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Covent Garden is getting a New York-inspired cocktail bar called Cato
Covent Garden is getting a New York-inspired cocktail bar that sounds like it could be very useful for brightening up January.
Called Cato, the bar is inspired by Cato Alexander, a New York bartender from the 18th Century, about whom Wikipedia says: "cocktail historians consider him to be 'America's first celebrity bartender.'" We didn't know there was such a thing as cocktail historians, but there you go. It comes from hospitality group Bart & Taylor, along with bartender Angelos Bafas (aka
...Frites Atelier have brought their cult loaded fries to Soho
They're big in the Netherlands and Belgium, where they hoover up the tourist crowds looking for particularly extra punnets of chips, and now Frites Atelier have come to London, landing in Soho (taking over from Balans no. 34). People do seem to enjoy queuing for food in Soho, so expect this to be the big new viral hit in the run-up to Christmas. They have had Eating With Tod in already, after all...
It was originally started by Michelin-starred chef Sergio Herman almost 10 years ago, but (so far) they've expanded only slowly and this is their fourth main opening, following
...Waterloo commuters now have a proper Grind coffee shop at the station
Spare a thought for London's commuters, wearily trekking into and out of London every day. Now, at least the ones coming via Waterloo will have some decent coffee waiting for them when they get here.
Grind are officially opening their newest coffee shop at Waterloo today. And while they've got shops close to London Bridge and Liverpool Street, this is their first to open actually inside a station. This one's a decent size too, with room for 35 folk to sit inside.
If you're looking for it, it's on the mezzanine level, opposite Platform 5. Better still, as an opening offer,
...Kith's new flagship store in London features a standalone restaurant Ronnie's and a Kith Treats bar
Updated 12/12/25 with booking info
For a while now clothing brand Kith and its treat store have been one of the best places to get soft serve in London. But the imminent opening of their flagship store on Regent Street is going to bring both a Treats bar and a standalone restaurant.
Ronnie's New York, named after Kith founder Ronnie Fieg, will have its own entrance. It looks like a gorgeously designed space - with a mix of booth and counter seating. The space has its own cocktail lounge where they'll be serving up drinks like a Rose Espresso Martini
...The best new London restaurants of 2025
As we approach the end of 2025, it's time to look and the best of the new openings of the year in London. Here are the restaurants that really made a mark.
Cheese toasties on the menu for City workers with the arrival of Melt at Boxhall City
Lunch options for folks in the City just got a boost in the run up to Christmas with the arrival of cheese toastie folk MELT at the Boxhall City food hall. Melt have been trading at Old Spitalfields for the past couple of years; you'll probably have seen their signature oozy cheese toasties on your FYP at some point.
On the menu at the new City location will be a range of toasties and dips for dunking. But they're also launching an option that's exclusive to Boxhall City - The Boxer. That's a toastie with smoked pulled pork, maple mustard, MELT cheddar mozzarella blend, Kansas BBQ
...The Newman hotel to open in Fitzrovia, with Brasserie Angelica and atmospheric Gambit Bar
Updated 10/12/25 with opening date
We get a lot of information about new openings here at Hot Dinners, so it takes a lot to impress us. So when we say that an announcement about a new central London hotel made us sit up and take notice, that's a big thing. The illustrations about the restaurant and bar opening at The Newman, just north of Oxford Street, really caught our eye. This Fitzrovian boutique hotel will have two places to eat and drink and they both look fabulous.
Brasserie Angelica will be the hotel's European all-day restaurant. That looks like a
...Osteria Vibrato sees the Laughing Heart's Charlie Mellor open an Italian in Soho
Three years after closing The Laughing Heart in Hackney, Charlie Mellor is back with his latest venture.
Osteria Vibrato is the latest to join the recent trend of new Italian restaurants opening in town, this one with a menu created by Gaia Enria, founder of recently closed Burro e Salvia. Hoping to set themselves apart from the crowd, they're saying the menu
...Claridge's Bakery sees world class baker Richard Hart doing British bakes in London
9/12/25 - updated with more details and an opening date
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
...Jamie's Italian is coming back from the dead
When Jamie's Italian went under back in 2019, it was one of the most public closures possible, with coverage all over the press. But, the brand has managed to keep going overseas and, much to pretty much everyone's surprise, it's coming back to the UK too.
This time, the chef is spreading the risk about a bit as it's going to be a team-up with Prezzo and the first opening is going to be
...Phil Howard's Notto is promising City folk fresh pasta for lunch
8/12/25 - updated with the opening date
His main home may be Elystan Street, but Phil Howard's other business looks like it's doing pretty well. Fresh pasta bar Notto is already on Piccadilly and in Covent Garden, and a third is on the way to the City.
If you're as yet unfamiliar with the restaurant,
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 one.
Cometa is being described as a contemporary Mexican seafood spot, influenced by the likes of Mexico City's Contramar and New York's The Four Horsemen. In the kitchen,
...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
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