Read all about the hottest new restaurant openings of the last six months.
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Mar
Fish & Bubbles - W11
London
A first of its kind in London, Fish & Bubbles – a modern Italian seafood restaurant and aperitivo bar - is now open on Notting Hill’s Kensington Park Road, brought to us by the brothers behind Stanley Tucci favourite, La Mia Mamma. Expect gourmet seafood panini, giant fritto misto sharing boards and cicchetti, plus knock-out negronis and plenty of bubbles to boot!
Dream Xi’an - EC3R
City of London
A modern venue near Tower Hill featuring Shangxi-style hand-pulled noodles and dumplings from the people behind cult favourites Xi'an Expression and Master Wei. Its a bigger space with a kitchen to match, so there are new specials including fried bao buns.
Bavette - LS18
Horsforth
Opened In February 2024, a contemporary bistro in Horsforth from Yorkshire-born chef Sandy Jarvis, returning after a successful decade in London. Low-intervention wines are a major focus: co-founder Clement Cousin grew up on a biodynamic vineyard in the Loire Valley, and his family's wines are on the list.
Laghi’s - B15
Edgbaston
This longstanding family-run Italian in Islington Row, Edgbaston, now has a kitchen run by MasterChef: The Professionals’ 2019 winner Stu Deeley. His pasta and other dishes won a rave review from Tom Parker Bowles in the Daily Mail.
Feb
Yum Bug - N4
London
Now at a permanent venue in Finsbury Park with a menu based on crickets farmed near Cambridge, this project from an entomologist and a designer seeks to demonstrate that insects are edible, delicious and good for the planet. A pop-up in Shoreditch in late 2023 proved that the proposition had legs – now it has wings to fly.
Camille - SE1
London
A modern bistro in Borough Market from the team behind Soho's Ducksoup. The early reviews are very promising for both its atmosphere and its classic Gallic cuisine.
Morchella - EC1R
London
Opening in February in Exmouth Market (in the former Firebrand Pizza site), a Mediterranean-style restaurant with separate wine bar from the team behind Perilla on Newington Green. Chef Daniel Fletcher has worked at The Square and Sky Garden, so expect top-class cooking.
Liu Xiaomian - W1B
London
On the first floor in Kingly Court, Carnaby, the first permanent venue
for Chongqing natives Liu Qian and Charlene Liu. Their noodles in hot
broth and other specialities from central-western China have been a big
hit on the supperclub circuit.
Colina - CT9
Margate
Opening in February, the new restaurant in Fort Lane Hotel brings the flavours of southern Europe to Margate with a 'fish-forward' menu from Portuguese chef Luis Freitas. There's also a basement bar decorated with work by artists with local connections, including Tracey Emin.
Hansom Restaurant and Wine Bar - DL8
Bedale
Taking over the former site of Tom & Nellie's, the debut from rising
star chef Ruth Hansom, born in Darlington, trained at the Ritz and head
chef last through 2023 at luxury Swinton Park Hotel, nearby. With just
16 seats, diners are promised an 'epicurean adventure'.
Ashlack Hall - LA17
Kirkby-in-Furness
An old-world, family-owned manor house near Kirkby-in-Furness on the
edge of the Lake District. Ballymaloe-trained Bobby Keegan and his
partner Jenna Freak serve estate-sourced meals family-style, at one big
sharing table in the dining room.
The Bell - OX7
Charlbury
Part of Carole Bamford's Daylesford Organic empire, this 17th-century
Cotswold pub has 12 bedrooms. Meals are served in the pub or the Barn,
designed for weekend 'feasting' with food from the wood-fired grill.
Cinnamon Bazaar Richmond Upon Thames - TW9
London
Taking over the former Carluccio's venue diagonally opposite the station, top chef Vivek Singh's second Bazaar offshoot from his classy Cinnamon Club flagship in Westminster offers Indian street-food dishes, starting early with Anglo-Indian breakfast specials from 9am.
