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New London Restaurants and Bars – Spring 2013

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Following the launch of some excellent brasseries at the start of the year with Brasserie Chavot in Mayfair and Balthazar London in Covent Garden, here’s our guide to the significant new London restaurants and bars opening over the coming months.

Oblix at The Shard

The first restaurant in The Shard to announce its opening date is Oblix, a rotisserie grill restaurant and bar from the team behind Zuma and Roka Restaurants.

Inspired by a classic New York grill, the menu at Oblix will be a mixture of grilled and classic dishes on the 32nd floor of The Shard. The restaurant opens on 6 May 2013 and reservation lines are now open on +44 (0)20 7268 6700.

Two other restaurants from Aqua London are due to open in The Shard in June, making The Shard a hot spot for new London restaurants in 2013 – full details to follow.

Great Northern Hotel

The Great Northern Hotel will reopen in April following a £40 million renovation, located between King’s Cross Station and St Pancras International. The Great Northern Hotel’s 90-cover restaurant, Plum + Spilt Milk, will have a menu of ‘classic British and European dishes.

While the main bar (pictured above) is on the ground floor, the hotel has a wonderful intimate bar on the first floor that’s worth checking out.

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 menu will be ‘British with a twist’ with a classic dining room featuring Harris Tweed and herringbone fabrics, a bar with a cosy lounge feel, a basement cocktail bar, a beautiful private dining room with a chef’s table and a roof terrace overlooking the towers of the old market.

Vista at The Trafalgar Hotel

Vista on the rooftop of The Trafalgar Hotel re-opens in April for the season with glorious views of London’s landmarks and statues, with Nelson’s Column almost at eye level. The rooftop bar will be launching a new menu that fuses savoury dishes with ingredients from classic cocktails.

Little Social, Social Eating House and More!

Jason Atherton is a busy man at the moment – Little Social opened at the end of March on Pollen Street opposite his Michelin-starred restaurant Pollen Street Social with more of a casual French bistro menu.

Social Eating House will soon follow on Poland Street in Soho and it has recently been announced that Jason will take over the restaurant on the 24th floor of Tower 42 from Gary Rhodes’s Rhodes 24 later this year.

Monocle Cafe London

Global affairs magazine Monocle will open its first London café at 18 Chiltern Street, Marylebone, on Monday 15 April. Seating approximately 15 guests over a ground and lower-ground floor, the Monocle Café also has some outdoor seating during the warmer months.

The Monocle Café London will serve freshly roasted coffee from Allpress Espresso in Shoreditch and the will include Swiss-inspired bircher muesli, a hearty Monocle toasty and a Midori salad made from seasonal ingredients.

Christopher’s

Christopher’s, an American restaurant in Covent Garden, will re-open at the beginning of May after an extensive refurbishment of its dining rooms and Martini Bar. The menu will feature American classics and the new Club Room will host private events and parties throughout the day.

New London Restaurants: Kaspar’s at The Savoy

The Savoy will launch Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill on Thursday 2nd May. With views of the The Thames and London landmarks, Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill will offer an informal dining experience, ‘presented in an elegant Twenties-style setting’.

The restaurant is named after The Savoy’s famous resident cat.

Story Restaurant

Tom Sellers’s ‘Story Restaurant’ will open on 16 April on Tooley Street in South London. Story will only have 42 covers available for both lunch and dinner. The menu will features a choice between a six-course (£45) or ten-course (£65) menu.

New London Restaurants New Brunch Venues

If you’re looking for new brunch venues, try 34 restaurant‘s epic new eggs menu (with lobster, crab, grilled asparagus, black pudding, smoked salmon or chorizo) or the new Saturday jazz brunch at Le Caprice in Mayfair. Click to read our guide to the best brunch in London.

To keep up to date with new London restaurants and bars, sign up to our blog below:

In the meantime, read our reviews of some of our London favourites including Coya, Garufin and Corrigan’s Mayfair.

Great Northern Hotel, King’s Cross

Posted by Emyr Thomas

The Great Northern Hotel will reopen in London’s King’s Cross in April following a £40 million renovation programme. Located between King’s Cross Station and St Pancras International, the Grade II listed building was originally designed by architect Lewis Cubitt, and opened in 1854.

The 91-bedroom hotel has been restored and refurbished to highlight the building’s high ceilings, sweeping staircases, large sash windows and wide curved corridors. Room rates will start from £250.

