Blue Monday: Reasons to be cheerful in London on the gloomiest day of the year

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The bad news: next week — January 21 — is Blue Monday, supposedly the most depressing day of the year. Not to mention the rest of January. The good news: the capital is on a mission to cheer you up, from feelgood supperclubs to an Aperol Spritz van bringing free booze to your door.

The merry revolution starts at lunch. Whole Foods Market is giving away mood-boosting Sambazon acai bowls if you quote “purple Monday”, and Island Poke and Chotto Matte have concocted the ultimate antidote: a rainbow poke bowl with red Jalapeno sauce for energy, violet powder for creativity and orange mango salsa for happiness; 25p from each goes to Mind’s #blueanyday campaign. Barts in Chelsea has a mood-boosting cocktail of cacao, ginseng and chilli tequila that changes from blue to pink as you drink it.

Cantina Laredo in Covent Garden is giving away 100 churros and hot chocolates from midday. For some joie de vivre, Maitre Choux’s outlets in South Kensington, Chelsea and Soho will offer free Monmouth coffee if you buy a pastry, while la vita e bella at BungaTINI in Covent Garden where you get a £1 pizza when you buy a beer or dinner item, and Whyte & Brown is giving away a free chicken burger to the first 100 customers through its doors on the dismal day itself. For something sweeter, the Chocolate Cocktail Club arrived in Brick Lane yesterday.

On Blue Monday itself, an Aperol Spritz service will zoom around the streets of the capital delivering free booze for two to your door. To get your hands on the lovely orange stuff, enter a prize draw on their website. Invite a friend over or drink both yourself.

Spot of sunshine: Aperol will make deliveries around London on Blue Monday

Festivities last all week. Isaac Carew, TV chef and model boyfriend of Dua Lipa, is hosting an Italian supper club at Radici in Islington on Tuesday and this weekend. Bombay Bustle in Mayfair is throwing a yoga and brunch party on Saturday, and Marylebone’s French restaurant Orrery is putting on barre class followed by brunch on Sunday.

Happily, Blue Monday coincides with London Blues Week. Soho’s 100 Club has a star line-up, including Mud Morganfield on Saturday. Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley hosts a jive party in its velvet ballroom.

Today Bongo’s Bingo returns for a raucous night at Clapham Grand, while Folk of the Wood throw an early Burns Night ceilidh in West Norwood. And there’s the regular #HappyMondays at the Bussey Building for feelgood Britpop and old-school R&B.

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