Ed Cunningham

Want a drink? You've come to the right place. This is Time Out’s list of best bars in London, our curated guide to London’s drinking scene, featuring the buzziest booze dens in the capital right now. If it’s on this list, it’s excellent. These are the 50 places we'd recommend to a friend, because we love drinking in them and have done many times over. From classy cocktail joints to delightful dives, hotel bars, speakeasys, bottle shops, rooftops and wine bars, London's got them all. But what makes a truly good bar? Well, our critieria for inclusion on this list is simple; a menu of genius drinks is important, but so is overall vibe – there’s no point having the perfect paloma if you have to drink it in a bar that smells of bins. To make the Top 50, a bar has to be fun, inclusive, and full of lovely folk as well as looking the part.  April 2025: A rash of great new bars have opened in London over the past year or so and many of them have made the immediate jump to our hallowed Top 50. The latest additions to our list include rowdy sports bar meets 80s horror movie set Bloodsports in Covent Garden, whisky wonderland Dram Bar on Denmark Street, the hypnotic Bar Lotus in Dalston, Below Stone Nest in Chinatown, Rasputin’s by London Fields, and Bar Lina, an Italian aperitivo spot underneath a famous Soho deli. Now go forth and drink. RECOMMENDED: Like bars? Then you'll love London's best pubs.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor, and she'll have a gibson marti

London is full of perfect pizza. The finest of fast foods, this delicious staple has been elevated far beyond its humble roots by great Italian restaurants in London, pop-ups, street food vendors and pub residencies, and we know just where to find these world-class wonders, because we’ve been eating our way across London in order to discover the best. Whether it’s delivered in a cardboard box or served in a swish restaurant, excellent pizza is hard to beat. Browse our list of the best pizza places in town and try not to drool on your screen. Recent additions to the Top 20 include some nifty kitchen residencies; Dough Hands at the Spurstowe Arms and Old Nun’s Head, Bing Bong Pizza at You Call The Shots in Hackney, Little Earthquakes at the Railway Tavern in Dalston, Lenny’s Apizza at The Bedford Tavern in Finsbury Park and Short Road Pizza at the William The Fourth in Leyton and Three Colts in Bethnal Green. Try also, Spring Street Pizza in Borough for pizza with a Michelin-starred cheffy touch. RECOMMENDED: The finest fish and chips in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.

The humble brunch is perhaps one of the greatest inventions of the modern age. Breakfast is too early to really get stuck into, while eating eggs and downing buckets of coffee at lunchtime seems odd. Brunch, then, is the one true morning-ish meal, especially if it incorporates pancakes, bacon and those aforementioned eggs. Or you can enjoy a totally vegan take on proceedings at LD's at The Black Heart. London is particularly well stocked with places to indulge in the famous breakfast/lunch hybrid – one of the latest additions to this list is FKA Black Axe Mangal in Highbury, (don’t forgot to order a pig cheek and prune donut). Let us guide you to the best restaurants for a fabulous brunch, from a traditional full English to innovative twists on the majestic meal, such as a bacon bao brunch.  RECOMMENDED: Like unlimited fizz with your fry-up? Here are the best bottomless brunches in London.  Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. July 2025: We've removed some of the staler options to give you only the finest brunches in London for this summer. Make the most of the warmer weather by bagging a table on the terrace at somewhere like The Laundry in Brixton, or get to the great outdoors at Pavilion Cafe in Victoria Park. Hate the heat and would rather sulk in the dark like a massive goth? Then it's off to LD's at The Black Heart in Camden for you. We've also included a few places that prove brunch isn't 

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 in the past year 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.  July 2025: New additions include plush Roman pasta at Lupa in Highbury, fun bistro action at Hello JoJo in Camberwell, Japanese-Italian fusion at Osteria Angelina in Spitalfields and a brand new home for Thai legend Singburi in Shoreditch. They join bawdy British fare at Rake in Highbury, Iberian inventiveness at Tasca in Bethnal Green and The Most Controversial Restaurant in London™, The Yellow Bittern in King’s Cross. Leonie Cooper is Time Out London’s Food and Drink Editor. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. RECOMMENDED: The 50 best restaurants in London. The hottest new openings, the tastiest tips, the spiciest reviews: we’re serving it all on our London restaurants WhatsApp channel. Follow us now to tuck in.

Of all the many things that have been upended since 2020, office life is one of the biggest. While some of us have settled into a half-office, half-home working hybrid set-up, others have taken the opportunity to untether themselves entirely from the workplace and copped themselves a visa that enables them to live and work remotely. While there are downsides to the digital nomad lifestyle, we’re still living in an era of profound  digital nomadism. Many destinations are selling themselves as idyllic remote-working spots, with visas that allow you to live and work there for up to a year – or sometimes even longer. Here’s a guide to the countries offering digital nomad visas right now, and how you can qualify. And here’s what it’s actually like to be a digital nomad – and how to become one yourself.

