Amy Houghton

The UK is a glorious place to eat, drink and generally be merry. Sure, there are loads of great restaurants in London, but there are hundreds more across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; ones where you’ll make napkin-stained memories that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life. Especially if you head to Cumbria, which is home to the most Michelin stars in the UK outside of the capital. But as well as the diner’s paradise that is the Lake District, here is where else you need to head in order to sample some of the finest food and downright transcendent restaurant experiences the UK has to offer.  The best restaurants in the UK at a glance: 💸 The best for a big budget blow-out: Ynyshir, Ceredigion. 🧆 The best for vegetarians: Queen of Cups, Glastonbury. 🐚 The best for a seaside getaway: The Sportsman, Whitstable. 🥧 The best for experimental foodies: Osip, Somerset. RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in the UK. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

The final stretch of 2026 is upon us, and London is looking mighty festive in the run-up to Christmas. The skies are be sparkling with Christmas lights, the capital’s venues are filling up with Christmas pantos and carol services, and the streets are lined with colourful Christmas markets and twinkling trees. Plus, there are the ice-skating rinks, the winter pop-ups and the chilly winter walks followed by cosy pub hangouts. And that’s before we even get on to New Year’s Eve!  Here’s our guide to the finest events, parties, cultural happenings and things to do in London over December 2026.  RECOMMENDED: Time Out’s definitive London events calendar.

Our feet are sore, our lungs are full of dust, and our noses are well and truly sunburnt. But festival season isn’t quite over yet. This summer Londoners have been absolutely spoilt for choice when it came to fezzies. The August bank holiday closed the summer holidays with a bang, with festivals in London headlined by Blood Orange, Tyler, The Creator and Maribou State. But if you missed all that, fear not, you’ve still got a chance to catch some big names this September as well as at a smattering of indoor events taking us through to next year.  Have a scroll through our comprehensive guide – which we keep meticulously updated with all the latest line-up announcements – and see what takes your fancy. RECOMMENDED: ⛺ The best UK music festivals🌍 The best festivals in Europe

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: this is the year of the staycation. After all, who needs to go abroad when the weather is this damn good at home, and when there are oh-so-many incredible hotels to pitch up in for the weekend, right here in the UK? In fact, we’d go as far to say that the UK’s hotels are some of the very best in the business – 10-room boutiques, seaside townhouses, sprawling countryside estates n’ all. Whatever trip you’re after, be it a quick break from London or a remote coastal stay, there is a perfect hotel waiting for you. And on this list, we’ve got it all: food-focused pubs with rooms, remote hotels with blessedly patchy signal and all-out, OTT luxurious. However, we want this list to reflect a full spectrum of properties available to travellers (and not just the ones with gold towel holders and Michelin-starred room service.) As a result, we make sure to take into account location, price and value for money – and bring you a guide that has plenty of budget-friendly options included too. Oh, and family-friendly ones. And yes, dog-friendly, too. Itching to book? Read on, friends. Here are our favourite hotels in the UK right now.  The UK’s best hotels at a glance 👑 Best overall: Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh 🎀 Best boutique: The Newt, Somerset 🥂 Best luxury: Claridge’s, London 💍 Best for couples: The Bull, Cotswolds 🌾 Best countryside: Cavendish Hotel, Peak District 💸 Best budget option: Leven, Manchester How we curat

Make no mistake, the UK’s most beautiful places rank among the world’s most visually stunning locations. And what’s more, Britain looks good in so many ways. Sure, there are mighty natural landscapes like mountains, coasts and forests – but lots of the UK’s most spectacular sights are manmade: age-old architectural marvels, idyllic towns and feats of revolutionary design.   Time Out’s revamped guide to the most beautiful places in the UK has all the above and more. Compiled with the expertise of our travel experts – who’ve seen more than their fair share of spectacular stuff – it documents the length and breadth of Britain’s grandest and most memorable locations. In the market to see something mind-boggling? Here’s our definitive ranking of the UK’s most beautiful places right now. RECOMMENDED FOR UK TRAVEL🥾 The best hikes and walks🏖️ The most stunning beaches🏛️ The most fascinating museums🌊 The greatest seaside towns

A weekend escape from the big city is definitely needed sometimes, and you don’t need to hop on a plane to find incredible places to unwind, explore and recharge. If you’re looking to stay put in the Capital, head over to our guide to the best Airbnbs in London. But for all things coastal, charming and windswept outside of the city, read on, friends – we’ve got charming market towns, rolling countryside and tucked-away villages a-plenty.  📌 Updated August 2026: New for 2026 are our all-new reviews of The View at Shoreline in Folkestone and Elmore Wild Treehouses in Gloucester, which are both not to be missed. Read on for details and how to book.  RECOMMENDED: Our ultimate guide to UK getaways The best Airbnb breaks near London, at a glance 🏖️ Best seaside getaway: The View at Shoreline, Folkestone 💦 Best for wild swimming and hot tubs: The Ditchling Cabin in South Downs 🏔️ Best for total isolation: The Pobble House in Dungeness 💅 Best for a girls’ trip: The contemporary vineyard in Toppesfield, Essex 🛖 Most treehouse: Elmore Wild ‘Wildcat’ Treehouse Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every Airbnb featured, we've based our list on top reviews, hosts, and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.  ➡️ The ultimate guide to travelling near London

