Enjoy Chinese New Year in London with these great bottles of wine Life&Style Today marks the start of the Year of the Fire Horse and fifteen days of celebrations for the Chinese Lunar New Year. Red lanterns are hung and red, money-filled envelopes exchanged over dinners with friends and family. Never shy of a reason to celebrate, London’s hospitality scene is going all out. Restaurants including Hakkasan (a [...]
On this day in 1996: the IRA bombs the Docklands Opinion 30 years ago today, two men were killed in a massive explosion at Canary Wharf – and the IRA proved that you can bomb your way to the negotiating table, writes Eliot Wilson At around 5.00 pm, 30 years ago today, a blue Ford Iveco Cargo truck was parked 80 yards from South Quay DLR [...]
Baby octopus and super strength sausage: the Italian restaurant refusing to bow to trends Life&Style Italian restaurant 2Veneti is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year by doing things the way they always have, says Adam Bloodworth How about a great pile of baby octopi for starters? They’re super soft and super controversial, with many chefs believing the animals should reproduce three times before being eaten, to allow each a long [...]
Office demand outstrips construction as new starts plummet January 20, 2026 New London office construction starts have fallen to their lowest level since 2004, just as businesses up their demand for workspace, says Joanna Hodgson On a frosty Wednesday last week, the famed panoramic view from north London’s Alexandra Palace, featuring a host of landmarks including the Shard and HSBC Tower, had an abundance of cranes [...]
Top London restaurants to visit in January 2026 January 19, 2026 Despite record restaurant closures in the capital, brave souls continue to open new ones. But as tempting as it is to visit the latest hotspot or search for new trends you should never ignore the iconic restaurants in our city. Some classic London favourites I have visited recently include The Maine, Bob Bob Ricard City, [...]
Forget the Full Moon party: Thailand has other amazing festivals to rival Glastonbury December 15, 2025 It’s 2am and 24 degrees in Pattaya, Thailand. In a field outside of the city, dozens of people are creating a terrible racket by making weird noises into loud hailers. The sound created could accurately be described as an infernal racket, and it’s being played on the speaker system to hundreds of people, who are [...]
Why hardstone dials have been the defining watch trend of 2025 December 2, 2025 Hardstone dials have been the defining watch trend of 2025. Sam Kessler picks three of his favourites CHRISTOPHER WARD SEALANDER ROCKS Let’s start with one of the more accessible purveyors of this watch trend: stone dials from British stalwart Christopher Ward. The Sealander collection as a whole is billed as the brand’s ‘everyman’ watch, based on [...]
Robert De Niro: Nobu reveals major London plans amid UK push November 13, 2025 Robert De Niro’s hospitality brand is open to considering new luxury residences in London after the success of its restaurants and hotel, the firm’s co-founders have exclusively told City AM. Nobu Hospitality first launched in London in 1997 with a restaurant at Old Park Lane. That was followed by a hotel and restaurant in Portman [...]
Tallest skyscraper outside London approved in £1bn project November 6, 2025 A £1bn project which will see the tallest UK skyscraper outside of London constructed in Greater Manchester has been approved. Developer Henley Investment Management has secured permission from Salford City Council for its scheme at Regent Retail Park in Ordsall Lane. The proposals include a 78-storey tower which, at 895ft (272m) tall, will be the [...]
Toast the City Awards: Who has the best roof terrace in the City? October 22, 2025 The Toast the City Awards are here to celebrate the very best in hospitality of placemaking in the Square Mile. On the eve of the big night, we are highlighting each of the 138 finalists who have beaten off competition from more than 2,000 entrants. As the most vertical place in London, there are no [...]