Best new restaurants in London to visit in 2024

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New London restaurant openings

Singapulah, Shaftesbury Avenue

Londoners and tourists queue for up to 40 minutes at key times to bag a seat at restaurateur Ellen Chew’s celebration of Singaporean food, with beloved suppliers namechecked on the menu (such as fishball supremo DoDo, and Udders ice cream – its durian flavour has a Marmite response). Head here for comforting bowl of noodles, nasi goreng and beef rendang. Singapore laksa is served over mee tai bak – short noodles which make it easy to eat with a spoon (less of a slurpfest!). Snacks and small bites include fried chilli crab bao and kueh pie tee savoury pastries topped with prawns and peanuts, best shared with three or more. The utilitarian space is softened with a pastel colour scheme, colourful ads as artwork with shelves lined with ceramics and products. Signature cocktails and mocktails feature ingredients such as Yeo’s chrysanthemum tea. singapulah.co.uk

Freakscene sushi and robata, Balham

Lively Pan-Asian neighbourhood joint

Chef Scott Hallsworth and Aussie comedian Adam Hills have opened the second outpost of this lively izakaya-style restaurant that’s big on tunes with your tacos, tempura and tataki. Small and neon-lit, its punchy flavours and potent cocktails are great for a gang, while sashimi omakase and a considered wine list with a nod to Scott’s western Australian heritage make it equally suitable as a serious destination or date spot. Edamame are scorched and dressed with sake, lemon and butter; salt-grilled mackerel mochi toasts are a must-order, lemon sole with spicy shiso ponzu speaks to the kitchen’s experience and skills. Extra bonus? Gluten-free and vegan menus. freakscenerestaurants.com

Pollini at Ladbroke hall, Ladbroke Grove

Imaginative Italian in grand, artistic surroundings

An intuitive front of house team, dramatic interior and Italian classics with a twist make it worth a little trek off the beaten track (10 minutes from Ladbroke Grove station). The high-ceilinged room is dominated by a huge light fitting against a monochrome colour scheme. Chef Emanuele Pollini makes childhood favourite lasagne his own by recreating the flavours within ravioli complete with crispy shards to mimic the crunchy topping; seabass crudo is elevated with bottarga; a breaded, on the bone veal chop is doused in a rich chicken and parmesan sauce. A small carton of squacquerone – a delicate, soft cow’s cheese is served with figs, and gelato, particularly nocciola (hazelnut) is as good as you’d eat in Italy. The two- or three- course artist lunch is a good intro at £24/£28* respectively. ladbrokehall.com

Saltine, Highbury

With clean lines and a minimalist interior, Saltine is new to the Highbury Park neighbourhood. Opened by Mat Appleton and Jess Blackstone of Fink’s cafés fame, and with head chef Phil Wood (ex-Spring and St John) at the stove, Saltine has a frequently changing menu, founded on named produce and producers. Expect dishes to look exactly as they are described: veg such as carrots may come whole, skin and all, for example, salad leaves are torn into decent chunks, like in the pumpkin scapece, and chicken with Borlotti beans and spinach has a properly soupy sauce. Desserts include a slab of sticky toffee apple cake that everyone is talking about. saltine.co.uk

Juno at Los Mochis, Notting Hill

There are just six coveted seats (and two sittings a night) in a curtained-off corner of Los Mochis in Notting Hill, where chefs Leonard Tanyag and head sushi chef Han serve and explain each of 15 light courses, with helpful hints on how to eat each dish (with your fingers, a spoon or chopsticks). A selection of nigiri features carefully sourced fish, such as kinmedai (snapper), hamachi and blue fin tuna. King crab with ponzu butter and uni (sea urchin) are highlights. There are Mexican touches, too, such as an intense lime aïoli with sea bream and wildflowers, and the dessert options fuse Japanese and Italian ideas. Sake and wine pairings are offered alongside agave and cocktails. losmochis.co.uk/nh/juno-omakase

