India Lawrence

Covent Garden is so rammed with restaurants that decision fatigue can easily threaten the quality of your dinner. Weave through the tourists and theatregoing crowds and you'll discover that this area hosts many of the best restaurants in London, including French-styled Story Cellar, and The Portrait by Richard Corrigan, as well as old faves The Savoy Grill and J Sheekey. We’ve compiled a list of the best in the area, from cutting-edge eateries and classy counter joints to party-ready and casual hangouts, with pre-theatre favourites and cheap eats among them. Think of it as your Covent Garden bucket list. RECOMMENDED: The absolute best restaurants in Soho. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

We’re holding out for a sun-soaked July this summer, which means plenty of lidos, rooftop bars, beer gardens and alfresco dining. We can already taste the sunset Aperol Spritz.  This July is going to be a biggie. Drake is in town for a whopping three nights at Wireless festival, Rosamund Pike hits the West End stage starring in Inter Alia, and BST at Hyde Park is in full swing, with Noah Kahan and Sabrina Carpenter performing in July.  Other London music festivals are popping off throughout the month, and it’s also a chance to take in the city’s lavender and sunflower fields, which are at their blooming loveliest. Here’s our guide to the best exhibitions, shows and things to do this July 2025 in London.  RECOMMENDED: The definitive London events calendar

Peckham locals have always been proud of the area’s brand: a melting pot of cultural vibrancy, eccentric individuals, and an artsy, young DIY crowd thanks to nearby Goldsmiths University and Camberwell College of Arts. It rivals Dalston and all those other East End upstarts as the place to hang out, and it’s the perfect spot for new restaurants to find their feet. Here are some of the best in the area, as well as a host of notable places to eat just down the road in Camberwell, too.  RECOMMENDED: The best 50 restaurants in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

The smog and stress of London can really take its toll on your skin. That’s why there’s nothing better than a regular facial (or a one-off treat) to give you that much-needed top-up, leaving you feeling glowing, fresh-faced and dewy.  Just thinking about what we put our skin through is enough to give you frown lines. That’s thanks to the combined efforts of pollution and air-conditioned offices, as well as the added bonuses of harsh weather, booze, sun exposure, dehydration and – our least favourite – the inevitable passing of time. Happily, there are loads of great spas, treatment rooms and estheticians in London who can give your face a break and a much-needed zhuzh. Whether you’re after a relaxing, soothing facial massage, some instant radiance, a total skincare overhaul or something a little more intense such as microneedling or laser treatment, read our pick of facials in London.  RECOMMENDED: The best spas in London. 

Why not enjoy your dinner with a side of strange? London is home to hundreds of amazing restaurants, but sometimes everyone hankers for a talking point with their tapas. We’ve rounded up a serious bunch of entertaining eateries: oddball decor, kooky culinary concepts and – yes – cats. Our list of unusual restaurants will delight animal lovers, garlic fans, and yodellers and more. You’ll find these joints in venues as varied as a boat, a prison and a church crypt. This is dining with a difference.  RECOMMENDED: The best weird bars in London. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

It’s June! The weather is heating up, festival season is in full swing, and the city is gearing up for a blissful summer. Feels good, doesn’t it? There’s plenty of fun in store during the early days of summer, including the first edition of Lido festival (featuring Charli xcx, Massive Attack and Jamie xx), the return of London Road to the National Theatre, and the inaugural SXSW London.  Plus, the capital truly comes into its own this month: beer gardens are at their prime, the city parks are at their prettiest, the open-air theatre season gets going and eating alfresco is on the cards at some of London’s best restaurants. Plus, expect to see long queues in south west London as tennis fans line up to bag a place at the epic Wimbledon championships.  RECOMMENDED: Plan a great summer with our guide to London’s best music fests Get ahead of the pack and start planning your perfect July in London. 

It’s June, one of the best months of the year. And if you’re not planning on spending a few days getting lost in a field at Glastonbury, or jetting off to Biarritz for the start of eurosummer, do you know what you could be doing instead? Watching some world-class dance in a nice air-conditioned theatre. Time well spent, we say.  This month London has some absolute crackers on stage, including the ballet remake of the cult mod movie Quadrophenia, Matthew Bourne’s steamy The Midnight Bell and Sadler’s Wells annual massive Flamenco Festival.  Here’s our pick of the best dance in London this June.  India is in charge of dance listings at Time Out. She was first shoved into a leotard and ballet shoes aged four, and has loved it ever since. Nowadays India prefers contemporary (or dancing in a sweaty club) to ballet, but still has a soft spot for the odd grand jeté every now and again. India has been reviewing dance in London since joining Time Out in 2022.  MORE STAGE: Dance classes in London Best theatre shows this yearBest theatre shows this monthBest comedy shows this month

