Amy Houghton

Every week, a frankly silly amount of brilliant new restaurants, cafés and street food joints arrive in London. Which makes whittling down a shortlist of the best newbies a serious challenge. But here it is. The 20 very best new restaurants in the capital, ranked in order of greatness and deliciousness. All of them have opened over the past 12 months and been visited by our hungry critics. So go forth and take inspo from this list, which is updated regularly. Check in often to find out what we really rate on the London restaurant scene. And look here for all the info about the best new openings in January 2026. London's best new restaurants at a glance: 🍛 Central: Adoh!, Covent Garden 🍠 North: Ling Ling’s, Islington 🥟 South: Doma, Sydenham 🍝 East: Legado, Shoreditch 🥗 West: Martino’s, Chelsea January 2026: New additions include slinky Italian joint Martino's in Chelsea, Passione Vino - a foodie wine bar in a Clerkenwell tattoo parlour, cosy Chinese cuisine at Ling Ling's at Godet in Islington, Hunanese heat at Fiery Flavors in Surrey Quays, Sri Lankan fast food at Adoh! in Covent Garden, Caribbean classics with a twist at 2210 by NattyCanCook in Herne Hill, perfect pasta at Casa Felicia in Queen's Park, Ukrainian classics at Sino in Notting Hill, spicy southern Thai at the new branch of Plaza Khao Gaeng by Borough Market, and soup noodles at Khao So-i in Fitzrovia. Hungry yet? Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see o

We all know travelling with the kids can be tricky, so finding a hotel that keeps everyone happy is key. From splashable pools to free breakfasts for little ones, London has plenty of spots that make family life on the go a whole lot easier. Here’s our pick of the best family-friendly hotels in the city, where parents can relax and kids can be… well, kids. The hotels we’ve selected all make travelling with kids as smooth possible. We look for places that are close to London’s top attractions, so you can zip from Hamleys to the park, without having to spend your whole day on public transport, as well as having the resources to keep the whole family entertained. How we choose our family-friendly hotels A family-friendly hotel is about thoughtful touches for children. Perhaps, there are extra cots, kid-friendly menus, splashable pools, and little surprises that make young guests feel welcome. These are hotels that go the extra mile, from milk and cookies at bedtime to a designated kids concierge services. We include luxury stays and budget-friendly finds. Finally, we consider atmosphere and accessibility: helpful staff, close to attractions and safe play spaces, and a vibe that makes both little ones and grown-ups feel at home. 📍 Looking for your own space? Check out our guide to the best Airbnbs in London London’s family friendly hotels at a glance 💰 Best for a cheap deal: Good Hotel 🗓️ Best concierge service: The Berkeley 🧠 Most iconic: The Ritz ☕ Best afternoon tea for

It can’t be denied that Saturday is one of the greatest days of the week. For lots of us, the working week is over and it’s the one day that you can have a long lie in and stay up all night knowing that you don’t need to be up bright and early the next morning.  In other words, it’s the best day to make the most out of the huge spectrum of things that London has to offer. Whatever your budget, whatever your interests, whatever the weather, there are literally hundreds (if not thousands) of things you could do. Here are some of our favourites things you can get up to in London almost any Saturday of the year (see here for specific stuff going on this weekend).  London’s best Saturday things to do at a glance Best for being outdoors: Hampstead Heath  Best for shopaholics: Selfridges Best for a budget: Natural History Museum Best for group gatherings: Frank’s Cafe  Best for an all-nighter: MOT  RECOMMENDED: The 50 best things to do in London with kids. 

Things are getting more and more expensive here in Europe, and many of our reliably ‘cheap’ cities aren’t so cheap anymore. The hotspots in Greece, Spain, Italy and more that are plagued with overtourism are seeing hiked prices to match, and starting to look startingly similar across the board. But don’t fear: if budgets are tight this year, there’s still plenty of spots that won’t break the bank.  The best part? On the most part, this list of budget-friendly destinations tend to come hand in hand with other wins – we mean less tourists, less crowds, and the flights there are likely to be much cheaper too. Of course, it goes without saying that a ‘cheap city’ is highly subjective, depending on a whole load of factors: which city you’ve travelled in from, what time of year you’re visiting, how bougie your tastes are and all the rest of it. But the spots you’ll find below are lively, culture-packed, and generally incredibly good value for money. Read on for the cheapest (and best) cities to visit in Europe in 2026.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best city breaks in Europe for 2026🌃 The most underrated travel destinations in Europe Ella Doyle is Time Out’s Europe editor. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by experts across Europe. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

