Read all about the capital's most anticipated hot new restaurant openings.
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Jan
DakaDaka - W1B
London
Opening 15 Jan 2026
In the Heddon Street enclave off Regent Street on a site that was most recently Sarap (RIP), this 2026 newcomer is a Georgian opening and natural wine bar. It aims for a modern interpretation of Georgian culinary tradition with dishes centering around open-fire grilling. The 110-cover space blending Georgian textures with contemporary design includes a bar, dining room, and private dining area for regional wine-tasting events.
Everything on Fire - EC4A
Steaks & grills
London
Opening 31 Jan 2026
On the seventh floor of what was once the Daily Telegraph’s Fleet Street HQ, the aim is a theatrical dining concept centred around the open-flame headlined by the name. We are promised an extensive selections of premium meats, prepared on a central clay grill in a dramatic open kitchen.
MANA - W1K
Japanese
London
Opening 31 Jan 2026
From the Thesleff group – who already run top Japanese venues like Juno and Luna – this new new luxury Japanese restaurant and bar occupies the Mayfair site just off Park Lane vacated by Raya (RIP) and will offer an upscale version of the Japanese dining and cocktails the group also provides at its two Los Mochis operations. Executive Chef Leo Tanyag showcases Japan’s culinary traditions, while the bar, led by Pietro Collina, provides a late-night experience. With 156 covers and a Private Dining Room for up to 20 guests, MA/NA is said to embody the philosophy of 'mana' which apparently has many translations from Japanese depending on the context, including ‘true food’.
Feb
Sale e Pepe Mare, The Langham Hotel - W1
London
Opening 09 Feb 2026
Michel Roux once ran this space within the posh five-star overlooking the Beeb at the kink in Regent Street above Oxford Circus. It’s been through numerous incarnations over the years and has sometimes struggled to find a formula that captures the potential of this elegant space. Next to try will be the Thesleff Group with the February 2026 launch of this first spin-off from the venerable Sale e Pepe Italian restaurant in Chelsea purchased a couple of years ago. The formula includes a seafood-focused menu, live seafood displays, and a Josper Grill. Sample dishes at the launch: Linguine All’Aragosta, Branzino al Sale, Linguine Vongole e Bottarga, Toro Grasso, Gambero Rosso, Spigola Crudo, Tagliarini Grancho.
The Royal Bell - BR1
British, Modern
London
Opening 28 Feb 2026
Following a £10m refit, this the Grade II-listed coaching inn on Bromley High Street is being ressurrected as an ambitious multi-purpose venue with co-working spaces, a private members’ club, a boutique hotel, and dining options from a vibrant Main Bar & Grill to a stylish Garden. The project is spearheaded by local businessman Mark Goldberg, with advice from entrepreneur Nick Gold and family-run Shelana Investments. Originally slated for autumn 2025, opening now seems likely in early 2026.
Simpson's in the Strand - WC2
British, Traditional
London
Opening 28 Feb 2026
Now two years short of its bicentenary, one of Britain's most venerable restaurants is to be relaunched in spring 2026 (originally scheduled for 2024) by Jeremy King, the veteran restaurateur who was ousted from the Corbin & King group he founded two decades ago. He aims to retain its unique atmosphere, while presumably making it relevant to locals once again, and not just visiting tourists.
Hoppers - E1
London
Opening 28 Feb 2026
Early 2026 (our opening date is a guess) is when JKS will relaunch the prominent former Lyle's site at the foot of Shoreditch's Tea Building as the fourth link in their ten-year-old chain. Here co-founder Karan Gokani has announced that the food focus will evolve from the Sri Lankan cuisine for which they are known to incorporate other influences from the south of the subcontinent: with dishes from Chettinad, Madurai, Bangalore, Kochi and Chennai.
