Triple threat: Joia will combine Portugese, Spanish and British-inspired cooking
(Picture: Charlie McKay)For restaurateurs and diners alike, this year is likely to carry many of last year’s hopes. Last January, as the pandemic began slowly to subside, there was optimism that the industry might finally catch a break. Not so: staff shortages, rising costs of energy, food and cost-of-living, and Christmas trade wrecking train strikes mean the coming 12 months have a lot of heavy lifting to do.
Still, hospitality is an industry of perpetual motion, and rarely does it slow. Already dozens of places are in motion; some delayed from last year — expect more of that — but plenty new, too. And while many operators are apprehensive about what’s next, others are more bullish, determinedly standing their ground. As with last year, much of what will define London’s eating in 2023 speaks more to market forces than consumer demand — which is to say, restaurateurs will offer what they can, rather than trying to fit into any kind of fashion. Still, new and cheap set menus are launching in London, as operators recognise consumers’ increasingly limited budgets. Of these, try top Thai Speedboat (£9, W1, speedboatbar.co.uk) or Pip Lacey’s Hicce Hart (£12, N1, hicce.co.uk), or perhaps Ravinder Bhogal’s Jikoni (£30, W1, jjikonilondon.com). Others will no doubt do likewise to draw people in. And happily, one thing is certain: Londoners with an appetite — and the means — for eating out won’t go hungry.