Need a place to stay in London? We’re here to make it easy for you. Every year, a wealth of new hotels open in the capital which is a testament to the fact that London remains one of the most desirable places to visit in the world. However, that can make it tricky to decide which hotel to choose. But worry not because we have slept our way across the city and hand-picked our favourites for the ultimate list of London hotels, which covers locations right across the city, and every category from blowout luxury (including having your own butler, might we add) to budget basic and brilliant. In this mega list, we've listed everything from our favourite five-star hotels in Mayfair to more affordable hotels outside of zone 1. Plus you’ll be able to check out one or two of the capital's many Michelin-starred restaurants because yep, loads of them call London hotels their home. But if spending a small fortune on food isn’t your bag? There’s also an ever-increasing number of good-value food options for budgeteers, too. Throw great design and architecture into the mix, plus superb bars, world-class hospitality and the opportunity to have a home-from-home in the best city in the world and, well, you’re laughing.  Which area is best to stay in London? It's not just the range of hotels that's so impressive – you're also spoilt for choice when it comes to picking a neighbourhood to stay in London. The city is made up of a sprawling network of dynamic neighbourhoods, all with their own uniqu

Europe is incredible for festivals, make no mistake about it. And what could be better? Travelling to festivals abroad means getting to explore somewhere new and see a bunch of cracking artists, as well as maybe – just maybe – enjoy better weather and cheaper beer. Europe is certainly not in short supply of some really brilliant places to party, from tiny, lesser-known spots in the Azores to your classic, mega, headliner-packed fests in France and Netherlands and Alpine jazz weekends. And don’t worry, if you haven’t booked yet, there’s a load of them still to come this summer. Here are the best music festivals in Europe for 2025.  What is the largest festival in Europe? Glastonbury festival in the UK is normally thought of as the biggest festival in Europe (if not the world). But though it’s certainly the most well known, in terms of numbers, it’s not even the the biggest in the UK! The biggest in Europe is actually Donauinselfest in Vienna, Austria, which sees upwards of two million visitors a year. After that, it’s probably joint between Glasto and Tomorrowland in Belgium.  RECOMMENDED: 🎪 The best UK music festivals🎤 The best music festivals in the world🌃 The most underrated destinations in Europe🌤️ The best European city breaks At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial conten

There’s more to Japanese movies than Kurosawa, Ozu and Miyazaki. That’s not to downplay their contributions to the country’s cinematic history – or cinema in general. All three are potential GOATs. It’s just that there’s much, much more where that exalted triumvirate came from.  Like the trailblazing silent works of Kenji Mizoguchi. Or the off-kilter pop-art crime thrillers of Seijun Suzuki. Or the bizarrely horrifying visions of Takashi Miike. On this list of the greatest Japanese movies of all time, you’ll find them all, alongside, of course, Kurosawa’s epics, Miyazaki’s soulful animations and Ozu’s powerful domestic dramas – oh, and Godzilla too. You’ll trace Japan’s unique filmmaking history, moving from the silent era to its post-war golden age to the 1960s New Wave to the anime explosion of the ’80s, all the way up to the current renaissance spearheaded by Hirokazu Kore-eda, Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Mamoru Hosoda. It’s a lot to take in. But with expert commentary from Junko Yamazaki – assistant professor of Japanese Media Studies at Princeton, whose focuses include post-war Japanese film music and the jidaigeki (period drama) genre – this cinephile’s bible is as authoritative as it is exhaustive. Consider it your travel guide to one of the world’s most creative movie cultures. RECOMMENDED: 🇰🇷 The greatest Korean films of all time🇫🇷 The 100 best French movies ever made🇯🇵 The best anime movies of all time, ranked🌏 The 50 best foreign films of all-time

The grand New York City is full of iconic, well-loved landmarks. People flock from all around the globe to spy on classic attractions like the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State, and Central Park all the way to the Yankee Stadium and Birdland. NYC is the hub for all things historical and of cultural importance, so naturally, you'll want to follow the experience to a hotel that matches the vibe. There are a lot of hotels that are considered attractions in themselves. From the architecturally breathtaking to the places that famous people venture to or even ones that were once the site of a historical event. Many are also exceptionally luxurious and considered among the top hotels in the entire country – but even if you're just looking, they're certainly worth a visit. And if you can afford to stay there? They're totally worth it, obviously.  RECOMMENDED: 🗽See our full guide to the best hotels in NYC🏨Check out best hotels with a view in NYC 💘Stay in the most romantic hotels in NYC Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in every hotel featured below, we've based our list on top reviews and amenities to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

If you’re dreaming of finding sand in your shoes after a long day out and queuing too long for ice cream, then you could do a lot worse than venturing out of the city and planning a trip to one of the UK’s seemingly endless coastal towns. This is an island nation, after all, which means it’s packed with rugged cliffs and windswept headlands as well as quaint fishing villages and shoreline surf spots. We might not have the sunkissed weather of our European neighbours, but when it comes to costal charm, the UK ticks a hell of a lot of boxes. Planning a trip to the seaside? Check out our list of the best coastal towns in the country, from Scotland to Cornwall.   Which UK seaside towns get the best weather?  If you’re chasing sunshine, you’re probably going to want to go south. Brighton, Margate, St Ives, Salcombe and Falmouth can clock some serious sun hours in the right season – but we can’t make any promises, so be sure to pack a raincoat to be on the safe side.  Where are the best beaches in the UK? If beach walks and swimming in the sea is what you’re after, look no further than our list of the best beaches in the UK. From the list below, we’d recommend Brighton if you’re more of a pebble person. Head to Nefyn for natural beauty and extreme quiet. Try North Berwick if you want sand between your toes and can stomach chillier waters. And for higher temperatures, head to East Portlemouth beach and stay in Salcombe.  RECOMMENDED:🌊The best outdoor swimmming pools in the UK🏖️T

As the second-largest island in the Med (after Sicily), Sardinia boasts an enormous range of stuff to see, do, eat and drink. From the pristine aquamarine waters and dusty white sands of Costa Smeralda to the buzzing streets of Cagliari, Sardinia appeals to nature lovers, beach bunnies and urban explorers alike. Fittingly, hotels on the island cater to all kinds of visitors. Featuring spas, villas, city centre locations, family-run establishments and swanky five-star resorts – these are the best hotels in Sardinia. Updated August 2024: We've added a contemporary resort that offers immersive views, authentic Sardinian cuisine and a whole host of activities throughout the day and night – including a poolside BBQ on weekends.  Who makes the cut? While we might not stay in and review every hotel featured, we've based our list on our expert knowledge of the destination covered, editorial reviews, user reviews, hotel amenities and in-depth research to find you the best stays. This article includes affiliate links. These links have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.

