A guide to buzzy new openings in the capital
New restaurants pop up all the time in the capital – but which ones are worth shouting about? Here we bring you the lowdown on the culinary openings you need on your radar for 2023. The year has been off to a strong start, with notable launches including the latest trattoria from Big Mamma Group, Jacuzzi, and Humo, a live fire restaurant in Mayfair. Coming up, we have openings from Tom Sellers and Yannick Alléno to look forward to, plus a reincarnated Manzi’s and much more. It’s time to start planning your year in food. These are the new London restaurants opening in 2023.
New London Restaurants For 2023
Open Now
Edit
A new addition to London’s eco-dining scene is Edit, a hyper-seasonal restaurant in Hackney spearheaded by architect-turned-restauranteur Elly Ward. The menu is built around zero-waste, ‘root to fruit’ principles, with ingredients sourced from local small-scale farms, foragers and independent producers. A daily-changing menu is devised in accordance with availability – so this January, diners can expect dishes like roasted salsify with smoked aioli, crispy kalettes with purple potato mash, salt baked turnip with lentil ragu. Each day, the restaurant will also curate the ‘Daily Edit’: a six course tasting menu paired with low intervention wines, local beers and ciders. Read our full review here.
217 Mare St, London E8 3QE, edit.london
Humo
Live fire cooking is all the rage at the moment, and now we have another hot London restaurant in the mix. Now open in Mayfair is Humo (which translates as ‘smoke’ in Spanish), spearheaded by Chef Miller Prada, protégé of Endo Kazutoshi of Michelin starred Endo at the Rotunda. Influenced by Japanese cooking techniques, the restaurant revolves around a four-metre long grill, with all dishes prepared using a selection of widely sourced woods – all of which impart subtle flavour differences on the food. Rather than being focused on a specific cuisine, Humo is produce-led, with some key influences from Miller’s Colombian background. Hero dishes include 14-day aged trout and caviar, and hand-dived Orkney scallop with Speyside whisky barrel and white konbu.
12 St George St, London W1S 2FB, humolondon.com
Kapara
Israeli chef Eran Tibi, the name behind Bala Baya in Southwark, has launched a new restaurant in Soho called Kapara. Taking inspiration from the buzz of Tel Aviv’s rooftop bars and artistic neighbourhood Neve Tzedek, it has a laid-back vibe, with an all-day, all-night food offering and subterranean chef’s table experience.
James Court, Manette St, London W1D 4AL, kapara.co.uk
The Parakeet
Great gastropubs are popping up all over the city – the latest being The Parakeet, a new venture from ex-Brat chefs Ben Allen and Ed Jennings. Opening this March in Kentish Town, the eatery will focus on seasonal dishes cooked over a custom-made grill, with signatures including poached oyster with pickled elderflower, and braised leeks with pecorino and smoked mushrooms, alongside meat and fish dishes built around locally sourced ox cheek and bream. Housed in Victorian landmark pub The Oxford Tavern, it will have a characterful, neighborhood feel, with antique furnishings and a carefully curated wine list focusing on biodynamic and low intervention varieties.
256 Kentish Town Rd, London NW5 2AA, theparakeetpub.com
CAVO
Image by Steven Joyce
One of the capital’s biggest launches of 2022, the Outernet in Tottenham Court Road was designed predominantly as a music venue – but it’s becoming a bit of a foodie destination too. Glitzy Manchester import Tattu opened there last year, and soon to come is CAVO: a Mediterranean restaurant taking over the building’s fourth floor. It’s going to be huge, spread across 10,000 square feet, complete with a roof terrace focusing on seafood and champagne. Floor-to-ceiling windows will ensure great views from inside, too, with the menu split into two sections: the CAVO Seafood & Raw Bar and CAVO Josper Grilled meats menu. Diners can tuck into tapas-style dishes like chiperones (baby fried squid with beetroot mayonnaise), artichoke hummus with fried artichoke leaf and goat yoghurt, and crispy lasagne made with 36 month dry aged parmesan cream.
The Now Building, Outernet, Denmark St, London WC2H 0LA, cavorestaurant.com
Mayha
Experience-led omakase restaurant Mayha started out in Beirut, but was destroyed amid the devastating 2020 explosion. Its founders Karim Arakji, Jurek Wasio and Yuichi Nakaya thankfully survived, and decided to reopen Mayha, this time in London. Set across two floors, the space channels its roots with hand-poured tiles and a bespoke light installation from Lebanon, but the food is inspired by Japanese cuisine. A daily-changing tasting menu will spotlight meticulously sourced seasonal ingredients, alongside a selection of sake, rare spirits, fine wines and niche beers. Read our full review here.
