New opening

• Idris Elba is opening Porte Noire - a wine bar, restaurant and tasting room in King's Cross

  

  Idris Elba is getting back into the bar business with a new launch in King's Cross. He already opened The Parrot in Aldwych - but this is quite a departure from that cocktail bar. This time he's teamed up with founder of Connaught Wine Cellars, David Farber, to create a bar and wine shop from Porte Noire (if you haven't heard of them, it's a wine and

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• SpiceBox are bringing vegan curry to Leytonstone with their second restaurant

  

  SpiceBox, the popular vegan curry house, having opened its first outlet in Walthamstow in 2019, are about to open a second site in autumn, this time in Leytonstone.

• Claridge's reveal The Painter's Room bar - we went along to check it out

  

  Claridge's has magicked up a brand new - and spectacular-looking - cocktail bar. We went down to take a look at this surprise opening. 

• Trattoria Brutto is Russell Norman's next restaurant, which is all about Tuscany

   

  15/09/21 - updated with launch details and the menu

  Since leaving the Polpo group, Russell Norman has been busy writing cookbooks, but we've all been wondering when he would make his return to restaurants. Well now we know - he's opening Trattoria Brutto. That comes from the phrase "brutto ma buono" meaning Ugly but good.

  It's

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• BOB's Lobster have opened their Little Lobster Bar at Borough Market

   

  Bob's Lobster have been around the back of London Bridge station for a few years - but now they've teamed up with Bedales of Borough to launch the Little Lobster Bar. 

  Their 1957 Vintage VW split screen converted Campervan has been parked in Borough Market for a while now, but for the winter they've brought it under cover, added seating and created a bar that's

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• The Fat Badger sees the Gladwins coming to Richmond

  

  The Gladwins, the brothers behind restaurants including The Shed, Nutbourne, Sussex and Rabbit, are adding another restaurant to their collection. This time they're heading even further west, to Richmond. 

  The Fat Badger is billed as an "all-day British drinks and dining concept bringing everything we love about the countryside restaurant to life in London". As with their other restaurants,

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• Flat Iron's next London Bridge steak restaurant is at Clink Street

   

  13/9/21 - updated with opening details

  They already have a restaurant on nearby Tooley Street but now Flat Iron are opening a new site on nearby Clink Street (taking over from the old Gourmet Burger, just by The Clink museum). 

  If you've been to a Flat Iron before, you know the drill. It's all about affordable steak, centred around the flat

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• La Cave is Hoxton Holborn's new underground wine bar and chef's residency spot

  

  Taking over the space where Chicken Shop used to be, in the basement of the Hoxton Holborn hotel, is La Cave. Described as both a wine bar, pop-up space and incubator kitchen it'll see a variety of chefs and restaurants taking over the space.

  First up is Cantina Valentina from former Pachamama chef Adam Rawson. His menu will feature a range of dishes inspired by Peru - think dishes like:

  • Lima bean humous served
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• Fresh pasta for Brixton as La Nonna lands a permanent place on Market Row

  

  Having built up a fanbase of South Londoners who love their fresh pasta at Flat Iron Square, La Nonna are sharing the love and opening a second place south of the river. This time, though, it's going to be a proper bricks and mortar affair in Brixton Village.

  Run by Roman-born chef Daniele Pino, the menu features Daniele's modern takes on his family's favourite pasta dishes including Roman Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe and

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• The Barbary Next door opens in real life, taking over from Jacob The Angel

   

  We gave their delivery kit a Test Drive late last year and now The Barbary Next Door is actually becoming a real life restaurant. 

  It's taking over what was Jacob The Angel, which is of course right next door to The Barbary. As opposed to the

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• Galvin brothers to open Galvin Bar & Grill at the Kimpton Fitzroy on Russell Square

  

  There's a changing of the guard at the Kimpton Fitzroy hotel on Russell Square as hotel restaurant experts the Galvin Brothers get ready to take over the space where Neptune was.

  Where there used to be seafood served up, the menu will now take inspiration from ethically sourced meat as Chris and Jeff are teaming up with Head Chef Adam Gray who was part of the launch team of The Ethical Butcher.

  Galvin

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• Koya Ko are bringing their udon to Broadway Market

  

  18/8/21 - updated with opening menu and opening date

  Hackney-based fans of Koya will be very happy - they're opening their latest restaurant on Broadway Market (taking over the space where Twigs used to be).

  Called Koya Ko, much like the short-lived version at Market Halls

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• Kanada-Ya is cooking up ramen for Carnaby and Ealing

  

  It's expansion time for another popular restaurant - this time Kanada-Ya who have two new London places opening before the end of the year. So if you've yet to try their tonkotsu ramen, then more opportunities are on the horizon. 

  First up is Carnaby. They're opening in the Newburgh Quarter, taking over what used to be Shinola. The Carnaby restaurant will have room for 60 inside and 28

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• Katsute100 Japanese tea room arrives on Brick Lane

  

  7/6/21 - amended with new opening date

  Islington's Japanese tea room Katsute100 is on the move - they're opening a second tea room, this time in Shoreditch.

  So, if you're on Brick Lane and suddenly get a craving for green tea and matcha crepe cake, this'll be the place to come. The new tea room and cafe will offer the same menu as their original Camden Passage space, so think fruit katsu sandos, nerikiri

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• Bread Ahead pops up at Southwark Cathedral

  

  Promising loaves, if not fishes, the new Bread Ahead Cafe popping up for a six-month residency at Southwark Cathedral is going to be shaking up their food offering. From today, guests heading to the cathedral's cafe for sustenance will have all manner of carby delights to enjoy.

  The bakery's founder, Matthew Jones, said he was "absolutely delighted to be opening up a new space at the Southwark

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