New opening

• Gordo's pizzeria arrives in Dalston

  

  Dalston has itself a new pizza parlour and it looks like this might be a bit special. Gordo's comes from Jesse Elias, who has previously been the senior GM at Yard Sale in Clapton before going it alone, so he should have a fair bit of pizza know-how under his belt.

  We caught up with him to find out a little bit more. "At Gordo's, we wanted to be a more traditional pizzeria on the menu but more vibey late-night space, so with the help of

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• Bosporus by Leicester Square is a taste of Turkey (via Dubai)

  London gets the first UK outpost of this popular Dubai chain which promises an authentic Turkish experience. 

• Bubblewrap waffles are coming to Covent Garden, all ready for Instagram

  

  Instagram fave Bubblewrap are unveiling a new store, this time in the heart of Covent Garden. Expect all the popular flavours and some special exclusives for the new store too. 

• Taka Mk II comes to Marylebone, with new dishes - including a wagyu sando

  

  They already had a small, popular restaurant in Mayfair and now Japanese restaurant Taka are heading to Marylebone, where The Providores used to be. A much larger space, they'll have lots of new dishes (including a wagyu sando) and some great-sounding cocktails. 

• West African restaurant Akoko to launch in Fitzrovia with a MasterChef - The Professionals finalist in charge

  Akoko is the first project from last year’s Masterchef: The Professionals finalist William JM Chilila. He'll be opening this West-African influenced restaurant in Fitztovia

• Beam cafe is coming to Notting Hill

  

  They've already opened successful cafes in Crouch End and Highbury and next up for Beam is a move west to Notting Hill.

• The Breakfast Club go late night with Saint Elmo's Sandwich Bar

  

  There are two places you can always guarantee queues outside in London - Dishoom and The Breakfast Club. Now the latter, having tied up the breakfast scene, are getting into the late-night market by opening Saint Elmo's (fans of John Hughes movies will get the reference).

  Saint Elmo’s Late-Night Sandwich Bar will take over their Berwick Street Cafe every day from 5pm. As the name suggests it'll serve up a range of sandwiches which they

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• Birch, Zebra Riding Club and Valeries - a review of the new-style hotel and restaurant to de-stress city folk

  

  Barely 30 minutes away from central London, this new Hertfordshire getaway is aiming to shake up the UK hotel scene, pitching itself as a hotel meets festival experience. And it comes with a restaurant from Robin Gill to boot. 

• Shop Cuvee wine shop and deli is opening on Blackstock Road

  

  There's no getting away from the fact that lockdown was hard on London. But, equally, it's fair to say that some businesses coped better than others. Highbury restaurant Top Cuvee didn't let any grass grow under its feet when the city shut down. It pivoted quickly to become a natural wine distributor Shop Cuvee - actually growing its business over lockdown.

  Now that owner Brodie and his team have been able to reopen the restaurant,

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• Korean restaurant Sollip in London Bridge opens

  A Korean husband and wife duo with experience at The Arts Club and The Ledbury are opening their first restaurant in London. 

• La Serre is making the journey from Dubai to London, opening in Harrods

  

  The pandemic might have slowed down restaurant openings in London, but there are still some fairly high-profile imports being planned. Among them is a new outpost of famed Dubai restaurant La Serre. 

  At the moment, the original La Serre is an opulent two-level restaurant in Dubai - Parisian-style cafe downstairs and a more upscale bistro upstairs. From that restaurant, here's an idea of what they're

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• The plant-based Neat Burger (backed by Lewis Hamilton) moves into Camden Market

  

  Neat Burger, the plant-based burger chain that's backed by Lewis Hamilton, is growing. They already had a restaurant in Mayfair, but now they've just expanded to Camden Market too, which opened this week.

  The food is all based around their own plant-based pattie, with burgers including: 

  • The Big Stack - Double Neat Meat Patty, Triple Bun, Lettuce, onions, Pickles, Tangy Big Stack Sauce
  • Chick'n Burger - Crispy Chick’n Patty,
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• Chishuru makes the jump from supperclub to West African restaurant in Brixton

  

  After winning the Brixton Kitchen competition in 2019, Adejoké ‘Joké’ Bakare's supperclub Chishuru is becoming a restaurant in Brixton Village. Expect West African cuisine from a mix of African and British produce. 

• Rondo is the new Hoxton Holborn restaurant from Quality Chop House's Will Lander and ex St John chef Chris Gillard

  

  Rondo is the new restaurant at the Hoxton Holborn, a collaboration between Will Lander (Quality Chip House, Portland) and Chris Gillard (EartH Kitchen, St John). Expect a seasonal menu and a lot of attention to the wine list. 

• Kreidel bar and kitchen comes to Hoxton from a MasterChef - The Professional finalist

   

  Opening today in Hoxton (where Monty's Deli used to be) is a new bar and kitchen (and events space) from Yann Florio, who was a finalist in MasterChef: The professionals last year (and previously a private chef). The menu is planned to be seasonal and regularly changing, with a focus on innovation. And if you liked what you saw on MasterChef, there will be regular events with a tasting menu

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