Oblix in The Shard

For some of the best views in London, head to Oblix on the 32nd floor of the The Shard, the tallest building in Western Europe. The New York-style grill has just been launched by Rainer Becker, the man behind celebrity favourites Zuma and Roka. As well as a la carte lunch and dinner menus, Oblix has a bar and lounge serving deli-style appetisers at lunchtime with live entertainment from 9pm.

Kaspar’s at The Savoy

Billed as one of the most exciting restaurant openings in The Savoy’s 124-year history, Kaspar’s is a seafood bar and grill with 1920s décor and panoramic views of the river Thames. The luxurious new restaurant is named after Kaspar, The Savoy’s three-foot-high cat sculpture, which for 90 years was placed at tables of 13 guests in order to avoid bad luck – and was even invited to meetings by Winston Churchill.

Jamie Oliver’s Hotdog Diner

Jamie Oliver has opened a diner in Piccadilly Circus, serving artisan hotdogs with a range of house condiments. Chef Arthur Potts Dawson, who created two sustainable London restaurants – Acorn House and Waterhouse – helped to devise the menu, which features grilled chicken, burgers, steaks, fish and waffles as well as hotdogs. “I wanted to create a menu full of delicious, classic, comfort food,” said Oliver.

More Restaurant News

• Small fine-dining restaurant The Five Fields is due to open in Chelsea on Tuesday, serving dishes made from rare herbs and vegetables grown in the restaurant’s own East Sussex gardens
• The team behind French eatery Chabrot Bistro des Amis have launched a meat-focussed restaurant near Smithfield Market called Chabrot Bistrot des Halles
• Boutique hotel One Leicester Street has just opened in London’s Chinatown, on the site of the former St John Hotel, with a restaurant serving sharing dishes made from British produce
• The Miller in Bermondsey re-launches this week, serving a range of bespoke hotdogs from the acclaimed Street Kitchen
• Stories bar has just opened in Broadway Market, East London, offering brunches, cocktails, special events and contemporary art exhibitions

Taste of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen at John Lewis
Fans of Jamie Oliver are in for a treat at John Lewis this week. To celebrate the launch of the new and exclusive Jme and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen product ranges, the Oxford Street store is offering a unique Fifteen dining experience with a menu specifically created by Jamie and his apprentice chefs. To book a table, visit the Bistro or call 020 3073 0626.
25-28 Sep

Book Signings: Kaffe Fassett at Liberty and Jessie J at Waterstones
Artist, designer, and author Kaffe Fassett will be signing not one but three of his best-selling books and reading extracts from “Knitting with the Colour Guys” at Liberty on Wednesday evening this week. More details here. And on Thursday, Jessie J will be signing copies of her autobiography Nice To Meet You at Waterstone’s Piccadilly from 5.30pm. Call Waterstones on 0207 851 2491 for more details.

Harvest Festival Artisan Market at Fortnum & Mason

Fortnum & Mason are celebrating the best of the season with an Artisan Market this weekend. You can meet and learn from F&M’s chutney suppliers in the demonstration kitchen, taste the very best of Fortnum’s savoury preserves and jams, and sample refreshing cordials made from the juiciest fruit in Norfolk’s hedgerows. It’ll also be the time for F&M’s honey harvest, so you can go up to the roof and see the Fortnum & Mason bees hard at work.
28-29 Sep, 11am-5pm

Celebrate Cheaney at Selfridges

Selfridges are helping Northamptonshire heritage brand Cheaney celebrate 125 years of quality English craftsmanship this week. From 29 September to 7 October, there’ll be a special Cheaney space in the Men’s Shoes department, where you can see in-store demonstrations showing the intricacies of how a Cheaney shoe is made. What’s more, receive a complimentary refurbishment voucher worth £90 with any pair of shoes purchased.
29 Sep-7 Oct

Are you bored of the usual turkey and Christmas pudding? Looking for festive food inspiration?

Then head to Taste of Christmas for some top seasonal cooking tips from celebrity chefs such as Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

We’ve got a pair of Taste of Christmas tickets to give away, along with dinner for two at Gordon Ramsay’s fantastic York & Albany restaurant.

Today’s the first day of our Christmas Advent Calendar competitions. Look out for more daily prizes between now and Christmas Day!

Enter now for your chance to win Taste of Christmas tickets and a meal for two

Yesterday I got a sneak peek at One New Change – London’s newest shopping centre – opposite St Paul’s Cathedral on Cheapside in the City.

When it opens next Thursday (28 October), One New Change will have the honour of being Central London’s largest retail destination. It contains 60 stores over three floors (mostly high-end high street such as Reiss, Hobbs and Kurt Geiger) as well as several restaurants and food outlets, including Jamie Oliver‘s Barbecoa, an M&S Simply Food and a Gordon Ramsay restaurant (the latter is due to open in a few months’ time). Plus there’ll be office space for 3,000 workers.

I was impressed by the One New Change development. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the structure is predominantly steel and glass, which reflects and reveals the stunning St Paul’s in myriad ways. I also liked the fact the brown and red-tinted glass seemed to pay homage to the 70s styling of the nearby Barbican.

I was taken up to the roof – a huge space that’ll be open to the public and gives access to an incredible London panorama that takes in the London Eye, The Shard, The Barbican, the tip of The Gherkin and, of course, St Paul’s. (Photos from the roof are embargoed until next week so I can’t share them yet. But check our Flickrpool from next Thursday: www.flickr.com/groups/visitlondon)

Best of all, One New Change is handily located a short(ish) walk from VL Towers. I think I’m going to be a regular visitor!