INÉ by Taku, Hampstead

Sister restaurant to Mayfair’s Taku, this airy, minimalist Hampstead restaurant offers both omakase (14 fish-focussed dishes, plus a dessert) and a la carte. At the eight-seat counter, sushi master chef Meng’s omakase features premium ingredients, including a delicate mussel broth, buttery otoro (tuna belly) with caviar, Carlingford oyster with wasabi cream and ikura (roe), smoked salmon tofu purée, and sashimi, tempura and maki. Head chef Andrew Lim’s contemporary al a carte dishes include a wagyu beef katsu sando and grilled Iberico. While the cooking is at an elevated level, the vibe – with booths and a young team – is refreshingly relaxed. inebytaku.com

Lórian, Sloane Square,

Located in the lively hub of Sloane Square, Lórian is the 45-seater bakery, café and deli sister location of Notting Hill members club, Laylow, headed by chef Emily Dobbs (formerly of Petersham Nurseries) in collaboration with fellow chef Johnnie Collins (chef in residence at 180 The Strand). Seasonality sits at the heart of the veggie-dominant menu and aims to showcase the best of British produce with an array of salads, artisanal cheeses, charcuterie, sandwiches and daily pastries. Sitting alongside this is a succinct and well-curated selection of European wines and their much-touted barista station, as well as refreshing homemade spritz and cold-pressed juices. loriandeli.com

Clap, Knightsbridge

This lively Knightsbridge restaurant is the place to be if you like entertainment in the form of DJs and people-watching with dinner. An international set, familiar with its branches in Beirut, Dubai and Riyadh, laps up the bustle of the open kitchen and sushi bar, which turns out modern Japanese dishes with luxurious touches, such as truffle edamame, a surprising shiitake and sesame salad, hamachi sashimi, otoro and wagyu nigiri, black cod miso and kimchi-spiked lamb rack. Desserts are big on drama, too – the natsu platter is stacked with exotic fruit, matcha cheesecake and mochi. A rooftop bar has views over the city and fascinating light fittings that are made for Instagram. claprestaurant.com

Nest, Shoreditch

The trio behind Hackney’s much-loved neighbourhood spot pulls off the same levels of intimacy in its larger Shoreditch restaurant, with various nooks carved out in the horseshoe layout. Pop into the cosy wine bar area before picking between gnarled wooden booths, a fireside table for six or a counter seat with a view of chefs adding their finishing touches. The eight-course seasonal tasting menu, presented in a tiny wax-sealed envelope, focuses on one hero ingredient at a time, allowing for superb sourcing – think Yorkshire’s Otterburn Mangalitza pork or Welsh Wagyu beef. Seafood season kicks off with a snack plate of tiny trout tarts, cod’s roe with seaweed tapioca crackers and oysters in pickled jalapeño foam, followed by treacly soda bread that hasn’t left the menu since it first featured. Other highlights include crab salad with sea buckthorn emulsion, silky squid noodles in a spicy, XO-laced broth and BBQ monkfish with roast carrot and ginger purée. Each menu is accompanied by an optional ‘one-region’ wine pairing; on our visit a showcase of the diversity of Loire wines, from sparkling pet-nat to a citrusy natural Pouilly Fumé and sweet chenin blanc to complement a delightfully surprising Jerusalem artichoke and chestnut dessert and made-to-order seaweed doughnuts to finish. nestfood.co.uk

Sushi Kanesaka, Mayfair

Its discreet location in the exclusive 45 Park Lane hotel, part of the Dorchester Group, signals the world-class standard of this sushi offering, where exquisite ingredients, preparation and cooking are matched by a front of house team who are on hand to explain the traditions and micro-seasonality of each of the 20 courses. During both two-hour sittings each evening, diners can see the knife skills of chef Shinji Kanesaka or head chef Hirotaka Wada close up, as he and a small team prepare a series of sushi plates, including yariika (squid) with beluga caviar, otoro (fatty tuna) and botan ebi (prawn). The lightly vinegared, salted rice is the perfect temperature and texture to highlight the individual flavours of the fish. Other highlights include kobe beef with wasabi (freshly grated) and tempura of Scottish lobster with a rich Japanese tartare sauce. A sake pairing is also offered. The room is sleek and minimalist, with just nine seats along the main counter. dorchestercollection.com/sushi-kanesaka

