This is our monthly round-up of the restaurants causing the biggest stir in town - the hottest at this very moment from a futuristic bistro in Covent Garden to the Shoreditch restaurant that it seems everyone is talking about. (If you're looking for classics, see our all-time London's Best Restaurants guide).
Town
Covent Garden - 26-29 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5RL
In a nutshell: Glamorous Covent Garden restaurant
The arrival of chef Stevie Parle's Town in Covent Garden has met with near-universal approval by the city's restaurant critics. They've praised its looks "a sleek, capacious, ever-so-slightly Austin Powers-esque...pleasure palace" declared Grace Dent in the Guardian, the "showstopping" bread with Town gravy that Giles Coren loved in The Times. Even the crowd are worthy of note to David Ellis in The Standard, " a mix of stylish women and men of the creative agency ilk". It's fair to say it's an unqualified hit. If you go, expect a menu that puts the producers front and centre, Parle has been building these relationships for a long time and from the cheese which is made by members of his own family to the amazing steak, it's all worth trying.
Eel Sushi Bar
Notting Hill - 118 Talbot Road, London W11 1JR
In a nutshell: In demand sushi bar from the Dorian team
Not content with having created Dorian, a restaurant that's so hard to book that you have to work hard to be on the owner's nice rather than naughty list, owner Chris D'Sylva has now opened an equally hard to get into sushi bar across the road. Eel, which is a no-bookings sushi spot, has been busy packing them in since it opened, so succeeding in getting a seat here secures you top-level foodie bragging rights. The good news is that the sushi quality more than matches the difficulty of securing your seat at the counter. It's an a la carte affair making it stand out from all the recent omakase openings.
Duchy
Shoreditch - 18 Phipp Street, London EC2A 4NU
In a nutshell: Leroy reborn
This Shoreditch restaurant has taken over the space that used to be Leroy and it's partly a continuation in that it's now owned by a pair that worked in its previous incarnation, including chef Simon Shand. The space has had a light refresh, but the biggest change is the menu, which has now shifted to a focus on French and Italian food, with more than a little Alpine influence (particularly in the house bread, fougasse). That menu features some fantastic hits, from exceptional crab arancini to a truly great French take on sausage and mash. Pair that with an excellent wine list and one of the best martinis we've had lately and this is a firm winner.
Norbert's
East Dulwich - 5-6 Melbourne Terrace, Melbourne Grove, London SE22 8PL
In a nutshell: Rotisserie chicken with a great pedigree
Rotisserie chicken has been making a bit of a comeback of late, with both Toum and Chuck's making waves. However, this East Dulwich version is notable for the people behind it, John Ogier (ex-Lyle's, The Marksman) and chef Jack Coghlan (ex-Planque and Lyle's). That team is delivering a chicken shop experience like no other, with carefully sourced chicken backed up by lots of added extras like lentils vinaigrette and chicken-fat new season potatoes to go with the main event. Their chicken bun also looks worth crossing town for.
One Club Row
Shoreditch - 1 Club Row, London E1 6JX
In a nutshell: A slice of NYC style in London
Not since The Devonshire has there been a launch of a restaurant that’s had quite as much immediate good press as One Club Row. There are some similarities between them too, as it's above a pub, The Knave of Clubs, and this restaurant, complete with its all-over-Insta graffitied front door, is a wholly separate entity from that pub. Chef Patrick Powell’s menu is full of nods to both Paris and New York (the burger is a must-have) and the martinis and general bonhomie just add to the vibe. The critics have lauded it as an instant hit. The Standard’s David Ellis was an early fan calling it “E1’s answer to The Dover” while in The Sunday Times, Charlotte Ivers said it made her "instantly feel there’s nowhere on earth that could possibly be more fun at this precise moment."
Read the One Club Row Test Drive
Josephine
Marylebone - 6-8 Blandford St, London W1U 4AU
In a nutshell: Paris comes to London
If there was a one complaint people had with Claude Bosi’s Lyonnaise bouchon in Chelsea, it was that it was a pain to get to (unless you lived out west). The chef has redressed that with his latest restaurant, opening just off Marylebone High Street - and there are whisperings of more to come. We popped in for supper after a few days of opening to find the restaurant absolutely wedged with W1 residents jostling for space at the bar and in the dining room. Food-wise this leans more towards a Parisian brasserie with a hitlist of French classics, including a very good soufflé au Camembert and some excellent terrines. Critic reception has been mixed however. Giles Coren in The Times is a fan, noting "great cooking, serious staff, top-class looks and real personality" but in The Standard, David Ellis was less impressed, calling it "Café Rouge with a bit of lippy on."
Tom Brown at The Capital
Knightsbridge - The Capital, 22-24 Basil St, London SW3 1AT
In a nutshell: Tom Brown comes home
The opening of chef Tom Brown’s new Knightsbridge restaurant marks a completion of the circle for the chef who first came to prominence when working here under chef Nathan Outlaw. Now it’s his name above the door, and fans who loved his food at Cornerstone are making the pilgrimage here to enjoy his seafood-focused offering. David Ellis at the Standard felt “Brown is operating at a level rarely witnessed” but thinks there’s still room for improvement. Reform fan William Sitwell, meanwhile, was less of a fan, calling it "dull and misconceived." We think that if you love inventive seafood in a luxurious setting, this should tick all the boxes for you.
