Another year, another flurry of decadent restaurant openings in London. Already established as a culinary capital of the world, 2024 will see the city’s thriving food scene attract even more established chefs and promising newcomers setting up shop to serve London’s foodies the very best. Don’t miss the reopening of Restaurant Story as two Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers relaunches his original Bermondsey haunt, and be sure to book a table at Endo Kazutoshi, Akira Back or Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s new culinary destinations. Plus, discover new projects from the talented teams behind Los Mochis, Fallow and Taku Mayfair – here are the best new London restaurants opening in 2024. 

The Goring Dining Room, Belgravia

Having undergone a huge renovation, The Dining Room – the Michelin-starred restaurant at The Goring – is set to reopen its doors this month, promising a feast for the eyes and appetites. Jeremy Goring tasked Russell Sage with the redesign of the five-star hotel’s flagship restaurant, drawing inspiration for the interiors from London’s royal palaces, resulting in bold red furnishings set against green floral wallpaper with whimsical hand-painted features.

For the first time in its century-long history, a completely new kitchen has been fitted for The Dining Room, providing executive chef Graham Squire and the team space to get to work on the restaurant’s seasonal, ingredient-led British dishes. Highlights from the opening menu include roast Orkney scallop with pea and lemon verbena, Cornish monkfish with mussels and Rhug Estate lamb hot pot pie with BBQ gem relish. The Goring’s signature Eggs Drumkilbo and Lobster omelette will also be reimagined, and the addition of showstopping trolleys will glide through the space, providing tableside delight in the form of classic champagne cocktails, sharing dishes of beef Wellington and stuffed turbot, and delicious Rum Baba Flambé.

Projected opening: 20 May 2024

Address: 15 Beeston Place, SW1W 0JW

Visit thegoring.com

Kioku by Endo at The OWO, Westminster

Kioku

Michelin-starred Japanese chef Endo Kazutoshi will open his highly-anticipated rooftop restaurant Kioku, at the prestigious OWO on 15 May. Drawing on classic Japanese cuisine combined with Mediterranean influences, Kioku features an eight-seat chef’s table overlooking the kitchen, private dining room within one of the building’s turrets, and a 55-cover outdoor terrace, as well as a main dining room showcasing weekly piano performances. On the menu, Kazutoshi has included his signature nigiri and sashimi alongside larger plates of cuttlefish nori pesto and elderflower, chashu pork ramen ravioli, smoked yellowtail with green apple ponzu, and a bespoke tuna trolley, served tableside by one of Kazutoshi’s sushi chefs. For your digestif, head to the sister bar downstairs that stocks the largest sake collection in Europe, stored in a bespoke sake safe holding 110 bottles. 

Projected opening: 15 May 2024

Address: The OWO, 57 Whitehall, SW1A 2BX

Visit raffles.com

The Hero, Maida Vale

The duo behind Notting Hill’s The Pelican and The Bull in Charlbury, Phil Winser and James Gummer, will open a new neighbourhood pub, The Hero, in Maida Vale this May. Spread across four floors, and with interiors meticulously restored to preserve the original 1878 building, the space comprises a pub, grill room, and cocktail bar – and will no doubt become a west London favourite. The ground floor pub evokes a sense of nostalgia, serving traditional British comfort food and cask ales while on the first floor – think mackerel pâté and cheese and onion pie – while upstairs, The Grill Room specialises in meats and fish cooked over an open fire, serving the likes of lamb chops with mint and peas, and cod with brown butter, all courtesy of chef Ed Baillieu who focuses on sustainability and regenerative farming. 

Projected opening: 13 May 2024

Address: 55 Shirland Road, W9 2JD

Visit theherow9.com

The Counter, Soho

This May, The Counter Soho – the second London restaurant from celebrated Turkish chef and The Counter Notting Hill founder, Kemal Demirasal – will open on Soho’s Kingly Street, alongside its aptly-named speakeasy cocktail bar, Under The Counter. The restaurant and bar will bring the flavours of the Aegean to the capital, alongside south eastern Anatolian favourites from the west London outpost, celebrating the fresh and vibrant cuisine of Demirasal’s childhood in the city of Izmir on the Aegean coast. 