Boutique hotels in NYC have a special place in our hearts - they're not just luxurious with top-notch amenities, they’re bursting with character, offering experiences that few others can match. Seriously, these independent hotels have such unique styles that you'll be planning a full-scale home makeover in your head before check-out. With so many amazing choices, picking the best boutique hotels in NYC is tough. From the Financial District to Williamsburg, these hotels with rich histories and daring designs offer everything from mixology classes and indulgent full-body massages to Parisian-style gardens, rooftop bars, and jaw-dropping views of the city's iconic landmarks.  To help plan your perfect NYC trip, we've done the legwork for you, rounding up our personal favorite boutique hotels in New York City. Because when you're in one of the world's greatest cities, your stay should reflect the unique character and style of the place. As a final note, among some of the editor's old favorites, you'll find some new digs on this list too. Expect a contemporary retreat for the urbanites with "drop dead" views and one of the most iconic luxury stays in Manhattan that money can buy. Welcome to the good life. Updated August 2024: Our list just got even better with this old-money glam, Hotel Giraffe, and the Broadway chic, CIVILIAN Hotel. Take a peek.  RECOMMENDED:🇺🇸 View our full guide to the best hotels in NYC🏊‍♀️ Discover the best NYC hotels with pools🚶‍♂️ Check out the best thi

A country home amid gargantuan piles of slate, Plas Weunydd sits atop a hill overlooking not just an old industrial town but the vast landscape of Snowdonia National Park. Needless to say, the hotel is all about its location: the location on a map, sure (it’s pretty much at the dead-centre of Snowdonia and surrounded by all manner of outdoorsy activities) but also its topographical location, with views galore.  For my visit to Plas Weunydd, the approach by car saw me wind my way past the hills and valleys of the national park, through old mining town Blaenau Ffestiniog and most of the way up a not-unsteep hill. The hotel is perched near the top, at the same turning as much-hyped adventure attraction Zip World and a mountain-biking course.  Why stay at Plas Weunydd? If you’re in Snowdonia for an adventure or outdoorsy holiday (and this is very much a region famous for that), Plas Weunydd is extraordinarily well-located. Hiking, cycling, mountain biking, zip-wiring and more is almost literally on your doorstep – as previously mentioned, Zip World is across the road – while countless mountains, waterfalls, lakes or rivers in Snowdonia National Park are no more than a half-hour drive away.  The building itself was built in 1870 as the home of John Whitehead Greaves, the founder of nearby Llechwed Quarry. It was turned into a hotel in 2021, and it relaunched in April 2025 following further refurbishment. Plas Weunydd prides itself on being an adventure holiday base, but also for b

Prince Durairaj and Glen Leeson are good at this by now. Excellent, in fact. The pair have put together a small chain of top Indian eateries; Islington’s Tamil Prince and Tamil Crown, and the first Tamila in Clapham. Fourth time around with Tamila King’s Cross, the experience is more refined than ever. London’s second Tamila is at the other end of Caledonian Road from the Tamil Prince, and, like the Clapham edition, isn’t a ‘desi pub’ but a curry house for fast, casual dining and with an all-day menu. Without the loveable musk of an ex-pub, the space is much airier and restaurant-y, while the service is sharper and more attentive. Food-over-booze indicators don’t get much more obvious than Tamila’s massive interior window directly into the kitchen.  The dhal flashed all sorts of vegetables across your tongue, while paneer butter masala was creamy and mightily generous Our drinks flew out at an impressive pace. A bold harbinger of the strong, spiced flavours to come, the gunpowder margarita, boasting masala dust for salt and earthy smokiness, was sumptuous. The paloma had grapefruity sweetness but a proper, heaped dash of ginger that lingered powerfully.  Tamila’s dishes verge on the more generous side of ‘small plates’. On platters so spotless and shiny they’re genuinely mirrors, come miraculously un-greasy onion bhajis, each one just more than a mouthful of prickly, salty crackle. Retaining integral crispiness beneath dollops of mint chutney, one gets the impression that th

If you’re a history buff (particularly a pottery history buff), the surroundings of this DoubleTree alone will be enough to have you in awe. The hotel is attached to Etruria Hall, a neo-classical Grade II-listed structure once home to Josiah Wedgwood – renowned industrialist and the founder of Wedgwood, one of the world’s most famous pottery companies.  Etruria Hall is no longer a stately home but an events venue, and since the 1980s it’s been attached to a hotel. In 2020 that hotel opened as a Hilton, specifically of the DoubleTree brand – yet despite being part of an all-conquering global chain, it’s maintained plenty of character. Beyond the obvious (the in-house restaurant is called Josiah), the corridors and rooms come lined with nods to local heritage; bottle oven skylines, Stoke dialect phrases, that sort of stuff.  Stoke-on-Trent’s DoubleTree, therefore, not only occupies a special historical site but makes sure you fully aware just how special it is. But it’s also a comfortable, well-kitted-out place to stay. I stayed in a king guest room that was extraordinarily spacious and flawlessly clean, with a sprawling, comfortable bed, fast wi-fi, effective blackout curtains and a practical bathroom.  The staff couldn’t have been friendlier or more helpful, the common areas were bright and welcoming, and there was a very sleek indoor pool and leisure centre. There’s on-site parking, too.  Given the building’s age, some of Stoke’s DoubleTree is understandably rough around the

