8 New Restaurants To Book Now
Kol, Marylebone
Kol, the debut restaurant from Mexican chef Santiago Lastra, has had a couple of false starts over the last year. But now it’s ready to open properly and this time, there’s a basement bar too – Kol Mezcaleria. Santiago and the team will be serving authentic Mexican food across the 56-cover dining room and intimate chef’s table. Expect to try the likes of langoustine tacos with smoked chilli and sea buckthorn; kohlrabi with pink mole, pumpkin agua chile and smoked beetroot; confit pork cheek carnitas with cabbage leaves, gooseberry, pear salsa and black beans, as well as Kentish oaxaca cheese, butternut squash and wild mushroom quesadilla. Headed up by bar manager Maxim Schulte (formerly of The Savoy’s American Bar), the downstairs mezcaleria seats 26 and will house one of Europe’s most extensive selections of Mexican and agave spirits, offering more than 80 varieties of tequila and mezcal sourced from small-scale and independent distillers. Maxim’s cocktail menu makes use of both Mexican and British ingredients and takes a culinary approach. The drinks go hand in hand with Santiago’s ‘antojitos’ – street food-style snacks inspired by delicacies found in the country’s indigenous communities. We can’t wait to visit.
9 Seymour Street, Marylebone, W1H 7BA; from 19th May
Visit KolRestaurant.co.uk
Pasta Evangelists at Harrods, Knightsbridge
One of the UK’s favourite lockdown treats, Pasta Evangelists has now opened its first ever restaurant – in Harrods, no less. The restaurant will offer a modern Italian menu exclusive to the department store and created by Pasta Evangelists’ head of food, Michele Rodelli. Guests will start with a selection of antipasti, such as tagliere (a selection of cured meats, parmigiano reggiano, pecorino sardo and smoked ricotta), grissini breadsticks and focaccia. Main courses will showcase regional pasta delicacies from across Italy with specials including lasagne cupcake with a British asparagus and parmesan cream; and lobster tortelloni with a lobster and vine tomato butter and sautéed artichokes. And to finish off the meal, there’ll be the likes of tiramisù and strawberry crumble provided by the Harrods pastry department. A must visit.
87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7XL; open now
Visit SevenRoom.com
NoMad Restaurant, Covent Garden
New hotel NoMad London is the first international property for the New York hotel brand. The London site has taken over Grade II-listed Bow Street Magistrates’ Court and Police Station in Covent Garden, and like all NoMad properties – multi-Michelin-starred 11 Madison Park is based at the NYC site – food will play a key role. The London restaurant is housed in a soaring three-story atrium. During the day, the space is filled with natural light, while, in the evening, the room will transform into a more intimate setting. At NoMad Restaurant the focus will be on seasonal dishes. A wood-burning grill will be a focal point in the main dining room, and several of NoMad’s signature dishes will take centre stage, such as the stuffed chicken for two and the team’s seafood. Also inside the hotel, you’ll find Side Hustle – NoMad’s take on the classic British pub – which will serve Mexican sharing plates and a large selection of agave-based spirits and cocktails.
28 Bow Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 7AW; from 25th May
Visit TheNomadHotel.com
Huŏ, Chelsea
From the team behind Notting Hill’s Uli, comes Huŏ. Showcasing Asian food, restaurateur Michael Lim has pulled together a menu of dishes from around China and Southeast Asia, all prepared using traditional Chinese, Thai, Malay and Singaporean techniques. Highlights include triple-cooked dover sole with asparagus garlic and chilli; and stir-fried beef fillet with spicy black pepper sauce. The restaurant has been designed by RIBA award-winner Jonathan Clark Architects: picture bleached timber banquettes and flooring and a white timber raft ceiling, combined with tropical plants and modern Asian art. As well as the restaurant, the venue will have a separate bar area where guests can choose from a selection of unusual Japanese cocktails. We like the sound of the Asian negroni, made with gin, Campari, vermouth and sake. In the warmer months, the restaurant's front will be fully opened and tables will be set up on the terrace.
