There’s been a lot to digest over the past year.
And we mean that in all possible senses. London has proven once again why it’s one of the epicentres of global culinary culture, a title it’s taken years to earn, but one it’s gripping all the more tightly with each new opening. And over the past 12 months, we’ve seen a lot, and they’ve all been of a broadly high standard. So picking the ten best amongst them wasn’t easy.
It’s been a painfully ruthless process to whittle it down to just these, but we’ve done it. So without further ado, we present the 10 best new restaurants of 2024…
Ibai | Basque steak from Richard Foster
Ibai comes to us from chef Richard Foster, who managed to set The Chiltern Firehouse ablaze with hype as the head chef there. So how does one match expectations when they’re already somewhere in the stratosphere? How do you pull off the Difficult Second Album? Well, insanely, he’s managed it. Ibai serves up absolutely delicious ex-dairy cow Txuleta steaks in an airy, industrial-chic space near Barbican. They come with an intensity of flavour you just can’t find at your normal steakhouses, and they’re matched with a blinding lineup of Basque-style sides. It’s not cheap, but it is worth it.
Address: 90 Bartholomew Close, London, EC1 7BN
AGORA | Greek food fit for the gods
David Carter opened not one, but two Greek restaurants in Borough Market this year – OMA and AGORA, one sat right above the other in a delicious little stack. Choosing which is the better isn’t exactly easy, but AGORA is the slightly more casual, reasonably priced, and accessible of the two, so at a coin toss it makes the cut here. Drop in, salivate at the rotisserie, and order the confit lamb flatbread. It’s unreal.
Address: 2-4 Bedale St, SE1 9AL
Goodbye Horses | An absolute stud of a wine bar
If you don’t live next to it, Goodbye Horses isn’t exactly easy to get to. But even if it were in Zone 12, it would be worth it. The place is basically obsessed with three things: vinyl, wine, and food, and it does each of them ridiculously well. It’s almost become a victim of its own success, in fact, and they’ve had to open a second wine bar next door just to handle the overspill of people looking for a table.
Address: 21 Halliford St, N1 3HB
Miga | Muti-generation Korean food
On the wall outside Miga you’ll find the generation-hopping, epic story of the family who run the place, starting with the grandma’s bone broth shop in ‘70s Seoul, and running right through to her grandchildren’s own restaurant that you’re about to eat in. And when you do eat there, you’ll be swept away by its rich, punchy, earthy flavours… from the silky sweet potato glass noodles, to the ridiculously rich soy-braised short ribs, and then wash them all down with a bowl of that bone broth.
Address: 3 Mare St, London E8 4RP
Lucia’s | Open-fire-cooked tacos
You know those places that look like they’re basically one step above a food truck? And yet, when you go in and actually order something, you find yourself slightly blown away by how tasty it is and wonder if your tastebuds are hallucinating, or if it really is that good? Lucia’s is one of those places. You’ll find it in the graffiti-soaked micro-neighbourhood that is Hackney Wick, and it has just ten seats lining a simple bar. But those seats will likely be perpetually full, because the tacos they serve at them are absolutely rammed with flavour.
Address: 43 Whitepost Lane, Hackney Wick, E9 5EN
NIJŪ | Steak & sushi in a Mayfair townhouse
NIJŪ was always going to be a pretty safe bet. But then so was the Titanic, so it’s still nice to see this one make port. It’s a steak & sushi joint that comes to us from Michelin Star-winning, third-generation sushi wizard Endo Kazutoshi (tick), who has put chef Chris Golding, formerly at Pantechnicon, in charge (tick), and housed it all in a stunning Mayfair townhouse (tick) with a hidden cocktail bar below it all (tick). And with enough ticks to make a spreadsheet blush, it delivers a seriously high-end dining experience.
Address: 20 Berkeley St, W1J 8EE
Canteen | Vibe-heavy Italian in Notting Hill
There’s a beautiful, low-key confidence to a restaurant name like ‘Canteen’ which makes you think the place is set up to both underpromise and overdeliver. Well, either that, or they serve lunch on plastic trays. Thankfully, this place is firmly in the former camp, and it’s an absolute diamond. No surprise really, given that it comes to us from the same consistently great team behind The Pelican in Notting Hill. It’s a no-bookings affair, so just head on down, slip into a free booth the moment you can, and order a wholly satisfying plate from their Italian-style menu…
Address: 310 Portobello Road, W10 5TA
Lita | A lush Marylebone date spot
What to say about Lita? It basically does everything well. The food, the wine, the atmosphere, the service, the design, everything. It’s caught in a quiet little corner of Marylebone next to Daunt Books, but inside it’s a buzzing hive of conversation and conviviality. Chef Luke Ahearn is turning out some first-class dishes (the ruby-red tuna tartare and the cloud-like lemon meringue pie are standouts), and they’re prepped and plated up in front of you at inventive in-restaurant kitchen stations.
Address: 7-9 Paddington St, W1U 5QH
The Hero | Stellar British dining in a gorgeous pub
There are often people who speak ill of Britain’s native culinary scene, and who claim that the greatest of our national dishes are all imported. This is where to take those people. This is a proper British restaurant, sitting above a proper British pub, and properly nailing it. Tender beef, radiant vegetables, and pies with a chewy-flaky pastry that’s as good as anything ever crafted south of heaven itself.
Address: 55 Shirland Road, Maida Vale, W9 2JD
Roe | A sustainable hype-fest in Canary Wharf
They say that every disadvantage has its advantages, and the guys behind Fallow have taken that adage and run with it. They serve waste products that would be “headed for the bin” (fish heads, milk whey, etc.) and turn them into star dishes (their signature sriracha cod’s head, the Chelsea tart, etc.). And now they’ve repeated the trick at Roe, which has taken the sustainable mantle yet further by being partially built from plants itself. The moment it opened, it instantly became one of the best places in Canary Wharf to eat, and we’re keen to see what they team do next…
Address: Five Park Drive, Wood Wharf, E14 9GG
Want something to drink with that? Check out the best bars of 2024…