While there were many people – yourself included – who spent Lockdown Year dreaming of being able to go out for dinner at a hot new restaurant again, there were almost as many people dreaming about opening a hot new restaurant (and also putting, like, actual business plans together to do just that).
And “do just that” they most certainly have, in droves, with some of our favourite recent openings in the capital including a small plates, low-waste residency that’s gone permanent; an Olympic clay shooting joint, with high tech projections & high ABV cocktails; a lavish eatery inspired by the islands of Italy; and a beautiful old fashioned dive bar hidden inside a crumbling crypt beneath a grade II listed church…
Want to know what’s coming up? Well, luckily there’s a guide to London restaurants opening soon, too.
Carmel | Queen’s Park
You know how to find the perfect neighbourhood restaurant? Build it yourself. At least, that’s what Josh Katz has done by opening Carmel in his own neck of the woods, Queen’s Park… READ MORE
Opened: November 30th
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Carousel | Fitzrovia
The wheel keeps on turning for residency-focussed restaurant Carousel, and they’ve just moved into an enormous new site – not one, but three townhouses – in Fitzrovia, where they’ll continue to host acclaimed chefs from around the world, and those about to open new restaurants. Plus, there’s a new wine bar attached, and an intimate, smaller dining room for concept-testing… READ MORE
Opened: 30th November
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The George | Fitzrovia
The team behind restaurants like Gymkhana, BAO and Lyle’s have just reopened an old Fitzrovia pub. Which would be news enough in itself, but they’ve also enlisted the help of James Knappett (of the two Michelin-starred Kitchen Table) to put together the menu… READ MORE
Opened: 25th November
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Hawksmoor Canary Wharf
Hawksmoor’s never been a place to go for ground beef. And now, they’ve one-uped that by opening a floating restaurant. It’s in Canary Wharf – or rather, it’s in the water next to the docks at Wood Wharf. And it’s huge.. READ MORE
Opened: November 25th
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Sarap Filipino Bistro | Mayfair
After a string of smash-hit residencies – Manteca, Pacific, and most recently, Fallow – incubation space 10 Heddon St has become home to the latest incarnation of Budgie Montoya’s fantastic Filipino eatery, Sarap. You can expect traditional dishes like Ensaladang Talong (smoked aubergines with tomatoes & salted duck egg) and this Tsokolate dessert, as well as an entire roast suckling pig to share… READ MORE
Opened: November 23rd
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The Jones Family Affair | Covent Garden
The Jones Family specialise in relaxed restaurants dedicated to steak & cocktails. After the covid fairy came along and permanently closed the doors on their Shoreditch flagship (The Jones Family Project) the kitchen-loving clan decided to come back stronger, and reopen in an even larger spot, this time in Covent Garden. This is the Jones Family Affair… READ MORE
Opened: 23rd November
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Dai Chi | Soho
When Angelina opened with its surprising combination of Italian and Japanese cuisine, it was clear the team were onto a good thing. So they’re now reinventing their Soho cocktail bar as a kushiage spot, serving deep-fried, skewery goodness – plus a drinks list from sake and wine sommelier Haruka Hisata.
Opened: 17th November
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Booking Office 1869 | St Pancras
Apparently, getting a train back in the 1800s was a very different experience to getting one now. We only mansion that because The Booking Office 1869 is so-called because it’s set inside the former booking office of St Pancras station. And it looks bloody astonishing. The chef is Patrick Powell (of the Allegra in Stratford), and the drinks are mixed by Jack Porter (formerly of The Ned), so the meal won’t disappoint either…
Opened: November 16th
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Manteca | Shoreditch
Manteca started out as a residency in Mayfair’s 10 Heddon Street, lasting three months.
People loved it. So they opened their own brick-and-mortar spot in Soho… which lasted for two years. And now they’ve moved yet further east into Shoreditch, to a venue that – according to our calculations – they’ll temporarily occupy for at least two or three decades before moving into the Thames basin… READ MORE
Opened: November 16th
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Warehouse | Covent Garden
A former Silo chef’s gone solo – and he’s settled in to an old fruit & veg warehouse in Covent Garden (that’ll also be the one publicly accessible part of The Conduit Club). The emphasis here is on sustainability, supporting forward-thinking farming practices and seasonality. Plus, there’s booze from the innovative mixologist Walter Pintus.
