London is arguably (definitely) the best restaurant city in the world right now, but with so many new openings each week, keeping up to date with the best new restaurants in London is a full time job. Which is why we’re here of course. Make sure you’re always in the know with our guide to the best new restaurant openings in London and you’ll be leading your mates and dates around the coolest new places around town in no time. Our guide is constantly updated with our curated selection of only the best new restaurant openings you need to know about, so you can always be sure that this little lot will be well worth checking out.
Updated: 21st January 2020
1. The Connaught Grill
It’s not often that a London restaurant comes back from the dead but legendary Connaught Grill is doing just that. Open at The Connaught Hotel from 1955 to 2000, The Connaught Grill was an old school celeb haunt that served up old school French cuisine, and has just made its return at the swanky Mayfair Hotel.
Times have changed so this Connaught Grill is a much more contemporary affair, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten taking charge of the food here, as well as his eponymous restaurant in the hotel. There’s a wood burning grill and rotisserie offering up everything from langoustines and Dover sole to British game, and seasonal vegetables. There will also be the odd homage to the old school classics, including the ‘oeuf en surprise au Connaught’.
Opened January 2020
Carlos Pl, Mayfair, London W1K 2AL
the-connaught.co.uk
2. Fink’s Gillespie
Highbury cafe Fink’s Salt & Sweet has been shut since a water main burst back in October and flooded the property but owners Jess and Mat have a double bit of good news – not only are they working on getting the place reopened, they’ve also opened a brand new coffee shop Fink’s Gillespie.
The new cafe is just down the street, on Gillespie Road, so it’s still very much a neighbourhood spot, and the pair are keeping it eco with a recycled plastic counter and cups made from recycled coffee. Fink’s Gillespie will serve Caravan coffee, Dusty Knuckle bread and house-made cakes alongside a short breakfast and lunch menu. You can expect dishes like Tottenham cheese with roast grapes; roast chicken with gribenes, leeks and burnt onion mayo; and baharat-spiced aubergine with six-minute egg, pickles and tahini.
Opened January 2020
88 Gillespie Road, London N5 1LN
finks.co.uk
3. Oklava Bakery + Wine
Selin Kiazim and Laura Christie are closing their Anatolian restaurant Kyseri in Fitzrovia and flipping it into Oklava Bakery + Wine. The all-day bakery will have goodies like baharat spiced bread, simit, a daily changing borek, tahinli (tahini and sugar pastry) and hellimli (halloumi bread), as well as pides like the black sea cheese & butter one from Oklava at Arcade. New dishes like spiced beef and lamb tepsi kebab with chopped salad, lamb bacon toast, and potato, pastirma & cheese fritters will be available at lunch and dinner. All of that is complemented by Laura’s wine list, which features bottles from Turkey, Armenia, Lebanon, Greece and Georgia.
Opened January 2020
64 Grafton Way, London W1T 5DP
oklava.co.uk
4. Ampéli
Founded by Jenny Pagoni, with Oren Goldfeld (ex-Nopi) heading up the kitchen, Ampéli is serving Greek and eastern Mediterranean dishes like feta saganaki with tomato jam; smoked cod’s roe with lavash crisps; herb and sheep’s cheese manti; braised cuttlefish with orzo and red pepper; Jerusalem-spiced pan-fried lamb sweetbreads with almond sauce; short rib stew with quince; poppy seed loukoumades; and chocolate mahlab mousse.
Greek Master of Wine Yiannis Karakasis is curating the wine list, choosing indigenous, natural and low intervention wines from across mainland Greece and the islands, plus a selection of rare native wines for the real connoisseurs out there. Spirits like ouzo, raki, mastica and tsipouro will also feature across the drinks menu.
Opened January 2020
18 Charlotte Street, London W1T 2LZ
ampeli.london
5. Nami
Japanese street food takes centre stage at the all-new supper-bar at Nobu Hotel Shoreditch with Nami. With tapas-style dishes the menu puts an interesting twist with things like the dashi fries, that’s 24-hour slow-cooked confit fries that are soaked in dashi soup stock and fried twice for a golden crunchy finish. You’ve also traditional Japanese shaved ice with a British twist – yep, strawberries and ice cream. And on the cocktails front, there’s a take on the pina colada with the Match Colada that uses nitro matcha with coconut and pineapple.
10-50 Willow St, Hackney, London EC2A 4BH
london-shoreditch.nobuhotels.com