9 Park Walk, Chelsea, SW10 0AJ; 1st June
Visit HuoLondon.com
Ino, Soho
The founders of Marylebone’s Opso and two-Michelin-starred Athens restaurant Funky Gourmet are set to launch Ino. The menu will be centred around a Greek ‘psistaria’ grill and is inspired by the dining culture of classic tavernas, using ingredients from prominent farms across the UK and directly from Greece. Small plates on offer will include charcoaled prime short rib chops, house-cured mackerel, catch-of-the-day carpaccio and sardine sashimi. Meanwhile, the bar will showcase some of the country’s most exciting producers through its strictly Greek wine list. These will all be available by the glass, encouraging diners to try something new. On a cosy site in Soho, the restaurant is set across two levels, and features an open kitchen, where guests will be able to sit along the full-length bar and watch the chefs at work. A terrace will see guests spill out onto the pedestrianised street for al fresco dining during the warmer months.
4 Newburgh Street, Soho, W1F 7RF; from 24th May
Visit InoGastroBar.com
Harrods Social, Knightsbridge
Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton’s newest restaurant – Harrods Social – will serve British cuisine in a relaxed yet elegant setting within the famed department store. The 114-seat restaurant will showcase British produce and seasonal ingredients, with a menu that includes Cumbrian beef tartare, Devon crab, Wye Valley asparagus salad and Cumbrian chicken with black truffle. Alongside this is a selection of wine, ‘Flying Pig’ cocktails and speciality coffees, as well as an indulgent dessert menu which features Tahitian vanilla crème brûlée, Valrhona chocolate tart, and olive oil sponge with Amalfi lemon curd, nougatine and yoghurt sorbet. Part of Harrods’ striking dining hall concept, Atherton’s new spot fits right it with its detailed marble cornerstones, atmospheric illuminated brass signage and textured leather upholstery. We imagine it’s the perfect place for a post-shopping supper.
87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, SW1X 7XL; open now
Visit Harrods.com
Eataly, City
Eataly – the world’s largest Italian food market and restaurant concept – has finally opened in London. At 4,000sq m, this is a large venue filled with market stalls, takeaway concepts and ‘La Terrazza di Eataly’, an outdoor space offering an Italian menu of sharing dishes across the summer. This space will also host the ‘Aperol Spritzeria’, serving cocktails, wine and beer. The market will offer over 5,000 quality Italian and local food products, including fresh produce from butchers, fishmongers, cured meat and cheese counters. A wine cellar offers over 2,000 wine labels and the ‘Via del Dolce’ will showcase freshly baked Italian cakes, pastry, cannoli and handmade gelato, and the in-house ‘cheese laboratory’ will produce fresh mozzarella and Italian cheeses on site every day. As part of the launch, Eataly's cookery school, La Scuola, will offer classes aimed at discovering and mastering classic dishes of Italian cuisine.
135 Bishopsgate, City, EC2M 3YD; from 20th May
Visit Eataly.co.uk
Cin Cin Bar & Kitchen, Fitzrovia
Cin Cin has brought its award-winning seasonal Italian food to Fitzrovia. This is the third restaurant from the group: Cin Cin first opened its doors in Brighton’s North Laine in 2016, winning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2018. A second site followed in Hove in 2018 and was awarded an AA Rosette last year. This new spot offers a seasonal menu of inventive Italian dishes and drinks served in a relaxed 20-seat dining room and south-facing terrace. Diners can expect to sample the likes of roasted garlic and lardo flatbread; burrata with grilled baby leeks, toasted almond and preserved lemon; and crab arancino with warm basil emulsion to start, while main courses include brill with spring cabbage and brown butter; handmade farfalle with peas, mortadella and tropea onion; and ravioli of truffled potato with asparagus and confit yolk. The bar will be on hand to serve a wide range of carefully chosen Italian wines, as well as beers, digestivi and a selection of aperitivo. Having visited the Brighton original many times, we highly recommend the signature negroni.
21a Foley Street, Fitzrovia, W1W 6DS; from 18th May
Visit CinCin.co.uk
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