This is our monthly round-up of the restaurants causing the biggest stir in town - the hottest at this very moment from a Michelin-starred Spanish chef opening in Shoreditch to an excellent new pizza spot in Islington. (If you're looking for classics, see our all-time London's Best Restaurants guide).
Legado
Shoreditch - 1 Montacute Yards, 185-186 Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6HU
In a nutshell: Sabor sequel
Hot on the heels of the opening of Singburi in Montacute Yards comes another buzzy launch, courtesy of Michelin-starred chef Nieves Barragán. And this one’s big, both in terms of Nieves’ reputation, but also size-wise. There’s a separate bar that’s open all day if you fancy a cerveza and some croquetas, but the massive menu will take more than a few visits to work your way through. Expect to find dishes that roam the length and breadth of Spain, along with some very clever takes on homestyle cooking. On day two of their official opening, the place was heaving and once word percolates through about how good this is, getting a table is going to be even harder.
MOI
Soho - 86 Wardour St, London W1F 0TQ
In a nutshell: Japanese restaurant from a Gordon Ramsay alum
Restaurateur Artem Login (L’ETO) has a new venture, MAD restaurants, and MOI is the first of a pair of new openings by this group in central London. He’s come out of the gates strong with this impressive new Japanese restaurant, which takes over two sprawling floors in Soho with a live fire restaurant upstairs, sushi bar downstairs and massive late-night listening bar too. But not only does it look the part, it’s serving too; the food we had was some of the best we’ve eaten in London so far this year.
Carmela's
Islington - 149A Upper St, London N1 1RA
In a nutshell: USA-style pizza
What happens when two food influencers and a restaurateur get together to open a pizza restaurant? If you want to know the answer, you’ll have to hotfoot it down to Upper Street, where Phil Chaykin (Ugly Dumpling) and Gerry del Guercio and Paul Delany (Bite Twice) have gone into business together with Carmela’s. NYC-inspired pies are at the core of the offer. The tardis-like restaurant is like a hit of New York Italian in the heart of Islington, and it’s been packed out since Day 1.
Speedboat Bar at the Electric
Notting Hill - 191 Portobello Road, London W11 2ED
In a nutshell: Thai restaurant mk II
It’s fair to say that the restaurant/diner section of The Electric on Notting Hill has taken time to find its groove. But the arrival of Luke Farrell’s white hot success story Speedboat Bar looks like being just the restaurant to do the job. As with the OG restaurant in Soho it serves up a series of must-order Thai streetfood specials. Expect this to be the kind of party place that Soho House does well, with food that’s as hot as the crowd.
Canal
Westbourne Park - 11 Woodfield Rd, London W9 2BA
In a nutshell: Crispin goes west
Two key critics have already made their way to Westbourne Park to check out the latest restaurant opening from the team behind Bistro Freddie and Crispin. Giles Coren found “a roster of gleaming, colourful, well-considered, produce-foregrounding platefuls” to enjoy. As for David Ellis in the Standard, it looked to be a great place for summer suppers - “Canal’s terrace is a calm, soothing, almost beautiful space to sit”. Both thought the menu with its focus on bistro-style cooking, was well put togethe, while the shared "table cheeseburger" seems to be a must-order.
Fan
Notting Hill - 6 Chepstow Road, London W2 5BH
In a nutshell: Neo-Nikkei omakase from Lima
Three childhood friends from Lima are behind this new opening in Notting Hill where the chef Coco has cooking in his blood (his uncle is chef Toshiro Konishi who, alongside Nobu Matsuhisa, opened Peru’s first Japanese restaurant). Despite having little-to-no marketing budget, early buzz has been big on social for this new spot which offers both omakase and a la carte options for those wanting to try their new take on Nikkei food.
Shanghai Me
Mayfair - 28th Floor, Hilton on Park Lane, 22 Park Lane, London W1K 1BE
In a nutshell: High-rise at the Hilton
When London gets a new high-rise restaurant, you can always expect a certain degree of buzz around its opening. But the arrival of Shanghai Me at the top of the Hilton on Park Lane has created more than the usual level of hype. With outposts in Dubai and Doha, this new opening serves up a pan-Asian mix with everything from dim sum to Singapore noodles on offer. The place was absolutely packed on a weeknight when we went in, so word has got out that this room with a view is worth checking out. We’ve already spotted one of the city’s big critics checking out the bar - will they come back to do the restaurant too?
Read our Test Drive of Shanghai Me
Dumbo
Shoreditch - 119 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 7DG
In a nutshell: Parisian smashburgers
If you thought that London’s appetite for smash burgers was in any way sated then you’re very much mistaken. With so many Londoners having tried this French burger group’s offering over in Paris, there was a ready-made market for its arrival in town. It helps that instead of picking Soho, they instead went to Shoreditch to launch their first London place. If you haven’t already joined the queue here then you can expect a very tight menu of burgers, well made.
