This is our monthly round-up of the restaurants causing the biggest stir in town - the hottest at this very moment from James Cochran's return to Islington, a very shiny ice cream wine bar, sandwiches in Camberwell and lots more. (If you're looking for classics, see our all-time London's Best Restaurants guide).
New - The Brave
Islington - 340-342 Essex Road, London N1 3PB
In a nutshell: James Cochran's pub
When the news broke that James Cochran was closing his 1251 restaurant, it was a real loss to the area. But the chef is back in Islington once more, teaming up with the Seven-Eighths Group pub team. The menu here splits between pub snacks and the main event and it's impressive throughout (the hash browns with curry sauce being particularly great). It's already picked up a following and judging by the response to our reel, will only get busier from here.
Read our Test Drive of The Brave
New - Pinna
Mayfair - 43 Curzon Street, London W1J 7UF
In a nutshell: Vibey Italian from the Wild team
They've already had recent hits with Lita and Fantomas, both bringing together great food and vibes and George Bukhov-Weinstein and Ilya Demichev are doing the same with Pinna. This new opening sees former Wild head chef Achille Pinna leading a Sardinian restaurant (albeit a notably high-end one). The food is great (with some excellent pasta dishes and a top veal Milanese) and once again they've immediately attracted crowds, creating a buzzy new Mayfair space from day one.
New - The Dreamery
Islington - 20a Halliford St, London N1 3HD
In a nutshell: Ice cream + wine + fancy ceiling
Goodbye Horses has already been a huge hit for Islington and now the same team are doing similarly well with an opening just across the street that's very different in nature. It's both an ice cream and wine bar, where you'll be able to pair their own in-house ice cream with some of their selected wine pairings. The space is made even more glamorous by the use of an extraordinary backlit ceiling and mirrors that give it the look of stretching into infinity. You'll be seeing videos of this on a lot of Instagram feeds (including ours here).
Read our Test Drive of The Dreamery
New - Cafe Mondo
Camberwell - 42 Peckham Rd, London SE5 8PX
In a nutshell: Sandwich shop and more besides
For the past few years, Mondo Sando have been doing pretty solid business in residencies, but this sees them graduating to their own space. Still very much sandwich-forward, it's a sandwich shop during the day that becomes more of a place to linger in the evening. They also serve up chicken schnitzel, a great patty melt and more. It's been an immediate hit and also got praise from The Standard's David Ellis who called the food "astonishingly delicious" and noted "the complete and utter excellence of the place."
New - Bottarga
Chelsea - 383 King's Road, London SW10 0LP
In a nutshell: Chicama reborn in the Med
Late 2024, the people behind Chicama (and also Pachamama) decided to close that restaurant and replace it with a completely new offering, Bottarga. Now Mediterranean in focus (closer in theme to the group's Zephyr), it's serving up dishes like saganaki tapioca bites and bluefin otoro toast. This change turned out to be a very good decision indeed as the new restaurant has been such an immediate hit that it's getting very hard to book a table.
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. Known for blending Thai cuisine with British ingredients, this sees them working at the top of their game, with an early review by David Ellis in The Standard agreeing - "This is thoughtful, elegant food, understated but marked by a sense of absolute confidence in the kitchen."
Read our Test Drive of AngloThai
The Georgian
Knightsbridge - Fourth Floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, London SW1X 7XL
In a nutshell: Pie king returns
There is absolutely nothing understated about The Georgian - a 130 year old restaurant at Harrods which has just had the mother of all makeovers. It competes with Sucre for the most chandeliers in one London dining room. Best of all they've brought in Pie King Calum Franklin to oversee the evening menu which, as you might imagine, has a distinct pie focus. Grace Dent approved of the cosseting nature of the operation, saying it's "a reassuringly posh restaurant".
Read our Test Drive of The Georgian
Fantomas
Chelsea - 235 King’s Road, London SW3
In a nutshell: Chris Denney returns
The King's Road hasn't really seen anything like Fantomas for quite some time, as evidenced by the crowds that have thronged there since day one. Chef Chris Denney (ex-Fiend) is in charge of a menu that's loosely European with the odd Japanese influence. "He’s never boring and his menu is delicious but borderline chaotic on a global level," said Grace Dent in the Guardian.