The Great Northern Hotel’s 90-cover restaurant, Plum + Spilt Milk will have a menu of ‘classic British and European dishes’ with a brasserie style menu. The restaurant, bar and take-away kiosk will be under the helm of Mark Sargeant in his first London venture since leaving Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s in 2011.

The Great Northern Hotel’s Bar (pictured above) will take up almost the entire ground floor, with its interiors featuring striking glass chandeliers, a central polished pewter island bar and mirrored glass ceilings.

Address: Great Northern Hotel, King’s Cross, London, N1C 4TB

Telephone number: +44 (0)20 3388 0800

Our full review will follow, so sign up to our blog at the link below to be sure not to miss it!

In the meantime, read some of our best London content including our guide to the best afternoon tea, the best boutique clothes shops in London or where to sample the city’s best coffee.

Story Restaurant by Tom Sellars

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Tom Sellers’s ‘Story Restaurant’ will open its reservation lines at 9am on 9 March 2013 before opening on 16 April on Tooley Street in South London.

Story restaurant follows the success of Tom’s pop-up ‘Foreword‘ in collaboration with The Rebel Dining Society last November. Story restaurant will only have 42 covers available for both lunch and dinner.

Having worked with Tom Aikens, Thomas Keller, Adam Byatt and Rene Redzepi, Tom Sellars is a chef to watch and big things are expected from his first solo venture.

The menu will features a choice between a six-course (£45) or ten-course (£65) menu and will include his signature Bread & Dripping, as well as other dishes such as Scallops, Cucumber & Dill Ash; Beef Cheek, Stout & Cauliflower Yeast; and Three Bears’ Porridge.

Cocktails will be classics-with-twists, such as Tom’s Collins – Sipsmith, zesty lime and fiery gingery beer – and Old ‘Skool’ Fashioned, a heady mix of bourbon, Angostura and sugar. The neighbouring Kernel Brewery will provide a range of local craft ales.

Address: 201 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2UE.
Reservations: 020 7183 2117 or dine@restaurantstory.co.uk

Our full review will follow, so sign up to our blog at the link below to be sure not to miss it!

In the meantime, read some of our best London content including our guide to the best afternoon tea, the best boutique clothes shops in London or where to sample the city’s best coffee.

3 Cromwell Road – New London Restaurant, Bar and Club

Posted by Emyr Thomas

3 Cromwell Road is a new bar, restaurant and club situated in a Georgian townhouse in South Kensington, which opened in March 2013.

3 Cromwell Road is spread over three floors with The Drawing Room restaurant on the first floor, a ground floor cocktail bar called The Back Room with a courtyard and garden terrace area, and a downstairs club called The Basement.

With a total capacity of approximately 300 people, the design of 3 Cromwell Road features working fireplaces on each floor with “an edgier, more contemporary array of pop culture features” “papered into the walls”.

As an interesting choice, The Drawing Room will only serve steak frites, with a choice of three salads and three dressings. The Drawing Room is open daily for dinner and drinks from 6pm to 1am, The Back Room is open daily until 3am, and The Basement opens Thursday to Saturday until 3am.

Our full review of 3 Cromwell Road will follow, so sign up to our blog below to be sure not to miss it!

In the meantime, read some of our London restaurant reviews including El Pirata in Mayfair or Primo London.

Master and Servant Restaurant on Hoxton Square

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Matt Edwards, previously of St John Hotel and Hix Soho, has launched his first solo venture, Master and Servant, on Hoxton Square in Shoreditch.

Matt and Head Chef Luke Cleghorn (ex-St John Bread & Wine, St John Hotel) have created a seasonal menu which focuses on the charcoal grill – they will also offer their own smoked meats and home-made charcuterie at Master and Servant.

Signature dishes include surf clam chowder (£6.90), ox cheek, celeriac and horseradish (£17.80), Hereford porterhouse for two (£58), crab claws and chipotle mayonnaise (£11.50) and pistachio doughnuts in honey syrup (£7.40).

Master and Servant has collaborated with neighbouring bar Happiness Forgets on their bespoke cocktail list.

The design of Master and Servant features exposed bricks, walls decorated with mirrored tiles, and distressed oak floors, with an open kitchen in the basement with a large leather booth for larger groups.

Master and Servant opened on 4 March – our full review will follow, so sign up to our blog below to be sure not to miss it!

Bird of Smithfield – New London Restaurant

Posted by Emyr Thomas

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 will be ‘British with a twist’ with a classic dining room featuring Harris Tweed and herringbone fabrics, a bar with a cosy lounge feel, a basement cocktail bar, a beautiful private dining room with a chef’s table and a roof terrace overlooking the towers of the old market.

