London in the 21st century is the restaurant capital of the world. British chefs vie with the most famous names on the international food scene to secure the primest sites for their new ventures. Here you can find almost any cuisine on the planet, often made with seasonal British ingredients, whether organic meats, sustainably caught fish and regeneratively farmed veg, but the food is only half the story: chefs collaborate with designers to ensure that the surroundings look every bit as enticing as what’s coming out of the kitchen. Each month, we visit some of the city's buzziest openings to discover the most exciting new menu items and locations across the capital.
How we choose the best new restaurants in London
At Wallpaper* design is always front of mind – our favourite new restaurants each have carefully-considered interiors which complement and enhance the dining experience. As for the food, well, that has to be great too. We love innovative menus that surprise and delight. Every one of the restaurants we’ve recommended here has been visited by one of our editors. Between us, we have had the privilege to have dined in some of the world’s most talked-about restaurants so you can feel confident in our first-hand experience. If we say something’s good, it’s good.
January 2025 restaurant openings
Don’t Tell Dad
Bakery by day, restaurant by night, Don’t Tell Dad is somewhere for Queen’s Park locals to shout about. Pop in for a hazelnut brown butter croissant after a yoga class on Lonsdale Road, then return in the evening for indulgent recipes from former Noble Rot chef Luke Frankie.
The mood: Curated interiors meet creative cooking.
What to order: Oxtail crumpets with a dripping crumb are the ultimate teatime treat.
Why we love it: A neighbourhood restaurant that deserves London-wide fame.
Don’t Tell Dad opens on January 17, but is now available to book. It is located at 10-14 Lonsdale Road, NW6 6RD; donttelldad.co.uk
Read our full restaurant review of Don't Tell Dad
Dove
Jackson Boxer announced in December that he was replacing Orasay with Dove. The new restaurant, he says, will serve ‘the things that I want to cook and eat right now.’ There will be less focus on the finest British seafood but the same dedication to sourcing the best native ingredients.
The mood: A Notting Hill restaurant aimed at locals not tourists, Dove practically coos with quiet luxury.
What to order: A mini lasagne of deep-fried Taleggio cheese and Wiltshire truffle is a snack that should be served by the dozen.
Why we love it: Whatever Jackson Boxer wants to eat is what we want to eat.
Dove is open and available to book now. It is located at 1 Kensington Park Road, W11 2EU; orasay.london
La Môme London
A sun-kissed import from the south of France, where a trio of La Mômes is scattered around Cannes and Monte Carlo. This London satellite arrives at The Berkeley hotel on Knightsbridge which, with its rooftop pool and supercar-clogged forecourt, is the UK’s closest equivalent to Monaco.
The mood: The razzle-dazzle of the Cannes Film Festival and Monte Carlo Rally wrapped up in one fabulous dining room and terrace.
What to order: Franco-Italian dishes such as Black Angus tagliata with truffle and rocket.
Why we love it: A restaurant that is as glamorous as the hotel itself.
La Môme opens in late January and will be available to book from January 16. It is located at Wilton Place, SW1X 7RL; the-berkeley.co.uk
December 2024 restaurant openings
Row on 5
Jason Atherton completes his quartet of 2024 launches with the flagship restaurant intended to cement his legacy as one of the definitive British chefs of the 21st century. His right-hand man here is Spencer Metzger, former Ritz head chef who won two Michelin stars at Dubai sibling Row on 45 within six months of opening.
The mood: The restaurant channels the bespoke Savile Row theme in everything from high-spec interiors to personal service, with the food delivered by the chefs who made it in an open kitchen within the intimate 28-cover dining room.
What to order: The only choice is between two 15-course tasting menus: one involving meat and seafood, the other vegetarian dishes, and both based on best-of-British ingredients.
Why we love it: A perfectly tailored fit for fans of fan dining.
