Dishoom Shoreditch
The team behind Dishoom, the Bombay-style café in Covent Garden, has opened a second branch in Shoreditch. Like the original restaurant, Dishoom Shoreditch has a beautifully dishevelled interior, which pays homage to the Irani cafés that were once common in Bombay.

On the menu you’ll find lamb raan (the house special), chicken and pomegranate salad, masala prawns, and chole-chawal (a big bowl of spiced chickpeas with homemade sauce and fragrant steamed rice).

Dishoom Shoreditch is currently in a “soft opening” phase in the run-up to the official launch on 19 October, and is offering a 50 per cent discount.

Beard to Tail
Quirky cocktail bar Callooh Callay now has a sister restaurant, Beard to Tail. As you might guess from the name, the eatery serves a carnivorous menu of dishes made from all parts of the animal.

Head chef Dan Thrippleton buys whole carcasses and butchers the meat in-house, making sure that nothing is wasted. Meat lovers can try bearded pig cheeks with ginger and dill pickle or the signature Rumpie Pumpie Suffolk pork rump for two to share.

There’s also a deli counter where you can get tea, coffee and light bites, and a bar serving craft beers and whiskey and bourbon-based cocktails.

Colbert
Rex Restaurant Associates, owners of The Wolseley and The Delaunay, have opened a new restaurant on Sloane Square. Inspired by French pavement cafés, Colbert is an informal eatery serving classic Parisian food.

The menu includes moules marniniere, steak Diane and a large selection of eggs (from omelettes to Florentine) and croques (including monsieur, madame and more unusual varieties such as croque New York).

For those with a sweet tooth, there are breakfast patisseries, tartes, biscuits and ice cream. The wine list is exclusively French, with many wines available by the glass.

Bonnie Gull Seafood Shack
Billed as “a seaside restaurant in the city”, Bonnie Gull Seafood Shack has just opened in the West End following the success of a pop-up seafood shack in Hackney last year.

The menu focuses on simple dishes that make the most of the day’s catch, such as Isle of Lewis mussels with Aspell cider and Cumbrian bacon, and west coast Scottish lobster with shoestring fries and garlic butter. Food is available to take away at lunchtime.

Even the cocktails have a seaside theme. Try the Bonnie Mary ­- vodka with clamato (made from tomato juice and clam broth), sea-inspired spices and a choice of fresh oyster or grilled prawn garnish.

More New London Restaurants and Bars
Other recent openings include:

• Edwin’s French wine bar and restaurant in Shoreditch
• Chooks chicken restaurant in Muswell Hill
• 1776, an elegant dining room at 1 Lombard Street, where you order cocktails using an iPad
• Bounce, which combines cocktails, high-end dining and table tennis
• Be At One Guildhall, where you can enjoy cocktails and food in the heart of the City

Look out for more London restaurant news soon!

For a Night with a Bang!

Thousands of people will head to Central London for the fireworks display but if you don’t want to stand outside, there are plenty of places to watch from indoors. Many restaurants and bars offer great views and special menus, including:

• Giraffe, South Bank: Dinner, live DJ and a glass of fizz. £85
• Feng Sushi, South Bank: Sushi, a Champagne cocktail and access to the Royal Festival Hall Terrace. £95
• Min Jiang, Royal Garden Hotel: A five-course Chinese banquet with a glass of Champagne, dancing til 2am and a view of the fireworks from the tenth floor. £160
• Royal Festival Hall: Gabby Young and Other Animals headline this huge party with live music, silent disco, cabaret and access to the Royal Festival Hall terrace for the fireworks. £80

Glide Into 2012

Book a New Year’s Eve skate session at Somerset House Ice Rink. Keep warm and energised with hot chocolate and cupcakes from Tom’s Skate Lounge and enjoy a free glass of Champagne at midnight (tickets £50 for skaters, £35 spectators).

Enter the Jungle

A chance for big kids to take over the Rainforest Café at the restaurant’s New Year’s Eve party. Get stuck in to a three-course dinner in the colourful jungle setting. There’s live entertainment until midnight and dancing till 2pm (£65 including a glass of bubbly on arrival).

Spice Things Up

Head to Dishoom for a “Bombay Vintage Glam Party” with a five-course feast, henna artist, impressionist and DJ set from Cornershop. (£85 including a chocolate cherry Champagne cocktail).

Check out our New Year page for more ideas and let us know if you have any more in the comments below.

How will you entertain your kids in London over the school summer holidays? Luckily, London’s attractions are on hand to help with a host of fun activities…

The Science Museum is inviting families to spend their summer in space. Pick up a passport and make your way through the Solar System. Gaze at satellites, explore the Apollo 10 Command Module and see a telescope made from baked bean cans. There are lots of out-of-this world activities too.

Madame Tussauds is declaring a Marvel-ous summer in celebration of new film Captain America: The First Avenger. You can have your photo taken with the “star” of the movie, check out some authentic props, and step behind the superhero’s indestructible shield. Plus, the first 20 kids dressed as a superhero get in free on Mondays between 25 July and 22 August!

Ahoy there! The National Maritime Museum has a seaside theme this summer, with loads of events exploring what the sea means to young visitors. You can find out how people have interacted with the sea through the ages, have a go in a specially designed play area, and take part in hands-on nautical workshops.

Crafty kids can make everything from Japanese slippers to butterfly mobiles, koi-shaped biscuits and garden gnomes at the Geffrye Museum this summer. The brilliant creative workshops are themed around English and Japanese homes and gardens, to coincide with the current At Home in Japan exhibition.

When the sun comes out, head to the beach! There’s a 70m urban beach outside London’s Southbank Centre over the summer as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations. You’ll also find a row of colourful beach huts containing art exhibitions and installations, a pop-up Indian eatery, Dishoom Chowpatty Beach, and some great free events.

Have you spotted any other fun summer holiday events in London? Let us know in the comments below.

Finding Indian culture in London for our World in London challenge was never going to be a problem: from the curry houses of Brick Lane to the Asian collections at London museums, India’s influence is seen throughout the capital.

But Dishoom in Covent Garden, which opened earlier this year, is different from your usual Indian restaurant. It’s based on the Bombay cafés run by Persian immigrants to India, and aims to recreate their faded elegance and all-day menu.

Managing director Robbie Bargh was inspired by a trip to India, where he enjoyed the bustling atmosphere: “I just wished I could bring a bit of that back with me.”

You won’t smell curry at Dishoom: it has the feel of a classy brasserie, but with Indian posters adorning the walls, and a menu of interesting Indian dishes.

I popped in last week for breakfast, which started with a cup of house chai, a warming blend of tea, spices and milk that takes half an hour to prepare. Next I chose the tasty fruit roomali, which consisted of fruit, mascarpone and honey wrapped in a thin roti.

You can see the roti makers at work in the open plan kitchen. They stretch and toss the dough in the same way as you would a pizza base. “It must be one of the most difficult jobs in London,” said Dishoom’s founder Shamil Thakrar.

I also tried the breakfast lassi, a yoghurt drink with banana, mango and oats – a bit like a smoothie but with added cumin to give it an Indian twist.

There are plenty of other options on the breakfast menu. If you’re feeling hungry, you can go for the full Bombay, which includes Bombay omelette, bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes, toast and a cup of house chai.

So if you’re bored of your usual Cornflakes, toast and coffee, head to Dishoom and join the Bombay breakfast club today!

Where do you go for a taste of Indian culture in London? Let us know in the comments below.