Staying on top of restaurant openings, in London and beyond, has never been easier with our guide to the hottest new spots to book ASAP.
This month, a beloved Nikkei franchsie returns to the Soho scene, an art and food destination sets up shop on the shores of Margate, and a London instiution will open its first new site in seven years.
September
Chotto Matte Soho
The renowned Japanese Peruvian restaurant will be reopening its doors on Friday 9 September after undergoing a full transformation to add a stylish lounge bar as well as a new menu. Expect more of the brand’s iconic features, including a theatrical sushi counter and upstairs open kitchen, complete with new robata grill. Star dishes of the Soho branch include yellowtail “Nikkei sashimi” with jalapeno, coriander and yuzu truffle soy; wagyu sirloin with truffle teriyaki sauce; and black cod aji miso with chilli miso marinade, yuzu and chives. Read Kate Ng’s review (before the refurbishment), here.
Chotto Matte Soho, 11-13 Frith St, London, W1D 4RB
Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal
Following his success at the helm of two-Michelin star kitchens – most recently The Greenhouse and Hélène Darroze at The Connaught – Dilling launched his first standalone restaurant on 1 September. The focus is contemporary French cuisine drawing inspiration from the classic and refined gastronomy it is known for, with a young and energetic sense of hospitality. On offer, there’s a three-course lunch (£65), seven-course dinner menu (plus amuse bouche and petit fours, £155), and a chef’s special menu, showcasing the season’s most elevated ingredients (£195).
Hotel Cafe Royal, 10 Air St, London, W1B 4DY
hotelcaferoyal.com/alexdilling
Fort Road Hotel, Margate
Located on Margate’s iconic seafront on the southeast coast, the Fort Road Hotel opened its doors on 1 September. With a focus on quality ingredients sourced from local suppliers, head chef Daisy Cecil has put together a menu inspired by late 19th and early 10th century female food writers, as well her affection for Kent’s rich tapestry of flavours, coming fresh from the vine, hop, land and sea. Expect simple, clean and honest cooking, using the finest produce to celebrate British seasonality blended with Mediterranean flavours. Throughout the year, the kitchen will also host a series of chef residences, and workshops with local forages and micro-producers.
Fort Road Hotel, 18 Fort Road, Margate, CT9 1HF
Speedboat Bar, Rupert Street, London
Opening on Chinatown’s Rupert Street on 23 September, Speedboat Bar will be the second Thai restaurant from critically acclaimed chef Luke Farrell and JKS Restaurants. Farrell will bring a hedonistic mix of the sounds and smells that define the Thai-Chinese restaurants on Bangkok’s neon-lit Yaowarat Road – the wok-flamed cooking of sticky meat braises, drunken noodle dishes, fermented vegetables and zingy seafood salads hit with acid and chilli. A place for sinking whisky sodas and sharing towers of ice-cold Snigha beers.
Speedboat Bar, 30 Rupert St, London, W1D 6DL
Milk Beach Soho
Queen’s Park favourite Milk Beach will be launching its second site, in Soho, on Monday 12 September, offering a sunny, relaxed atmosphere by day, and a fun, lively vibe at night. The menu – featuring some old favourites alongside new additions – draws inspiration from the diverse southeast Asian and Mediterranean cultures that make up modern Australian cuisine. Milk Beach will offer Soho a carefully handpicked selection of sustainable, terroir-driven, elegantly crafted wines from independent winemakers around the world, as well as bringing back its popular fortnightly wine tasting nights. You can also stop by for a cup of their speciality coffee from Album Coffee Roasters.
Milk Beach Soho, Ilona Rose House, Manette Street, W1D 4A
Marugame Udon
After five successful openings across the city, Marugame Udon is bringing Soho’s Argyll Street a taste of Japan’s favourite handmade udon with its new site, also its largest yet. As well as 125 covers, there will also be click and collect kiosks for those who want to enjoy their udon on the go. Fast service and bowls starting at just £3.45 make it an ideal spot for families, groups of friends or even lone diners looking for a quick bite to eat while shopping in the area. To mark its opening on Sunday 18 September, Marugame will give away 500 free bowls of udon if you join the Marugame club. Run, don’t walk.
Marugame Udon, 1-4 Argyll St, Soho, London, W1F 7TB
Dollars at Rondo La Cave
Natural wine bar and pop-up space Rondo La Cave (beneath the restaurant Rondo) will welcome a brand new residency from Wednesday 14 September: Dollars, in collaboration with Andrei Soen, the mastermind behind Park Bench Deli in Singapore. The pop-up will take inspiration from the classic deli culture of New York while using only the best produce on offer, from homemade 21-day pastrami with brisket from Swaledale Butchers to artisan bakes from Miller’s Bakery. Alongside freshly made sandwiches, there will be a concise list of bar snacks and Rondo La Cave will be on hand with natural pours by the glass.
