In the run-up to the festive season there has been a flurry of new restaurant openings in London.

The Electric Diner

The Electric Diner and Electric Donuts have just opened at the Electric Cinema in Portobello Road. The new venues are a collaboration between Soho House owner Nick Jones and renowned chef Brendan Sodikoff of Au Cheval in Chicago. The Electric Diner’s French-American menu features dishes inspired by Au Cheval such as an award-winning cheeseburger, fried bologna sandwich and a range of egg dishes. Electric Donuts serves fresh donuts and coffee throughout the day.

Bo London

Look out Heston Blumenthal, there’s a new experimental chef in town! Chef-patron Alvin Leung of two-Michelin-starred Bo Innovation in Hong Kong opens his first London restaurant this week in Mayfair. Bo London introduces Leung’s “extreme Chinese cuisine” to the capital, breaking down perceptions of traditional Chinese food with concoctions such as Sex on the Beach, which features an edible condom. All proceeds from the dish go to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

HKK

Following the launch of Chrysan in Broadgate West earlier this year, the Hakkasan Group has opened another restaurant nearby. HKK offers a 15-course Chinese and Cantonese tasting menu, as well as an eight-course lunch menu and a vegetarian menu. The kitchen is headed up by Michelin-starred chef Tong Chee Hwee, who has worked at Hakkasan for 11 years. Make sure you dress smartly as the staff certainly will: their uniforms are designed by up-and-coming fashion designer Tim Soar.

More New Restaurants and Foodie Events

Wabi – New Japanese restaurant in Kingsway from former Nobu head chef Scott Hallsworth

Flat Iron – The pop-up steakhouse has found a permanent home in Soho serving reasonably priced steaks and cocktails

Del Mercato – New Italian restaurant, bakery and bar near Borough Market and Vinopolis

Primo – New Italian restaurant on Shaftesbury Avenue displaying art by Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood

Feast – Foodie event in a former Royal Mail sorting office, featuring Mark Hix, Moro, Mishkin’s, York & Albany, Ceviche and more. 6-9 Dec

Look out for more restaurant news soon.

Stewart =W= captured the vibrant colours of the houses in the Portobello Road and shared his photo with the Visit London Flickr pool. It’s one of a series of vivid London photos in Stewart’s photostream.

From a Spanish roof garden to Spanish art and the best Spanish eateries, Spain in London blogger Jon Yeomans guides us through the perfect Spanish day out in London for our World in London series.

The last census recorded around 22,000 Spanish people living in London – around 40% of the entire Spanish population of the UK.

London has long been in thrall to Spanish customs and tastes – from the rash of tapas bars in the West End to the Iberian brand names colonising the high street. Zara, Mango and Bershka are among the Spanish stores making an impact on British wardrobes and wallets.

There are few better places to start a day in “Spanish” London than on the west side of town, where generations of Spanish people have settled.

Portobello Road on a Saturday seethes with Spanish tourists. It is also home to R Garcia & Sons, a Spanish deli selling everything from olives, chorizo and paella pans to Fillipino brand chocolate and papery turron sweets. Head to the café next door for great coffee and slow service, or stop by Galicia restaurant further up the street for an authentically grungy tapas experience.

Heading into town, step out of the shopping and eating whirlpool of Kensington and into a slice of Granada. The Kensington Roof Gardens sit atop an old department store and feature a Moorish-influenced garden based on the Alhambra palace. Visitors are advised to phone ahead to check opening times.

Continue the trail of Spanish traces in London with a visit to the National Gallery, home to a fistful of fine Spanish art. Goya, El Greco and Zurbarán are all well represented, while Velázquez’s The Rokeby Venus is one of the highlights of the museum’s collection.

Round off the day with tapas in one of the West End’s plethora of Spanish restaurants. Barrica in Fitzrovia won the Time Out award for Best Spanish Eating and Drinking 2010 for dishes such as pork and oxtail meatballs, and chicory leaves with picos cheese.

Barrafina in Frith Street is a popular and authentic take on a Barcelona tapas bar. (Hispanophile owners Sam and Eddie Hart based it on Barcelona’s legendary Cal Pep) while Tierra Brindisa on Broadwick Street is the Soho outpost of the acclaimed Borough Market deli, which specialises in cured hams.

Or for a more informal atmosphere, try Pix in Covent Garden. This pintxo bar offers snacks at £2.50 a bite along with great wine – a fine way to end the day.

See more of Jon’s recommendations at www.spaininlondonblog.wordpress.com. We reckon this is a pretty comprehensive list, but if you’ve got more tips for enjoying Spanish culture in London, share your knowledge in the comments below.