Test Drive

• Test Driving Whyte's - Hackney meets San Sebastian for a Basque takeover

  

  Whyte's in Hackney completely changes its menu every month and has gone Basque for August. We haven't been to San Sebastian in way too long, so we couldn't resist a trip to Hackney for a taste of northern Spain. 

• Bar crawl: taking to the terrace at Bar Antoine on Park Lane

  

  We didn't want to gatekeep this bar terrace just off Park Lane, so here's what we thought of Bar Antoine's Twilight Terrace. 

• Test Driving Goodbye Horses - a groundbreaking new wine bar in Islington

  

  An old pub in Islington has been transformed into something really rather special. We popped along to new wine bar Goodbye Horses to check it out.

• Test Driving The Waterman's Arms - excellent riverside dining in Barnes

  

  The Waterman's Arms is a riverside pub in Barnes with an excellent team behind it. We went for a lunch overlooking the Thames to try it out.  

• Test Driving Chalk restaurant at Wiston Estate - where everything from the produce to the wine is local

  

  On one of the largest pieces of family-owned land near the south coast, Wiston Estate has an extensive winery and a great restaurant in Chalk, which specialises in local Sussex produce. We took the train down for a day trip. 

• Test Driving Ibai - a stellar Basque steakhouse in the City

  

  Brilliant Basque food and great steaks a few minutes walk from Smithfield Market make Ibai worth crossing town for.

• Test Driving Ukiyo - hand rolls, sushi and sake on tap in Covent Garden

  

  Covent Garden gets a very useful little sushi spot with the opening of Japanese hand roll bar Ukiyo in The Yards.

• Test Driving Holy Carrot - inventive plant-based action in Notting Hill

  

  Holy Carrot used to be a supperclub but now it's become one of London's new breed of plant-based restaurants, with an Acme Fire Cult chef behind the menu. We went to see what he's cooking up.  

• Test Driving Koyn Thai - a Thai reinvention for the Mayfair restaurant

  

  Originally a Japanese restaurant of two halves, Koyn has changed its basement into a separate Thai restaurant. We went down to check out the brand new menu. 

• Test Driving Henri - Jackson Boxer recreates Paris in Covent Garden

  

  Jackson Boxer has taken over the restaurant at a Covent Garden hotel to create Henri, his own take on a Parisian Bistro. We went down to get a slice of France in the heart of London.

• Test Driving Los Mochis City - sushi and tacos against a high rise backdrop

  

  It's already one of the buzziest new openings in the City. We took the lift up to the rooftop at Los Mochis City to check out the scene for ourselves. 

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

  

  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 advance. We went down to the plant-based restaurant to see what the fuss was all about. 

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

  

  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. 

• Test Driving Tollington's - the Four Legs crew turn a chippy into a Spanish fish bar

  

  A fish and chip shop in Finsbury Park has been given a new lease of life with the arrival of the Four Legs team. We popped down to Tollington's to check out this North London chipper meets Spanish fish bar.

• Test Driving The Park - Jeremy King brings style to Bayswater

  

  After the success of Arlington, Jeremy King has brought a 21st-century grand café to Bayswater. We head down for an early look at The Park.