Corner Shop
Strand - 7 Arundel St, London, United Kingdom WC2R 3DA
In a nutshell: High-end grocery store
Depending on who pops up on your FYP, this new opening from Soho House founder Nick Jones is either London’s answer to Erewhon or nothing like Erewhon. If you don’t even know what Erewon is, then go have a Google and get back to us. What we can tell you, because there’s no website and no social presence, is that this is a combo grocery store, meets wellness cafe via wine bar. If you want to buy avo toast or sushi (by chef Akira Shimizu of Japan House's Akira) to go, or green soup to have in with a pricey smoothie then this is the place to be.
Photo: Jackson Boxer
HANBAAGAASUUTEEKI
Victoria - 36 Buckingham Palace Road, London SW1W 0RE
In a nutshell: Pan Asian smash burgers
With influencer James Dimitri declaring this to be in his top 10 burgers in London (maybe his top 5) what seemed like a mildly interesting arrival of yet another new smash burger in London suddenly became a hot prospect. In addition to its ‘how the hell do you pronounce that?’ name, the burger chain in question stands out from the crowd with a menu which includes Korean kimchi burgers, miso fries and more.
Singburi
Shoreditch - Unit 7 Montacute Yards, Shoreditch High Street, London E1 6HU
In a nutshell: Second coming of a legendary Thai restaurant
Singburi was a crazily popular restaurant in its original Leytonstone location, but this move to Shoreditch has pushed things into the stratosphere. Taking a slightly new approach with chef Sirichai Kularbwong fully taking over the reins from his parents (with a little help from an ex-Kiln/Oma chef) this has been an instant hit with the release of bookings for the restaurant generating huge excitement. Getting a table is challenging, but not impossible (particularly if you avoid weekends), and it's worth it for some of the very best Thai food in the city. Reponses from the critics have been mixed from "stunningly good" food but unimpressed by the space by David Ellis in The Standard to a rave from Jay Rayner in the FT. Neither critic seems well able to navigate Shoreditch though...
Read our Test Drive of Singburi
Marjorie's
Soho - 26 Foubert's Place, Soho, London W1F 7PP
In a nutshell: French-style wine bar
Marjorie's comes from a duo that is new to hospitality but who have clearly been doing their homework as the wine bar/restaurant has been packed almost from day one. Celebs have already been spotted at this chic, Parisian-inspired space that's just off Carnaby Street and our recent visit showed just why. It's a great little space with an excellent wine list, backed up by a great modern French menu by chef Giacomo Peretti. The poached chicken with crunchy rice is excellent, but if you have pretty much any of the small plates on offer here, you'll be in for a great meal. In The Guardian, Grace Dent said he had a "dinner that’s currently one of the best in London".
Read the Marjorie's Test Drive
Lupa
Highbury - 73 Highbury Park, London N5 1UA
In a nutshell: Roman-style cuisine with star power
Highbury has come up in leaps and bounds in recent years with some great new bars and restaurants, but if you really want to get noticed, it helps to have a celeb as one of the partners in the business. White Lotus actor Theo James has teamed up with Carousel co-founder Ed Templeton for this venture and they've brought in ex-Pidgin chef Naz Hassan to lead the kitchen. It's clearly a match made in heaven as they've revitalised this tiny restaurant space with an excellent Roman-style menu. The deeply yellow carbonara is the breakout star from the menu, but overall it's a great little neighbourhood restaurant that will do very well. Plus, there's a decent likelihood of seeing some celebs in here, particularly as the curtain out front gives a little bit of privacy from those walking past. Reviews have been a little mixed. In the Sunday Times, Charlotte Ivers says "such delicious things keep emerging" from the kitchen while David Ellis in The Standard was "not sure if it was good, bad or just indifferent". Regardless, it's almost impossible to get a table in here right now.
Osteria Angelina
City/Shoreditch - 1 Nicholl's Clarke Yard, off Blossom Street, London E1 6SH
In a nutshell: Japanese/Italian mash-up follow-up
Fusion restaurants can, by their very nature, be divisive, but the Japanese and Italian influences behind Dalston's Angelina have always proved to be a winning combination. Certainly, they have legions of fans who have followed their progress into the City with this opening on the borders between Shoreditch and Spitalfields. For their second restaurant, they've moved away from their tasting menu concept to more of an a la carte offering. Grace Dent loved it, saying "It will also offend purists everywhere, but being upset has never been so delicious." Look out for their in-house pastaio making pasta in a glass boxed kitchen beside the dining room.
Read the Osteria Angelina Test Drive
The Fat Badger
Notting Hill - 310 Portobello Rd, London W10 5TA
In a nutshell: Notting Hill pub from The Pelican team
Given their success with opening pubs so far - we present The Pelican, The Hero and The Bull (in the Cotswolds) as evidence - it's not all that surprising that the same team have scored another win with The Fat Badger. However this is a bit of a different beast, as the pub is actually on top of their super popular Notting Hill restaurant Canteen. Grace Dent was an early fan, calling it "immensely likable" and Charlotte Ivers in the Sunday Times agreed, saying " all the ingredients are so cleverly balanced, so frequently surprising." So far we've only made it as far as the pub floor, rather than the main dining room, but anywhere that serves Twiglets alongside well-made martinis has our vote.