When Stoke’s Hilton Garden Inn opened in 2020 it was the city’s first and only Hilton. Admittedly it didn’t hold that title for long (the DoubleTree in Etruria was rebranded a month or so later) but you get the sense that this was a statement opening. A terracotta titan towering over Hanley, this Hilton Garden Inn cost £20 million and is part of the wider redevelopment of Smithfield – a mixed-use quarter named after the area’s old bottle works. Given it’s getting on for half a decade old, Stoke’s Hilton Garden Inn still looks and feels shimmeringly new. Sure, stepping into the lobby feels very much like stepping into any new-ish Hilton, anywhere, but this one is exceptionally well-kempt, making it very much a slick, shiny beacon of modern comfort.  I stayed in a ‘king room’ up on the sixth floor, a tidy and well-proportioned space with plenty of light and a bunch of amenities tidily packed in. The décor was pared back, minimalist(ish) and very much of-this-decade, and the room’s simplicity made it feel bigger. Stoke touches on the walls (images of pottery ovens and so on) reminded you where you were – as did my view, stretching out westwards towards Etruria, Burslem and Shelton. The rest was very much as one might expect of a somewhat new Hilton. The mattress was supple, the pillows and duvet ideally sink-in-able; the shower worked as required, accompanied by fragrant Crabtree & Evelyn toiletries and the flashy touch of an anti-steam mirror. The room was well insulated for so

Down the cavernous halls of Whitehall’s Old War Offices, surrounded by opulent Michelin-starred restaurants and the supremely swish Raffles hotel, lies Kioku Sake Bar – less blindingly flashy, sure, but just as high-calibre. The street-level accompaniment to Kioku’s top-floor, five-star sushi restaurant has the effortless style and homely hideaway calm of a Japanese listening bar, prim décor and lines of hundreds of sake bottles sitting beneath immaculately balanced light. And Kioku’s substance more than matches its style. There are over 140 sakes on offer, each affectionately described, plus a trim list of sake cocktails and a refined menu of innovative, Japanese-infused small plates. The drinks and food are entirely different to those of the upstairs restaurant Kioku By Endo, making the bar very much worth a separate visit.  Order this The Daikon Gibson suspends itself entirely on the front of your tongue, with silky and potent Ginjo sake ‘vermouth’ and tangy pickled daikon combining with clean Roku gin and yuzu tang. Kioku’s cocktails all exude a sense of craft – and this does even more so. Time Out tip Make the most of Kioku’s formidable sake collection and the bar’s in-house sake sommelier to explore the tipple. Discover how the vessel material affects each sake, get a taste of the many, many different styles and regional varieties – and find a new favourite.

Stepping into the atrium of The Conservatorium, it’s immediately obvious that this is a very special hotel indeed. Rich red brickwork meets sharp glass angles, heritage details fit snugly among silky modern luxury; from the fittings and furniture to the architecture, wherever you look something catches your eye. The Conservatorium’s sense of occasion is tied to the building’s history. Many of its cavernous halls date back to 1897, when it was built as a bank. In the 1980s it became a conservatoire, then it was reconfigured into a hotel by starchitect Piero Lissoni in the 2000s. It opened as a founding member of the luxurious Set Collection in 2011. The Conservatorium’s rooms, appropriately for a hotel inhabiting a building of many previous lives, vary massively – yet they share plenty of common ground. Whether one is in the basic ‘deluxe room’ or the three-floor, roof terrace-boasting ‘I Love Amsterdam’ suite, well-proportioned rooms boast plush beds, spacious bathrooms, bountiful storage and thoughtful, refined décor. My room was a ‘royal duplex suite’, with elegant double-height windows looking out onto the humming trams and cafés of Van Baerlestraat. The essentials – bed, space, storage, bathroom, toiletries – were all faultless. Little touches of Dutch-ness (decorative clogs, a Van Gogh coffee table book, Delftware ceramic plates) were unsubtle but still tasteful, restrained. Beyond the room, breakfast (served in the Lounge) was high-calibre and the staff were as helpful

What comes to mind when you think of a treehouse? Woodlice, splinters, cold – yes, probably all those things. But treehouses are also secluded and peaceful, dwellings a few feet up in the air that feel that bit away from the rabble below and closer to nature. And a treehouse, crucially, is all yours.  The treehouses of TreeDwellers in Cornbury, northeast Cotswolds, are treehouses in a spiritual sense. No, they aren’t up trees (nor do they even touch them), but they’re surrounded by them, sitting an impressive height above the forest floor. TreeDwellers takes the idea of a treehouse – as something special, private, embedded in nature – and turns it into a luxurious experience genuinely unlike anything, anywhere else. Pulling up to a TreeDwellers dwelling (a TreeDwelling?) has a supreme sense of occasion. This is the sort of architectural magnificence you thumb through in glossy mags, lustfully dreaming of one day giving it all up for. Handsomely curved tubes are perched atop stilts; inside is all sleek, clean wood and floor-to-ceiling windows, each and every convenience slotted in with impossible neatness. It’s all so stunning that you could easily be satisfied with the design and that alone, left gawping at it for days on end. But these treehouses aren’t just flashy façades: they’re comfortable and practical, too. You check-in with slick door-code entry, the heating is underfloor and toasty on your toes, everything you could possibly need is on a tablet (or on hand from delig

