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Dinner By Heston Blumenthal Restaurant As one of the most highly anticipated openings of the year, London's new Dinner by Heston Blumenthal restaurant is definitely worth the wait. Set within the luxurious Mandarin Oriental Hotel and with a prime position overlooking the verdant Hyde Park in Knightsbridge, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal offers a modern take on ancient English recipes. Though the decor is nothing original, it offers an elegant setting to enjoy a short but inventive menu of seasonal flavours. Expect perfectly roasted scallops with tangy cucumber ketchup and borage; soul-satisfying meat fruit with mandarin, chicken liver parfait and grilled bread; and a juicy black angus sirlion steak. The sweet & delicious Taffety Tart and the knock-out Tipsy Cake are also unmissable desserts. As the Executive Chef, Heston Blumenthal has paired up with talented young chef Ashley Palmer-Watts (of the Fat Duck), who is the driving force of this kitchen. As one of the hottest tables in town, make sure that you book ahead.
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Trullo Restaurant Located in the hip residential suburb of Islington is one of London’s hottest casual and affordable Italian dining spots, Trullo. This modern trattoria that has been generating quite a buzz for its simple, seasonal and unfussy fresh Italian cuisine. The ultra-chic industrial interiors features an open kitchen where you can see chef Tim Siadatan, trained under Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen project, Moro and St John, directing his kitchen like clockwork. The manager, Jordan Frieda, has a River Café pedigree. Charcoal grilling techniques are a signature of the Trullo kitchen, along with their silky handmade pasta - don't miss their simple, fresh and seasonal tastes such as their cannellini bean bruschetta, pappardelle pasta with wood pigeon stew, and slow-cooked veal shin with salsa verde and long-roasted aubergine. Don't miss their excellent cheese selection. Come during weekdays for fresh, delicious dinner, Saturdays for lunch or dinner, and Sundays for a three-course fixed lunch.
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Shoreditch Rooms Hotel One of the smallest and most inexpensive design hotels in London, the Shoreditch House Hotel is a private members club in East London, part of the Soho House Group’s portfolio properties. The 26 rooms are spacious and some are offered at astoundingly cheap prices. The regular clientele feature the fashionable jet set crowd and creative design types. The rooftop bar and pool area tend to attract London's fashionable crowd, where guests can lounge around taking a dip in the 16 meter heated pool while sipping expertly crafted cocktails. The 6.5 million pound property is located on the site of a former tea factory and includes bowling alleys, a cowshed spa, and a gym. The service is passable but the real draw is the association with the Soho House Group, one of London’s biggest it-destinations and a hipster must. Make sure to dress the part when wandering the public areas, because this is nothing if not a see and be seen, ultra-aestheticized viewing gallery.
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EEC London Cocktail Bar As one of the most highly anticipated new bar openings in London this year, the new Experimental Cocktail Club (ECC London) cocktail bar has been enticing London’s in-the-know crowd with its perfectly pitched cocktail list, and its inimitable sense of Parisian style. With their signature stylish interiors by up-and-coming designer Dorothée Meilichzon and an intimate, multi-level setting in London’s Chinatown, the ECC London team have crafted a short but sweet cocktail menu of 9 unique creations along with another 5 signature drinks created in collaboration with some of the world’s best mixologists. The ECC London promises to be one of the hottest new nightlife spots in London this winter, and best of all (as a rare treat for London), the ECC is open late until around 4am, making this the perfect place to escape the freezing cold temperatures while slowly work your way through their delectable cocktail menu. For reservations, email vincent@chinatownecc.com to put your name on the door list.
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