In February, the Borough Market scene will be better than ever, with the return of a Singaporean restaurant and the relocation of a traditional British restaurant to St James’s.
rose market – 2-3 Stoney Street, London SE1 9AA
Borough Market has recently become a hotspot for interesting new openings. Most recently Akara and Colae, and February will see the opening of the next restaurant from Claire Lattin and Tom Hill, founders of Duck Soup and Little Duck. The restaurant is French bistro-style, using British ingredients, and has hired chef Elliot Hastrudy, who just finished his residency at 107 (also known as P Franco). Dishes planned include dandelion tête de veaux schnitzel and stuffed chicken wings with cep.
Learn more about Camille
chinatown – 53 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 6LB
Singapulah is the name of restaurateur Ellen Chew, who also runs Rasa Sayang, Mrs Chew’s Chinese Kitchen, Shan Shui and Arôme. Singapulah has appeared as a pop-up before, but this time it will return not only as a permanent restaurant, but also as a shop offering a menu featuring Singaporean ingredients. Its menu changes regularly, starting with dishes such as bak chor mee, a noodle dish with minced pork.
About Singapura
clarkenwell – 84-86 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4Q
The same team that was so successful with Perilla in Newington Green is opening Morchella in Exmouth Market. This is quite different from the previous restaurant and is advertised as a Mediterranean influenced restaurant and wine bar. The wines are all Old World focused, and the menu includes light bites like tortilla sandwiches and salt-grilled poussin with cold sauce, and desserts like prune, almond, and Armagnac galettes.
About Morchella
victoria park – 211a Victoria Park Road, London E9 7JN
This is the newest wine bar from Michael Sager, the man behind Sager + Wilde. This represents a more personal venture of his own, and as well as being named after his father, he will open Bot in his own Victoria Park precinct. It’s a wine shop by day and a bar by night, and drinks in, including bottles from his own hand-picked cellar, come with a £15 markup. Food-wise, there will be a big focus on stuffed pretzels, inspired by Michael’s Swiss-born hometown.
About Bar Bruno
notting hill – 299-301 Portobello Road, London W10 5TD
After a delay since January, we’ve finally heard that Hollywood star Danny Trejo will be bringing tacos to Notting Hill next month. This allows him to open his first Taco Empire location in London. The steak asada taco with pepita pesto is a must-try, along with the surf-and-turf burrito (steak asada and spicy shrimp) (it was an Anthony Bourdain favorite). London’s taco scene is pretty competitive these days so it will be interesting to see how this compares to local options.
About Trejo’s Tacos
Mayer Bone – 43 Blandford Street, London W1U 7HF
London is in love with Mediterranean-inspired cuisine right now, and Bellazul is the second restaurant to open this month in London with a Mediterranean starting point. The person in charge here is Simone Serafini, who previously served as head chef at Cecconi’s Mayfair. The opening will feature dishes such as Moroccan lamb tagine and lobster, as well as a wine list that reflects Mediterranean cuisine. I’m especially intrigued by the Belazur Her Martini, which features gin with focaccia.
About Verazul
saint james – 181 Piccadilly, London W1A 1ER
One of London’s most popular restaurants is undergoing a major makeover this month. But instead of closing, they decided to launch St. James and take over the restaurant on the ground floor of Fortnums. That means for just two and a half weeks, you can get all the classic St. John dishes in the heart of St. James. There’s also a bar, so you can pop in for a St. John rosé and Eccles cake if you feel like it.
About St. John at Fortnum’s
Please be careful too…
- quince bakery (Islington) – Former Florida baker Anna Higham is teaming up with Paris Barguchi (Neal’s Yard Dairy, Clove Crab) for this highly promising Islington bakery.
- mistress (Mayfair) – This trendy restaurant plans “sophisticated French cuisine for modern Mayfair”.
- caviar bar (Mayfair) – Mayfair’s more upscale dining with seafood and caviar just steps from Hannover Square.
All newly opened and upcoming restaurants in London…
Here’s your complete guide to all the new restaurants opening in London.
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Latest news on all the restaurants scheduled to open in the capital. The only coming soon list you’ll ever need.
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