Mar
Cooper’s Cut - EC3N
City of London
Opening 31 Mar 2026
Named for Sir Edwin Cooper, the architect behind the monumental former Port of London Authority building, now an outpost of the luxurious international hotel chain. It seems likely this will occupy the space vacated by the excellent but somehow always quite obscure Dame de Pic – it’s a big change of gear though from haute cuisine to luxurious steakhouse.
Sael - B18
Birmingham
Opening 31 Mar 2026
Set to open at The Goodsyard in the Jewellery Quarter, this anticipated restaurant from chef Jonny Mills and his partner Hannah, was originally scheduled for October 2025 (and as of December 2025 that's still wha the website says). At the heart of the formula, will be a tasting menu using hyper-seasonal produce and top local suppliers.
Apr
Celentano’s, Arthouse Glasgow - G2
Italian
Glasgow
Opening 30 Apr 2026
Having operated since August 2021 in Glasgow's Cathedral House building, the operation shifts in 2026 to new digs in Arthouse Glasgow. Still run by Anna and Dean Parker, the new venue will offer a refreshed Italian-influenced menu with an ingredient-led, minimal-waste approach; and a focus on fermentation methods and produce cooked over embers. The drinks menu, curated by Anna, will echo the kitchen's ethos, featuring seasonal cocktails made from kitchen 'waste'. The new space, designed by A-nrd Studio, will seat over 60 guests.
May
Cloth Cornhill - EC3
London
Opening 31 May 2026
At last, someone has rescued the site of Simpsons Tavern, a City institution in a Dickensian back-alley, which originally dates from 1757. The team from Cloth (Joe Haynes and Ben Butterworth, plus chef Tom Hurst who has worked at Lasdun, Levan, and Brawn) relaunch it as a new sibling. Restoration work is planned but the team plan to keep the spirit of “debaucherous wine-fuelled lunches” alive. Someone in the City has to...
Opening Date to be Confirmed
Brasserie Olivia - SW1W
French
London
Charles Perez and Victor Dubillot's French restaurant group, is set to open Brasserie Olivia in Sloane Square, in 2026, marking their first international outpost. The brasserie aims to offer a homespun style of Gallic cuisine with classic dishes using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients.
Idalia - W14
British, Modern
London
Part of the transformation of Olympia – Des Gunewardena's D3 Collective will be launching three new hospitality concepts within the Pillar Hall in Spring 2026 of which this 130 cover space on the ground floor of the former exhibition hall answers best to the description restaurant (there's a 70-cover bar and a 500+ cover event space). Led by an all-female culinary team, the venue will offer modern British cuisine with a focus on pastries and desserts.
Kauri - W1U
London
Opening spring 2025 in Marylebone Village, a restaurant and wine bar from Hamish Brown, for 15 years executive head chef of the Roka group. Expect Japanese-inspired dishes using prime British produce cooked over wood fire, with a few Kiwi touches from the NZ-born founder.
Restaurant TBC at Admiralty Arch Waldorf Astoria - SW1A
London
Due to open in 2025, the new hotel in Admiralty Arch will have unparalleled views from two restaurants, including one on the rooftop.
Berenjak Mayfair - W1K
Persian
London
(December 2025 update -- originally slated for 2025 - this new opening now seems likely to open in early 2026).
Opening next to the Barley Mow on Duke Street in Mayfair, the third London venue from high-flying Kian Samyani offering dishes inspired by the kebab shops of Tehran. The Soho original and Borough Market follow-up win consistent high ratings in our guide.
Blacklock Birmingham - B3
Steaks & grills
Birmingham
(December 2025 update - no opening date yet for this much trailed debut). The second out-of-London outpost of Gordon Ker's all-conquering group was originally set to open in Autumn 2025 in Birmingham city centre, offering a modern take on the Great British chophouse. Situated in St Philip's House, the restaurant features a 100-seat dining area and bar overlooking Cathedral Square. Known for their quality meat sourced from award-winning Cornish family farmers, Blacklock prides itself on using the whole animal to create a diverse menu; with a focus on sustainability and exceptional value.
