If September was a big month for restaurant openings, then October has gone completely insane. Here's our guide on everything from big-name Michelin-starred chefs to beak-to-tail restaurants that are coming your way this month.
Kolae
Borough Market - 6 Park Street, London SE1 9AB
Kolae is the next restaurant from the team behind Som Saa, Mark Dobbie and Andy Oliver. As with the original restaurant, this is all about Thai cooking, with a particular emphasis on cooking marinated fish and meat over flame. They've taken over an old London coach house that has its own courtyard, so you can expect something of a refuge from the hubbub of Borough Market here.
Opening date: 27 October
Akara
Borough Yards - Stoney Street, London, SE1 9AD
Akara comes from Aji Akokomi, the man behind Akoko restaurant in Fitzrovia. Here, the cuisine is West African too, but with a particular focus on the titular akara. That's a crispy savoury fritter made from black eye beans that'll have fillings that range from carabinero prawns to ox cheek.
Harrods Dining Hall
Knightsbridge - 87-135 Brompton Rd, London SW1X 7XL
Harrods has gone through a lot of changes in recent years, notably in its food halls. Now it's the turn of the Dining Hall which has brought in a host of big-name chefs to take over. Tom Kerridge's fish and chips remain, while top sushi chef Chef Masayoshi (‘Masa’) Takayama and Dubai's Kinoya Ramen are two of the big new additions.
Opening date: 7 October 2023
More about Harrods Dining Hall
Solis
Battersea - Arcade Food Hall, 1st Floor, Battersea Power Station, London SW11 8AL
The final piece of the puzzle of Arcade Food Hall in Battersea is this brand-new restaurant from the duo behind TATA Eatery. Here, they're launching a chicken and steak grill restaurant like no other, taking influence from Spain, Portugal, Uruguay and Argentina. Alongside the grills will be snacks like Huevos Rellenos (a take on devilled eggs), and jugs of sangria.
Opening date: 4 October 2023
Il Gattopardo
Mayfair - 27 Albemarle Street, Mayfair, London W1S 4HZ
This high-end Italian restaurant comes with a high pedigree. It's from the people who brought us Bar Des Pres, Zuma, Roka and Amazonico and features an ex-Alain Ducasse chef in charge. Inspired by 1960s Italy, expect a focus on the cuisine from Sicily, Amalfi and the Southern Isles. The hidden courtyard terrace will also be a big draw.
Opening date: 6 October 2023
Saltine
Highbury - 11 Highbury Park, London N5 1QJ
Saltine comes from the people that brought us Finks but here they're launching something very different - a neighbourhood restaurant in Highbury. In the kitchen is ex-Spring and St John Marylebone chef Phil Wood and it'll be an all-day affair with dishes including pigeon with corn, miso butter and hazelnuts. There's a big glass-roofed dining room, so this will be a very popular spot for winter lunches.
Dalla
Hackney - 120 Morning Ln, London E9 6LH
Dalla takes on the space that was once Peg in Hackney. This will be a very different affair, with homestyle Italian cooking being the key focus and, as they say: "rediscovering old recipes in a contemporary setting". It should look very impressive too, with all the furniture and interiors coming from artisan designers in Italy.
The Cocochine
Mayfair - 27 Bruton Place, London W1J 6NQ
Ex-Petrus chef Larry Jayasekara has been working on this restaurant for a while, and it sounds like it'll be worth the wait. The menu is inspired by Jayasekara's travels and experiences and will be a "celebration of the joy of eating". He's teamed up with gallery owner Tim Jefferies and it sounds like a great deal of work is going into the design with talk of specially commissioned mosaics and more.
Bambi
London Fields - Netil House, 1 Westgate St, London E8 3RL
Bambi sees James Dye - the co-owner of Frank’s Café in Peckham and The Camberwell Arms - taking over the space that was once Bright. He's brought in an ex-Peckham Cellars chef for a menu that includes plates like cauliflower cheese arancini and apple crumble sundae. A lot of work has gone into the vintage sound system so expect music to be a vital part of the equation here.
Opening date: 6 October 2023
Fowl
St James - Norris St, St. James's Market, SW1Y 4RJ
Just across the road from Fallow, the same team are launching something new - a chicken shop pop-up. Here, it's all about a "beak to feet" menu with chicken in everything from the chicken fries to chicken fat crème caramel. They'll also be teaming up with top chefs for regular specials and it sounds like Pierre Koffmann's chicken leg corn dog will be the thing you have to order.
Opening date: 3 October 2023
Brooklands
Belgravia - 1 Grosvenor Pl, London SW1X 7HJ
After the success of Socca earlier this year, which he opened with Samyukta Nair, Claude Bosi's next venture is right at the top of the new Peninsula London hotel in Belgravia. Closer to the style of his Bibendum restaurant than Socca was, this is all about using British ingredients but cooking with French techniques. The tasting menu will be the main experience, but expect the restaurant to look very impressive too, with a British automotive theme and a rooftop location with fabulous views across Hyde Park.
Opening date: 4 October
Mambow
Clapton - 78 Lower Clapton Road, London E5 0RN
After success as part of Market Peckham, chef Abby Lee has found a new permanent home for her modern Malaysian restaurant in Clapton. Expect all of the best dishes from Peckham to remain, like the amazing Lor Bak (five-spice pork and prawn bean curd roll) alongside new dishes that the bigger venue will allow.
Also look out for...
Bébé Bob (Soho) - Slightly delayed from September, this is Bob Bob Ricard's smaller sibling.
Baudry Greene (Covent Garden) - The team behind the Ten Cases open a European-style cafe.
London Stock (Mayfair) - They made it big in Wandsworth and now the London Stock team are taking on the space that was once Amethyst.
Kayu Bakehouse (Mayfair) - An "artisan dessert boutique" that's made it big in Dubai, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi is coming to London.
Aragawa (Mayfair) - This Tokyo restaurant specialises in Kobe beef, so you can expect some astronomical bills here.
Nest (Shoreditch) - From the people behind Fenn, Nest moves from Hackney to a new Shoreditch home.
Daroco (Soho) - A very trendy Parisian restaurant and bar comes to London.
Good Egg (Camden) - Their third restaurant brings shakshuka and babkas to Camden road.
Sam’s Waterside (Brentford) - Next up from Sam Harrison, a big new restaurant that's part of the Brentford Project development.
All of London's newly opened and upcoming restaurants...
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