Riverside

Every time we put a story up about the chance to dine at one of the Houses of Parliament dining rooms, the rare slots go like a shot. So it's welcome news that as part of a programme to increase public engagement with Parliament the House of Commons are now opening their Strangers Dining Room on a twice-weekly basis and, for the first time, you'll be able to go for dinner.

From 25 April they'll be taking bookings every Tuesdays and Wednesday until the

Updated 2/3/17 with opening date and menu details

Up until now, the only way you'd get to try Rick Stein's food is by heading due South West, either to Padstow or beyond to one of his 10 restaurants. But now, after 40 years in the business, the TV chef is expanding to London. He and ex-wife Jill have just bought the Depot in Barnes. They're going to continue running the restaurant as is for the moment, but it's all change at Christmas where they'll shut for a

Updated 7/2/17 with more new openings

So this is actually happening. If you've lived in London as long as we have, there have been SO many ambitious plans put forward for Battersea Power Station that haven't made it off the drawing board.

But now the regeneration of one of the city's most iconic landmarks is properly underway and we've just got word on what's being planned, food and drink wise, in the first stage of the development. Circus West Village

OK, we flat out LOVE this idea. I mean, look at that picture, who wouldn't want to try partying in an igloo right alongside the river Thames? This frankly genius winter alfreso invention is the brainchild of Coppa Club. They have eight of them set up on their huge terrace at their Tower Bridge site for the run up to Christmas.

Each custom-made igloo is heated, thank goodness, but also comes with sheepskin blankets for added hygge. Three of them are laid out

French mustard purveyors Maille are pretty inventive when it comes to their pop-ups and marketing ploys, so we applaud their latest venture La Fête de la Gastronomie. It's a two-week food festival being held in London this summer, culminating in an amazing alfresco banquet on the South Bank.

The company have teamed up with eight folk they've dubbed Flavour Creators. These people in turn have come up with dishes which they'll be serving up at their establishments for

Resisting EVERY urge to write a headline along the lines of Coppa Loada That View! we're gobsmacked by the outlook of a new all day eating/drinking/workplace that's about to open on the river. Coppa Club is the first London outpost of a rapidly growing business that started up river in Sonning-on-Thames.

They're billing themselves as an all day space that you can use to work in, or meet people or just hang out. As MD Tiffany Renwick explains; "There are great

Le Pont de la Tour has just thrown open its doors to the public again - we head down there to see what's new.