We've got 5 copies of the Padella cookbook, Waterstone's Gift Book of the Year, to give away
New opening
- Paris's Loulou Groupe heads to London with a brasserie and club planned for Mayfair
Updated 8/12/25 with more details
In France they're responsible for a roster of hotter-than-hot restaurants, and back in 2021 we were the first to let you know that the Loulou Groupe were heading to London for their first UK opening. Now, four years later, we have more details on what's being planned.
The team have taken over a Grade II listed building in the
... - A new wave Mexican seafood restaurant Cometa is taking over Carousel's wine bar on Charlotte Street
A quick look back at all the chef collabs that have taken place at Carousel over the past few years would reveal a distinct trend - they really love working with Mexican chefs. And at some point something on the team clearly asked the question, 'Why don't we open our own Mexican restaurant if we're so into it?' The net result is that Carousel founders, Ed and Ollie Templeton are currently working on
... - A high-end Korean matcha cafe, Tokkia, is opening in Covent Garden
If you were one of the many fans of the much-missed Korean tea shop be-oom on Exmouth Market, then we've got some news that should gladden your heart. Founder Sooji Im has another venture in the offing. She's moved into central London, where she'll be opening TOKKIA, a luxury Korean matcha house.
On offer will be finely whisked Korean matcha, paired with saltbreads - a traditional Korean roll that looks
... - Alley Cats brings a slice hatch to its next pizzeria on Portobello Road
They only recently opened in Westbourne Grove but now Alley Cats are opening their next restaurant on Portobello Road, barely a 15-minute walk away.
Their latest pizza restaurant is adding something that none of the others have, though - a slice hatch. So if you don't fancy waiting for a table, you'll be able to grab an 18-inch slice from said hatch. If that's not
... - Honest Greens comes to London as hg Soho, a healthy dining restaurant that's big in Europe
A health food restaurant that's opened across Europe is making its UK debut in Soho this month as Hg Soho (known as Honest Greens on the continent).
It's taking over a space in Soho that's directly opposite Kod (and used to be Good Housekeeping). The restaurant first opened in Barcelona in 2017 and has spread to more European cities since then. They bill the
... - Padella hit up Soho for their third restaurant (and yes the beef shin ragu is on the menu)
We can't quite believe it's been 10 years since Padella first roared onto the London restaurant scene. The idea of well-priced, freshly made pasta dishes in a modern setting blew our tiny London minds at the time and set the scene for a perma-queue that pretty much remains at its OG Borough Market restaurant to this day.
Now the duo behind it, Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda (and also co-owners of Islington's Trullo),
... - Stable Wines from the Goodbye Horses team is instantly London's most beautiful wine bar
They already have two big hits in Islington behind them with Goodbye Horses and The Dreamery and now the same team are blazingly on track for a third with Stable Wines.
- Putney is getting a new neighbourhood bistro Ruth's that's 100% one to watch
A Hot Dinners exclusive
Ruth's is a new neighbourhood restaurant and bar coming to Putney, and it's got an impressive team behind it.
It's a team-up between Ed Baillieu and Callum Ross, who originally met in New Zealand (where Callum is from) and have since worked together as far afield as London, Auckland, Hong Kong and New York. This will be their first project together, opening in the
... - Fancy modern dim sum is on the menu at Dim Sum Library opening in Covent Garden
After so many Italian restaurant openings, it's refreshing to be talking about something different throwing open its doors in London next month. Dim Sum Library is a Hong Kong import by the Aqua Group and is going to be taking over what used to be the group's Luci restaurant in Covent Garden.
They're pitching it as a modern take on classic dim sum, and they've brought in chefs Jian Jia (who
... - The big new London restaurants opening in December 2025
As we wind up the year, there are still some very big new openings still to come this month, including the new opening from Core's Clare Smyth and the long-awaited Guinness brewery in Covent Garden.
- Burro sees Trullo chef and co-owner bringing Italian dishes and Irish hospitality to Covent Garden
Ever since we heard that Petersham Nurseries had shut both their restaurants in central London, we've been wondering what was going to take over those spaces in Floral Court. Well, now we have the answer to one half of that. Conor Gadd is the chef and co-owner of the perennially popular Trullo in Islington. And he's taken on the space that was The Petersham to open Burro, his first solo venture.
Burro is
... - Leicester Square's new food hall is the biggest in London, traders now revealed
26/11/25 - updated with the opening date and traders revealed.
Once thought to have been dealt a killing blow by the lockdowns, the past couple of years have been a boom time for food halls. The latest to join the fray is the newest Market Place and it's easily their most central London location yet.
So far, they've opened in places like St Paul's,
... - Proud Mary teams up with The Good Egg for a new Walthamstow pizzeria
The space that was The Good Egg at Eat 17 in Walthamstow has just undergone a big transformation. They've teamed up with the people behind East London's Proud Mary olive oil to launch Proud Mary Pizzeria. It'll be taking over the space in the evening (The Good Egg will still be running during the day).
The room itself has had something of a glow-up, with pink walls
... - Walthamstow's cool new wine bar Olfaclub also offers customisable mineral water
You've got to do a lot to stand out against the competition, particularly in London's dynamic food and wine scene. So we applaud the folk behind new E17 wine and listening bar Olfaclub for doing several things differently.
The pair behind it, Beth and Jeremy, are hoping to create a welcoming space to try out new wine. To that end, they'll be offering a wine list available exclusively by the glass. And nothing else.
... - The best London restaurants for Thanksgiving 2025
Whether you're an ex-pat looking for a slice of home (and pumpkin pie) or just fancy getting in on the pre-festive season celebrations, here's our pick of the Thanksgiving events happening in London.
Also see...
