This is our monthly round-up of the restaurants causing the biggest stir in town - the hottest at this very moment from the much-awaited return of a restaurant supremo to a Singapore hit in Chinatown. (If you're looking for classics, see our all-time London's Best Restaurants guide).
New: The Park
Bayswater - 123 Bayswater Rd, London W2 3JH
In a nutshell: Jeremy King goes west in all senses
Restaurateur Jeremy King’s latest restaurant opening is, he says, his love letter to America. You’ll find it on the edge of Hyde Park taking up the whole ground floor of a multi-million-pound apartment block in Bayswater. And where Jeremy goes, his fans follow in their droves. Business is already booming with the ham hock pie and prawn cocktails being early favourites but it’s a big restaurant so you should still be able to secure a table if you keep trying.
Read our Test Drive of The Park
New: Tollington's
Finsbury Park - 172 Tollington Park, London N4 3AJ
In a nutshell: Four Legs does seafood
With such a huge fanbase it was always going to be interesting to see what the Four Legs team did after their massive success with The Plimsoll. Moving only a little bit further north in Finsbury Park their next opening is Spanish fish bar Tollington’s, which has taken over an old fish and chip shop. The fryers may have remained but that’s all as this part of North London has become a corner of Spain instead. Bookings are going to be hard but the good news is there’s more room free for walk-ins in the front bar.
Read our Test Drive of Tollington's
New: Kioku by Endo
Whitehall - The OWO. 7 Horse Guards Ave, London SW1A 2EX
In a nutshell: Endo Kazutoshi on the roof
Nothing restaurant-wise has really taken off at the massive OWO/Raffles development on Whitehall so the stakes were high for this new rooftop spot by Endo Kazutoshi. The sushi, as you might imagine, is on point but there are lots of other interesting dishes to try too. The good news is that it’s already an immediate hit - the arrival of the British summer and the amazing views from the terrace here aren’t hurting any.
Read our Test Drive of Kioku by Endo
New: Cloth
City of London - 44 Cloth Fair, London EC1A 7JQ
In a nutshell: Historical quarter's wine-led hit
Tucked away off Smithfield, this cosy little British bistro (with a strong wine offering) has hit the ground running, winning a slew of good reviews. The Guardian’s Grace Dent is a fan saying; “There’s nothing hokey, disappointing or out of a tin at Cloth.” It was also popular with The Financial Times critic Tim Hayward who said; “even though the meal was just short of stellar, I’m determined to return many times.”
New: The River Café Café
Hammersmith - Thames Wharf Studios, Rainville Road, London W6 9HA
In a nutshell: Legendary restaurant gets a sidekick
Obviously, Ruth Rogers’ first new restaurant opening in thirty years was going to cause quite a stir in London’s foodie circles. Fans of The River Cafe - and they are legion - will want to try anything new they do, but anyone who’s perhaps been put off by trying the OG by the punchy pricing might look to test the waters with this new riverside cafe first. Expect great pasta but also pastries and coffees making this more of an all-day offering.
More about The River Café Café
Julie's
Holland Park - 135 Portland Rd, London W11 4LW
In a nutshell: Much-loved restaurant reboot
This is the second time in just a few years that there's been a full revamp of Julie's, but this one has clearly been an unqualified success. Bringing in an ex-The Pelican chef (Owen Kenworthy) and the fact that it's now owned by someone who lives in the area has certainly helped to make this a hit again. The French brasserie style is a much more fitting approach for the area and crowd and the terrace is the place to be on a sunny day. We expect a lot of potential star-spotting at this place in the coming months and in the meantime, Giles Coren said "it was all utterly historic".
Read our Test Drive of Julie's
The Hero
Maida Vale - 55 Shirland Rd, London W9 2JD
In a nutshell: Classic pub gets a major overhaul
Another successful revamp is the revival of what was once The Hero of Maida by the same people who made The Pelican such a big success. Stripping back the decor has created a beautiful-looking pub, while the food takes a new approach to pub classics (with a grill restaurant upstairs to follow soon). It's already become a massive hit with locals, and another local, The Standard's David Ellis also approves: "This might just be the best-looking pub in the world." Meanwhile, Jay Rayner says "they have made the sweetly familiar blissfully new again" while Giles Coren after visiting early said "it’s going to be good. Very good."
