After gaining a reputation for cooking Italian, Jacob Kenedy returns to his US roots with a stonking cajun and creole menu at his new Lousiana-themed Plaquemine Lock on Regent’s Canal.

White asparagus takes the spotlight at this German pop up

N1 gets a new wine shop and wine bar

Francesco Mazzei's Sartoria in Mayfair is one of our favourite restaurants. We take a look at his next, Radici, a neighbourhood Italian restaurant in Islington.

A Hot Dinners exclusive

Big news for lovers of Islington's Prawn on the Lawn, they're about to move into a much bigger spot - and it's just a short hop away from the original, taking over the spot where LeCoq used to be. 

If you're not familiar with Prawn on the Lawn, it's half fishmongers and half wine bar serving up cold bar seafood dishes. So, up until now. that means plenty of prawns,

Dine on 18-hour pork broth ramen, chicken karaage and milk cheesecake with sansho pepper in an Islington nano-brewery, thanks to Adam Rawson’s #Rawmen pop-up, this time running for just two weeks.

Yet more pop ups are coming to Islington; this time it’s Sunday roasts and French bistro fare, which will be landing in The Charles Lamb courtesy of Mirey’s.

The pop up, which previously ran for two months in Caledonian Road’s The Cuckoo N1, will be offering a tidy French-inspired menu to diners around Angel, with starters priced at around £6-9 and mains for £13-15. The menu is set to change

A Hot Dinners exclusive

What: Trawler Trash

In a nutshell: A new fish restaurant for Islington

Summing it all up: Expect a sustainable, weekly changing seafood menu. And there's a cocktail bar at the back too. 

A Hot Dinners Exclusive

What: Dandy 

In a nutshell: Modern cooking from two Aussies in Newington Green

Summing it all up: Dan Wilson and Andrew Leitch are making the leap from a shipping container in London Fields to a new spot in Newington Green, taking with them their much-praised food, natural wine and of course, loads of speciality coffee.

What: Mercer & Co

In a nutshell: Salt beef bagels, oreo cheesecake and five cocktails in Islington

Summing it all up: Chapel Market, just around the corner from Angel Tube, has a new salt beef and cocktail bar. They'll be serving bagels, mac & cheese, and milkshakes for those indulging, and quinoa bowls, vegan salads and smoothies

Fresh from his travels in Japan, YBF Chef of the Year Adam Rawson is now bringing a taste of East Asia to Essex Road.

He’ll be using his recently acquired knowledge to transform the snazzy glass-fronted Borough Wines & Beers into a pop up izakaya - a sort of informal Japanese gastropub. Inside, Rawson will be dishing up a 12 course menu of highly typical Japanese dishes, served up in floral-laden

What: Boustead & Bidois

In a nutshell: Chris Boustead teams up with Tim Bidois to bring classic British fare to Highbury Corner.

Summing it all up: Former Opera Tavern chef will bring his considerable experience to a new collaboration with Tim Bidois, a chef from New Zealand. The pop-up will see dishes like potted rabbit and pig, or rolled spring lamb appearing in Islington’s Nanna's.

Last night, the competition to REALLY test the judges taking part was unleashed as Scotch Egg Challenge 2017 took place. Those judging had to wade through 15 different scotch eggs in order to crown this year's winner - with beef, prawn, veggie, haggis and more scotch eggs being thrown into the mix.

But of the 15 - only three went away with prizes and those were....

• 1st place - The Drapers

A Hot Dinners Exclusive - updated 22/3/17 with booking details

What: Radici

In a nutshell: Southern Italian cooking in Islington

Summing it all up: A new Italian trattoria with a terrace and wine room is arriving on Almedia Street, bringing with it lots of traditional south Italian dishes, as well as more laid back meals like pizzas, charcuterie and cheeses.

What: Westerns Laundry

In a nutshell: Seafood and more comes to Highbury from team behind Primeur

Summing it all up: The people behind the very successful Primeur are opening a second restaurant. British flavours and Devonshire seafood will be at the heart of this retreat just around the corner from Holloway Road.