Start with mezze to share – including whipped tarama and fish roe, sea bass crudo, cheese saganaki and grilled octopus with mashed fava – before digging into larger sharing plates of whole sea bass and slow roasted lamb shoulder. There will also be a regularly changing menu of seafood delicacies, such as tender tuna wagyu to share and hand dived scallops, perfectly paired with one of the Greek, Turkish and Levantine wines in the cellar. Downstairs at Under The Counter, cocktails will draw inspiration from Greece, Turkey and the Mediterranean, soundtracked by an eclectic mix of music rotating on a daily basis.

Projected opening: 11 May 2024

Address: 15 Kingly Street, Carnaby, W1F 9BP

Visit thecounterlondon.com

Fellini, Chelsea

The team behind one of Mayfair’s legendary '90s haunts, Paparazzi Café, has now moved its foodie focus to Chelsea with old-school Italian restaurant, Fellini. Intending to restore authentic Italian hospitality to the London dining scene, and prioritising personal touches over gimmicks and maximalism, signature dishes include the Fellini primavera with homemade aubergine and basil pesto, and the vegan ravioli rossi, consisting of spicy chickpea-filled pasta served with a butter and sage sauce. Secondi include veal Milanese and simply grilled fish, with the menu finishing with traditional desserts such as tiramisu and a flourless chocolate cake. Interiors are inspired by the slow-paced Italian summer, and feature olive trees and walls lined with black and white photos of familiar faces – belíssimo. 

Projected opening: 6 May 2024

Address: 149 Draycott Avenue, SW3 3AB

Visit thefellini.com

El Cenote, Camden

Camden will welcome a new Mexican restaurant in May from restaurateur Aima Indigo – formerly of La Bodega Negra and Mestizo Chelsea – and Mexican chef Daniel Sanchez. Drawing inspiration from traditional street food and recipes passed down from his grandmother, Sanchez’ menus feature cochinita pipil tacos – soft tortillas with pulled pork – spicy taco birria and carne asada norteña, a traditional dish composed of thinly sliced grilled marinated steak. Vegans won’t be left out either, with plant-based dishes including sweet potato tacos with refried black beans and crispy mushroom tacos, with vegan manchego cheese, mushroom stew and avocado tomatillo salsa. On the cocktail front, signature libations created by Indigo include the namesake El Cenote – a twist on the classic margarita, featuring cucumber and blue curaçao – and Xocolatl, a nod to ancient Aztec traditions, combining tequila, chocolate liqueur, and mole sauce. 

Projected opening: May 2024

Address: 2 Inverness Street, NW1 7HJ

Visit elcenotecamden.com

Cloth, Farringdon

Cloth founders Joe Haynes, left, Tom Hurst and Ben Butterworth

Having spent years supplying London’s top restaurants through their separate wine businesses, Joe Haynes and Ben Butterworth have joined forces with Tom Hurst – formerly of Brawn, Levan, and Larry’s – to launch the trio’s first restaurant, Cloth, housed inside a Grade-II listed building on Farringdon’s Cloth Fair. Inside, low ceilings, wood panelling and antique wall lights create a cosy, intimate atmosphere, where drinks and snacks (expect Carlingford oysters with all the trimmings, and plenty of charcuterie) will be available from 12pm until closing, plus a more formal restaurant open for lunch and dinner. Serving Hurst’s seasonal dishes – think Cornish squid with black olive and lemon and brown crab and Berkswell tagliarini – there will also be a weekly-changing set lunch menu offering up the likes of mussels, fennel and lardo on toast, and hogget sausage with chickpeas. Pair with a bottle from Cloth’s expertly-curated wine list and you’ve got a perfect night out in The City. 

Projected opening: 29 April 2024

Address: 44 Cloth Fair, London, EC1A 7JQ

Visit clothrestaurants.com

Abc Kitchens at The Emory, Knightsbridge

Acclaimed French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten brings all the parts of his famous, New York-born Abc Kitchens brand together under one roof for the first time at The Emory. From the team behind Claridge’s and The Connaught, the all-suite property is a modern masterpiece designed by the late Richard Rogers and Ivan Harbour – and the opening of Abc Kitchens marks the first phase of the hotel’s launch. Blending the original Abc ethos with vegan and Latin-American flavours, the amber-hued restaurant was designed by French architect Rémi Tessier to feature a ‘wine cave’ that spotlights a curated selection alongside Damien Hirst artworks, while the versatile menu includes crab toast, crispy fish tacos served with cabbage-apple slaw, and chargrilled beef tenderloin with chimichurri and lime.