Whatever your vibe (and whatever your budget), London’s got it all – and anyone will find something they love here. Whether you’re searching for a cheap central London studio, a luxury Hackney loft, or a leafy Highgate townhouse, finding where to stay in London is step one. From historic pubs to world-class dining, London delivers year-round. To help you book, our local editors rounded up the best Airbnb venues in London for 2026 – including our top new addition, a sunny home in Peckham. Best Airbnbs in London at a glance  📍 Best central Airbnb near Soho: Aribnb with balcony in Bloomsbury 🌇 Best east London warehouse loft: Loft in London Fields 💗 Best for couples: Holland Park home with balcony 🧸 Best for families: Luxury loft with workspace in Archway 🤑 Most affordable: Spacious flat with a bath in Brixton 🎊 Best Airbnb for large groups: Huge home in Canary Wharf   Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured, our writers have based our list on expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. Ella Doyle is Time Out’s guides editor, based in London. 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 guide

Once upon a time, hikes across the British countryside were far from as accessible as they are today. While it’s now easy to take for granted the ability to go out and hike the country’s countless trails, it’s thanks to grassroots campaigners in the 1930s and laws passed in the decades that followed that we’re able to walk so much of this island’s landscape.  And what a landscape it is! Britain has romantic rolling hills and plunging valleys, extinct volcanoes and foreboding mountain ranges, idyllic beaches and sweeping coastal cliffs, wildflower-covered moorlands and breathtaking lakes – the list could go on. Among all that natural beauty, you’ll find age-old castles, charming villages and boozers that have been providing refuge to weary travellers for centuries.  Whether you’re planning a pleasant afternoon ramble or an arduous two-week expedition, we’ve compiled a list of 10 walks, country hikes and coastal routes that show off some of the greatest scenery the UK has to offer (whatever weather gets thrown at us). Lace up and get out there.  RECOMMENDED:🏖️ The best seaside towns and most spectacular beaches in the UK🇬🇧 Britain’s best places to visit in 2026🌆 The UK’s most underrated city breaks🏛️ The greatest museums in Britain right now Time Out’s best UK walks mapped Image: Time OutMap of the best hikes in the UK 2026

Now and again, it’s nice to forget that you’re a real adult with real adult responsibilities. Sometimes, you just need to switch off from the daily toils of being a grownup and be reminded of the simple joys in life – like how fun bubbles can be or how darn cool dinosaurs are. London has plenty of things going on that can help with that. In fact, this city is really one big adult playground. Here, grownups can zoom down giant slides, play pretend in mad escape rooms, put on their rollerskates and scribble with crayons at restaurants without anyone batting an eyelid.  So, for just a while, forget about your pension plan and ditch your daily routine, here’s how to feel like a kid again in the capital.  RECOMMENDED: The 50 best things to do in London for actual children

July 2026: If you’ve had the pleasure of strolling down Exmouth Market recently, you’ll know the historic Clerkenwell strip is the buzziest pedestrianised street in London, full of al-fresco fun, convivial pintspeople and sidewalk tapas as far as the eye can see. Which is pretty much all down to the new Number 1 in our list of the best bars in London. Congratulations are due to Cafe Kick, the breezy Euro-chic sports bar about to celebrate 30 years of tricking your brain into thinking you’re on holiday. The rest of our Top 50 features bars old and new, posh and divey, and cheap and pricey, but all of them with great drinks and an unparalleled vibe. Fancy a drink? You’ve come to the right place. This is Time Out’s list of best bars in London, our curated guide to London’s drinking scene, which features the greatest bars in the capital right now. These are the places we’d recommend to a friend, because we love drinking in them and have done many times over. From classy cocktail counters to delightful dives, sleek hotel bars, rooftop bars and places to sip wine, London’s got them all. You’ll find historic drinking holes here as well as brand new openings. But what makes a truly good bar? Our critieria is simple; a menu of great drinks is important, but so is the overall energy of the place – there’s no point having the perfect paloma if you have to drink it in a bar that smells of bin juice. To make it into our Top 50, a bar has to be fun, friendly, convivial and inclusive, as we

