Here's our guide to the very best restaurants that have opened recently across the whole of the UK (excluding London, which you can find here). See also, restaurants opening soon across the UK.
Big Mamma, as understated as ever, in Birmingham with La Bellezza.
Opened December 2024
La Bellezza
Birmingham - 2 Chamberlain Sq, Birmingham B3 3AX
Big Mamma has gone out of London for the first time (in the UK at least) for this Birmingham restaurant. Open in the new Paradise building, the 150-seater restaurant (plus terrace) is, of course, be an Italian affair and looks as unrestrained as all the other Big Mamma spaces. The massive lemon meringue pie is available here too.
Joro
Sheffield - Oughtbridge Mill, Main Rd, Wharncliffe Side, Sheffield S35 0LB
This is actually Joro 2.0 as it sees a new version of the restaurant opening in a 19th-century paper mill in the Peak District. Co-owners Luke French and Stacey Sherwood-French continue with their innovative Nordic/Japanese-inspired cuisine which now adds two bars, an all-day dining terrace, outdoor BBQ kitchen concept, seven boutique rooms and a deli shop.
Opened November 2024
Sebb's
Glasgow - 68 Miller Street, Glasgow G1 1DT
We've had plenty of listening bars in London and now here's one for Glasgow. It's run by an ex-Ox and Finch manager and the drinks list includes a very enticing sounding Malt Old Fashioned (miso and brown butter whisky with passionfruit and a Guinness reduction, garnished with miso fudge) as well as alcoholic slushies. Running the food side is Danny Carruthers (who has staged at Acme Fire Cult, Le Gavroche and Lyle's). He's cooking over fire with dishes including grilled Carlingford oysters with spiced lamb fat.
The Braywood
Brighton - 124 King's Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2FY
The Braywood comes from the same team behind The Woodspeen and takes over what was The Royal Oak in Paley Street. The building has been completely renovated and landscaped, with a new cocktail bar as well as the main restaurant. Sam Brennan from The Woodspeen is overseeing the kitchen with a contemporary seasonal menu, including dishes like crab agnolotti with shellfish bisque and game terrine with lemon thyme brioche. There's also a big 600 bin wine list.
Pearly Cow
Brighton - 124 King's Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 2FY
Open inside the new Brighton Guest House hotel, this is the third Pearly Cow (after York and Margate). As with those restaurants, it's all about the produce from around the British Isles, with a big focus on open-fire cooking. Dishes include the signature Pearly Cow, which is a 45-day aged fillet of beef tartare, oyster cream, beef jam, Exmoor caviar and charred sourdough. They have a private dining room here too.
Opened October 2024
The Permit Room Oxford
Oxford - North Bailey House, New Inn Hall St, Oxford OX1 2RP
Following the opening in Cambridge, Dishoom is bringing their offshoot Permit Room to Oxford. Expect a slightly cut-down menu from the usual Dishoom offering but there are still plenty of bacon naans and black daal to go around, not to mention plenty of cocktails.
Satori
Birmingham - 2c St Mary's Row, Wake Green Rd, Moseley, Birmingham B13 9EZ
This is billed as Birmingham's first fine dining Japanese restaurant and is taking over the old Carters of Moseley site. It comes from the team behind restaurants that include The Mayan in The Mailbox.
Margo
Glasgow - 68 Miller Street, Glasgow, G1 1DT
Margo is from Scoop (the team behind Ox and Finch and Ka Pao) and headed up by chef Robin Aitken (who has helped them get Bib Gourmands for their other restaurants). The menu here has a seasonal approach with a specific focus on Scottish seafood as well as meat butchered in-house and their own in-house bread and pasta. Larger dishes include a half Creedy Carver duck with liver parfait, marmalade and toast.
Opened September 2024
The Coal Shed
Brighton - Clarence House, 30-31 North Street, Brighton, BN1 1EB
It first opened in Brighton back in 2011 and now The Coal Shed has moved to a much bigger venue (fitting in over 140). There is also a shift in the menu of the restaurant. While it will continue to offer its salt-aged, fire-cooked meats, they've added a more extensive seafood section, a Sturia Caviar menu and some new Copper Kettle oven cooked breads and dishes. This new space also has a separate bar with its own menu of sharing plates and snacks.
Dongnae
Bristol - 5-7 Chandos Rd, Bristol BS6 6PG
This comes from Kyu Jeong Jeon and Duncan Robertson, the chefs behind Bokman (also in Bristol). The Korean restaurant uses Kyu’s upbringing in Korea and their time spent living in Seoul as a family with many of the Korean cooking staples, like artisanal doenjang and gochujang made from scratch by themselves. The menu focuses on Korean BBQ techniques and they have an omakase style menu. Initial dishes include Korean beef tartare, wild mushroom dolsotbap and grilled pork jowl with various in-house condiments.