The intimate basement bar at Bird of Smithfield, known as The Birdcage will also host live music on selected nights with drinks from London-based bar consultancy Fluid Movement (Purl, Worship St Whistling Shop and Dach & Sons).

Address: Bird of Smithfield, 26 Smithfield Street London EC1A 9LB

Bird of Smithfield will open in the spring of 2013. Further details will be announced shortly, along with our review, so sign up below to be the first to know:

Sushinho Restaurant: Brazilian-Japanese Food Arrives in The City

Posted by Emyr Thomas

With the recent wave of Latin American restaurants arriving in London (see Coya and Ceviche) and then those who mix Latin American with Japanese (see Sushisamba London), it is often forgotten that Sushinho brought Brazilian-Japanese food to London with its Chelsea restaurant back in 2008.

Sushinho has now launched a second restaurant in The City on Devonshire Square, close to Liverpool Street station.

Spread over two floors in a listed building that used to be the Old Bengal Warehouse, Sushinho features a ground floor restaurant complete with a 10ft sushi bar and, on the lower ground floor, the Cutler Bar cocktail lounge and private dining room.

Click to read our full review of Sushinho.

The GrEAT British Restaurant

Posted by Krista

A dark rainy night in Mayfair is the perfect time for some British comfort food. A left from Oxford Street onto North Audley Street brings you to the newly opened GrEAT British Restaurant, a stylish restaurant serving up traditional British fare.

Arriving at the restaurant, I am surprised at how small it is but there is everything you would expect to see in a traditional British space – dark wooden panelled walls and benches, old black and white photos on the walls and dim candlelit tables.

The menu is strictly British, with all ingredients sourced in Britain with items like Suffolk Lamb, Devon clams and Yorkshire pork belly to chose from. Even the wines are sourced locally. There is a wide variety of white and sparkling options but only a few red wines as the English climate makes it very difficult to produce red wine apparently.

The staff are friendly and helpful and help us to select the Sharpham Pinot Noir after we find the house red too sweet. Scanning the menu, we know it will undoubtedly be a heavy meal, but diets start in January right? We start with Beet Root Salad and the soup special of the day – artichoke, mushroom and King oyster in a cream broth.

The salad is fresh and flavourful but the soup was very rich in tarragon, which ended up overpowering everything else. The selection of mains represent all the classics – pot roast chicken, pork belly, Shepherd’s Pie and Fish and Chips among them. I try the Sussex Cheese Sausage, which was heavenly. The sausages were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside; I couldn’t have eaten them faster.

My guest chooses the Suffolk Lamb that comes with a side bacon hot pot. Both are delicious but may be best put separately on the menu as it was very hearty and the plate could have benefited from some side veg instead.

Desserts were another highlight with the Chocolate Pudding and Salted Caramel Ice Cream being beautifully rich and the ‘proper’ apple and blackberry crumble, complete with a mini pot of custard to pour over, was delicious.

The relaxed and cosy atmosphere makes The GrEAT British Restaurant the perfect place to linger while recovering from a satisfying meal and there is a nice selection of English teas to help things along. Authenticity is the focus here and they really nail it. Country classics are well executed with the freshest ingredients and unique pairings. With a number of options for British fare in the city, The GrEAT British Restaurant is definitely worth a visit.

Concierge’s Tip: There’s a private room in the back of the restaurant available to hire for an intimate dinner or party.

Join us as we tour London’s restaurants by following us on Twitter at @BonVivantLiving

London Restaurant Guide – New London Restaurants

Posted by Emyr Thomas

Emyr Thomas gives us a summary of the new London restaurants to keep on your radar for the first quarter of 2013 along with a selection of restaurant events over the coming weeks.

Brasserie Chavot, Mayfair

The Westbury Hotel in Mayfair is quickly becoming a hot destination in Mayfair with its restaurant offerings. Alyn Williams at The Westbury opened to much acclaim last year, quickly earning its first Michelin Star and becoming one of the best restaurants of 2012, and in February, Brasserie Chavot will surely add its culinary powers as well.

Eric Chavot, who previously held 2 Michelin Stars at The Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge, will launch Brasserie Chavot on Conduit Street in Mayfair in January 2013.

Brasserie Chavot will be a 70-seat restaurant with a small bar area and the menus will showcase his signature style of contemporary and classic French cooking.

Balthazar London – Covent Garden

Balthazar London will open in February 2013 in the old Covent Garden ‘flower cellars’ on the corner of Russell Street and Wellington Street. The original Balthazar was opened in New York City by Keith McNally in 1997, and has been one of New York’s most popular restaurants ever since.

