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

Emma and her boyfriend Brendan (who live in Australia) are saving up for their first trip abroad together. Emma’s uncles, Tim Benzie and Paul Joseph, made this video to convince the couple to come to London instead of going on a cruise. Emma and Brendan: we agree that it’s got to be London! Find out more about the video at www.itsgottobelondon.com.

Thanks to reader Lucas Veuve who got in touch with this fab London video. Lucas says:

“When I first moved to London, I was struck by the number of people living in this great city and the speed at which they move from one place to another. I wanted to capture how I saw London when I first moved here.”

We think he’s done a great job. Look out for great shots of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Gherkin and The Shard, Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, Covent Garden, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the Southbank Centre and Trafalgar Square.

Look out for more London videos on our YouTube channel: youtube.com/user/VisitLondonVideo

This week, I wanted to share this great video from TheWorldCities, which gives some of London’s most famous locations a “toy-town” makeover.

Look out for Liverpool Street Station, the Houses of Parliament, Boris Bikes, Earl’s Court Station, Millenium Bridge, Charing Cross, Monument, Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus and Tower Bridge as you’ve never seen them before!

Check out more London videos at youtube.com/user/VisitLondonVideo

No, not snow, but a burst of feathers falling from the sky at last weekend’s Piccadilly Circus Circus. London is always entertaining!

If you see fun things happening in London, don’t forget to add your photos to the Visit London Flickr group.

Each Friday, we like to highlight a particularly great London video we’ve found online.

This week top video is by FramE FramFilm on Vimeo, and shows London looking gorgeous in natural light. Look out for some top London attractions including Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben, The Shard, Oxford Street, Tower Bridge, the London Eye and St Paul’s Cathedral.

Check out more London videos on our YouTube channel

This is a great document of London’s near-history: an interesting promotional video for a tourist trip to London from the 1960s.

Many things have changed, but some things remain the same! Trooping the Colour and Changing the Guard remain must-see attractions, as do the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. Piccadilly Circus looks a little different today, though!

Check out more London videos on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/visitlondonvideo

We love this festive video from London teacher James Michalos.

Michalos is a singing teacher at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Bored of hearing the same Christmas songs each year, he decided to write his own. The power of YouTube and facebook now means he’s one of the Top 10 contenders for the coveted Christmas No.1 slot!

This great little video takes in some top London attractions. See if you can spot Covent Garden, Piccadilly Circus, and Oxford Street, as well as great scenes shot on London buses and the Tube…

We love this Londony music video from Champion Records here at VL Towers.

The couple are so cute, and they seem to have such a great time in this fantastic city. The tune’s nice and catchy too…