Covent Garden

It took a bit longer than we expected, particularly as they were such a big deal in NYC, but London really is getting into the slice shop trend right now. And the latest to get in on the action is Carmy's.

If that name seems familiar, it's because it happens to come from the same people behind Carmela's in Islington. That's Phil Chaykin (who's also behind Ugly Dumpling) as well as Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany, best known as the Bite Twice social-media food duo. The latter put their money where their mouths were when they helped set up Carmela's and it clearly paid off. In

We've always been big fans of afternoon tea here at Hot Dinners, and we particularly love it when there's a new spin on the idea. And that's certainly the case with Afternoon Cheese at Brasserie Max inside the Covent Garden Hotel. 

Delivering just what it sounds, it's a more savoury take on afternoon tea that's all about celebrating British cheese. So instead of finger sandwiches, you'll have a savoury selection of treats like a Colston Bassett éclair, a Ragstone and caramelised onion macaron, a Lincolnshire Poacher burnt cheese tart. On the larger side, there's a Hafod Cheddar

If you're wandering through Covent Garden over the next couple of days and spy a gaggle of people beside what looks to be a huge Italian Renaissance-inspired fresco, then you should head on over. Because this is actually an optical illusion artwork, commissioned by the Peroni beer brand that's going to be serving free beer to Londoners for the next three days.

The Il Fresco di Peroni is part artwork, part optical illusion, part bar and took over 520 hours to paint by a team of 13 artists over 65 days. You can step into the scene, sit at the table for an aperitivo and then get a

We're still waiting for the upcoming Battersea Noodle Inn to throw open its doors, but while we wait, they've just announced another opening. This time it's back close to where they started in Soho (just 10 minutes' walk away) as they're opening in Covent Garden. 

They're taking over a space that used to be a Gordon Ramsay Street Burger, so we'd call that a definite trade-up for Covent Garden. Other than that, little has been announced about the restaurant, apart from the fact that it's likely to open before their Battersea outpost does. 

As for what to expect, it'll be

Chef Will Devlin runs a series of restaurants across Kent, under his Acre group, that have a big focus on sustainability and farm-to-table cooking. Of those, The Small Holding and Birchwood are the most well-known and now the chef is bringing the latter to London, opening Birchwood - The Conduit.

As that name suggests, this is going to be part of The Conduit club, but it will be a part that's open to the public, not just members. It's kicking off with a cafe and wine bar in summer, and they'll be following up with a rooftop restaurant in the autumn. Part of us wonders whether that

We recently wrote about what's coming to the Arcade food hall in Covent Garden, but while most of those have already appeared elsewhere, there's one very interesting new addition that we can now exclusively reveal. Zylia is going to be a standalone taverna bringing together the best of Greek and Cypriot cuisine. 

It's headed up by two people, who each represent the two cuisines. On the Greek side, and Athens-born, is ex-Kiln Head Chef and the co-owner

Almost a year after she opened her first matcha cafe Frothee, in King's Cross, Hanife Hursit and her dad Ram are gearing up for expansion. Hanife's TikTok chronicling of the opening of their first business turned Frothee into a viral hit. There were queues around the block when it first opened, and there were high profile collaborations with Palestinian-Jordanian singer Zeyne to keep it in the spotlight.

With all that in mind, it's probably no surprise that the father/daughter duo are readying to open their second cafe. This time they're moving into central London, to Covent

The chef behind Trullo has opened his own solo Italian restaurant in the heart of Covent Garden. We went down to the surprisingly peaceful courtyard to see what Conor Gadd is cooking up at Burro. 

Newly opened in Covent Garden, Cato is a cocktail bar of two halves, with a seasoned bartender behind the drinks. We went in for an early look.  

11/2/26 - updated with the soft launch details

Ever since we heard that Petersham Nurseries had shut both their restaurants in central London, we've been wondering what was going to take over those spaces in Floral Court. Well, now we have the answer to one half of that. Conor Gadd is the chef and co-owner of the perennially popular Trullo in Islington. And he's taken on the space that was The Petersham to open Burro, his first solo venture.

Burro is also going to be an Italian restaurant, but one where the design speaks to Conor's Irish roots. The look we're told

St Martin's Lane Hotel seems to have been working on something to replace Asia de Cuba properly since it closed all the way back in 2019. Now it looks like the team there is fully embracing the residency route, with Spotlight.

The new space is being put together by a creative studio called Whipped Cream, which immediately raises the question as to whether this will always be a food and drink space. Whipped Cream are apparently best known for "brand experiences" for people like Blank Street (a "crochet club" pop-up), ITV and Spotify (some of their previous collabs are pictured

A few weeks ago, we told you about the closure of The Crusting Pipe, a mainstay of Covent Garden for over 45 years. It was sad to see it go but, in fairness, the last time we were in the area, it was almost empty. 

But now, we already know what's taking its place - it's the latest opening from Mr Fogg's. They're a group that have taken over quite a few difficult sites and made a success of them, so perhaps they're the ones who can bring some life back to this part of

There couldn't be a more perfect time of year to open a stall devoted to steaming bowls of wonton soup than January. So hats off to the folks at HOKO who are doing just that. They're one of three new traders launching at Seven Dials Market this month.

Five years after launching, this will be the team's first central London spot. And unlike the milk tea diner in East London this one's going to focus on Hong Kong wonton noodle soup. The launch menu will feature three soups and two tossed noodles with wontons, along with new dishes like a Cantonese braised beef brisket and tendon

Chef Jody Williams is taking another crack at London with New York-originated restaurant Buvette (which also has opened in Paris, Tokyo and Seoul). 

The self-style "gastrotheque" will be opening an 80-seater site, taking over what was the old St John Bakery in Neal's Yard (that recently moved across the way). If you've ever visited that space and are wondering just how they're going to fit 80 seats in there, a recent trip to Neal's Yard showed us that they'll also be taking over the

London's temple to Guinness has finally opened in Covent Garden. We went down to check it out, particularly to see what Pip Lacey's cooking up in the rooftop restaurant, Gilroy's Loft.