Grasso - W1D
London
Owned and operated by a family with roots in Sicily-via-New York, on an ex-Wagamama site in Dean Street, Soho, this new venture serves classic Stateside Italian dishes such as spaghetti with meatballs from a family recipe, chicken Parm, penne all vodka and Caesar salad.
The Rectory - SN16
Malmesbury
This Georgian-era hotel with 18 rooms near Malmesbury in Wiltshire has a
new kitchen which combines the talents of Jake Simpson (ex-Bocca di
Lupo) and James Erasmus (ex-Ledbury & Harwood Arms). Its sibling pub,
the Potting Shed, is just across the road.
Fallachan Kitchen - G3
This 12-seater chef's table, in the hip post-industrial setting of a
railway arch near the Clydeside Expressway, has won a rave review in The
Times for its ultra-seasonal and local tasting menus. Presiding genius
Craig Grozier is a private chef who only opens it to the public on
select evenings each month.
Big Night - E9
London
Taking over the former Nest site in Hackney's Morning Lane, this informal venue offers communal dining on skewers of grilled meat and other small plates. It's inspired by Japan's izakaya drinking dens, while using British ingredients.
Brooke - SW4
London
In Clapham's Abbeville Road hotspot, the latest venture from the team behind Fulham favourites The Sands End, Brown Cow and Brook House offers modern British cuisine in both small and large-plate format, at lunch and dinner.
YiQi - WC2H
London
Modern Pan-Asian venture in Chinatown, featuring Malaysian specialities
including rice roasted in bamboo tubes. Chef Lum Wah Cheok is a veteran
of upmarket kitchens including Hakkasan and Yauatcha.
PRAVAAS - SW7
Indian
London
Stylish contemporary Indian cuisine close to South Ken tube station,
with 30 covers plus a 20-seater private dining room in the basement.
This is the first follow-up to highly rated Pure Indian Cooking in
Fulham High Street, from chef-owner Shilpa Dandekar (ex-Quilon and
Raymond Blanc).
Jan
Rayuela - W5
Spanish
London
In Ealing Broadway's new Dickens Yard development, this Spanish venture with South American influences from its Colombian chef was already a hot ticket locally before a rave review from Giles Coren in The Times brought it to wider attention. The name means "hopscotch" in Spanish.
Riverine Rabbit - B30
Stirchley
In Pershore Road, Stirchley, a South African-inspired inspired restaurant serving ambitious cooking at accessible prices – chef Ash Valenzuela-Heeger has worked in a number of high-end kitchens, including The Ledbury, Dinner by Heston and Carter's of Moseley. Mon-Fri evenings only, with a prix fixe 4 courses on Mondays.
The Gosling - GU21
Woking
Set by Horsell Common just outside Woking, this smartly refurbished former pub has high ambitions for its modern European cuisine, with a kitchen under Mark Wadworth, former head chef at Brighton's acclaimed Salt Room. The same management team have enjoyed great success at The Swan in West Malling, Kent.
Sonnet - NE66
Alnwick
This ambitious debut offers a 14-course set menu of ‘food we love to eat ourselves’ from Co Durham-born chef Gary McDermott and his partner, Claudia Mazareanu. The emphasis is on simplicity, the finest Northumberland produce, and a ‘refined take on familiar flavours’.
OITA Wood Green - N22
London
Traditional Japanese cuisine ‘with a Western twist’ is offered at this Wood Green outfit and its offshoot in Chinatown. The signature dish is chicken karaage, which originates in the Kyushu island prefecture of Oita – hence the name.
Shanghai Noir - SW1P
London
In the basement below Yaatra in Old Westminster Fire Station, inspired by the decadent allure of 1930s Shanghai. It’s run by the same team as upstairs, presenting their take on “Indo-Chinese” cuisine, so you’ll find steamed ginger fish next to hot and spicy chicken.