El Bolillo
Hove - 60 Church Rd, Brighton and Hove, Hove BN3 2FP
This is a casual Mexican restaurant from chef Greg Clarke (who has previously worked alongside Brett Graham and Tom Aikens as well as heading up the kitchen at Pidgin). Casual but not billed as a taqueria, this features Mexican-inspired plates, with dishes including pork cheek with ox sauce, blood mole and plum pico all served in a "blood taco".
Blacklock
Manchester - 37 Peter Street , Manchester, M2 5GB
Blacklock has gone outside of London for the first time ever. They've brought their chops and steaks (and huge Sunday roast) to the basement of a Grade II listed building in the city and new dishes are promised too.
Louis
Manchester - 3 Hardman Square, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3EB
The team behind Tattu are opening a combo restaurant and musical venue, which they say is an "ode to classic New York restaurants". The menu here is a Mediterranean one from a New York viewpoint, backed up by a fresh pasta workshop, all on a backdrop of live music.
Briar
Bruton - 1 High Street, Bruton, Somerset, BA10 0AB
While Osip has moved on to its own new location, Briar is taking over its previous space with ex River Cottage and former Head Chef of Devon’s Glebe House, Sam Lomas teaming up with husband-and-wife team Claudia and Aled Rees, owners of Number One Bruton. The menu is dictated by hyper-local produce, foraged ingredients and the kitchen garden. Initial dishes include Westcombe gougeres, blood cake with gooseberry chutney and honeyt tart with poached quince.
Da Costa
Bruton - Durslade Farm, Dropping Lane, Bruton, Somerset BA10 0NL
This restaurant comes from Artfarm, the people behind Mount St Restaurant among others. It's taken over what used to be the Roth Bar & Grill and the focus is on northern Italian dishes. The restaurant features a central open kitchen where they'll be cooking homemade pasta and risotto alongside daily specials cooked over fire. There's a strong winelist here, and it includes some of the farm's own wines.
Merlin's
Birmingham - Martineau Place, Corporation Street, Birmingham B2 4UU
If you like a bit of fantasy and horror then Merlin's might be for you. A themed cafe, restaurant and cocktail bar, it's one adorned with plenty of skulls with a few animatronics thrown in for good measure. Food-wise, they will have a focus on sustainability but really it's going to be the themed nature that attracts the punters.
Opened August 2024
The Farmer's Dog
Burford - Asthall, Burford OX18 4HJ
This is best known as Jeremy Clarkson's pub. He has relaunched this pub just outside Burford as his main new food and drink venture (after much publicised rebuttals at his nearby farm). Here, he's selling his own beer as well as running a menu that centres around British produce. Expect it to be very busy in the coming months and you'll be seeing a lot of this pub on the next series of Clarkson's Farm.
Osip
Bruton - 25 Kingsettle Hill, Hardway, Bruton BA10 0LN
This is the second coming of Merlin Labron-Johnson's Osip which has now moved into a new (and permanent) space. The new space isn't too far from the original and the new space also includes bedrooms, making it a pretty ideal getaway from London. Expect a much more bespoke space for the restaurant (with a beautiful glass-walled kitchen) and a menu which, as with the original, will be continually evolving.
Starling
Esher - 3 High St, Esher KT10 9RL
This is the first solo restaurant from Nick Beardshaw, who worked for Tom Kerridge for 14 years. Previously head chef of Kerridge Bar and Grill The Corinthia, he's also had success with appearances on Great British Menu. Some of the dishes from that show are on the menu here, like the Moon Shaped Pool, featuring scallop and Thai green curry salty fingers.
Dishes
North Wales - 194-196 High St, Prestatyn LL19 9BW
Chef Andrew Sheridan, the man behind 8 by Andrew Sheridan in Liverpool has opened this small plates restaurant in Wales. It's all about "small, social plates" during the week and large sharing platters for their Sunday roasts.
Opened July 2024
Cherub's
Deal - Upstairs at The Bohemian, 47 Beach Street, Deal, Kent, CT14 6HY
Chef Jakob Grant (previously at Bouchon Racine and Sargasso) has opened his own bistro above the Bohemian pub on the Deal seafront. There's a seasonal, ingredient-led menu with previous dishes including girolles on toast, with garlic parsley, butter and chicken jus. Expect lots of local seafood on the menu and most of the menu cooked freshly to order.
Ardor
St Ives - 45 Fore St, Saint Ives TR26 1HE
Dorian Janmaat, former head chef of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons has opened this Mediterranean-influenced restaurant in the middle of St Ives. It features Spanish-influenced small plates made with both Andalucian and local Cornwall produce. The menu incudes didhes like jamón croquetas, duroc pork ribs with quince and rosemary and creme catalana to finish. There's also a focus on dry-aged cuts like lamb rump cooked over fire.
