New opening

• Tasca brings a year-long Spanish and Portuguese residency to Bethnal Green

  

  We've already brought you the news about Cav, the bar opening in Bethnal Green, but now we know a lot more about the kitchen residency that's going to be a part of it for the first year.

  Tasca is all about the food of Portugal and Spain and comes from Head Chef Josh

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• PYRÃ replaces Lula on Lonsdale Road with live fire cooking and a vinyl bar

  

  The evolution of Lonsdale Road at the heart of Queen's Park's restaurant scene continues with the news that what was Lula has turned into PYRÃ. And with a new name, comes a new chef. Running the kitchen will be Head Chef Mattia Caddeo who comes here with places like The Ivy Collection and Novikov under his belt. He's bringing in more of a live fire element to the cooking with dishes including:

  • Spanakopita pie
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• Gordon Ramsay is taking over the Le Gavroche site for a new Matt Abé-led restaurant

  

  18/2/24 - updated with confirmation

  The news well and truly broke over the weekend, and now it's been confirmed - Gordon Ramsay is indeed taking over what was Le Gavroche. The current head chef over at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Matt Abé (who has been at the restaurant for 16 years), will be leading the new opening.

  Gordon himself confirmed that

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• Hello JoJo bakery and restaurant takes over from Forza Win in Camberwell

  

  As one door closes, another opens. And while fans of Forza Win in Camberwell may be reeling from the announcement last week of its imminent closure, the good news is that there's a rather interesting business already lining up to take its place.

  Two locals, Jo Lavender and Rob Newlan, are the brains behind hello JoJo and they're all about bringing the feelgood factor to the area. To that end their all day bakery and

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• Ceru are bringing their Eastern Med food to Farringdon

  

  Over in Farringdon, what was once a branch of Itsu is getting what we'd definitely consider a glow-up, having been bought by the team behind CERU. They already have two restaurants in West London, in Kensington and Queensway, serving up a Levantine menu.

  We presume that the menu here in East London is going to be the same as their other two restaurants, so expect a menu that roams through Turkey through to the Lebanon and over

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• Cálong sees top Korean chef Joo Won pick Stoke Newington for his first restaurant

  

  14/2/25 - updated with the opening date

  For seven years chef Joo Won was responsible for holding the Michelin star as the head chef of Galvin at Windows. But opening his own restaurant was always the dream and after he took a trip back home to Korea with the restaraunt's then GM (now TV star) Fred Sirieix and the Galvin Brothers, it cemented his decision to break out on his own. "We went for a week just to get

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• Corrochio’s gets ready to open its new Mexican bar CINCO

  

  After opening their Mexican restaurant in Dalston last year, Corrochio’s are getting ready for the next level - or one level down to be more precise. They're launching their new bar CINCO underneath the restaurant, which will have a big focus on Agave and Mexican spirits.

  The main cocktails list here will have five agave cocktails, five more with other Mexican spirits and, very much

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• The all-day European Cafe Linea is opening next to the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea

  

  A new cafe and restaurant is opening next door to The Saatchi Gallery (taking over what used to be the gallery's restaurant), called Cafe Linea. The new space is planned as an all-day opening, inspired by cafes in arcades across Europe. 

  Run by Greg and Felicity Godik (incidentally Greg's Dad Zeev is  the founder of Gaucho so he should know his way around

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• Santa Maria's latest pizzeria is in Paddington's The Frontline Club

  

  Just a couple of months after opening their last pizzeria, Santa Maria are at it again. This time they're coming to Paddington.

  It comes just as the group approach their 15th anniversary, having opened their first place in Ealing way back in 2010. This latest pizzeria is

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• Market Halls is coming to Paddington with From the Ashes, Breddos and more

  

  A Hot Dinners exclusive

  Paddington's food scene is really getting a boost in 2025. Not only will the area soon be home to West London's highest restaurant, but they're also about to get a brand new food hall. Market Halls Paddington, which opens next month, will be the food hall

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• Nina takes over from Pachamama in Marylebone with pasta and cannoli

  

  A Hot Dinners exclusive

  The final pivot from the Pachamama group's central London restaurants is taking form in Marylebone following the closure of the original Pachamama in Marylebone. In its place will be Nina which follows the path taken by the group's other restaurants Zephyr and Bottarga in focusing on Mediterranean food instead. This time their attention is turning to Italy and family-style

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• Ottolenghi head to Richmond for their next restaurant and deli

  

  10/2/24 - updated with opening details

  After opening the last Ottolenghi in Hampstead, the group are going much further west with the next due to open in Richmond. 

  However, unlike their other openings, this one hasn't gone quite as smoothly. Initially, the residents of Richmond aren't too happy

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• Câv bar and kitchen comes to Bethnal Green's Paradise Row

  

  Chris Tanner and Edwin Frost, the people behind Dram and Oranj respectively have teamed up for new east London bar Câv (taking over the space that was The Japanese Canteen). 

  This is planned to be part cocktail bar, part residency. On the drinks side, expect drinks like Tu (Bazo) made with The Lost Explorer mezcal with coconut, pineapple, arbol and sauternes as well as

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• Claridge's Bakery sees world class baker Richard Hart doing British bakes in London

  

  London bakery nerd alert - one of the world's best bakers is coming to town. Richard Hart hails from London but made his name far from home having headed up the famous Tartine in San Francisco for seven years before co-founding Copenhagen bakery Hart Bagery with none other than René Redzepi of Noma. Now he's signed up to be the executive baker and creative director at Claridge's Bakery.

  The hotel's new

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• Din Tai Fung is coming to Canary Wharf

  

  6/2/24 - updated with the opening date

  They already have three restaurants in central London, but Din Tai Fung are heading east for their fourth opening, to Canary Wharf. The restaurant group best known for its perfectly pleated xiao long bao will be up and running in Crossrail Place early next year.

  It's the smallest of the four (although that's relative as there will still be room for 112 diners)

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