Read our Test Drive of Fantomas
Canteen
Notting Hill - 301 Portobello Road, London W10 5TD
In a nutshell: The Pelican do an Italian café
If you want to show that you're serious about your latest Italian restaurant opening in London, it always helps to have a couple of ex-River Cafe folk running the kitchen. Here at Canteen (from the same team that brought us The Pelican and The Hero) chefs Jessica Filbey and Harry Hills are in charge of a daily changing menu that features both pizza and pasta alongside a few larger sharing plates in a very casual space. It got five stars from David Ellis in The Standard who said "I’d cross town for lunch here". Giles Coren also loved it, while his dining companion Nick Jones says "It’s basically a smaller, cheaper River Cafe", something which Tom Parker Bowles agrees with.
Godet
Islington - 382 Essex Road, London N1 3PF
In a nutshell: Wine + pub
With our Insta reel getting just shy of 200k views, we'd like to think we had something to do with the popularity of this new Islington wine pub. But frankly, they're doing a good job all on their own mixing a vibey, live DJ scene with a really good selection of interesting wines and a top-tier food residency courtesy of Perk'd Up Burger.
Fonda
Mayfair - 12 Heddon St, London W1B 4BZ
In a nutshell: Santiago Lastra's follow-up to Kol
If the arrival of a slew of A-listers is anything to go by (and of course it is) then Lastra's new Mayfair Mexican restaurant is white-hot at the moment. Stars from Tom Cruise to Keira Knightley have been spotted checking out the chef's more casual offering on Heddon Street. The Standard's David Ellis was also a fan calling this: "Kol with the tasting menu cuffs undone." Meanwhile, Giles Coren heaped on the praise saying "The execution was incredible, the skill levels insane, the space awesome, the vibes delightful."
Wildflowers
Belgravia - Unit 2, 57 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8NE
In a nutshell: Beautiful Belgravia restaurant and wine bar
If you look at just how many chefs and folk from the London restaurant scene have made it their business to check out Wildflowers in the first few weeks of its opening then you'll get a good indication of how much they rate chef Aaron Potter's Mediterranean-influenced cooking. The Guardian's Grace Dent was another early visitor declaring it "so charming and tasteful that finding fault is a challenge." It doesn't hurt that there's a fantastic wine bar upstairs too. Giles Coren took along Jamie Oliver who was wowed, saying "this is the generation of chefs we have to be hopeful for, right?"
Read our Test Drive of Wildflowers
The Yellow Bittern
King's Cross - 20 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DU
In a nutshell: New, but old-school affair.
Still making the column inches and social media controversy, The Yellow Bittern continues to divide opinions. It's only open at lunch, you have to phone to book, there's no wine list and you have to pay by cash. Initially, a couple of Instagram posts by chef and co-founder Hugh Corcoran have attracted divided reaction but there's been praise for the food too, and it's now booked until the end of the year. the food. Reviews have been mixed with Giles Coren liking the idea more than the food, while Jay Rayner said it "leaves you muttering about having been served school dinners". The chef may say that the controversy bores him, but he doesn't't shy away from posting about it himself, which keeps the ball rolling.
Café Francois
Borough Yards - 14-16 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AD
In a nutshell: The second coming from Maison Francois
Photos of the prime rib with snails and pistachio eclairs have been all over our FYP as Cafe Francois is Borough Market's latest must-visit spot. Founder François O’Neill and his team have transformed the old Paul Smith store into a heavenly French brasserie that's just as perfect for enjoying a martini and plate of gougères as it is for a long, boozy lunch with a ramble through their great wine list. Grace Dent says it is "less a casual cafe than a new London landmark."
Read our Test Drive of Cafe Francois
Noodle Inn
Soho - 4-6 Old Compton St, London W1D 4TA
In a nutshell: Hyper-popular noodles
Chinese sensation Noodle Inn has seen queues snaking down Old Compton Street ever since it opened. Owned by the same people as Kung Fu Noodle, the big draw here is seeing those hand-pulled noodles being made in front of you and consequently seats by the open kitchen are the current gold ticket in London's foodie circles. You may find it easier to get a seat at Kung Fu Noodle, but this is the seat to brag about. Grace Dent enjoyed it noted: "Noodle Inn is utterly delicious, yes, but there are equally wonderful noodles available just streets away, where you can book a table."