Read our full review of Row on 5
Row on 5 is open and available to book now (bookings are released one month in advance). It is located at 5 Savile Row, W1S 3PB; rowon5london.com
Osteria
A sibling to Mayfair and Soho Italians Bocconcino, this time on the Strand. A daily selection of fresh fish will be presented on a seafood display before being cooked in an open kitchen by chef Matteo Massafra, who has worked at Six Senses Ibiza and Café Dior.
The mood: The Tuscan coastline around Forte dei Marmi transplanted to a bank conversion in London’s West End, with a moneyed smart set to match.
What to order: Anything involving fish, obviously – octopus in red wine sauce is set to be the signature dish – but pizza is also a good shout.
Why we love it: Good-value glamour a short walk from Covent Garden.
Read our full review of Osteria Del Mare
Osteria del Mare is open and available to book now. It is located at 366 Strand, WC2R 0JF, bocconcinorestaurant.co.uk
Babbo
The favourite Italian restaurant of Premier League footballers has shut up shop in Mayfair and moved across town to St John’s Wood. It’s not time for pipe and slippers yet, though: cocktails in the swish bar are just one of Babbo’s many attractions.
The mood: Babbo’s different spaces fit different times of day, from breakfast on the heated terrace to lunchtime pizzette in the lounge and smart dinners in the dining room.
What to order: The cooking is classic all the way (salmon tartare, veal Milanese) but who could resist a slow-cooked lasagne?
Why we love it: Smart all-day drinking and dining without the faff of going into town.
Babbo is open and available to book now. It is located at 29-31 St John's Wood High Street, NW8 7NH, babborestaurant.co.uk
November 2024 restaurant openings
The Georgian at Harrods
A re-imagining of the flagship dining room of the world’s most famous department store, with British cooking overseen by chef Calum Franklin and interiors designed by David Collins Studio.
The mood: The Georgian first launched on the fourth floor of Harrods in 1911, though it is the following decade that David Collins Studio took for inspiration, with mirrors inlaid with mother of pearl and lots of metallic Art Deco details.
What to order: The showstopper here is lamb shoulder slow-cooked under an elaborate pastry crust for two to share.
Why we love it: An upscale restaurant where art deco artistry, elegance and theatrical flair collide.
Read our full review of The Georgian
The Georgian at Harrods is open and available to book now. It is located at Fourth Floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL; harrods.com
AngloThai
A long-awaited permanent site in Marylebone from chef John Chantarasak and sommelier wife Desiree, following four years of impressing Londoners at pop-ups and residencies around the capital.
The mood: The 50-cover dining room is a showcase for contemporary Thai craftsmanship. The interiors, which have been overseen by Thai-American designer May Reddin, feature bespoke furnishings by Thai artists and designers.
What to order: The charcoal-grilled Brixham crab served with a coconut ash cracker topped with Exmoor Caviar, gives a thrilling taste of the intricate complexity of the AngloThai approach.
Why we love it: British ingredients meet Asian authenticity.
AngloThai is open and available to book now. It is located at 22-24 Seymour Place, W1H 7NL; anglothai.co.uk
See more of London's best Thai restaurants
Vatavaran
A third London restaurant for chef Rohit Ghai of Kutir fame, Vatavaran is inspired by the Himalayas and named after the Sanskrit word for ‘atmosphere’. It is opening in the almost equally rarefied atmosphere of Knightsbridge.
The mood: The restaurant’s four levels ascend from a ground floor inspired by valley streams and decked out with floral wallpaper to a top-floor, velvet-lined cocktail bar called Shikar, the Sanskrit word for ‘mountain peak’, where the textured and reflective ceiling is designed to mimic snow glinting on mountain slopes.
What to order: Signature dishes include robata-grilled wild tiger prawns with chickpea and coconut, balchao guinea fowl with smoked beetroot, and slow-cooked lamb shank biryani, mopped up with dreamy breads, such as Amritsari kulcha.
Why we love it: A peak performance from a modern Indian master.
Vatavaran is open and available to book now. It is located at 14-15 Beauchamp Place, SW3 1NQ; vatavaran.uk