Freak Scene Sushi and Robata - SW12
London
High-profile Aussie ex-Nobu head chef Scott Hallsworth's second permanent Freak Scene, near his home in Balham, follows last year's launch in Parson's Green of what was initially a roving pop-up project, delivering his trademark combination of sushi and revved-up pan-Asian cuisine. Expect a fun atmosphere and culinary fireworks.
The Stag & Huntsman - RG9
Hambleden
Smart pub with nine guest rooms near Henley-on-Thames from Sika Inns,
run by a former Harwood Arms duo. The menu features game from the
estate, from a kitchen headed by ex-Claude Bosi exec chef Dom Robinson.
The Dover - W1S
London
A New York-style Italian in a prime Mayfair address from ex-Soho House head honcho Martin Kuczmarski, serving classic comfort food in vibey surroundings. Expect a real buzz – it was a darling of the critics within weeks of opening.
Tabisca - SW1W
London
Close to Sloane Square in Chelsea, this London offshoot of a restaurant in the Puglia city of Lecce specialises in steaks from around the world, backed up by cold meats, cheeses, and more standard Italian dishes.
Dec
Capilungo - WC2E
Italian
London
Cafe by day, wine bar by night, all "inspired by the cafés found along the winding streets of Puglia’s picturesque city, Lecce".
Ottolenghi - NW3
London
Opening December 2023, the Israeli-born chef and food writer's his sixth deli-cafe in Rosslynn Hill, Hampstead. Expect the same mouthwatering and eye-pleasing combination of salads, pastries and cakes that has been so successful across London for two decades.
Dishoom - SW11
London
Adjacent to the rebooted Battersea Power Station, the first branch in London south of the Thames has the standard Dishoom all-day menus from breakfast until late at night, plus an exclusive chicken dish in black spices. Walk-ins are encouraged, with evening bookings only available for parties of six or more, and dogs are welcome.
The Butcher's Tap and Grill - SW3
London
TV chef Tom Kerridge has taken over the former Queen's Head pub in Tryon Street for the Chelsea branch of his Marlow-based concept, whose name is reflected in the meat-heavy menu. It may sound rough and ready, but you can expect a very smooth operation.
Pollini - W10
London
Occupying the Beaux-Arts lobby of an arts and social hub off Ladbroke Grove, set in a grand former motorcar factory, a chic contemporary take on Italian cuisine by well-travelled chef Emanuele Pollini. He was voted Italian chef of the year by Gambero Rosso magazine in 2020.
Mezcalito - SW5
London
This new late-night haunt in South Kensington has taken over the former Eclipse nightclub in Old Brompton Road offering cocktails, tapas-style Mexican plates and Latin house/reggaeton DJ sets until 2am Tues-Sat. From the couple behind Mezcalito Chelsea, who promise more than 500 different tequilas and mezcals behind the bar.
Alley Cats - W1U
London
New York Italian-style pizzeria in Marylebone, on the corner of
Paddington and Chiltern Street. Sicilian-born chef Francesco Macri
knocks out thin and crispy 14-inch pizzas topped with imported Italian
ingredients.
Whyte's - E8
London
Opening in December 2023 at an undisclosed address in Hackney, the first permanent venue from the 'underground guerrilla pop-up' chef who calls himself Whyte Rushen. Inspect a neat melange of upmarket and mass-market flavours, along with top-class cheffy techniques.
Gaia - W1J
Greek
London
This 'refined Greek taverna' on the corner of Dover Street and Piccadilly is the London outpost of a Dubai-based brand which also has outlets in Doha and Monte Carlo. Expect a mouthwatering display of fish and seafood accompanied by lashings of international glamour.
Nov
The Wolseley City - EC4N
British, Modern
London
The new City outpost of The Wolseley in King William Street opened in autumn 2023. It's much larger than the Piccadilly original, with two private dining rooms and three bars serving the familiar menu featuring power breakfasts, schnitzels and crustacea. This is a vital opening for new owners Minor International, more than a year after taking control from The Wolseley's widely respected founders, Chris Corbin & Jeremy King.
