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

The Candlelight Club

A firm favourite amongst regulars of London’s vintage scene, the Candlelight Club hosts clandestine parties at which you can get in touch with your inner flapper or beer baron. A Prohibition-themed atmosphere is augmented by a range of delicious cocktails, which are tailored to the theme of individual nights. The next party, based around ‘A Night in Old Havanah’, is on 31 May and tickets are £15.75.

Great Gatsby Nights at the Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill

Indulge in a 1920s-inspired three-course menu with champagne at the hotel’s Great Gatsby nights, which take place every Thursday evening in May. Guests are encouraged to arrive in period attire, and the best dressed each evening will win a stay in the Grand Hyatt New York. Even if you don’t win, however, you can console yourself by dancing the night away to the event’s live jazz band. Tickets are £35.

It’s A Gatsby Swing Thing! at The Ritzy Cinema, Brixton

The cinema celebrates the Great Gatsby’s release by hosting an extra-special swing dance party on 18 May. Guests can show off their charleston and lindy hop to tunes by two great bands: the King’s Cross Hot Club and the Smokey Taps. Fancy dress is actively encouraged and there’s a Swing Patrol dance workshop beforehand (£8) for anyone who needs to brush up on their moves. Tickets to the party are £6, or half price if you have a Great Gatsby film ticket from that day.

1920s Evenings at The Orient Express and The Savoy Hotel

These events are a bit further in the future, but sound like they’re worth the wait! Enjoy a Gin Rickey at The Savoy Hotel’s renowned American Bar before indulging in a sumptuous dinner about the Art Deco carriages of the British Pullman train, which will take guests on a romantic trip through the countryside while they dine. After the meal, you’ll be transported back to the Savoy for a night’s stay in the hotel, which once hosted The Great Gatsby’s author F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda. The first of these events takes place on 5 September and prices start at £685: see the Orient Express website for full details.

The Prohibition Party

One of the events which arguably galvinised the growth of London’s vintage movement, the Prohibition Party is renowned for its dedication to the 1920s theme. Guests can enjoy cocktails served in teacups before dancing to live bands, trying their luck at the gaming tables or snuggling down to watch some silent cinema. The next event takes place on 1 June at a suitably secret location.

Miss Turnstiles’ Great Gatsby Pamper Party

Head to vintage model Miss Turnstiles’ vintage patisserie in east London for an elegant pamper party, in which you’ll be able to complete your Gatsby look. Not only will you get a manicure and a fabulous hair-do, but you’ll also be given expert make-up tips that will help you perfect the vintage style. The next available party date is 31 May and tickets include cocktails and nibbles: see the website for full details.

Charleston Masterclasses at Claridge’s

Want to prepare for all these Gatsby parties in style? Head down to Claridges, where you can learn to Charleston in the sublime setting of the Art Deco hotel. Guests will watch an expert performance by the Bee’s Knees, before donning vintage-style accessories and learning the moves themselves. Don’t worry about getting out of breath, the event ends with a restorative ‘Flapper’ cocktail! Tickets are £125, see the website for event dates and full details.

Great Gatsby Weekend at Whiteleys Shopping Centre

Get into the Gatsby spirit at this weekend event, which celebrates the best of the 1920s. Open from 12pm to 5pm this Friday, Saturday and Sunday (17-19 May), Whiteleys’ event will feature an actor-staffed speakeasy bar, swing dance lessons, vintage fashion shows, beauty tips, live music and a dress-up photo booth. Entry is free.

Libertine Presents Gatsby!

Fitzrovia’s newest nightclub jumps straight into the swing of things with its Gatsby party on 23 May. Libertine’s party features champagne, canapés, a live jazz band and a special burlesque performance. Tickets are £30

The famous faces in The Savoy ballroom on Sunday night were enough to make anyone a bit giddy. I was lucky to join stars Judi Dench, Anna Wintour, Bill Nighy, Damian Lewis, Ian McKellen, Colin Firth and Danny Boyle to celebrate the capital’s best theatre, at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2012.

