9 Of The Best New Restaurants In London

With so many new restaurant openings in London every month, it’s difficult to select the top places. Here are some of the most appetising new openings across the capital in recent months, ranging from simple bistros to gourmet dining experiences.

1.Alex Dilling, Hotel Café Royal, Piccadilly

British chef Alex Dilling worked for French culinary legends Alain Ducasse and Helene Darroze before becoming Executive Chef at London’s two Michelin starred Greenhouse. So it’s fitting that his first solo venture is the chic, new 34-seat restaurant at Hotel Café Royal. The two superb tasting menus showcase Chef Dilling’s modern, innovative take on traditional French gastronomic cuisine. Recent menu highlights have included: a chanterelle mushroom pancake; roasted Scottish monkfish with Alsace bacon; brown crab flavored with chartreuse and lemon verbena; and wild brill, chorizo and squid. A really special dining experience in a beautiful setting overlooking Regent Street.

2.Restaurant St. Barts, Smithfield

A new British Tasting Menu experience launched last month, tucked away in London’s Smithfield, overlooking a historical church. Restaurant St. Barts is a collaboration between three long-term friends Johnnie, Luke and Toby – the stellar team behind restaurants NEST, in Hackney and FENN, in Fulham. The 15-course tasting menu (don’t worry, the courses are petite) features seasonal produce from across the British Isles. The first few courses, served in the cosy bar include: house-cured meats such as Mangalitza belly using meat sourced from Yorkshire; poached oyster and pea with lovage granita; and Welsh wagyu Bellini with Exmoor caviar. Guests are then be led through to the main dining room overlooking the cloisters of one of London’s hidden gems, St Bartholomew-the-Great Church. Dishes that follow include creative highlights like Cornish lobster with preserved peppers and cod loin poached in mushroom stock topped with home-pickled Wiltshire truffle infused butter sauce. Staying local, a Hackney honey and lavender dessert rounds off the meal, followed by petit fours and a classic British cheeseboard. Wine pairing is available, carefully selected by co-founder Luke Wasserman and head of wine Emma Denney.

3.Rarebit, Elephant & Castle

Located in a hip new residential and retail area in south London, Rarebit is an all day kitchen, bar and grocery store that celebrates Modern British food. The emphasis is on local producers, including coffee from Climpson & Sons, bread and pastries from Flor, fresh produce from Natoora, cheeses from Neal’s Yard Dairy and rare breed meats from O’ Shea’s Butchers. Head Chef Liv Lionel has created day and evening menus that of course include variations of the delicious, cheesy toast delight, rarebit, as well as a well-thought out range of dishes like mac and cheese, crispy Tamworth pork belly with smoky beans and warm winter salad with goat’s cheese and roasted root vegetables. On weekends, the bottomless brunch, with unlimited Prosecco, house wine and selected cocktails, at £28.50 per person is a popular option.

4.Norma, Fitzrovia

Norma occupies three floors of a beautifully restored 18th-century townhouse on Charlotte Street. Highlights of the Sicilian-inspired menu include the moreish signature pasta: rigatoni with aubergine, tomato basil sauce and ricotta. The Cornish crab in chilli and lemon butter is beautifully presented in a giant crab shell. Seasonal whole fish stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes, capers and herbs is another winner. The charming, convivial atmosphere at Norma was inspired by old school Sicilian cafe culture – a real delight.

5.Drunch, Fitzrovia

An all-day, fine dining menu with Mediterranean influences works very well at this petite new bistro. Delicious brunch dishes include heart shaped pancakes and banana pancakes with dulce leche. Lunch and dinner features chef Valerio Vivetti’s signature dishes such as: Red Mazzara Prawn Carpaccio; Wagyu Toast; Alaskan King Crab and Ravioli Ricotta with Black Truffle. Downstairs is Kave, a lively speakeasy with DJs and excellent cocktails.

6.The Meat and Wine Co, Mayfair

This swanky, fine dining restaurant in London fuses African heritage and cuisine with modern culinary techniques and contemporary décor. The group’s first venture launched in Australia so it’s no surprise that they take their meat seriously. If you’re looking for a superb steak dinner, this is one of the capital’s top choices. The menu details where each steak comes from and how it was raised. From grain-fed Black Angus from the US and grass-fed, rib-eye from Ayrshire, to Australian Wagyu, it’s a steak-lover’s paradise. And a unique feature of this upmarket steakhouse is their in-house dry ageing combined with infusing a selection of beef with complementary flavours like truffle. There’s also a variety of seafood, poultry and vegetarian dishes like Kingfish ceviche and celeriac risotto.

7.Tatale, Southwark

Chef Akwasi Brenya-Mensa’s eagerly anticipated restaurant is a clever collaboration with the Africa Centre in Southwark so you can combine a meal with an exhibition. Tatale’s namesake is a plantain pancake — a quintessential Ghanaian dish but his menus are pan-African, with dishes like black eyed bean hummus and stew, ackee croquettes and groundnut soup.

8.Din Tai Fung, Centre Point

The late, great Anthony Bourdain described dining at Din Tai Fung as “a deeply religious experience” and my friend Ying used to eat at her Beijing branch of this restaurant once a week. Din Tai Fung’s focus on “natural ingredients, handmade noodles, and solid fillings” contribute to its phenomenal popularity. Every dumpling is delicately rolled out and meticulously folded with exactly 18 delicate folds (no more, no less). Diners can watch the army of chefs make each dumpling fresh, steam it for three minutes and serve it to your table in seconds. The new branch near Tottenham Court Road is bound to be as popular as the other two London outlets.

9.Oak & Poppy, Hampstead

This airy new bistro in leafy Hampstead has a nice neighborhood vibe. The menu offers a good selection of hearty dishes like burgers and pasta, as well as lighter options like shrimp cocktail and falafel. A good all day dining option if you’re shopping in the area.