June 18th 2025.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, outdoor dining, or al fresco dining, has become increasingly popular as people sought safer options for enjoying meals outside of their homes. As the summer approaches, the neighborhoods of Brixton and Shoreditch in London are preparing to offer more open-air dining options in an effort to support the struggling hospitality industry. This initiative is made possible by the Mayor of London's summer streets fund, which aims to introduce al fresco dining and extend business hours in major hubs such as Leyton and the West End.
Sir Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, expressed his desire to see al fresco dining become a regular feature throughout the city and views these new schemes as just the beginning. In the West End's St Martin's Lane, up to 34 businesses will be granted al fresco licenses, and the street will be closed to traffic from 11 am to 11 pm. Similarly, in Shoreditch, customers will be able to dine and drink outdoors at popular bars and restaurants until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, with car-free streets also being implemented on those days. In Brixton, businesses on Atlantic Road and Brixton Station Road will be provided with 80 additional tables and 400 extra seats for outdoor dining, with the roads being closed to cars until 10 pm on selected weekends.
These changes will also be seen in Leyton, where extended car-free hours will create a cultural meeting point with seating, outdoor games, and a new weekend street market to boost street trading. The Mayor's summer streets fund has allocated £100,000 each to Hackney and Lambeth councils, and £50,000 each to Waltham Forest and Westminster councils to make these initiatives a reality. Additionally, Sir Sadiq Khan will be granted new licensing powers to intervene and overturn decisions that may hinder pubs and clubs from securing longer opening hours and offering outdoor seating.
Sir Sadiq Khan is determined to see these initiatives succeed and hopes to continue implementing similar changes throughout London in the coming years. He recognizes that London's food, drink, and nightlife scenes are world-renowned and is determined to support their recovery and growth. Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, also believes that these changes will help revitalize the city's nightlife and hospitality sector by creating vibrant and accessible outdoor spaces for food, drink, and culture.
The introduction of outdoor dining in Brixton, Shoreditch, Leyton, and the West End is an important step towards supporting the recovery and long-term growth of London's hospitality industry. This initiative, made possible by the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, ensures that outdoor dining will be a permanent feature in the city. While initially introduced as a temporary measure during the pandemic, the popularity of al fresco dining has made it a permanent fixture, providing a much-needed lifeline to businesses that have struggled during the lockdowns. The news has been welcomed as a positive step forward for businesses and is estimated to provide a boost of up to £6,000 per outdoor seat per year.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