Projected opening: 4 April 2024

Address: The Emory, Old Barrack Yard, SW1X 7NP

Visit the-emory.co.uk

Uba, Shoreditch

Described as where ‘the East meets east London’, Uba is a playful Asian-inspired dining spot on Shoreditch’s Great Eastern Street. Promising to take diners on a gastronomic journey through the bustling streets and aromatic alleys of Asia’s most vibrant cities – from Tokyo to Bangkok, and Hong Kong to Singapore – the menu has been curated by globetrotting chef Paul Greening, who has created an array of dishes inspired by his epicurean exploits across Asia. The menu runs the gamut from silky sashimi and modern sushi through to fluffy hirata buns, dim sum, gyoza and ramen. Signatures include stuffed boneless chicken wings with coriander, lime and ginger miso dipping sauce, spicy salmon tartare with Japanese herbs, and yuzu shiso marinated lamb cutlets with nashi pear, tomato miso and kimchi. The immersive interiors also pay homage to Asia, celebrating the continent’s varying cultures and mythology with gold banquettes, lava-like tabletops, illustrative artwork and tiger statues, symbolising strength and grace. 

Projected opening: 2 April 2024

Address: 61-67 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HU

Visit ubarestaurant.com

The Cocochine, Mayfair

Chef Larry Jayasekara. Images: Justin De Souza

After its opening was pushed back by six months last year, The Cocochine finally opened its doors on Mayfair’s Bruton Place in March. From Hamiltons Gallery owner Tim Jefferies and chef Larry Jayasekara, the new restaurant is set across four floors of a former mews house off Berkeley Square, and is named after an affectionate term for Jefferies’ young daughter. The ground level hosts a 28-seat main dining room, before leather-clad handrails guide you to the first level, where a specially commissioned mosaic inspired by a former Hamiltons Gallery exhibition of work by Guido Mocafico covers the floor. Inside, the room houses a seven-guest chef's counter with views into the heart of the building: the kitchen, helmed by Jayasekara. Combining flavours from his native country of Sri Lanka, his fine-dining experience and farm-to-table ethos, expect dishes of Dutch white asparagus with razor clams, seven-day miso marinated cauliflower and 66 per cent Cocochine chocolate biscuit. A visit to this art-led restaurant has to begin with a phone call, as no online booking services are offered, ensuring the experience from the outset is about old-school hospitality. 

Projected opening: 25 March 2024

Address: 27 Bruton Place, London W1J 6NQ

Visit thecocochine.com

Iné by Taku, Hampstead

The team behind Michelin-starred Taku Mayfair has taken to the cobbled streets of Hampstead to launch its latest venture, Iné. Translating from Japanese as ‘rice’, the new restaurant offers a contemporary Japanese menu and a 15-course omakase with specialty sake and wine served across two levels in four distinct spaces. Iné’s main dining room – decorated with clean whites and natural woods in homage to Hampstead Heath – features booth-style seating, while the eight-seater omakase counter is secluded from other diners and the unique sake and art lounge is the perfect place to unwind and indulge on snacking plates including chicken karaage and toro burrata.

The kitchen is helmed by head chef Meng – who trained in the Taku kitchen and brings 23 years of experience as a Master Sushi Chef – and serves plates of lobster with cauliflower and sudachi jelly, wagyu beef katsu sando, grilled yuan chicken and futomaki as well as daily fresh sashimi including toro, akami, hamachi, salmon and suzuki. Book the unique omakase experience to sample Meng’s 15-course tasting menu, echoing the Michelin-starred Taku’s ever-changing menu that uses the freshest ingredients served edomae style.  

Projected opening: Open now

Address: 16 Hampstead High Street, NW3 1PX

Visit inebytaku.com

Restaurant Story, Bermondsey

After closing last year to undergo an extensive refurbishment, fans of accoladed chef Tom Sellers can finally book a table at his two Michelin-starred Restaurant Story through to March 2024 as it reopens this week. Now featuring a new dining area upstairs – dedicated to larger groups and private dining – guests can also book the renovated main dining room and outdoor terrace with views across to the Shard, all trendily housed in a former Victorian public toilet block in Bermondsey. This major refurbishment will mark a new chapter for the restaurant as it celebrates its tenth year and, as Sellers sees it, the start of ‘Story 3.0’. Expect Sellers' signature innovative and imaginative tasting menus, featuring dishes of barbecued langoustine with preserved tomato, pumpkin agnolotti with toasted milk and turbot with fermented cabbage and roasted fish bone sauce. 

