It takes much more than a famed chef, on-trend concept and a few bare filaments to launch a hit London restaurant. The cream of the latest crop understand this. They have worked closely with outstanding architects and designers to craft spaces that will lure even the most jaded diners.
From glossy new developments such as Nova Food and St James’ Market, to the freshly finessed, the Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square; to a repurposed archway in Borough Market – whatever your aesthetic, and palate, there is sure to be a dining destination to match. Here are the new London restaurants to book in 2017.
Aquavit
New York’s two-Michelin-starred Scandinavian haven has opened its first outpost in London. Restaurant design king Martin Brudnizki was charged with revamping the space, which features a wall-mounted textile by Olafur Eliasson, silverware by Georg Jensen and furnishings by Svenskt Tenn. Naturally, the menu also remains faithful to the region’s delights.
1 St James’s Market, London SW1Y 4SB
Luca
Luca comes from the ambitious trio behind London’s much-garlanded The Clove Club. They partnered with Alexander Waterworth Interiors to turn this capacious site into the perfect place to indulge in British fare with an Italian spin. Inside the space you’ll find sage green leather booths, dark wood floors and a porcelain bar. The Art Deco-inspired signage comes courtesy of visual identity designers EverythingInBetween.
88 St. John Street, London EC1M 4EH
Hai Cenato
The latest addition to Jason and Irha Atherton’s epicurean empire promises Londoners a New York spin on Italian plates. This will be served in a Russell Sage Studio-designed restaurant, deli and cocktail bar, situated in Victoria’s new Nova Food development. Hai Cenato will also have a notable culinary neighbour: D&D London’s Aster restaurant (opening 1 February), which will focus on Nordic cuisine and classic French fare.
2 Sir Simon Milton Square, London, SW1E 5DJ
Barrafina Dean Street
Soho’s redevelopment forced the original Barrafina out of Frith Street, but thankfully proprietors the Hart brothers have found new digs for chef Nieves Barragán Mohacho. She has taken over this stylish new space within the newly restructured and refurbished Quo Vadis. Andy Martin Architecture handled both the rebuild and interiors of the London restaurant with aplomb.
26-27 Dean St, Soho, London W1D 3LL
El Pastór
Nestled into a Borough Market archway, this sassy new taqueria cements Sam Hart and cohort Crispin Somerville’s love affair with Mexico City. Design studio Michaelis Boyd is responsible for the ground level dining room’s dynamism, which adroitly reflects the vivacity of the megacity, while also making crucial space for tortilla-production above.
6-7A Stoney St, London SE1 9AA
Henrietta
Acclaimed chef Ollie Dabbous – who scored a Michelin star at his eponymous Fitzrovia restaurant – has teamed up with hospitality impresarios Experimental Group to open a restaurant within their London venture, Henrietta Hotel. Beyond designer Dorothée Meilichzon’s involvement, little is known about the two-storey dining space, however each of the eighteen hotel rooms is reported to boast an individual design featuring hand-painted wallpaper and marble skirting. The London restaurant is scheduled open in the second half of March.
Henrietta Hotel, 14-15 Henrietta Street, London WC2E 8QH
Kricket
Chef Will Bowlby’s beloved Indian enterprise lands a second site in Soho, in addition to its original London restaurant in a POP Brixton shipping container. The permanent space enables Bowlby to expand his enlivening, contemporary menu while award-winning studio, Run for the Hills, have ensured the dining room is redolent of its South Asian inspiration, thanks to vibrant elements such as lighting made from antique Indian clock boxes.
12 Denman Street, London W1D 7HH
La Dame de la Pic
The luxuriant, Grade II-listed Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square provides Anne-Sophie Pic (bearer of three Michelin stars) with a sumptuous setting from which to dazzle destination diners. Inside the freshly opened restaurant, designer Bruno Moinard of Parisian studio 4BI has deftly balanced original features with novel inclusions such as a chandelier decorated with playing cards – a reference to the French game which gave the restaurant its name.
Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square, 10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ
The Ned
Soho House-founder Nick Jones and New York’s Sydell Group have transformed Sir Edward Lutyens’ Grade I-listed Midland Building into a hotel, club and restaurant complex – opening in April. Members and guests alike will have the chance to select between multiple contrasting London restaurants including Cecconi’s, Zobler’s Jewish deli and Kaia, a modern Asian Pacific-inspired restaurant.
The Ned, 27 Poultry, London, EC2R 8AJ
Ralph’s Coffee & Bar
Ralph Lauren has brought its US dining ventures to the UK, opening a London restaurant on Regent Street. This suave, all-day dining destination offers guests the chance to refresh themselves with the brand’s custom-blended coffee, traditional American fare and signature libations from a brass-topped bar. The intimate space is replete with equestrian-themed artwork, dark wood panelling and saddle-leather banquettes.
73 Regent Street London W1B 4JQ
