New opening

• Chef James Cochran is back in business with The Brave on Islington's Essex Road

  

  As a sign that you can't keep a good chef down, mere months after closing the doors of his Islington restaurant, James Cochran is coming back to N1 with a new venture. This time he's teaming up with pub folk the Seven-Eighths Group, who run The Hemingway in Victoria Park and Hunter S in nearby De

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• Fantail open a second cafe, at Finsbury Park

  

  Two years after opening their first cafe, the duo behind Fantail in Islington, Jonny and Joel, have moved further north to Finsbury Park for their second venture.

  They've taken over the long-vacant spot on 250-252 Seven Sisters Road (at the end of St Thomas's Road). The new location makes it very handy for commuters using Finsbury Park station, not to mention presenting locals with a nicer independent alternative to the

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• A second Donutelier is coming, to Carnaby

  

  10/11/24 - updated with the opening date

  Step this way, doughnut fans. Following the success of Donutelier’s launch on Charing Cross Road last year, comes news of their second London outlet, which will open in Carnaby St for all those must-find-munchies-in-Soho

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• Motcombs comes to St John's Wood after over 40 years in Belgravia

  

  10/11/24 - updated with the opening date

  Recently we had the team from Medlar waiting 15 years to open their second restaurant (Cornus). Now Belgravia restaurant Motcombs is significantly one-upping them on the procrastination front. The Belgravia restaurant opened 42 years ago in 1982 and only now have they decided to open a second restaurant. 

  For their

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• Berberè's award-winning pizzas arrive at The Outernet

  

  They're currently ranked No. 5 in the 50 Top World Artisan Pizza Chains list. Now Berberè are getting ready to open their first central London pizzeria. With restaurants in Clapham and Kentish Town so far, their third UK opening will be on Tottenham Court Road as part of the huge Outernet development there.

  If you haven't been to one of their places before then, as you might expect, it's all about the

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• Nancy Spains are opening their next Irish pub in the City

  

  Their first pub opened in Shoreditch only earlier this year, but a second Nancy Spains is already on the way (and we now wouldn't be surprised if more were planned). 

  It's taken over the space that was once City pub, The Wine Lodge (which appears to have been closed for over five years). As before, it's run by Kerry-born brothers Peter and Nicholas O’Halloran and they'll be

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• Italian restaurant Babbo is migrating to St John's Wood

  

  6/11/24 - updated with the opening date

  You might recall that there once was an Italian restaurant Babbo in Mayfair. It closed a few years back, saying it was going to be a temporary closure and sure enough, Babbo is returning - albeit in a brand new location. 

  It's the latest restaurant to set its sights on St John's Wood (with Belgravia stalwart ...

• Amélie, cocktail bar Luum and a reborn Sachi are coming to the Pantechnicon building

  

  The Pantechnicon building fairly recently started out as a Nordic-Japanese dining and shopping hot spot that opened in late 2020 but for the last few months it's been undergoing a major refurbishment. Brace yourselves

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• The Wee Sister is chef Anna Haugh's new wine bar in Chelsea

  

  Five years after throwing open the doors of her Irish restaurant just off the King's Road, chef and writer Anna Haugh is now in the process of unveiling her latest enterprise in the area. The Wee Sister is Haugh's new wine bar and it really is a close sibling, being right next door to the restaurant.

  The bar has taken over another wine space, Last Drop Wines. As Anna explained to us, "It's an Irish wine bar

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• Fran's opens in Hackney from the team behind Wilton Way Deli and Wines

  

  Wilton Way Deli and Wines has built up a strong following in Hackney and now owner Francesca D’Agostino is getting ready to expand with a second opening - but not too far away. She's going as far as the corner of Wilton Road to open Fran's. 

  She describes Fran's as an "all-day caff" open from breakfast to the evening, "inspired by the old-style Italian/British cafes

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• Come for the crazy shakes, stay for the burgers as Black Tap Burger get ready to open in London

  

  4/11/24 - updated with the opening date

  There are crazy shakes and then there are 100% certifiable ones. Clearly those at NYC burger group Black Tap fall into the latter category and they're about to hit London. The burger and craft beer group opened its first branch in New York's Soho back in 2015 where they quickly became known not for their burgers or beer, but their milkshakes. First off they are huge

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• Margot Bakery has opened a second branch, this time in Highgate

  

  North London baker Michelle Eshkeri is building a little bakery empire for herself. She started with Margot in East Finchley where she became known for her sourdough bread and patisserie prowess. Two years ago she followed that up with the Holloway Model Bakery just off Holloway Road. And now, very under the radar, she's opened a third place, this time Margot 2.0, in Highgate.

  The new bakery is on Archway Road, tucked in

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• The big new London restaurants opening in November 2024

  

  November is often one of the busiest months of the year for new openings and this year is no exception. We see the launch of two Thai food big hitters, a legendary pie maker returns and yes, Jason Atherton is at it again. 

• El Celler de Can Roca is opening a restaurant TimeSpirit in Scotland

  

  30/10/24 - updated with more details about the opening. 

  It may be cheaper to fly to Girona to try the original, than to take the train up to Scotland - but news that world-class restaurant El Celler de Can Roca is opening a restaurant north of the border is still very interesting indeed.

  The restaurant is opening a dining 'experience' up at The Macallan

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• The Savoy to open Gallery restaurant and Scoff, a dedicated scone shop

  

  30/10/24 - updated with details of the menu and an opening date

  The next big revamp of The Savoy is nearly upon us. This time they've been redoing the Thames Foyer, which was initially said to be transformed into the "Savoy Lounge" but now they've decided to call it Gallery. 

  If you're trying to place exactly where that is, it's right in the

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