Looking for decent places to meet and eat before a game at The Emirates? Here are our suggestions

A Hot Dinners exclusive

Regular readers of Hot Dinners will know that we're keen supporters of the Irish in London. As second-generation Irish ourselves we're always delighted to be able to bring Londoners a taste of Ireland here in this city.

But we couldn't be more thrilled to break the news that one of our favourite food bloggers and authors Niamh Shields - better known to some of you as

Right next door to their pizza restaurant, Zia Lucia are opening Berto, a fresh pasta restaurant in Holloway. There will be affordable fresh pasta, Italian wines and more.

London has been no stranger to big restaurant closures over the past few months, but one of the biggest was announced last night. In an email, Jeremy King of Corbin & King, revealed that they'd be closing Bellanger in Islington this summer.

"It is with great sadness I must inform you that, after over three years trading, we have decided to cease trading Bellanger on Sunday 11th August.

"It is a great shame but, although we loved being in

It isn't that often that a new London burger blows us away - but this Islington pub has a major contender for the city's best cheeseburger.

Burgers and cocktails in Islington

If you've been up and down Islington's Upper Street recently, you'll have seen a new addition (taking over the space only recently vacated by Porchetta). Called Sichuan House, that's exactly what it is - Sichuan cuisine in Islington. 

Top pizza on Holloway Road

A Hot Dinners exclusive

If you prefer dessert over any other course - then a pop-up coming to Islington will be right up your street. The Whisk Dessert Bar features a three-course dessert tasting menu, swapping out all the savoury dishes for sweet. Chef Simon Jenkins was Executive Pastry Chef at Marcus Wareing and before that worked at both the Waterside Inn and Le Manoir. Oh, and he was also named Craft Guild of Chefs Pastry Chef of the Year for

One of Islington's longest running (and recently refurbed) pubs is getting a new crew in the kitchen. This time it's the turn of Four Legs, made up of Jamie Allan (formerly Hill & Szrok) and Ed McIlroy (formerly Bao Fitzrovia and who also oversees the menu at sister pub The Gun). They're bringing a menu of

A new Italian cafe on Islington's Essex Road comes from a seasoned restaurateur and promises an all-day menu based on the cafes of Milan. 

The Scotch Egg Challenge has become one of the highlights of London's food calendar. If you've somehow been unaware of it until now, let us educate you. Essentially, it sees some of London's top chefs descend on a pub for one night to produce what can be argued are the very best scotch eggs in London. These are all put to a jury who decide upon who to give one of London's most sought-afterawards. 

Previous winners have

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If you think there's truth in the phrase that good things come in small packages, then a delight awaits you at a new bar on Islington's Essex Road. On the face of it, Homeboy is a modern Irish cocktail bar. But, if you head through to the back of the bar, you'll find a diminutive treat - what's being billed as London's Smallest Irish Pub. The speakeasy-style pub is hidden in a tiny room at the

The stretch of St Paul's Road from Highbury Corner already has the likes of Trullo, Prawn on the Lawn and St Paul to attract folk in the evening. Now, there's another space to spend your time and money.

Rick Toogood tells us that Prawn on the Lawn is taking over the space at next door coffee shop Sawyer & Gray in the evenings turning it into a cocktail and oyster bar for Sawyer & Gray Lates. They'll be serving up food and drink at night from 6pm

We'd heard recently about the sad news of the closure of Islington's Rok - but things move fast on Upper Street and there's already a replacement.

Taking over is plant-based restaurant Slaw. They had a series of successful supperclubs and now they're going to the next level - with a residency in the old Rok space. They say "Our ethos is to produce deliciously healthy food in a sustainable and