Balthazar London will be open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, plus weekend brunch, with food available all day long. The style and décor will resemble the original Balthazar, which stays true to its traditional French brasserie roots, which will also be reflected in the menu.

Ametsa with Arzak Instruction

A new Basque restaurant, ‘Ametsa with Arzak Instruction’, will open at The Halkin Hotel in February 2013. Ametsa will be a collaboration between The Halkin and a team that includes chefs Elena Arzak and Juan Mari Arzak, whose Arzak restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain, has 3 Michelin stars.

The menu will focus on ‘New Basque Cuisine’, and will replace Thai restaurant Nahm, which was previously at The Halkin.

Story Restaurant by Tom Sellers

Tom Sellers’s restaurant ‘Story’ will open its reservation lines at 9am on 1 February 2013 before opening early March on Tooley Street in South London. Story restaurant will only have 42 covers available for both lunch and dinner.

Having worked with Tom Aikens, Thomas Keller, Adam Byatt and Rene Redzepi, Tom Sellars is a chef to watch in 2013.

Cucina Asellina, Covent Garden

Cucina Asellina has opened in London at the new ME Hotel in Covent Garden, based on New York’s Asellina restaurant, specialising in ‘simple Italian cuisine’.

Cucina Asellina’s all day dining menu has been created by Executive Chef Marco Porceddu and features antipasti plates, traditional pizzas and flatbreads from a wood-burning oven, and an a la carte menu featuring home made pasta dishes.

Cucina Aselina is the latest London venture from The ONE Group, who recently opened STK at the ME Hotel in November 2012 and Heliot at The Hippodrome earlier in the year. We recommend combining a visit with a drink at the rooftop Radio Bar with glorious views of London.

Social Eating House, Soho

Jason Atherton is set to launch a second restaurant in Soho on Poland Street called the Social Eating House, following the launch of his acclaimed restaurant Pollen Street Social, which opened in April 2011.

The new restaurant is planned to open in March 2013 with further details to be announced in due course.

Dim Sum at Asia de Cuba – launches 20th January 2013

Asia de Cuba will launch its Dim Sum Brunch on Sunday 20 January – a chilled Sunday gathering featuring authentic dim sum with a contemporary twist. Shaking up the traditional Sunday lunch, Dim Sum Brunch offers dim sum alongside Latin inspired cocktails, and performances by a popular Cuban Jazz trio and DJ.

Whisky Tasting at The Mount Street Deli

On Tuesday 22 January at 6pm Colin Dunn from Diageo will lead a tasting of six single malts from distilleries across Scotland, including Islay, Skye, Highlands and East Lothian. He will explain how geography, the distilling process and maturation all affects the flavour of the whisky.

The whiskies will be tasted on their own and matched with (some surprising) food. Tickets are £15, and to book call 020 7499 6843.

The Spice Season at Corrigan’s Mayfair

Richard Corrigan’s foodie friends including the likes of Dr Pixie McKenna, Fay Maschler and Kate Spicer will join him in the kitchen at Corrigan’s Mayfair in January to share their favourite spice-inspired recipes. Head Chef Chris McGowan will be hosting a series of complimentary demonstrations and guests will be given a goody bag with recipe cards and spices to take home.

Throughout January the bar menu will also feature classic Corrigan’s Mayfair dishes with a spicy twist, such as Hardwick mutton Rogan josh with flatbread and Chocolate souffle with cardamom and orange.

If you would like Bon Vivant’s concierge team to advise and book all your restaurants, including early access to London’s hottest new restaurants, contact us about becoming a member.

Ametsa with Arzak Instruction at the Halkin Hotel

Posted by Bon Vivant

A new Basque restaurant, ‘Ametsa with Arzak Instruction’, has opened at The Halkin Hotel in London’s Belgravia.

Ametsa will be a collaboration between The Halkin and a team that includes chefs Elena Arzak and Juan Mari Arzak, whose Arzak restaurant in San Sebastian, Spain, has 3 Michelin stars.

The menu will focus on ‘New Basque Cuisine’, and will replace Thai restaurant Nahm, which was previously at The Halkin Hotel. The focal point of the restaurant is a wave-like ceiling, created from 7,000 delicate glass receptacles filled with vibrantly coloured spices that are a strong presence in Arzak’s cooking.

Our full review of Ametsa with Arzak Instruction will be published in due course, so sign up to our blog below to keep up to date: