The Time Out London blog team

Getting a table at Dim Sum Duck isn’t easy. Since quietly opening in 2020, the tiny, unassuming family-run restaurant on Kings Cross Road has grown into a cult-favourite and become one of the best Chinese eateries in the city.  The thing is, the restaurant has a grand total of just 20 seats. That means there are regularly queues stretching out the door and down the street. But soon, if you can’t be bothered to wait up to an hour in line, you’ll be able to grab a seat at a brand new Dim Sum Duck location just around the corner (at least until everyone else catches on).  Dim Sum Duck has announced that it’s opening a second branch at 186 Pentonville Road, which is only a two-minute walk from its original restaurant. It’ll serve exactly the same menu seven days a week, with dim sum dishes costing around £6 to £8 and plates of roast meat or noodles starting from £12. There’ll also be beers like Asahi and Peroni on draught.   Laura Gallant for Time Out In our list of London’s greatest Chinese spots, Time Out contributor Elaine Zhao said: ‘As a HongKonger, I’m immediately suspicious when somewhere serves dim sum – traditionally a breakfast or afternoon meal – at night. How authentic can it truly be? ‘However, I was fully converted by Dim Sum Duck’s particularly plump hargau (prawn dumplings) and huge xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) alongside a delicious array of Cantonese classics, including roast duck, beef ho fun (flat noodles) and charred salty green beans with minced pork....

Last night (January 25) London was awash with neon orange Irn Bru, the skirl of bag pipes and Celtic pride as Scots in the capital gathered to celebrate Burns Night. Punters broke a sweat at ceilidhs all over the city, while copious amounts of haggis, neeps and tatties and whisky were consumed.  Time Out sent photographer Chris Bethell to the knees up at the Porchester Hall to capture the action.  ‘The Porchester Hall, a beautiful building near The Royal Oak, looked hugely grand as I walked in with my pal Tim,’ Bethell said. ‘We were there first and grabbed a table near the front, watching people pour in covered in tartan, as we waited for a polite time to go get a plate of haggis with potatoes, carrots and swede. It was delicious. ‘We came back and our table had filled up with people quickly, we got chatting with them all. Then the music kicked off with everyone taking to the dance floor, the band taught everyone how to perform each ceilidh before getting into it. ‘The atmosphere was great, so social and fun. Being on the dance floor was like being in a very well organised moshpit. Halfway through the “piping of the haggis” happened, where a bagpiper and two others brought out a huge haggis.’ Burns Night 2026 in London Photograph: Chris Bethell for Time Out     Photograph: Chris Bethell for Time Out   Photograph: Chris Bethell for Time Out   Photograph: Chris Bethell for Time Out   Photograph: Chris Bethell for Time Out Photograph: Chris Bethell for Time Out  ...

Big news commuters! We could finally be getting digital Oyster cards. That’s right, TfL’s Oysters could soon catch up with modern tech and be uploaded to smartphone wallets. TfL has awarded a seven-year contract to Spanish tech company Indra Group to run its run its revenue collection systems. Indra will be replacing US company Cubic, which has operated the Oyster card since it was introduced in 2003. Part of Indra’s job will be to modernise the Oyster system, meaning that Oyster cards and travel passes are one step closer to being integrated with smartphones. Not only would that mean Oyster users can tap in and out without relying on a physical card (easy to lose or accidentally leave at home), it would allow them to top up their travel balance instantly and track their journeys and spending in real-time.  Photograph: Shutterstock Shashi Verma, director of technology strategy and revenue at TfL, said: ‘Millions of journeys are made on our public transport system every day, and it is vital that customers can trust the ticketing system to ensure they are charged the correct fare. We look forward to working with Indra group on the next evolution of our Oyster and contactless ticketing system. ‘I also want to thank everyone at Cubic Transportation Systems for their work and innovation in delivering, maintaining and improving the Oyster and contactless system over the past decades. The hard work and innovation by Cubic helped make the system as instantly recognisable and...