Projected opening: 12 January 2024

Address: 199 Tooley Street, SE1 2JX

Visit restaurantstory.co.uk

Clap, Knightsbridge

Celebrating sensory Japanese dining, Clap is opening the doors to its first London outpost in Knightsbridge on 12 January. Following rave success in Dubai, Riyadh and Beirut, the London-based Clap has transformed a refurbished tube station into a three-storey culinary destination, featuring a rooftop bar and lounge boasting panoramic views of central London. Book the omakase offering or pick from an extensive menu featuring Hokkaido scallops with roasted tamara king crab leg and vibrant ceviche, and meinkōsu (main courses) of sea bass amapeño, and pistachio-crusted baby chicken with yuzu and daikon. 

Projected opening: 12 January 2024

Address: 6th and 7th Floor, 12-14 Basil Street, SW3 1AJ

Visit claprestaurant.com

Josephine, Chelsea

Michelin-starred chef Claude Bosi and his wife Lucy are set to open charming neighbourhood French bistro, Josephine, on Fulham Road in February 2024. Inspired by and named after Claude’s late grandmother, this will be the couple’s first joint venture and their most personal project to date, as it reimagines a restaurant reminiscent of the traditional bouchons so often frequented by Claude and Lucy in his hometown of Lyon. Inside, the 76-cover space will take on the character of rustic French restaurants, featuring antique mirrors, warm candelabra lighting and small bistro tables, while a semi-private dining area, seating up to 20 guests, can be found at the back of the dining room tucked behind a curtain.

Claude – who recently opened Brooklands at The Peninsula – will develop and oversee the menu, serving the food that his grandmother Josephine used to cook for him. Think French onion soup, rabbit in mustard sauce, and endive, gruyere and walnut salad, as well as regional Lyonnaise specialities such as chicken liver terrine with vin jaune and rich Lyonnaise sausages baked in brioche and Beaujolais sauce. In keeping with the classical French feel, the wine offering will feature a bouchon-style metre wine, allowing diners to pay only for what they drink and encouraging them to try something new. 

Projected opening: March 2024

Address: 315 Fulham Road, SW10 9QH

Visit josephinebouchon.com

Bellazul, Marylebone

The beginning of February will also see the opening of Bellazul – a Mediterranean restaurant and bar on Marylebone’s Blandford Street – transporting diners to the sun-kissed shores of the Mediterranean via both its interiors and menus. Featuring large arched windows that frame the entrance, flooding the room with natural light, the menu curated by head chef Simone Serafini has been inspired by the sunny climes of Europe, from the rolling hills and rich flavours of Italy, to the shores of Greece, and, from further afield, the warm spices in Morocco. Seasonally-changing sharing plates will include Moroccan lamb tagine and lobster spaghetti while lighter dishes feature grilled salmon salads served with quail eggs and green beans.

The drinks menu also reflects the culinary diversity of the Mediterranean with pours from Portugal, France and Italy among other, lesser-known wine regions. For those after cocktails, look no further than the Bellazul Martini, with focaccia-infused gin, basil and tomato water, burnt garlic and homemade curacao syrup, and the Retro@43 with bourbon, clarified milk punch, smoked vanilla syrup and orange bitters.

Projected opening: 1 February 2024

Address: 43 Blandford Street, W1U 7HF

Visit bellazul.co.uk

Mistress, Mayfair

Joining Mayfair’s star-studded social scene in February is Parisian-inspired restaurant and after-hours lounge, Mistress, concealed below street level on St James Street. Dressed in a fusion of sultry reds, alluring pinks and plush velvet, Mistress is inspired by the historic, clandestine tunnels beneath the capital, where secrecy once reigned and ladies of the night were smuggled in at the behest of the male members of White’s private club. Come evening, DJs will be spinning funk, soul and disco tunes to get revellers in the party spirit as they tuck into a refined French menu featuring lobster rolls, oysters, fillet mignon, caviar, truffle, and, of course, French fries. Complemented by a roaming champagne trolley, classic cocktails, and an extensive wine list, Mistress will be the place to see and be seen… 

