Ed Cunningham

London is full of perfect pizza. The finest of fast foods, this delicious staple has been elevated far beyond its humble roots by great Italian restaurants in London, pop-ups, street food vendors and pub residencies, and we know just where to find these world-class wonders, because we’ve been eating our way across London in order to discover the best. Whether it’s delivered in a cardboard box or served in a swish restaurant, excellent pizza is hard to beat. Browse our list of the best pizza places in town and try not to drool on your screen. Recent additions to the Top 20 include some nifty kitchen residencies; Dough Hands at the Spurstowe Arms and Old Nun’s Head, Bing Bong Pizza at You Call The Shots in Hackney, Little Earthquakes at the Railway Tavern in Dalston, Lenny’s Apizza at The Bedford Tavern in Finsbury Park and Short Road Pizza at the William The Fourth in Leyton and Three Colts in Bethnal Green. You can find Ace Pizza at the Pembury Tavern in Hackney Downs, but they have also opened their first standalone parlour in Victoria Park. Try also; Spring Street Pizza in Borough for pizza with a Michelin-starred chefs touch or Carmela’s on Upper Street for a cosy slice. RECOMMENDED: The finest fish and chips in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

Every week, a frankly silly amount of brilliant new restaurants, cafés and street food joints arrive in London. Which makes whittling down a shortlist of the best newbies a serious challenge. But here it is. The 20 very best new restaurants in the capital, ranked in order of greatness and deliciousness. All of them have opened in the past year and been visited by our hungry critics. So go forth and take inspo from this list, which is updated regularly. Check in often to find out what we really rate on the London restaurant scene. And look here for all the info about the best new openings in December. London's best new restaurants at a glance: 🍛 Central: Khao Bird, Soho 🍠 North: Ling Ling’s, Islington 🥟 South: Doma, Sydenham 🍝 East: Legado, Shoreditch 🥗 West: Martino’s, Chelsea December 2025: New additions include slinky Italian Martino's in Chelsea, cosy Chinese cuisine at Ling Ling's at Godet in Islington, Hunanese heat at Fiery Flavors in Surrey Quays, Sri Lankan fast food at Adoh! in Covent Garden, Caribbean classics with a twist at 2210 by NattyCanCook in Herne Hill, perfect pasta at Casa Felicia in Queen's Park, Thai BBQ at Khao Bird in Soho, and Thai soup noodles at Khao So-i in Fitzrovia. Hungry yet? Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED: The 50 best restaurants in London. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our Lond

Planning your travels for the new year? You should absolutely factor in those long-standing bucket list entries, but if you’re looking for some fresh inspiration, 2026 promises a world of brand-new travel experiences.  From sleeping over in an open-air museum to journeying through ancient landscapes on e-bikes, ziplining over glorious wildlife reserves and partying through a solar eclipse – yes, really – there’s a shedload of off-the-beaten-track, out-of-the-box stuff happening over the next 12 months. Scroll on for our handpicked selection of the 26 coolest, weirdest and most exciting things to do in 2026.  RECOMMENDED:🎶 The biggest and best music festivals in 2026🛍️ The coolest streets in the world🏘️ The coolest neighbourhoods in the world🌃 The best cities in the world right now Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.

Once upon a time, the only reason to grab a bite at King’s Cross was if you were waiting for your train. But this once-grimy post-industrial area has undergone an enormous regeneration, and these days it’s packed with fine restaurants. Be it the lofty, warehouse-sized joints around Granary Square, the trendy cafés in Coal Drops Yard or the hip little spots around lower Pentonville, and a selection of Cantonese cult classics, there’s something for all tastes (and budgets, high or low). Check out our list of the best. RECOMMENDED: These are the best pubs in King’s Cross. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

Urgently in need of some cool pressie inspo for your nearest and dearest? Don’t worry about it! Our London gift guide is here, and it features loads of lovely pressies to suit just about any Londoner you can imagine.  From nifty gadgets to stylish accessories, covetable homeware to kids’ gifts, our editors have got every base covered, including plenty of sustainable options and handmade bits from some of London’s coolest indie brands and makers.  Need even more present inspiration? Check out our roundup of London’s best Christmas hampers for 2025. Time Out’s 2025 Christmas Gift Guide at a glance 🏰 Best for tech nerds: Nothing headphones 💷 Best for foodies: Allday Goods knife 🔬 Best for style queens: Peachy Den scarf and mitten set 🎡 Best for cool blokes: Percival martini cap 🎨 Best for youngsters: Ty Beanie Bouncers RECOMMENDED: More Christmas fun in London. 

It’s been another stellar year for music in 2025, packed full of belters, breakouts and hook-laden earworms.  Lorde returned to her angsty roots, Pulp dropped their first album since, and Bad Bunny reigned supreme on the streamers. We were blessed with new music from pop heavyweights Lady Gaga, Lily Allen and Robyn. In a plot twist, Rosalía dropped a classical album packed with religious references, and Turnstile made hardcore mainstream. Breakout stars CMAT, Addison Rae and Jim Legxacy proved that they are here to stay. Here Time Out editors and contributors have hand-picked the tracks they’ve had on repeat this year. These are the 40 best songs of 2025.  RECOMMENDED: The 25 best albums of 2025. 

