As we gear up for Summer, London’s restaurant scene shows no sign of slowing down – read on for Bon Vivant’s guide of the best new London restaurants to keep on your radar for the next few months.
Hutong at The Shard
On the 33rd floor of The Shard, Hutong will showcase the cuisine of Northern China from the team behind Hong Kong’s Aqua Group.
Hutong’s signature dishes in London will include Crispy deboned Lamb; Red Lantern crispy soft shell crab with Sichuan dried peppers; ‘Kung Po’ wok fried prawns with cashew nuts and chilli; Chilli spiced bamboo clams steeped in Chinese rose wine and chilli sauce and Imperial Peking Duck.
Hutong will be open for lunch and dinner as well as late night drinks overlooking a three-storey atrium bar, serving cocktails with an emphasis on gin and tea. Hutong will open in July.
Gymkhana, Mayfair
Gymkhana will be a new restaurant from Karam Sethi, who made his name in London with his Michelin starred Indian restaurant, Trishna, in Marylebone. Gymkhana will be inspired by the Colonial Indian social and sports clubs of the same name and will open in early August at 42 Albermarle Street, Mayfair.
Gymkhana will serve modern Indian food with a focus on the tandoor oven and sigri charcoal grill.
Tartufo, Chelsea
From a chef who has worked at Gauthier Soho as sous chef and management who have worked at Galvin at Windows, Le Gavroche and Roussillon, Tartufo is a new Modern European restaurant on Cadogan Gardens in Chelsea.
Situated on the lower ground floor of a red-brick Victorian mansion-block, Tartufo offers a fine dining experience with reasonable set menus (two courses £25, three courses £30, four courses £40).
Casa Negra, Shoreditch
Following last year’s successful Soho hit La Bodega Negra, Ricker Restaurants will launch Casa Negra in Shoreditch on 6 June 2013, adding to the group’s portfolio that also includes E&O, XO, Cicada and Eight Over Eight.
Casa Negra will offer a menu of Mexican style street food, including ceviches, coctèls, aguachiles and tostadas, along with a number of different tacos. Casa Negra’s signature dish will be the Carnitas de lechon – a suckling pig ‘served at the table with fresh salsas and traditional garnishes’.
Casa Negra’s dining room will seat 82, with space for 30+ at the bar, which will be open until 2am.
Grain Store, King’s Cross
Following the success of Bistrot Bruno Loubet at The Zetter Townhouse (one of our favourite boutique hotels in London), chef Bruno Loubet will open Grain Store on 10 June in the redeveloped Granary Square area behind King’s Cross station, next to Caravan King’s Cross.
Grain Store’s menu is said to be eclectic – ‘a culmination of Bruno’s extensive travels and the years dedicated to his beloved vegetable patch’. The bar will be headed up by Tony Conigliaro, the man behind some of our favourite London cocktail bars, including 69 Colebrooke Row and The Zetter Townhouse bar.
aqua shard
Aqua Restaurant Group will also launch ‘aqua shard’ on level 31 of The Shard offering contemporary British cuisine from chef Anthony Garlando, who previously worked with Pierre Gagnaire for several years.
The 220-cover aqua shard will be split into two areas, taking their inspiration from gin and tea respectively. aqua shard will be open all day, serving breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.
Christopher’s
Christopher’s reopened in the middle of May following a 4 month closure for a full refurbishment. Christopher’s offers a menu of modern American cuisine in a gorgeous dining room.
Menu highlights include Maryland crabcakes and the lobster bisque with lobster dumplings, along with classic main dishes of USDA Prime steaks and surf ‘n’ turf.
The Five Fields, Chelsea
The Five Fields launched in Chelsea on 21 May 2013 as 40-seat restaurant with a modern, seasonal menu with a focus on rare herbs and vegetables, grown at the restaurant’s own East Sussex gardens.
The Five Fields offers a three-course menu for £45 and an eight-course tasting menu for £65. Chef-owner Taylor Bonnyman previously worked at two Michelin-starred Corton in New York.
Bird of Smithfield
Bird of Smithfield is the new restaurant from Alan Bird, former head chef at The Ivy and former group executive chef of the Soho House Group.
The restaurant’s menu is decidedly British, the bar has a cosy lounge feel, there’s spacious and stylish private dining room and a roof terrace overlooking Smithfield Market.
Chabrot Bistrot des Halles
The team behind Chabrot Bistrot d’Amis in Knightsbridge has launched a second restaurant on Long Lane in Clerkenwell. Chabrot Bistrot des Halles focuses on brasserie fare with a large part of the menu dedicated to meat.
In addition to the a la carte menu, Chabrot Bistrot des Halles offers a two-course set lunch menu for £14.50 and a three course set menu for £19.50 available all evening.
Tom’s Kitchen Canary Wharf
Tom’s Kitchen will open at the end of June 2013 as a 130 seater restaurant, bar and deli in Westferry Circus in Canary Wharf. This is the latest opening from Tom Aikens, where the menu and design will resemble a British brasserie.
In the meantime, read some of recent London restaurant reviews including The Gilbert Scott and Negozio Classica.
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