8 New Restaurants To Book Now
The Italian Greyhound, Marylebone
The Italian Greyhound bar and dining room has opened on Seymour Place, offering modern Italian food and drinks. A reinvention of Benardi’s – a smart Italian that previously occupied the same site – the space hosts all-day dining inspired by Italy’s neighbourhood ‘bacaros’ bars. The venue features an expansive bar area, with its own entrance for guests looking to drop in for a casual drink or small plates, as well as a wraparound terrace for drinking and dining. Head chef Yohei Furuhashi – previously of The River Café, Dinings SW3 and Petersham Nurseries – has created a menu based around sharing plates. Guests can expect to sample the likes of Sicilian chickpea fritters with sage; and Cornish crab with roseval potato, celery hearts and capers; alongside larger dishes such as pizza topped with Wye Valley asparagus, stracciatella and speck; pappardelle with slow-cooked pork ragù; and John Dory with Italian spinach, broad beans and bottarga. A short drinks selection includes classic aperitivi such as Scamorza bourbon-washed old fashioneds and a seasonal spritz selection, while the wine list covers Italian and European producers with an extensive by-the-glass selection.
62 Seymour Street, Marylebone, W1H 5BN
Visit TheItalianGreyhound.co.uk
Bao Noodle Shop, Shoreditch
This month, the team behind much-loved Taiwanese steamed bun group Bao will open the doors to Bao Noodle Shop. Close to Shoreditch High Street station, the collective’s first noodle shop takes its cues from those found in Taiwan. Each morning, the chefs will begin their day by preparing fresh wheat noodles, and as lunch service begins, guests can jot down their choices on a concise order form. To start, three new versions of Bao’s cult buns will join the line-up: panko shrimp croquette with sweet and sour sauce; Iberico pork with garlic mayo, black garlic sauce and shredded cabbage; and sweetcorn congee with spring onion tofu sauce and soy pickled chilli. Of course, bowlfuls of the team’s beef noodle soup will be the star of show, with two versions available: both will be made with aged beef bones, fermented chilli bean paste and assorted spices, and guests will have the option of adding cured egg, crispy egg, or spiced beef butter to their bowls. Cocktails will be influenced by the popular shaved ice drinks of Taipei, with the menu featuring a ‘Midori Whisky Sour Ice’ and a ‘Grape Sake Ice’. Alongside these will be a ‘Calpis Fizz’ inspired by Calpico – the Asian yoghurt soda – as well as signature cocktails like the ‘Umeshu Negroni’ and ‘Milk Tea Old Fashioned’.
1 Redchurch Street, Shoreditch, E2 7DJ
Visit BaoLondon.com
JOE HOWARD
Where The Pancakes Are, Fitzovia
Brunch hotspot Where The Pancakes Are has opened a second location, this time on Charlotte Street. Inspired by founder Patricia Trijbits' years of experiencing the fusion cuisine and farm-to-table culture of the west coast of America, the new two-floor location – complete with an outdoor terrace – is similar to the original near Borough Market. Like that one, this restaurant focuses all-day pancake dishes, small bites, refillable filter coffees and cocktails, all served in a bright, light-filled space. The restaurant's main focus remains its buttermilk pancakes (which can also be made with batter that’s dairy free, wheat free and vegan), topped with mostly savoury options: think the ‘1000 Baby Greens’ with babyleaves, cumin, spring onions, green chili, pumpkin seeds and lime-coriander butter; and the ‘Australian’ with polenta corn fritters, avocado, crème fraiche, preserved lemon and rocket. Sustainability is also of importance and careful consideration has been given to the impact of each element of the design: the site’s former Pizza Express furniture has been upcycled and ensuring any new materials are sustainable and made from recycled materials, for example, the walls have been designed using old Dutch army uniforms and the acoustic light rafts on the ceiling are made of 100% recycled PET bottles.
7-9 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 1RG
Visit WhereThePancakesAre.com
Ave Mario, Covent Garden
Following the huge success of Gloria and Circolo Populare, Big Mamma’s newest restaurant, Ave Mario, is set to launch this month. Taking inspiration from across Italy, Ave Mario intends to be a ‘cheeky interpretation of the Church 2.0’. With 295 seats over two floors and two terraces, the ornate Covent Garden restaurant will provide a theatrical dining experience, where guests can tuck into silky carbonara ravioli filled with pecorino cream, egg yolk and crispy guanciale flakes; and a gigantic cotoletta milanese using high welfare rose veal. There’s also set to be a selection of pizzas, made using a pizza dough invention using ‘Biga’ – the traditional Italian baking technique – and a dedicated menu of dishes featuring Baeri caviar from the Venetian Gavieri family. In a similar vein to its other restaurants, desserts are set to be a showstopper. Expect the likes of a 60cm-tall stracciatella ice-cream cake marbled with chocolate spread.