This year of music has started with a bang. We’ve seen Chappell Roan go country, Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco smothering audiences with gushy love songs and Playboi Carti’s rapturous return from the underground. We've even been blessed with the return of Lorde! Alongside these pop heavyweights, we’re witnessing rap superstar Doechii continue her chart domination and the breakthrough of Gen Z artists like 2hollis, Tate McRae and Kai Bosch. What songs are defining 2025? Well, we’ve searched through our playlists and extracted the best songs of the year so far, to give you a mid-year vibe check of where we are currently at. But it doesn’t stop there. Keep your eyes peeled for updates to this list throughout the year as we’re still awaiting albums from Turnstile, Miley Cyrus, Pulp, A$AP Rocky and many more. RECOMMENDED: 🎧 The best albums of 2025 (so far)🎥 The best movies of 2025 (so far)📺 The best TV of 2025 (so far)

The humble brunch is perhaps one of the greatest inventions of the modern age, especially if it incorporates pancakes, bacon and those aforementioned eggs. (Or you can enjoy a totally vegan take on proceedings at LD’s at The Black Heart). London is particularly well stocked with places to indulge in the famous breakfast/lunch hybrid. Let us guide you to the best restaurants for a fabulous brunch, from a traditional full English to innovative twists on the majestic meal, such as a bacon bao brunch or fried eggs on chilli-cheese crumpets. Booze optional.  Best brunches in London at a glance: 🌽 Best for vegans: LD’s at The Black Heart, Camden 🍖 Best for Spanish-style brunch: Lolo, Bermondsey 🏰 Best for a spectacular setting: Aram, Somerset House 🌳 Best for an al fresco brunch: Pavilion Cafe, Victoria Park  🌮 Best for a Mexican feast: Corrochio’s, Stoke Newington  RECOMMENDED: Like unlimited fizz with your fry-up? Here are the best bottomless brunches in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. December 2025: Now that we're fully into cosy season, we've highlighted some of the more appropriate seasonal spots for brunch. Sulk in the dark like a massive (vegan) goth at LD's at The Black Heart in Camden; try Lolo in Bermondsey if you want a Spanish take on brunch; start your day with some heat at Chet's; and feast on prawn toast scotch eggs at Jikoni in Marylebone. We've also included a few

Even after a couple of vintage years for new music, 2025 has been special. Sure, we didn’t get a clear-cut ‘song of the summer’, but artists have been instead putting out defining works in a longer format. The past 12 (well, 11) months have featured all manner of extraordinary album releases.  Belted-to-the-rafters country pop, plunderphonic majesty, ecstatic dance music, intimate electronic world-building, history-collapsing art rock, triumphant hip-hop… these are just a few of the sounds and styles that have been executed marvellously in 2025. Here are the year’s finest 25 albums, chosen by Time Out editors and contributors.

November 2025: Cool, crispy weather and far less daylight can only mean one thing - Sunday roast season is here. Not simply just a decent hangover cure, Sunday lunch is one of the most winter-y things a Londoner can possibly do. Our latest update to this list has prioritised the cosiest pubs in town, with extra points for roaring open fires, as well as nooks and crannies to hunker down in as the city gets darker, colder and way more snuggly. There are a couple of posh restaurants in the mix too, with a Nordic roast at the fancy Ekstedt at the Yard, and a proper meat feast at The Quality Chop House. We also have a brand new Number 1; the simple, spectacular roast at London’s OG organic pub, The Duke of Cambridge.  London’s best Sunday roasts at a glance: 🥩 Central: Duke of Cambridge, Angel 😇 North: The Angel, Highgate ⛪ South: Old Nun’s Head, Nunhead 🌈 East: The Nelson’s, Hackney 🍻 West: The Mall Tavern, Notting Hill Sunday lunch. There’s nothing quite like it. An elemental meal, one that Londoners take incredibly seriously. Debates about what constitutes the ‘perfect’ Sunday roast have been known to last for hours. There is no shortage of top roasts in London. We’ve rounded up the city’s best Sunday meals from a host of pubs, restaurants and breweries all around town. What makes a good roast? For us, it’s simple; a welcoming room is a good start, maybe in a pub with an open fire. Then it comes to the plate – we need perfect roast potatoes, well-cooked lamb, beef or por

As much as Christmas trees, turkey and a mildly overworked Santa have become staples of the festive season, so has the music that soundtracks this cheer-soaked time of year. Christmas songs don’t just endure – many end up becoming the crown jewels of an artist’s entire career. From golden oldies by Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Bing Crosby, to ‘80s icons like Wham! and The Pogues, to modern favourites from Ariana Grande and Leona Lewis, these tunes have embedded themselves into our seasonal rituals. What is the best-selling Christmas song of all time? That honour still belongs to Bing Crosby’s 1942 classic ‘White Christmas’. With over 50 million sales, it’s not only the biggest Christmas record in history – it’s the best-selling song of all time, full stop. Guinness World Records first crowned it back in 1955, and it’s held onto the title ever since. What is the most-streamed Christmas song of all time? Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ may trail Crosby in pure sales (a mere 16 million), but streaming has turned it into a seasonal juggernaut. It finally hit No.1 in both the UK and US decades after its release and became the first Christmas song to pass 2 billion Spotify streams. Hot on its heels: Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’ (1.83 billion) and Brenda Lee’s ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’ (1.27 billion). Are there any new Christmas songs for 2025? The past decade has delivered plenty of modern holiday staples, from Ariana Grande to Sabrina Carpenter to Cher. As

