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

A Momentary Lapse of London from Davide Roveri on Vimeo.

After seeing last week’s time-lapse video of London, Davide Roveri got in touch with this beautifully atmospheric London video. If you spot any great London videos, let us know and we’ll try to feature them here.

This gorgeous montage of London life was created by Greg Brummel and contains more than 6,000 pictures of the city. See how many landmarks you can spot!

The View from the Shard

From Friday you’ll be able to view London from Europe’s tallest building, as the View from the Shard opens for business. A ticket allows you access to the the building’s highest floors, from which you can enjoy a 40km-wide view over the city and its environs. Don’t forget to pay close attention to the displays on your way up – you might see a few familiar faces in surprising situations. Adult tickets start from £29.95.

Manet: Portraying Life at the Royal Academy of Arts

See the first major exhibition of Manet’s portraiture at the Royal Academy, which brings together works from around the world to highlight the artist’s skill in this complex field. This unique exhibition features more than 50 paintings, which depict everything from Manet’s friends and relatives to popular society figures of his day. For those looking to make a weekend of it, the nearby Athenaeum Hotel’s Manet Experience package offers a perfect combination of culture and luxury. Until 14 Apr

RAF Photographer of the Year 2012, at the RAF Museum

See stunning images of Air Force life at the RAF Photographer of the Year exhibition. The competition is now in its 23rd year and attracted more than 900 entries in 2012, depicting everything from life during overseas operations to the RAF’s world-class equipment. Not only can you see photographs by winner Corporal Mike Jones and many others, but you can also explore the rest of this fascinating museum, which features military aircraft displays, a 4D theatre and a chance to learn more about RAF history. Entry to the museum and exhibition is free.  Until 15 Apr

Snowdrop Days, Chelsea Physic Garden

Admire 10,000 newly-planted snowdrops in the Chelsea Physic Garden, which hosts this stunning celebration of the delicate white flower. As well as the garden displays, you can examine different varieties up close in the Snowdrop Theatre, or buy your own from the Chelsea Physic Garden shop. The Snowdrop Days are accompanied by programme of events that includes guided walks, lectures and workshops. Adult tickets are £9. Until 10 Feb

London Dungeon Car Boot Sale

Why exit through the gift shop when you can take the attraction home with you? Anyone who has enjoyed the deliciously terrifying delights of the London Dungeon will be delighted by the news that, on 3 February, the Dungeon will be selling off props from its old location at the Pimlico Car Boot Sale. You can purchase everything from cut-price period costumes to ghoulish fake body parts at this relocation sale, which precedes the start of the attraction’s new reign of terror at the Southbank in March. 3 Feb, from 11.30am

More events in London

Last year set the bar pretty high for events and attractions in London, but 2013 is shaping up to be just as exciting. Here are some highlights you can’t miss this year.

View from the Shard

When? From 1 February

What? The opening of the Shard – that spiky new building that you can see from all over London. You can visit the viewing deck on the (deep breath) 69th floor, where digital telescopes will fill you in on the various parts of London you can gaze at.

Why? It was Europe’s tallest building, until November last year when a tower in Russia inched ahead. But height isn’t everything – the Shard is iconic and will give you giddy views of the city from 40 miles around. If you’re feeling brave, head up to the 72nd floor – it’s partly open air and the highest point you can access.

New London Dungeon

When? From 1 March

What? The London Dungeon is moving to a new home at County Hall, due to building work at London Bridge station.

Why? The move to the South Bank means a refreshed and more scary dungeon – there are 18 new spine-tingling shows to watch, and a virtual 3D Brian Blessed will sentence you to death as Henry VIII.

The Coronation Festival

When? 11-14 July

What? Dust off that bunting from the Diamond Jubilee, it’s the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, which happened a year after she became Queen. To celebrate, Buckingham Palace is hosting an exhibition featuring more than 200 companies who hold Royal Warrants of Appointment – the mark of recognition for companies who have supplied goods or services to the royal family. There will also be two evening galas celebrating music throughout Her Majesty’s rein.

Why? The goods on show will be the best of British – officially. And it’s in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, need we say more?

RideLondon

When? 3-4 August

What? A brand new cycling festival through the streets of London. RideLondon is made up of three events: a 100-mile road challenge beginning in the Olympic Park, a family fun ride around London landmarks for up to 70,000 cyclists and a city centre grand prix for women’s elite, junior cyclists and hand cycles.

Why? After Bradley Wiggins rode to glory in the Tour de France and then won the Olympic time trial, the appetite for cycling in London is huge – 50,000 people have registered for only 20,000 places in the road challenge.

What are you looking forward to this year? Let us know below.

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

2012 has been a landmark year for London thanks to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee, which celebrated 60 years of the Queen’s reign. And to top it all off, London’s newest skyscraper the Shard was inaugurated, transforming London’s skyline. Here are a few of our favourite images from an amazing and unforgettable year.

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

There’s a new building in town, and at 310m (1016ft) high, it’s hard to miss The Shard’s pointy addition to the London skyline.

Last night, Western Europe’s tallest building made its presence even more well-known with a laser lightshow to celebrate its inauguration.

The heady heights of The Shard aren’t just for the residents, office workers and hotel guests who will move in next year. Visitors can also enjoy panoramic views of London from as high as 244m (800ft) above street level.

The View from The Shard experience takes guests as high as Level 72 of The Shard and includes a ride in the high-speed “kaleidoscope” lifts and the chance to look up to the shards of glass that form the top of the building.

Tickets are on sale now to enter The Shard from 1 February 2013 onwards. Tickets cost £24.95 for adults and £18.95 for children. Find out more and book tickets at www.theviewfromtheshard.com

Did you see the lightshow, and will you be taking a trip to the top of The Shard next year?

Here’s a gorgeous London video from 37th Productions that I spotted on YouTube earlier this week.

With a fantastic Rolling Stones soundtrack, and some really quirky shots of the capital, this is a really polished piece of film-making showing off all the best bits of our fair city. Enjoy.

You can watch other London videos on our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/VisitLondonVideo