April is upon us and on either side of the Easter weekend there are some very impressive new restaurants opening in London. Here's our pick of the bunch.
Birch Selsdon
South Croydon - 126 Addington Rd, South Croydon CR2 8YA
Following their collaboration with Robin Gill north of London, Birch are heading south for their next opening, teaming up with ex -Typing Room chef Lee Westcott. He's opening two restaurants at their second hotel. Elodie will be serving up a tasting menu celebrating the best produce in the British Isles while Vervain will be a casual British brasserie. And you'll find them both within a restored grand old house.
Leo's
Clapton - 59 Chatsworth Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 0LH
March brought the news of the demise of Bright, but its chef Giuseppe Belvedere is already gearing up for his next restaurant. He's teamed up with Julian Porter and Lauren Johns of Juliet's Quality Foods for this Clapton bar and restaurant. The restaurant will be drawing from old-school Italian cafe staples, with dishes cooked over a wood hearth.
Tiella at Compton Arms
Islington - 4 Compton Ave, London N1 2XD
The Compton Arms in Islington has been home to some great residencies (including Four Legs) and another very promising one is starting in April. Dara Klein, last at Sager & Wilde, is launching Tiella, which will be all about traditional, rustic Italian food. Dishes will include braised hoggett shoulder and polenta and it all looks like another hit for the small Islington pub.
Ploussard
Battersea - 97 St. John’s Road Battersea Rise, London SW11 1QY
Ploussard comes from Matt Harris and Tommy Kempton, best known for being behind Other Side Fried. But they also have experience at The Parlour, One Leicester Street and more. This is a very different restaurant from their fried chicken business, leading with a seasonal menu that includes dishes like lamb & anchovy crumpet and BBQ scallop with Jerusalem artichoke & back fat.
The Gurkhas
Fitzrovia - 110 Great Portland Street, London W1W 6PQ
This Nepalese restaurant is from the same people behind Islington's Hot Stone. They've brought in chef Joe Allen, who previously had a Nepalese pop-up called Kitycow and appeared on Million Pound Menu. The Nepalese dishes here include Kukura ko Jhol Momo (steamed chicken dumplings in a tomato and soybean soup) and their Gurkha Pickles will include a donation to Gurkha charities.
Eric's
East Dulwich - 20 Upland Rd, London SE22 9EF
Baker Helen Evans made her name at Flor where she picked up a stellar reputation. Now she's opening her own bakery in East Dulwich, which will concentrate on championing UK-grown wheat. Expect sourdough-based porridge bread, focaccia, doughnuts, croissants and more.
Story Cellar
Covent Garden - 17 Neal's Yard, Seven Dials, London WC2H 9DP
He's had a big hit with Restaurant Story and this is the first of two new restaurant openings from Tom Sellers this year. This Covent Garden spot promises to be a Parisian-inspired rotisserie-style restaurant. In practice, that means a mix of rotisserie chicken, brasserie-style dishes and lots of wine (including a big by-the-glass selection).
Noble Rot
Mayfair - 5 Trebeck St, Shepherd Market, London W1J 7LT
After success in Bloomsbury and Soho, Noble Rot have gone further west and are opening in Mayfair's Shepherd Market. They've restored what used to be Le Boudin Blanc into their latest restaurant that will, as ever, feature what promises to be an amazing wine list. They say the focus here is on "indulgence" with dishes that include a whole roast duck with Chambertin sauce and potato and cep gratin.
Also opening...
- Sam's Kitchen (Hammersmith) - Sam Harrison takes over a corner cafe near his Hammersmith restaurant.
- Market Place (Harrow) - A new food hall arrives in Harrow, with a bakery, kebabs, an Argentine grill, and more.
- The Beefsteaks (Islington) - Hopefully this month will see the opening of The Beefsteaks full renovation of a classic Islington pie shop
- Riviera (St James) - This sees a restaurant with an emphasis on cooking from the south of France take over the old Sake no Hana site.
- Boudica (Battersea) - This restaurant near the Power Station features a British-influenced menu
- Cantinetta Anitori (Belgravia) - The original was in Florence and this London outpost will mix Florentine T-Bones with fine wine.
All London's newly opened and upcoming restaurants...
Subscribe to hear the latest from Hot Dinners