Europe is incredible for festivals, make no mistake about it. And what could be better? Travelling to festivals abroad means getting to explore somewhere new and see a bunch of cracking artists, as well as maybe – just maybe – enjoy better weather and cheaper beer. Europe is certainly not in short supply of some really brilliant places to party, from tiny, lesser-known spots in the Azores to headliner-packed fests in France and the Netherlands. There’s just one festival you’ll see sadly missing from our list – everyone’s favourite festival Glastonbury is taking a fallow year in 2026.  What is the largest festival in Europe? Glastonbury is normally thought of as the biggest festival in Europe (if not the world). But though it’s certainly the most well known, in terms of numbers, it’s not even the the biggest in the UK! The biggest in Europe is actually Donauinselfest in Vienna, Austria, which sees upwards of two million visitors a year. After that, it’s probably joint between Glasto and Tomorrowland in Belgium. The more you know! RECOMMENDED: 🎪 The best UK music festivals🎤 The best music festivals in the world🌃 The most underrated destinations in Europe🌤️ The best European city breaks At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide may include affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate gu

art'otel and Hoxton: on paper, at least, a match made in heaven. Famously arty hotel chain meets famously arty London neighbourhood (well, if you lump Hoxton in with Shoreditch, which is fine by us). The address has arty history, too: the hotel occupies a site formerly home to the legendary Foundry, an ale bar and arts venue once described as ‘crucible of the Britart movement’. Not familiar with art'otel? Let us bring you up to speed. The brand posits its outposts as both hotels and art galleries, with your stay being a chance to encounter real pieces of art. Each location has its own ‘signature artist’, around whom not only is the hotel themed but who gets to actually design a lot of the hotel, from its wall artworks to its furniture. art'otel Hoxton’s signature artist is D*Face (Dean Stockton), titan of English street art known for his chaotic, colourful, attention-demanding works. Approaching the hotel there’s a sense of occasion fitting for D*Face’s rep: the building towers over the fork of Great Eastern Street and Old Street. Two original Banksys sit above the doorway; dramatic escalators glide past gigantic, blinding screens of video art; a human-size sculpture of ‘D*Dog’ (one of D*Face’s best-known figures) greets you at reception as a kind of concierge. It is very much like entering a proper art gallery. Why stay at art'otel London Hoxton? If you’re fond of art – specifically street art, even more specifically the work of D*Face – art'otel Hoxton is a real treat. It’s

You can spot the building that hosts Archives from miles around, a repurposed 1960s industrial tower standing tall above Tottenham Hale’s retail parks and marshland. And it’s a worthy local landmark: since opening in 2024 Archives has regularly hosted blockbuster nights, from James Blake’s CMYK to the second edition of Eastern Margins’ festival Margins United. The space itself is an 8,500-square-foot ground-floor blank canvas with thick concrete columns and capacity for 1,600; the 360-degree soundsystem is solid, the dancefloor is well-proportioned and the outdoor/rest areas are sizeable. The only downside is the bar prices. When I was last here pints were flatly priced at a very steep £8.50 (and £7.50 for cans).

A country home amid gargantuan piles of slate, Plas Weunydd sits atop a hill overlooking not just an old industrial town but the vast landscape of Snowdonia National Park. Needless to say, the hotel is all about its location: the location on a map, sure (it’s pretty much at the dead-centre of Snowdonia and surrounded by all manner of outdoorsy activities) but also its topographical location, with views galore.  For my visit to Plas Weunydd, the approach by car saw me wind my way past the hills and valleys of the national park, through old mining town Blaenau Ffestiniog and most of the way up a not-unsteep hill. The hotel is perched near the top, at the same turning as much-hyped adventure attraction Zip World and a mountain-biking course.  Why stay at Plas Weunydd? If you’re in Snowdonia for an adventure or outdoorsy holiday (and this is very much a region famous for that), Plas Weunydd is extraordinarily well-located. Hiking, cycling, mountain biking, zip-wiring and more is almost literally on your doorstep – as previously mentioned, Zip World is across the road – while countless mountains, waterfalls, lakes or rivers in Snowdonia National Park are no more than a half-hour drive away.  The building itself was built in 1870 as the home of John Whitehead Greaves, the founder of nearby Llechwed Quarry. It was turned into a hotel in 2021, and it relaunched in April 2025 following further refurbishment. Plas Weunydd prides itself on being an adventure holiday base, but also for b

Prince Durairaj and Glen Leeson are good at this by now. Excellent, in fact. The pair have put together a small chain of top Indian eateries; Islington’s Tamil Prince and Tamil Crown, and the first Tamila in Clapham. Fourth time around with Tamila King’s Cross, the experience is more refined than ever. London’s second Tamila is at the other end of Caledonian Road from the Tamil Prince, and, like the Clapham edition, isn’t a ‘desi pub’ but a curry house for fast, casual dining and with an all-day menu. Without the loveable musk of an ex-pub, the space is much airier and restaurant-y, while the service is sharper and more attentive. Food-over-booze indicators don’t get much more obvious than Tamila’s massive interior window directly into the kitchen.  The dhal flashed all sorts of vegetables across your tongue, while paneer butter masala was creamy and mightily generous Our drinks flew out at an impressive pace. A bold harbinger of the strong, spiced flavours to come, the gunpowder margarita, boasting masala dust for salt and earthy smokiness, was sumptuous. The paloma had grapefruity sweetness but a proper, heaped dash of ginger that lingered powerfully.  Tamila’s dishes verge on the more generous side of ‘small plates’. On platters so spotless and shiny they’re genuinely mirrors, come miraculously un-greasy onion bhajis, each one just more than a mouthful of prickly, salty crackle. Retaining integral crispiness beneath dollops of mint chutney, one gets the impression that th