Fenix - M3
Greek
Manchester
A Greek and Mediterranean restaurant from the Tattu group; opened in November 2023.
Jamie Oliver Catherine Street - WC2B
British, Modern
London
Opened in November 2023 inside the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, the once 'Naked Chef' made his return to the national restaurant scene with a menu devoted to British classics. He promises there will be "something for everyone".
Mambow - E5
Malaysian
London
Singapore-born Abby Lee makes her bricks-and-mortar debut in Clapton, having established a glowing reputation for her Chinese-Malaysian cooking at pop-ups and a stint in Peckham Market. Expect fiery flavours and a choice of Malasian soft drinks, cocktails and low-intervention wines.
Sune - E2
British, Modern
London
In Hackney's Broadway Market, a Scandinavian-influenced venture from a couple (Holly Spencer & Charlie Sims) who have both worked in Copenhagen. There's a focus on natural and low-intervention wines, while the dairy cow tartare/croque monsieur combo is an early hit dish.
Linden Stores - WA16
Knutsford
Now landed in Knutsford town centre, this wine-bar restaurant originated in North London before relocating to the village of Audlem, further south in Cheshire, in 2020. Chef Chris cooks with sustainable and sometimes foraged ingredients while his partner, Laura, serves wines from small independent producers.
Ixchel - SW3
Mexican
London
Named after the ancient Mayan moon goddess, this King's Road Chelsea restaurant is inspired by the cuisine of Mexico's Yucatan peninsular, with plenty of fish and seafood on the menu. It also boasts a 'hidden' tequila bar with one of the biggest tequila and mezcal collections in Europe.
tashas - SW11
London
The first European branch of an upscale South African all-day cafe and evening cocktail bar group has landed in the new Battersea Power Station restaurant hub. Specials include a pork schnitzel fried in cornflakes, healthy salads and in-house twists on familiar cocktails.
Dalla - E9
London
On the former site of wine bar Peg in Hackney's Morning Lane, a neighbourhood restaurant with a focus on home-style Italian cooking presented with modern pizzazz. Co-founder Gennaro Leone also runs a design gallery nearby, so the tiny interior is very classily decked out.
Isabel - W1S
Mediterranean
London
A late-night haunt in Mayfair’s Albermarle Street, inspired by Bertolucci’s film The Last Emperor and ocean liners of the 20s and 30s. Celebs and civilians dine under 300 brass lamps on sharing plates of Latin American and Mediterranean-derived cuisine, before heading down to the after-hours bar with dancefloor in the basement.
Permit Room - BN1
Brighton
Brighton's first branch of Dishoom is also the first in the group to have its own name, a reference to the first legal drinking dens in 60s and 70s Bombay. All the Dishoom classics are on the menu, along with some new snacks, curries and cocktails, while the menu is veg-heavy with no red meat at all.
Chez Rowley - W10
London
Veteran British chef and writer Rowley Leigh (ex-Kensington Place and Le Café Anglais) is popping-up for a three-month residency at Laylow in Notting HIll's Golborne Road (13 September–22 December). The standout dish on his bistro menu is poulet Antiboise – a whole chicken roasted with anchovies, black olives, garlic, onion, thyme and white wine.
The White Horse - GU28
Graffham
This former village pub in the South Downs National Park is now a restaurant-with-rooms with an 8-course tasting menu plus a la carte dining from former private chef Grant Jones, who trained at Le Gavroche. Game from the surrounding countryside and fresh fish landed at Chichester harbour are staples of the kitchen.
The Table - SW11
London
This all-day brunch specialist on Battersea Rise is the first spin-off from a well-established fixture in Southwark. It has an extended cocktail menu and opens in the evenings Thurs-Sat, with a selection of small and larger plates.