Opened: November 16th
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The Fat Badger | Richmond
The Gladwin Brothers – the trio behind some of the best restaurants across West London – have opened another spot. It’s called The Fat Badger, and it’s stuffed with wine from the family vineyard, treats like oysters and charcuterie, and hearty British classics like stargazy pie… READ MORE
Opened: 10th November
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Fallow | St James’s
This fantastic small plates, low-waste restaurant has closed its doors at 10 Heddon Street – but thankfully rather than going fallow for a year, they’ve moved to pastures new with a brand new spot in St. James. READ MORE
Opened: 4th November
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Clays | Moorgate
Virtually the best activity bar in town: Clays combines Olympic clay shooting, high tech projections and competitive games with cocktails and food from a former Ritz chef… READ MORE
Opened: 1st November
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The Barbary Next Door | Covent Garden
What is The Barbary Next Door? It’s a restaurant from the team behind The Barbary. And where is it? It’s next door to The Barbary. Frankly, the name is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. But this one has a focus on wine… READ MORE
Opened: October 30th
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Isola by San Carlo | Marylebone
Selfridges just became the filling in a delicious Italian restaurant sandwich. Playing the part of the top slice up on the department store’s roof, you’ll currently find Alto by San Carlo, a lush, trellis-covered Italian retreat. And the bottom slice is at the foot of the shop (well, a few yards away in St Christopher’s Place) in the form of Isola by San Carlo, a similarly lavish eatery inspired by the islands of Italy… READ MORE
Opened: October 28th
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Corrochio’s Cocina & Coctelería | Dalston
Behold, a kitchen and cocktail bar run by one Daniel Corrochio. Originally from Mexico, he spent a great deal of his youth working in restaurants there, before coming here to spend the last five years running the excellent bar at Ruby’s – hence, his skills in both Mexican food and cocktails have been about as finely honed as they can be… READ MORE
Opened: 27th October
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Bob Bob Ricard City | The City
After what’s been a strenuous year for the industry, the founder of Bob Bob Cité decided some changes should be made post-pandemic. Like lavishing the place with a multi-million pound refit that “sets the benchmark for 21st century nautical chic” and brings it more in line with its Soho sibling – but don’t worry, the Push For Champagne buttons and the room filled with magnums and Methuselahs of fizz are still there.
Opened: 26th October
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The Plimsoll | Finsbury Park
The mighty Four Legs may have walked away from their residency at The Compton Arms, but the good news is that they’ve set up their very own pub by Finsbury Park. A place of two halves, there’s a restaurant up front serving burgers, seafood and fish off the day boats, and a couple of numbers cooked over an open fire – while at the back is the lovingly restored Victorian pub bar…
Opened: 21st October
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Below Stone Nest | Leicester Square
The Boxer bros. have just unveiled their latest venture – what they call a “beautiful old fashioned dive bar” in a crumbling crypt space beneath a grade II listed church, serving cocktails, beer, and special wines plucked from the cellars at Brunswick House… READ MORE
Opened: 20th October
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Rita’s | Soho
Rita’s have been appearing here and there since 2012 in various guises, including pop ups, residencies, and semi-permanent restaurants (…that fate decided were actually pop ups too). And now, finally, almost a decade on it looks like they might have just cracked it… READ MORE
Opened: October 19th
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Toklas | Strand
The founders of Frieze have opened a restaurant. You’ll find it in a brutalist building just off the Strand, where ex-Spring and Moro chef Martyn Lyons are cooking up a Mediterranean-influenced menu, with a bakery set to follow in November… READ MORE
Opened: 19th October
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Gunpowder Soho | Soho
There’s a new Gunpowder plot afoot. They’re planning to open a restaurant in Soho. The space is on Greek Street, in a former Pizza Express, which they’ve refitted in their sleekly moody style. And the menu has a few new surprises up its sleeve… READ MORE
Opened: October 15th
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Amazing Grace | London Bridge
This place is fuuuuun. Yes, there are great bao buns and cocktails on the menu – but you’re really coming here for the packed out dancefloor, the live house band and late-night DJs. Oh, and it’s all packed into a millenium-old church. READ MORE
Opened: 15th October
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Lina Stores City | Bloomberg Arcade
Considering how good it was, Kym’s leaves some big shoes to fill. And considering how literally, actually big it was, it leaves a big space to fill too… and Lina Stores are up to the challenge. They’ve redecorated the two-floor space with their iconic pale mint green & polished silver decor, and filled it with fresh pasta and mains to share… READ MORE
Opened: October 15th
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Santo Remedio Café | Shoreditch
Santo Remedio opened their first restaurant in Shoreditch to rave reviews five years ago. Fast forward to today, and – via some unfortunate building issues and a relocation to London Bridge – they’ve just opened a second, more casual outpost in their original neighbourhood once more… READ MORE
Opened: 14th October
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1771 | Belgravia
A tasting menu-only restaurant from the critically acclaimed Mark Jarvis, in the same spot as his last critically acclaimed restaurant, Liv. The menu changes almost daily, which is no mean feat considering it usually comprises 10 dishes or more… READ MORE
Opened: 14th October
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3 Henrietta Street | Covent Garden
This gorgeous, Grade-II listed Covent Garden building is five storeys tall, and is now stuffed with three separate restaurants and a coffeeshop… READ MORE
Opened: 14th October
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Hacha Brixton | Brixton
Remember the agave spirits bar that opened in Dalston in 2019, serving a rotating selection of 25 different tequilas and mezcals? Probably not, particularly if you really enjoyed it. But now you have a chance to remember at their second site, which has opened in Brixton with a bottle shop attached… READ MORE
Opened: October 7th
Main image: Booking Office 1869
Want to know what’s coming up? Well, luckily there’s a guide to London restaurants opening soon, too.