A lot has happened on the London restaurant scene over the summer – despite staff shortages and supply issues, the new openings have kept on coming.
Here’s our pick of the best new London restaurants.
L’Epicerie at Claridge’s
Claridge’s has opened a kitchen restaurant called L’Epicerie, with 14-seats overlooking the action in the kitchen where the food is finished on the pass in front of guests.
The room will be used for private dining, masterclasses, and interactive experiences.
The Colony Grill and Le Magritte
The Beaumont hotel reopened at the end of August, relaunching its restaurant, The Colony Grill, with a new look, new head chef and new menu.
The glamorous 1920s-inspired dining room serves a menu of classic New York-style grill dishes.
Make sure to head to the hotel’s new bar, Le Magritte, for a pre or post dinner cocktail.
Kudu Grill
Amy Corbin and Patrick Williams, the duo behind favourite Peckham restaurant Kudu, launched a fourth site – Kudu Grill – in July.
Kudu Grill is a 50-cover restaurant that centres around the braai – a South African grill using only wood and charcoal.
Menu highlights include duck terrine with biltong scratchings, and sharing dishes such as dry-aged T-bone with beer pickled onions and onion treacle bordelaise.
Joe Allen
Joe Allen has reopened in Covent Garden with an updated menu designed by former Ivy executive head chef Gary Lee.
A new addition is Joe’s Bar, a New York-style tavern at the front of the venue, which has Polpo co-founder Russell Norman involved.
Read our guide to the best restaurants in Covent Garden.
Galvin Bar & Grill
Michelin-starred chefs Chris and Jeff Galvin have collaborated with chef Adam Gray (who worked for years at Michelin-starred Rhodes 24) to open a new restaurant at Kimpton Fitzroy London hotel.
Opening at the end of September, the 100-cover restaurant will offer dishes such as glazed lobster omelettes and turbot t-bone.
Isla at The Stadard
Isla, the restaurant on the ground floor of The Standard hotel, reopens this month after a brief closure due to the pandemic.
Minimum intervention wines will be served alongside a new menu that includes dishes such as beetroot, berries and kefir; scallop XO; and mussels with ‘nduja, sweet potatoes and feta.
The Coal Shed
The Coal Shed is celebrating the 10th anniversary of opening its first site.
The Brighton born restaurant now has a second site in Tower Bridge serving different cuts of meat cooked over fire (coals of course).
They are offering a limited-time £10 Ribeye steak and chips offerfor guests who book using a special birthday link – click here.
Joy
Chef Stevie Parle closed JOY at Portobello Dock but then swiftly opened a new incarnation in Marylebone. This time it’s a temporary plant shop and café serving a hyper-seasonal menu.
Every Thursday Parle will host a supper club with different seasonal themes (and a few special guests as well).
Jose Pizarro at the Royal Academy
Spanish chef Jose Pizarro has opened two new restaurants at the Royal Academy.
The chef has launched a full Spanish restaurant upstairs as well as a more casual tapas bar downstairs.
Bibo
Bibo is the main restaurant at the new Mondrian hotel in Shoreditch (in the space that was previously The Curtain hotel).
It’s from the restaurant group run by top Spanish chef Dani Garcia, who handed in his Michelin stars, opting for a more relaxed restaurant.
Think high quality modern tapas with a buzzy atmosphere.
Sessions Arts Club
Housed in the beautifully restored Old Sessions House, a restaurant, wine bar and art gallery space in Clerkenwell, Sessions Art Club offers a menu from ex-Polpetto chef Florence Knight in a stunning dining room.
Ave Mario
Ave Mario, from the people behind Gloria and Circolo Popolare, follows a similar template of OTT decoration and huge dishes such as the 60cm tall Stracciatella ice cream cake.
The restaurant has 295 covers over 7,000 sq ft, with two terraces.
The Cadogan Arms
Chelsea institution the Cadogan Arms relaunched in July after an extensive renovation.
James Knappett, of two Michelin-star Kitchen Table in Fitzrovia is culinary director, while in charge of the kitchen day-to-day is The Harwood Arms and The Ledbury alumnus Alex Harper.
A beautiful pub with excellent food.
Jiji
This Islington opening comes from Janina Wolkow, the restaurateur behind Japanese restaurant Sumosan.
Jiji is a Japanese/Middle Eastern fusion restaurant which brings something quite new to the N1 food scene.
Sushi marries up with flatbreads and shawarma on the menu here.
Sunday in Brooklyn
An American hit (in Brooklyn, obviously!), sees the restaurant open an outpost in London with lunches and brunches in Nottting Hill.
Make sure to try the brown butter pancakes, which is the signature dish.
El Pastor Soho
The El Pastor team launched another site early in the summer in Soho in the space that was once Hix Soho.
The Mexican food is as good as ever but make sure to visit the downstairs bar, “Mezcaleria El Colmillo” for some excellent margaritas.
Hector’s
Hector’s, a new wine shop and wine bar opened in De Beauvoir in July.
Hector’s is from Jimmy Stephenson, who was GM and partner at Hill & Szrok, and his wife, actress Anna Shaffer.
Hector’s is a warm, hospitable neighbourhood spot to pop in to buy and try interesting wines, and enjoy a short menu of small plates in the evening and at weekends.
Kitchen Table
Chef James Knappett and Sandia Chang reopened their Fitzrovia restaurant, Kitchen Table, after an extensive refurbishment to expand the two Michelin-starred restaurant – a new lounge and bar has taken over the previous Bubbledogs space.
The tasting menu, which is priced at £250, offers up to 20 courses.
SOMA
Kricket’s Will Bowlby and Rik Campbell launched their debut bar on 2 September.
Named after the Hindu Moon God, SOMA will serve up drinks influenced by the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring countries into the small hours.
Tonkotsu
Ramen specialist Tonkotsu launched the first restaurant in Soho in 2012 but there are now 14 sites, in London, Birmingham and Brighton.
The latest will open in Kentish Town on September 18, offering Tonkotsu’s own sake alongside bowls of ramen.
Ekstedt at the Yard
Michelin-starred Swedish chef Niklas Ekstedt opens his first restaurant outside of Stockholm at Great Scotland Yard hotel on September 17.
Ekstedt at the Yard brings the chef’s signature cooking – wood-fired, fermented, cultured – to the UK for the first time.
The Ivy Market Grill
Visit The Ivy Market Grill this month to see its latest visual campaign, Escape into Colour.
British artist Chila Burman has created an immersive, neon art installation with a brightly coloured, peacock-inspired installation in collaboration with Bombay Sapphire.
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