There are few things that we’d willingly brave the chill for during winter in London. But ice skating is one of them. From early November each year, ice rinks decked out with towering Christmas trees and twinkly fairy lights start to fill London’s squares and courtyards, hosting everything from DJ takeovers and kids’ skating lessons to date nights and family outings over the festive period. Pretty soon you’ll get to pretend you’re in a festive London rom-com, as you romantically glide (or awkwardly stumble) with your loved ones under the gaze of landmarks like Somerset House, Battersea Power Station and Hampton Court Palace.  Keen to flaunt your best ice moves? Determined to skate at least one lap without clinging onto the wall for dear life? We recommend you book a spot at your chosen rink as early as you can. Here are the best rinks in London for the 2026/27 season. We’ll be adding more as they’re announced.  How much does it cost to go ice skating? The cost to skate at London’s various permanent and pop-up ice rinks varies quite significantly. Last year’s cheapest option is Queens Skate Dine and Bowl, where adult tickets are available from £8 (during off-peak hours). But some skating sessions can be as much as £25-£37. For cheaper tickets, consider visiting at less popular times.  London’s best places to go ice skating this winter: ⛸️ Best for the biggest rink in town: Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park 💃 Best for ice dance parties: Somerset House, Aldwych 🏛️ Best for south

Ranking the greatest pubs in the UK is, obviously, very tricky business indeed. Pub preference is such an intimate, personal thing – one person’s dream boozer might not remotely appeal to another. That said, when it comes to Britain’s absolute finest pubs there are universal marks of excellence: convivial atmosphere, charming staff, charismatic decor and, above all, a varied selection of well-kept, well-served drinks. Time Out’s 2026 ranking of Britain’s greatest pubs was compiled with the assistance of our UK-wide network of drinking aficionados, and features all kinds of establishments. Pint enclaves built in barren deserts, atop blustery mountains and on isolated beaches. Sturdy booze bastions, age-old no-fuss pubs, innovative craft alehouses and everything in between.  Some of these pubs are old favourites though plenty are more recent obsessions; they’re almost all independent (with a couple of worthy exceptions). Mostly, though, they’re united by one thing: a sense of community. A pub is made by its cast of regulars, and you’ll find quality company in each of the institutions below.  (Oh, and for the most part these pubs are outside London. You can find a list of the capital’s top drinking holes here). RECOMMENDED: The best gastropubs in the UK. Mapped: the best pubs in the UK Image: Time OutBest pubs in the UK map

Shepherd’s Bush feels like an unlikely home for the British entertainment industry. But sure enough, it’s where Charlie Chaplin performed in the early stages of his career, where The Who used to regularly rehearse and where major film and TV studios have lived, most notably, of course, the BBC.  Hotel Indigo K West sits inside one of those former studios. BBC’s Kensington House was where major stars would go for recording sessions – we’re talking the likes of David Bowie, Bob Marley, Amy Winehouse and Jimi Hendrix. Those days are long gone now, and the building has been a hotel since 2001. It closed in 2023 in order to undergo a multimillion pound transformation by IHG and reopened earlier this year as Hotel Indigo London K West.  The previous hotel here was loudly done out in garish metallics, fringed chandeliers and swish furnishings. Its new look is, thankfully, much less aggressive.  To deck out the new and improved abode, IHG enlisted the help of art consultancy Art Story (whose other recent credentials include 1 Hotel Copenhagen, Great Scotland Yard Hotel and Treehouse Hotel Manchester). The result is a far more tasteful look and a reassuring sense that this place, though immaculate, doesn’t take itself too seriously.  You’ll find K West down a residential street,  a stone’s throw from Shepherd’s Bush Station, but far away enough that you’re wholly undisturbed by the hub’s notorious chaos.  What are the rooms like?  Hotel Indigo’s seven floors (floor three is at ground

Step onto the pebbles of Folkestone Beach and it won’t be long before your eyes catch the gleaming white, wave-like behemoth that stands on its western side. That’s Shoreline, a fancy new block of 84 apartments, duplexes and penthouses, completed back in 2024. Most of those apartments are on sale right now for upwards of £375k, but there are two reserved for anyone staying in Folkestone for a short foray.  The View at Shoreline is an incredibly sleek, tastefully furnished self-catered townhouse, ideal for a foursome of friends or two couples. If you’re after somewhere conveniently located with splendid vistas, you won’t get much better.  What’s it like inside The View at Shoreline?  You’ve got five storeys at your disposal. On the ground floor, which has a front door opening directly onto the beach, you’ll find the smaller of the two double bedrooms (facing directly out onto the beach) and a separate little bathroom. Skip the basement – it’s empty save for some deckchairs and beachy bits. Upstairs is where things get a bit more exciting. The spacious kitchen with its wooden finishings has every bit of equipment you could ask for (including a Nespresso coffee machine) and more storage than I imagine four people could possibly need (case in point: a wine fridge that could fit at least 12 bottles). The palatial high-ceilinged living room is on the next floor. This is where you can enjoy the best view in the house – I could have quite easily spent the entire morning people-watchi

You don’t have to venture all the way up to Edinburgh for a cracking dose of comedy in August. The Roundhouse has been hosting its comedy fest since 2023 and every year curates a line-up full of the biggest stars on the circuit. Across 18 days this year, you can expect gigs from the likes of Joe Lycett, Ed Gamble, Katherine Ryan, Sam Campbell, Ed Gamble, Sara Pascoe and Vittorio Angelone. Beyond the stand-ups, there’ll be live podcast recordings, theatrical comedy and interactive shows to watch too. Cult US comedy streaming platform Dropout will bring live editions of its hit shows Dirty Laundry, Um, Actually and Crowd Control, Jack Rooke (writer of Bad Boys) will present his first solo show and Adam Buxton and Alexei Sayle will host podcast recordings with special guests Ayoade Bamgboye of SNL UK and last year’s Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Sam Nicoresti. If you’re under 30, you can get your hands on tickets for just five quid. 

