Humo, a high-end wood-fire restaurant featuring Latin American and Japanese-influenced cuisine, opened this week in the Mayfair site formerly occupied by Anthony Demetre’s Wild Honey (RIP). Humo, meaning smoke in Spanish, is structured around a dramatic four-metre custom-built open grill which uses up to eight different types of wood tailored to specific dishes. No electricity […]
Wine-led restaurant Noble Rot is to open its third venue this spring, in Mayfair’s picturesque Shepherd Market. This follows the successful launch of the second branch, in Soho, two years ago. The new site was previously occupied by French brasserie Le Boudin Blanc, which closed down last year, and was originally a mid-19th-century pub called […]
Indian restaurateur Gobind Chona has opened his debut London venue Gura Gura, a pan-Asian bar and kitchen in the Yards development in Covent Garden. Set over two floors, Gura Gura presents his take on Japanese and Chinese cuisine, with excursions into Korea and Southeast Asia. The menu is built around sushi, dim sum and a […]
Ace Aussie chef Scott Hallsworth is reviving his raved-about Freak Scene pan-Asian restaurant once again – this time off Parson’s Green in Fulham. The new venture follows his Double Dragon pop-up, which ran for several months last year in Clerkenwell and also generated much enthusiasm. Freak Scene itself started out as a pop-up in Farringdon, and […]
Master-chef Tong Chee Hwee, a pioneer of contemporary Chinese cooking in London as the culinary brains behind the rise of the Hakkasan group, is to launch his own restaurant in the city for the first time. Named Gouqui, it will occupy the former site of Garfunkel’s in Cockspur Street, off Trafalgar Square. Born in China, […]
North Italian-style TOZI Grand Cafe opens on Monday 12 December, as the gastronomic offering at the Battersea Power Station redevelopment in London continues to take shape. Sister restaurant to TOZI in Pimlico and another branch in Amsterdam, it is on the ground-floor of the new art’otel in Electric Avenue, where it will be joined next […]
Los Angeles celeb chef Kris Yenbamroong has found a permanent showcase for his US-style ‘nu Thai’ cuisine at the new Hoxton Hotel overlooking Shepherd’s Bush green, launching on Monday 12 December. Chet’s, which aims to combine the excitement of Thai flavours with the comfort of an American diner, had a test run as a pop-up […]
A Spanish-Israeli fusion restaurant opened this week in a German-owned boutique hotel in Covent Garden. Penelope’s is named after the daughter of Hotel Amano co-founder Ariel Schiff (pictured, middle), who grew up between Tel Aviv and souther Spain. Dishes on the menu include Israeli-style paella with whole lobster, freekeh and gin-tomato sauce; Israeli sofrito combining […]
Next week sees the arrival of crystal sushi in London, with the opening of a new City restaurant from Hong Kong’s Aqua group. Shiro, in Broadgate Circle near Liverpool Street, will be the group’s fifth restaurant in London, following Aqua Shard and Hutong in the Shard, and Nueva and Kyoto on Regent Street. Crystal sushi, […]
The Spanish gastro group Brindisa is opening a tiny Basque-style tapas joint in Soho this month. Bar Kroketa is by the entrance to Kingly Court in Beak Street, and is scheduled to launch on 12 December. The snack menu will be dominated by a chalked-up and frequently changing list of croquetas, ranging from sobrasada and […]