Town
Covent Garden - 26-29 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5RL
In a nutshell: Glamorous Covent Garden restaurant
The arrival of chef Stevie Parle's Town in Covent Garden has met with near-universal approval by the city's restaurant critics. They've praised its looks "a sleek, capacious, ever-so-slightly Austin Powers-esque...pleasure palace" declared Grace Dent in the Guardian, the "showstopping" bread with Town gravy that Giles Coren loved in The Times. Even the crowd are worthy of note to David Ellis in The Standard, " a mix of stylish women and men of the creative agency ilk". It's fair to say it's doing rather well. If you go, expect a menu that puts the producers front and centre. Parle has been building these relationships for a long time, and from the cheese, which is made by members of his own family, to the amazing steak, it's all worth trying.
Eel Sushi Bar
Notting Hill - 118 Talbot Road, London W11 1JR
In a nutshell: In demand sushi bar from the Dorian team
Not content with having created Dorian, a restaurant that's so hard to book that you have to work hard to be on the owner's nice rather than naughty list, owner Chris D'Sylva has now opened an equally hard to get into sushi bar across the road. Eel, which is a no-bookings sushi spot, has been busy packing them in since it opened, so succeeding in getting a seat here secures you top-level foodie bragging rights. The good news is that the sushi quality more than matches the difficulty of securing your seat at the counter. It's an a la carte affair making it stand out from all the recent omakase openings.
One Club Row
Shoreditch - 1 Club Row, London E1 6JX
In a nutshell: A slice of NYC style in London
Not since The Devonshire has there been a launch of a restaurant that’s had quite as much immediate good press as One Club Row. There are some similarities between them too, as it's above a pub, The Knave of Clubs, and this restaurant, complete with its all-over-Insta graffitied front door, is a wholly separate entity from that pub. Chef Patrick Powell’s menu is full of nods to both Paris and New York (the burger is a must-have) and the martinis and general bonhomie just add to the vibe. The critics have lauded it as an instant hit. The Standard’s David Ellis was an early fan calling it “E1’s answer to The Dover” while in The Sunday Times, Charlotte Ivers said it made her "instantly feel there’s nowhere on earth that could possibly be more fun at this precise moment."
Read the One Club Row Test Drive
AngloThai
Marylebone - 22-24 Seymour Place, London W1H 7NL
In a nutshell: Thai dishes, British produce
Sometimes great things come to those who wait and that's certainly the case with AngloThai. The restaurant by John and Desiree Chantarasak has been in the planning stages for four years, but that long waiting period has ended up delivering a fantastic restaurant and an immediate Michelin star. Known for blending Thai cuisine with British ingredients, this sees them working at the top of their game, with a review by David Ellis in The Standard agreeing - "This is thoughtful, elegant food". Meanwhile, Grace Dent says "There is an understated elegance to just about everything that AngloThai does." it's had a lot of notice from overseas too, with a place on Conde Nast Traveller's best restaurants in the world and American Saturday morning TV.
Read our Test Drive of AngloThai
Warming up...
And there are a few more restaurants creating buzz recently that we think are worth keeping an eye on...
The Macbeth (Hoxton) - the new pub from the ex-Plimsoll chef is getting decent buzz.
Island (King's Cross) - Still to find a big audience, but the food by Tom Brown and Brad Carter here is exceptional.
Luna (Shad Thames) - New wine bar from the people behind Legare.
Perma-hot restaurants
These are the London restaurants that have been open for a while but are still hotter than ever.
OMA and Agora (Borough Market) - the Greek-inspired duo from David Carter continues to be one of the biggest draws in the area.
The Devonshire (Soho) - Both the pub downstairs and the grill restaurant remain, one year on, the hottest places in town. It's also still a great place for celeb spotting.
The Dover (Mayfair) - Martin Kuczmarski's restaurant has a real understated Mayfair glamour and is a great place for star spotting. It's also one of the best bars in the area with an excellent cocktail list.
Mountain (Soho) - Tomos Parry's Soho restaurant is still hard to get into, but worth it for that spider crab omelette.
Bouchon Racine (Farringdon) - The return of Henry Harris remains one of London's best restaurants for many. Even if you can't get into the restaurant, the food in the pub downstairs is well worth a look. A recent visit confirmed it's still operating at the highest level.
Arlington (St James) - Jeremy King's revival of the original Le Caprice remains a solid hit. It's one of the best and buzziest restaurants in St James.
Crisp Pizza (Hammersmith) - Alley Cats may get the press, but this pizzeria is still the best for many. There's still a wait for pizzas at the weekend particularly, but it's well worth it.
Where's Hot, mapped.
Here's how the Hot Dinners "Where's Hot" restaurants are spread across town.
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