Residences and pop-ups | Events
These days, one of the best routes to opening a restaurant is through a pop-up or a residency. Many of the best openings in London, even big hitters like Darjeeling Express and Manteca, opened as residencies first. Here are the current bunch that you should be keeping an eye on.
InterStellar BBQ and la Barbecue at The Ned
Where: City of London - 27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ
When: 4 September - 4 October
Two of Austin's best barbecue restaurants are coming to London as both John Bates of InterStellar BBQ and Ali Clem of la Barbecue take over the Electric Diner at The Ned for a month. On the menu, you'll find peach tea glazed pork belly, pulled lamb shoulder, chimichuri beef short rib, pork ribs and chopped cheese sausage as well as la Barbecue USDA prime brisket and InterStellar’s Banana pudding with Jack Daniel's caramel.
Duda Diner at The Pilgrm
Where: Paddington - 25 London St, Tyburnia, London W2 1HH
When: From 15 September until December 2026
Popular Malaysian pop-up Duda Diner from husband and wife team Hakeem and Zura Ahmad is taking over the kitchen at The Pilgrm. They say the menu here is inspired by family recipes, roadside stalls, late-night suppers and their favourite places across Malaysia. Food includes Ikan bakar (sea bream with laksa beurre blanc, xo chilli, pickled Tuhauand) and the DUDA Burger (two smashed beef patties, cheese, a fried egg, Sarawak peppercorn chilli sauce).
Seouls of Mischief at the Adam and Eve
Where: Homerton - 155 Homerton High Street London E9 6AS
When: From 4 September 2026
This comes from the same people as Mexican Seoul in Bow Wharf and this time they're taking on burgers. The cooking here mixes Mexican and Korean cuisine and the burgers include the main "Seouls of Mischief" which is a dry aged beef patty, umami seasoning, American cheese, secret ssamjang mayo, oi-muchim pickles and diced onion on a potato roll. They'll also have wings, corn ribs, chicken skins and more.
Best Pizza at The Standard
Where: King's Cross - 27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ
When: Until 13 September
Brooklyn pizzeria Best Pizza has taken over the menu at Double Standard in The Standard hotel in King's Cross. It's the first time they've ever been in London and the menu features their margherita, white pie and marinara as well as the grandma and veggie square slices. They've also created a special pizza for London - the soppressata coppola with tomato, mozzarella, soppressata, pepperoni and hot honey.
Rack City Ribs at Kitchen E20
Where: Stratford - 20 International Wy, London E20 1GQ
When: Until December 2026
Having built up a following as a pop-up, Keon Cilly's Rack City Ribs is settling down for a three-month residency in Stratford. The menu here is mixing up Southern American barbecue techniques with Caribbean flavours. So on the menu, you'll find crispy jerk pork ribs and jerk sliced beef short ribs as well as Rack City chicken wings with pineapple glaze and battered boar sausages.
Jurkish at 91 Brick Lane
Where: Shoreditch - 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL
When: Ongoing
Jurkish comes from chef Nazli Ramadan and it features a menu that's designed to celebrate her Jamaican and Turkish-Cypriot heritage - combining Caribbean spice with Turkish comfort food. So you'll find dishes like pides topped with smoky oxtail ragù or spicy sucuk, jerk chicken and perfectly seasoned plantain. On Sundays, there are big sharing dishes like Jurk Chicken and Mint Jurk Lamb Shank while desserts include a Pistachio Crunch Brownie.
Lagom at The Three Compasses
Where: Dalston - 99 Dalston Ln, London E8 1NH
When: Ongoing
After years at Hackney Church Brewery, Elliot Cunningham has found a new home inside this Dalston pub. The menu here is specifically a "burgers and buns" affair and considering his smashburger is considered one of the best in London, it should be worth heading down to try it out. The smashburger sits alongside a lamb burger and fried chicken bun with extras like fish pie croquettes and crispy pork belly appearing too.
Eat Momo at The Coach & Horses
Where: Leyton - 391 High Road Leyton E10 5NA
When: Ongoing
Alongside their London Bridge restaurant, sisters Trishna and Dipa Chamling have brought their Nepalese dumplings to this Leyton pub. The momo are the main event, with fillings including pork, chicken, paneer and vegetables, with momos for £1 every Monday. They'll also be serving up chowmein stir-fried noodles, chicken chilli, curries served with rice, and traditional khana sets featuring rice, dal, achar, seasonal greens and roti.
Thrift Taco at The Great Beyond & Howl at the Moon
Where: Shoreditch & Hoxton
When: Hoxton ongoing, Shoreditch until September
Thrift tacos take their inspiration from cachetada tacos, described as a style where there’s nothing to hide behind: just exceptional ingredients cooked exceptionally well, with tacos including Wiltshire pork, British wagyu, and Galician ex-dairy beef. They're also serving their own take on spice bags. You'll find them at Howl at the Moon, but they're also popping up outside The Great Beyond in Shoreditch for the summer.
Kismet at The Globe Tavern
Where: London Bridge - 8 Bedale Street, London, SE1 9AL
When: Ongoing
The upstairs room at the Globe Tavern has hosted residencies like Khao Bird in the past and now it's the turn of Kismet from chef Keiran Mustafa (BiBi) and Dom Handy (Crispin, Bistro Freddie). This takes a fusion approach based on the chef's Cypriot and Turkish background. So you'll find dishes like a sheftalia kebab, Bulgur Köftes (fried, stuffed bulgur wheat dumplings) and a wine list with a strong Turkish following.