A month after the long-awaited ‘Frida: The Making of an Icon’ opened at the Tate Modern, it was only a matter of time before the gallery hosted one of its Friday Lates in dedication to the Mexican visionary. Publishing studio Calaca Press will have an archive of books, magazines, images and music from Mexico City produced during Frida Kahlo’s lifetime for visitors to explore and to inspire zinemaking. Elsewhere, writer and curator Hettie Judah will be in the Starr Cinema to talk about the relationship between Kahlo and photographer Nickolas Muray. Up on the rooftop, DJ Tiffany Calver will play an exclusive set inspired by Frida’s legacy (with the promise of a ‘very special guest’). And down in the gallery’s Corner Bar, there’ll be an energetic mix of Cumbia Sonidera, Cumbia with electronic, African and Balkan influences brought to you by Mexican DJ Ritmos Cholulteka. 

Nothing inside Fulham Pier Hotel indicates that you are, technically, at a football stadium. Then again, said football stadium is often considered the poshest in the country, so perhaps it tracks that it’s now home to one of the glossiest boutique hotels in the city.  Fulham Pier Hotel backs onto Craven Cottage (London’s oldest football grounds) and is part of a major redevelopment of the whole venue by Fulham FC’s billionaire owner Shahid Khan. But there are no framed football shirts given pride of place on the walls, no photos of iconic Fulham FC moments, no echo of cheers from fans and the pitch isn’t visible unless you’re peeking over from the sprawling terrace of the penthouse. To boot, the hotel’s discreet entrance (a gold door to the side of the building that can only be opened with your key), limited number of rooms, and private access to the swanky member’s club next door makes the place feel incredibly exclusive.  What are the rooms like at Fulham Pier Hotel?  Each of the 13 rooms are – thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the waterfront – gloriously flooded with natural light. From the wide private balcony of our Junior Suite (which spans the whole length of the room), we sit and watch countless rowers glide down the river while a collage of runners and dog-walkers make use of the leafy Thames Path on the other side. The space directly opposite the pier is a designated conservation area, so those pretty vistas and the mesmering, unobstructed view of the su

A star-studded roster of London’s funniest people will be taking to the roof of the Bill Murray Comedy Club for the annual Angel Comedy Street Party on sunday. So far, the lineup features Barry Ferns, Paddy Young (of Saturday Night Live UK), Spencer Jones and star of Time Out’s Love Thy Neighbourhood podcast Helen Bauer. The day will be rounded off with special musical chaos from Chloe Petts alongside duo Flo & Joan. We don’t know exactly what that chaos will involve, but we do know that the trio have been dubbed themselves The Spooky Richards. Tickets are free of charge but donations are encouraged. All the money collected will go towards Islington Centre for Refugees and Migrants, which helps people seeking sanctuary, providing English classes, expert advice, and a welcoming community. 

Peckham’s finest will be out in full force at a free festival on bank holiday Monday. The second annual On the Rye festival will take over the south London park with non-stop sets spanning lovers rock, soulful house, Afro-Cuban rhythms and more from the likes of the Handson Family, Buena Vista Social Club, Donut, Rebel Clash, Carroll Thompson, Born n Bread and Marcia Carr. Local vendors will line the green selling street food, drinks and artisan crafts and there’ll be loads of family-friendly goings on from a bouncy castles and face-painting to a kids’ festival rave and chess classes with local club Say It With Your Chess. 

London Rivers Week has been committed to celebrating and restoring London’s rivers for 10 years now. In that decade, the need to appreciate our city’s waterways has only grown. The theme of the charity event this year is ‘Know Your Local River’, encouraging Londoners to connect with and take pride in the river nearest to them. To help you do that, there’ll be guided walks, exhibitions, volunteer sessions, lectures, workshops, clean-ups and talks going on in every corner of the capital. See the full programme here. 

Large, blocky and wrapped in sage green, 1 Hotel Copenhagen is, frankly, unimpressive from the street outside. But any doubts about the place evaporate the moment you push through its revolving doors. Within seconds, the divinely soft scent of pine that ripples through the building has you sighing into a state of bliss. Straight ahead is a cascading set of wooden stairs that look like a flora adorned version of the Met steps, beckoning you up to the palatial, plant-filled atrium and lobby above.  Hotel 1 Copenhagen flung its doors open in August 2025 and is the brand’s second European outpost (after London). The place fits the city like a glove – it’s hard to imagine somewhere better suited to 1 Hotel's simple glamour, laid-back luxury and eco-conscious ethos than the Danish capital.  What are the rooms like at 1 Hotel Copenhagen?  All of the 282 rooms at 1 Hotel are all appropriately Scandi – bright, airy and done out in soft, organic tones. We’re set up in the Junior Suite, which was soaked with natural light and filled with plush cream, reclaimed wood and canvas furnishings. Wherever there’s space for a plant, there is one – on every coffee table, peaking out of  the middle of the sofa or perched next to the bathroom sink.  A lot of thought has gone into making the rooms ultra sustainable, and encouraging the guests to live mindfully. There’s a sand-timer opposite the rainfall shower that keeps you conscious of how much water you’re consuming (in a gentle, non-pass-agg way