On the face of it, Portobello’s neat, proper Holy Carrot and Dalston’s fire-worshipping feast ACME Fire Cult share little common ground. ACME is roaring and showy, as much a swaggering religion as a restaurant; Carrot is prim as a perfume shop, soft clay surroundings fronting a menu that is plant-forward, ‘root to peel’ and sustainable.  But there’s a clear link between the two – namely Daniel Watkins. The ex-ACME founder is now executive chef at the first permanent home of Holy Carrot (previously known for its supper clubs and Knightsbridge residency), and brings his ‘fire and ferment’ ethos across the capital from one neighbourhood of cool to another.  More than just Holy Carrot’s first proper restaurant, it’s also a Watkins-helmed reboot – and it has plenty of his signature punch. From the off, the pre-starter ‘snacks’ offer a studied but unshowy sort of tastiness. Pillowy insides dramatically burst out of crisp ‘honey’ drenched Jerusalem artichokes; one couldn’t help but mop up the warming chilli ragu with ultralight koji bread. Two cold ‘smalls’ followed suit, both intricately flavoured: each mouthful of the smoked beetroot breathing freshness, each spoonful of the stracciatella with persimmon and bitter leaves with deftly measured amount of creamy tang and gentle crunch. This is innovation of a dependable, not reckless, sort Imprinted upon my memory the most, however, was one of Holy Carrot’s ‘larges’: the crispy celeriac with pickle butter. I know what you’re thinking

The Nobu brand, in a word? Dependable. Nobu Matsuhisa’s Japan-via-USA restaurant empire both draws celebrities and is a celebrity itself, but it’s best regarded for its high-quality dining: nearly 30 years after it opened, Nobu’s Park Lane spot remains one of London’s best places for sushi. These days Nobu isn’t just a restaurant chain but a hotel brand too, with two outposts in London. The Shoreditch one, which opened in 2017, was the first of these – not just London’s first Nobu hotel (since followed by Nobu Portman Square in Marylebone) but the first in all of Europe. The greatest compliment one can pay to this place is that the dependability of the Nobu name transfers seamlessly from restaurant to hotel. This is a sleek and comfortable choice, a beacon of minimalist taste in the midst of Shoreditch’s gaudy pick-me bars and tech-bro co-working spaces. Nobu as a chain is Nippon-by-’Murica, and its hotels are too – Japanese style meets American comfort and convenience. From the front Nobu Shoreditch resembles a Pacific battleship, from the side it’s a hillside Kyoto villa. And inside the hotel offers plenty of that same cultural middle ground: polished black wood, sleek furniture and a tea set in every room, but also huge plasma TVs, delightful staff and an in-house spa.  All aided, of course, by housing a Nobu restaurant, the chain’s third in London. You know exactly the deal here: a spoiled-rich clientele, sure, but also generous portions, attentive service (I did exceptio

If you plonked a point on a map denoting Stuttgart’s absolute centre, I’m fairly certain it’d be directly right on top of the EmiLu. Or it may as well be. Dead opposite the city’s Rathaus (town hall) and a few steps from Königstrasse (Stuttgart’s main shopping street), EmiLu is within easy walking distance of most city-centre sights. Just a couple of years old (it opened in 2022), EmiLu occupies an old mid-century city government building and gets its name by combining the names of its co-owner (Petra Luise Bräutigam) and her daughter (Emilia). A self-professed ‘design hotel’, it boasts 90 ‘unique and special’ rooms that range reasonably in price per night from €85 to €200 (£72 to £170). So, the good: EmiLu, with its focus on individual, tasteful design, is a handsome and neat establishment. The chic reception is kitted out with dark wooden furnishings, while the rooms are airy and uncluttered. Cuboid furniture and crisply-shaped décor work well with bare-material walls; an open shower-room (with a curtain) and a mini-bar cut into the corner wall fit the minimal, trendy vibe. In another positive, my room looked out over the atmospheric street below (with floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony) but also boasted exceptional sound insulation – an entire crowd of football fans in the space outside were reduced to noiseless silhouettes. Elsewhere, EmiLu’s staff are delightful, the rooftop space is great for taking in Stuttgart’s skyline and the ‘fitness area’ is remarkably well-eq

Over the years, London has done a fabulous job of finding new uses for its many, many historically fascinating buildings. The Bankside Power Station is now the Tate Modern. Churchill’s Old War Office is a hotel and apartments. County Hall houses restaurants, an aquarium and That Shrek Thing. Another of those retrofits is the Great Scotland Yard Hotel, a Grade II-listed building which dates back to the 1820s and was once the Ministry of Defence’s old library. Sitting at an address best known for also housing the original headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the building has been a hotel for a while – though was spruced up a few years ago with a £75 million revamp.  Admittedly, the words ‘Scotland Yard’ do not exactly scream ‘mega-luxe five-star hotel stay’, but… maybe they could? This 151-room Hyatt is as deeply, thoroughly refined as hotels in this city get.  Each step of a stay at Great Scotland Yard is virtually faultless. The neat rooms are full of light, with floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies looking out over the turrets, towers and courtyards of the Palace of Whitehall. Full of modestly luxurious conveniences (like Chromecast TVs and fancy Japanese Toto loos), the rooms are also of a satisfyingly comfortable size: neither small and cluttered nor massive and awkwardly empty.  Beyond the rooms, Great Scotland Yard is far from a copy-paste Hyatt. Playing into the history of the building and address, the doors are slathered in a deep and polished police blue. The fo

If you’ve ever spent time in Leeds, you’ll know the Queens Hotel. Quite literally on top of (part of) the Yorkshire city’s train station, it’s an art deco concrete titan and inarguably the city’s most famous hotel. Dating back to the 1930s, the Queens was the first British hotel to have air con and ensuite bathrooms in every room, and over the years it’s welcomed the likes of Cary Grant and Nelson Mandela. While the Queens could easily rest on its historical prestige, in recent years it’s attempted to keep with the times and undergone a vast refurb. A whopping £16 million has been pumped into bringing the place back up to snuff, glamming it up with communal areas, a huge new dining venue and more rooms. How does all that sprucing up actually feel? In short, pretty damn good. The moment you step into the Queens’ lobby, with its endearingly gauche décor and genially raucous ambiance, you get a proper sense of occasion that feels appropriate for somewhere so stacked with history. The Queens might have been hauled into the 21st century, but it embraces its historical glamour – and the refurb certainly hasn’t sucked out any of its soul. The Queens is entirely decked out in stuff that harks back to the art deco 1930s – and what isn’t from the Queens’ original period (or directly linked to it, like the hallways’ historic photographs) is tastefully matched. The Queens balances modern polish and historical character in a caring, detailed sort of way, ensuring all additions – everythin

