Wenjun Xiang launched her career while still at school. Less 10 years later, still only 26, she runs Xi Home Dumplings Bay, whose three London venues showcase the cuisine of her home city – Dalian, a busy port in northeast China. Harden’s met her at the newest branch, which opened a year ago in Blossom Street, […]
Our round-up of what the nation’s restaurant critics were writing about in the week up to 27th July 2025 London Standard Lupa, Highbury David Ellis visited a new Roman restaurant co-founded by Ed Templeton of Carousel and Theo James, “the irrepressibly handsome White Lotus star” whose involvement has generated generous helpings of hype. Tut tut, warned […]
A smart and spacious all-day Italian restaurant called Campanelle – meaning ‘little bells’ – opened in the City this week, taking over the listed former London Shipping Exchange building in Billiter Street. The restaurant has 180 covers over two storeys, with a dining room, wine room and 44-seat all-weather terrace on the ground floor. Upstairs is another […]
A new all-day restaurant and bar in Leeds with a roof terrace offering spectacular views over the city opens next week. CrowdedHouse will be able to feed quite a crowd, with space to accommodate up to 500 diners across its two floors and outdoor terrace. The new operation at the top of Leeds’ Trinity shopping […]
A new spate of pizzeria openings is sweeping across the country this summer – and they’re taking their inspiration from the US in general and NYC in particular as much as from Naples. First up comes Ace Pizza, near Victorian Park in Hackney, which launches next Monday, 28 July – the first stand-alone site for Rachel […]
Westminster’s iconic Regency Cafe, the most famous ‘greasy-spoon’ in London, has reopened under new owners who plan to launch it as an international British brand across Europe and the Middle East. Opened in 1946 and little changed since, the Regency has become a familiar backdrop in British films and a site of retro pilgrimage, drawing […]
A pair of former regulars at a pub in Queens Park have taken it over and “re-imagined” the venue, with an ambitious dining room that opened this week. The new co-owners of The Salusbury are Gareth Cooper and Alex Payne, who both have backgrounds in the music industry – so impromptu events are to be expected. […]
A ‘neo Nikkei omakase’ promising an original new take on Japanese/Peruvian cuisine called Fan has opened in Notting Hill, adding Chinese and other global influences to its culinary mix. A trio of childhood friends from Lima – Romania Parra, Jorge Sasaki and Santiago Wong – have developed their style over several years in their home city, […]
Chef Tim Allen and his wife Mag are closing their Lancashire restaurant So-lo for three months this summer to allow for a complete refurb, including the addition of a chef’s table. They opened the restaurant – Tim’s first venture as chef-patron – four years ago in the village of Aughton, 12 miles north of Liverpool, and quickly […]