Londoners are potty for clay. Places on pottery courses across the city are getting snapped up quicker than a discounted Edmund de Waal vase, so if you want to sink your hands into some wet clay and imagine you’re in ‘Ghost’, you’d better book your London pottery class in advance. Here are four things to remember before you get behind the wheel: Be ready to get messy Bring an apron, unless you don’t mind walking around in clay-splattered clothes for the rest of the day. Some places will provide one, but check before – you know what happens if you assume.  Stay centred It can take a while to centre your clay on the wheel, but it’s worth getting it spot-on so your pot’s walls are an even thickness. You'll thank yourself for your patience when you see your finished product.  Go slow Any quick movements can throw your pot off-centre and that can be the beginning of the end. Remember the old saying: slow and steady wins the race (or, in this case, makes a stunning piece of pottery).  Be philosophical Just when it looks like you’ve made a beautiful vase, it collapses! Take a deep breath and start again. That one just wasn’t meant to be – and that 'failure' was just opening the door to something even better next time.  Recommended Need for more inspiration for new hobbies? Check out our list of the best classes in London.

The future of some of London’s best day festivals may be up in the air right now, but for the moment we feel pretty damn lucky to have an abundance of world-class festivals happening on our doorsteps all throughout the summer. Forget trekking across the country to live in a field for five days. When you live in London, you can hop on the tube, and an hour later you’re listening to your favourite artists, tinny to hand, knowing that there’s a hot shower and a cosy bed waiting for you once the day is over. We Londoners love live music, so it’s no surprise that we’re absolutely spoilt for choice when summer rolls around. You’ve got festivals devoted to hip-hop, jazz, leftfield pop, disco, afrobeats, heavy rock ‘n’ roll. Whatever your taste may be, my god does London have a day festival for you. The line-ups have been coming in thick and fast over the past couple of months, which means it’s time to make some decisions about which festivals are worth your time and money. Have a scroll through our comprehensive guide – which we keep meticulously updated with all the latest line-up announcements – see what takes your fancy, and start planning a fantastic summer in 2025. But be warned, most London festivals get more expensive the later you leave it, and plenty of them will sell out long before the portaloos are installed and the stages are constructed. Grab your tickets right now if you know what’s good for ya! RECOMMENDED: ⛺ The best UK music festivals🌍 The best festivals in Europe

  Cooking outdoors is one of life’s great joys. It’s how our ancestors did it, and just because we live in the city, why should we miss out on the primitive pleasures on chargrilling a chunk of meat over an open flame? So, as summer rolls around, it’s time to head to the park and fire up the barbie. Just bare in mind, local councils are known to issue temporary bans on BBQs in parks where they are usually permitted, becuase of warm weather leading to fire hazards. Please check local council websites before firing up the grill. Most of London’s lush green spaces are reserved for picnics only, but there are some major parks and local gardens where you’re officially allowed to fire up the BBQ. Unfortunately, iconic grill spot London Fields, which used to get packed and smoky on a balmy day, is no longer an option for barbecuing after the council banned BBQs there. Other councils including Islington have followed suit since, but you can still heat 'em and eat 'em elsewhere in the capital. Here are the spots in London where it’s totally chill to grill.  RECOMMENDED: The best things to do outside in London

We know that Londoners love to dress in hiking gear: you can’t move in east London without rubbing shoulders with a sentient Arc’teryx jacket, or stomping on a pair of fresh Salomon trainers. But how much of it has ever actually seen a muddy trail? Take your most practical clothes on a trek to remember by going on a big walk, followed by a relaxing sesh in a traditional pub that definitely won't do small plates. Yep, there are plenty of pretty walking routes in London. But there's a lot to be said for escaping the hustle, bustle and ubiquitous Lime bikes by heading out into the true countryside. There are so many stunning bits of scenery to explore, just a short train, car or bus ride from the Big Smoke.  From a bluebell-laden amble through Epping Forest, to a bracing walk along the Seven Sisters cliffs, there’s loads to choose from. So pop on your XT6s and head to one of these wonderful hikes near London.  RECOMMENDED: The best walks in and around LondonThe best forests in London for woodland walksThe prettiest walks in London

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and luckily for London, the city caters to every possible whim. These days, London isn’t just home to the fry-up, but the ubiquitous smashed avocado on toast, bowls of shakshuka and many more besides. In fact, London genuinely might be the best place to eat breakfast in the world. Whether you’re the kind of person who favours a posh restaurant over a greasy spoon, or who champions a caff over a swanky hotel, we’ve rounded up the ultimate list. From morning mezze to croissants, udon noodle bowls and south Indian platters – it’s all here. RECOMMENDED: Breakfast’s a little too early for you? Try one of London’s best brunches instead. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now to tuck in.