Thank god for Burns Night. As the long, bleak month of January rolls on, this kilt-raising, haggis-scoffing, whisky-fuelled celebration of Scotland’s national poet Rabbie Burns is a chance to banish the winter blues and have a rip-roaring time. The Bard turns 267 this year, but you don’t have to be in the big guy’s motherland to join in the festivities. An estimated 200,000 Scottish expats live in the capital, which technically makes it the third most populous Scottish city, so you can guarantee there’s plenty of feasting, boozing and partying to be done down here too.  When is Burns Night in London? Burns Night always falls on January 25, the day Robert Burns was born in South Ayrshire way back in 1759. This year’s celebration falls on a Sunday.  Whether you want to get sweaty at a ceilidh, pipe in a haggis, or have a classy time at a whisky tasting or indulgent Burns supper, this is how you can enjoy Burns Night 2026 in London.  RECOMMENDED: Here are London's best spots for a delicious Burns Night supper.

There’s a heck of a lot to get excited about in Britain over the next 12 months or so. Between now and 2027 Brits will gobble down platefuls of new restaurants’ grub, slurp tasty bevs in fresh bars, get cultural fixes at museum exhibitions, spectate at globally-renowned sport events and even witness moments of proper historic importance. In 2026 the UK will see the return of the Bayeux Tapestry (not seen on these isles in 900 years) and the completion of the nation-spanning King Charles III Coastal Path. Among the likes of new music festivals and theme parks will be the world’s biggest Irish cultural event, the premiere of one of this century’s most highly anticipated stage musicals and centenery celebrations for a globally-loved children’s character.  And that’s just the stuff that’s planned – who knows what else will define the year? Without further ado, here are the 16 best new things to do in the UK in 2026, chosen by Time Out editors and contributors. RECOMMENDED: 📍 The 14 best places to visit in the UK in 2026.🏛️ The 26 best new things to do in London in 2026.🌍 The best new things to do in the world in 2026.

January is here, which means we’re entering a brand new year. Despite all the January goals, resolutions and hopes we have for 2026, it’s no secret that January can ostensibly become the most depressing month of the year. The days are short and dark, it’s cold, and our bank balances are severely depleted after the December festivities. But, we’re here to help you realise it’s not all bleak.  For one thing, it’s the ideal time to discover London on a budget and without the crowds, while many of city’s very best theatre and musicals, restaurants and bars – ranked definitively by Time Out's crew of expert local editors – offer discounted tickets and cheap meal deals to entice you out of the house during the coldest and darkest days of the year. Believe it or not, but January can also a time for celebration, too. London will once again be playing host to plenty of Burns Night ceilidhs, haggis suppers and poetry readings commemorating Scotland’s most famous poet, plus dinners and parades in celebration of the Lunar New Year, which falls nice and early in 2025, on January 29. If you’re someone who likes to commit to a month of sobriety or a punishing new exercise regime at the start of the New Year, London definitely has your back too. The city is home to countless excellent sports clubs and fitness classes, plus dozens of glorious parks and spectacular walking routes, and there’s arguably nowhere that better caters for the sober and sober-curious. Of course, if you’d rather just s

2026 has officially landed. An entire year of adventure awaits, with Britain set for a deluge of thrilling new things to see and do. Beyond the individual openings, however – the new bars and restaurants, museums and attractions – where should be on your radar for places to visit in the UK?  If you’re up for being inspired here at Time Out, as always, we’ve got you covered. We’ve scoured the listings of all that’s happening in Britain in 2026 and consulted our nationwide network of writers and editors, harnessing all that info to put together a guide to the places that should be on your radar over the next 12 months.  Destinations made it onto Time Out’s list for a vast range of reasons. Some have swaggered onto the scene with a quickfire burst of thrilling new attractions. Others have built their cred slower and reached a point of quiet brilliance, while others still are established spots that simply remain very much worth their rep. Several places will be made even more tempting by those aforementioned 2026 openings, whether that be delicious places to eat and drink, game-changing new transport options or unmissable cultural events.  From trendy seaside towns to revived industries cities, medieval forts to ‘the new Berlin’: here are the UK’s 14 top places to visit in 2026. RECOMMENDED: 🇬🇧 The best new things to do in the UK in 2026.📍 The 26 best stuff to see and do in London in 2026. 

