We've done the legwork for you with everything you need for a great summer from the new alfresco spots for eating and drinking, great takeaway picnics and ice-cream specials to look out for on sweltering days.

As London's restaurants prepare to spill outside, going alfresco in a big way this summer, new Hammersmith restaurant Sam's Riverside is taking full advantage of its waterside location.

Only open four months before the lockdown - here's a reminder of our Test Drive at the time -  the restaurant will reopen on

Canary Wharf is getting a next-level wine bar, open all day with space for meetings and a lovely waterside terrace.

From the same team as the London Shell Co. this boat may not be going anywhere, but the food transports you to the British seaside.

This sister restaurant to the London Shell Co.'s crusing restaurant will be a permanently moored barge by Paddington serving up seafood and sparkling wine.

Tucked down a residential side street in Angel is a canalside pub turning out Cajun and Creole food. We along for a taste of the Deep South.

So this is a rather lovely idea, next weekend the bustle of the kind of floating markets you're more likely to find in Bangkok will be coming to West London. For five days Paddington Central will play host to The Floating Market combining market stalls with boat traders.

On offer will be a wide range of food, drink and artisanal produce from local farmers as well as local producers such as Freddie's Flowers, Crazy Dave Cider, Local Honey Man, Lamar

Try something a different with Daisy Green's new pair of enormous barges, who'll be serving up Antipodean dinners, brunches, lunches and cocktails packed loads of fresh, strong flavours, all while floating on one of London's iconic canals.

23/11/16 - updated with soft launch info

Does London have room for two places serving up freshly rolled pasta? Given the permanent queues outside Padella, one would think so. All of which is good news for newcomer Emilia’s Crafted Pasta which is opening next month at St Katharine's Dock.

The restaurant's founder Andrew Macleod’s says he wants this to be the best pasta restaurant outside of Italy. To that end, every bit of pasta in the place