The Time Out London blog team

If you’re on the hunt for seriously swanky coffee, WatchHouse is the place. The chain’s rare range of brews can set you back by as much as £25 a pop – yep, those are some bougie beans. And its latest site is making it that much easier for northwest Londoners to splash some cash on a cup of joe. Launched in 2014 in Bermondsey Street, WatchHouse has sites dotted across the Big Smoke, including a newly-opened spot in St John’s Wood. Expect caffeinated classics and seasonal specialities on the drinks menu, along with a range of pastries from what it’s calling its ‘viennoiserie’ – basically a posh bakery.  As with all WatchHouse coffee shops, the NW8 cafe, which has taken over the high street space that was formerly home to Orée Boulangerie, takes design cues from the local area. On one of the walls hangs a signed ‘Three Forms Assembling’ print by Barbara Hepworth, who lived in the area during her early career as a sculptor. The 500 square foot coffee house centres around WatchHouse’s signature warm oak espresso bar. Other features include a concave ceiling (a nod to the nearby St John’s Wood Church) and chalk-toned walls.  Along with space for 20 covers inside, you’ll also be able to enjoy your cup of java al fresco courtesy of an outdoor seating area and awning extending onto the street front.  Photograph: WatchHouse We can expect to see a lot more WatchHouses popping up across the city. The chain has its sights set on shops at the Millennium Bridge, Queensway, Brunel...

Can you guess how often someone buys a bottle of perfume at London Heathrow? Ok, we’ll tell you – it’s every 20 seconds. That’s a lot of eau de toilette. It’s no wonder, then, that the west London aviation hub has been named a high-flyer when it comes to retail services. In fact, Heathrow has been ranked the best airport in the world for shopping opportunities at this year’s Skytrax World Airport Awards.  Every year, Skytrax surveys travellers on everything from baggage delivery times to airports’ cleanliness and staff friendliness, assessing more than 575 airports across 100 regions. Now, the shopaholics have spoken. Heathrow claimed the title over airports including Singapore Changi (which ranked second) and Abu Dhabi (which came sixth).  As for the London hub’s credentials, it’s home to 57,000 square metres of retail space – equal to around 10 football pitches – and more than 300 shops. Bougie brand names abound, from Louis Vuitton and Hermes to Burberry and Harrods. There’s also a dedicated Toblerone store, because what overseas trip would be complete without a bar of triangular chocolate? Photograph: Photo Nature Travel / Shutterstock.com As well as claiming the top spot when it comes to retail therapy, Heathrow also ranked 16th on Skytrax’s list of the best airports in the world in 2026. Pretty good going for an airport which was also one of the busiest on the planet last year.  And if you thought Heathrow’s retail offering couldn’t get any better, think again....

When you think about London icons, the things that come to mind are probably Big Ben, the late Queen Liz, David Bowie or the London Eye – people and landmarks that had a huge part to play in the making of the city as we know it today. London is also one of the best places in the entire world for food and so there are a number of restaurants here that are deserving of ‘icon’ status, too. To give those places their dues, restaurant reservation platform OpenTable has put together a list of 26 places that it reckons are defining the capital’s restaurant scene.  The list of 26 icons and ‘powerhouses’ was compiled with help from industry insiders who know the London dining landscape like the back of their hand – people like Good Food Guide owner Adam Hyman, food content creator Seema Pankhania and critic Jimi Famurewa. It was revealed as part of the first ever OpenTable Restaurant Awards, which also gave out Restaurateurs' Choice and People’s Choice prizes.  Laura Gallant for Time Out Trad British spot, ‘goddamn institution’ and Time Out favourite St. John features on the list (and was named Neighbourhood Gem in the People’s Choice category), as does our former number one restaurant in the city Mambow. Naturally, a couple of pubs made the cut too, including The Plimsoll in Finsbury Park (also voted Gastropub of the Year by OpenTable users) and The Ledbury in Notting Hill (which also received the Bucket List award).  Photograph: The Plimsoll Laure Bornet, senior vice...