As London restaurants reopen for customers dining-in, we're tracking who's reopening and when.

Earlier this summer, it looked as though a longstanding part of Soho society was about to become another victim of the lockdown. Balans - a part of Soho since 1987, and a particular favourite of the area's LGBT community, put all of its restaurant sites on the market.

The announcement was met with horror by its fans, many of which counted on somewhere like Balans to be open in the wee small hours post-clubbing when they most needed sustenance.

Last year, Mãos in Shoreditch won a coveted Michelin star, but just a few months later one of its founders Nuno Mendes, announced that he was leaving. Since then, even more has changed with the very notion of close communal dining around a single table (a signature of Maos) knocked to the kerb in the era of social distancing.

Now there's a maximum of eight diners allowed, with four tables of two replacing

Updated 16/7/20

The huge City establishment with 10 restaurants, bars, a private club and a hotel has slowly begun reopening its restaurants - with both Kaia - their Asian-Pacific restaurant and also their British brasserie Millie's Lounge, being the first back.

To begin with current climate meant that their popular range of limitless buffets - in particularly the Ned's Sunday Feast were on hold. But the Sunday Feast is back from

For those of us who love restaurants - either eating in them or working there - having them reopen after so many months closed is a big deal. 

For many restaurants, big or small, this could make the difference between them staying in business or having to shut their doors for good. As a city, London's hospitality industry is a large part of why people want to live and work here. Eating out in London really is a

As London restaurants start to reopen following lockdown, many are also offering delivery to those who aren't ready to dine out just yet. Here's our guide to who's doing delivery and collection services. 

Hot Dinners makes our first foray back into the world of dining out - picking a popular Islington gastropub for the first post-lockdown meal. 

One of the UK's most successful restaurant groups is returning. Yes, that's right - Nando's is coming back. They've been delivering around London for the past few weeks, but from this week you'll actually be able to dine in a couple of their restaurants. For the moment it's just a couple in town (more are opening across the UK) - and they're both in west London - Westfield London and Park Royal. 

Of course,

Many (but certainly not all) of the UK's workers and businesses have benefited greatly from the government's furlough scheme over the past few months. But hospitality staff haven't had quite the protection that many other businesses got. The proportion of their salary that comes from the service charge was not eligible to be included in the furlough calculation, meaning

Early on in the lockdown, Mark Hix announced that all his restaurants were to close. And while we may well still see a Hix-owned restaurant make a return in the future, the chef himself isn't sitting around. He's just joined Soren Jessen's 1 Lombard Street, overseeing all the food and beverage at the City restaurant. 

He'll be

Over in Stratford, one of the biggest selling points of the new Allegra restaurant at The Stratford was its beautiful seventh floor terrace. But the restaurant, which opened at the end of last summer, hasn't properly had a chance to showcase this space to guests yet.

Thankfully, come 10 July, that's all about to change. That's when they're opening their large terraced area and - best of all - they'll be

Last night's Newsnight piece about restaurant criticism, discussing whether restaurant critics "should be nicer to restaurants as they gradually reopen and find their feet" has found a lot of traction on social media today.

The segment featured Darjeeling Express chef-patron Asma

Anna Haugh will be reopening the Irish-influenced Myrtle restaurant in Chelsea (read our recent Test Drive here) but that's not all she's planning. She's also launching Anna's Bistro, a new takeaway, delivery and picnic service inspired by her time spent in Paris

Planned for

As London's restaurants reopen after the lockdown, we take a look here and around the world at some of the industry's more creative solutions to the new normal of social distancing. 

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