Master-chef Tong Chee Hwee, a pioneer of contemporary Chinese cooking in London as the culinary brains behind the rise of the Hakkasan group, is to launch his own restaurant in the city for the first time. Named Gouqui, it will occupy the former site of Garfunkel’s in Cockspur Street, off Trafalgar Square. Born in China, […]
North Italian-style TOZI Grand Cafe opens on Monday 12 December, as the gastronomic offering at the Battersea Power Station redevelopment in London continues to take shape. Sister restaurant to TOZI in Pimlico and another branch in Amsterdam, it is on the ground-floor of the new art’otel in Electric Avenue, where it will be joined next […]
Los Angeles celeb chef Kris Yenbamroong has found a permanent showcase for his US-style ‘nu Thai’ cuisine at the new Hoxton Hotel overlooking Shepherd’s Bush green, launching on Monday 12 December. Chet’s, which aims to combine the excitement of Thai flavours with the comfort of an American diner, had a test run as a pop-up […]
A Spanish-Israeli fusion restaurant opened this week in a German-owned boutique hotel in Covent Garden. Penelope’s is named after the daughter of Hotel Amano co-founder Ariel Schiff (pictured, middle), who grew up between Tel Aviv and souther Spain. Dishes on the menu include Israeli-style paella with whole lobster, freekeh and gin-tomato sauce; Israeli sofrito combining […]
Next week sees the arrival of crystal sushi in London, with the opening of a new City restaurant from Hong Kong’s Aqua group. Shiro, in Broadgate Circle near Liverpool Street, will be the group’s fifth restaurant in London, following Aqua Shard and Hutong in the Shard, and Nueva and Kyoto on Regent Street. Crystal sushi, […]
The Spanish gastro group Brindisa is opening a tiny Basque-style tapas joint in Soho this month. Bar Kroketa is by the entrance to Kingly Court in Beak Street, and is scheduled to launch on 12 December. The snack menu will be dominated by a chalked-up and frequently changing list of croquetas, ranging from sobrasada and […]
Chef Jake Finn is to open a second branch of his wood-fire-based neighbourhood restaurant Cinder, in St John’s Wood High Street. The first branch, in Belsize Park, has survived against the odds, given that its launch coincided with the arrival of the Covid pandemic. The new restaurant will be larger than the original, with an […]
French über-chef Yannick Alléno is the latest international kitchen celeb to try his hand in London, with the trailed opening next year of a new restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel on Park Lane. Alléno made his name at Le Meurice in Paris and followed up with Le 1947 at the ski resort of Couchevel. […]
A new ultra-high-end sushi restaurant opened in Mayfair this week, with lunch starting at £180 a head for 17 courses and evening menus at £280 and £380 for 20 courses. Taku, in Albermarle Street, showcases the skills of sushi master Takuya Watanabe, formerly of Jin in Paris, which became the first sushi omakase restaurant to […]
A natural wine bar in Shoreditch with food by guest chefs will mark its official launch next week, following a fortnight’s soft opening. Oranj occupies a 2,000 sq ft Victorian warehouse in Bacon Street, and will serve Belgian beers alongside low-intervention wines. Founder Jasper Delamothe, hitherto best-known as a bar designer, launched Oranj as a […]