If you’re a history buff (particularly a pottery history buff), the surroundings of this DoubleTree alone will be enough to have you in awe. The hotel is attached to Etruria Hall, a neo-classical Grade II-listed structure once home to Josiah Wedgwood – renowned industrialist and the founder of Wedgwood, one of the world’s most famous pottery companies.  Etruria Hall is no longer a stately home but an events venue, and since the 1980s it’s been attached to a hotel. In 2020 that hotel opened as a Hilton, specifically of the DoubleTree brand – yet despite being part of an all-conquering global chain, it’s maintained plenty of character. Beyond the obvious (the in-house restaurant is called Josiah), the corridors and rooms come lined with nods to local heritage; bottle oven skylines, Stoke dialect phrases, that sort of stuff.  Stoke-on-Trent’s DoubleTree, therefore, not only occupies a special historical site but makes sure you fully aware just how special it is. But it’s also a comfortable, well-kitted-out place to stay. I stayed in a king guest room that was extraordinarily spacious and flawlessly clean, with a sprawling, comfortable bed, fast wi-fi, effective blackout curtains and a practical bathroom.  The staff couldn’t have been friendlier or more helpful, the common areas were bright and welcoming, and there was a very sleek indoor pool and leisure centre. There’s on-site parking, too.  Given the building’s age, some of Stoke’s DoubleTree is understandably rough around the

When Stoke’s Hilton Garden Inn opened in 2020 it was the city’s first and only Hilton. Admittedly it didn’t hold that title for long (the DoubleTree in Etruria was rebranded a month or so later) but you get the sense that this was a statement opening. A terracotta titan towering over Hanley, this Hilton Garden Inn cost £20 million and is part of the wider redevelopment of Smithfield – a mixed-use quarter named after the area’s old bottle works. Given it’s getting on for half a decade old, Stoke’s Hilton Garden Inn still looks and feels shimmeringly new. Sure, stepping into the lobby feels very much like stepping into any new-ish Hilton, anywhere, but this one is exceptionally well-kempt, making it very much a slick, shiny beacon of modern comfort.  I stayed in a ‘king room’ up on the sixth floor, a tidy and well-proportioned space with plenty of light and a bunch of amenities tidily packed in. The décor was pared back, minimalist(ish) and very much of-this-decade, and the room’s simplicity made it feel bigger. Stoke touches on the walls (images of pottery ovens and so on) reminded you where you were – as did my view, stretching out westwards towards Etruria, Burslem and Shelton. The rest was very much as one might expect of a somewhat new Hilton. The mattress was supple, the pillows and duvet ideally sink-in-able; the shower worked as required, accompanied by fragrant Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries and the flashy touch of an anti-steam mirror. The room was well insulated for so

Down the cavernous halls of Whitehall’s Old War Offices, surrounded by opulent Michelin-starred restaurants and the supremely swish Raffles hotel, lies Kioku Sake Bar – less blindingly flashy, sure, but just as high-calibre. The street-level accompaniment to Kioku’s top-floor, five-star sushi restaurant has the effortless style and homely hideaway calm of a Japanese listening bar, prim décor and lines of hundreds of sake bottles sitting beneath immaculately balanced light. And Kioku’s substance more than matches its style. There are over 140 sakes on offer, each affectionately described, plus a trim list of sake cocktails and a refined menu of innovative, Japanese-infused small plates. The drinks and food are entirely different to those of the upstairs restaurant Kioku By Endo, making the bar very much worth a separate visit.  Order this The Daikon Gibson suspends itself entirely on the front of your tongue, with silky and potent Ginjo sake ‘vermouth’ and tangy pickled daikon combining with clean Roku gin and yuzu tang. Kioku’s cocktails all exude a sense of craft – and this does even more so. Time Out tip Make the most of Kioku’s formidable sake collection and the bar’s in-house sake sommelier to explore the tipple. Discover how the vessel material affects each sake, get a taste of the many, many different styles and regional varieties – and find a new favourite.

