New opening

• The Standard adds Sweeties cocktail bar to its tenth floor

  

  While there's already Decimo up on the tenth floor of The Standard hotel in King's Cross, they're about to get a neighbour up on the same floor with the launch of the hotel's new cocktail bar - Sweeties. 

  The new bar is aiming for "early 1970s Hollywood opulence" which is translating to lots of velvet sofas. mirrored tables and what they're referring to as "a six-foot antique phallic

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• Battersea Power Station announces the restaurants that'll be inside London's iconic building

  

  Over the years of its redevelopment we've written a number of stories about restaurants, cafes and bars opening in the vicinity of Battersea Power Station. Now it's the turn of the building itself to welcome in a whole slew of food and drink places.

  The only thing is they're - whisper it - not the most exciting

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• The Twenty Two in Mayfair sees old Picture restaurant duo reuniting

  

  We're quietly excited about the upcoming all day restaurant that's part of The Twenty Two opening on Grosvenor Square. There hasn't been a lot revealed so far but it does see a reunion on two chefs that last worked together at the much-loved Picture.

  Alan Christie has taken the role of Executive chef while his former partner Colin Kelly will be Head Chef of the restaurant at this Mayfair spot. Given

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• Caravel is a floating restaurant on Regents Canal from The Spiteri brothers and Studio Kitchen

  

  We do like a floating restaurant (the Cheese Barge is a thing of wonder) and this latest restaurant on the water sounds like another very promising addition to Regents Canal. Caravel comes from brothers Fin and Lorcan Spiteri who have taken over a restored barge next door to Studio Kitchen (on the canal between Hoxton and Islington) and converted it into a

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• Tell Tale is a promising new Crystal Palace spot with a former Michelin-starred chef behind the menu

  

  A Hot Dinners exclusive

  Ever since the various lockdowns, London's neighbourhood restaurant scene has been seeing some really interesting openings. Now we're hearing about a new place in Crystal Palace that's definitely going to be worthy of note to locals.

  Tell Tale sees Jamie Edwards and Arron Curtis (who recently opened Radio Delicious in New Cross) teaming with chef Martin Blunos for what they're calling

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• Chotto Matte doubles up with a new Marylebone restaurant

  

  After success in Soho, restaurateur Kurt Zdesar is getting ready to open a second Chotto Matte in London - this time in Marylebone (taking over from where Fucina used to be). That makes it the fourth Chotto Matte overall (they're in Miami and Toronto as well) although they are opening in San Francisco, Nashville and Los Angeles too so they're definitely on an expansion

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• Mao Chow is moving and transforming into Facing Heaven

  

  Vegan restaurant Mao Chow has come to an end - but Facing Heaven is rising to take its place.

  Julian Denis, the man behind Mao Chow, has closed that restaurant in Hackney but is opening just around the corner in a new guise. It's a bigger space which means that they can do a little more with the menu, broadening their influences to take in Cantonese, Yunnan and Shaanxi cuisines as well

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• Brother Marcus comes to Borough Yards with their stellar brunch and more

  

  Updated 18/2/22 with opening date

  London's next big food and drink development to watch is definitely Borough Yards. We already know that Barrafina, Butchies and Vinoteca will be opening new restaurants there - and now

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• The Sidemen bring Sides to Boxpark Wembley

  

  Huge on YouTube, The Sidemen (which is a team of KSI, Miniminter, Zerkaa, TBJZL, Behzinga, Vikkstar123 and W2S, all big individually on YouTube too) are also pretty big in the food delivery game having launched Sides as a delivery-only virtual chicken restaurant late last

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• Firebird comes to Soho bringing cooking over fire from St Petersburg restaurateurs

  

  New Soho restaurant Firebird is taking over the spot where Corazon used to be. It's from two restaurateurs who hail from St Petersburg, Madina Kazhimova and Anna Dolgushina where their Wong Kar Wine restaurant has been a real success. With the London restaurant name as a clue, it'll focus a fair bit on cooking over fire, using both charcoal and wood (with a bit of

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