Sune, Broadway Market

Sommelier Honey Spencer and her partner Charlie Sims have curated hospitality experience from restaurants across the world to open their own place in Hackney. There’s a real neighbourhood-style buzz to the contemporary space, with a striking terracotta light installation casting a warm glow across the gnarled dark wood tables, prints of fresh produce and sweeping counter with floor-to-ceiling wine racks behind. Honey showcases natural wines, with plenty by the glass, from orange Czech pet nat to fresh Georgian Tsolikouri and South African Syrah. The menu is eclectic and bold, rotating dishes such as crisp potato cake topped with guindilla, anchovies and espelette pepper, sea bass crudo slivers in a vibrant borscht vinaigrette and the signature grilled pork chop bathing in a bisque-style prawn and lemongrass sauce, best paired with whipped brown butter emulsion spooned over pink fir potatoes. Head chef Michael Robins plays with his Canadian heritage in a homage to Montreal’s L’Express, where chefs meet after service for DIY beef tartare and croque Monsieur hybrids. At Sune, he tops a crisp, cheesy toastie with dairy beef tartare for a truly indulgent interlude between courses. sune.restaurant

Bistro Freddie, Shoreditch

Tucked in the quiet back streets between Shoreditch High Street and Old Street stations, almost another world from the hustle of east London that surrounds it, Bistro Freddie has a distinct classic neighbourhood bistro feel, offering generous, down-to-earth hospitality and a menu featuring the best produce of the British Isles. There’s an intimate 45-cover open-plan dining room and plenty of top-quality tipples focussing on small and predominantly independent producers and growers. bistrofreddie.com

Bébé Bob, Soho

Bébé Bob is younger sibling to Bob Bob Ricard (of champagne button fame), so high glamour is the name of the game. Ultra-comfortable and gorgeous to look at, the venue is a clever backdrop to what is essentially a menu centred around roast chicken (Vendée or Landes). But, what roast chicken. Rotisseried and served with roast potatoes (chicken fat, of course) and/or chips, and a salad, if you like. Super-luxe starters include three types of caviar or VSOP prawn cocktail, and desserts offer an option of lemon-infused vodka served at -18C, or a perfectly formed paris-brest. Drink champagne, or choose a wine, of which there are a commendable amount served by the glass. bebebob.com

Jamie Oliver Catherine St, Covent Garden

Catherine Street by Jamie Oliver marks the chef’s return
to the London restaurant scene. A menu of comforting classics includes starters of devilled eggs, oysters and mushrooms on toast; sharing dishes like ox cheek pie and Sutton Hoo chicken with stroganoff sauce; homemade pastas, daily fish specials, steak and Trevor’s chicken, named in honour of Jamie’s father. Desserts include sticky toffee pudding and the River Café Nemesis cake, a nod to the restaurant Jamie worked in when he was discovered as a TV chef. Enter through an impressive garden-like courtyard with twinkly lights into a dramatic, buzzing main room with comfortable booths, antique lamps and modern art and photography. Suppliers are name-checked, with meat from HG Walter, Cobble Lane Cured charcuterie and Coombeshead Farm bread. jamieolivercatherinest.com

Roketsu, Marylebone

Daisuke Hayashi, trained at Yoshihiro Murata’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant Kikunoi, learned the principles of kaiseki from one of its masters and has been delighting Londoners looking for an authentic taste of Japanese fine dining since opening Roketsu in 2021.

With a more relaxed à la carte experience in mind, Daisuke opened the Bo-Sen wine and dining room downstairs in 2023. With just eight covers, the experience is intimate, the wooden panelling and low mid-century furniture creating an atmosphere that’s just as refined as the minimalist counter-dining space on the ground floor. Daisuke’s handling of seasonal produce remains respectful, balancing flavours and ingredients precisely. Light dishes crafted to be enjoyed alongside extensive wine and sake lists include vegetable takiawase of simmered vegetables with dashi jelly, tsukuri of the day comprising four kinds of beautifully cut sashimi and flavour-packed homemade curry.