What is it? The V&A East Storehouse is perhaps London’s best new museum, found in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Inside, you will find rows and rows of steel shelves, filled with treasures that make up the V&A’s vast archive, that is now on display for all the see.  Purpose-built to house more than 1,000 archives from the museum’s collection, comprising more than 250,000 objects and 350,000 books, the storehouse promises to offer a peek behind the scenes to show how a working museum goes about cataloguing artefacts, from vintage footie kits and Glastonbury festival ephemera to a collection of samurai swords. Oh, and did we mention it will house the David Bowie Centre, a massive archive of more than 80,000 objects related to the music icon? We can’t wait to have a good old poke when it opens slightly later, in September.  It is a ‘working museum’, meaning it doesn’t have permanent displays (it doesn’t really have proper displays at all, just shelves), and every one of its objects is free to be moved around by the people at work behind the scenes at any time. Why go? This is a genuinely radical new museum offering, and it could just change the way we think about viewing artefacts forever. There are no lengthy gallery texts, instead just library-like barcodes and the odd QR code, meaning it’s all down to your own interpretation. The randomness is part of the fun, and the objects get to speak for themselves.  Don’t miss:  The six prized large objects that have been b

What is it? Brixton club Phonox has been an important part of London’s electronic music scene since it opened a decade ago in 2015.  A sleek, dark dance cavern with plenty of space for dancing, Phonox has been a favourite with the heads for a while. It stays ahead of the curve, booking the best current and underground DJs – over the years pretty much any selector who’s worth their salt has graced its decks, with recent bookings including DJ EZ, Laurent Garnier, Sherelle and Call Super.  Phones are not banned, but taking photos and videos is strongly discouraged in this space that wants punters to enjoy the music and use the dance floor for well, dancing.  Why go? Killer DJs, a Funktion One soundsystem and gorgeous disco ball make nights out at Phonox an always stellar experience. If you want to experience properly good house, techno, garage, UK bass, disco and everything in between, chances are that Phonox will have something decent on.  Don’t miss: The legendary residencies. Phonox has a revolving list of the hottest DJs taking over the club as part of its ‘4 Fridays at Phonox’ series. Past editions have seen Peach, Daytimers, Saoirse and Ross From Friends curate four weeks of parties at the south London venue.  When to visit: If you want to attend the DJ-curated residencies, it’s Friday nights. Saturdays are the regular club night, which could see record-label takeovers, all-night-long sets or special one-off events.  Ticket info: Depending on the entry time or the release,

Picture your classic hotel bar. It’s probably got dark wood panelling, a wall of leather-bound books to rival an Oxbridge library, low lighting, squidgy arm chairs, and maybe a jazz band playing smoothly in the background. This is Scarfes Bar, an elite embodiment of the quintessential hotel watering hole. This is the kind of place where you might find Gossip Girl’s Chuck Bass moodily sipping a Scotch alone at the bar. The crowd gives an equally sophisticated vibe; millennial couples on date night, people who look like they have important jobs and cash to spend, and fashionistas dressed all in black. The name is not an ode to having a warm neck, but to the cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, whose jaunty drawings line the walls. They’re probably not to everyone’s taste – think a giant-nosed caricature of King Charles, and an ultra flamboyant David Bowie – but they certainly add a unique flavour to décor that could otherwise be seen as identikit. Order this  The gimlet on the vine was my winner of the evening, a trendy riff on a gimlet, with a base of Bombay Premier Cru. But instead of lime-y sweetness, this savoury delight tastes just like a ripe cherry tomato, and a saltiness is supplied by a pleasingly massive floating caper. Time Out tip Get down earlyish, because after 8pm there was already a line at the door. Plus you’ll want to have ample time to have a bash at the 20-strong list of inventive, complex drinks (hello Smoky Maria, a concoction of tequila, smoked clamato juice and Mar

This is one for fans of Glastonbury’s NYC Downlow. The former Panorama Bar resident and Downlow big cheese Prosumer will bring his house and disco goodness to Phonox for an all-night-long set of pure vibes this Easter Thursday. Expect a night of euphoric house, uplifting soul and disco deep cuts, the perfect start to the bank holiday weekend. 