Stepping into the atrium of The Conservatorium, it’s immediately obvious that this is a very special hotel indeed. Rich red brickwork meets sharp glass angles, heritage details fit snugly among silky modern luxury; from the fittings and furniture to the architecture, wherever you look something catches your eye. The Conservatorium’s sense of occasion is tied to the building’s history. Many of its cavernous halls date back to 1897, when it was built as a bank. In the 1980s it became a conservatoire, then it was reconfigured into a hotel by starchitect Piero Lissoni in the 2000s. It opened as a founding member of the luxurious Set Collection in 2011. The Conservatorium’s rooms, appropriately for a hotel inhabiting a building of many previous lives, vary massively – yet they share plenty of common ground. Whether one is in the basic ‘deluxe room’ or the three-floor, roof terrace-boasting ‘I Love Amsterdam’ suite, well-proportioned rooms boast plush beds, spacious bathrooms, bountiful storage and thoughtful, refined décor. My room was a ‘royal duplex suite’, with elegant double-height windows looking out onto the humming trams and cafés of Van Baerlestraat. The essentials – bed, space, storage, bathroom, toiletries – were all faultless. Little touches of Dutch-ness (decorative clogs, a Van Gogh coffee table book, Delftware ceramic plates) were unsubtle but still tasteful, restrained. Beyond the room, breakfast (served in the Lounge) was high-calibre and the staff were as helpful

What comes to mind when you think of a treehouse? Woodlice, splinters, cold – yes, probably all those things. But treehouses are also secluded and peaceful, dwellings a few feet up in the air that feel that bit away from the rabble below and closer to nature. And a treehouse, crucially, is all yours.  The treehouses of TreeDwellers in Cornbury, northeast Cotswolds, are treehouses in a spiritual sense. No, they aren’t up trees (nor do they even touch them), but they’re surrounded by them, sitting an impressive height above the forest floor. TreeDwellers takes the idea of a treehouse – as something special, private, embedded in nature – and turns it into a luxurious experience genuinely unlike anything, anywhere else. Pulling up to a TreeDwellers dwelling (a TreeDwelling?) has a supreme sense of occasion. This is the sort of architectural magnificence you thumb through in glossy mags, lustfully dreaming of one day giving it all up for. Handsomely curved tubes are perched atop stilts; inside is all sleek, clean wood and floor-to-ceiling windows, each and every convenience slotted in with impossible neatness. It’s all so stunning that you could easily be satisfied with the design and that alone, left gawping at it for days on end. But these treehouses aren’t just flashy façades: they’re comfortable and practical, too. You check-in with slick door-code entry, the heating is underfloor and toasty on your toes, everything you could possibly need is on a tablet (or on hand from delig

On the face of it, Portobello’s neat, proper Holy Carrot and Dalston’s fire-worshipping feast ACME Fire Cult share little common ground. ACME is roaring and showy, as much a swaggering religion as a restaurant; Carrot is prim as a perfume shop, soft clay surroundings fronting a menu that is plant-forward, ‘root to peel’ and sustainable.  But there’s a clear link between the two – namely Daniel Watkins. The ex-ACME founder is now executive chef at the first permanent home of Holy Carrot (previously known for its supper clubs and Knightsbridge residency), and brings his ‘fire and ferment’ ethos across the capital from one neighbourhood of cool to another.  More than just Holy Carrot’s first proper restaurant, it’s also a Watkins-helmed reboot – and it has plenty of his signature punch. From the off, the pre-starter ‘snacks’ offer a studied but unshowy sort of tastiness. Pillowy insides dramatically burst out of crisp ‘honey’ drenched Jerusalem artichokes; one couldn’t help but mop up the warming chilli ragu with ultralight koji bread. Two cold ‘smalls’ followed suit, both intricately flavoured: each mouthful of the smoked beetroot breathing freshness, each spoonful of the stracciatella with persimmon and bitter leaves with deftly measured amount of creamy tang and gentle crunch. This is innovation of a dependable, not reckless, sort Imprinted upon my memory the most, however, was one of Holy Carrot’s ‘larges’: the crispy celeriac with pickle butter. I know what you’re thinking

The Nobu brand, in a word? Dependable. Nobu Matsuhisa’s Japan-via-USA restaurant empire both draws celebrities and is a celebrity itself, but it’s best regarded for its high-quality dining: nearly 30 years after it opened, Nobu’s Park Lane spot remains one of London’s best places for sushi. These days Nobu isn’t just a restaurant chain but a hotel brand too, with two outposts in London. The Shoreditch one, which opened in 2017, was the first of these – not just London’s first Nobu hotel (since followed by Nobu Portman Square in Marylebone) but the first in all of Europe. The greatest compliment one can pay to this place is that the dependability of the Nobu name transfers seamlessly from restaurant to hotel. This is a sleek and comfortable choice, a beacon of minimalist taste in the midst of Shoreditch’s gaudy pick-me bars and tech-bro co-working spaces. Nobu as a chain is Nippon-by-’Murica, and its hotels are too – Japanese style meets American comfort and convenience. From the front Nobu Shoreditch resembles a Pacific battleship, from the side it’s a hillside Kyoto villa. And inside the hotel offers plenty of that same cultural middle ground: polished black wood, sleek furniture and a tea set in every room, but also huge plasma TVs, delightful staff and an in-house spa.  All aided, of course, by housing a Nobu restaurant, the chain’s third in London. You know exactly the deal here: a spoiled-rich clientele, sure, but also generous portions, attentive service (I did exceptio