Elements
Glasgow - 19 New Kirk Rd, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 3SJ
Chef Gary Townsend has worked at L’Enclume, Restaurant San Bains and most recently at One Devonshire Gardens (which won 3 AA Rosettes). Now he's opened his own restaurant which is a fine-dining affair, with ingredients specifically sourced from Scotland’s producers and farmers. It's a small 40-seater restaurant with both a la carte and tasting menus (including a vegan tasting menu).
Opened June 2024
Garden Table at Lilac
Dorset - 57-58 Broad Street, Lyme Regis, Dorset
This is a new part of Lilac by chef Harriet Mansell and it has opened in a hidden area behind the main restaurant. A chef's table experience, set in a "woodland-like" setting in the courtyard, the menu is focused on wild and foraged food with every element being picked by the chef. That food will be plant-forward, showcasing vegetables with smaller elements of wild fish and wild meat.
Albatross Death Cult
Birmingham - Newhall Square Birmingham, B3 1RU
Chef Alex Claridge has opened this companion piece to his other Birmingham restaurant Wilderness. This is a stripped-back affair that's a 14-seater chef's table and omakase-style menu affair. Expect around 12 courses of "seafood and coastal ingredients that smack you in the face like ocean spray".
Permit Room
Cambridge - 17 Trinity Street Cambridge CB2 1TB
The Dishoom spin-off comes to Cambridge (with the opposite University city Oxford to get one later). A slightly cut-down version of the main Dishoom offering, they have the famous black daal, as well as curries, snacks and whole or half tandoor chickens.
The Tartan Fox
Newquay - Carvynick Farm, A3058, Newquay TR8 5AF
Adam Handling's latest opening in Cornwall, following on from Ugly Butterfly, is also his first ever pub. Close to Newquay, it's aiming to showcase produce from around Cornwall, all within a Grade II listed pub. There's a seasonal menu (including a specific plant-based version) and on the menu you can expect things like cheese doughnuts, hash browns with caviar and his amazing chicken butter alongside his take on pub classics.
Tender
Manchester - 4 Norfolk Street Manchester M2 1DW
Niall Keating (previously at Whately Manor and Lunar) has arrived in Manchester with this new restaurant in the Stock Exchange hotel. This time, he's behind an all-day "family-style brasserie" with lobster rolls, chorizo risotto, wild garlic pappardalle and more on the menu.
Adfern
Edinburgh - 10-12 Bonnington Road, EH6 5JD
This comes from Roberta Hall-McCarron, chef-patron of Edinburgh’s The Little Chartroom and Eleanore. It's an all-day venue that starts with a brunch that includes a beef haggis tattie scone with fried duck egg and brown sauce, with dishes throughout the day including merguez pâté en croûte and a fish finger sandwich with mussel curry sauce and kohlrabi slaw.
Nest Farmhouse
Norfolk - Docking Lodge Farm, King's Lynn PE31 8FP
The team behind Restaurant St Barts and Nest has opened a farmhouse restaurant in a restored cattle shed. The menu here will feature local and foraged ingredients from the North Norfolk coastline with dishes that they say will "highlight the excellence of British produce". There's even a small pond nearby where they'll be serving waterside drinks.
Opened May 2024
Skof
Manchester - Hanover Building, Corporation Street, Manchester M4 4AH
He's worked for a long time at Simon Rogan's restaurants and now chef Tom Barnes is going it alone in Manchester. It will remain linked to Simon Rogan's Umbel Restaurants, sourcing produce from Cartmel, but is Barnes' own venture. It'll be a tasting menu experience but the chef says he's aiming to "remove some of the seriousness" from that.
Gorse
Cardiff - 186-188 Kings Rd, Pontcanna, Cardiff CF11 9DF
Previously a pop-up, this is a restaurant from ex-Fat Duck chef Tom Waters, where the goal is to celebrate fishermen, growers, farmers and local artisans and most of the food comes from Wales. Recent menus have included dishes like scallop with honey butter, chicken fat and grilled onion bearnaise as well as buttermilk bread with sea lettuce butter.
Native at Pensons
Norfolk - Docking Lodge Farm, King's Lynn PE31 8FP
After closing in London, Native has landed on the Worcestershire/Herefordshire border to take over the restaurant at Pensons. As ever, they'll be taking a hyper-seasonal approach using local suppliers with dishes including a nasturtium taco (lamb tartar & oyster leaf). As well as the restaurant you'll be able to stroll through the courtyard and kitchen garden and greenhouses.
Vetch
Liverpool - 29a Hope St, Liverpool L1 9BQ
Former Rothay Manor chef and 2021 Great British Menu winner Dan McGeorge is going it alone with this small fine-dining restaurant. Here it's all about British cooking interspersed with Nordic and Asian flavour influences with dishes including cod with kohlrabi, sake and seabeet.
