Santo Remedio, CORE by Clare Smyth, Jean-Georges at the Connaught – these are, in our opinion, some of the best new restaurants in London for 2017, in no particular order.
Santo Remedio, CORE by Clare Smyth, Jean-Georges at the Connaught – these are, in our opinion, some of the best new restaurants in London for 2017, in no particular order.
CORE by Clare Smyth
Core is the debut restaurant of Clare Smyth, who was previously head chef at the three Michelin-starred Royal Hospital Road.
The restaurant offers seasonal British fine dining in laid-back, light and airy surroundings and has received rave reviews since opening in Notting Hill in 2017.
Santo Remedio
After starting life as a pop-up before a brief stint as a full restaurant in Shoreditch, Santo Remedio is now firmly in a new location near London Bridge.
The ‘cantina and comedor’ is set over two floors – a taco bar with cocktails, mezcal and tequila upstairs and a proper restaurant on the ground floor.
Start with some guacamole and sashimi grade tuna tosdada, then try a selection of the excellent tacos including soft shell crab and 8 hour braised beef.
Hopefully a specials dish of chorizo quesadilla will also be on the menu.
Rambla
Rambla specialises in the Catalan food of chef Victor Garvey’s childhood in Barcelona.
Named after the city’s most famous boulevard, Rambla’s menu is divided into three sections: Cru – raw and cured; Mar – seafood; and Muntanya – mountains with Bocatta de Butifarra Negra, or Catalan black pudding sandwich.
Rambla is located on Dean Street in Soho – read our guide to the best restaurants in Soho.
Jean-Georges at the Connaught
You may know chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten from his 30 plus restaurants around the world, including 8 in New York where he had 3 Michelin stars (until this year’s demotion to 2 stars).
His latest opening is at The Connaught where there are no Michelin stars but instead, a menu of big-hitting classics that you could return for several times a week.
Try the chef’s classic tuna tartare or the truffle pizza pictured above.
Jean-Georges at The Connaught offers informal dining, open all-hours, in a relaxed yet refined and really rather beautiful setting.
Ichibuns
A fast food restaurant serving dishes inspired by the cuisine of Hokkaido, Ichibuns is located on Wardour Street in Chinatown.
One of the signature dishes is the ICHIBAN burger made using a Wagyu beef blend served in a unique sake yeast bun.
The three-story restaurant is decorated in a kitsch and eclectic Tokyo rock-and-roll style with walls lined in a variety of Japanese collectible items including Manga comics, old newspapers and Japanese fishing flags.
Pastaio
Pastaio is a restaurant entirely dedicated to pasta on Ganton Street in Soho from restaurateur Stevie Parle.
Pastaio combines striking interiors, art, and eclectic music with comforting plates of fresh, handmade pasta and a drinks list that includes prosecco ‘slushies’.
Seating is around communal tables and the restaurant is for walk-ins only.
The Ned
Comprising of a hotel with 252 bedrooms, 9 restaurants, several bars, a members’ club with rooftop pool, basement bars, indoor pool, full service gym with boxing ring, hair salon, nail spa, men’s grooming salon, you could spend a weekend at The Ned without ever needing to leave.
The main restaurant is a City outpost of one of Mayfair’s best Italian restaurants, Cecconi’s.
Other restaurants include Malibu Kitchen, a healthy Californian-inspired restaurants that’s great for lunch; Millie’s which offers classic British and American dishes until 3am; and Zobler’s, a Jewish-style deli.
Ella Canta
Ella Canta is Mexico City-based chef, Martha Ortiz’s first London restaurant.
Ortiz’s restaurant in Mexico City, Dulce Patria, is recognised as one of the top restaurants in Latin America and features on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.
Known for the use of colour in her cooking, Ortiz has brought the vibrancy and spirit of modern Mexico to London.
Her restaurant, Ella Canta, could be described as Mexican “fine dining” but it’s much more fun than that. The food itself might be refined, but the design, ambiance and staff make it a playful experience.
Duddell’s
Following on from its two Michelin-starred counterpart in Hong Kong, Duddell’s London offers a relaxed take on Cantonese cuisine.
Set in St Thomas Church in London Bridge, Duddell’s London serves authentic Cantonese dishes and hand-crafted dim sum in a beautiful, grand space.
Meraki
Meraki is a new contemporary Greek restaurant in Fitzrovia from the Waney family who were also beyond London favourites Roka and Zuma.
The restaurant has a ground level restaurant and bar, counter-dining and two alfresco terraces.
Try the fantastic Santorini cherry tomato salad with capers and goats’ cheese and the Pastitsio (oxtail ragu, paccheri pasta, graviera cheese & truffle).
Claude Bosi at Bibendum
Claude Bosi (formerly of Hibiscus in Mayfair) opened his South Kensington restaurant at Bibendum in the Michelin building.
The restaurant has a seafood and oyster bar on the ground floor and a restaurant on the first floor. Claude Bosi at Bibendum is definitely fine dining but with Bosi’s contemporary and light flair.
Neo Bistro
Alex Harper, former Head Chef of The Harwood Arms, has returned to the kitchen to open Neo Bistro.
Neo Bistro has taken inspiration from the more relaxed bistros of Paris with a regularly changing menu of simple dishes that are modestly priced.
Example dishes incldue Cornish fish with white anchovies and sea purslane and Herdwick lamb with aubergine and smoked eel.
The Bon Vivant Journal
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If you enjoyed our guide to the best new restaurants in London for 2017, read some of our best content of the year including the best wine bars in London, the best restaurants in Soho and the best Japanese restaurants in London.
You may also enjoy our review of Harry’s Dolce Vita.
Note: None of the restaurants have paid to be featured in this article. In a year of several excellent new restaurants in London, these are just some of our favourites.