Bar Flor is laden with loveliness. You’d expect little else from Aaron Potter and Laura Hart, the chef and interior stylist duo who gave us the ever-so-elegant Wildflowers. One floor above that restaurant is Bar Flor, which comes complete with whimsically hand-painted walls, reminiscent of the interiors of Charleston House, pale wood finishes, cosy velvet-clad pews and gentle, romantic light.  Bar Flor bills itself as a more playful, more spontaneous sister (the Type-B sibling, if you will) to the pristine Type-A restaurant below. The menu is Basque-country inspired – a copious lineup of European wines, vermouths and sherries alongside lager, Basque ciders and cocktails, complemented by a snappy selection of pintxos.  I was pulled towards the cocktails, which range from the house Adonis, made up of Cocchi Torino vermouth, Manzanilla sherry and a dash of orange bitters, to the luxuriously smoky Flor Margarita. Plates of dangerously moreish bar snacks filled the table throughout the evening, arranged on pretty floral plates that look like they’ve been pulled from a Spanish abuela’s kitchen cupboards. Dishes change on a weekly basis, but standouts on the night we visited included the delicate triangles of cave-aged manchego doused in honey, as well as shudderingly salty, briny gildas and (the showstopper) a fried calamari sandwich with garlic aioli oozing over the edges of the crusty bun.  Order this I couldn’t keep my hands off Bar Flor’s Peschiole Martini – a sugary, tangy co

Cameron House is nearly every Scottish stereotype wrapped up in a pristine package.  As we glide down its long drive, the enormous Loch Lomond stretches to the left while baronial towers stand proud to the right, and when we step through its grand front doors, golfers hang about the lobby and bespoke tartan pops up everywhere from the staff uniform to headboards. See? Scottish as hell. Spanning 400-acres, the hotel's high-end touches and abundance of facilities might seem intimidating at first. But, in true Scot fashion, as vast and luxurious as it is, Cameron House somehow still feels homely and down to earth.  Why stay at Cameron House? The bonny vistas over Scotland’s largest loch and the Trossachs National Park are enough reason to stay at Cameron House on their own. But add to that its grand architecture, its endless grounds, its impeccable dining, its proximity to Glasgow, and a night here becomes near irresistible. And if big names mean anything to you, you may be interested to know that it has earned nods of approval from the likes of Barack Obama, Sir Alex Ferguson, Leonardo Dicaprio, Cameron Diaz and Robbie Williams.  It has a compelling history, too. The site was originally home to a castle in the 14th century, which was remodelled in the 17th century. Then, for three centuries, it was home to esteemed Scottish family the Smollets (owner and famous novelist Tobias Smollett famously wrote ‘I have seen Lake Garda, Albana, de Visco, Bolsetta and Geneva. Upon my honour

What is it?  Brockwell Park is a much-needed slab of green (84 acres) just south of Brixton. Locals from the surrounding areas flock here in summer to sun-worship (if they’re lucky), fly kites, play football, swim in the outside pool, garden in the community greenhouses and parade a stunning array of dogs. The vast space was once the private grounds of Brockwell Hall and was opened to the public in 1891 by the London County Council. The hall still stands today and is one of several grade II listed buildings dotted about the park, including the emerald green Tritton Tower Clock, which was gifted to celebrate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.  Why go?  It's big, diverse and interesting, with numerous areas to appeal to different tastes, from the calm, rolling meadows around Tulse Hill and walled ‘Old English’ flower garden to the BMX track and sloped football pitches by the Dulwich Road. The playground in Brockwell Park is a favourite, with its aerial slide, massive sandpit and sections for different age groups; nearby you’ll find duck ponds and a huge paddling pool. There’s also a lovely little minature railway open at the weekends May to October, weather permitting – it’s not particularly massive but it’s been just £1 for a return for years now. Don’t miss:  Regular events at the park include circuses and a busy schedule of summer concerts and festivals including Wide Awake, Mighty Hoopla, Field Day and Cross the Tracks. But one of the most beloved annual events is the Lam