More about Tom Brown at the Capital
The Lavery
South Kensington - 4 Cromwell Place, London SW7 2JE
In a nutshell: Mediterranean by the museums
The critics are unanimous: The Lavery is a very beautiful restaurant. “It’s modern minimalist with a glut of leftover grandeur from fine times past,” declared Grace Dent in The Guardian, while Giles Coren in the Times said, “It’s the sort of place I often have dreams about living in.” The good news is that the food by former River Cafe chef Yohei Furuhashi more than lives up to the surroundings. Think ultra seasonal with a modern European sensibility. We were big fans of the gnocchi (which Coren also praises as ‘perfect’) and the lack of interesting new places to eat in this area means it’s bound to do well.
Read our Test Drive of the Lavery
The Kerfield Arms
Camberwell - 16 Grove Lane, London SE5 8SY
In a nutshell: Gastropub reinvented
London’s roster of excellent gastropubs got another addition to its swelling ranks in this Camberwell pub from the team who brought us the critical hit The Baring. Visiting on its first weekend, we found the dining area there already packed for lunch with locals who couldn’t quite believe their luck that this had landed on their doorstep. As with their Islington sibling, there’s a popular skewer dish on the menu. Here it’s Cornish squid & lardo shish with pul biber chilli which should give you an idea of the inventiveness of the offering. Literally everything we tried was a banger, but if you don’t order pizza dough with tarama or the doughnut, then that’s on you.
Read The Kerfield Arms Test Drive
Tatar Bunar
Shoreditch - 152 Curtain Road, London EC2A 3AT
In a nutshell: Southern Ukrainian cuisine
London’s Ukrainian dining scene continues to boom and the arrival of Tatar Bunar in Shoreditch is just one more reason to head to this part of town to dine out (see also - One Club Row). Grace Dent was enchanted by this quaintly and charmingly rustic restaurant, which she said was “already most definitely a highlight of 2025” and confidently predicted it would be very hard to get a table at soon, which is certainly one of our criteria for a hot restaurant. Southern Ukraine provides the culinary inspiration here with a menu that includes mushrooms on a grapevine twig and where the village onion bread comes with lardo and elderberry pickles.
AngloThai
Marylebone - 22-24 Seymour Place, London W1H 7NL
In a nutshell: Thai dishes, British produce
Sometimes great things come to those who wait and that's certainly the case with AngloThai. The restaurant by John and Desiree Chantarasak has been in the planning stages for four years, but that long waiting period has ended up delivering a fantastic restaurant and an immediate Michelin star. Known for blending Thai cuisine with British ingredients, this sees them working at the top of their game, with a review by David Ellis in The Standard agreeing - "This is thoughtful, elegant food". Meanwhile, Grace Dent says "There is an understated elegance to just about everything that AngloThai does." it's had a lot of notice from overseas too, with a place on Conde Nast Traveller's best restaurants in the world and American Saturday morning TV.
Read our Test Drive of AngloThai
Victor Garvey at the Midland Grand
King's Cross - St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Rd., London NW1 2AR
In a nutshell: SOLA chef takes on a grand dining room
The latest big-name chef to take on the glorious restaurant space at The Midland Grand is SOLA chef Victor Garvey. His arrival, bringing with him a new concept and menu, has made this restaurant a must-visit, even if you’ve been before. This is grand French dining that feels less like a homage to the Ritz, but a younger rival, maybe? Tim Hayward made it his swansong review in his capacity as restaurant critic for the FT saying, "Its dining room is a Wonder of the Hospitality World…It feels good to have been there, at the start of something spectacular."
More about Victor Garvey at the Midland Grand
Read the Midland Grand Test Drive
Senza Fondo
Shoreditch - 1 Rufus St, London N1 6PE
In a nutshell: All-you-can-eat lasagna
Italian restaurant Senza Fondo has one key selling point - its bottomless lasagna. That comes in traditional or artichoke varieties (and even in a sandwich) and it's a simple premise that has meant the restaurant is booked out for months ahead - people do love a good deal. There is more to the restaurant than layered pasta, though. Assuming you don't overdo it on the lasagna, you'll also find pizzette, pasta and snacks like deep-fried mozzarella sticks. The Standard's David Ellis was convinced: "It is better than Big Mamma, just about, and not nearly so pleased with itself."
Bône
Shoreditch - 72 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3AY
In a nutshell: Stealthily hot restaurant
We like to think we might have had something to do with the hype behind new weekend supperclub restaurant Bone in Shoreditch (as we’re the only people to have written about it). Such is the buzz about the intimate 25-seater that it’s now booked up until September. The menu changes monthly and if you do manage to get a booking, you can expect a set menu that includes delights such as chicken nuggets with caviar and Chick-fil-A sauce or a show-cooked short rib with Cafe de Paris sauce.