Compere James Corden opened the ceremony with a cheeky song called “For the love of awards”, reminding us that he has a tip-top singing voice as well as plenty of wit. The night had some serious moments too: double award-winner Nicholas Hytner spoke passionately in support of public funding for the arts, and Judi Dench was moved by a special award.

THE BIG WINNERS

Judi Dench

Everyone’s favourite Bond matriarch was awarded the Moscow Art Theatre Golden Seagull Award, a golden bird-shaped broach that signifies her achievements in bringing London theatre to the world’s attention. “I’ll never take it off,” she declared.

Danny Boyle

After he got the Queen to jump out of a helicopter (or so it seemed) in the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, it’s fitting that Danny Boyle’s extraordinary £27 million production should get special recognition. He and his team scooped up the Beyond Theatre Award for pushing the boundaries of theatre with the ceremony, which was arguably the best – and certainly the biggest – performance of the year.

Nicholas Hytner

The director of the National Theatre picked up the Best Director award for setting the little-known Shakespeare play Timon of Athens in modern times. Hytner also won the Lebedev Special Award in recognition of his ten-year leadership of the National Theatre, which has seen him bring War Horse and One Man, Two Guvnors to the stage.

One to watch – Matthew Tennyson

Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Hardy won the Outstanding Newcomer Award in their early days, so it’s worth keeping your eye on young actor Matthew Tennyson who won this year’s prize for his role in Making Noise Quietly at the Donmar Warehouse.

PLAYS TO SEE

The Judas Kiss

The Judas Kiss, a play about Oscar Wilde was on everyone’s lips at the awards, despite not being nominated. It received glowing praise from National Theatre director Nicholas Hytner, who described Rupert Everett’s performance as one of the best on the London stage for years.

Constellations

Writer Nick Payne won the award for Best Play for Constellations, becoming the youngest person to the category at just 29. It’s a tender story of love, awkwardness and string theory, using physics as a metaphor for life.

Sweeney Todd

Named Best Musical at the awards, this tale of a homicidal barber could convince even those allergic to musical theatre to burst into song. Stephen Sondheim’s score for Sweeney Todd is delicious in its complexity, and leading duo Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton are musical royalty.

Have you seen any of the award-winners? Or have you seen some theatre recently that deserves an award?

London’s famous double-decker buses are an ideal way to see the city if you’re on a budget. Buy a Travelcard for the day and take a self-guided city tour on London’s best bus routes. These five cover most of the major sights in the city. Their routes are described from west to east and the return journey passes the same sights in reverse.

Number 74
Starting in Putney, this route travels past London’s museums hub in South Kensington where the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum sit side by side. It then passes luxury department store Harrods and the boundary of one of London’s largest green spaces at Hyde Park Corner. You can catch a glimpse of The Dorchester hotel just after, followed by the famous haunt of public rhetoric – Speaker’s Corner at Marble Arch. The final stop is Baker Street, home to both the Madame Tussauds waxwork museum and the Sherlock Holmes Museum, at the site of the fictional detective’s residence.

Number 9
The number 9 is one of only two routes operating the old-style Routemaster buses on part of its route. Leaving from Hammersmith, it passes Kensington Palace (you’ll have to get off to see it) followed by the beautiful Royal Albert Hall and the monument to Queen Victoria’s husband which sits opposite it. Like the number 74, the 9 passes the museums in Kensington, Harrods and Hyde Park corner. It takes a different route afterwards to visit St James’s Palace, Trafalgar Square, The Savoy hotel and arts and cultural centre Somerset House.

Number RV1
The RV1 is a favourite route for us here at VL Towers! Despite being a single decker, it still passes through some of the best parts of London, giving you a great cultural tour of the city. Soak up some shops and street theatre at Covent Garden before taking the RV1. Hopping on it will take you to the South Bank where you’ll see the London Eye and Royal Festival Hall. The London Bridge stop is metres from the London Dungeon and City Hall is the next sight on the route, which crosses Tower Bridge to finish up at the Tower of London.