As anyone who has ever tried to secure a booking at the London Fields Lido on a warm summer day will know, us Londoners love a good dip. So it’s only natural that the capital’s Design Museum should stage an exhibition dedicated to our adoration of swimming.  With more than 200 objects, Splash! presents a whistle-stop tour for water babies taking us all the way from bizarre Victorian bathing carriages, to the present-day mermaidcore TikTok trend. From the politics of the pool (and who gets to learn to swim) to the evolution of swimwear and pool architecture, Splash! covers a lot of ground. The show is split into three sections – the pool, the lido and nature – and perhaps the most fun part, each section is designed to mimic different swimming spaces which feature in the exhibit, including the London Aquatics Centre and the art-deco Penzance Jubilee Pool.  In the first part, ‘the pool’, is quite the collection of stuff, focussing largely on Olympic swimming – a model for the London Aquatics Centre, a swimming cap belonging to Syrian swimmer Yusra Mardini, a jumper knitted by Tom Daley, and a 1984 David Hockney poster for the Los Angeles Olympics are all show. It also wouldn’t be an exhibition about pool design without some pretty Wes Anderson-style photography. The highly controversial LZR racer swimsuit is another gem on display – the suit designed by Speedo and NASA was responsible for 94 percent of swimming gold medals at Beijing 2008, and was subsequently banned for ‘techni

This June, Tate Britain will stage Edward Burra’s first retrospective in over a decade, and the first in London in 40 years. The 20th Century painter is best known for his vivid and surreal scenes of cafés, clubs and cabarets, capturing life in the Roaring Twenties. In more than 80 paintings, the exhibition will look back at Burra’s life, including his time spent in the cultural scenes of Paris and Harlem, and his personal experience of conflicts in Europe. A ticket to Edward Burra will also allow entry to Ithell Colquhoun, also at Tate Britain, as the exhibitions are running in tandem.   

What is a spatial audio festival, you might be wondering? If you go to Polygon Live LDN, you’ll probably find out. The gist is seeing live music in a 360-degree arena surrounded by high-tech lights and loads of crystal-clear speakers – a spectacle which event organisers actually call a ‘spaceship’. Artists on the lineup so far include dreamy Pakistani-American singer Arooj Aftab, electronic legend Jon Hopkins, and composer Cosmo Sheldrake. This is one for audiophiles looking for something a bit more immersive. 

Wake up babe, a new house and techno festival in London just dropped. Legendary house DJ Jamie Jones has announced he is bringing a brand-new festi to the capital this summer, taking over Boston Manor Park with one of his world-famous Paradise parties. Spread across four stages, Paradise in the City promises to have ‘cutting-edge sound and state-of-the-art production’, all produced by partners LWE. The line-up hasn’t been anounnced yet, but it’s going span to a variety of techno and house DJs, all hand-selected by Jones. Expect a day of four-to-the-floor belters with an Ibiza vibe. 

40FT brewery is teaming up with neighbouring ‘live fire’ restaurant Acme Fire Cult for a proper Irish knees-up this St Paddy’s Day. The Dalston brewers will be launching their Nitro Deep Stout for the occasion, with boozy Jameson Boilermaker cocktails also on offer. On the food menu? Spice bags! For anyone unacquainted, these are an Irish takeaway staple, featuring chips, fried chicken and peppers all shaken up in a paper bag with loads of spices. Chef Andrew Clarke’s take on them will feature grilled, herb-fed chicken, chicken fat potatoes, peppers, onions and chicken skin doused in a special Acme Vadouvan curry sauce. And there’ll also be DJs on from 7.30pm. 

There’s a lot going on at Dram Bar. Beneath this cool Denmark Street hangout, bartenders are making their own ferments, cordials, and low ABV wines in a basement lab. They are also whisky specialists, and there’s a vending machine packed with Dram’s homemade, pre-packaged cocktails. Vibe-wise, this 17th century, Grade II-listed building has been converted into a Bauhaus by way of Blade Runner drinking cave. It’s drenched in pink and orange neon and has a cute terrace out the back – a rare find for a venue so close to Tottenham Court Road. For drinks, you’ve got whiskys, the usual suspects of beers and wines, and a small, seasonal menu of superb, innovative cocktails. Also: they serve fantastic pickles, which are the perfect accompaniment to Dram’s well thought-out tipples.  Order this  Do not sleep on the ‘taps’ section of the menu, pre-made on site and available on tap. I started off with the Stone Fruit. Made with seasonal fruit that has been fermented in-house, my peach-y edition was refreshing and light with a hint of natty wine funkiness aka pure catnip for trendy London drinkers.  Time Out tip Dram serves 350 kinds of whisky. If you’re open to trying new things, tell the knowledgeable bartenders what you like and they’ll sort you out with something decent.