Tasca at Cav
Betnal Green - 255 Paradise Row, London E2 9LE
In a nutshell: Wine bar with a Spanish residency
We’re always keeping an eye out for whatever chef Josh Dalloway is up to as he’s been involved in a load of interesting popups all over London. Right now, he’s cooking as part of Tasca, the food residency at new Shoreditch bar Cav, where the menu mixes up Spanish and Portuguese influences. Standard critic David Ellis is an early fan, praising “the beautiful food and fair prices”. Their pork and prawn cachorrinho sandwich certainly deserves to be tried.
Crunch
Soho - 60 Dean Street, London W1D 6AW
In a nutshell: Big brioche sandwiches
Londoners do love a single-dish restaurant. In a time where we have so much choice, it’s a lot easier when the menu has been tightened right down. At Crunch, it’s all about their hype brioche sandwiches which are made to order for you. This has been all over our FYP in recent weeks. Eating with Tod may not have graced it with his presence at the time of writing (he loved their stall in Spitalfields), but it’s only a matter of time. If you're heading down, it looks as though the patty melts are the current hot ticket item here.
The Prince Arthur
Belgravia - 11 Pimlico Rd, London SW1W 8NA
In a nutshell: Pub with upscale Basque menu
London has had a run of impressive gastropubs recently and The Prince Arthur is continuing that trend, albeit by going at things a little differently. While it looks like a more traditional pub when you first go in the door, it's one with a beautiful design (that amazing ceiling particularly) and a Basque menu that dips into luxe territory (it is in Belgravia, after all). There's plenty of caviar (their own brand) and the Basque cheesecake is up there with London's best. It's already picked up a big following and we can see this only getting better when the upstairs restaurant opens. Grace Dent was a fan, saying "above all, the cooking is wonderful, especially if seafood is your thing." Jay Rayner, meanwhile, was a little confused by the approach, liking the food but not so much the bill.
Read our Test Drive of The Prince Arthur
Wildflowers
Belgravia - Unit 2, 57 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8NE
In a nutshell: Beautiful Belgravia restaurant and wine bar
If you look at just how many chefs and folk from the London restaurant scene have made it their business to check out Wildflowers in the first few weeks of its opening then you'll get a good indication of how much they rate chef Aaron Potter's Mediterranean-influenced cooking. The Guardian's Grace Dent was another early visitor declaring it "so charming and tasteful that finding fault is a challenge." It doesn't hurt that there's a fantastic wine bar upstairs too. Giles Coren took along Jamie Oliver who was wowed, saying "this is the generation of chefs we have to be hopeful for, right?"
Read our Test Drive of Wildflowers
Miga
Hackney - 1 Mare St, London E8 4RP
In a nutshell: Modern Korean
Miga is another restaurant that has built up an impressive following, relying on word of mouth and social media buzz to get the word out there. A family business (it's run by two brothers, with their father in the kitchen), its modern approach to Korean cooking brings something unique to the Hackney food scene. The restaurant i s continuing to evolve, with a new-look menu promised in September and they're also trialling omakase-style dinners. That buzz has already translated to a five-star review in The Standard from Jimi Famurewa who says they are giving "their father’s remarkable, soulful cooking the platform it deserves."
Warming up...
And there are a few more restaurants creating buzz recently that we think are worth keeping an eye on...
Sino (Notting Hill) - This Ukrainian restaurant comes with a chef with Michelin-starred restaurant experience
Osteria Angelina (Shoreditch) - The Shoreditch outpost of the restaurant that focuses on a mix of Japanese and Italian cuisine.
Romeo San (TBC) - This high-end Japanese handroll restaurant is starting to get a lot of buzz.
Myrtos (South Kensington) - An ex Pied a Terre chef is the latest to make the most of London's current greek food trend
Marjorie's (Soho) - A new French wine bar and restaurant in Soho that's getting some good early notices.
Spring St Pizza (London Bridge) - An ex Michelin-starred chef is getting a lot of attention for his new pizzeria
Perma-hot restaurants
These are the London restaurants that have been open for a while but are still hotter than ever.
OMA and Agora (Borough Market) - the Greek-inspired duo from David Carter continues to be one of the biggest draws in the area.
The Devonshire (Soho) - Both the pub downstairs and the grill restaurant remain, one year on, the hottest places in town. It's also still a great place for celeb spotting.
The Dover (Mayfair) - Martin Kuczmarski's restaurant has a real understated Mayfair glamour and is a great place for star spotting. It's also one of the best bars in the area with an excellent cocktail list.
Mountain (Soho) - Tomos Parry's Soho restaurant is still hard to get into, but worth it for that spider crab omelette.
Bouchon Racine (Farringdon) - The return of Henry Harris remains one of London's best restaurants for many. Even if you can't get into the restaurant, the food in the pub downstairs is well worth a look. A recent visit confirmed it's still operating at the highest level.
Arlington (St James) - Jeremy King's revival of the original Le Caprice remains a solid hit. It's one of the best and buzziest restaurants in St James.
Crisp Pizza (Hammersmith) - Alley Cats may get the press, but this pizzeria is still the best for many. There's still a wait for pizzas at the weekend particularly, but it's well worth it.
Where's Hot, mapped.
Here's how the Hot Dinners "Where's Hot" restaurants are spread across town.
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