London & UK Restaurant & Venue Guide

Sir Terence Conran stepped down as chairman of Conran Restaurants almost three years ago, but he certainly hasn’t stopped making an impact on the capital’s restaurant scene. He teamed with Peter Presoctt (his former operations director at Conran Restaurants) to open Boundary earlier this year, and now the duo have just launched new City restaurant, Lutyens. Unpretentious French dishes and a long and varied wine list are what to expect.

Mickey Rourke, Jeff Goldblum and our very own Cheryl Cole (pictured) have all been spotted at the LA branch of Palm Restaurant in recent months, but will the new Knightsbridge outpost turn out to be such a celeb-fest? Its intention is to bring US hospitality and good old Stateside fare to the capital – so that’s jumbo Nova Scotia lobster and New York strip steak served up with a smile.

His name may be a mouthful, but luckily Bjorn van der Horst's modern French cooking is easier to get your chops around. The Michelin-starred chef, who left Gordon Ramsay Holdings after the closure of La Noisette, has just launched his first solo venture, with highlights including eel with spring peas and broad beans, salt marsh lamb with ricotta gnocchi and a mousse-filled chocolate sphere with popcorn sorbet. In the bistro, it's more casual: think bone marrow with oxtail or spit-roasted short rib of beef.

Dim-sum chain Ping Pong is launching a delivery service. Ping Pong Now brings its good-value Chinese cooking to your office door. The service has just launched at the Spitalfields branch and will be rolled out across the brand's 11 other locations before the end of the year. Set packages are available for up to 100, with a simple online ordering procedure, and the restaurant aims to deliver all orders within 50 minutes.

Lots of people have been calling our helpline asking for recommendations of outdoor event space - one of our favourites is El Faro, overlooking Crossharbour Dock. It's got a spacious 100-capacity outdoor terrace with calming views of the water, delicious Basque-style tapas and a live music licence. Browse our selection of other great waterside event spaces in London.

As London sweltered yesterday on the hottest day of the year so far, 20 chilli enthusiasts brought their finest con carne concoctions to All Star Lanes Brick Lane to compete for the honour of the best chilli in town. Official judges were made up of experienced restaurateurs and food writers, while members of the public turned out in force to cast their votes. Square Meal’s own senior designer Charlie Nelson walked away with the People’s Choice Award for his chorizo-based and originally titled ‘Charlie Con Carne’. He picks up a night at All Star Lanes for himself and his pals.