Hot Dinners makes our first foray back into the world of dining out - picking a popular Islington gastropub for the first post-lockdown meal. 

One of the UK's most successful restaurant groups is returning. Yes, that's right - Nando's is coming back. They've been delivering around London for the past few weeks, but from this week you'll actually be able to dine in a couple of their restaurants. For the moment it's just a couple in town (more are opening across the UK) - and they're both in west London - Westfield London and Park Royal. 

Of course,

Many (but certainly not all) of the UK's workers and businesses have benefited greatly from the government's furlough scheme over the past few months. But hospitality staff haven't had quite the protection that many other businesses got. The proportion of their salary that comes from the service charge was not eligible to be included in the furlough calculation, meaning

Early on in the lockdown, Mark Hix announced that all his restaurants were to close. And while we may well still see a Hix-owned restaurant make a return in the future, the chef himself isn't sitting around. He's just joined Soren Jessen's 1 Lombard Street, overseeing all the food and beverage at the City restaurant. 

He'll be

Over in Stratford, one of the biggest selling points of the new Allegra restaurant at The Stratford was its beautiful seventh floor terrace. But the restaurant, which opened at the end of last summer, hasn't properly had a chance to showcase this space to guests yet.

Thankfully, come 10 July, that's all about to change. That's when they're opening their large terraced area and - best of all - they'll be

Last night's Newsnight piece about restaurant criticism, discussing whether restaurant critics "should be nicer to restaurants as they gradually reopen and find their feet" has found a lot of traction on social media today.

The segment featured Darjeeling Express chef-patron Asma

Anna Haugh will be reopening the Irish-influenced Myrtle restaurant in Chelsea (read our recent Test Drive here) but that's not all she's planning. She's also launching Anna's Bistro, a new takeaway, delivery and picnic service inspired by her time spent in Paris

Planned for

As London's restaurants reopen after the lockdown, we take a look here and around the world at some of the industry's more creative solutions to the new normal of social distancing. 

As London's restaurants prepare to spill outside, going alfresco in a big way this summer, new Hammersmith restaurant Sam's Riverside is taking full advantage of its waterside location.

Only open four months before the lockdown - here's a reminder of our Test Drive at the time -  the restaurant will reopen on

Some London restaurants will clearly need more time to prepare for reopening, particularly when so much of their offering includes counter dining which falls way short of even the new 1m plus rule.

But while they work out their plans some, like Mayfair's Sabor, have ploughed ahead with offerings to bring their restaurants to your home instead.

We've been having serious pangs for the dishes from Nieves Barragan Mohacho and Jose

Yesterday the government announced the reopening date for London's restaurants. But it seems that some aren't waiting that long. In town last week we spotted a few restaurants doing 'takeaway' that essentially involved eating at the restaurant's tables outside. And now a restaurant on the King's Road has opened its terrace for

Three months into lockdown and the prospect of a meal out in a London restaurant has never seemed so appealing. But where would we choose as the first restaurant we'd want to go to when the lockdown is finally lifted? 1500 of you took part in our survey back in May, asking where you hoping to dine once restaurants reopen. Here are the results.

(We're updating this article as new information is announced)

Today, the government finally unveiled the new measures that will allow London's restaurants, bars and pubs to reopen from 4 July. Here's how it's all going to work:

• Pubs, bars and restaurants can reopen on Saturday 4 July
• The social distancing rule will be changed to 1m+ 
• That means it can

While we're obviously very excited that restaurants are about to reopen, we're also just as giddy about the pubs, bars and taprooms returning across the city. And one of our favourites of the latter is definitely 40ft Brewery in Dalston. They're not only reopening their outside space, but they're also introducing a new drink to emphasise the required social distancing. 

The 6FT is

If you've been wondering how on earth restaurants in the centre of London are going to reopen, when restrictions lift next month, well we now have more of a clue.

Westminster Council today published a detailed document listing the measures they're planning