Slice Circle at the Old Nun's Head
Where: Nunhead - 15 Nunhead Green, Nunhead, London SE15 3QQ
When: Ongoing
This pizza residency comes from two ex-Dough Hands/Bad Boy Pizza Society chefs. They describe their pizza as with "a super thin, light, crispy bite, with a juicy crust designed for dunking" and they're inspired by New York pizzerias. Pizzas include the Nun Pie (San Marzano, fior di latte, soppressata, whipped ricotta, hot honey, pecorino) and the Tamil Pie (Masala vodka sauce, fior di latte, red onion, lemon yoghurt, coriander).
Tagine & Grill at Sun & 13 Cantons
Where: Soho - 21 Great Pulteney St, London W1F 9NG
When: Ongoing
The latest long-term residency at this Soho pub is led by chef Yassir Chair, and this one is all about modern Moroccan food. On the menu here, you'll find the chef's signature kebabs, like chargrilled lamb kofta with lemon and mint yoghurt, pickled red cabbage, coriander and chilli sauce as well as smaller plates that include king prawn Tangier bastila cigars and halloumi fries.
Dough Hands at The Spurstowe Arms and All My Friends
Where: Hackney and Hackney Wick
When: Ongoing
One of London's best pizzerias are now in two separate residencies, offering both their full pizzas and pizza slices. The "London style" pizzas here all have a crispy base and you'll find pizzas like their Tomato pie with anchovy, stracciatella & green sauce, Garlic sausage & pistachio pesto, Lamiri harissa aubergine & salted ricotta and Tequila sauce & sausage.
Leo at Renegade Urban Winery
Where: Walthamstow - 7 Lockwood Way, London E17 5RB
When: Ongoing
Chef Richard Eversden, who is also behind catering business Cura, launched his residency, Leo at Renegade in Walthamstow. Here, he'll be cooking seasonal British and European dishes that are designed to pair well with Renegade's wines. The menu includes dishes like buttermilk wings and black pepper caramel, slow-cooked pressed lamb with ajvar and fennel and pecorino mac croquettes.
Chick 'n Sours at The Big Chill
Where: King's Cross - 257–259 Pentonville Rd, London N1 9NL
When: Ongoing
Chick 'n' Sours are back, taking over the food menu at The Big Chill, its first ongoing home since closing the restaurants. The Chick 'n' Sours favourites will be back, including Kung Pao Disco Wings, the K-Pop Fried Chicken Sandwich and one of our all-time personal favourites, their Szechuan Aubergine. A selection of their sour cocktails will be on the menu too, including an exclusive Big Chill Sour.
Alessio's pizza at The Smuggler's Tavern
Where: Fitzrovia - 28 Warren St, London W1T 5ND
When: Ongoing
The latest pizza residency at this pub features Neapolitan pizzas with a crisp twist. Alongside classic pizzas, you'll find their truffle and mushrooms (also available as arancini) and a hot honey pizza.
Paddywok
Where: Deptford - The Artworks Creekside, 3 Creekside, London SE8 4SA
When: Ongoing
This residency is all about Spice Bags. For those of you who've not been lucky enough to try one before, the Irish spice bag is a mixture of chips, crispy chicken, peppers and onion coated in a mixture of Chinese spice and chilli. Heaven.
Short Road Pizza at Three Colts Tavern
Where: Bethnal Green - 199 Cambridge Heath, London E2 0El (also William Fourth in Leyton)
When: Ongoing
Chef Ugo has pizza in his blood - his nonno owned a pizza restaurant in Naples so he ought to know his way around a pizza oven. Here in Cambridge Heath, he and partner Kate are serving up an Italian-American menu - think Romana-style pizza with Chicago Thin Crust. There are snacks and small plates too including farinata (the Ligurian chickpea flatbread).
Rake at The Compton Arms
Where: Islington - 4 Compton Ave, London N1 2XD
When: Until 19 December 2026
The latest Compton Arms residency comes over from their sister pub, The Gun. Rake is run by two chefs who have a lot of key experience: Jay Claus (ex-Peckham Cellars and Quo Vadis) and Syrus Pickhaver (ex-Zebra Riding Club and Acme Fire Cult). Their menu focuses on whole beast butchery and sustainable Cornish fish and they're keen on looking at classic British recipes through a modern lens.
Mondo Sando at the Grove House Tavern
Where: Camberwell - 26 Camberwell Grove, London SE5 8RE
When: Ongoing
Sandwich slingers Mondo Sando serves up a roster of sarnies that include the Mondo Frango (chargrilled peri-peri chicken thigh, pea salsa verde, peri mayo, potato matchsticks, shrettuce) alongside burgers and sides.
Filthy Buns at the Star of Kings
Where: King's Cross - 126 York Way, London N1 OAX
When: Ongoing
Filthy Buns, led by exec chef John Gladwell, is now settling down for a residency in the at a new pub following their start on the street food scene. Expect plenty of beer cheese.
Liu Xiaomian at the Jackalope
Where: Marylebone - The Jackalope, 43 Weymouth Mews, London W1G 7EG
When: Ongoing
This was originally a street food stall, started by Charlene Liu and her flatmate Liu Qian, serving up a Sichuan menu based on Chongqing food. Expect a variety of Chongqing noodles, daily chef's specials and more.
If you're looking for upcoming food and drink events, check out our dedicated events page.
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