If we’re to believe the legend, the Tower of London is only still standing because of its six resident ravens. For the last few centuries, it’s been said that if the birds ever leave, the Tower and the British kingdom would fall to ruin. That was made up by King Charles II in the 1600s, but six ravens plus a few backups are still kept in the Tower today, looked after by the Ravenmaster, to be on the safe side. And from this month, the public is being given the chance to meet them up close.  The Tower of London has launched a brand-new early morning tour dedicated to the guardians of the Tower. The tour commences at 8.15am sharp from the Tower’s middle drawbridge and starts off with a 45-minute talk from a Yeoman Warder member of the Ravenmaster’s team (imagine putting that on your CV). Then, guests will be taken to the South Lawn to meet and greet the birds.  Photograph: ShutterstockTower of London There are eight ravens at the Tower right now, named Harris, Jubilee, Poppy, Edgar, Georgie, Chaos, Henry and Poe. This experience will introduce you to their unique personalities, show you their daily feeding and care routine and divulge behind-the-scenes stories. There’s also a chance to take some exclusive photos of the conspiracy and see them being released into the Tower for the day.  And you don’t have to leave once the experience is over – you can wander the grounds before other tourists arrive and be first in line to see the Crown Jewels exhibition when it opens for the d

A plot of undeveloped land next to Vauxhall station is about to get one hell of a makeover.  Plans for a £2 billion regeneration of Vauxhall Square have officially been given the green light by Lambeth Council. They include three soaring skyscrapers, one of which will reach 230.5 metres (69 storeys) and be the second-tallest residential building in the UK, after the Landmark Pinnacle at Canary Wharf. The largest of the towers will provide 1,097 new homes that will go up for private sale or rent. A quarter of them will be ‘affordable’ homes: 122 will be social rent and 120 will be Discount Market Rent. There will also be 1,164 co-living studios in a smaller 61-storey building and 699 rooms for students in a 45-storey building. On the project’s website, developers say that Vauxhall Square will be ‘a genuinely mixed and inclusive community where people at every stage of life can thrive’.  Besides the towers, the newly-approved proposals feature offices, a 250-room hotel, a cinema, flexible retail, and community facilities like a gym, a swimming pool and a play area.  Prior to planning permission being granted, Historic England said that the development would cause ‘incremental harm’ to the Westminster World Heritage Site. It argued that the height of the towers would have an impact on several protected London sightlines. Lambeth planning officers disagreed.  Now that the scheme has been given the go-ahead, construction is expected to start in January 2027 and be complete by Feb

The Waldorf Astoria London is arguably the capital’s most hotly anticipated hotel opening of the past few years. Mostly because it will be the first hotel inside the magnificent Grade I-listed Admiralty Arch, but also because it’s set to be an incredible fine dining and drinking destination with restaurants from Michelin-starred chefs Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud, plus whisky and cocktail bars. Now, a third venue has been added to the lineup.  Inception Group, the same people behind bars like Mr Fogg’s and Cahoots, will open The Admiral’s Mess at the venue. Spanning 2,400 square feet, the new ‘immersive’ bar will have a 60-seat capacity. It’ll offer guests the opportunity to ‘discover something distinctive and unexpected’. And that’s about all we know so far. The group has a history of creating quirky drinking dens. Cahoots in Soho, for example, is themed all around our beloved London Underground with a ‘train guard’ actor on the door. And Bunga90, one of its newest openings, is a 1990s-themed adult playground with karaoke in the toilet lobby. If those are anything to go by, we’re sure that The Admiral’s Mess won’t take itself too seriously, either.  Photograph: cowardlion / Shutterstock.comAdmiralty Arch, London Charlie Gilkes, co-founder of Inception Group, said: ‘We are honoured to have the opportunity to open within such an iconic London location and are excited to have created a totally unique concept fitting for such a historic site.’ The Waldorf Astoria London Admir

Bread Ahead started its life in Borough Market in 2013. The Southwark market is where the now-beloved business made its name, where those famous crème brûlée doughnuts were first served, where the brand launched its very first baking school. In the years since, Bread Ahead grew so popular that it was able to open additional branches in King’s Cross, South Kensington and Wembley, as well as overseas. But now, the future of Bread Ahead’s original home is at risk. Bread Ahead says it is being forced to move out of Borough Market. On Thursday September 10, founder Matthew Jones shared that the business was told that it’s ‘become too successful’ to stay in the market and that its international growth means that its lease will not be renewed. He added in a video posted to Instagram that the closure would lead to the loss of 83 jobs.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by BREADAHEAD (@breadaheadbakery) Jones said: ‘In 2013, I started Bread Ahead at Borough Market with a small market stall, three products and a lot of hard work. There was no big investment behind me. No corporate backing. Just an idea I believed in, a love of baking and a determination to make it work. Borough Market gave us our start. It became our home. It is where Bread Ahead grew up. ‘I honestly never imagined that being successful could put our home at risk. We haven’t been bought by a multinational. We haven’t become a faceless chain. We are still founder-led. We still bake, we still

