New London restaurant and bar openings, May 2013 Kaspar's, The Savoy There's another reason to visit The Savoy this month, with the May 2 opening of Kaspar's Seafood Bar and Grill in the hotel. Offering what it describes as an "informal yet luxury dining experience, presented in an elegant Twenties-style setting," the restaurant will be open day and night throughout the week, with Canadian chef James Pare at the helm. The interior has been conceived by Robert Angell Design Studio and the name was bestowed in honour of the hotel's original Kaspar, a three-foot-high cat sculpted in 1926 to stave off bad luck. Galvin Restaurants Festival of Food & Drink Galvin Restaurants throughout London combine forces this month to host the Galvin Restaurants Festival of Food & Drink from May 13 - 19. The week-long event celebrates the best of French food, with different events taking place in different venues. Diners at Galvin at Windows, for example, can join a "Party in the Sky" on Thursday May 16; an Escoffier-inspired banquet is being held at Michelin-starred La Chapelle; an Absinthe Renaissance tasting and cabaret takes place at Galvin Bistrot de Luxe. Michael Wignall at The Rib Room Ordinary resident at The Latymer in Pennyhill Park, Surrey, Michelin-starred chef Michael Wignall takes up residency at The Rib Room bar and restaurant this month, hosting a pop-up restaurant at the venue from May 15 - 18. Diners who visit during that time have the rare opportunity to sample Wignall's cooking in the capital, with the pop-up offering an eight-course tasting menu with wine pairings that features dishes such as Lancashire suckling piglet and torched Cartmel smoked salmon. IncrEdibles at Kew Gardens The wealth of natural ingredients that flourish all around us are the focus of IncreEdibles at Kew Gardens. From May 25 to November 3, the event celebrates the abundance of the plant world, inviting visitors to experience first-hand a selection of the 30,000 species we can feast on. Spread over so many months, the culinary celebration includes a number of experimental events alongside the standard range of workshops and social gatherings. Highlights include a series of monthly "Foraged Dinners" at The Orangery restaurant, where diners will be served a foraged cocktail and three-course foraged dinner, featuring dishes such as grilled Kentish asparagus with wood sorrel flower petals. Peyton and Byrne will also be on hand this summer to host barbeques and "IncrEdible ice-creams" such as peach, curry leaf and white chocolate will also be available during the warmer months. Look out, as well, for the Bompas and Parr tutti fruitti lake. Kew's Palm House Pond will be transformed into a giant fruit salad boating lake until the start of September, and will complete with boats decorated to look like slices of papaya, melon, durian and pear. Christopher's, Covent Garden First opened in 1991, Christopher's in Covent Garden claims it is London's oldest American restaurant. A surprising distinction given its relative youth but, in any case, the well-established venue will return to serving stateside staples alongside signature Christopher's dishes when it reopens on May 16. Having closed for a four-month refurbishment, the new and improved destination will include an all-day bar and a new Club Room that can accommodate parties and private events. Stories, Broadway Market Anyone joining the crowds at Broadway Markets on Saturdays will, from mid-May, be able to seek refuge in new bar Stories. Run by the team behind Queen of Hoxton and The Book Club in Shoreditch, the venue will also serve a weekend brunch menu and will host a programme of special events and ongoing art exhibitions. The website isn't yet live but you can get more information via the venue's Twitter account. Chabrot BIstrot des Halles, Smithfield The team behind French bistro Chabrot Bistrot D'Amis this month opens Chabrot Bistrot des Halles in Smithfield Market. Given its location, meat forms an unsurprising focus of the menu - the restaurant will serve a specialist charcuterie selection and specials such as warm calf's head with Ravigote sauce. The venue accommodates 40 guests and, from May 7, will be open from Monday to Saturday.