Oct
Daroco Soho - W1D
Italian
London
With siblings in the 2nd and 16th arrondissements of Paris, this September 2023 newcomer aims to import its brand of ‘offbeat Parisian chic and sunny Italian generosity’ to Soho (on an intriguing cut-through between Greek Street and the Charing Cross Road). It’s a large spot – with 100 covers and a 50-seater terrace – where the focus is on pasta and pizza.
Akara - SE1
West African
London
The team behind the upscale West African restaurant Akoko launched a new concept in Borough Yards in October 2023. Akara is named after West African black-eye bean fritters.
Kolae - SE1
Thai
London
The Som Saa duo opened this Thai bar and grill in Borough Market, having successfully crowdfunded for a new location pre-pandemic. This spot accommodates 80 guests on three floors of an old coach house, and will focus on grilled dishes including whole fish and marinated half chickens, cooked in the style of southern Thailand.
Montrose House - EH8
Scottish
Edinburgh
This distinctive late-Victorian pub in Abbeyhill opened in autumn 2023 as a wine bar with upstairs dining room from the Radford family, who are behind Timberyard in Fountainbridge. European-inspired small plates are promised alongside a list of natural and biodynamic wines.
INÉ - NW3
Japanese
London
A new Japanese restaurant and omakase counter from the team behind Taku Mayfair. Taku's chef-patron Takuya Watanabe has installed his protégé Law Kwok Meng as head chef. INÉ is Japanese for 'rice'.
Brooklands - SW1X
British, Modern
London
The rooftop restaurant at one of the capital's grandest new openings, the Peninsular London by Hyde Park Corner, a branch of the landmark Hong Kong hotel, is under the culinary direction of Claude Bosi, the Lyonais-born chef behind Bibendum in Chelsea. The menu is described as contemporary European; the name comes from the famous racetrack (and now motor museum) in Surrey.
Solis - SW11
London
This Uruguayan-inspired grill specialist brings a new take on chicken and steak cooking to the Arcade foodhall in the old Battersea Power Station. Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng, the chef couple behind the long-running East-meets-West project TATA Eatery, want to create the atmosphere of informal joints in Montevideo's old market place.
Bébé Bob - W1F
London
Opened in September 2023 in Soho's Golden Square, this 'junior' offshoot from glamorous Deco-style Bob Bob Ricard will focus on rotisserie chicken – a style that is having a moment in London. As at its senior sibling, there's plenty of caviar, blinis and Champagne on the menu, too.
La Palombe - W8
London
From the family behind long-running Il Portico, a few doors along Kensington High Street, this bistro celebrates the food of the French Basque Country – subtly different from the Spanish Basque cuisine found across the capital. Expect plenty of game, mushrooms and truffles, with cooking over a wood-fire grill.
Shifnal Balti - TF11
Shifnal
A stalwart of this market town after almost 30 years, Faz Ali’s curryhouse has earned a reputation beyond the West Midlands, winning accolades at the national Asian Restaurant and Takeaway Awards.
Baudry Greene - WC2H
London
This Continental-style café close to the Opera House in Covent Garden is from the team behind 10 Cases wine bar and Parsons fish restaurant in the same street. Breakfast features a Bavarian spread, there are salads and sandwiches for lunch, and in the evening savoury and sweet snacks to accompany wine and cocktails.
Chayote - E1W
London
This Latin-American venue in St Katharine Docks, with views of Tower Bridge, brings together Mexican fusion dishes with Peruvian-Spanish influences, from former Barrafina head chef Tomasz Baranski. It promises a less flamboyant but more authentic and elegant approach to Mexican cuisine than is the norm in Britain.
Cafe Kitty - W1F
London
Inside the new Underbelly Boulevard theatre and cabaret venue in Walker's Court, Soho, the latest venture from the team behind Kitty Fisher in Mayfair and Cora Pearl in Covent Garden. The wing rib of beef is strongly tipped, and there are set pre- and post-show meals for Boulevard ticket-holders.