Whatever your vibe (and whatever your budget), London’s got it all – and anyone will find something they love here. Historic pubs, leafy parks and gardens and an unmatched restaurant scene make this city worth visiting year-round, but before you’ve booked anything in London, you kind of have to know where you’re going to be based. To get you started, we’ve rounded up the city’s best Airbnbs available to book right now, with expert tips from our local editors.  Should I choose an Airbnb or a hotel in London? London is not short on lovely hotels, ranging from budget to luxury and just about everything in between. But it’s fair to say that even the cheaper options cost a pretty penny – and you’ll often find them in more central, touristy areas in the city. If you want to live like a Londoner, an Airbnb can allow you to properly immerse yourself in a more residential area of London – and all the locally-loved bars, pubs and restaurants that come with it. You’ll find lots of our local tips below, but for a detailed breakdown of the best neighbourhoods to stay in London, check out our ultimate area guide. More of a hotels guy? No problem. Here’s our list of the best hotels in London.  📍 RECOMMENDED: Ultimate guide to the best hotels and Airbnbs in London Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every Airbnb featured, our writers have based our list on expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, amenities and in-depth research to

December 2025 update: There's new songs being added to karaoke machines on a regular basis, so we see it as our duty to keep this list bang up to date. Our latest additions include a K-Pop Demon Hunters anthem, as well as an addicitve tune courtesy of Benson Boone. Whether you’ve got the voice of an angel or you’re totally tone deaf, karaoke unites us all. But heed our warning: choosing the right song is crucial (aka, don’t opt for that Whitney Houston tune if you haven’t the range. And if you don't quite have the skill, steer clear of rapping.) So we thought we’d help out a little bit. In our list of the best karaoke songs ever, we’ve got everyone from Adele to Toto, and from Frank Sinatra to Ricky Martin. There's even recent singalongs from Sabrina Carpenter, Huntr/x and Chappell Roan. Something for everyone. So down that shot, grab that mic and take to the stage. Your audience awaits you. Here are the best karaoke songs ever.  RECOMMENDED:❤️ The best love songs🎶 The 40 best songs of 2025🎉 The best party songs🕺 The 25 best albums of 2025  

Even after a couple of vintage years for new music, 2025 has been special. Sure, we didn’t get a clear-cut ‘song of the summer’, but artists have been instead putting out defining works in a longer format. The past 12 (well, 11) months have featured all manner of extraordinary album releases.  Belted-to-the-rafters country pop, plunderphonic majesty, ecstatic dance music, intimate electronic world-building, history-collapsing art rock, triumphant hip-hop… these are just a few of the sounds and styles that have been executed marvellously in 2025. Here are the year’s finest 25 albums, chosen by Time Out editors and contributors.

It’s easy to leave planning New Year’s Eve to the very last minute – often you get so tangled up in the tinsel-decked glories of Christmas that you forget there's another big bash, just a week later. But New Year's Eve is the kind of night that you forget at your peril. Attempt to wing it and you might well end up stuck at home with a glass of flat prosecco in front of Jools Holland’s Hootenanny, because all London's best clubs and parties book out weeks or months in advance.  But fear not, we're here to make sure you give 2025 a seriously good send-off. Here's our list of London best NYE bashes for ringing in 2026, from never-ending club nights to LGBTQ+- friendly celebrations. Assemble your crew, book your tickets, plan the perfect ‘fit and prepare to say a big fat goodbye to the year gone by. London’s best NYE parties at a glance 🎆 Best for views of the fireworks: New Year’s Eve at Sky Garden 🦖 Best for a one-of-a-kind party: NYE at the Natural History Museum 🍴 Best for midnight snacks: New Year's Eve at Aram, Somerset House  🏳️‍🌈  Best for LGBTQ+: Horse Meat Disco at Village Underground 🌟 Best for glitz and glamour: New Year's Eve at W London RECOMMENDED: Find things to do in London on New Year’s Day.

