Openings

Fresh tea house

The Long Island Iced Tea Shop in London's West End reopened last week following refurbishment. It can accommodate up to 300 people and offers 11 varieties of Long Island Iced Tea.

The Common touch London restaurant group Hartford is turning its 80-seat Utah restaurant in Wimbledon into a bar called the Common Room. It opens next month. Hartford put Utah up for sale last year but later withdrew it from the market.

Enter the Gallery The 130-seat Gallery restaurant at Selfridges in London opened on 17 August. Executive chef Jerome Dutois trained at London's Le Gavroche restaurant.

Making a Mint Bar Mint Bars opened its second bar in Borough, south London, on 27 August. Mint on Montague seats 26 inside and 40 in a courtyard. A three-course lunch or dinner with wine costs £20-£25.

Nero plans ahead Coffee chain Caff‚ Nero opened a 40-seat bar in Piccadilly, London, on 24 August. It is its 63rd branch in the UK. The company plans to have 100 by early 2002.

Delays at Paddington Building delays mean the Hilton Paddington will not open until December, 20 months later than planned. It will have 355 bedrooms and a 120-seat restaurant called Steam.