Lita
Marylebone - 7 Paddington St, London W1U 5QE
In a nutshell: Luxe live fire cooking
Almost out of nowhere, Lita has quickly become one of the hottest restaurants in town. Crossing over into the space that made Chiltern Firehouse such a big hit, it mixes great cooking with a laid-back-luxe vibe that's proving very popular with the well-heeled Marylebone set. Of course, it helps that the food by chef Luke Ahearne is exceptionally good (the tuna dish pictured is a showstopper) and has already garnered some stellar reviews. In The Standard, Jimi Famurewa called it "a marvel" while Jay Rayner was in "heavenly raptures over the cooking here".
Oma and Agora
Borough Market - 2-4 Bedale St, London SE1 9AL
In a nutshell: Lively Greek-inspired duo
Coming from David Carter, the man behind Smokestak and Manteca, it was fair to expect big things from his Greek-inspired restaurants in Borough Market. Barely weeks after opening, both restaurants are heaving, bringing a taste of Shoreditch vibes to Borough. The walk-in-only Agora channels a busy Greek taverna against live-fire cooking while the upstairs OMA features next-level dishes like their lobster-bisque borek. It's the new party place in the area, for sure. In The Standard, Jimi Famurewa was an early fan, calling it suitably "epic" while Giles Coren calls it a "a standout, hands down, pants off, run around screaming, slam-dunk best-of-the-year-so-far joint."
Read our Oma and Agora Test Drive
Roe
Canary Wharf - Five Park Drive, Wood Wharf, London E14 9GG
In a nutshell: Fallow goes big
Over the years, Fallow has built a big reputation both for its cooking but also by becoming a master of social media. For their next proper restaurant (outside of spin-off Fowl), the team here have gone a whole lot bigge. Huge though it is, the style of food that made Fallow such a hit, low waste, with a strong focus on local and sustainable, is very much in evidence here. From excellent skewers to a properly game-changing banana dessert, the food is excellent. It got a rare five-star review from Jimi Famurewa in The Standard who says it's "one of the defining, gravity-defying openings of the year" while Grace Dent says Roe proves "a restaurant can be big as well as clever."
Camille
Borough Market - 2-3 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AA
In a nutshell: French bistro from the Ducksoup team
After success both in London with Ducksoup and out of town with Osteria Emilia, Clare Lattin and Tom Hill's latest restaurant sees them pivot to a pretty traditional French bistro. With ex-P Franco chef Elliot Hashtroudi as head chef, the very French menu is already finding its fans. In The Guardian, Grace Dent "got the sense that this is a truly great little restaurant" while Jimi Famurewa called it one of the year's "most intoxicating openings".
Arlington
St James - 20 Arlington St, St. James's, London SW1A 1RJ
In a nutshell: Jeremy King revives Le Caprice
The first of Jeremy King's three new restaurants of 2024 continues to be a massive hit, even without star MD Jesus Adorno. So many A-list celebs have already been through the doors during its testing weeks that it's unquestionably the new place to be seen in right now. Essentially Le Caprice in all but name, it's been a hit with the old and new crowd. Of the former, Giles Coren says "the food is great. Just great." while Jimi Famurewa is a fan of the restaurants which lets you "party like it’s 1989." Yes, it's something of a throwback, but as Grace Dent puts it: "It ain’t broke, and neither is its the clientele, so nobody needs to fix it."
Josephine Bouchon
Chelsea - 315 Fulham Road, London SW10 9QH
In a nutshell: Claude Bosi's Lyonnaise home
It's been a busy 12 months for Claude Bosi with this being the third restaurant he's opened in that time frame; one of them already has two Michelin stars. This restaurant, a team-up with Bosi's wife Lucy, feels like more of a neighbourhood affair and one that's closer to Bosi's heart, being a local bistro that harkens back to his family's roots. It's become a massive hit for both locals and those further afield. Very much an old-school affair, Jay Rayner calls it "a beautifully executed act of remembrance." Make sure to order the rum baba, served tableside.
Read our Josephine Bouchon Test Drive
Morchella
Clerkenwell - 84-86 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4Q
In a nutshell: Perilla does Mediterranean
After success with Perilla in Stoke Newington, the same team has opened a much bigger restaurant close to Exmouth Market that's quite a different beast. Focusing this time on a modern interpretation of Mediterranean dining, they prove that they're no one-hit-wonder with an extremely assured parade of snacks and sharing dishes, all with their own unique spin. In The Standard, Jimi Famurewa says the restaurant "traffics in the sort of rare brilliance that it’s hard to keep secret for very long." meanwhile, Grace Dent says the kitchen is creating "an intense mix of decadent, surprising, weird and usually utterly triumphant dishes".
