Best London food hotspots

London's traditional dining-out territory has always been the West End, with its proximity to all the sights, theatre and nightlife. However, this year's most talked-about restaurant openings have moved well away from the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden. New pockets of feasting opportunities have been cropping up in locales that haven't always been well known for their vibrant restaurant scene. So, forget getting dolled up and going "up west" for dinner tonight.

Here, Hilary Armstrong checks out the city's hottest new dining destinations.

KENSAL RISE
The trendy group Diner (1) has opened a restaurant in Kensal Rise, 64-66 Chamberlayne Road, 020 8968 9033. It joins that great pub venue, Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green (2), 19 Kilburn Lane, W10, 020 8969 0098. Around the corner, Italian restaurant Ida (3), 167 Fifth Avenue, W10, 020 8969 9853, is a local secret, while back in Chamberlayne Road there's Minkies (4) for cupcakes. The Chamberlayne pub (5) is at No. 83, 020 8960 4311, and wine bar Samson Miro (6) is at 75 Chamberlayne Road, 020 8962 0275.

KING'S CROSS
The area has had to play catch-up but it's getting there at last. Credit to eco-friendly chefs Oliver Rowe at Konstam (1), at the Prince Albert, 2 Acton St, 020 7833 5040 and Arthur Potts-Dawson of Acorn House (2), 69 Swinton St, 020 7812 1842, for kick-starting it. They are joined by The Brill (3), 6-8 Caledonian Road,
020 7833 7797, and The Fellow (4), 24 York Way, 020 7833 4395. For canal-side views, go to the Rotunda (5), 90 York Way, 020 7520 1473.

E2
The hottest seats this summer are on the Rooftop at Terence Conran's Boundary hotel (1), 2-4 Boundary St, 020 7729 1051. The hotel also has two other restaurants — Albion and Boundary. In Redchurch Street try Bangladeshi kitchen Chaat (2) at No. 36, 020 7739 9595), Italian deli Franze & Evans (3) at No. 101, 020 7033 1910) and The Redchurch Bar (4) at No. 107, 020 7729 8333. Stroll up Bethnal Green Road to Gourmet San (5) at No. 261 (020 7729 8388).

W2
Westbourne Grove's neglected Bayswater end turned a corner in 2007 when glam brasserie Café Anglais (1) opened at Whiteleys, Queensway. Cha Cha Moon (2), Whiteleys, 020 7792 0088, followed. Chef Tom Pemberton wooed locals at Hereford Road (3), 3 Hereford Road, 020 7727 1144, while new arrivals The Commander (4), 47 Hereford Road, 020 7229 1503, and El Pirata De Tapas (5), 115 Westbourne Grove, 020 7727 5000, have bedded down. Throw in favourites like Tiroler Hut (6), Taqueria (7) at No. 139, 020 7229 4734, and Urban Turban (8), 020 7243 4200, at No. 98 and you have a fab restaurant crawl.