Gather your brood and join Hackney’s ceilidh band Cut A Shine for its afternoon of family friendly St Patrick’s barn dancing. The bandmembers will teach you and the little’uns all of the crucial ceili moves and ensure that everyone is kept fueled with traditional Irish stew and champ (vegan option available). Things will round off at 3.30pm with a disco where the kids can show off all their newly-learned Celtic choreography. Oh, and there’s a fully stocked bar of Guinness and whiskey for the grown ups. 

Prepare to have your senses thrown into chaos. Anish Kumar’s first major UK exhibition in the UK took place at the Southbank Centre’s Hayward Gallery in 1998. Nearly 30 years later, the internationally acclaimed sculptor’s work is coming back to the gallery for his largest UK show to date. The exhibition displays recent pieces by Kapoor made with futuristic light-absorbing nanotechnology, as well as works that defined the early part of his career.  There will be huge disorientating mirror sculptures, a colossal PVC installation, a foreboding mass of red and black wax drooping from the ceiling, and a striking collection of carnal paintings made using silicone, resin and pigment.  

Homely isn’t quite the word that comes to mind when you pull back the heavy velvet curtain separating Casa Felicia from the dozy Queen’s Park street outside. Chic, for sure. Elegant, certainly. A parade of two-cover tables are packed close together in the main whitewashed dining room, and over in a far corner, there’s a booth for larger groups which is painted entirely in an intense sultry red. But the deeper into the evening we go, the more we’re taken in by this place’s unexpected down-to-earth charm.   Fettuccine porcini and paccheri with mussels and squid are simple but impeccable Casa Felicia is helmed by chef Francesco Sarvonio, formerly of Manteca and currently of Elephant. The menu switches up daily, but always promises southern Italian ‘soul food’. A pleasing heap of puntarelle salad embellished with pear and hazelnuts, and a faultless seabass crudo speckled with crispy red pepper starts us off. We’re then presented with the most intriguing take on parmigiana I’ve ever seen. It doesn’t come in the traditional form of layered aubergine coins, but as the whole vegetable roasted, skinned and fried in a tempura batter, then cocooned in cheese fondue with a pool of marinara on the side. It’s fantastic – the batter lightly encases the vegetable like a chiffon blanket and the aubergine manages to be both firm and completely melt-in-the-mouth.   Don’t get carried away with the antipasti, as the bowls of pasta (handmade with just semolina and water, no egg) are truly generou

Adoh! (Sri-Lankan for ‘oi!’) is loud.  Sat on Maiden Lane in frenetic, tourist-packed Covent Garden, this Sri Lankan spot from Kolamba duo Eroshan and Aushi Meewella fits right in. While Kolamba and its sister restaurant on Liverpool Street are sleek, sophisticated haunts, this is a maximalist whirlwind. Chopped roti gets more heavenly with each chewy bite Adoh’s goal is to emulate the rapid, chaotic energy of Colombo and its street food culture. The decor is raucous – the tables a striking shade of red and the walls busy with storybook murals depicting hand-painted trucks of South Asia. As for service, it’s full speed ahead. You can very easily be in and out within an hour, and fully satisfied. In the throbbing heart of the theatreland that’s no bad thing.  The menu features a blend of authentic bits (isoo vadai, mutton rolls or roti and curry) and some milder hybrid dishes (fried chicken and curry leaf waffles are best suited to less adventurous members of your party). Shiny squares of prawn toast dolloped with tamarind sauce start us off, swiftly followed by a supple dosa spread with smoky masala, alongside a rather dry coconut roti with eye-wateringly hot lunu miris chilli paste.  The must-order main (which at £17 is the priciest item on the menu) is crab kothu, a late-night classic in Sri Lanka. The bronze mountain of chopped roti, egg and stir fried crab meat (mutton, chicken or jackfruit kothu are available too) isn’t particularly pretty, but drenched in curry sauce (p

The UK’s first major retrospective of acclaimed Ukrainian artist Boris Mikhailov is coming to the Photographers’ Gallery. A ‘kind of proto-punk’, Mikhailov has been capturing and commenting on life in Ukraine since the 1960s – from the everyday consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union to the realities of people living on the edges of society – through photography, conceptual work, painting and performance art. Ukrainian Diary brings much of that work together to illustrate the tumultuous social and political changes that have shaken Eastern Europe over the past fifty years.

