April is VERY busy for new openings, with around 30 new restaurants coming your way over the month. We've zeroed in on the ones to watch, from the next by Four Legs to a Spiteri family pub and a tenth anniversary opening from Padella.
Bar Etna
Stoke Newington - 47 Newington Green, Newington Green, London N16 9PX
The Four Legs team are looking to continue their hot streak, following Tollington's and The Plimsoll with this new opening on Newington Green. This time, they're teaming up with Philadelphia chef and restaurateur Joe Beddia whose pizza has previously been crowned "best in America". He'll be combining his pizza know-how with Four Legs founder Ed McIlroy's ingredient-led approach, with toppings changing on a seasonal basis. You can also expect aubergine parmigiana, meatballs, sides and soft serves along with house spritzes, negronis on tap and low-intervention wines. It has all the hallmarks of an instant hit.
Opening: Late April 2026
Ornella
Hackney - 51 Wilton Way, London E8 1BG
The team of actor Theo James, restaurateur Ed Templeton and chef Naz Hassan had a big hit in Highbury with their first opening, Lupa. Now they're looking to repeat that success with Milan-inspired restaurant Ornella. Chef Naz grew up in Milan, so he's perfectly placed to make this new approach work. On the menu, you can expect risotto alla Milanese, with vitello tonnato and tagliatelle al burro e Parmigiano and we can assume a take on veal Milanese will be making an appearance. A larger restaurant than their Highbury opening (it's taking over what was Fran's), they'll also have a terrace here just in time for warmer weather (we hope).
Opening: April 2026 (date TBC)
Kinz
Notting Hill - 50 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JD
Banks may be closing all the time in the UK of late, but at least those spaces are being put to some good use. The latest takes over a Notting Hill bank that was built in the 1930s by a prominent architect and from the designs, it'll be a real looker. A two-floored affair, it's an all-day Lebanese restaurant down the back, with a deli up front. Things start in the morning with a Full Lebanese breakfast, while dishes later on include fattet aubergine - baked aubergine layered with pine nuts, tomato, yoghurt and crisp pita. And as it's a bank, the vault is being turned into a wine room, which will have "snug dining spaces" and tasting tables.
Opening: 27 April 2026
MA/NA
Mayfair - 30 Upper Grosvenor Street, London W1K 7PH
This is the latest restaurant from The Thesleff Group, best known for Los Mochis, but who also did a great job recently launching Sale e Pepe Mare over at The Langham. For this opening, they're taking on the sizeable space that used to be Ruya and are opening a contemporary Japanese restaurant. So you can expect grilled dishes like M5 Wagyu seared on a Himalayan salt stone as well as a strong sushi selection. In charge of the menu here is Chef Leo Tanyag who most recently opened Luna omakase for them. There will be a bar space, and as the evening develops, the whole room will become a late-night cocktail bar.
Opening: 20 April 2026
The Latimer
North Kensington - 274 Latimer Rd, London W10 6QW
Very much a family affair, this new pub is bringing together the entire extended Spiteri family all under one roof. In charge of food and drink are Lorcan and Fin Spiteri, best known recently for the great success of Caravel in Islington. Also involved in the whole endeavour are hospitality icon Jon Spiteri, Rochelle Canteen's Melanie Arnold ) Jon's ex wife) and daughter Molly (Business Development Lead at Koya). The food sounds very promising, with dishes like black pudding confit potato with homemade brown sauce. We've been getting a few great new pub openings of late and this one looks to continue that trend.
Opening: 21 April 2026
MIKO May Fair
Mayfair - 55 Curzon St, London W1J 8PG
The latest opening from restaurateur Samyukta Nair is something of a reimagining of a previous restaurant, Koyn Thai. With the same chef in charge of this new version, MIKO is opening in the downstairs section of MiMi Mei Fair. That always had the look of a completely separate restaurant, so we think that this should be a good home for the Thai restaurant. The same fire-led Thai cooking that was on offer at Koyn Thai can be found here, which is a very good thing as we thought the menu there was excellent. MiMi Mae Fair's duck will also make an appearance in the Applewood fire Peking duck Penang curry.
