Mountain and The Devonshire were the most talked about but read on for our guide to some of the best new restaurants that opened in London during 2023.
We’re a bit late with this one, but read our guide to some of the best new restaurants that opened in London in 2023, including hotspots such as Mountain and The Devonshire.
Mountain
A personal favourite – Mountain is a new restaurant in Soho from Tomos Parry, the chef-owner of ‘Brat’ in Shoreditch that has taken London by storm.
The menu is inspired by Spanish cuisine and the concept of ‘mar y montaña’ (sea and mountains), with a lot of the ingredients sourced from Wales and the rest of the UK.
Favourites on the menu include the fresh cheese and anchovies, spider crab omelette, Jersey beef sirloin and the smoked potatoes.
The restaurant has a large open kitchen with 60 covers upstairs with large windows the length of the building and a counter bar which is available for walk-ins.
Downstairs has seating for a further 40 covers as well as an on-site bakery.
The Dover
The Dover opened in Mayfair just before the end of the year. This new restaurant, described as a “New York Italian restaurant and bar”, has former Soho House COO Martin Kuczmarski behind it.
The menu features dishes such as zucchini & asparagus fritti with lemon, aioli and jalapeño; crispy potato cakes with caviar; Lobster ravioli with yellow datterini & basil sauce, and Beef arrosto & mash – thinly sliced roasted beef, house mash, red wine sauce.
Claridge’s Restaurant
Claridge’s Restaurant opened its art deco doors with the stunning interiors pictured below. The classically inspired but contemporary British restaurant offers an all-day à la carte menu overseen by chef Coalin Finn.
Starters include buckwheat crumpets with soubise cream, truffle puree and slices of truffle and Dorset snails with parsley and parmesan croute.
For mains, dishes include whole wild turbot grenobloise to share, artichoke agnolotti, and grilled native lobster with crushed Jersey royals and sauce Américaine.
Zapote
Zapote is a new contemporary Mexican restaurant that opened in the former St Leonard’s site in Shoreditch.
The first restaurant from chef Yahir Gonzalez and restaurateur Tony Geary, Zapote has an open charcoal grill and new cocktail bar set around an elegant horseshoe-shaped counter.
Dishes include wild mushroom quesadillas, grey mullet recado rojo, scallop ceviche, and lamb neck tortillas.
64 Goodge Street
From the team behind restaurants Quality Chop House, Portland and Clipstone, came 64 Goodge Street, which opened in August.
The menu is described as ‘French cooking from an outsider’s perspective’ with dishes such as half a Basque chicken ballotine, girolles, tarragon & Savagnin and Lobster vol-au-vent & sauce Américaine.
Story Cellar
Chef Tom Sellers opened a Paris-inspired rotisserie in Neal’s Yard in March.
Story Cellar – in part named after the chef’s award-winning Southwark restaurant –serves rotisserie chicken, as well as house terrines, changing grills of meat and fish, charcuterie, and smaller plates designed for sharing.
The Devonshire
The Devonshire was one of the most talked about openings of last year.
Founded by Oisin Rogers (ex-The Guinea), Charlie Carroll (founder of Flat Iron) and Ashley Palmer-Watts (ex-Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston), The Devonshire is a traditional pub downstairs, while on the upper two levels, you’ll find a wood-ember grill restaurant.
The menu includes creel-caught langoustines from Oban, hand-dived scallops from Devon and Scottish beef which is butchered and dry-aged in-house.
Kolae
Mark Dobbie and Andy Oliver – the co-founders of Spitalfield’s som saa – opened Kolae in Borough Market in October.
The restaurant draws its name from Kolae, the Southern Thai cooking style where ingredients are bathed in a curry-like coconut marinade and grilled over open flames.
Signature dishes are cooked in the Kolae style and complemented by a seasonal offering of fish, game, seafood, curries, vegetarian specials and small plates.
Bébé Bob
From the team behind Bob Bob Ricard came Bébé Bob, where the menu focuses on rotisserie chicken, which is the only main course available, served whole with chicken jus and carved tableside, alongside sides like truffle french fries and a focus on Champagnes.
Champagne and chicken – what’s not to love!
Pavyllon
Pavyllon opened in July at the Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane from multi-Michelin starred chef Yannick Allén.
The new restaurant brings Chef Yannick’s refined neighbourhood dining style to London, offering a British expression of his signature modern French dishes.
The Best New Restaurants in London
If you liked this guide to the best new london restaurants of 2023, you may enjoy our guide to the best brunch in London, the best cocktail bars in London or the most romantic restaurants in London.
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