43 Chiltern St, London W1U 6LS, mayhalondon.com
Jacuzzi
Big Mamma Group is renowned for its extravagant Italian restaurants – but its new opening is even bigger and even wilder. Just launched in Kensington, Jacuzzi is spread across four floors, spanning 4,000 sq ft of space – complete with its own ‘glitter ball disco toilets’. Like its siblings (Gloria, Circolo Popolare and Ave Mario) the restaurant is a feast for the eyes, housed in an old bank with a botanical-style mezzanine, a retractable glass ceiling, and a ‘boudoir’ space decked out with Italian murals. Food is suitably OTT, with a menu crafted by head chef Manuel. Some Big Mamma classics have returned, like the famed cheese wheel pasta, which has had an upgrade, and will now be served in a 4kg wheel of pecorino and topped with truffle. Pizettes are similarly luxurious, featuring caviar and bottarga – with a focus throughout on top-quality ingredients.
94 Kensington High St, London W8 4SJ, bigmammagroup.com
TBC
Famed Amsterdam duo Gabriël Verheij and Alexandre Scour are bringing their much-loved comfort food to London with TBC, which stands for The Butter Club. The pair met in the kitchen at Vanderveen in Amsterdam’s Oud-Zuid neighbourhood, and went on to host pop ups and residences all over the world before deciding to open their own venture on Notting Hill’s Goldborne Road. Dishes draw inspiration from all over the globe: there’s fried buttermilk chicken brioche feuilletée, fried oyster mushroom bao buns, and BBQ langoustines with Sichuan butter sauce, plus their signature square croissant creations, filled with the likes of cinnamon and pecan praline.
Opening In 2023
The Freak Scene
Ex Nobu chef Scott Hallsworth is bringing his Pan-Asian cooking to Fulham with The Freak Scene, a joint project with Australian comedian and presenter Adam Hills. Launching this March in Parson’s Green, the restaurant will showcase some of Scott’s signature dishes, including Singapore Chilli Crab Wonton Bombs, Chicken Fried Chicken, Salmon Sashimi Pizza, and Black Cod Tacos, alongside fresh seasonal sushi and sashimi plus fish dishes based on the catch of the day.
Opening 22 March 2023, sevenrooms.com
Pavyllon
One of France’s most celebrated chefs, Yannick Alléno is bringing his refined neighbourhood dining style to London, opening a new restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane this summer. Pavyllon will offer fine dining cuisine within relaxed surroundings, with dishes pairing French techniques with seasonal British produce. A key focus will be on Yannick’s signature extraction technique, seen in dishes like cheese souffle steamed with comte and celery extraction, and vegetable ravioli with spring extraction broth. This will be paired with wines from renowned sommelier Vincent Javaux, with bottles from some of the world’s top vineyards alongside family-owned chateaus.
Opening early summer 2023, pavyllonlondon.com
Maene
Rebecca Dickson
Nick Gilkinson was behind one of 2020’s most exciting culinary launches, Townsend in the Whitechapel Gallery – and now he’s back with a new restaurant, Maene. Set atop a four-storey Victorian warehouse in Spitalfields, the venue is inspired by European bistro culture, with a terrace overlooking the city skyline. Open all day from breakfast through to dinner, the menu will focus on seasonal, modern cooking made using the best of British produce. Highlights will include Mersea oysters with pickled jalapeno and sorrel, Springfield farm chicken with rosemary, garlic and burnt lemon, and a Yorkshire rhubarb pudding served with honey cream and bronze fennel.
Opening March 2023
Empire Empire
Putting a fun twist on Indian dining is Empire Empire, a new venture from Gunpowder’s Harneet Baweja coming to Notting Hill this spring. Inspired by the 1970s Indian disco era, the restaurant will have a strong focus on music and art, with a custom-made Marshall jukebox and a soundtrack of Bollywood bangers, plus artworks from respected Indian artists, Jogen Chowdhury and Rabin Mondal lining the walls. Of course food will be fundamental too, with the menu predominantly inspired by the northwestern cuisines stretching across the old Punjab Empire, from Bihar across to Afghanistan. Dishes like the Lasooni Tangdi Kebab and Nizam Chicken Kebab will be made by slowly charring the meats over hot coals, alongside a showpiece signature of Lobster Dum Biriyani, complete with the crustacean’s head emerging from the pastry lid.
Opening March 2023
Dovetale
Chef Tom Sellers is renowned for his two Michelin starred Restaurant Story, which offers a unique tasting menu experience on Tooley Street. Now he’s expanding his repertoire with Dovetale, an eatery at new opening 1 Hotel Mayfair, which overlooks Green Park and will launch this spring. Seasonal produce will sit at the heart of the menu, with dishes cooked over a grill alongside a raw bar, plus a special knickerbocker glory trolley which will whizz up the classic dessert tableside.