Casa Como - EC4A
Italian
London
(December 2025 update – with no announcement as yet, it looks like this opening is slipping into 2026). On the ground floor of what was once the Daily Telegraph’s Fleet Street HQ, a sister concept to Emerald Hospitality Group’s Como Garden. This late 2025 opening will house a salumeria (Italian deli), restaurant, bar, and 60-seat terrace.
Dining on the Clouds - EC4A
Japanese
London
(With no opening announced as of December 2025, the presumption is that this will debut some time in 2026, tba). Spanning the eighth and ninth floors of what was once the Daily Telegraph’s Fleet Street HQ, this new pan-Asian fusion concept will major in Japanese cuisine – with a dedicated sushi counter and open robata grill – but also with Thai and Chinese dishes. The ninth-floor rooftop terrace will become a bar and lounge complete with a panorama of the nearby cityscape.
Freyja, Close House - NE15
Heddon-on-the-Wall
According to the Westmoreland Gazette, this opening - originally talked of for late 2025 - is likely to materialise in late 2026 (https://www.northumberlandgazette.co.uk/lifestyle/food-and-drink/northumberlands-restaurant-hjem-launch-chefs-box-and-freyja-garden-in-new-restaurant-preparations-5289054)
Scheduled for a late 2025 opening, a modern Scandi-style restaurant to
be built in the walled garden of Close House in the Tyne Valley, now
part of a golf course. It's from the high-achieving owners of Hjem in
Wall – Swedish chef Alex Nietosvuori and his Northumberland-born partner
Ally Thompson – who will work their magic on produce from the garden and
meat, game and fish from within a 30-mile radius.
Kiji - W1J
London
Occupying part of 60 Curzon – a new swish development in Mayfair – the UK debut of Kiji, a Korean barbecue experience, occupies the site once home to the famous Mirabelle. The new restaurant will showcase Korean cuisine and culture to an international audience. The eight-storey property, crafted by PLP Architecture, features 32 private residences and will house Kiji across 8,000 square feet. The new restaurant is masterminded by culinary duo Ellia and Junghyun Park.
Le Caprice - W1
British, Modern
London
(December 2025 - all has gone quiet regarding the once-much-touted ressurrection of this famous name). Opening summer 2025 in the Rosewood Chancery hotel, in the former US Embassy in Mayfair’s Grosvenor Square, the revival of Le Caprice, the one-time celeb-magnet in St James’s that closed down during the pandemic. Owner Richard Caring promises a “chic, comfortable and classic” mix of old and new.
RH London - W1S
British, Modern
London
Opening in 2025/6 in Mayfair, where it has taken over the former Anercrombie & Fitch store off Savile Row, a lavish interiors showroom from the luxury US giant fka Restoration Hardware, with a restaurant, coffee shop, three bars and a roof terrace. This follows RH's palatial European debut at Aynho Park, a 17th-century stately home in north Oxfordshire.
Studio Frantzén - SW1X
Scandinavian
London
(December 2025 update -> No new dates have yet been posted on the restaurant's Insta.) Opening in summer 2025, Studio Frantzen from Swedish superstar chef Bjorn Frantzen, offering his individual take on French and Japanese cuisine with Nordic influences. It occupied a prime slot at Harrods for two years before closing in the New Year, and is to reopen at an address yet to be announced.
Tiella Trattoria - E2
Italian
London
London's Columbia Road is to provide the forever home for this previously periapetetic project (in 2023 at Compton Arms, Islington) from acclaimed chef Dara Klein. The trattoria style is inspired by her family's trattoria in New Zealand and combines Italian tradition with British influence. Set in a Victorian corner site, the restaurant aims to offer honest food and hospitality in a warm and inviting atmosphere. The collaboration with Ry Jessup, co-founder of Homeslice and The Plimsoll, brings further experience to the dining room.
