11 New London Restaurants To Book Now

Luso is a contemporary Portuguese restaurant led by head chef Kimberly Hernandez (formerly of Luca and Dosa) alongside celebrated Portuguese chef Leandro Carreira. Together, they celebrate the country’s culinary heritage – from the Iberian coastline to rural traditions – with a menu rooted in sharing. Diners can begin with petiscos such as Algarvian-style pickled carrots and homemade fish patê before moving on to lighter plates like brill crudo with apple and red pepper, or clams steamed with garlic, coriander and lemon. Larger dishes include salt-crust wild sea bass presented tableside, crispy Leitão suckling pig and mixed mushroom tart with caramel. Desserts are classic with a twist: chocolate mousse with olive oil and flor de sal; and baked pineapple pudding topped with fresh pineapple shavings. Interiors are warm and characterful, with red limestone tables, Portuguese photography and gyotaku rice paper prints of bream and bass. The wine list champions Portugal’s diverse terroirs alongside standout European labels.

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Following the opulent launch of Shanghai Me, Bund is Mayfair’s new late-night destination. On the 28th floor of the Park Lane Hilton hotel, the lounge blends 1930s Shanghai glamour with contemporary design. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame sweeping views over Hyde Park, best enjoyed from plush green banquettes set against brass accents and mirrored walls. Open daily for cocktails until 1am and until 4am on club nights (Thursday-Saturday), Bund is already drawing London’s stylish crowd. The cocktail menu is inspired by Chinese zodiac signs, with drinks like the Peacemaker (sea buckthorn, basil, mastika and carrot air) and the Stalwart (butter-washed gin, yuzu sake and panna cotta). A refined pan-Asian menu complements the setting, with signatures including yellowtail carpaccio with truffle, steamed dim sum and the wagyu beef sub.

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South Ken restaurant The Lavery has expanded with a light-filled café on the ground floor of its Grade II-listed townhouse. Led by chef Yohei Furuhashi, Café at The Lavery serves modern Mediterranean dishes with a casual, daytime feel – think focaccia sandwiches, seasonal soups and daily cakes, alongside Assembly coffee and Natoora juices. Interiors combine historic character with contemporary design: picture a zinc bar by Day Trip Studio, antique bentwood chairs and soaring sash windows that flood the space with light. Following the example of restaurants like The River Café Café and Robin Gill’s Café Brasso, The Lavery’s new spot is a neighbourhood hangout that works as well for a quick coffee as it does for a relaxed lunch.

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Amsterdam favourite Nela has arrived in London at The Whiteley, joining a line-up that already includes the much-anticipated Six Senses hotel and Third Space. Founded in 2021 by chefs Hari Shetty and Ori Geller, Nela celebrates cooking over fire, with a menu that blends global influences and local ingredients. Dishes at this new spot range from freshly baked breads and pizzas to raw plates like yellowtail with burnt aubergine, and beef tartare with langoustine. Larger dishes include half-lobster with guajillo butter, flame-seared Scottish short-rib and whole fish grilled over coals, while vegetables take centre stage with plates like artichoke on amber coals and corn tempura. Desserts are theatrical and we have our eyes on the tiramisu with coffee caviar, madeleines whisked straight from the oven, and a baked yuzu Alaska, which is flambéed tableside.

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Angela Hartnett has opened Cicoria and Bar Cicoria on the fifth floor of the Royal Opera House. Her first new London restaurant in over a decade, the space has sweeping views over Covent Garden, with a menu that’s rooted in Angela’s celebrated ingredient-led Italian cooking, expressed through cicchetti, antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci. Highlights include vitello tonnato; burrata with chargrilled grapes and mint; lobster linguine; and guinea fowl agnolotti with lardo. Fitting of the venue, the sharing plates add theatre – think monkfish tail with mussels and coco bean ragù – while desserts riff on classics, such as caramelised Amalfi lemon tart; and Valrhona chocolate mousse with toasted hazelnuts.

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From the team behind two-Michelin-starred Trivet comes Labombe, a wine-led restaurant in partnership with Mayfair hotel COMO Metropolitan London, in what was once the storied Met Bar. Head chef Evan Moore leads the kitchen, with sommelier Isa Bal curating a Europe-centric wine list that runs from everyday pours to rare vintages served by the glass or bottle. The grill-focused menu serves dishes you’re unlikely to encounter elsewhere (and that’s a good thing), which highlights including duck heart skewers with cherry, hot tongue buns (a Trivet special), grilled monkfish with braised coco beans, and costoletta alla Milanese with cabbage and agrodolce. Desserts also impress – especially the crème caramel with Campari caramel; and chocolate fondant with hazelnut ganache and white coffee ice-cream.

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