Goodbye Horses
Islington - 21 Halliford St, London, N1 3HB
In a nutshell: Vibey neighbourhood restaurant and wine bar
This wine bar and restaurant quickly became the hottest ticket in Islington. Part of it is down to the reworking of an old neighbourhood pub into a beautiful modern, but welcoming space. Another aspect is the natural, biodynamic and organic wine list that really brings something new to the area. And all that's capped off with an excellent menu of small plates by ex-Papi chef Jack Coggins. The menu makes something simple like egg mayonnaise seem special, and there are some inventive takes throughout.
Read our Test Drive of Goodbye Horses
Ibai
City of London - 92 Bartholomew Cl, London EC1A 7BN
In a nutshell: Basque steak in the City
Having opened somewhat quietly in the City, Ibai has quickly become a big hit. Given that it's run by a Basque meat importing company (the same one behind Lurra in Marylebone) it's easy to see why - the steak is phenomenal here. But that's only part of the story with many of the small plates, particularly the prawn/black pudding Croque Ibai, winning dishes in their own right. Charlotte Ivers in The Sunday Times was a fan of the Croque Ibai saying "There’s something almost unholy about the decadence" while Grace Dent says "The pudding list, if the steaks don’t end you, is worth the trip alone."
Miga
Hackney - 1 Mare St, London E8 4RP
In a nutshell: Modern Korean
Miga is another restaurant that has built up an impressive following, relying on word of mouth and social media buzz to get the word out there. A family business (it's run by two brothers, with their father in the kitchen), its modern approach to Korean cooking brings something unique to the Hackney food scene. The restaurant i s continuing to evolve, with a new-look menu promised in September and they're also trialling omakase-style dinners. That buzz has already translated to a five-star review in The Standard from Jimi Famurewa who says they are giving "their father’s remarkable, soulful cooking the platform it deserves."
Tollington's
Finsbury Park - 172 Tollington Park, London N4 3AJ
In a nutshell: Four Legs does seafood
With such a huge fanbase it's not surprising that the Four Legs team's latest has proven to be a massive hit. Spanish-influenced fish bar Tollington’s took over an old fish and chip shop. The fryers have remained and they've put them to great used, creating small plates like deep-fried devilled crab and some truly outstanding chips bravas. Grace Dent is a fan of those chips - "I shall talk of these chips on my deathbed" - while Jimi Famurewa calls it "an electrically vibey, Spanglish instant classic" in his five-star review.
Read our Test Drive of Tollington's
Julie's
Holland Park - 135 Portland Rd, London W11 4LW
In a nutshell: Much-loved restaurant reboot
The second full revamp of Julie's, this has been an unqualified success and the restaurant has found a new lease of life as a celeb magnet. They brought in ex-The Pelican chef Owen Kenworthy to run the kitchen and it really helps that it's now owned by someone who lives in the area. The French brasserie style is a much more fitting approach for the area and crowd and the terrace is the place to be on a sunny day. Giles Coren said "it was all utterly historic" while Jay Rayner agress that "its time has clearly come again." Expect to see many a local celeb in here.
Read our Test Drive of Julie's
The Hero
Maida Vale - 55 Shirland Rd, London W9 2JD
In a nutshell: Classic pub gets a major overhaul
This is the revival of what was once The Hero of Maida by the same people who made The Pelican such a big success. Stripping back the decor has created a beautiful-looking pub, while the food takes a new approach to pub classics. It's already become a massive hit with locals with The Standard's David Ellis noting "This might just be the best-looking pub in the world." Meanwhile, Jay Rayner says "they have made the sweetly familiar blissfully new again" while Giles Coren after visiting early said "it’s going to be good. Very good." The grill restaurant upstairs a few months after the pub and has made a great place only better.
Read our Test Drive of The Hero
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.
Warming up...
And there are a few more restaurants creating buzz recently that we think are worth keeping an eye on...
Jupiter Burger (London Fields) - The team behind Dom's Subs have opened an excellent burger shack in Netil Market.
Silva (Mayfair) - We're starting to hear good buzz about this Mediterranean restaurant on Bruton Place.
Turo Turo (Tooting) - This sees the Filipino restaurant go permanent in a new Tooting home.
Where's Hot, mapped.
Here's how the Hot Dinners "Where's Hot" restaurants are spread across town.
Subscribe to hear the latest from Hot Dinners
