This month sees the London restaurant scene full of second albums and do-overs.
Jason Atherton is back after closing most of his central London venues, opening his second new spot following on from Mary’s, while elsewhere, the popular French joint Maison Francois opens its sophomore restaurant over in Borough.
It’s second time lucky for 19 Motcomb Street too — formerly Pantechnicon — which reopens following a huge overhaul. Elsewhere, the Barbary doubles up in Notting Hill.
There’s a second chance saloon for the site of the old Pidgin restaurant, as Sesta opens in East London, while over in Barnes, the local gem Church Road is set to reopen as Home SW13.
Who said second albums had to be difficult?
Cafe Francois
Maison Francois, the quietly brilliant French restaurant in St James, doubles up this month with a more casual café in Borough Yards. Matthew Ryle, who has found a recent explosion of fame on Instagram, oversees a new menu which is set to further the accessible French brasserie classics of the original. The ground floor is set to house a chicken rotisserie, with a bakery providing bread and Viennoiserie fresh each day. The upstairs dining room will be more structured, but not formal, and we’re hoping dishes like the bavette steak, the plump gougères, and the oeufs en gelée make it across from SW1.
Opens: September 18
Stoney Street, SE1 9AD, cafefrancois.london
Sesta
Most recently heading the hobs at Pidgin, Drew Snaith — along with the restaurant’s former general manager Hannah Kowalski — are converting the beloved east London spot into Sesta, which appears slightly more casual. The food is set to feature snacks such as devilled eggs with sausage emulsion and trout roe, ‘nduja scotch olives, and a Doddington cheese scone rarebit. Bigger plates like the slow-grilled stuffed duck will utilise a range of kitchen techniques including live fire cooking, something Snaith honed as head chef at the lauded Acme Fire Cult.
Opens: September 11
52 Wilton Way, E8 1BG, sesta.co.uk
Sael
In the former Aquavit site in the St James’s Market development, Sael is the follow up to Mary’s from chef Jason Atherton. It’ll be an all-day affair, with breakfast, brunch, a prix fixe menu (which looks ideal for pre-theatre dining) and a large à la carte. Starters on the main menu come in at under £17 — a nod to a more casual offering than the fineries of his former Michelin-starred Pollen Street Social — and include a clam chowder, and a New Forest mushroom with potatoes and cep jam.
Opens: September 16
1 Carlton Street, SW1Y 4QQ, saellondon.com
19 Motcomb Street
The geography of the grand, imposing space of 19 Motcomb Street is more than a little confusing. There was once a Scandinavian rooftop restaurant named Eldr, a basement Japanese joint called Sachi, Cafe Kitsune on the ground floor and a tiny whisky bar hidden off to the side. Things have changed. It’s a complicated reshuffle, so bear with: the Japanese restaurant Sachi survives, moving from the basement to the second floor, and also the rooftop. Eldr is gone but Amélie, a French-Mediterranean spot, takes a space on the ground floor and mezzanine, while a basement bar called LUUM opens in the old Sachi space, with cocktails and DJs till late promising “music and extravaganza”. An exciting three-for-one opening.
Opens: September 26
19 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8LB, pantechnicon.com
Also opening
Barbary Notting Hill
Doubling up in Notting Hill is the popular North African spot Barbary. Operated by the Paskin group (who also look after Evelyn’s Table, the Palomar and the Blue Posts), the restaurant will seat a great deal more diners than the original Neal’s Yard counter, adding to the continually improving west London dining scene.
Opens: September 12
112 Westbourne Grove, W2 5RU, nottinghill.thebarbary.co.uk
Junk Burger
London’s love of a smash burger continues with Paris import Junk Burger (who have a dozen locations in France) arriving in Soho.
Opens: late September
49 Old Compton Street, W1D 6HL, junkburgers.com
Home SW13
Rebecca Mascarenhas, a titan of the hospitality industry in London, has stepped aside from her Church Road restaurant, handing over the reins to local restaurateur Craig Gordon. Gordon runs Home SW15, and the Church Road reopening will be dubbed Home SW13, with general manager Alan Perry heading up the dining room.
Opens: Mid September
Church Road, Barnes, SW13 0DQ, homesw15.com
Khao Bird
Khao Bird is set to take over the Tou site above the Globe Tavern (once home to Chishuru) for the latest long-term residency above the Borough Market boozer. Expect bold Thai flavours with a focus on the food of Chiang Mai in the north of the country from chef Luke Larsson and restaurateur Mike Palmer.
Opens: September 19
8 Bedale Street, SE1 9AL, khaobird.com
Wildflowers
Aaron Potter, a former Elystan Street chef who just completed a six-week stint on the hobs at Naughty Piglets, opens in Belgravia. Offering a casual, contemporary approach to Mediterranean fare, expect Vesuvius tomatoes with sun sweet melon and basil and lamb tartare with harissa and labneh.
Opens: September 27