Saltine - N5
London
This new Highbury spot is the latest from Mat Appleton and Jess Blackstone, who have opened a trio of cafés under the Fink’s name in the area over the past dozen years. There's coffee, pastries and grab-and-go bites by day, with a seasonal dinner menu from chef Phil Wood (ex-St John and Spring) in the evening, along with cocktails and low-intervention wines.
Faber - W6
London
This seafood restaurant in Hammersmith from the team behind the Victorian seafood pub in Mile End is pitched as the first of a small chain across London if all goes well. The aim it to provide top-quality British fish and seafood at good prices, starting with a 'workers' lunch' of a main course and a drink for £20.
Kink(all)y - W1T
London
This slick venue in Fitzrovia's foodie Charlotte Street serves traditional Georgian khinkali dumplings and other Caucasian dishes with a modern gloss (and elevated fillings). Head downstairs for cocktails in the techno-pumping Bar Kinky.
The Black Swan - B95
Henley-in-Arden
This Grade II-listed, Tudor-fronted hostelry in Shakespeare country has been extensively renovated by Heartwood Inns, and now boasts a new oak-framed extension, and an attractive outdoor space leading to a stream. The menu offers a solid range of pub fare.
Sep
Sexy Fish - M3
Fish & seafood
Manchester
Richard Caring's Caprice Holdings group opened a second Sexy Fish (and neighbour to The Ivy Asia) in Manchester's Spinningfields Square in Autumn 2023.
Bistro Freddie - EC2A
British, Modern
London
This late-summer 2023 opening in Shoreditch from the team behind Crispin in Spitalfields and Bar Crispin in Soho attracted chef Anna Søgaard, previously of Manchester’s ultra-minimalist restaurant Erst, to showcase her skills in London. It took over the site formerly occupied by Selin Kiazin's Turkish-Cypriot venture, Oklava (RIP)
Bocconcino - W1F
Italian
London
The second branch of Mayfair's glitzy, Russian-owned Italian comfort-food operation opened in September 2023 in Great Marlborough Street, Soho. Expect wood-fired pizza, home-made pasta, cicchetti and some pretty extravagant pricing.
Il Gattopardo - W1S
London
Scheduled to open in September 2023 in Albermarle Street, Mayfair, this high-end Italian from the group behind Zuma and Roka takes inspiration from 'la dolce vita" and the glamorous 1960s highlife of the Amalfi coast, Sicily and Italy's southern islands. A key feature is the hidden courtyard terrace with a fully retractable roof.
Honey & Co Daily - WC1E
Sandwiches, cakes, etc
Fitzrovia
The latest in the Honey & Co family opened in September 2023 in Store Street, off Tottenham Court Road, is a deli and takeaway with a dinner room which also hosts supper club dinners on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays. Expect more yummy Middle Eastern baked treats.
(If you love this company, pay a visit to Honey & Spice, their grocery store at 52 Warren Street W1T 5NJ)
The Devonshire - W1D
British, Modern
London
Opened in autumn 2023, this 'dream pub' off Piccadilly Circus in Soho combines the talents of ex-Guinea Grill landlord Oisin Rogers and Flat Iron founder Charlie Carroll. There's a classic bar downstairs and an ambitious dining room upstairs knocking out cuts of dry-aged Scottish beef on a wood-fired grill.
Mauro Colagreco at The OWO - SW1A
French
London
A major new hotel for London sees the historic Old War Office being taken over by the Hinduja Group, including a Raffles hotel, no less, and with famed French chef Mauro Colagreco of Mirazur taking three of the nine dining spaces, we'll have plenty of choice about where to eat. This is his flagship, described on the website as an "elevated dining restaurant [that] showcases hyper-local, hyper-seasonal ingredients for a culinary experience of discovery". Opened September 2023 after a six-year, multi-million pound refurbishment.