Watching Humanhood’s spellbinding new show, ∞ {Infinite}, feels a bit like being hypnotised. For one hour and 15 minutes you get to be mesmerised by dancers moving with liquid limbs; their flow is impeccable as they execute flawless spirals, their spines constantly twisting and arms almost always undulating, as they roll, dive, slide and leap across the space.  Humanhood’s directors Julia Robert and Rudi Cole are known for looking at dance through a spiritual lens, incorporating shamanic practice into their choreography. They call ∞ {Infinite} their first ever ‘dance theatre meditation’, and it certainly delivers on the meditation. There is no story or plot to the piece, Instead it’s a visceral exploration of the human body and its connection to the elements and wider universe. This isn’t just a load of mumbo jumbo – as viewers, we get to go on the spiritual journey too. A serene, echoing voice asks us to close our eyes. Breath. Listen to our bodies. The gentle sound of birdsong and crashing waves takes us deeper into the meditation. The smell of incense fills the auditorium and fog is gently pumped out across the stage, making the room smokey.  Elements of South Asian mysticism are certainly evident here. Many times the dancers sit on the floor cross-legged and stoic, eyes closed. At other times their formations and floor patterns are mapped out like a Buddhist zen garden, all spirals, swirls and perfect circles. Almost in constant flow, Humanhood’s signature fluid choreogra

All of London’s hippest and hottest people will once again be making the pilgrimage to Peckham for the tenth edition of electronic music bonanza GALA. Returning in its usual slot over the late May bank holiday, the festival is celebrating reaching double digits with a stellar three-day line-up curated in partnership with NTS radio, plus some of the city’s most acclaimed music and nightlife brands. Friday’s slightly mellowed line-up features headline sets from Floating Points, Moodymann and Theo Parrish, while Avalon Emerson, Ben UFO and KiNK get top billing on a Saturday line-up that leans towards the heavier end of the dance music spectrum, with curation from Chapter Ten and The Cause. Headlined by Caribou, Floorplan and Hunee & Antal, the festival’s closing day features artists from Rhythm Section, plus several stalwarts from London’s queer party scene. Also on the line-up across the three days are: Anz, Batu, Bradley Zero, Gideön, Heléna Star, Horse Meat Disco, Hudson Mohawke, Michelle Manetti, Surusinghe, Tash LC and many, many more. 

In 2024 Stansted saw its busiest year ever, with just under 30 million passengers passing through its halls. Now it plans to get even bigger, as the airport has just applied for permission to host a whopping 51 million travellers each year.  The Essex flight hub has already started work on its £1 billion makeover that was announced in 2023, and has unveiled images of what that might look like here.  Currently, Stansted has permission to for up to 43 million passengers per year. It has just applied to Uttlesford District Council to allow it to increase the limit to 51 million over the next 20 years. Stansted owner Manchester Airports Group said there were no plans to build a second runway, but to make use of of the number of flights already permitted at the airport.  If approved, roughly 4,500 jobs will be created at Stansted, however not everyone is on board with the plans. Hertfordshire County Council urged Stansted to halt its expansion over concerns about air quality and noise levels. In a recent consultation, more than 2,800 people and groups responded to the plans.  Gareth Powell, Stansted’s managing director, said: ‘We’ve listened carefully to all the feedback from our neighbours, which has helped shape our plans to grow London Stansted in the most sustainable and responsible way possible. ‘We have already kicked off our five-year £1.2 billion investment programme to transform the airport, and if this application is approved, we will be able to unlock even more local op

