As we hit Summer, the new restaurant scene really starts to heat up, with some big new openings coming this month. Here's your guide to the best of what's coming in June.
Little Kudu
Peckham - 133 Queen’s Rd, London SE15 2ND
The Kudu team cement their strength in Peckham with this, their third opening in the area. Taking over the space from Smokey Kudu (which has moved to Chelsea), this is a contemporary tapas bar with the odd bit of South African influence, thanks to the South-African-born team of chef patron Patrick Williams and head chef Chace Wagenhauser.
The Portrait Restaurant and Larry's
National Portrait Gallery - St Martin’s Pl, London WC2H 0HE
The National Portrait Gallery is about to reopen following a pretty huge revamp. As part of that, the food and drink options have both had a massive overhaul. Richard Corrigan is taking over the top floor Portrait Restaurant while Daisy Green is opening both Audrey Green on the ground floor and a very promising cocktail bar, Larry's, in the basement vaults.
More about The Portrait Restaurant and Larry's
Max at the Hippodrome
Soho - Cranbourn St, Leicester Square, London WC2H 7JH
Max Halley seems to be everywhere at the moment. As well as gin pop-ups and Walker's Crisp collabs, the man behind Max's Sandwich shop is bringing his sandwiches to The Hippodrome and they'll be available pretty much all day long. Yes, you'll need over-18 ID to get in, but the temptation to pop in for one of Max's sandwiches at 1am may be strong.
More about Max at The Hippodrome
Empire Empire
Notting Hill - 16 All Saints Road, London W11 1HH
Gunpowder has been a big success in its various incarnations and this sees its founder, Harneet Baweja, trying something a bit different in Notting Hill. Here, we're told to expect a mix of Indian food and disco music, with a focus on the seventies music scene in India, with food based on the northwestern cuisines of the old Punjab Empire.
Counter 71
Shoreditch - 71 Nile Street, London N1 7RD
This restaurant is a purely counter-based affair (the name rather gives that away) and comes from Joe Laker, the former head chef at Fulham's Fenn. It will be a seasonal "ode to the British Isles" but something quite different is planned for the basement. There, you'll find Lowcountry, a bar that's all about the American South. They'll have lots of whisky-based cocktails and shrimp and grits will be putting in an appearance.
P Franco
Clapton - 107 Lower Clapton Rd, Lower Clapton, London E5 0NP
For a while there it was looking like P Franco would be gone forever when its closure was announced. However, manager William Gee wasn't about to let that happen. After a successful crowdfunding, it will return with him as the new owner (with the blessing of the former owners). Expect something similar, yet different, from this new era of P Franco.
Carinito Tacos
Shoreditch - 14 Bacon Street, London E1 6LF
Natural wine bar Oranj has been a success for both its wine offering and pop-up food collabs. Their next should be a massive hit, bringing over top Mexico City taqueria Cariñito Tacos for some special tacos that make the most of our local ingredients. The menu also features snacks like Cariñito Guacamole with British brown shrimps. They're bringing over their own flour from Mexico for the occasion too.
Also opening...
- 123V Bakery (Fitzrovia) - This is the first stage of Alexis Gauthier's new Fitzrovia opening, a vegan bakery with a new restaurant, Studio Gauthier, following in July.
- Wonderland (Soho) - This Soho fast-food restaurant mixes up a completely vegan menu with a meat-eaters' alternative.
- Crunch (Spitalfields) - They've popped up with top brioche sandwiches before, but this sees the team going permanent with a new stall in Spitalfields Market.
- Broken Eggs (Fitzrovia) - A restaurant that's all about tortillas (with a few Spanish snacks on the side).
- Earl of Derby (New Cross) - A promising new pub revamp for the area, which aims to bring it back to its Victorian glory while bringing in top new chefs.
- Bierschenke (Covent Garden) - The huge German beer hall is back, this time in big new digs in Seven Dials.
- Kachori (Elephant & Castle) - This new Indian restaurant features an ex-Gymkhana chef behind the menu.
- Gaucho (Covent Garden) - The first new restaurant from the steak group in a decade lands in a big space just off the piazza.
All London's newly opened and upcoming restaurants...
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