In 1978, Zofia Rydet decided that was going to photograph the inside of every Polish household. Aged 67, she began knocking on doors and asking occupants if they’d be willing to partake in her project. She continued to knock on doors for the next three decades, collecting everyday stories and creating ‘one of the most important achievements in 20th century Polish photography’. More than 100 of Rydet’s prints will be on display at the Photographers’ Gallery alongside books and personal letters offering extra insight into her sociological mission.

One hundred years ago, a strange curtained box appeared on Broadway in New York City. If you went inside and slotted in 25 cents, you’d emerge with eight sepia tinged photos of yourself in a matter of minutes. It was the Photomaton – the world’s first fully automated photobooth. Fast forward to the 21st century and photobooths are in bars, train stations, cinemas, record shops and on streets all over the world. The Photographer’s Gallery is marking a century of the machines with Click!, an archival exhibition exploring their imperfections, their quirks and their most famous fans. Naturally, there’ll be a working photobooth for visitors to take their own snap.

When a place rates itself as assuredly (in huge bold letters, no less) as Good Hotel does, it’s natural to feel a little sus. But it’s true: Good Hotel really does make you feel good. Service is cheery and laid-back without being overly casual, the food leaves nothing to complain about and – maybe it’s the luxurious silence of the area or perhaps the proximity to gently lapping water – I visited in 2024, and I don’t know if I’ve ever had a better night’s sleep in the city. Aside from all that, guests can walk out of Good Hotel feeling extra gratified by virtue of its ‘do good’ DNA. Why stay at Good Hotel? As you walk along Royal Victoria Docks, this huge black shipping container is impossible to miss. Originally built as a Danish prison, this floating hotel docked in London in 2016 after sailing across from Amsterdam. Its founder, Marten Dresden, had come up with the Good Hotel concept four years prior while travelling in Guatemala. Now, each night you spend there pays for a week of school for a child in South America, with profits also going towards hospitality training for long-term unemployed locals (lots of whom become Good Hotel employees).  The hotel also hosts regular community workshops and events that guests can attend. There are comedy nights, yoga classes, salsa classes, kids art clubs and, if you’re in the mood to be extra good, litter-picking around the local area. What are the rooms like at Good Hotel? Throughout the hotel, the interiors are slick, earthy-toned

One of the more recent additions to Wimbledon Village, Good Fortune Club is bright and buzzy with a sprawling menu of Cantonese dishes, the best known of which is its handmade dim sum. Stop by with a large, hungry posse to pack your table with bamboo steamers and sample har gau (shrimp-filled dumplings,) xiao long bao (pork soup dumplings), cuttlefish cake and more.

Of its four south-west London outposts, DropShot’s Leopold Road location serves up hefty brunches on the daily. The portions here are breathtakingly generous, and the tennis-themed menu goes well beyond the standard eggs benny or avocado on toast; think mozzarella and chilli jam-filled potato pancakes andbig fat slices of French toast laden with monterey jack cheese and fresh pesto, or loaded with tiramisu cream and berries. The coffee is fantastic, too.

Crack Comedy Club brings pre-party laughs to Tunnel 267 – Wimbledon’s only nightclub – every Saturday night from 8pm to 10pm. For standup sets from four or five comics, tickets are £25 for general admission on the door or £21.50 if you book online in advance. You can also buy tickets that include dinner from a local restaurant beforehand, and if you stick around afterwards you’ll get free entry to Tunnel’s clubnight. Three in one. 

There's a real sense of fun to this deliberately rough-around-the-edges course. Party tunes blare from speakers, graffiti jazzes up the walls and it's made from ‘twisted junk, car booty and charity shop shizzle’. Junkyard Golf Club has four courses – Gary, Pablo, Dirk and Bozo – that are all fabulously chaotic and mildly freaky. Depending on which challenge you take on, you’ll be putting past pirate pigs, dishevelled nightclub urinals, terrifying giant clown heads and a UV rave room. There's also a second location in Camden for more of the same.  Prices start at £12 for nine holes at off-peak times (Sunday to Thursday) and go up to £21 for 18 holes on busier days (Fridays and Saturdays). And as any good crazy golf should, Junkyard has a menu of themed cocktails to keep lubed up before, during and after your game. 