Oasis’ 2025 summer reunion tour is, for many Brits, the year’s most hotly anticipated event – and it’s already underway. The Gallagher brothers got back together last Friday and Saturday for their first reunion shows in Cardiff and delivered two spectacular shows that were worth every bit of the hype, with top-notch performances and setlists packed with hits not heard for decades. Over 900,000 tickets have been sold for the brothers’ UK shows in Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh, where they’ll play some of the country’s grandest, most legendary arenas.  Nowhere, however, is the Oasis hype quite like it is in Manchester. The Gallaghers’ shows at Heaton Park aren’t just more tour stops: these are homecoming dates at a venue that has a special place in the band’s history. Oasis played three nights at Heaton Park back in 2009 and this time they’ve upped the ante, lining up five dates. It’s no exaggeration to say that Oasis’ 2025 Heaton Park shows are expected to be full-blown cultural events. If you’re lucky enough to have nabbed a ticket, here’s everything you need to know about the shows – from timings and transport to any remaining ticket availability.  When are Oasis playing Manchester’s Heaton Park? Oasis are at Heaton on five nights, all in July 2025. Friday July 11 Saturday July 12 Wednesday July 16 Saturday July 19 Sunday July 20 What time do doors open?  Oasis’ Manchester gigs will open at 3pm – which is earlier than doors in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff (whic

Bob Dylan’s 39th studio record Rough and Rowdy Ways was released back in 2020 and, five years later, that same album tour is still going. The legendary songwriter’s Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour is finally wrapping up at the end of this year (well, until Bob embarks on another leg of his famed Never Ending Tour), but before it does, he’s returning to the UK. The last time Bob Dylan was on British shores he played London, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Nottingham, Bournemouth and Wolverhampton. This time he’s playing a similarly diverse selection of UK cities, with Brighton, Swansea, Coventry, Leeds, Glasgow and Belfast lined up as tour stops. As usual with Bob Dylan shows, the use of video cameras and mobile phones will be prohibited on all dates. If you’re keen to see a living legend in the UK this November, here’s how to buy tickets. When is Bob Dylan going on tour in the UK? Zimmy’s next round of tour dates starts on November 7 and ends on November 20. What UK dates are confirmed? Below are all the dates confirmed so far for Bob Dylan’s November 2025 UK tour. November 7 – Brighton Centre, Brighton November 9 – Building Society Arena, Swansea November 10 –Building Society Arena, Swansea November 11 – Building Society Arena, Swansea November 13 – Building Society Arena, Coventry November 14 – First Direct Arena, Leeds November 16 – Armadillo, Glasgow November 17 – Armadillo, Glasgow November 19 – Waterfront, Belfast November 20 – Waterfront, Belfast When do tickets go on sal

Deftones are on a roll right now. A whole three decades after the legendary alternative metal formed, Chino Moreno and co remain massively popular, having gone viral on TikTok in recent years and played huge festival headline slots across Europe this summer. It helps, of course, that Deftones have a stonking catalogue of hits, from ‘Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)’ and ‘Change (In the House of Flies)’ to ‘Tempest’. And Deftones aren’t slowing down anytime soon. Not only are the Sacramento band releasing a new album – Private Music, out August 22 – but they’ve just announced a huge tour of the UK’s biggest arenas. Deftones will tour the UK and Europe at the start of 2026, and initially they’ve confirmed five UK dates. Keen to see Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham and Frank Delgado when they’re next in the UK? Here’s everything you need to know about Deftones’ tour, from all the tour dates and when general sale goes live to how much tickets will cost. When are Deftones going on tour in the UK? Deftones’ UK dates are all in February 2026, specifically February 12-20. What UK tour dates have been confirmed so far? Here are all the confirmed dates on Deftones’ upcoming UK arena tour. February 12 – Birmingham, BP Pulse Live February 13 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro February 14 – Manchester, Co-op Live February 18 – Cardiff, Utilita Arena February 20 – London, O2 Arena When do tickets go on sale? General sale goes live at 9am BST on Friday July 18, and you’ll be able to get tic

Stereophonics are currently on a barnstorming summer tour of massive British music venues, having already headlined at the Isle of Wight Festival and London’s Finsbury Park, and with two huge dates in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium lined up for later this week. And the UK’s clearly got even more of an appetite for Kelly Jones and co, as Stereophonics have just announced another tour of Britain’s biggest music venues. This winter the band will head out on a tour of nine UK cities, including London, Glasgow and Manchester. Stereophonics’ tour announcement follows the release of new album Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait, which came out back in April. Whether you missed out on the ’Phonics this summer and need to catch them live or simply want to see the band again, here’s everything you need to know about Stereophonics’ December 2025 shows. When are Stereophonics going on tour in the UK? The band’s winter tour dates are in December 2025, all taking place between December 4 and December 18. What tour dates have been confirmed so far? Here is a full list of all the UK dates Stereophonics will play this December. December 4, Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham December 6, Utilita Arena, Newcastle December 7, Utilita Arena, Sheffield December 9, P&J Live, Aberdeen December 10, OVO Hydro, Glasgow December 12, Co-op Live, Manchester December 13, Utilita Arena, Birmingham December 16, M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool December 18, The O2, London When do tickets go on sale? General sale

