News & reviews

Alley Cats Pizza are heading to Chelsea

Information: 15 July 2024

Updated 15/7/24 with opening date They've been hugely popular in their first Marylebone location, with near-constant queues since they opened last year, but now Alley Cats Pizza are looking to open...

Uber Eats' Restaurant of the Year Sandwich Sandwich is coming to London

Information: 12 July 2024

12/7/24 - updated with the opening date They've been, literally, huge in Bristol and now the winners of the Uber Eats Restaurant of the Year award are getting ready to bring their massive sandwiches to...

Soul Mama sees YolanDa Brown bringing live music and fusion food to Stratford

Information: 12 July 2024

Around this time last year, we were championing a new North London venue from YolanDa Brown OBE DL called Soul Mama that, thanks to some exuberant Kickstarting, was fundraising itself into...

Test Driving La Zambra - an eighties celeb hangout in Mijas gets a 5 star makeover

Information: 11 July 2024

Barely a 20-minute drive from Malaga airport is La Zambra. The resort where The Rolling Stones once holidayed has been given a proper 21st Century makeover (with excellent Andalusian-inspired food). We flew over for...

Sol's wine bar, deli and bottle shop continues Bayswater's renaissance as a foodie destination

Information: 11 July 2024

A Hot Dinners exclusive We're always interested when a hitherto unexciting part of London suddenly starts to see a slew of interesting food and drink openings. Right now, that area is Baywater. Hot on...

Patrick Powell leaves both Allegra and Midland Grand Dining Room

Information: 10 July 2024

Big news comes from chef Patrick Powell today - he's announced that he's leaving both Allegra and Midland Grand Dining Room. Both were projects with hotelier Harry Handlesman, who first partnered...

Ukiyo are serving up Japanese hand rolls in Covent Garden

Information: 10 July 2024

It's been three years since London's first dedicated Japanese hand roll restaurant (Temaki, in case you're wondering) opened in Brixton. Now we've got a new one to try, this time in Covent Garden...

Selin Kiazim is back with Leydi, a Turkish restaurant in the City

Information: 10 July 2024

We already knew that the new Ennismore hotel, Hyde London City, was planning a new restaurant for when it opened, opposite the Old Bailey. Now we're able to reveal what was pretty much an open...

The Dom's Subs team have opened Rasputins bar in London Fields

Information: 10 July 2024

They've already nailed the London sandwich market, now the folks behind Dom's Subs are attempting to create a similar stir in its bar scene. Over the weekend they soft-launched their first bar,...

The Hound is the next JKS pub, opening in Chiswick

Information: 09 July 2024

9/7/24 - Updated with opening details It's no secret that a lot of pubs are closing across the UK at the moment. However, we are seeing some of those snapped up and brought back to life. There's the...

Test Driving Plates - GBM winner Kirk Haworth's plant-based restaurant is a deserved hit

Information: 09 July 2024

Great British Menu winner Kirk Haworth has teamed up with his sister Keeley for their first permanent Plates restaurant in Shoreditch and it's already a huge success, booked out for months in...

Kricket is opening in Canary Wharf

Information: 08 July 2024

8/7/24 - Updated with an opening date It's been a while since we've seen the last Kricket restaurant opening, over in White City in 2018, but they're now getting ready to open some more. The first of...

Birley Chocolate shop opens its doors in Chelsea

Information: 08 July 2024

Just over a year since Birley Bakery opened its doors on Chelsea Green the same team have now opened a chocolate shop and cafe on the same street. Birley Chocolate is ostensibly, as the name would...

Mare Street Market open a huge new space at King’s Cross

Information: 08 July 2024

8/7/24 - updated with the opening date Five years after it first opened in Hackney, Mare Street Market is opening a second home, across town in North London. Founder Marc Francis-Baum is hoping to...

The Dusty Knuckle come to Highbury Fields with a cafe in a van

Information: 05 July 2024

Dusty Knuckle have arrived in Islington, and they're trying something new. While they've delivered by milk float before, this will be their first-ever bakery in an actual van. It's parked up in...

Burnt Ends ends its plans to open at Harrods in London

Information: 05 July 2024

A bit of bad news for London foodies today. Over a year ago we reported that Singapore's Michelin-starred restaurant Burnt Ends was going to be opening in Harrods. Now that dream is over. In a post put...

Noble Rot chef Alex Jackson is leaving to cook at Leila's Shop in Shoreditch

Information: 04 July 2024

A few weeks back a Hot Dinners reader alerted us to an interview with chef Alex Jackson on the Go To Food podcast. Turns out the chef who's been helming at Noble Rot Soho for the past four years was...

Test Driving The Hero - style and substance at this gorgeous Maida Vale pub

Information: 04 July 2024

The Pelican team have scored another huge success with the opening of The Hero in Maida Vale. We pulled up a chair for a pint and a pie to see what this gorgeous new pub has to offer.

XI home have brought their XXL dumplings to Liverpool Street

Information: 03 July 2024

They've already won a fanbase at Bang Bang Oriental Foodhall and at their first London restaurant in Covent Garden, now XI home are expanding to the City. If you haven't tried them before they are...

The Lahpet team are opening Lahpet Larder in Bermondsey

Information: 03 July 2024

3/7/24 - updated with the opening date Having expanded from Shoreditch to Covent Garden, now Burmese restaurant Lahpet is heading south of the river for its next opening, Lahpet Larder. The third Lahpet...

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