If you work in Mayfair and enjoy a lunchtime park visit, we have some bad news. The West End’s second biggest green space (after Time Out’s favourite lunch spot, Lincoln’s Inn Fields) has closed for more than a year to undergo a ‘radical makeover’.  Mayfair’s Grosvenor Square closed its gates on June 8, and won’t reopen until summer 2026. The leafy spot will undergo ‘the largest private investment in public green space in the West End for a generation’, landlords said.  The 300-year-old park is undergoing a transformation first conceived by Tonkin Liu and brought forward by BDP architects. It will bring new biodiversity to the square with 70,000 new plants, 44 new trees, new wetlands and around 80,000 new bulbs, increasing planting from just 140 square metres to a massive to 8,000 square metres, creating a new central London haven for wildlife and habitats. This is the square’s fourth redesign in its lifetime and will pay homage to the original 1720s garden, reinstating an oval shaped lawn, framed by a new footpath and a surrounding woodland garden.  The plans hope to ‘reanimate’ the posh square, which is owned by Grosvenor, a company owned by the Duke of Westminster. This green glow-up is being supported by horticulturalist Professor Nigel Dunnett, known for urban green projects, including the Tower of London Superbloom and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, working along side ecologist Gary Grant. Here’s a peek at the transformation.  Image: Grosvenor Image: Grosvenor I

Could we be about to enter a new ‘golden age’ for train travel? The Eurostar thinks so, as the rail operator has just revealed plans to launch direct trains from London St Pancras to Germany and Switzerland. Travellers could be arriving in Frankfurt for kaffee und kuchen by train as soon as the ‘early 2030s’.  Within the next decade, a fleet of up to 50 new trains – costing around £1.7 billion – will carry passengers from Old Blighty directly to the land of chocolate, cheese fondue and very expensive watches, with routes expected to reach Geneva and Frankfurt from London St Pancras.  It will take about five hours to get to Frankfurt from London, and five hours and 20 minutes to reach Geneva. Eurostar hasn’t decided what, if any, stops these trains will make, or if passengers will be able to get off in other places.   Eurostar’s chief executive Gwendoline Cazenave said many passengers are prepared to take longer train journeys nowadays rather than flying as they ‘want to travel more sustainably’. She said there would be plenty of demand from leisure and business travellers to the ‘big financial hubs’ of Frankfurt and Geneva.  There’s still a way to go before these trains can become a reality, as the operator would need to create sufficient passenger space at the stations, install new border checkpoints, and secure access to tracks.  It’s hoped the new fleet will also bolster existing Eurostar routes, and could increase its daily return frequencies between London and Paris fro

Buying a house in London is not for the weak, especially if you are a first time buyer.  If you are looking to purchase your very own abode, here’s something that could come in handy. The people at reallymoving, a home comparison site, have created new interactive map that shows which parts of the city are most affordable for first-timers.  The interactive affordability map allows buyers to search for a home by budget and number of bedrooms. It is coded in green, orange and red, with green meaning that 90 percent or more properties are within the budget, orange indicating 10-30 percent are in budget, and red meaning less than 10 percent are in budget.  Where is the cheapest place to buy in London for first-time buyers? The average budget for a first time buyer looking for a one-bed flat in London is £315,000. Setting this as the budget, the capital’s east end has much more home availability than the rest of the city. No, we’re not talking about the highly sought-after Hackney, but further-out areas like Canning Town, Stratford, Plaistow and East Ham.  Parts of Tower Hamlets also had a fair amount of availability within this budget, with Shadwell, Mile End and Bow showing 30-70 percent of properties in budget.  In the south, Brixton, Streatham and Rotherhithe had 30-70 percent availability, while further out suburbs like Mitcham, Morden and New Maldon were also in the green on the map.  Out of the top 20 most affordable place on the map, 12 were in east London,

There’s more to Canary Wharf than bankers and skyscrapers, FYI. This summer, open water swimming will return to the east London business district with sessions at Eden Dock opening for the summer season as soon as next week. You can leave the quarter zip at home for this one.  From June 5, wild swimmers will be able to splash about in the water off the Eden Dock, FKA Middle Dock. The 200-year-old former maritime hub has been transformed into a waterfront oasis, with islands, marine habitats and art installations.  You’re probably wondering, is it safe to swim in the Thames? Yes! Eden Dock swimming is run in partnership with Love Open Water. The water is regularly tested, adhering to ‘high levels of cleanliness as required by EU Bathing Standards’. To get really into it, the water is ‘spring fed by an aquifer which filters the water through layers of Thanet sand and gravel resulting in its superb water quality and unrivalled clarity’, according to a spokesperson in 2025.  That sounds good enough for us. You will need a NOWCA membership (£15 a year) to use the outdoor pool, which gets you access to Canary Wharf swimming as well as more than 40 outdoor pools across the UK (totally worth it). Be warned, the water is pretty chilly, and all swimmers are required to wear a brightly coloured swimming cap. See you on the water.  London’s best lidos and outdoor swimming pools.  When will Covent Garden’s Wimbledon screens return for 2025? Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke

