London & UK Restaurant & Venue Guide

If you’re an East Londoner with a hankering for quality local restaurants but a disinclination to travel, you’re in luck. In Old Street newcomer the Princess of Shoreditch you now have two accomplished sites rolled into one. Downstairs is a no-bookings gastropub with hearty pub grub – perfect for a drink with your mates – while upstairs is a date-friendly fine-dining restaurant sporting top-notch service.

Next time you find yourself slap bang in the middle of tourist London, bear in mind this little subterranean haven as you look to escape the hustle-bustle of street level. Located on Garrick Street, the Forge Wine Bar’s intimate, air-conditioned cellar plays it simple, with olive walls, kingfisher banquettes and user-friendly high stools at the zinc bar the back drop for a lengthy, value-conscious Europhile wine list and some top notch tapas.

Got an iPhone? Or perhaps an iPod Touch? Then don't miss out: Square Meal has launched a super-duper new app and it's absolutely free. Just download it from the App Store on your iPhone, then take it for a spin. The Square Meal app uses GPS mapping so you can search for restaurants, bars and special offers by location – not to mention being able to download virtual vouchers for deals. Yes, readers: virtual. No need to print them off or plan ahead – now you can be a fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants kind of person.

Mark Sargeant, who has worked for Gordon Ramsay Holdings for the past 13 years and is a close friend of the chef, has just announced his new position as creative director of the Swan Collection (encompassing Swan at the Globe and The Swan in West Malling). The already sterling reputation of catering and events in the UnderGlobe and the Balcony Room at the Bankside venue are sure to benefit still further from Sargeant's expertise.

Following a £250,000 investment by owners Sodexo Prestige, the historic HMS Belfast is undergoing an intensive restoration and modernisation programme, ready to relaunch to guests in time for Christmas. The Admiral’s Quarters, once his private dining room and sitting room, are being restored to their former glory, as are The Ward and Ante Room and other spaces within.

Hang out in the former workshop of the Bloomsbury Set at 33 Fitzroy Square, newly available for private hire through Rouge Events in Fitzrovia. A beautifully understated five-story Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse, there's a wide choice of rooms, including a basement private screening room for 20 and a roomy kitchen.