Opening May 2023, 1hotels.com
Manzi’s
Manzi’s, located just off Leicester Square, was one of the city’s most beloved restaurants for over half a century. It closed in 2006 – but some years ago The Wolseley Group (formerly Corbin & King) decided to launch a reincarnation, which is finally coming to fruition this May. The new Manzi’s will be located at Bateman’s Buildings, a wide alleyway running south from Soho Square, and will pay tribute to its forefather with a seafood-focused menu and nautical-inspired interiors.
Opening May 2023, thewolseleyhospitalitygroup.com
Daroco Soho
Restaurant group Daroco has two very trendy restaurants in Paris’ 2nd and 16th arrondissements – and this year, excitingly, it’s expanding into London. Set to open this September is Daroco Soho, a new Italian restaurant from founders Alexandre Giesbert, Julien Ross and Nico de Soto. We haven’t got loads of information at the minute, but fresh handmade pastas and pizza will feature, alongside an intimate cocktail bar.
Opening September 2023, daroco.fr
Story Cellar
It’s a big year for Tom Sellers: alongside Dovetale, he’s also opening a Parisian-style rotisserie restaurant in Neal’s Yard. Rotisserie chicken will be the main focus, served alongside house salad and French fries, alongside dishes like crab linguine, hand-dived scallops, and a re-interpreted version of a signature dish from Restaurant Story: snail bolognese on toast with parsley butter. A special wine programme, meanwhile, will mean guests will have the opportunity to try rare and exceptional wines which would usually only be available in full bottle format.
Opening 1 April 2023, storycellar.co.uk
AngloThai
After a string of sellout pop-ups, collaborations and even a book, AngloThai is getting a permanent restaurant, set to open in Fitzrovia next summer. The brainchild of husband-and-wife duo John and Desiree Chantarasak, AngloThai is all about marrying the cooking techniques and flavours of Thailand with the seasonal produce of the British Isles. This ethos will continue in the restaurant, which was picked up by MJMK Restaurants – the group behind Santiago Lastra’s Mexican fine dining eatery KOL. Chef John heads up the food side, while sommelier Desiree will be curating a selection of environmentally-friendly wines. No word on the menu yet, but a recent pop-up served dishes like soy-marinated Iberico pork skewers with roasted chilli, and garlic and coriander grilled poussin, to give you a taste of the vibes.
Opening summer 2023, anglothai.co.uk
Midland Grand Dining Room
After a decade in the business, Marcus Wareing’s Gilbert Scott restaurant at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel closed its doors last year. It’s soon to be replaced, though, with Midland Grand Dining Room: a new eatery from Irish chef Patrick Powell, who spent time in the kitchen at Chiltern Firehouse before launching his own restaurant, Allegra in Stratford. This will be the third time Powell has worked with hotelier Harry Handelsman, the man behind the restoration of the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, with architect Hugo Tore heading up the project. We don’t have many details at this stage, but the space is set to include an independent bar and private dining rooms.
Opening early spring 2023, stpancras150.com
Harvest
The chef-owner behind London restaurants Parlour and Six Portland Road, Jesse Dunford Wood, is launching his third venture in the capital. Harvest, set to open on Chamberlayne Road in Kensal Rise, will be a bright and airy all-day restaurant with natural interiors and a lived-in, homely feel. Dunford Wood has spent 20 years cultivating relationships with top-quality suppliers, and this will come across in the ingredient-led menu, which will include a variety of vegetarian, meat and fish dishes. We’re also told there will be a secret heated garden, alongside a street-facing terrace.
Opening early 2023, harvestrestaurantuk.com
Nessa
You’ll never be short of places to eat in Soho – but buzzy openings help keep the neighbourhood interesting. New for 2023 is Nessa, a modern bistro from Guy Ivesha (Mortimer House) and Tom Cenci (Loyal Tavern, Duck and Waffle), sitting on the ground floor of the 1 Warwick members’ club. The restaurant will pay homage to the area’s rich history with an eclectic, colourful look, with a menu drawing on Cenci’s passion for global flavours. Think playful twists on British classics, including a new take on the hotpot made with ox cheek and confit potatoes, brioche with black pudding and brown butter noisette, and black forest trifle. A separate bar area, meanwhile, will serve wine, cocktails and small plates.
Opening March 2023, nessasoho.com
Chishuru
Part of the charm of West African restaurant Chishuru is the story that comes with it. Nigerian-born chef Adejoké Bakare spent years hosting dinner parties and supper clubs before winning a competition which allowed her to set up her own restaurant in Brixton Market. It opened in September 2020, a tricky time for hospitality (remember the tier system?), but against all odds Chishuru survived – and thrived, cultivating a loyal fan following. So much so that the restaurant has outgrown its 35-cover site. Bakare is currently scoping out new sites, with the West End a possible new home. Watch this space.
Opening March 2023, location TBC, chishuru.com
Featured image: Jacuzzi
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