Shaftesbury : CARNABY AND SOHO ARE BACK WITH ALFRESCO DINING AND SHOPPING

With the return of retail and alfresco dining, Carnaby and Soho are proud to be open again as London's beating heart for eating, drinking and shopping.There are over 1,300 covers across Carnaby and Soho for alfresco dining, with a whole array of cuisines and something to suit everyone.

As well as private restaurant terraces, there are 30 brightly coloured tables set up on Carnaby Street, Newburgh Street and Ganton Street for communal dining every day of the week. There are over 200 seats to enjoy from 11am to 10pm, where shoppers can enjoy a takeaway meal without a booking. This flexible, accessible dining culture captures the spirit of Soho and Carnaby: grab a take-away from wherever you fancy and gather with up to 6 friends for that long-awaited reunion.

Carnaby welcomes back visitors with a brand new pink shimmer disk arch reading 'Welcome to Carnaby London' as well as a new outdoor installation by Kristjana Williams, showcasing an exclusive piece of art dedicated towards key workers. Can't get to Carnaby… download the artwork for free via carnaby.co.uk. Although if you can get to Carnaby, make sure you stop by the neon pink angel wings on the corner of Carnaby and Broadwick Street for that Instagrammable moment and tag @CarnabyLondon and #CarnabyLondon in your photos.

Carnaby is awash with foodie hotspots from every corner of the world. Visit iconic Kingly Court, a three-storey alfresco dining destination in the heart of Carnaby, with over 20 restaurants, bars and cafés situated in a vibrant courtyard. You'll find a whole variety of covered yet open-air tables, with outdoor heaters, perfect for all weather.

To enjoy the flavours of vibrant Tel Aviv in the heart of Carnaby, The Good Egg is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They serve some of the best babka French toast in London as well as award-winning shakshuka and the delicious salt beef Reuben sandwich. Bag a table right outside the restaurant at their Kingly Court branch.

A modern take on the Hawaiian rice bowl dishes, poke places are popping up all over London. Fresh, fruity and healthy, Island Poké is one of the best, and this Kingly Court spot is perfect for a working lunch with pals.

Proudly dedicated to all things pasta, Pastaio's handmade pasta is rolled and dried right in front of you, and comes at very reasonable prices. Their burrata, gnocchi and tiramisu are not to be missed, and must of course be accompanied by a giant Aperol Spritz.

Sri Lankan home cooking in the heart of Carnaby's Kingly Street, the menu at Kolamba is a celebration of coconut and cardamom, curries, sambols, rotis and more - plus a range of inspired veggie and vegan dishes. Inspired by the food of Sri Lanka's capital city, it's the perfect cuisine to enjoy alfresco.

This Kingly Court pizzeria makes authentic Neapolitan dough, with a delicious range of pizza toppings such as the Marinara, Margherita, Nduja and Portobello Mushroom & Truffle, Pizza Pilgrims is not one to miss out on. Plus, they have a selection of Neapolitan delicacies, from arancini stuffed with slow-cooked ragu and unctuous, oozy mozzarella to pizza fritta - fried calzones filled with sun-ripened tomato, Napoli salami, mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta and fragrant basil.

Brand new to Carnaby, Imad Alarnab has teamed up with Choose Love to open a pop-up falafel bar on Ganton Street. Imad's delicious falafel boxes will include his renowned falafel, hummus, baba ghanoj, green salad, pickled chilli and will be served with a chilli and tahini sauce. £2 from each box will be donated to Choose Love's partners to fund nutritious meals for people living in refugee camps. Just a taste of things to come, Imad's much anticipated first permanent restaurant, Imad's Syrian Kitchen will open in Kingly Court in May.

One not to miss is brand new concept Bread Ahead Pizza. Located on Beak Street, this New York style 20 inch pizza is bringing Soho New York to Soho London. Cut into quarters, grab a slice of this mouth watering pizza, from margarita, spicy sausage or vegan pizza, Bread Ahead have created the pizza that dreams are made of.

Nearby, street-side tables are being set up along Berwick Street, Dean Street and Lexington Street (to name a few). Soho's buzzing atmosphere is perfectly suited to eating outdoors, with many new restaurants joining in and adding tables, giving a Mediterranean vibe to this corner of the West End. My Place, The Breakfast Club and Flat White are amongst those to do so with the trend following suit along the length of the street. Here are some of our favourites to look out for.

Pitch up outside My Place Soho for a coffee and pastry first thing, and find yourself staying all day. The coffee shop is open all hours, and will remain open for dinner (served with espresso martinis, naturally).

Flat White is a champion of the all-day-breakfast, inspired by the founders' Kiwi heritage and serving one of the best avo on toasts this side of the equator. Artisanal bread & pastries are delivered daily from Tin Shed & The Little Bread Pedlar.

The White Horse, a buzzing local pub on Newburgh Street with tables outside, serving great food, great beers and that Soho atmosphere we all know and love. Head here with colleagues to toast being back in the office, and feed the lie that you've missed seeing each other.

The Soho stalwart Tapas Brindisa takes inspiration from the bustling bodegas synonymous with Spanish cities: intimate, local joints where artisan beers, sherries, and wines are served with impeccably sourced food. Naturally, this is well tailored to alfresco dining, and the newly extended terrace will be open for walk-ins and reservations.

Sophisticate, classic and utterly iconic, The Ivy Soho's glorious terrace is top of many people's lists for when restaurants reopen. Bag a table at the all-day brasserie and catch up with friends over a crisp glass of rosé. What could be better?

Dine alfresco on Berwick Street at The Breakfast Club, with a true American style breakfast, the Full Monty, or one of their vegan variations. Breakfast lasts all day, and frankly after the year we've all had there's no reason not to be ordering maple and banana pancakes on a Tuesday afternoon.

As famous for their excessively long queues as for their mouth-watering Taiwanese buns, this little spot on Lexington Street needs no introduction. Inspired by Taiwan's street food markets, BAO will be reopening on 12 April, grab yourself a bao bun and sit on one of the many benches in the area.

Make sure to visit the shops in the area, from independents to concept stores, Carnaby and Soho have an array of shops from the Rolling Stones flagship store RSNo9, beauty brand Pixi, mens tailor Mark Powell, Adidas flagship store, independent menswear brands Wax London and Oliver Spencer, vintage store Reign Vintage, contemporary fashion brand Wood Wood, Scandi style GANNI and many more.

From 12-18 April Carnaby and Soho have exclusive offers, visit London's best kept secret, Annie's Ibiza, Antidote wine bar and shop, independent record store Sister Ray and the new zero waste shop Earthly Matters for an exclusive 10% off all week. Independent jewellery brand Mor London and men's grooming shop MÜHLE are offering 20% off for shoppers. After all that shopping, stop by Ugly Dumpling for 10% off takeaway food or for a sweet treat, Crumbs & Doilies are offering 25% off their NY cookies.

Make sure to follow @CarnabyLondon / @ThisIsSoho and visit Carnaby.co.uk / ThisIsSoho.co.uk for full updates, news and information.