Opening: 23 April 2026
Padella
Soho - 2 Kingly Street, London W1B 5PB
Believe it or not, it's been 10 years since Padella first opened in Borough Market, ushering in a new wave of fresh pasta bars in London. They're still firmly at the top, and this is only their third restaurant in that decade. They've taken a space on Kingly Street (which, as we've passed by, we can see you can also access from the Kingly Court side). The usual hits will be on offer, like the Pici Cacio e Pepe and Pappardelle with Beef Shin Ragu and we're looking forward particularly to seeing their downstairs restaurant. That's being pitched as a 1960s-style Soho lounge (and they even have a private dining room down there).
Opening: 16 April 2026
Tavern
Shoreditch - 374-378 Old St, London EC1V 9LT
We've seen a lot of very successful rebrandings of restaurants recently, like Taqueria becoming Taq, but this change for Nest in Shoreditch seems like a big (and promising) shift. This comes from the same people as Restaurant St Barts, and they've brought in some of the team from that restaurant to take on Tavern. It looks like it's going in a more relaxed, bistro-style direction than Nest, and we like the sound of snacks like the Tavern sausage with curry sauce, not to mention the chunion puff, which is a cheese and onion-filled gougère.
Opening: 28 April 2026
Weezie's
Belgravia - 14-15 Eccleston Yards, 21 Eccleston Pl, London SW1W 9AZ
Pairing pizzas with wine has proved to be a very good thing for Ria's, so we're expecting something similar with Weezie's opening in Eccleston Yards. They'll be concentrating on thin-crust pizzas in the London/New Haven-style and you can expect this team to know a thing or two about wine as they also run Amie Wine Studio, which is right next door in the Belgravia development (although they will be serving beers, cocktails, and Guinness too).
Opening: 7 April 2026
Cafe Jikoni
Stratford - East Bank, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
The first of two new openings by Ravinder Bhogal and Nadeem Lalani Nanjuwany this year is an offshoot of their very popular Marylebone restaurant. Cafe Jikoni will be a little different to the original, however, as it's an all-day restaurant that's opening as part of the new V&A East development. Some of the chef's signatures will be coming to Stratford, like the Prawn Toast Scotch Egg, alongside new creations like a Turmeric and Ginger Chicken Pie or a Bombay Sandwich with green chutney, as well as sausage rolls, new cakes and more besides.
Opening: 18 April 2026
Mondo to Go
Deptford - Arch 5, Deptford Market Yards, London SE8 4BX
Mondo Sando have cemented themselves as being creators of some of London's very best sandwiches, with their cafe Mondo in particular being a massive hit. Now they're coming to Deptford with their latest sandwich shop. And, while it's set up as an order-to-go place, there will be 50 seats outside, which should be very popular in spring/summer days. Classic sandwiches like their peri peri chicken Mondo Frango will be on offer, but they will also be creating some exclusives just for Deptford.
Opening: 10 April 2026
Also opening this month...
Acme Taco (Walthamstow) - Andrew Clarke brings a Mexican-flavoured version of Acme Fire Cult to 40FT's Walthamstow Brewery.
Honey & Co Great Portland (Fitzrovia) - What was Honey & Smoke is being reinvented as a deli and wine bar.
Mitsu (Shoreditch) - Taking over what used to be Nobu Shoreditch, this is a huge East Tokyo izakaya.
Clio (Marylebone) - Modern Greek food arrives in Marylebone from an ex-Pied a Terre/Bancone chef
Sova (Notting Hill) - What was Zima is transformed into a wine bar focusing on Eastern and Central European wines and snacks.
Brutes of Mayfair (Mayfair) - This new cocktail bar is pairing its martinis with caviar and Monster Munch.
Garden Bar & Smokehouse (White City) - Texas/Afghan BBQ specialists go permanent in White City's The Garden Bar.
Kiez Kebab (Notting Hill) - A new Berlin-inspired kebab restaurant with a stainless steel design.
The Horsemen & Fitzgerald’s (City of London) - Irish/American pub and restaurant with a little bit of horse racing on the side.
Auguste (London Fields) - Taking over the old Papi site is this Italian restaurant with an Abruzzo focus.
Hell’s Kitchen (Mayfair) - Gordon Ramsay brings one of his most-recognised brands to the UK for the first time.
Bancone (City of London) - The latest outpost for the fresh pasta restaurant
Tigermilk (Spitalfields) - The Latin American restaurant that originated in France is opening a huge restaurant in Spitalfields.
All of London's newly opened and upcoming restaurants...
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