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Some of our favorite places to open—or reopen—in recent months:

BIG NIGHT OUT: Princess Diana’s old favorite, Launceton Place, was revamped by D&D London who put their signature stylish touch on the property without losing any of its former flair. It’s a delicious addition to the Kensington Square area.

GLOBAL CUISINE: Alan Yau’s latest venture (he also masterminded Hakkasan and Yauatcha) is an intimate and affordable Chinese restaurant called Cha Cha Moon.

GLOBAL CUISINE: Alan Yau’s talented brother Gary opened Japanese restaurant Aaya, in Soho, and the design is as sleek as the dishes are delicious.

RELAXED BUT REFINED: It’s no easy feat to take over a space formerly run by star chef Marco Pierre White and star artist Damien Hirst, but Sam and Eddie Hart have reimagined Quo Vadis with aplomb—and a tasty traditional British menu.

Art News: Read about what to see in the museums, galleries and on stage this summer in London, go to Cultural Calendar: London.

Our London correspondent Elena Bowes picks this season’s cultural highlights (in the museums, at the galleries and on stage) not to miss in the British capital.

Read about Few & Far, a cool new design shop opened by Terence Conran’s sister, Priscilla Carluccio.

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Read about Claridge’s impromptu pajama party during Frieze Art Fair.

FOOD Sara Adam, the founder of Divertimenti cooking school and café’s, is opening her first standalone venture on October 15. Kensington Square Kitchen (9 Kensington Square, W8), located on the same street as a huge new Whole Foods, will be open from breakfast through afternoon tea.

If you happen to be walking through Hyde Park, a delicious new French brasserie has opened near its northern entrance. Tucked away in the back streets of Lancaster Gate, Angelus (4 Bathurst Street, W2; +44-207-402-0083) serves everything from coffee and pastries to a serious three-course meal. The restaurant is owned by Thierry Thomasin, the former sommelier of Michelin star Le Gavroche.

Down the street from his popular Tom’s Kitchen, chef Tom Aikens is opening a chic fish-and-chips restaurant called Tom’s Place (1 Cale Street; +44-207-351-1806) on October 29th.

Plus, Liberty (Regent Street, W1B; +44-207-734-1234) department store has a new champagne and oyster bar where shoppers can refuel with bubbly, including chairman Richard Balfour-Lynn’s own award-winning vintages.

SHOPPING Nigerian-born Duro Olowu, 2005’s New Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, opened a store called OG2 (367 Portobello Rd.; +44-208-960-7570) that carries his fabulous offbeat clothes as well as colorful fabrics, African prints and Turkish rugs. By appointment only.

Hong Kong-born, Dublin-based designer John Rocha just opened an1,800-square-foot flagship shop (15a Dover St.; +44-207-495-2233), where he will sell fashion, homewares, books, jewelry, perfumes and a skincare range.

Colin Firth (of Bridget Jones Diary fame), his Italian wife and two partners will open Eco (213 Chiswick High Road W14), a green concept store, in non-central Chiswick sometime in October.

ART & CULTURE Sadie Coles, recently profiled in Vogue as the contemporary dealer to watch, will open her new gallery at 69 South Audley at the end of the Frieze Art Fair.