New opening

• Test Driving Llerena - a slice of Extremadura on Islington's Upper Street

  Sourcing their food direct from their own farms in Extremadura, the family behind new Islington tapas spot Llerena can be quietly confident their food is worth crossing town for.

• Is top LA chef Nancy Silverton bringing Mozza to London?

  

  Earlier in 2018, big-name LA chef Nancy Silverton popped over for an unexpected - and hugely popular - residency in Old Street's Passo. The chef has many, many plaudits to her name, including winning the top James Beard award for outstanding chef. So she's pretty influential. 

  Now it seems that there was more to the short residency than it originally appeared. Silverton had brought staff with her, and it appears -

  ...
• Helix restaurant and Iris bar at the Gherkin are London's latest high-rise drinking and dining spots

  It’s all change at the top of the Gherkin as Searcys revamp the food and drink offering with a new restaurant, Helix, and a new bar, Iris (with a space open to the public for the first time). 

• The Athenian opens in Tooting, bringing souvlaki, gyros and more

  The Athenian has been quietly expanding across London and this will be its sixth site in the capital. It’s all about simple, fresh Greek food made with quality ingredients, with a particular focus on souvlaki.

• The new Stokey Bears burger bar in Haggerston gets ready to add a vegan burger menu

  Burgers plus an extensive vegan menu at the new Haggerston branch of Stokey Bears.

• Mr Fogg's House of Botanicals will serve up herbaceous cocktails and bites in Fitzrovia

  The latest outing for Inception Group’s Mr Fogg’s brand will be a two floor space in Fitzrovia, inspired by all the plants and herbs the fictional explorer bought back from his Around the World in 80 Days voyage. Expect herbaceous cocktails and a lot of indoor plants.

• Brindisa's new Battersea Power Station restaurant will have a dedicated cheese and charcuterie bar

  Marking the 30th anniversary of Brindisa, the latest outpost will be part of the Battersea Power Station development. Aside from the spectacular setting and views, we can expect the usual impeccably sourced Spanish produce, plus a dedicated cheese and charcuterie bar.

• Pierre Koffmann and Marco Pierre White are opening Koffmann & Mr White's in Bath

  

  So we missed this yesterday, the - shall we say somewhat surprising - news that Marco Pierre White and Pierre Koffmann are teaming up for a new restaurant in Bath, Koffmann & Mr White's in the city's Abbey Hotel.

  Now, while Koffmann has retained his reputation as one of the best chefs in the country (only recently winning a

  ...
• The Library Bar at The Ned offers a martini trolley alongside truffle pizzas

  An intimate new bar at The Ned, the hotel and club from Soho House and the Sydell Group, The Library Bar features a big champagne list and high-end cocktails.

• Tonkotsu are bringing their ramen to Stratford

  The ever-popular Tonkotsu are expanding again, with their eighth London site scheduled for Stratford this at the end of July. Expect the usual signature homemade noodle ramen, gyoza and Japanese sides, alongside a selection of craft beer, sake and cocktails.

• Ex-Natoora director is behind seasonal Battersea pizzeria Manifesto

  When a former Natoora director opens his own south London pizzeria, you'd better expect every ingredient to have been impeccably sourced.

• Mamasons is bringing their Filipino "dirty" ice cream to Chinatown

  This will be the second site for Mamasons, with the previous one opening in Kentish Town in 2017. If you’ve not been or are unfamiliar with the concept of Filipino “dirty" ice cream, it’s basically the nickname used to describe ice cream made in a steel drum with ice and salt in the hawker markets of Manila.

• Zuaya opening in Kensington with a wide South American menu

  Zuaya's head-chef Francisco Lafee has experience in places such as London's Barrafina, and El Celler de Can Roca (No.2 on the World’s 50 Best). The menu here will draw on Mexico, Argentina, and Peru to create a range of creative sharing dishes.

• Emily Roux and husband Diego Ferrari are opening Caractere restaurant in Notting Hill

  Emily Roux is teaming up with her husband, Diego Ferrari - former Head Chef at Le Gavroche. They'll be running Caractère, a restaurant that's part French, part Italian in Notting Hill.

• Kensington's Chakra is expanding, opening Chakra Riverside in Kingston upon Thames

  This will be the second site from Chakra, with the original being located in Kensington. The new site will be perched on the banks of the Thames in Kingston and will offer a contemporary fine-dining take on Indian cuisine.