If you plonked a point on a map denoting Stuttgart’s absolute centre, I’m fairly certain it’d be directly right on top of the EmiLu. Or it may as well be. Dead opposite the city’s Rathaus (town hall) and a few steps from Königstrasse (Stuttgart’s main shopping street), EmiLu is within easy walking distance of most city-centre sights. Just a couple of years old (it opened in 2022), EmiLu occupies an old mid-century city government building and gets its name by combining the names of its co-owner (Petra Luise Bräutigam) and her daughter (Emilia). A self-professed ‘design hotel’, it boasts 90 ‘unique and special’ rooms that range reasonably in price per night from €85 to €200 (£72 to £170). So, the good: EmiLu, with its focus on individual, tasteful design, is a handsome and neat establishment. The chic reception is kitted out with dark wooden furnishings, while the rooms are airy and uncluttered. Cuboid furniture and crisply-shaped décor work well with bare-material walls; an open shower-room (with a curtain) and a mini-bar cut into the corner wall fit the minimal, trendy vibe. In another positive, my room looked out over the atmospheric street below (with floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony) but also boasted exceptional sound insulation – an entire crowd of football fans in the space outside were reduced to noiseless silhouettes. Elsewhere, EmiLu’s staff are delightful, the rooftop space is great for taking in Stuttgart’s skyline and the ‘fitness area’ is remarkably well-eq

London has thousands of listed buildings and structures. When it comes to just Grade I sites, (never mind Grade II* and Grade II), the capital has more than 9,000 listed structures – ranging from Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral to the recently-listed Old Palace in Croydon. And yet there are always more structures that could be listed and protected for future generations. Every year the 20th Century Society (C20), a charity that protects modern British architecture and design, publishes a ‘Coming of Age’ list that highlights exceptional buildings that have just turned 30 years old. Thirty is generally the age buildings need to reach before they become eligible to be listed by the government, on advice from Historic England. C20’s list of the top 10 structures that were finished in 1995 range from ‘the most original new cinema building in Britain over the last 40 years’ to a striking bridge in Manchester. Among the choices are three sites in London – here’s what they are, and why C20 says they deserve protected status. C20 Society’s 2025 ‘Coming of Age’ list in London BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Neasden Temple), Brent Photograph: Historic England Placing top of C20’s top 10 is BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, popularly known as Neasden Temple. The first traditional Hindu Mandir in Europe, it was built entirely using traditional methods and for decades it was the biggest Hindu temple outside India. The society describes the temple as ‘a masterpiece of exquisite Indi

Fresh from the news that City will be introducing a drop-off fee for the first time and Heathrow will be hiking its vehicle charges in 2026, now we have more bad news for departure costs at London airports. London Gatwick, the city’s second-biggest aviation hub, has confirmed that it is increasing charges in its drop-off zones by £3 in 2026. From January the fee, which allows drivers to stop outside the terminal for 10 minutes, will be £10. This means that Gatwick will have the highest drop-off charge in the UK.  The fee has doubled since LGW initially introduced a drop-off charge in 2021; it increased to £6 in 2024 and £7 in May 2025. A Gatwick spokesperson blamed the increase on ‘a number of increasing costs’, including higher business rates. The spokesperson added: ‘The increase in the drop-off charge will support wider efforts to encourage greater use of public transport, helping limit the number of cars and reduce congestion at the entrance to our terminals, alongside funding a number of sustainable transport initiatives.’ When will Gatwick’s new passenger drop-off charge take effect? The increase will officially come into force on January 6 2026. How much is Gatwick’s new passenger drop-off charge? The new fee is £10 for 10 minutes. You can pay the fee online, by the phone or with an AutoPay account. How to avoid Gatwick drop-off fees Passengers being driven to Gatwick can still be dropped off for free at long-stay car parks (for up to two hours), from which they can ge

Platinum-selling UK hip-hop collective D-Block Europe are in London for several huge shows at the O2 Arena this week. Young Adz and Dirtbike LB are touring in support of their latest album PTSD 2, the 29-track follow-up to 2019’s PTSD which was released in November. DBE are in London for three massive dates at the city’s biggest indoor arena. While the collective initially announced just two dates at the O2, a third was added on December 19 due to extraordinarily high levels of demand. Keen to catch D-Block Europe at the O2 this week? Here’s what you need to know about the shows, from the timings to any remaining ticket availability. When are D-Block Europe playing at London’s O2 Arena? Young Adz and Dirtbike LB are in Greenwich on the following dates: Monday December 15 Tuesday December 16 Friday December 19 What time do doors open? At all three shows, doors to the venue will open at 6.30pm. When will D-Block Europe come on stage? D-Block Europe have not yet confirmed when they’ll take to the stage at the O2. Typically, main acts at the venue come on at around 8.30pm-9pm. Who’s supporting D-Block Europe at the O2? The duo has promised ‘special guests’ at the dates, but not confirmed who those guests are. Last minute tickets Find tickets on sites like AXS and Ticketmaster, as well as on resale platforms such as Viagogo and Stubhub. Did you see Time Out’s best albums of 2025?  And the year’s top songs. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to

Starting to draw up a list of restaurants you really, really want to try in 2026? OpenTable has just dropped a tonne of top-quality eating-out inspo. The reservation booking company has revealed its list of the top 100 restaurants in the UK for 2025. OpenTable’s list was compiled with the help of nearly 800,000 reviews, all of which were written in the year from September 1 2024 to August 31 2025. The ranking took into account not just the proportion of five-star reviews but also other factors like the level of demand for reservations and number of direct searches. The top 100 wasn’t in order, instead split alphabetically by region. London was the most strongly-repped region, with 50 restaurants – a full half of the list. Manchester (with Greater Manchester) had the second-most with seven entries, while third place was a three-way tie between Yorkshire, Edinburgh and Midlothian, and Newcastle and Northumberland (all with five entries). Notable inclusions were Bavette – Time Out’s top restaurant in Leeds – and Manchester’s hyped Higher Ground, as well as legendary Michelin-starred spots in the capital like CORE by Clare Smyth and The Ledbury. Commenting on the list, OpenTable’s senior director Sasha Shaker said: ‘From exciting new names like Nina in London to much-loved local favourites such as Opheem in Birmingham and Higher Ground in Manchester, the list celebrates the fantastic spots that the UK has to offer. ‘Whether diners are after a happy hour menu, a certain cuisine ty