When The Greatest Showman came out back in 2017, it was a phenomenal, truly world-conquering hit. Its soundtrack won a Grammy, its standout song ‘This Is Me’ got a Golden Globe and it quickly became one of the highest-grossing movie musicals of all time. Given its monumental success and the fact that it comes pretty much ready-made, a stage version of the film was only a matter of time. Ladies and gentlemen – after years of anticipation The Greatest Showman: The Musical is set make its global debut right here in the UK in just a couple of months. And Time out has named it one of the best things to see in the country in 2026.  RECOMMENDED: This once-in-a-lifetime London exhibition will be the best thing to see in the UK in 2026.  The musical from Disney will come to the stage for the first time ever at Bristol Hippodrome from March 15 until May 10. Time Out’s theatre editor Andrzej Lukowski, said: ‘Clearly the goal is for it to head to the West End and Broadway, but a musical of this scale always gets an out-of-town try-out first.’ In case you’re not familiar with the film, it’s (very, very loosely) based on the life of American showman PT Barnum, depicting his rise from poverty-stricken kid to his founding of the travelling circus he called the ‘greatest show on Earth’. The stage adaptation will feature all the songs from the movie, as well as new ones from original songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and the cast will be led by West End heavyweights Oliver Tompsett as PT

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. Com

After leaving fans patiently waiting for four whole years, Harry Styles has finally both announced new music and confirmed details of a tour. The megastar released his new single ‘Aperture’ last Friday (January 23) ahead of his fourth album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, due to land in March. He’ll be bringing that album to stages across the globe later this year. The Together, Together tour will look a little different to the average world tour. Instead of playing dozens of different venues, Harry has chosen seven cities in which he’ll do a run of residencies. That includes an enormous 30 (yep, 30!) night long residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden and six dates at London’s own Wembley Stadium. Oh, and he’ll be joined by some truly huge names along the way.  The Wembley Stadium shows will be Harry’s only UK performances this year, so these are set to be hot tickets. Here’s everything you need to know if you want to be there.  RECOMMENDED: The 20 best major music tours coming to the UK in 2026. When is Harry Styles going on tour in 2026? He’ll be playing in major venues across Europe, North America, South America and Australia between May and December.   What London tour dates have been announced so far? Right now, Harry has six shows lined up at Wembley Stadium in the summer. Here are those laid out. June 12 2026 June 13 2026 June 17 2026 June 19 2026 June 20 2026 June 23 2026 When do Harry Styles tickets go on sale? London’s general sale kicks off at 11

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 succe

The relaxing of security rules at major UK airports have been promised for a long, long time. Brand new CT scanners that would mark the end of the 100ml liquid limit and the clear plastic bag rule were announced way back in 2018. But it’s taken seven years for that new tech to be widely installed. The strict liquid rules at airports were first introduced in 2006 following a foiled transatlantic bomb plot. Since then, airport’s have also required passengers to remove large electrical items like tablets or laptops from their hand luggage for checking. Those days are finally over.  Now, the new machines have been installed at most of the UK’s major airports. They can take a 3D picture of a bag’s insides, meaning that passengers no longer need to faff around at security decanting their liquids into a plastic pouch, digging their laptop out of their bag or chugging down their bottles of water. The idea is that getting rid of those rules will speed up the whole security process.  Days after London Heathrow became the latest airport to axe the old security restrictions, here’s the full rundown of the airports where passengers no longer need to worry about the 100ml liquid limit.  What are the new hand luggage rules?  The new CT scanners mean that passengers can now pack containers with up to two litres of liquid in their hand luggage (as many as you like) and keep them inside their bag. Laptops and tablets can stay inside your hand luggage too. Refillable metal or ‘double walled’