The 2025 edition of BST Hyde Park is now into its third and final weekend. Up next after Olivia Rodrigo, Zach Bryan, Noah Kahan and Sabrina Carpenter is Neil Young, who’ll grace the Great Oak Stage on Friday with his new-ish band the Chrome Hearts. Young’s date in central London follows his headlining set at Glastonbury 2025 – and by all accounts you won’t want to miss him. Time Out’s on-the-ground reviewers at Glasto described his set as ‘fuss-free’ but ‘a comprehensive run-through of his massive catalogue’. Heading to Hyde Park to see Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts? Here’s everything you need to know about the event, from timings and the full lineup to how to snap up any remaining tickets. RECOMMENDED: Stevie Wonder at BST Hyde Park 2025: timings, stage splits and everything you need to know. When is Neil Young playing BST Hyde Park? Neil and his Chrome Hearts are at BST on Friday July 11 2025. What time do doors open? Doors open for regular punters at 2pm. If you’ve got a VIP or Primary Entry ticket, you’ll be allowed in at 1pm. The box office closes at 8pm, last entry is 8.30pm, and curfew is 10.30pm. There’s no re-entry.  What time will Neil Young come on stage? Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts are set to headline the Great Oak Stage at 8.50pm Festival map Here’s a map of this year’s BST Hyde Park festival site. Image: BST Hyde Park Full lineup and set times Here are all the artists playing BST on Neil Young’s headlining day, across the event’s three stages. Great O

The third and final weekend of BST Hyde Park 2025 is shaping up to be a big ’un. If the first two weekends – with Olivia Rodrigo, Zach Bryan, Noah Kahan and Sabrina Carpenter – seemed geared towards younger audiences, the final few shows are for the legends. Neil Young, ELO and Stevie Wonder are closing out this year’s fest. Stevie will be gracing the Great Oak Stage on Saturday with a stellar supporting lineup featuring the likes of Corinne Bailey Rae, Thee Sacred Souls and Time Out cover stars Ezra Collective.   Got tickets to see Stevie Wonder at BST this weekend? Here’s everything you need to know about the day, from timings and stage splits to, if you haven’t yet got a ticket, any remaining availability. RECOMMENDED: Travel disruption to watch out for in London this weekend. When is Stevie Wonder playing BST Hyde Park? The soul icon is at BST on Saturday July 12 2025. What time do doors open? Doors open for regular ticketholders at 2pm. If you’ve got a VIP or Primary Entry ticket, you’ll be allowed in at 1pm, or around 60 minutes before general admission. The box office closes at 8pm, last entry is 8.30pm, and curfew is 10.30pm. There is no re-entry – once you’re in, you’re in. What time will Stevie Wonder come on stage? Wonder will take to the stage at 8pm, and he’s scheduled to finish up at around 10.20pm. Festival map Here’s a map of this year’s BST Hyde Park festival site. Image: BST Hyde Park Full lineup and set times Below you’ll find all the artists playing BST

London is slowly but surely making internet and signal blackouts on the tube a thing of the past. Over the past couple of years TfL has gradually been rolling out 4G and 5G coverage on the London Underground, with the Central, Northern, Jubilee, Piccadilly, Victoria and Bakerloo lines all now boasting sections with high-speed internet coverage. Today (July 10) TfL has announced that even more of the tube now has 4G and 5G, thanks to developments on the Piccadilly, Northern and Victoria lines. The latest roll-out, which is being installed with Boldyn Networks, has focused mostly on south London. On the Northern line, the tunnels between Balham and South Wimbledon now have data coverage, as do Kennington, Oval, Tooting Broadway and South Wimbledon stations. The line’s Bank branch between Euston and Bank is receiving coverage, and riders of the black tube line now have service all the way from South Wimbledon to Stockwell. By the end of the summer the tunnels between Kennington and Morden will also be connected. On the Victoria, tunnels between Vauxhall and Pimlico now have high-speed internet, while King's Cross St Pancras and Green Park stations (both also on the Piccadilly) will soon get coverage. Tube tunnels between Green Park and Brixton are also getting 4G and 5G in the coming months. Recent developments in the roll-out of internet coverage on the tube follow the news at the end of last year that the entire Elizabeth line – including tunnels and stations – now has 4G. Com

The 2025 edition of TRNSMT, Scotland’s biggest music festival, is upon us. This weekend Glasgow Green will be taken over by some of the hugest names in global pop music, boasting everything from hip-hop and stadium rock to dance-pop and electronica. This year’s TRNSMT lineup is headed up by a mixture of old-school legends and younger stars, with 50 Cent, Biffy Clyro, Fontaines DC and Gracie Abrams all on the main stage. The rest of the lineup is looking pretty stellar, too, boasting the likes of Confidence Man, Wet Leg, Underworld and Jade. Heading to TRNSMT 2025? Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s festival, from the full lineup with set times to remaining ticket availability. RECOMMENDED: The best music festivals in the UK. When is TRNSMT 2025? This year’s fest on Glasgow Green will take place from Friday July 11 to Sunday July 13 2025. Where is TRNSMT 2025? As always, TRNSMT will take place on Glasgow Green (G1 5DB), which is in Glasgow’s East End. Who are the headliners for TRNSMT 2025? At the top of the TRNSMT lineup this year are 50 Cent, Biffy Clyro and Snow Patrol. Sitting just below them on the bill are The Script, Fontaines DC and Gracie Abrams. Full TRNSMT 2025 lineup and set times Here are all the set times and stage splits you need to know for this year’s TRNSMT, day by day and stage by stage. Friday, July 11 Main Stage Calum Bowie: 12.20pm to 12.50pm James Bay: 1.15pm to 1.55pm Twin Atlantic: 2.20pm to 3.05pm Jamie Webster: 3.35pm to 4.20pm Sch

It wasn’t that long ago that Paris had a reputation for, let’s say, being un petit peu mucky. Cigarette butt-covered streets, endless dog poop and piles of uncollected bins were classic Parisian stereotypes. And the murky Seine? Well, it was said to be brimming with E.coli – a quick dip could find you bound to the loo, or worse, for days.  However, the massive €1.4 billion investment into cleaning up the river has finally paid off, and over the weekend – after a 102-year ban – the Seine officially reopened to swimmers.  There are technically three different spots open for bathing – Bras Marie, Bras de Grenelle, and Bercy – and according to France 24, each is equipped with changing rooms, showers, and beachy furniture to accommodate between 150-300 people.  📍 Need to cool off? Discover our pick of the best swimming pools in Paris ‘It’s a childhood dream to have people swimming in the Seine,’ said Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, ‘Look at how happy everyone is!’ So, how was this all done? Well, thanks to the massive river regeneration project, which started in 2018, the river clean-up efforts have been slowly but surely seeing results as fish start to return and the water becomes less murky.  Sewage pollution has been specifically targeted thanks to a 46,000-cubic-metre water tank under a public garden on the left bank (big enough to hold the volume of water from 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools).  The tank was designed to store excess rainfall and drastically reduce (but, notably, no

This summer Stereophonics have already played some huge gigs in the UK, from headlining Isle of Wight festival to selling out London’s Finsbury Park. The biggest shows of the lot, however, are still to come – Kelly Jones and the band are in Cardiff for two massive dates this weekend. This week Stereophonics announced a winter tour of some of Britain’s biggest indoor arenas. However, no dates in Wales were initially announced for the tour, so this weekend will be Welsh ’Phonics fans last chance this year to see the Cwmaman band live and in the flesh. Heading to the Principality to see Stereophonics this week? Here’s everything you need to know about the shows, from timings and support to any remaining tickets. When are Stereophonics playing Cardiff’s Principality Stadium? Kelly Jones and co are in Cardiff on Friday July 11 and Saturday July 12 2025. What time do doors open? Gates at the Principality will open at 5pm. What time will Stereophonics come on stage? Expect the band on stage at around 8.15pm-8.30pm. What’s the seating plan? This is the seating plan at the Principality Stadium, according to the stadium website. Image: Principality Stadium Who’s supporting Stereophonics at the Principality? English indie rock band Blossoms are on support. Expect them on stage at around 6pm. Setlist Here’s what Stereophonics played at their show at London’s Finsbury Park, for an idea of what they’ll play (according to Setlist.fm). Vegas Two Times I Wanna Get Lost With You Have a Nice

Não há muito tempo, Paris tinha a reputação de ser, digamos, um pouco suja. Ruas cobertas de beatas de cigarro, excrementos de cães por todo o lado e pilhas de lixo por recolher eram lugares-comuns da cidade. E o Sena turvo? Bem, dizia-se que estava repleto de E. coli – um mergulho rápido poderia deixá-lo preso à sanita, ou pior, por dias. No entanto, o enorme investimento de 1,4 mil milhões de euros na limpeza do rio finalmente valeu a pena e, no fim-de-semana, o Sena reabriu oficialmente aos banhistas, pondo fim a uma proibição de 102 anos. Existem tecnicamente três locais abertos a banhos – Bras Marie, Bras de Grenelle e Bercy – e, de acordo com a France 24, cada um deles está equipado com balneários, chuveiros e mobiliário de praia para acomodar entre 150 e 300 pessoas. “É um sonho de infância ter pessoas a nadar no Sena”, disse a presidente da Câmara de Paris, Anne Hidalgo. “Veja como todos estão felizes!” Então, como é que tudo isto foi feito? Bem, graças ao enorme projecto de regeneração do rio, que começou em 2018, os esforços de limpeza do rio têm vindo a dar resultados lentos, mas seguros, à medida que os peixes começam a regressar e a água se torna menos turva. A poluição por esgoto foi especificamente combatida graças a um tanque de água de 46 mil metros cúbicos sob um jardim público na margem esquerda (grande o suficiente para armazenar o volume de água de 20 piscinas olímpicas). O tanque foi projectado para armazenar o excesso de chuva e reduzir drasticamente (e

Last weekend, it finally happened. Oasis reunited in Cardiff for the band’s first live shows since they broke up in 2009. There were hits (obvs), there were deep cuts not heard live since the early 2000s, there was even a bit of a hug. In the hours and days after the Cardiff shows there’s been a wide consensus that the Gallaghers’ comeback was a resounding success. Fans were satisfied and critics were pleased – but what songs did Oasis actually play?  On both nights in Cardiff Oasis played the same setlist, kicking off with ‘Hello’ and following through with a truckload of smashes from ‘Roll With It’ and ‘Some Might Say’ to ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ and ‘Wonderwall’. Minor differences came in the lyrics, with ‘Wonderwall’ adapted to ‘there are many things that I would like to say to you... but I don't speak Welsh’. Song dedications differed, too, with the first night’s ‘Live Forever’ played for Liverpool FC player Diogo Jota, who had died the previous day.  RECOMMENDED:📍The ultimate guide to Oasis’ Heaton Park shows: timings, last-minute tickets and everything you need to know.👕 Oasis have launched pop-up merch shops around the UK – and where to buy merch in Manchester.⛔️ Full list of banned items at Heaton Park.🚊 How to get to Heaton Park by public transport. When are Oasis playing the UK this summer? Here’s the full list of tour dates Oasis are playing in Britain this summer. July 4 – Cardiff, Principality Stadium July 5 ­– Cardiff, Principality Stadium July 11 – Manch