It’s almost that time again. In just a few weeks, we will be sipping a Pimm’s and munching on strawberries as we watch world-class athletes frolic about in white as they thwack balls at each other as hard as they can. We’re of course talking about Wimbledon. And if you didn’t get tickets to the championships, no worries, because massive screens will be returning to Covent Garden this summer showing all of the tennis action.  Wimbledon will be screened live in the central London piazza as part of Covent Garden’s Summer on the Big Screen programme. From Monday, June 30 to Sunday, July 13 matches will be streamed from Wimbledon’s Centre Court and beyond into the piazza. It’s completely free to attend, just pitch up and grab one of the deckchairs that will be set up in the square.   They will also have everything on hand to make the screening a proper occasion, serving Pimm’s, strawberries and cream, artisan hot dogs, pick ’n’ mix, ice cream and Godfrey’s strawberries and cream flavoured popcorn.  So, you won’t have to make the pilgrimage all the way to Henman Hill to catch the tennis this summer (and there won’t be any risk of having balls flying at your face, so it’s a win-win). And if you can’t make it to Covent Garden, there are all sorts of screenings and viewings taking place across the city. Here’s our guide to all the Wimbledon screenings in London.  The 14 best things to see at SXSW London 2025.  A replica of the ‘Twins Peaks’ diner is popping up in London.  Get the lat

Since opening in April this year, the Silvertown Tunnel has changed the face of London’s road network. The controversial £2.2 billion trafficway was the first under-Thames tunnel to open in 30 years, and took over a decade of consultations, planning permissions and building works to be completed.  But now just a couple of months after opening, the Silvertown Tunnel is going to be closed for 17 evenings throughout the next month.  The tunnel will be undergoing nighttime snagging works (AKA, fixing small issues that have come up since the tunnel starting operating), meaning drivers will be diverted to the Blackwall Tunnel. What about buses? When the Silvertown is closed southbound, buses will be diverted to the Blackwall Tunnel. When Silvertown closes in both directions, buses will be diverted to Canning Town or North Greenwich, with passengers advised to catch the Jubilee line to cross the Thames. The Silvertown Tunnel bus service is currently free, but TfL hasn’t yet confirmed if these alternative journeys will also be free of charge.  A TfL spokesperson said: ‘In order to facilitate maintenance and snagging works, the Silvertown Tunnel will be subject to overnight closures from 10pm to up until 6am on a number of dates in late May and June. ‘During these closures, traffic will be diverted via the Blackwall Tunnel where possible. TfL will look to ensure bus services can continue to run where possible during these overnight closures, and has been communicating with drivers abo

The Louvre, the Uffizi, the National Gallery. When it comes to world-famous museums, Europe is absolute chock-a-block with them. But among these titans of history, art and science are also more unsung heroes, and it’s time they got their flowers too. Now one museum in the north of England has been named the best museum in Europe at the prestigious European Museum of the Year Awards 2025. The Manchester Museum is officially the European Museum of the Year 2025.  The Manchester Museum, which is part of the University of Manchester, is the first university museum to win the lofty accolade. Open since 1888, the museum is best known for its collection of natural history and human artefacts. It also contains Egyptian mummies, and is the only place in the world out of Panama where you can see tiny variable harlequin toads.  Manchester Museum is only the second British museum to win the award since it was started in 1977 – London’s Design Museum clinched the title in 2018. The Manny muso was chosen from a shortlist of 42 institutions.  The prize is given to a museum that represents the best in innovation and excellence. In recent years Manchester Museum has been at the forefront of conversations around representation, repatriation and confronting the truths of empire and colonialism in museums.  In the awards, judges praised how Manchester Museum had ‘reimagined its mission, acknowledging and addressing its complex history by redefining the role of its collections and public program

