This is your sign—a public service announcement, if you will—to forget the clichéd restrictions and ‘resolutions’ of the New Year and dive straight in to a Happy New Year of Eating.
It’s London in January, after all. What kind of fun could we possibly be having without whiling away our evenings in all the warm, cozy establishments we haven’t been able to visit over the festive break?
This month’s Where To Eat selections are serving exactly that; fun, experiential destinations with real get-over-the-January blues flavor…
Lucky Cat
Few restaurants nail the balance between exceptional food and energy quite like Lucky Cat, making it the perfect spot for catching up with friends and/or colleagues in the New Year. Aproperly pan-Asian restaurant, inspired by the 1930s Tokyo’s kissas and Shanghai’s drinking dens, executive chef André Camilo and his team have curated a menu of multicultural wonders, including the best JFC (Japanese Fried Chicken) you can get outside of Nipon, and a “run, don’t walk” Nori Martini (ki no bi kyoto dry gin stirred with a nori infused blend of vermouth, finished with olive oil & soy). Bonus points for having some of the most service-oriented, thoughtful staff in Mayfair.
10 Grosvenor Square, London, W1K 6JP
Christina’s Shoreditch
Christina’s at The Mondrian in Shoreditch
Specializing in coffee by day and cocktails by night, Christina’s does an incredible job of showcasing local suppliers and brands with a focus on social impact, including East London Liquor Co. (based in Tower Hamlets), Kanpai Sake (from Peckham), and Climpson & Sons (Hackney’s esteemed coffee connoisseurs). They also nail unique option for Dry January observers, with brilliant mocktails like the Apple (Botivo non-alcoholic aperitif, verjus, Borange honey, and Idyll Wild apple soda) and Cornish Mary (Pentire Seaward, mushroom garum, Townsend Farm apple cider vinegar, tomato, and Christina’s hot sauce).
45 Curtain Road, London, EC2A 3PT
Cellar at Kindred
Brunch at Cellar at Kindred
In the not-super-foodie centre of Hammersmith, Cellar has popped up as a breath of fresh air for neighbourhood foodies. The all-day restaurant, situated in the basement of co-working space and events venue Kindred, is both accessible and experimental, offering unique brunch options (such as the confit duck and leek hash), mid-morning snacks (like the warm ginger cake with bloodorange marmalade and salted butter), brilliant dinnertime small plates (see: a korean-spiced dexter beef tartare), and much more. If you need somewhere to surprise a date before an evening at the Eventim Apollo, you couldn’t do better.
Queen Caroline Street, London, W6 9BW
Bottomless Country Brunch at The Anthologist
The Bottomless Country Brunch at The Anthologist by Drake & Morgan
For one day only, The Anthologist (by Drake & Morgan) is hosting a country music fiesta like no other. In partnership with the UK’s leading pop-up country music bar, Buck’ N Bull Saloon, the restaurant will be serving up 90 minutes of bottomless booze plus a Southern-inspired main and two sides at just £60 ($76) per person. Also included in the price? The chance to belt your heart out to classic country choons, have a boot scootin’ boogie with instructor-led line dancing, and even take a spin on the rodeo bull. Mark your calendars for Saturday 13th January from 2pm.
59 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7BB