Entrepreneurial chef Robin Gill has announced his latest venture – a neighbourhood restaurant set in a west London retirement community. Maria G’s, inspired by his time on the Amalfi coast near Naples, is scheduled to open in June in the Riverstone development in Warwick Lane, between Kensington and Earl’s Court. The Irish-born chef made his name […]
A new style of Sicilian artisan bakery/restaurant opens in Putney tomorrow. Soffice, on the South Circular road, serves home-cooked savoury and sweet pastries, brioches and breads, alongside pizzas, pasta dishes and Sicilian specialities such as arancini (deep-fried rice balls, pictured above in three flavours). The all-day venture, set over two storeys with an outdoor terrace, […]
Gareth Ward of Ynyshir in Wales and Josh Eggleton of the Pony and Trap near Bristol are among the highly rated chefs lined up for month-long residencies at a new brasserie in the City of London. Revolve, in the Broadgate development near Liverpool Street station, is billed as a “brasserie extraordinaire” and scheduled to open […]
Hip Liverpool Cantonese outfit Yum Cha is to open its first branch in Manchester this spring, at the £250million Kampus redevelopment on the former Metropolitan University site between Piccadilly station and the Gay Village. The Merseyside connection will be reinforced with Madre taqueria and Middle Eastern specialist Maray also moving into Kampus. Manchester’s own Cloudwater […]
Korean streetfood specialist Bunsik opens its second London site tomorrow (26 March), with a menu headed by “corn dogs” – sausage and/or cheese on a skewer wrapped in batter and breadcrumbs then deep-fried. The new branch opens on Villiers Street, Embankment, at midday, with freebies to reward the first 50 customers. Corn dogs were apparently invented […]
Ground-breaking Middle Eastern cafe-restaurant Honey & Co has found a new home in Bloomsbury, where it will reopen later this spring after 10 years in Fitzrovia. Husband-and-wife founders Sarit Packer and Itamar Svrulovich (pictured above) were forced into the move when their landlord declined to extend the lease on the Warren Street premises. The new […]
A new all-day British brasserie opens in London’s Theatreland next Wednesday. St Martin’s House occupies a site at the top of St Martin’s Lane near Seven Dials in Covent Garden, formerly occupied by Tredwell’s (RIP). The three-storey venue is open every day of the week and has a menu of classic British dishes including Cornish […]
The next month sees the opening of two ambitious new seafood restaurants in Glasgow, reflecting a nationwide shift in tastes towards fish and seafood. First out of the traps is Shucks, from the Charalambous brothers Paul and Chris (left and right in picture) with head chef Shaun Haggarty (centre) – the team behind Cal Bruich, Glasgow’s […]
Former Hampton Manor head chef Rob Palmer opens his ambitious first restaurant in Solihull on the outskirts of Birmingham next Friday, 18 March. Toffs by Rob Palmer will have an open kitchen and just 26 covers, including six at a bench overlooking the chefs at work. Rob grew up nearby in Castle Bromwich and has […]
Young Sheffield chef Reece Elliott launched his first venture today in a year-old cafe-bar and deli in his home city. Raffina by Reece Elliott will serve Italian-inspired meals from Wednesday to Saturday, while continuing to operate as an all-day cafe from Monday. Sheffield-born Reece, 24, has already made his mark on television, appearing on Junior […]