Amsterdam-based vegan ramen outfit Ramen Impossible makes its UK debut today, 16 June, in a summer-long pop-up at Mercato Metropolitano in London’s Elephant & Castle. Ramen is famously made with a meat-based broth, but Ramen Impossible’s founder, Japanese chef Atsushi Ishida, has developed an alternative using miso, cashew nuts and nutritional yeast. The brand only […]

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Empire Empire, a double tribute to the Indian disco scene of the 70s and the traditional cuisine of the Old Punjab, has opened in Notting Hill ahead of a formal launch next Thursday, 15 June. The restaurant, in All Saints’ Road, is a follow-up to the successful Gunpowder trio from Harneet Baweja (pictured), and features a […]

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Fresh pasta restaurant Bancone is to open its “biggest branch yet” in Borough Yards, adjacent to Southwark’s Borough Market – putting it in direct competition with pasta pioneer Padella. Bancone launched in Covent Garden in 2018 and followed up with a branch in Soho. Last year the business raised £900,000 via crowdfunding to finance expansion plans. […]

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Kachori, a smart new Indian restaurant, opened this week at the Elephant Park development scheme in southeast London, with a kitchen run by highly rated Brinder Narula, a former head chef at Gymkhana and Benares. Named after the savoury or sweet-stuffed deep-fried batter balls sold as snacks in India, Kachori describes itself as a modern […]

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An ambitious Greek seafood specialist opens next week in Marylebone. Kima – meaning ‘wave’ – is the latest restaurant from Andrews Labridis and Nikos Roussos (pictured), the duo behind nearby Opso and the Soho gastrobar Ino. Meals at Kima are structured around a central fish counter: guests choose a fish and the kitchen transforms it into a […]

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Filipino chef Ferdinand ‘Budgie’ Montoya opens his latest venture tomorrow (Saturday 13 May) – Apoy, a street-food barbecue stall in the Oxford Street Market Halls. Budgie has raised the profile of Filipino cuisine in London in recent years through his bistro Sarap, which operated in Mayfair’s restaurant incubator Heddon Street last year, and TV appearances on […]

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