New opening
- New London restaurants coming in October 2020
As autumn continues and the temperatures cool, there are still many new openings to look forward to in October.
- Test Driving Maison Francois - an instant hit in St James
This modernist French brasserie serves up all the classics and has a very useful downstairs bar too.
- 163 Upper Street will be a new wine bar and kitchen from Highgate's Wine Cellar team
The team behind The Wine Cellar on Highgate's Swain's Lane are opening this new wine bar and kitchen, serving up a wide selection of wines and food designed to go with them.
- Japan Centre is launching ramen restaurant Heddon Yokocho
Next up from Japan centre is a new ramen restaurant, inspired by the Yokocho alleys of Japan and based in Heddon Street. They'll have a range of ramen from across Japan, in a restaurant with a 70s feel.
- Casey's cafe & deli has reopened in its new Clapton digs
Casey's in Clapton used to describe itself as "a microcafe & deli". But now that they've moved into grander premises, maybe that 'micro' tag isn't needed anymore.
As owner Caitlin Dempsey said of their new shop which opened last week on Lower Clapton Road, named after her family shop back in Ireland, "it's an actual bakery/shop/cafe you can walk around and buy things, if you want."
The popular deli
... - Fink's Gillespie reopens with a new toastie menu and other treats
The duo behind neighbourhood favourite Fink's Salt & Sweet are expanding - but they're not going far. Their second place will be a coffee shop on nearby Gillespie Road.
- Jolene's next is Big Jo, a new bakery in Hornsey
Updated 22/9/20 with a first look
We'd known for a while that the folk behind Jolene (and Primeur and Westerns Laundry) were planning to open a bakery - and now it's finally here. Big Jolene Bakery - to be known as Big Jo - has now opened and if you're in the Holloway/Hornsey Road area, this is going to be your go-to place for bread and more.
The space on Hornsey Road was an old refrigeration
... - Bisushima on St Martin's Place will be a rooftop Japanese restaurant with views (and terraces) overlooking Trafalgar Square
With views over Trafalgar Square and two massive roof terraces, expect this new Japanese restaurant to be quite a draw.
- Nebula Pizza on Hackney Road is as much about the drinks as the pizza
You may be wondering does Hackney really need another pizza place? Certainly, the team behind Nebula, which opened at the weekend, are very much hoping it does.
This new pizza, beer and cocktail joint has taken over a space just off Hackney Road near to ABQ Bar and Mama Shelter. It's a large site - with room for 200 pizza lovers. And the fact that it also has a large courtyard won't hurt it at all in the current times.
The team behind it are
... - Truffle have opened a permanent burger restaurant in Soho
Truffle have appeared on the South Bank, at Seven Dials and as a burger kit. Now they're taking their very truffley burgers to Soho for their first permanent spot.
- Murger Han head to The City for their third Xi’an restaurant
Murger Han, the Xi’an restaurant with restaurants in Mayfair and Euston is expanding. This time they're heading east to the City for their third restaurant.
As in its other incarnations, they'll have a menu of Xi’an dishes made to family recipes with the Biang Biang noodles and the murgers themselves (slow-cooked meat in flatbread) being the biggest draw.
Also on the menu will
... - Fine and Grosso Coffee Station opens in Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park folk who are working from home have a new spot to plug in their laptops. Fine and Grosso Coffee Station is a coffee spot that welcomes folk who want to get work done. It's not a coworking space, but what they're describing instead as 'laptop-friendly'.
The man behind it is Arik Waiss who also has a micro-chain of coffee shops called the Doppio Coffee Warehouse. Finsbury Park looks like being
... - Pali Hill & Bandra Bhai come to Fitzrovia, with seasonal small plates and cocktails in the old Gaylord space
Taking over the site that once held classic Indian restaurant Gaylord is a pair of new openings. There's Pali Hill, serving up Indian seasonal dishes and Bandra Bhai, a basement cocktail bar that's inspired by a smuggling den.
- Louie sees top US chef Slade Rushing and Paris Society opening on the old Robuchon site on West Street
New Orleans chef Slade Rushing has moved to London to open Louie in the old L'atelier de Joel Robuchon site in Covent Garden, joining forces with Parisian powerhouse restaurant group Paris Society.
- Noble Rot Soho sees the Noble Rot team take over The Gay Hussar for their second restaurant
A truly iconic Soho restaurant is revived by the team behind Noble Rot who are promising to be custodians of its history but bring the menu fully into the 21st century.