Are you a regular late-night user of the Northern line’s Bank branch? Here’s some news you’ll want to know about. The middle fork of the black tube line will shut early for four whole months at the start of 2026. If you’re looking to get the Northern line into or out of King’s Cross St Pancras, Angel, Old Street, Moorgate, Bank, London Bridge, Borough or Elephant & Castle after 10pm, you’ll need to find a different route. The early closure will be in place Monday-Thursday, with services running on a revised timetable from 9.30pm each night. The early shutting of the route will start on January 12 and run through to late May. The closure will allow for TfL to undertake essential track replacement work, which the operator says will improve reliability on the line. From Friday to Sunday, the Northern line’s Bank branch will operate a normal service, while the Charing Cross branch will run as usual throughout the four months. During the closure, the Charing Cross branch will get an additional four trains per hour. Commenting on the temporary part-closure, TfL’s Director of Asset Performance Delivery Richard Jones said: ‘We apologise to Northern line customers and local businesses for the disruption that the early closure of the Bank branch will cause. This is to enable us to carry out essential track replacement work to improve the reliability of the line in future and would be very challenging to complete within normal engineering hours. ‘Customers are advised to check before th

Out and about in London this weekend? Watch out, you might have to navigate strike action. Hundreds of bus drivers will walk out, impacting over a dozen routes in east, northeast and west London. Travel in and around prime Christmas shopping destination Stratford will be significantly affected. The strikes consist of two separate disputes. One of the strikes is by drivers working for the Lea Interchange Bus Company, which is part of Stagecoach, and they’re all represented by the Unite union. The workers are walking out amid accusations of union busting and bullying at the company, which Stagecoach says it ‘utterly refutes’. The other dispute features Unite workers at Westbourne Park bus garage in west London, which led to strikes in west London in November. Another 350 workers employed by London Transit are walking out after rejecting the company’s latest pay offer.  Worried that your local bus route will be hit by strikes? Here’s what you need to know about the industrial action, including the dates and full list of affected routes. When are London bus drivers going on strike? There are two weekends that are set to be hit by strikes at the Lea Interchange Bus Company: December 12 and 13 January 8 and 9 The Westbourne Park garage strikes will take place on the following dates December 12, 15, 22, 23 and 24. Which bus routes will be affected by strikes? The following services are set to be impacted by walk-outs on Dec 12-13 and Jan 8-9 97 58 86 135 236 276 308 339 488 D8

Heads up, regular users of the Mildmay line. The Overground service will partially shut for 11 days this Christmas, before part-closing again on several weekends throughout January and February 2026. The line, which on a TfL map was formerly orange but is now striped blue, is closing due to a major track replacement project. Most of the works are focused on a stretch of track between Brondesbury Park and Willesden Junction in northwest London. Engineers are specifically replacing 10 sets of points, which allow trains to switch between lines. Straight tracks will also be replaced, while the works will also seek to improve drainage. The works are aiming to reduce the risk of track faults, as well as cut the likelihood of flooding on the line. The Mildmay isn’t the only London transport service that will be out of action over the festive period. Liverpool Street, Waterloo and Vauxhall stations will all also be shut at various times over Christmas and the New Year. What dates will the Mildmay line be closed? Here are the closure dates to watch out for: Christmas Day – no services Boxing Day – a service will only run between Shepherd's Bush and Clapham Junction. Replacement buses operate between Shepherd’s Bush and Camden Road, and between Camden Road and Stratford. December 27 2025 to January 4 2026 – no service between Camden Road and Richmond / Shepherd's Bush Replacement trains will run between Willesden Junction and Stratford, and between Shepherd’s Bush and Clapham Juncti

Fashion retailer River Island has announced that it intends to shut dozens of stores across the UK. A major restructure of the chain will see 33 shops close before the end of January 2026, while a further 71 stores will pay reduced rent.  River Island currently operates 230 stores across the UK and Ireland, employing around 5,500 people. The brand has blamed the closures on the shift to online shopping and rising operational costs Commenting on the soon-to-shut locations, chief executive Ben Lewis said: ‘We have a clear transformation strategy to ensure the long-term viability of the business, and this decision gives us a strong platform to deliver this. ‘Recent improvements in our fashion offer and shopping experience are starting to show results, and the restructuring plan will enable us to align our store estate to our customers’ needs. We are grateful to our suppliers, landlords and other stakeholders for their constructive engagement and shared confidence in River Island’s future.’ This week, exactly which 33 River Island shops are set to close has been revealed. Here’s what you need to know.  Full list of River Island locations closing in the UK The following locations of River Island will shut before the end of January 2026.  Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Bangor Bloomfield, Northern Ireland Barnstaple, Devon Beckton, Greater London Brighton, East Sussex Burton-Upon-Trent, Derbyshire Cumbernauld, Scotland Didcot, Oxfordshire Edinburgh Princes Street, Scotland Falkirk, Sco