Last November, after a six year hiatus, Blackheath Fireworks made an almighty return. Prior to its break, the display was the largest free fireworks show in London. Sadly, the new version of the event wasn’t free, but it was just as spectacular. And it was so successful that it’s coming back for Bonfire Night 2026.  Alongside Lewisham council, Blackheath is now run by Slammin’ Events, which also looks after the fireworks at Alexandra Palace. And this year, it’s turning things up a notch. The event will be spread across a larger site, meaning more food stalls, more bars, more entertainment and a capacity of 40,000 (that’s 10,000 more than last year).  Tickets have gone live today and are expected to sell out, so act fast. Here’s everything you need to know about Blackheath Fireworks 2026.  RECOMMENDED: The best fireworks in London for Bonfire Night 2026.  When is Blackheath Fireworks 2026?  The fireworks will take place on Saturday November 7.  Where are Blackheath Fireworks?  There’ll be back at Blackheath Common in south east London.    Photograph: Luke DysonBlackheath Fireworks 2025 Ticket prices  Here’s the pricing for Blackheath Fireworks 2026. Adult 16+: £17.60 Youth (11-15): £11 Child (0-10): £5.50 Family with youths (11-15): £51.36 Single parent family with youths (11-15): £36.72 Family with children (0-10): £43.20 Single parent family with children (0-10): £28.08 You can purchase them here. Lineup Garage stars DJ Luck and MC Neat will be in the Big Top tent along

It’s nearly the time of year for hot cuppas on the sofa and weekends spent stomping through piles of autumn leaves. The clocks will go back, Halloween will roll around and then it’ll be Bonfire Night. The Great British tradition of celebrating Guy Fawkes’ foiled plot to blow up parliament is, strangely, one of the cosiest nights in the calendar. We throw on our warmest coats, crunch on toffee apples and gather in huge crowds to gaze in awe at the fireworks. As ever, London’s skies will explode with sparkling colour for Bonfire Night 2026, and one of the biggest fireworks displays of them all will be at Alexandra Palace.  Ally Pally will host dazzling pyrotechnic and drone shows across two days this year. Here’s everything you need to know about how to get tickets and exactly what to expect.  RECOMMENDED: The best fireworks displays in London. When is the Alexandra Palace Fireworks and Drone Festival 2026?  For the first time, the event is taking place across a full Saturday and Sunday weekend, rather than Friday and Saturday. It’s happening on Saturday November 7 and Sunday November 8.  Photograph: Josette CrispinDrone show at Alexandra Palace When do tickets go on sale? Tickets went on sale on Friday September 4. You can purchase them here.  How much are tickets?  Now that early bird tickets are sold out, prices for each day start from £18. Final release will go up to £19.50. Kids under 10 can get in for £5.  What’s the lineup for the Alexandra Palace Fireworks Festival 2

The National Tramway Museum has pledged to increase its accessibility for tourists. Next month it will launch a pioneering access tram which will allow wheelchair users to sit alongside seated passengers.  A tram from the 1980s has been specially converted to provide greater access for disabled visitors. It’s a Blackpool Centenary Tram No. 645, which was one of the last first-generation tramcars built in Britain in that decade, and has been adapted to carry up to three wheelchair users next to 25 seated passengers, allowing friends and family to travel together.  Besides dedicated space, other accessibility features on the tram include a new wheelchair lift (similar to those you see on buses) and improved passenger facilities.  There is also space for a wheelchair user to drive the tram under supervision with adapted driving controls, which is believed to be a world first for a heritage tramway. Visitors would have the opportunity to steer the vehicle as part of the museum’s Ultimate Tram Driving Experience days. It’s not the first time that the museum has an access tram. After realising that many visitors found it difficult to board its heritage tram cars, the original accessible tram was introduced in 1997 and was in service for 25 years before retiring in 2023.  The new accessible vehicle will officially launch on September 12, which coincides with the museum’s annual Tram Weekend – a two day event offering vintage tram rides, live music and curatorial displays. Former Par

The Isle of Sheppey could be getting a big swanky makeover over the next six years. Plans have been submitted for a £142 million new village on the Kent island, with loads of new holiday homes, residential homes, community facilities and a retirement complex.  Under the proposals, eight caravan sites in the area would be completely overhauled and transformed into a new hilltop community.  At the moment, the sites are home to a total of 1,197 caravans and bases. The new destination will include homes, holiday accommodations and green spaces to enhance the surrounding area’s ‘rural character’.  The new settlement, named Kinford Village, is being developed by Evergreen Escapes Group (EEG), and is still awaiting approval from Swale Council. The company says that it wants to create a village that is ‘ attractive to residents and holidaymakers for generations to come. Image: Evergreen Escapes GroupPlans for Kinford Village If it gets the green light, the development would take six years to complete. Kinford would include a new transport and cycle hub, town square and leisure facilities including a swimming pool and clubhouse. Accommodation-wise, there’ll be 400 new residential lodges, 98 ‘general needs dwellings’ and a refurbished holiday park with space for 228 holiday caravans. The plans also include a new retirement community on the site with a care home and 136 retirement living apartments.  EEG said that the village will bring an ‘annual £8.8m boost to the Swale district ec

