New opening

• 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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• Club Mexicana brings vegan tacos & more to Soho

  After pop-ups and residencies across London, Club Mexicana are bringing their vegan Mexican food to Kingly Court. 

• Butchies buttermilk fried chicken lands on Clapham High Street

  

  One of London's best-fried chicken restaurants is heading south - launching a new restaurant in Clapham. They had started a delivery-only kitchen in Battersea during the lockdown, but now they're opening the real deal on Clapham High Street.

  If you're unfamiliar with them, they started in markets before opening their first restaurant in Shoreditch. For them, it's all about their special-recipe buttermilk

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• Tandoor Chop House head to Notting Hill, opening on Uxbridge Street

  

  Popular Covent Garden restaurant Tandoor Chop House is expanding, opening in Notting Hill this week. The restaurant, which is owned by Ennismore, the folk who brought us The Hoxton, has taken over the old Eggbreak site on Uxbridge Street.

  Starting with a dinner-only service, they'll be turning out their dishes "inspired by the communal eateries of Northern India and the classic British chop house.

  So you can expect to find on the

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• Queens of Mayfair will be an artisan coffee shop and events space

  

  Sibling duo Victoria and Grace Sheppard are behind new cafe/events space Queens of Mayfair. They'll be combining their experience in hospitality and interior design respectively for their artisan coffee shop. Victoria was recently running the marketing for UMU & The Greenhouse while Grace project manages interior design projects for high net worth clients at luxury property company Chartwell.

  Queens will be open from breakfast through

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