent pasta dish (last week it was homemade butternut squash gnocchi). But I am also a Pasta Appreciator, and would like to dress up and sit in a bustling restaurant and drink very cold wine and be cooked for, thank you very much. If you are reading this and you have any particularly genius London-based pasta-restaurant recommendations, my DMs are open. I will be sure to try them, for the sake of journalism.
Spooky season with Ryan Murphy
Kiran: The best time of the year is finally here: Libra season. It’s October, and so it will come as no surprise that I’m back to being engrossed in anything and everything horror, thriller and gore related. As a true-crime addict, I’ve been loving Ryan Murphy’s latest project, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
While the series has received a lot of criticism, deservedly so, for its controversial portrayal of the Menendez brothers, it’s a slick show that keeps you hooked. I’ve also developed a small obsession with Nicholas Chavez, who plays Lyle, and my FYP on TikTok may or may not be filled with edits of him set to Milli Vanilli’s ‘Blame it on the Rain’.
While I agree that Murphy missed the mark with his portrayal of the characters, I’m looking forward to the new season of American Horror Stories (standalone episodes in the AHS universe), which drops 15 October.
In keeping with the horror theme, I’m looking forward to watching The Substance with Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. It’s had rave reviews so far, and I’m a big fan of body and satirical horror, so I’m pretty sure I’m going to love it. It’s about a washed-up celebrity (Moore) who takes an illegal drug that creates a younger version of herself (Qualley), with disastrous consequences. It’s giving Freaky Friday meets Saw.
Your favourite editor’s favourite artist
Honey: Allow me, if you will, to brag for a second: I recently attended Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess tour at O2 Academy Brixton. As a surprise to no one, it exceeded my expectations. I emerged from the depths of my bed after a weeks-long sinus infection, and had to cling to the railings during the drag-queen opening act, in an effort to convince myself I could make it through the show. The moment Chappell appeared, however, I was immediately swept up in the exuberant sweat and screams of the most perfect crowd I have ever been a part of.
Her performance was flawless, and phone usage was at a minimum. Nothing can beat the feeling of kissing my girlfriend in a majority-queer crowd, who were cunty only in the right ways, serenaded by what will forevermore be an anthem of queer joy and acceptance. It’s a ‘femininomenon’, and I am living it.
Gillian Anderson’s salacious stories, and a date-night spot
Lucy: I’m excited to dive into Want: Sexual Fantasies by Anonymous, the Gillian Anderson collection that’s been creating quite the buzz. Reviewers say it’s a bold exploration of desire and fantasy, and honestly, it’s been calling my name. I love the idea of reading something that blends honesty with a little bit of mystery. I’m ready to be transported into those intimate, untold stories and see what kind of secrets lie within those pages.
On an even more delicious note, I recently went to Trullo, which has been all over my TikTok – for a reason, it seems. It’s a cosy Italian restaurant in Islington that’s quickly become my new favourite, and actually deserves the hype. The garlic pici is out of this world – as a Garlic Girl, I want to bathe in that fucking sauce and eat it for every meal. The intimate booths downstairs also create the perfect ambiance for a romantic dinner or a chill night with friends. It’s the kind of place where you can savour your meal, sip on a good wine, and just soak in the vibe. I highly recommend snagging a table, for an evening that feels both special and cosy (although definitely book ahead – it gets packed).
Being a girl (so confusing)
Amelia: One of my biggest cultural highlights of the year would have to be the release of Taylor Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department. I was lucky in that the release date fell just before my birthday, allowing me to enter my mid-twenties in style. Although I was one of the unlucky ones who didn’t get Eras Tour tickets, I thoroughly enjoyed watching the addition of the new era to the setlist (I definitely didn’t cry the first time I saw it on TikTok).
Speaking of turning 24, I’ve undertaken a full rewatch of Girls this year. I was prompted to revisit this TV masterpiece after Honey wrote in my birthday card that I am now officially the same age as Hannah in the first season. Watching it again after a few years was such a treat – I can definitely appreciate some of the plotlines more, now that I am experiencing the realities of life as a meandering, job-searching 24-year-old girl.
Tell us your cultural highlights in the comments!