Houston TX Hot Chicken is venturing out of the United States for the very first time. For the last six years, hardcore Americans have been taking on the chicken chain’s ultra, ultra spicy offerings. Now, it’s our turn.  Two weeks ago, the brand revealed that it would be making its UK debut with a restaurant in Stevenage. But don’t worry, a London restaurant won’t be far behind. The capital’s very first Houston Hot Chicken will open at the Brunswick Centre in Bloomsbury this winter, just a few weeks after its branch in Stevenage opens. Houston TX serves up hot chicken tenders, nuggets, waffles or chicken sandwiches at various spice levels. Finally, brave Londoners will have a chance to take on the infamous ‘Houston, We Have A Problem Sauce’ which is made from a blend of Carolina Reaper and Scorpion pepper powders and reaches two million on the Scoville scale. Not sure what that measurement means? Well, let’s just say that before you try the sauce, you’re legally required to sign a waiver to acknowledge the extreme physical risk and intense heat.  Photograph: Houston TX Hot ChickenLemonade flavour selection at Houston TX Hot Chicken Thankfully, you don’t have to set your tastebuds on fire in order to enjoy Houston TX Hot Chicken. The brand has several other flavours that range from the spice-less honey butter to the mild buffalo sauce to the more fiery ‘Lift-Off’ (which at 600,000 on the Scoville scale is the second spiciest on offer). Sides on the menu include mac and chees

September is upon us and, after a full-on summer, you might want to take things a bit slower this weekend. That doesn’t necessarily mean staying in. London certainly won’t be as busy as it has been across previous weeks, but there’s still lots going on.  You might want to go to Greenwich to see all the free outdoor theatre going on, venture to Forest Hill to pick up a new plant baby at the Horniman Museum, travel to Richmond for the Totally Thames Festival or journey to Hackney Wick for a day-to-night jazz fest.  However you decide to spend this weekend, there’s a high chance you’ll need to take the tube at some point. So, you don’t want to be caught out by any of the planned closures. Here’s our guide to the disruptions to watch out for on the Underground and Overground this weekend. RECOMMENDED: The best free things to do this weekend London travel disruption and tube closures this weekend, September 4-6 2026 District line On Saturday September 5 and Sunday September 6, no service between Edgware Road and Wimbledon. Rail replacement buses will be in operation.  Elizabeth line On Sunday September 6, no Elizabeth line services between Paddington and Ealing Broadway. Suffragette line On Sunday 6 September, no service between Gospel Oak and Woodgrange Park.  Reduced services on Sunday between Woodgrange Park and Barking Riverside. Trains will run every 30 minutes.  Windrush line  All day Saturday and until 7.15pm on Sunday, there’ll be no service between Surrey Quays a

For many restaurants, earning a Michelin star is one of the ultimate goals. Those coveted stars are only handed out once a year (normally in February), but to be in the running, restaurants must first be part of the Michelin Guide. And new places are added to that every single month.  Anonymous inspectors tuck into dishes at dozens of restaurants across the British Isles to meticulously judge which ones deserve a spot. Whether a restaurant makes the guide depends on five criteria: quality ingredients, flavour, cooking techniques, consistency and whether the chef’s personality shines through the dishes. Not much to ask, then. In August 12 restaurants in the UK passed the test with flying colours.  After having no restaurants in the guide, Worthing now boasts two Michelin-approved establishments. The first is the north Indian-influenced Bauji and the second is fine-dining spot Tern. Several other seaside spots were among the new additions. There’s the ‘passionately run’ vegan diner Aster in Broadstairs, the ‘simple, ingredient-led’ Wellington pub in Margate and Bolberry Down’s Thirty Three by the Sea which offers ‘fresh, flavoursome cooking’ on a remote headland.  In Cardiff, Tom Simmon’s newest restaurant Lofft got Michelin recognition. The intimate spot was added to the guide for its ‘pure, refined’ cooking and ‘impressive’ service. And in Manchester, The Trof, a newly renovated pub and dining room celebrated its initiation into the guide. Michelin said that it’s ‘a welcomin

Oxford Street is hectic at the best of times. But as Christmas approaches, it’s a whole other beast. Hundreds of thousands of shoppers pack the narrow pavements while the road is chocked full of buses, cabs, bikes and cars. But this festive season, there’s going to be much more room for pedestrians. Oxford Street is going car-free.  The street has been pedestrianised for brief periods before, but this time around will be the start of it becoming pedestrianised permanently. Sadiq Khan envisages it becoming a ‘pedestrian plaza’ and wants it to be a space that can ‘host world-class events, from sport to culture and fashion, as well as exciting new retail and leisure experiences’.  From what it’ll look like to what will happen to the buses, here’s everything you need to know about Oxford Street becoming car-free.  Will Oxford Street be pedestrianised? Yes, work is officially underway for a large section of the street to become permanently car-free. The Mayor of London established an organisation called the Oxford Street Development Corporation (OSDC) in August to make it happen.  When will Oxford Street be pedestrianised?  At the moment, the plan is for nearly 1km of the street to be traffic-free from the second half of October when temporary seating, planters, areas of raised carriageway and security bollards have been installed. It’ll be a ‘live testing phase’ (also known as the ‘transition scheme’).  Further testing and review of the scheme will take place through spring 2027