From the outside, the V&A East Storehouse looks like any other Stratford warehouse. The giant glass and steel cuboid sits among the soulless, unnervingly clean apartment blocks of the east London enclave. Stratford itself is a unique area; it can be eerily quiet, and is peppered with odd landmarks like the towering ArcelorMittal Orbit and shiny Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, contrasting starkly with the graffiti-clad bars of Hackney Wick just beyond. But the V&A East Storehouse, alongside the V&A East Museum (opening in 2026) and the new Sadler’s Wells East, is making this former brownfield site one of London’s most exciting new cultural destinations. I was lucky enough to be one of the first people to look around this bona fide treasure trove, though wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from this all-free, all-new cultural offering: would it be a warehouse full of bubble-wrapped statues and old paintings covered in sheets? In reality, I was awestruck by the hoard of goods on show, which spans centuries, continents and all kinds of creative disciplines.  The Storehouse is one of many new openings from the V&A in recent years, with the Young V&A reopening after refurbishment in 2023 and the V&A East Museum also on the horizon. Plus, from September 2025, the Storehouse will also be home to the David Bowie Centre, the biggest collection of Bowie-related objects on display to date.  Photograph: David Parry/PA Media Assignments What exactly is the V&A East Storehouse? This isn’t

Today we bring you said news, because the legendary Korean fried chicken spot Chick ‘n’ Sours has closed its restaurants for good.  When Chick ‘n’ Sours first opened in Dalston a decade ago, London’s restaurant landscape was very different to how it looks today. The Korean fried chicken joint was an instant hit, for its sweet and sour cocktails, ultra-crispy chicken and addictive seaweed ‘crack’ seasoning. It was also home of the game-changing ‘whole fry’, an entire chicken dipped in batter and deep fried. Soon it moved to Haggerston and opened a second outpost in Seven Dials in Covent Garden. However, in 2025 the owners said that running two restaurants in London was no longer financially viable. Both Haggerston and Seven Dials restaurants served their final meals on Sunday, May 25, and are now permanently closed.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chick’n’Sours (@chicknsours)   Co-founder David Wolanksi wrote on Instagram: ‘We do what we do because we love it, fuelled by passion and a desire to provide guests with awesome food and memorable dining experiences. But that’s no longer enough these days. ‘We hung in there as long as we could but I’m afraid we’ve now reached the point where operating the two restaurants just isn’t viable anymore and it makes no commercial sense to continue. The casual dining restaurant model is broken, but that’s for another post.’ Don’t despair as this is not the end of Chick ‘n’ Sours. The brand will continu

You can’t swing a cat without hitting five Gail’s in London these days. Love it or hate it, the posh bakery chain has been rapidly rolling out across the capital in 2025, opening outposts in Stoke Newington, Southwark, Primrose Hill, Walthamstow, and Gatwick Airport.  Now another Gail’s is on the horizon in London, taking over the former site of the Hackney Tap in east London. The pub on Mare Street closed its doors suddenly in July 2024 with no explanation. The site has remained empty for the past year, but planning permission was requested a few months after the pub’s closure to turn the Grade II-listed building into a food and drink spot. Now Gail’s posters have been spotted in the building’s windows, MyLondon reported.  Londoners blamed ‘people not getting drunk any more’ on the pub being turned into a bakery, Metro reported.  ‘It is a shame people don’t get drunk anymore. It is sad, we are all prioritising the gym over the pub. It might be good for your physical health but not your mental health,’ one 27-year-old local said.  He added: ‘Community spaces are being replaced by commercial ones. This is the centre of the community of Hackney, there should be a pub on this street. There should be more social spaces here. ‘It is also a shame we don’t have more independent stores.’ Gail’s has announced on its website that the new outpost on 354 Mare Street, which the bakery is calling the Hackney Castle branch, will open on June 12 2025, serving ‘artisan sourdough breads, past

London is well on its way to becoming one of the biggest sporting capitals in the world. This summer the UK capital will host the Women’s Rugby World Cup, while future bids have been revealed for the big smoke to host the Olympics, World Cup and even the Superbowl.  This autumn, American football will return to the shores of Old Blighty after 2024’s successful season. The NFL has announced its 2025 international schedule, which includes matches in Dublin, Madrid, Berlin and London, taking over Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur stadiums.  Want to catch a bit of American football action in the city? Here’s everything you need to know about the NFL in London 2025.  Which NFL teams are coming to London? This October there will be three NFL matches in England with some of the titans of American football. The teams coming our way are the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars.  When are the games? The matches will take place on the following dates: Minnesota Vikings vs Cleveland Browns – October 5, Tottenham Hotspur stadium Denver Broncos vs New York Jets – October 12, Tottenham Hotspur stadium Los Angeles Rams vs Jacksonville Jaguars – October 19, Wembley stadium  How to get tickets to the games Tickets go on sale this week, on Thursday May 29 2025 at 12pm. Ticket prices Here’s the breakdown of ticket prices.  Category 1 £230 Category 2 £220 Category 3 £210 Category 4 £195 Category 5 £180 Category 6 £160 Catego