There’s a veritable feast of new openings that should be on your radar this month, from new London outposts of popular international eateries to hugely anticipated latest openings by seasoned chefs
Restaurant Ours
Having opened the hugely acclaimed Restaurant Story in 2013 (awarded a Michelin star only five months after launching), Tom Sellers (below, right), who trained under Tom Aikens and worked at Noma, is opening his second London restaurant in South Kensington. Taking over the iconic Collection restaurant will be a 120-seat restaurant, with a bar and upper mezzanine. Daniel Phippard is taking the reins as Head Chef, having worked at Moscow’s Yornik restaurant and London’s Kensington Place, so expect a menu showcasing classic and contemporary dishes with European influences.
Chucs Bar and Grill
Men’s leisurewear brand Chucs opens a second eatery in London’s Westbourne Grove this month, following the success of its Mayfair Bar and Grill. The classically styled bijous restaurant will take over the ground floor of the building in Notting Hill with the company’s menswear collection upstairs. There’ll also be an Italian Effe coffee bar, as well as an outside garden terrace. Led by esteemed Roman Chef, Alessandro Verdenelli (previously of Shoreditch House and also of KX Members Club), the Bar and Grill offers an Italian Transatlantic ad healthy menu of classic favourites. Think Veal Milanese, Taglioni Cacio e Pepe, a house Cobb Salad and Pizza Bianca with truffles, all washed down with their signature martinis. Expect the interior of the restaurant is be similar to the original Mayfair – designed to feel like a yacht; warm and intimate with wood panelling and navy leather banquettes.
Native
Native, a new restaurant specialising in game and rare breeds, opens this month in Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden. The new site has been co-founded by chef-patron Ivan Tisdall-Downes and business partner Imogen Davis, who trained at River Cottage, and then went on to run successful supper clubs.
The constantly changing lunch and dinner menus at Native will focus on game meat, rare-breed meats, wild food and nose-to-tail, root-to-stem eating. Aiming for bold flavours and taking inspiration from street food, the restaurant aims to make game and wild food more accessible in style and price, and also include various foraged and vegetarian options. Typical dishes will include the “signature” pigeon kebab, and southern fried rabbit, while the wine list will highlight British wines and sparkling wines, and a regularly-changing seasonal cocktail menu.
Osteria
Located on the second floor of the Barbican Centre, with the design taking inspiration from its iconic surroundings, Osteria is a new restaurant created by Searcys in collaboration with Anthony Demetre (acclaimed chef patron of Arbutus in Soho and Wild Honey in Mayfair). Led by Head Chef Patrick Leano, formerly of the Michelin-starred Arbutus, menus change regularly, with a focus on Italian produce and seasonality. In the centre of the restaurant is an old meat slicer and table dedicated to charcuterie, while at the bar, cocktails focus on Italian classics such as Negronis and Bellinis.
Restaurant Frenchie
When Greg Marchand began working in the London restaurant Fifteen, its owner, Jamie Oliver, dubbed him “Frenchie” because he was the only French person in the kitchen. The name stuck, and now it graces Marchand’s Paris restaurant, as well as his other endeavours: a wine bar, “Frenchie to Go,” a cookbook and the opening of a new London outpost.
The menu at the new Frenchie Covent Garden on Henrietta Street will echo its Parisian counterpart, with simple, generous yet precise dishes heavily influenced by Greg’s travels. It will reference his experiences in kitchens across the world, from Gramercy Tavern in New York to beach bars in Spain, through to Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in London, underpinned by his classical French training growing up in Nantes, north west France. His simple yet inspired cuisine includes trademark techniques such as house-smoked meat and fish, vibrant seasoning and fresh flavours, which will all shine through.
Polpo at Harvey Nichols
Two pop-up versions of this popular Italian open in Harvey Nichols stores this month: the first in the Knightsbridge Harvey Nicks on the Fifth Floor and the Fourth Floor of the Leeds store at the end of the month. Expect several Polpo classics, including ‘Fried olives, zucchini arancini and fig and prosciutto crostini’, ‘Cod cheeks with lentils & salsa verde’, ‘Pizzetta with spicy pork and pickled peppers’ and ‘Deep fried polenta-crusted meatballs’, and enjoy classic cocktails such as Campari and Negronis.
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Main image: Restaurant Frenchie
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