Read our Test Drive of Morchella
The Devonshire
Soho - 17 Denman Street, London W1D 7HW
In a nutshell: Hottest pub and grill in town
Still the very hottest thing in this list of hot restaurants, The Devonshire's success continues to be bigger than really anyone could have predicted with a parade of stars visiting to see what the fuss is about (NYC food royalty Danny Meyer has just been in and even Bono's popped in for a look). The excellent reputation of the grill restaurant has well and truly spread and it's still almost impossible to get a booking. Reviews have also been stellar. Giles Coren best summed it up as "What. A. Place." Even if you can't get into the restaurant, it's well worth squeezing your way into the pub for a Guinness.
Read our Test Drive of The Devonshire
The Dover
Mayfair - 33 Dover St, London W1S 4NF
In a nutshell: Old-school hospitality in Mayfair
Another restaurant that's been attracting the A-Listers, The Dover continues to be very hot. The man behind it is Martin Kuczmarski, once Nick Jones' right-hand man at Soho House and he's created a slice of old-school, understated Mayfair glamour crossed with a classic New York Italian restaurant (and an excellent bar). Good hospitality and a great menu mix very well here and the spaghetti meatballs have found a fan in Giles Coren who called them "immense. Delicious. Fathomless." It's already quite the A-list hangout spot - Harry Styles and Selena Gomez were the most recent to be spotted heading to the dining room.
Read our Test Drive of The Dover
Mambow
Clapton - 78 Lower Clapton Road, Lower Clapton, London E5 0RN
In a nutshell: Modern Malaysian v 2.0
When Abby Lee first launched Mambow as part of Market Peckham, it was already clear that it was something special. We said at the time "we can see Lee going onto big things after this" and so it has proved, with the modern Malaysian Mambow moving across town to a bigger, standalone spot. It's already becoming a big hit with the Clapton folk and the larger restaurant means a slightly bigger offering too and the amazing lor bak is still on offer but. In The Standard, David Ellis said Abby Lee has "achieved a triumph".
Kolae
Bought Yards - 6 Park Street, London SE1 9AB
In a nutshell: Som Saa sequel
It's been six years since the opening of Som Saa which proved to be an instant hit, but the launch of Kolae from Mark Dobbie and Andy Oliver shows that it's been worth the wait. A small pivot into grilled food focused on the Southern provinces of Thailand has proved to be very popular - and those skewers (particularly the Kolae chicken) are a must-have. It got a rare five-star review from Jimi Famurewa in The Standard who said "Kolae are doing very exciting things."
Chishuru
Fitzrovia - 3 Great Titchfield St., London W1W 8AX
In a nutshell: West African restaurant v 2.0
After initial success in Brixton, Adejoké Bakare has taken Chishuru to a bigger space in central London and the restaurant is better than ever, winning a Michelin star in near record time. Here, you'll find the same modern West African cuisine that proved such a hit at the original opening with a regularly-changing set menu on offer. It's one of the most impressive new openings of the year. In the Standard, Jimi Famurewa calls Bakare "one of the most blisteringly gifted and original chefs in the city" and we have to agree.
Warming up...
Here are a few more restaurants creating buzz recently that we think are worth keeping an eye on...
Henri (Covent Garden) - Jackson Boxer brings Paris to Covent Garden with his new brasserie at the Henrietta hotel.
Jones & Sons (South Woodford) - The popular Dalston restaurant has gone further east.
CDMX Tacos (Soho) - It opened under the radar but this taco shop is gaining traction.
Akira Back (Mayfair) - The top chef takes on all the restaurants at the impressive new Mandarin Oriental.
Miga (Hackney) - Another under-the-radar opening which is generating a lot of buzz is this modern Korean kitchen.
Perma-hot restaurants
There are some London restaurants that have been open for a while but are still hotter than ever.
Mountain (Soho) - Tomos Parry's Soho restaurant is still extremely 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.
Crisp Pizza (Hammersmith) - Alley Cats may get the press, but this pizzeria is still the best for many
Where's Hot, mapped.
Here's how the Hot Dinners "Where's Hot" restaurants are spread across town.
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