The Time Out London blog team

Over the years, London has given birth a number of appalling and frankly disgusting things: we’ve had stinkpipes, the great bed bug scare of 2023, and lets not forget about the Whitechapel fatberg.  Now a new totally gross thing has emerged from the capital. Get ready to go ‘ew!’, because it’s been revealed that some London bus routes are absolutely ‘infested’ with cockroaches. And they don’t even pay the fare.  The grisly news came out as London bus drivers reported finding the critters in the seats in a number of routes, with videos and photos shared with London Bus Forums. The unsavoury passengers were found riding on routes 159, 345 and 55. One driver operating the 159 reported finding a cockroach in their drink during a break.  ‘I went to take a sip from my drink and felt something in my mouth,’ the driver said. ‘I spat it out and saw it was a cockroach. I felt sick and ended up vomiting.’ Bus safety campaigners have written to Transport for London (TfL) highlighting the problem. TfL said such instances are rare and has launched an urgent investigation. Kevin Mustafa, a London bus safety campaigner, told the BBC: ‘The current state is untenable for drivers who already face demanding working conditions. Swift, transparent and decisive action will go a long way toward restoring trust, ensuring safety, and maintaining public confidence in London's bus services. ‘London bus drivers are reporting persistent issues with cockroaches and unsanitary conditions onboard their...

Over the last few weeks, London’s major Christmas lights displays have been slowly but surely revealing when they’ll turn on for the 2025 festive season. Among the first were Covent Garden and Carnaby, followed by Regent Street and Canary Wharf. Now it’s time for the biggest of the lot: Oxford Street has announced when its iconic Crimbo display will light up this year. The shopping street’s lights will, as before, consist of thousands of white stars. A whopping 5,000 stars – made up of 300,000 LED bulbs – will dangle above Oxford Street this year as millions dash from shop to shop in the hunt for Christmas presents. RECOMMENDED: The best Christmas lights displays in London. Once again, Oxford Street will be partnering with Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity) to raise funds for seriously ill children this Christmas. This will see the street host The Big Day of Joy on December 7, with a series of in-store activities and festive experiences designed to raise money for GOSH. What date will Oxford Street’s Christmas lights turn on? Oxford Street will be the first major London festive lights display to turn on for Christmas 2025, on Monday November 3. RECOMMENDED: The best Christmas markets and festive fairs in London. Plus: When every major London Christmas market returns for 2025. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel. Stay in the loop: sign up for our free...

A brand new Italian-style bakery is opening this week in central London.  Nonna Bakery – which was founded in Shanghai in 2022 and now has 15 branches across China – will open on High Holborn on October 16. Founded by Matteo Cicero, the bakery is inspired by his Sicilian heritage, and will offer recipes inspired by his grandmother aka the titular ‘Nonna’.   Expect all kinds of freshly-baked regional breads, from focaccia and ciabatta to pane di casa, as well as posh pastries such as cornetti and cannoli, as well as Sicilian specialty, brioche col tuppo with gelato and cassata Siciliana sponge cake with ricotta, candied fruit and marzipan. You’ll be able to takeaway bakes as well as eat-in at Nonna Bakery, with coffee (including a special pistachio latte) also available. ‘Nonna is a love letter to the kitchen I grew up in,’ says Matteo Cicero. ‘Every pastry and loaf is inspired by the recipes my grandmother passed down, and it means so much to bring that heritage to London, a city that celebrates food and culture from around the world.’  Photograph: Peter Lowbridge This is the second Italian-adjacent bakery to open in central London over the past few weeks, with Florentine sandwich shop All’Antico Vinaio launching last month on Old Compton Street, where much-loved Italian deli I Camisa & Son used to be.  Nonna Bakery is at 75 High Holborn, WC1V 6LS. The best bakeries in London, according to Time Out. Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews...