Whether you were once a five-days-a-week commuter into the capital or filled the odd weekend with some fun and culture in the West End, you certainly won’t be alone if a whole year has passed since you last visited London.
With Covid restrictions having temporarily put paid to many of the city’s biggest and best draws, not to mention the many millions of us working from home, you’d have been forgiven for not catching up with whatever’s been going on in the capital.
But not even a pandemic can stop this bustling metropolis from evolving as it does, and the city you saw last isn’t the same one you’ll see today. So what’s changed in London since Covid came along?
There’s no denying it’s been a tough old time for the UK’s dining scene, and the capital has been no exception. Sadly, some long held favourites have bitten the dust over the past few months, but that’s not to say there aren’t some green shoots emerging among London’s world-renowned restaurant offering.
Hotly anticipated openings to keep an eye out for over the next few months include:
The Park Tower Knightsbridge, 101 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7RN
There’ll be seriously special cuts of meat and instagrammable experiences aplenty at this swanky steakhouse – both named after and with its menu curated by internet meme favourite Nusret Gökçe aka Salt Bae.
1 Bateman’s Buildings, Soho, W1D 3EN
Right at the heart of Soho, popular chefs Jeremy King and Chris Corbin are set to spark their usual magic and serve up affordable-luxury seafood.
28 Bow Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 7AW
This exciting new concept from Ian Coogan and Leo Robitschek combines two restaurants in one. The first (Nomad Restaurant) being a fancier affair while the latter (Side Hustle) serves up Mexican-inspired sharing plates in a pub-type atmosphere.
19 Bellefields Road, Brixton, SW9 9UH
Top chef James Mathieson brings a taste of the Med to the streets of Brixton, with this pan-European restaurant and bar offering a charming courtyard for outdoor summer dining.
1 Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, E2 7DJ
The latest offering from this Asian-inspired citywide-favourite restaurant group. Erchen Chang, Shing Tat Chung, and Wai Ting Chung’s new eatery is set to feature live music and cinema.
Social distancing forced us to spend a little more time outdoors than usual in summer and autumn 2020. But this making the most of a bad situation uncovered a surprising upside during those warm and sunny evenings, as the temporarily closed-to-traffic streets of the city played host to an electric atmosphere of al-fresco drinks and dining.
With pubs and restaurants set to open for service outdoors before we’re allowed back inside, sixty streets across hotspots like Soho and Chinatown are set to shut off to cars again in 2021. It offers a very different and altogether more pedestrian-friendly way of experiencing the capital, not to mention the chance to support the 560 businesses enrolled in the outdoor dining scheme from 12th April.
Much like its restaurants, London’s beloved West End Theatres have certainly faced a tough time over the past year. Thankfully, one of the city’s greatest draws is set to return in spectacular style in Summer 2021, and there’s no better way to support these world-renowned institutions than by catching one of the new shows set to land on the scene. Keep an eye out for:
From 17th June 2021
Stars of stage and screen Megan Mullally and Robert Lindsay bring this classical golden age musical to the Barbican.
From 17th June 2021
The Harper Lee classic finally makes it from Broadway to London at the Gielgud Theatre. A stage interpretation of the iconic American novel; follow small-town lawyer Atticus Finch fight the forces of racial injustice in 1934 Alabama.
20th October 2021
A world premiere, follow the journey of this superstar musician from growing up in the rural hills of Jamaica to international adoration, all set to the soundtrack of his own timeless anthems. Catch it at the Lyric Theatre later in the year.
In the works since 2009, the unfortunately delayed Elizabeth Line (originally Crossrail) is set to carry up to 200 million passengers every year upon its opening. While testing continues in anticipation of the line’s launch, plenty of work has been taking place during lockdown and as such, many of London’s biggest and most central stations should have a very different look and feel when you pass through them in 2021.
Dramatically transformed stations that architecture and infrastructure aficionados will love to see include the cavernous Paddington Station and the radically overhauled Whitechapel stop.
Could this be the future of shopping? Amazon’s first till-less and cashless grocery store might seem like a novelty for now, but industry experts think this could become the new normal. Stocking hundreds of own-brand and top brand supermarket products, this pioneering store at Ealing Broadway opened on the 4th March 2021 and represents one of Amazon’s first forays into the world of physical retail. The way it works is surprisingly simple; just scan a QR code on the door and walk out with whatever you need. Camera technology around the store will tot up the things you put in your basket and automatically charge your account as you exit. The technology giant is said to be looking at opening further locations across London very soon, so this style of shopping could soon be coming to a high street near you.
If it’s been far too long since you enjoyed the sounds and sights of London’s bustling streets, Summer 2021 is set to be one to remember. Get your trip to the capital planned in style with a stay at NYX Hotel London Holborn. Combining laidback touches with a luxury finish, our hotel puts you right in the thick of the action and offers you all the amenities you need for a comfortable stay, including free Wi-FI, air conditioning and minibars.