Plating is artful and every detail of the Bo-Sen space has been considered, from the elegant furnishings in rich colours to the bespoke Kyoto crockery. roketsu.co.uk

Origin City, Smithfield

Nose-to-tail restaurant in West Smithfield

Provenance is key to the offering at family-owned Origin City. Meat comes from the owner’s farm in Argyll, the seafood from their aquafarm, Loch Fyne Oysters, and the wine list features wines from their organic vineyard in Provence. Butchery and ageing happen in-house, which add to the validity of their promise of pasture to plate and nose-to-tail dining. The room is atmospheric at night, with wooden floors, crisp white tablecloths, and an open chef’s pass allowing you to see the team at work. The seasonal, daily-changing menu favours meat with a small fish and vegetarian selection. Starters range from grilled Morteau sausage, deep Puy lentils and mustard dressing or an excellent pork tonnato with a delicate tuna dressing and caperberries. Mains include a daily chef’s cut of steak, served with rich jus, hispi cabbage and crunchy onions, or a black pig cut of the day with celeriac purée, onion squash and sauce charcutière and diners are given a choice of knife. Desserts are classics such as sticky toffee pudding. origincity.co.uk

Pasero, Tottenham

After moving to London and starting a series of supper clubs around Tottenham, Genevieve Sparrow ventured into a bricks and mortar business. As a morning-to-night venture, Pasero serves coffee and pastries, breakfasts, lunchtime sandwiches and small plates with wine in the evenings, as well as a deli shop to pick up fresh local bread and high-quality charcuterie, among other things.

Its new resident head chef, Angelos Angelides – hailing from the likes of BRAT and Honey & Co – delivers a European menu influenced by his Cypriot and Serbian heritage that features simple but flavour-packed dishes. Start with revitalised classics, bright and vibrant tzatziki and – a particular highlight – the creamiest taramasalata with deliciously salty and crispy shoestring fries. Order plenty of Pasero’s sourdough to dredge through all of this; you’ll also need it for a molten disc of baked goat’s cheese topped with sweet roasted red pepper alongside a bitter puntarelle salad. Other veggie-forward dishes also impress: baked giant beans with feta are satisfyingly hearty while a brown chilli butter supercharges the nuttiness of roast jerusalem artichokes. Don’t miss out on afters – a choice of Neal’s Yard cheeses and luxurious desserts including delicate chestnut and nutmeg cake with poached pear and whisky caramel, and, our favourite, almond-based Daim cake with a thick topping of crunchy nut-flecked milk chocolate. pasero.uk

Maresco, Soho

Following successful openings in Crouch End and Stoke Newington, the team behind local favourites Bar Esteban and Escocesa has ventured into central London with this intimate 48-cover space in the heart of Soho. Billed as a modern tapas bar (with a more formal dining room on the basement floor), expect a seafood-focussed menu at Maresco, featuring top-quality Scottish produce served with Spanish flair and (a lot) of Spanish wine. maresco.co.uk

Ikoyi, The Strand

Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale’s second iteration of their highly acclaimed West African fine-dining restaurant at 180 The Strand. The spice-focussed menu has evolved to new heights and cooking techniques courtesy of a much bigger space, while keeping the theme more than ever on micro-seasonal British ingredients. ikoyilondon.com

Llama Inn, The Hoxton

Having built a cult following in New York, Juan Correa and chef Erik Ramirez have brought their critically acclaimed Llama Inn and its playful taste of Peru across the Atlantic, taking over the rooftop restaurant at The Hoxton hotel in east London. The menu draws inspiration from the chef’s Peruvian-American background and the drinks list features many of the original NYC signature serves alongside a wine list with a focus on low-intervention and biodynamic wines. thehoxton.com