Number 24
The 24 sets off from Camden Town which offers alternative fashion and food. The bus then heads to the more mainstream Leicester Square in the centre, calling in at Trafalgar Square and Horse Guards Parade. The political heart of London is next as the bus passes Parliament Square where you’ll find Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, as well as the nearby Westminster Abbey where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were married last year. The final site is the city’s policing headquarters at the iconic New Scotland Yard building.

Be aware that some bus routes might change during the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games – read our top tips for Olympic travel here

This has made me feel rather peckish this Friday lunchtime – a gorgeous new video of a traditional afternoon tea at The Savoy. There’s also a little taster of what’s on offer at The Savoy’s lovely bijou tea store, Savoy Tea.

Read more about afternoon teas in London

The Savoy recently re-opened in a flurry of excitement after a multi-million-pound refurbishment. Since then it’s been packed with celebrities and the world’s elite.

Now we’re giving you a chance to join them. You can win a night for two at the hotel, plus dinner and drinks in a London restaurant and VIP tickets to Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition at The O2.

Find out how the other half live – enter our amazing Christmas competition today!

Enter Day 17: A Night at The Savoy with Dinner and Titanic Exhibition Tickets here

For a taste of what’s to come at The Savoy’s iconic restaurants and bars take a look at their new video – and come Sunday, you could be there yourself!

The Savoy re-opens 10 October 2010

Like the chandelier in the picture, most of the new rooms are wrapped in secrecy, but we can tell you that the brand new Art Deco Beaufort Bar oozes 1920s glamour and will be serving the widest choice of champagnes by the glass in London.

The sunny River Restaurant will have a leopard print carpet and shares the same stunning river view as the exclusive new Royal Suite. (Each suite comes with a dedicated Savoy butler, in case your butler is busy.)

The Ballroom, which has previously seen guests floating in on gondolas and a birthday cake served on a baby elephant, has been beautifully refurbished ready for the next generation of exciting parties.

The missing glass dome above the Thames Foyer has been replaced (it was covered during the Second World War and never uncovered) letting loads of natural light shine down on the new Winter Garden Gazebo.

And if you love cake and afternoon teas, there’s a new little shop inside the hotel where you’ll be able to watch the patisserie chefs at work and buy treats and Savoy Blend tea to take home.

Reservations for the restaurants and afternoon tea can be made from 10 September.

When the hotel reopens on 10 October (10.10.10) it will boast two luxurious new River Suites, a completely revamped River Restaurant, a glamorous new Art Deco bar and a rooftop swimming pool.

Afternoon tea will be served in a stunning winter garden under an ornate glass dome, and the Savoy Grill will re-launch under the operation of Gordon Ramsay Holdings.

For more information see www.the-savoy.com

We’ve been getting excited about our four legged friends over the last few weeks at Visit London.

As well as the new lion cubs at London Zoo, there’s been those pesky dinosaurs at The O2, and a very helpful 3D seagull installed at the London Eye. And let’s not forget the bees in Covent Garden.

So this week’s burning question is: what’s your favourite London animal?

Perhaps you’re a fan of the flamingos at Kensington Roof Gardens? Or you’re happy knowing the Ravens are still guarding the Tower after all these years, or that those dragons are still looking after the City of London.

Maybe you like the anatomically incorrect dinosaurs in Crystal Palace Park; the walrus in the Horniman Museum; the Savoy Hotel’s wooden cat, Kaspar, who rounds up potentially unlucky dinner parties of 13; or those highly cultured bees who live in a hive on top of the Southbank Centre.

Some of London’s animals are very socially minded; you can keep up with one of the lions on Trafalgar Square on twitter. Other great London animals in the twitterverse are the horse on Marble Arch and, naturally, a pigeon from Trafalgar Square.

Let us know what your favourite London animal is and why…