Pomus
Margate - 9 The Centre, Margate, Kent CT9 1JG
This is a new neighbourhood restaurant, wine bar & bottle shop and it's the first venture from ex-Jamie Oliver hospitality pro Ryan Jacovides. He's brought in MasterChef 2015 finalist Tony Rodd (ex-Copper & Ink) to run a low-waste, gluten-free menu with crab doughnuts, chorizo madeleines and barbecued langoustine tails on the menu.
Opened March 2024
Cardinal
Edinburgh - 14 Eyre Place, Edinburgh EH3 5EP
This comes from chef Tomás Gormley who previously won a Michelin star at Heron in Edinburgh and also opened Skua with chef Sam Yorke. Here, he's aiming for an elevated take on modern Scottish dining, with a few global influences too. It's a tasting menu affair and dishes for the menu include cherry-smoked Belhaven lobster as well as a dish of Iberico pork cheek, maitake and fermented girolle.
Condesa
Bristol - 83 Whiteladies Road, BS8 2NT
Season + Taste, the people behind the Spanish Bravas & Gambas and the Mexican Cargo Cantina have opened this new Mexican restaurant which they say pays homage to classic dishes whilst also being inspired by modern Mexican cooking. Dishes include queso fresco, chalk stream trout ceviche, beef tartar tostada and more. Plus there's a "hidden" mezcal den.
Opened February 2024
Psycho Sandbar
Leeds - 68-78 Vicar Lane, Leeds LS1 7JH
This used to be chef (and Great British Menu judge) Michael O'Hare's The Man Behind the Curtain, but it's got a new life as a more relaxed seafood restaurant aiming for something of a stark surf shack feel. The new tasting menu comes in at £165 to start, but the a la carte should be more affordable.
Bavette
Leeds - 4-6 Town Street, Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4RJ
Ex Culpeper chef Sandy Jarvis and his husband, sommelier Clément Cousin have moved to Leeds (Jarvis' home town) for this neighbourhood bistro with a menu of seasonally led, classically driven dishes. As for wine, that will come from Cousin's family vineyard as well as low-intervention vineyards across Europe.
The Blue Pelican
Deal- 83 Beach Street, Deal, Kent CT14 6JB
This comes from the husband-and-wife team behind The Rose in Deal. It's a Japanese-inspired restaurant and natural wine bar overlooking the pier in Deal. The food is by head chef Luke Green, previously at The Rose and mentored by Nuno Mendes, who's aiming to match Kent’s coastal produce with Japanese cuisine. Dishes are planned to include pork katsu with Castlefranco and sesame dressing and, as well as natural wines, they'll have a cocktail menu which features Japanese-inspired flavours.
Boath House
Scotland - Auldearn, Nairn, IV12 5TE
This Scottish hotel is from the same people behind London's Sessions Arts Club. Their new restaurant features ex-Trinity chefs at the helm. Here, they're aiming for an elevated dining experience that combines Scottish produce with English, French and Japanese influences. It has a no-waste approach (even the compost is used to make plates) and the menu features dishes like beef fat bread and butter pudding and beef with celeriac and moss.
The Barn at Coworth Park
Ascot - Blacknest Rd, Sunningdale, Ascot SL5 7SE
Coworth Park's Executive Chef Adam Smith has recently had Michelin success with his restaurant Woven and now he's turned his attention to the hotel's other restaurant. The Barn showcases the chef's take on British classics, so you'll see a chicken pie, a Devon white chicken hot dog and their own trifle and sticky toffee pudding on the menu too.
Colina
Margate - Fort Road Hotel, 18 Fort Road, Margate, CT9 1HF
This is the new restaurant at Margate's Fort Road Hotel, with a menu that's influenced by Portuguese chef Luis Freitas's hometown food. An all-day restaurant, it features dishes like a squid burger with green Romesco or house-made malfalde with slow-cooked oxtail ragu. The restaurant space is also getting a whole new look and a wine list which mainly focuses on regions in Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Opened in 2023
Hansom
Yorkshire - 7-9 N End, Bedale DL8 1AF
Ruth Hansom, previously seen at The Ritz and The Princess of Shoreditch, has opened this eponymous restaurant in North Yorkshire. It's being pitched as a modern British restaurant and wine bar and centres around a tasting menu. It's a small affair with just 16 tables.
The Stag and Huntsman
Hambledon - Henley-on-Thames RG9 6RP
This relaunched pub with rooms comes from the same team behind the nearby Bottle & Glass Inn and the Hart Street Tavern. They've brought in chef Dom Robinson to manage the menu for this new pub as well as the others in the group. Recently Group Executive chef with Claude Bosi, Dom's menu features the best of local ingredients, including game from the estate that the pub sits on. Dishes on the menu include a partridge Wellington and a venison scotch egg.
Also see - new and upcoming restaurants in London
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