Teignmouth Grand Pier in Devon has been around since 1867. In those 159 years, it has survived two world wars and countless storms, so is well used to taking a battering. But last weekend’s Storm Ingrid proved to be a tempest too far.  The end of the pier collapsed and was washed away to sea on Saturday (January 24) during the intense storm. Teignmouth National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) shared pictures of the damaged pier and warned locals that it ‘never seen [the sea] this rough before’.  Teignmouth’s mayor Cate Williams told Sky News: ‘[The pier] goes out for a bit and then effectively there is a portion of it that has just washed away, dissolved, and then you have another little bit of the structure that is still standing. ‘The arcade aspect to it, the games, are used by residents and visitors of all ages, so it’s a really important feature. It stands out. As we know, at seaside resorts those with piers are very few and far between, so the fact we have it here is something that we appreciate and enjoy.’ The pier is privately owned by a family, so the council doesn’t have the power to immediately repair and renovate it. In a post on social media immediately after the storm, the owner’s said that it had been a ‘dreadful night’. In a later update the owner said: ‘We are fully aware that the cosmetic appearance of the pier isn’t perfect; however, the reality is that constant structural maintenance over the last decade is what has allowed Grand Pier Teignmouth to remain sta

Coffee really is an art form. There are so many components that can make or break a good cup of joe – the beans, the roast, the grind, the brew, the milk – but, lucky for us, London is blessed with hundreds of coffee shops that have all of those mastered. Now, 11 of the city’s coffee shops have been named among the best in the entire country.  The Best Coffee Shops UK has scoured the country for coffee joints that excel in nine different categories. Those categories include the quality of coffee (of course), barista expertise, customer service, ambience, quality of food, consistency and community. A jury of coffee connoisseurs chose their top spots, then those choices were combined with public votes to create the final list.  Of the 44 coffee shops across the UK on the list, a quarter are here in the capital. They include Holborn’s Scandi-style Catalyst as well as Prufrock Coffee, which is just around the corner and has its own barista training centre.  Photograph: Andy Parsons Photographer Carbon Kopi, which moved from New Zealand to Hammersmith in 2019 also made the cut alongside Hackney’s Specialty Cafetiere, which has a special water filtration system to ensure it serves the best brews possible. There’s also Curators in the City of London which is run by Send Coffee, a social enterprise providing coffee training to people with special needs and disabilities.  Every place that made it onto the list are now in the running for a spot on the World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops 20

This time of year, most of the small talk among Brits covers one of two things: how miserably cold it is outside or how depressingly dark it is. But those conversations won’t last much longer, we promise. While we can’t predict the precise day that the UK will be warmer and sunnier, we do know the exact date that the sun will start setting after 8pm. Finally, we’ll get our evenings back, so start booking your beer garden tables and al fresco dining right now.  The clocks going forward always falls on the final Sunday on March. In 2026, that means we’ll get brighter evenings a day earlier than we did last year. What a treat. Here’s everything you need to know.  What date do the clocks go forward in 2026? The UK’s clocks will go forward and ring in British Summer Time on Sunday March 29.   What time do the clocks go forward?  They’ll jump forward at 1am to say 2am instead, so we’ll lose an hour.  Do I need to change the clocks myself? Most modern things with in-built clocks – phones, computers, smart TVs, modern cars – change on their own. However, older or more manual timekeeping devices – like traditional clocks, some cars and kitchen appliances – will need changing yourself.  Sunset times after clocks go forward Here’s where the sun will set in major UK cities on March 29, from earliest to latest.  London – 7.28pm Birmingham – 7.36pm Manchester – 7.38pm Cardiff – 7.40pm Edinburgh – 7.44pm Glasgow – 7.48pm Belfast – 7.54pm When will the sun set at 8pm?  It’ll be slightly

Here at Time Out, we’re all about championing all the brilliant places to see and things to right here in the UK. Between them, our writers, editors and contributors have ventured to practically every corner of the country, and in 2026, thanks to new openings, unmissable cultural events or historic anniversaries, lots of our favourite places are going to be extra worth a visit.  Our number one British destination this year is the Scottish city of Stirling. But coming in a close second? The East Sussex sister towns of Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea. Time Out staff writer India Lawrence said: ‘It’s well known that Hastonians love a good knees-up, and every year the seaside town has a calendar packed full of cultural and community events: the incoming year has the usual festivals including Fat Tuesday, Jack and the Green and Pirate Day all on the books for 2026 already.’ Neighbouring St Leonards, meanwhile, is ‘quickly becoming a trendy coastal epicentre to give Margate a run for its money’. The walk between the two towns is an easy wander along the seafront. For a trip, we recommend basing yourself at the boutique Old Rectory in Hastings Old Town. From there, spend the morning exploring Hastings Contemporary art gallery, the fascinating Hastings Fisherman Museum and vintage treasure trove Courthouse Cooperative.  Then wander down to St Leonards in the afternoon to check out its stretch of cool indie shops like Shop, Stereo Retro and Sunless and secure some sustenance in the f