Projected opening: February 2024

Address: 48-49 St James's Street, SW1A 1JT

Visit mistressofmayfair.com

Los Mochis, The City

Those already well acquainted with Los Mochis’ beloved Notting Hill outpost will be delighted that the Tokyo-meets-Tulum restaurant will be expanding into The City this spring. Founded by Markus Thesleff, the sister restaurant will make its home on the ninth floor rooftop of 100 Liverpool Street, boasting a 3,000-sq ft outdoor terrace with panoramic views of London. Led by ex-Nobu executive chef Leonard Tanyag, the menu will showcase Los Mochis’ classics as well as showstopper dishes such as ‘make your own tacos’ with king crab legs and wagyu grade five tomahawk steaks, designed for guests to assemble themselves and share, elevating the humble taco experience.

Projected opening: March 2024

Address: 9th Floor, 100 Liverpool Street, EC2M 2AT

Visit losmochis.co.uk

Roe, Canary Wharf

In spring 2024, chefs-come-entrepreneurs Will Murray, Jack Croft and James Robson will launch their next venture, Roe, in Wood Wharf. Named after the native deer of the British Isles, Roe will follow the same nose-to-tail ethos as its critically acclaimed sister restaurant, Fallow St James’s, and Fowl, the trio’s new chicken shop. Since founding Fallow in 2019, Murray and Croft have surged to the forefront of London's sustainable dining scene, with diners flocking to Fallow to sample cult dishes like the sriracha cod's head: a dish which spotlights a kitchen by-product and saves 400 cod's heads a week from being wasted.

As well as championing modest, British ingredients, Roe’s dishes will showcase underused and underappreciated produce, such as rare meats and carefully sourced fish from the British Isles as well as regenerative crops like wildfarmed native grain. Menu highlights include maitake pasty featuring shiitake mushrooms with thyme, a fresh take on the humble baked potato cooked in kombu stock, served with walnut and truffle ketchup and topped with crispy seaweed, and the Roe mixed grill, featuring underused cuts of venison three ways – grilled marinated haunch, confit shoulder and a venison skewer.

Projected opening: Spring 2024

Address: Five Park Drive, E14 9GG

Visit roerestaurant.co.uk

Akira Back at the Mandarin Oriental, Mayfair

World-renowned chef Akira Back will make his UK debut in spring 2024 with two cutting-edge restaurants: the eponymously named Akira Back and Dosa, plus a cocktail destination called ABar Lounge housed within the five-star Mandarin Oriental Mayfair. Akira Back is a 148-seat Japanese restaurant showcasing an array of Back’s greatest hits, including the AB tuna pizza consisting of a wafer-thin crunchy crust, umami aioli and tuna sashimi, and the 48-hour Australian wagyu ribs cooked in a traditional galbi jjim marinade. Exclusive to London, however, is the wagyu tempura Wellington, paying homage to the traditional British dish and using Highland British wagyu cooked in tempura rather than pastry. 

Elsewhere, Back will also be relocating his Michelin-starred concept Dosa to the capital – offering the ultimate culinary theatre experience with Korean seasonal dishes served at an intimate 14-seater Chef’s Table – and launch ABar Lounge, offering classic cocktails, avant-garde masterpieces and an array of small bites, including kaluga caviar, duck spring rolls and Korean chicken wings. 

Projected opening: Spring 2024

Address: Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, 22 Hanover Square, W1S 1JP

Visit mandarinoriental.com

Julie’s, Holland Park

Julie’s, the celebrated Holland Park restaurant, will reopen its doors under new ownership this spring after a whopping 53 years in business. The much-loved dining and drinking haunt, renowned for its celebrity clientele (think Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and even Princess Margaret) and bohemian charm, will return to its rightful position at the heart of West London’s culinary scene thanks to new owner Tara MacBain, a Holland Park resident and Cordon Bleu trained chef, and chef patron Owen Kenworthy of Brawn and The Pelican fame. Much of the menu has been kept under wraps, however, diners can expect an all-day menu featuring sumptuous seafood towers and oysters sourced from the UK and France, alongside a theatrical martini trolley offering a customised tableside cocktail experience. 

Projected opening: Spring 2024

Address: 135 Portland Road, W11 4LW

Visit juliesrestaurant.com

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