Rondo La Cave, 1-4 Argyll St, Soho, London, W1F 7TB
Mexa, Arcade Food Hall
Sonora Taqueria’s Michelle Salazar de la Rocha and Sam Napier, creators of “London’s best taco”, will bring their brand new alter ego, Mexa, to Arcade Food Hall on Friday 16 September. Celebrating the flavours that made Sonora so popular, along with fresh new dishes and combinations, expect quesadillas, tacos and mariscos together like you’ve never tried before. Arcade will celebrate Mexa’s arrival with two taco-packed fiestas on Sunday 18 and Sunday 25 September, with margaritas, mezcal and live Mariachi music.
Arcade Food Hall, 103-105 New Oxford St, London, WC1A 1DB
Market Place Vauxhall
Market Place’s expansion into Vauxhall will follow the same model as its previous launches and will focus on offering affordable street food stalls for small and local businesses. Situated in the arches next door to Vauxhall station, the new market will house 12 restaurant spaces, a standalone bar, a DJ booth, and seating for 200 people. The food will explore global cuisines from local producers including wood-fired pizza from Made in Puglia, Mexican tacos by Hermano Tacos, Sri Lankan hoppers and kottu from Karapincha Kitchen, and Jamaican jerk chicken and rum punch by Rudie’s Jerk Shack.
Market Place Vauxhall, 7-11 S Lambeth Pl, London, SW8 1SP
marketplacelondon.co.uk/vauxhall/home
The Palm House, Victoria
A tropical oasis blending Cuban cool and Miami’s iconic clubhouses of the 1930s, this brand new drinking and dining destination will be perfect for parties, spontaneous evening drinks and vibrant weekend brunches, alike. The drinks menu includes bold tropical cocktails, a dedicated daiquiri menu, ice cold beers and award-winning new world wines. Food will be split into sharing dishes and larger plates, as well as bespoke feasting menus (expect lavish Christmas iterations).
The Palm House, 150 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5LB
St. JOHN, Marylebone
Opening later this month, St. JOHN Marylebone from Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver will be an all-day, wine-led space to enjoy the excellent food and wine synonymous with St. JOHN. In the morning, diners can find delights from the St. JOHN bakery in Bermondsey, such as its famous doughnuts and breads. Then into evening, the menu is driven and informed by the excellent wine list, with a firm emphasis on the seasonal and local, pulling from the classic St. JOHN repertoire but with touches all its own and nods to culinary luxuries that Henderon so enjoys – a touch of caviar, perhaps. “Cheeky,” he says.
instagram.com/st.john.restaurant
In case you missed it last month…
The Suffolk
Following their hugely successful pop-up at L’Escargot Sur-Mer, George Pell and the team opened The Suffolk on 9 August. Located in the heart of Aldeburgh, The Suffolk is home to the 60-cover restaurant Sur-Mer, a rooftop terrace complete with sea views, wine bar, private dining rooms and six elegant bedrooms. Suffolk-born chef James Jay’s in-depth knowledge of the county’s produce is evident throughout the menu. The concise but thoughtful wine list features mainly French wines starting at £24 a bottle and £6 a glass.
The Suffolk, 152 High Street, Aldeburgh, Suffolk, IP15 5AQ
Sessions
The vibrant food hub in Islington got a little bit busier last month as four eminent food founders came together under one roof for a dynamic new food concept: Sessions. The scaled-down “neighbourhood” restaurant aims to recreate the flagship Shelter Hall experience by offering customers choice and dynamism in a tech-enabled environment. Sessions reinvents the traditional hospitality model by introducing customers to four thriving London chefs and their cuisine for a limited time before rotating the offering. First up is Jay Morjaria, Hasan Semay, Zoe Adjonyoh and duo Richie Hayes and Elliott Kaye.
Sessions, 77 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 0NU
Feels Like June
Inspired by the sunny climes of California, Feels Like June is open all day, serving generous plates of fresh, Europe-meets-West Coast flavours that bring a drop of coastal warmth to the city. In the morning, pick up hot coffee, fresh pastries, breakfast burritos and yoghurt and acai bowls. The all-day menu starts at lunch, with small sharing plates and larger main dishes to choose from. When summer comes back around, the balmy terrace will be a great spot for after-work drinks or dinner fresco.
Feels Like June, 15 Water Street, London, E14 9SB
Oak and Poppy, Hampstead
With a retractable glass roof conservatory in the main dining room, Hampstead’s Oak and Poppy launched just in time for summer. Just a stone’s throw from the heath, it’s the perfect pit stop for casual grazing from breakfast through to dinner. Dishes on the all-day menu are perfect for sharing and range from fish tacos and mac and cheese to incredibly fresh salads and burgers. There are creative cocktails and a well selected wine list to keep you hydrated, too.
Oak and Poppy, 48 Rosslyn Hill, London, NW3 1NH
Block Soho
A new chophouse showcasing land and sea opened in St Anne’s Court last month, with an open kitchen that allows customers to get up close to the grilling action. Meat is hung and aged in the restaurant’s own Himalayan salt chamber. The menu, covering steaks, chops and seafood, will change regularly but highlights include smoked pulled pork, grilled tiger prawns and Block fish pie with mustard mash. A major drinks focus is on bourbon, with more than 320 selections. The daily Croquettes and Cocktails “happy hour” from 3-6pm is perfect for a flying visit.
Block Soho, 2 St Anne’s Court, London, W1F 0AZ