Congratulations, you’ve almost made it through what feels like the 7,586th week of January. It’s been a long old month – one mostly characterised by horrendous weather, back to work blues, failed attempts at self-discipline and scraping by with the few funds you have left over from December.  One silver lining of all that is that venues and organisations across London make an extra effort to offer budget-friendly, mood-boosting events. Over the next few days alone, there’s a fantastic east London film fest, yoga in one of the city’s grandest art venues and screenings of the one TV show that has lifted the nation’s spirits this month, all free of charge. So, get out there! Here’s our full breakdown of the best free things going on in London this weekend. RECOMMENDED: The best things to do in London this weekend. The best free things on in London this weekend, January 23-25 2026 1. Scoff plant-based goods at Signature Brew’s Veganuary Fest It may have been buried beneath the rising popularity of going teetotal for Dry Jan, but Veganuary is very much still a thing. And for all those swearing off meat and dairy for the month (as well as all the city’s seasoned herbivores), Blackhorse Road’s Signature Brew is hosting London’s biggest vegan street food event this weekend. It’s free entry but you will of course have to part with some cash if you want to try the vegan nosh on offer. Food up for grabs will include stuffed burgers and wraps from The Hogless Roast, meatless wings from

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) takes pubs very seriously. For almost 40 years, its volunteers have sunk pints in boozers all over the UK to find out which of them are a cut above the rest, and to name one of them the National Pub of the Year.  Back in October, after two meticulous rounds of judging, CAMRA announced the four pubs that were going head to head for the 2025 title. They were scrutinised on their atmosphere, décor, welcome, service, inclusivity, overall impression and (most importantly) the quality cask beer, real cider and perry, before a final winner was decided. Now, that winner has been revealed.  The Tamworth Tap in Staffordshire is CAMRA’s National Pub of the Year 2025. That name sound familiar? Well, that would be because it’s actually won the title twice before. After winning in both 2022 and 2023, it’s taken back the crown from last year’s victor The Bailey Head in Shropshire, and has become the first pub to win three times. Occupying a 16th century building, the Tamworth Tap is the HQ of Tamworth Brewing Company. It has eight cask hand-pulls and 20 keg taps with a rotating line up of ales, stouts and lagers, as well as another six keg and four cask in its beer garden right beneath the historic Tamworth Castle. But having top-quality beer will only get you so far. The Tamworth Tap also earned recognition for being a beloved social hub. It regularly puts on events for the community, like comedy nights, craft clubs, ‘paint and sip’ sessions, beer tasting

After decades of dedicating your blood, sweat and tears a 9 to 5, we all want to settle down somewhere we know we’ll be well-looked after – whether that be  when we need medical attention or when we just fancy a cuppa and a chat. There are places across the country that are far better suited to OAPs than others, and now the Times has compiled a ‘Growing Old Index’ to reveal exactly where retirees are the healthiest and happiest. And you won’t have to go far out of London to find the number one spot.   The paper’s research looked at six main factors: average life expectancy, GP provision, A&E wait times, the referral period for trauma and orthopaedic services, number of care home beds and where each location ranks in the ONS’s annual happiness index.  After diving into all that data, the Times said that Windsor and Maidenhead is home to England’s healthiest, happiest retirees right now. The royal borough, just 20 minutes from the capital city, has the second highest average life expectancy (83.2 years) after Wokingham (84 years) and is joint first for the proportion of referrals to trauma and orthopaedic services within 18 weeks.  Windsor and Maidenhead also got high scores when it came to happiness, GP provision, the number of care homes and A&E waiting times Peter Titmuss/ Shutterstock But OAPs don’t just rely on health services to keep them content. Things like green spaces, leisure facilities and social communities are important too. One 95-year-old Maidenhead resident t