As the year comes to a close, we've gone back and crunched the numbers to find out precisely which were the news stories that you all wanted to read on Hot Dinners in 2024.
Noodle Inn starts a feeding frenzy in Soho
The British love of orderly queueing, particularly when it comes to viral restaurants, found its perfect match in the arrival of Soho spot Noodle Inn. Their hand-pulled noodles, created in an open kitchen for extra theatre, had everyone (even chefs like Michel Roux) joining that queue
Bosi goes back to basics with a bouchon
Having spent a crazy few months opening high-end restaurants like the rareified (soon to get two Michelin stars) Brooklands, Bosi returned to his roots by opening the very lovely Josephine in Chelsea. We got the scoop, thanks to an eagle-eyed reader.
Jeremy Clarkson gets his own boozer in the Cotswolds
Having had his hopes of running a restaurant at his world-famous farm dashed by planning restrictions, Clarkson pivoted and opened a country pub instead. It should prove to be a perfect story arc for his Amazon show as well as being a place to sell his own-label beer.
The Plimsoll team open Spanish fish bar Tollingtons
We tried, and failed, not to crow too much about the arrival of this perfectly executed Spanish bar meets Finsbury Park chippy from the Four Legs crew. Its opening also brought Londoners one of the best fried dishes of 2024 – the chips bravas.
Jeremy King follows Arlington with The Park
Having shown he could raise the dead with his revival of Le Caprice as Arlington, restaurateur supremo Jeremy King followed that with a brand new restaurant, The Park. This was a modern, Californian-inspired brasserie which quickly found a passionate clientele.
Auld Hag scores with its opening, The Shoap
The Devonshire may have run out of Guinness on its opening week, but over in Angel the arrival of a Scottish shop and deli The Shoap saw it cleaned out of Tennent’s and Irn Bru instead on its opening weekend.
The Fallow team reveal their follow-up, Roe
Having gone fully viral on social with their chefs’ videos, all eyes were on Fallow to see what their next move would be. It turned out to be a huge all-day affair in Canary Wharf which quickly became one of the City area’s favourite spots to eat.
Le Gavroche at Sea cruises to success
As he announced the closure of his family restaurant Le Gavroche after 55 years, Michel Roux promised that it would continue to pop up here and there. One of its first reincarnations was as a residency on Cunard’s two luxury liners.
Singapulah draws the crowds
Billed as a Singaporean version of Eataly, restaurateur Ellen Chew’s latest opus, Singapulah, opened with queues down Shaftesbury Avenue for weeks. It certainly didn’t hurt that the restaurant looked amazing, with a private dining room hidden behind shop shelves.
Pollen Street closes
A lot of restaurants in London closed their doors for the last time this year, but only one made our 2024 most–read list, the closure of Jason Atherton’s flagship restaurant, Pollen Street. Hailing his 13 years as a ‘rollercoaster of a ride’ the chef said goodbye to Pollen Street in its Michelin-starred format, but reopened it weeks later as Mary’s.
Subscribe to hear the latest from Hot Dinners
