10 London Hotspots An In-The-Know Foodie Can’t Wait To Try
Dumbo
Parisian smash burger spot Dumbo has opened its second London outpost in Soho, bringing its cult burgers to Berwick Street. The menu is deliberately short and sweet: expect double-stacked smash burgers made with dry-aged beef, American cheese, pickles, ketchup and mustard, alongside twice-cooked fries and its much-loved tempura chicken nuggets. There’s also an ‘Earth Burger’ for vegetarians, while the minimalist diner-style interiors keep things simple and let the food do the talking.
Visit DUMBOPARIS.COM
Impala
One of the most talked-about Soho openings of the year, Impala is the first solo restaurant from chef Meedu Saad, formerly of Kiln. The menu draws on his Egyptian heritage and North African influences, with a charcoal grill at the heart of the kitchen and plenty of British produce worked into the mix. Expect dishes cooked over fire, from grilled fish and skewers to slow-roasted meats, alongside punchy salads, vegetables and beautifully spiced sides.
Visit IMPALASOHO.COM
KİD
Sertaç Dirik, the chef behind Hackney institution Mangal II, is bringing his distinctive take on Turkish cooking to Soho with KİD. Created with restaurateur David Carter, the restaurant centres around live-fire cooking, with a menu spanning charcoal-grilled seafood, sourdough pide, vegetables and slow-cooked kid goat. The space itself is intimate and atmospheric, with the open kitchen and grill at its heart. Given Dirik’s reputation for putting a fresh spin on traditional flavours, this is one for anyone who likes their Turkish food with a little more edge.
Visit KID.LONDON
Lunette
Florence Knight is back and the setting alone makes Lunette worth keeping on your radar. Not open just yet, you’ll find it perched on the 11th floor of the new St Clement hotel on the Strand, the intimate restaurant offers sweeping views across the Thames, while Knight’s seasonal set menu is expected to bring a pared-back, highly considered approach to cooking. The interiors are equally thoughtful, balancing the building’s Brutalist bones with handblown glassware, stitched leather chairs and sculptural details.
Visit LUNETTE.LONDON
Nakimushi
Two popular Japanese residencies have found a permanent home at Nakimushi, a three-storey townhouse near Notting Hill Gate from the team behind Dorian and Eel Sushi. Downstairs, Robin’s Ramen serves Tokyo-style bowls including its signature lobster ramen, while upstairs, chefs Robin Kosuge and Yuji Shimokawa Kelly take a broader approach to Japanese cooking, with dishes spanning sashimi, gyoza, grilled seafood and robata-cooked meats. The townhouse itself is worth a look, too, with pale timber, brass details and Japanese tiles creating a warm, contemporary feel.
Visit NAKIMUSHI.CO.UK
The Horses
The team behind The Pelican, The Hart and The Hero has given a historic Clerkenwell pub a smart new chapter. With four floors of handsome interiors, The Horses is home to an oyster bar and a menu that puts British seafood front and centre. Think oysters, crab rolls, Dover sole and other daily-changing dishes, alongside proper pub favourites for those after something heartier. There’s plenty of attention to detail but the idea is still to feel like a pub first – somewhere you can drop in for a pint and a snack or settle in for a longer lunch or dinner.
Visit THEHORSESEC1.COM
Pearl Mayfair
Set in the elevated gardens of Brown Hart Gardens, Pearl is bringing a little Mediterranean holiday energy to Mayfair. The new all-day restaurant from The Beaumont is overseen by culinary director Lisa Goodwin-Allen, with a menu inspired by the flavours of Italy, Spain and Greece, spanning morning coffee and breakfast through to long lunches, aperitivo and dinner. The setting is a big part of the appeal, with a generous terrace inspired by Milanese piazzas and Riviera promenades overlooking the newly landscaped gardens. It feels like the kind of place made for lingering – particularly when the sun is out.
Visit PEARLMAYFAIR.COM
Soraya
The Pachamama Group is bringing its Persian-inspired restaurant Soraya from Abu Dhabi to Marylebone, marking a homecoming of sorts for the concept, which was originally developed in London. The group’s biggest restaurant in the capital yet, it’s set across a generous 6,000sq ft space with an open kitchen, L-shaped bar and two private dining rooms. The menu is built around generous, sharing-style dishes, from warm flatbreads, smoked aubergine dip and Persian stews to charcoal-grilled kebabs and a rotating selection of cheesecakes. The interiors are equally atmospheric, drawing on 1970s Tehran with velvet banquettes, linen curtains and dark wood.
Visit SORAYA.LONDON
Café Clement & Bobbi’s Bar
There are a couple of additions to the St Clement development on the Thames to get excited about. Café Clement is an all-day café and restaurant from chef Danny Bohan serving everything from breakfast and oysters to steak, pasta and Sunday roasts, with a south-facing terrace and garden for outdoor dining. Come evening, Bobbi’s Bar shifts the mood with cocktails and late-night drinks, staying open until 3am. It’s a particularly good one to know if you like somewhere that can take you from morning coffee through to a late-night nightcap.
Visit STCLEMENT.CO.UK
Brasserie Angelica
Part of The Newman hotel in Fitzrovia, Brasserie Angelica is a modern European brasserie designed to work from morning through to evening. There’s a strong Northern European influence across the menu, with dishes including gravadlax, herring, oysters and grilled fish alongside more classic brasserie fare, while live-fire cooking brings plenty of character to the mains. We also like the slightly old-school touches, including a roaming sandwich trolley at lunchtime, plus a terrace for al fresco dining. Come the weekend, it shifts into brunch mode, with cocktails, bubbles and a live DJ.
Visit BRASSERIEANGELICA.COM
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