Kima, Marylebone

Fin-to-gill dining concept from modern Greek restaurant OPSO

It’s all about the small details at this minimalist dining room in Marylebone; wave-inspired crockery is handmade in a studio in Corfu and the restaurant’s name, which means “wave” in Greek, is elegantly displayed on one wall. Whole fish glisten on ice at the front, while a selection of cuts for the gill-to-fin menu age in glass-fronted fridges. An example of this zero-waste dining style is sea bream crudo lifted by thyme and lemon zest followed by the ‘shank’ of the same fish served with bacon-studded cabbage fricassee. An elegant take on a Greek salad accompanies, with aged feta crowning a bowl of chopped tomatoes and cucumber, doused in Greek olive oil poured from a carafe to meld with the juices, in which diners are encouraged to dip homemade sourdough. The “wave” theme extends to dessert, where caramelised seaweed plays a glorious role in a crisp millefeuille-tiramisu hybrid layered with coffee cream and caramelised nuts. Cocktails are infused with Greek ingredients – mastic Votanikon gin adds herbaceous notes to a basil cocktail, while clarified feta is used to create a unique twist on a sour. The selection of Greek wines includes a minerally white from Santorini, thoughtfully recommended by one of the very helpful, friendly Greek servers. kimarestaurant.com

Sparrow Italia, Mayfair

From downtown LA to Mayfair, this plush modern Italian incorporates Med twists into its smart menu. Set over three floors with a secluded courtyard on the first, the menu presents luxe versions of classics including A5 wagyu carpaccio with pickled mushrooms and truffle, and lobster linguine with aqua pazza. sparrowitalia.com

Manzi’s, Soho

Latest off the block from the Wolseley Hospitality Group, Manzi’s is as glamorous as nautical comes. Set over two floors and with bright, airy blue and white interiors, this is a place of comfort and attention to detail. Head chef Christian Turner’s menu encompasses a beautifully executed monkfish wellington and cioppino fish stew, as well as oysters and dressed crab, Galician-style octopus, fish finger sandwiches and lobster rolls. Non-fish dishes are also available, including leeks mimosa and devilled egg, and roast Landes chicken. manzis.co.uk

Socca, Mayfair

The food of the Côte d’Azur is known for its sunshine and chic, effortless vibes, elements captured exactly in Mayfair’s Socca. The palette of pastels and baby blue inside and out, art from local artists and waiters are decidedly French, and the menu reflects that, too. Informed by Claude Bosi’s memories of eating the food in the south of France as a child, fish and seafood is celebrated, the aperitif menu is plentiful and, of course, there’s the namesake socca – a type of thin, unleavened pancake or crêpe made from chickpea flour. soccabistro.com

Edit, Hackney

This hyper-seasonal restaurant has a real commitment to sustainability with a zero-waste menu that uses ingredients from small farms, producers and foragers. The Daily Edit tasting menu changes to suit what is available. Clever cooking, including a risotto made with British Carlin peas, oat cream and oyster mushrooms, elevates dishes beyond the ordinary. Tasting menu £55pp; edit.london

Chet’s, Shepherd’s Bush

LA chef Kris Yenbamroong has brought his tried and tested Thai-American menu to the lively Shepherd’s Bush Hoxton Hotel. Cocktails are unique, food is playful and flavours are punchy: its signature pineapple rice served in the shell, babka french toast and exuberantly garnished ice cream sundaes. Décor is La La Land chic – a soft warm pink palette, oversized plants, a huge skylight, open kitchen and retro booths – a nod to the American diner. Open from breakfast till late. chetsrestaurant.co.uk

Akoko, Fitzrovia

Executive chef Ayo Adeyemi’s tasting menu is rooted in tradition but sharply executed with great imaginative flair. Dishes may include tatale (Ghanaian plantain pancakes) with cashew cream and caviar, or moi-moi (a steamed pudding of puréed black-eyed beans with onions, peppers and stock) served with the Afro-Brazilian seafood and coconut milk sauce, vatapá. Tasting menu £120; akoko.co.uk

Stay tuned for more reviews of new restaurants in London

Reviews by Christine Hayes, Lulu Grimes, Helen Salter, Hannah Guinness, Alex Crossley, Esther Clark, Miriam Nice and Marianne Voyle

Photographs: David Cotsworth, Steven Joyce (Lórian), Melisa Coppola (Pollini), Ania-Smelskaya (Sune), Oskar-Proctor (Bistro Freddie), Ben Carpenter (Sparrow Italia), John Carey (Ikoyi), Rob Billington (Singapulah)