Christmas is just two weeks away. With just a fortnight to prepare for the big day, panic over present-buying may naturally be setting in. But worry not, dear Londoners! Time Out’s definitive guides to the city’s top markets and shops for festive gifts have you more than covered.   If you’re planning on getting out and about in London this weekend, naturally you’ll want to know about planned travel disruption in the city. Thankfully, there isn’t a massive amount of line closures and service alternations planned for the coming days – though there are still some tweaks to the Northern and Elizabeth lines, the DLR and various Overground services. You can find all the tube and train service closures and alterations to know about in London this weekend below. RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in London this weekend. London travel disruption and tube closures, December 12-14 Northern line On Saturday December 13, no service between Hampstead and Edgware between 1.45am and 5.30am. From 5.30am on Saturday and all day Sunday, no service between Golders Green and Edgware. DLR On Sat Dec 13, no service between Prince Regent and Beckton. On Sun Dec 14, no trains between Shadwell and Tower Gateway, and no service between Shadwell and Tower Gateway Cutty Sark station is closed until next spring. Find out more here. Elizabeth line On Sun Dec 14, no service between Paddington and Ealing Broadway until 7.40am. Mildmay line (Overground) On Fri Dec 12, the 9.59pm train from Stratford t

Fresh from releasing one of the best albums of 2025, Spanish singer and songwriter Rosalía has announced that next year she’ll be heading out on a world tour. When the LUX Tour 2026 was unveiled last week it only included one London date at the O2, though Rosalía has since added a second date. Rosalía’s fourth album LUX was released at the start of November. Recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, it marked an orchestral turn for the singer and featured guest performances from the likes of Björk, Carminho and Estrella Morente. It was named one of Time Out’s top releases of the year – placing 13th out of 25. You can read our full list of 2025’s best albums here. Keen on seeing Rosalía live in London? Tickets go on sale for both shows this week – here’s what you need to know. When is Rosalía going on tour in 2026? The singer’s global tour starts in France in March 2026, and wraps up in Puerto Rico in September. What London tour dates have been announced so far? Rosalía will be playing London’s O2 Arena on two dates in May 2026. Tuesday May 5 – London, The O2 Wednesday May 6 – London, The O2 (additional date) When do tickets go on sale? General sale for both shows will start at 10am GMT on Thursday December 11 2025. You’ll be able to purchase on Ticketmaster here and AXS here. Presale details An artist presale began on Tuesday December 9 at 10am and continues until Thursday December 11 at 9am. Ticket prices According to a Reddit thread on pricing, non-VIP tickets in presa

Next summer Mumford and Sons will headline BST Hyde Park, one of London’s biggest music festivals, but before all that the stomp-clap-hey folk titans are touring Britain’s biggest arenas. The final stops on their current run of dates are in the capital, with two shows at the O2 lined up this week. The band are on tour following the release of their latest album Rushmere, which was released earlier in 2025. The album is actually named after a place in London: Rushmere Pond in Wimbledon, which is apparently where Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane first had the idea of putting a band together. Heading down to Greenwich to see Mumford and Sons this week? Here’s what you need to know about the show, from the timings to last-minute ticket availability. When are Mumford and Sons playing at London’s O2 Arena? The folk band is in town on Wednesday December 10 and Thursday December 11 2025. What time do doors open? Doors for both shows open at 6.30pm. The O2’s bars and restaurants will, as usual, be open earlier. When will Mumford and Sons come on stage? Main acts at the O2 tend to start their sets at around 8.30pm. However, on recent tour dates the band have tended to come on at around 9pm. Who’s supporting Mumford and Sons at the O2? American country and americana singer-songwriter Sierra Ferrell is on support. Last minute tickets On Ticketmaster both shows are listed as having ‘low availability’. Resale sites like Stubhub and Viagogo have tickets from around £60. Setlist Thi

Funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai have been going for well over three decades, but they haven’t played London for six years. That’s set to change this week, however, as Jay Kay and co will play two nights at the capital’s O2 Arena. The ‘Virtual Insanity’ and ‘Canned Heat’ hitmakers announced the current Heels of Steel tour way back in 2024, covering dates across the UK and Europe. While only one London date was initially confirmed, a second show was later added due to ‘phenomenal demand’. The ’Quai are a famously excellent live act – if you’re up for a dance, you won’t want to miss ’em. Here’s what you need to know about the shows, from timings to last-minute ticket availability. When are Jamiroquai playing at London’s O2 Arena? Jay Kay and the band are here on two dates: Tuesday December 9 and Sunday December 14 2025. What time do doors open? Doors on Dec 9 open at 6.30pm, while timings are shifted earlier slightly on Dec 14 to 6pm. The O2’s bars and restaurants will, as usual, be open earlier. When will Jamiroquai come on stage? On previous tour dates, the band have come on at around 8.30pm – expect something similar on Dec 9. On Dec 14, the O2’s curfew is earlier. Expect the band on at around 8pm. Who’s supporting Jamiroquai at the O2? Warming up for the ’Quai are Erick the Architect and Cerrone. Last minute tickets Ticketmaster says it has ‘limited availability’ for both shows. Resale sites like Viagogo and Stubhub have some tickets left from £99. Setlist For an idea of