15 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8QG
Visit BigMammaGroup.com
Hackney Coterie, Hackney
Hackney Coterie is a modern brasserie and wine bar. In Hackney Downs, it's the second venture from Anthony Lyon, who opened nose-to-fin restaurant Lyon's Seafood & Wine Bar in Crouch End in 2019. Sommelier and master of sake Kelvin McCabe has joined forces with Anthony to bring about this multipurpose dining experience, which encompasses a restaurant, wine bar, wine shop and deli. Set over two floors, there’s also a large terrace at the front of the building and an intimate downstairs events space, which will open later this year. In charge of the kitchen, you’ll find Dominic Auger, who joins from Ollie Dabbous’ Hide. Changing weekly, his menu will offer the likes of cured pork belly with kisaichi-pickled watermelon and smoked tofu; kombucha-glazed pumpkin with Blackwoods graceburn cheese, freekeh, spiced sultanas and pine nuts; and burnt apple filo tart with hazelnut and koji crumble, and tonka bean ice-cream.
230 Dalston Lane, Hackney, E8 1LA
Follow @HackneyCoterie
Sunday In Brooklyn, Notting Hill
Towards the end of the month, one of New York’s hottest restaurants – Sunday In Brooklyn – will open the doors to its first international location. The Williamsburg favourite opened in 2016 and has become a much-loved fixture in Brooklyn’s dining scene. Known for its inventive spin on American staples, playful cocktails and popular brunch menu, the team is set to bring its best-loved dishes and drinks to Notting Hill, alongside a few new dishes such as beef tartare with charred onions, Worcestershire egg yolk and Walkers salt & vinegar crisps; littleneck clams with garlic bread crumb and smoky bacon; whole smoked artichoke with saffron aioli; and chocolate s'mores – chocolate soft-serve ice-cream with toasted marshmallow and crisp wafer cookies. To drink, a list of all-natural wines will be on offer, as well as signature cocktails such as the ‘Honeybear on Holiday’ (Fiji rum, Amontillado sherry, apricot, pineapple, lime and cumin honey) and the ‘Devil’s Backbone’, a mix of mezcal, dill aquavit, rhubarb amaro, strawberry and tomato. We can’t wait.
98 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, W2 5RU
Visit SundayInBK.co.uk
TOM ATKINS
Bodega Rita’s, Clerkenwell
Cult deli and sandwich shop Bodega Rita’s has launched a new permanent space in Clerkenwell. The bodega, which received critical acclaim when it first opened in King’s Cross in 2018, features a concise list of New York-style subs packed with punchy flavors, created by founders Missy and Gabriel. The menu includes ‘The Tony’, a classic deli sub filled with pesto, prosciutto, salami ventricina, smoked cheese, pickled salad and cheese dust; ‘The King Banh Mi’ with roasted oyster mushrooms, peanut butter, carrot, daikon pickle, coriander, mint, peanuts and pickled chilli; and ‘The Second City’, filled with fennel roast pork belly and crackling, seasoned greens, spicy mayo, crispy shallots, parmesan pork dust and lemon oil. Also making a comeback are Bodega Rita’s tacos, with flavours including with slow-roasted pork shoulder, collar, belly and hocks, topped with diced sweet white onions, coriander, and lime; and the ‘Suadero’ taco, with confit shin of beef, onions, coriander and lime. On the drinks front, Bodega Rita’s will be serving Ozone coffee alongside a line-up of iced drinks, beers, low-intervention wines, and signature margaritas.
91 Cowcross Street, Clerkenwell, EC1M 6BH
Follow @Bodega.Ritas
The Ivy Asia, Chelsea
The Ivy is set to open the doors to the second of its Asian-inspired restaurant concepts. On the King’s Road, the restaurant and bar will open seven days a week across lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Serving theatrical drinks and cocktails against a backdrop of striking artworks, luxurious Asian fabrics, colourful wallpapers and antiques, the restaurant will serve dishes that take inspiration from cuisines spanning Asia. Highlights will include salmon sashimi with spiced yuzu and avocado salsa; roasted half aromatic crispy duck; and Hunan-spiced pork ribs with sesame and coriander. Show-stopping platters will also be a feature – the ‘Ming Dynasty’ will be topped with a selection of sashimi, tuna nigiri and oscietra caviar, wagyu beef tempura with enoki mushroom, and gold and black truffle sauce, while ‘The Bonzai’ comes with assorted vegetable and shiso tempura, steamed yasai dumplings with spiced avocado, cucumber takuan avocado with asparagus maki roll, and truffled teriyaki with shitake and eryngii mushrooms.
201 King’s Road, Chelsea, SW3 5ED
Visit TheIvyAsiaChelsea.com
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