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Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 11th May 2025 London Standard The Lavery, South Kensington Stepping in as guest reviewer, fashion designer Jasper Conran welcomed the opening of this venue of “restrained glamour” in an area that has been a “gastronomic wasteland” since the demise […]
Two well-known London restaurants closed temporarily this week following fires in their kitchen extraction systems – Som Saa in Spitalfields and Straker’s in Notting Hill. Straker’s will reopen as soon as possible, initially as a cold bar, following a fire that damaged parts of both the kitchen and restaurant. No injuries were reported. “We’re still investigating […]
A new all-day bakery and restaurant pitched as an antidote to the austerity of recent years launches next week on the former site of Forza Win in Camberwell Church Street. Hello JoJo takes its name from Jo (JoJo) Lavender, co-founder with Rob Newlan. They say: “Hello JoJo is a true celebration of the very special […]
NoMad boutique hotel in Covent Garden relaunches its main restaurant today under a new name as Twenty8 NoMad – a New York-style bistro, reflecting the brand’s Manhattan origin. The hotel opened four years ago after a slick modern conversion of the former Bow Street Magistrates’ Court, with a spectacular restaurant in a glass-roofed courtyard called The […]
Paternoster Farm, an off-the-radar restaurant near the western tip of Pembrokeshire, faces closure following the loss of its lease – just days after a glowing review in the Sunday Times brought it to national attention. The restaurant originated as a lockdown project during the pandemic, when self-taught chef Michelle Evans – a former divorce lawyer – opened a […]
Chef Stevie Parle will next week open his first new restaurant for eight years – Town, on Drury Lane in Covent Garden, which he describes as “the biggest, most ambitious project I’ve ever done“. The restaurant will serve British ingredients cooked with Italian influences, and aims to change the way things are done in hospitality. […]
Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 4th May 2025 London Standard Chuck’s, Brixton David Ellis reckons “success is around the corner” for a “rotisserie restaurant that almost everyone can afford” operating out of a small and plain room in Brixton Market. Chicken, pork belly and […]
More than 10,000 diners have sampled the vast new Royal Nawaab restaurant in the ‘Stockport Pyramid’ building on the edge of Manchester, in a two-week soft launch ahead of its formal opening this month. The glass pyramid was the head office of the Co-Op Bank for 23 years until 2018, and has been converted at […]
The team behind Notting Hill restaurant Dorian is opening a tiny sushi bar next week, in a former antiques shop directly across Talbot Road. Eel Sushi Bar will be a 10-seat spot only for walks, operating from midday to 10pm every day under the wonderfully named former Dinings chef Nicky Noodle. Access to Dorian’s cellar […]
Influential Shoreditch restaurant Lyle’s is closing down after 11 years, with founder James Lowe moving on to an “exciting upcoming solo project”. Meanwhile his original partner John Ogier, who left the business four years ago, is launching a rotisserie chicken specialist in East Dulwich. Lyle’s launched in 2014, gaining a stellar reputation for modern produce-led […]
