The Best London Restaurant Openings This August
By Something CuratedHighlighting this month’s most promising restaurant launches, Something Curated takes a closer look at what to try, as well as the founders and proprietors behind the openings.
South London
Kin+deum || Bank, Roselyn & Shakris Inngern
Siblings Bank, Roselyn and Shakris Inngern have banded together to open Kin+deum, a new Thai restaurant near London Bridge. Inspired by the tastes of Bangkok, the lunch and dinner menus meld traditional Thai dishes with local ingredients. In addition to curries, noodles, and fried rice, Ken+deum offers a delectable array of “house dishes” like Bangkok’s Gra Pow—a favourite Thai stir-fry of minced pork, bird’s eye chillies, garlic, red peppers, onions and basil leaves.
2 Crucifix Lane, London SE1 3JW
Central London
Lady of the Grapes || Carole Bryon & Victor Garvey
Carole Bryon is determined to champion women winemakers. Her founding of Lady of the Grapes—a wine bar and restaurant set to open later this month—does just that. In an aim to widen the representation of women in the wine industry, more than half of the 80 wines featured at Lady of the Grapes are made by female winemakers. The restaurant menu is designed by chef and restaurateur Victor Garvey, owner of both Ramla and Sibarita. An addition to the wine bar and restaurant, a deli will offer an assortment of wines, cheese, and charcuteries for takeaway.
16 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7NJ
Flesh & Buns Fitzrovia || Ross Shonhan
The team behind bao restaurant Flesh & Buns will soon open a new location in Fitzrovia. Chef Ross Shonhan, owner of the Bone Daddies family, created the izakaya-style bao bar with the hope of serving memorable Japanese-inspired food. The new location will maintain the cool atmosphere of its first location. At the same time, equipped with a new wood-smoker the restaurant will emphasize Nikkei cuisine—a combination of Peruvian and Japanese cooking—and will have Press for Pisco Sour buttons. Highlighted new dishes include the chilli-miso smoked brisket and tiraditos (a Peruvian small plate of raw fish in a spicy sauce).
32 Berners Street, W1T 3LR
Little Kolkata || Prabir Kumar Chattopadhyay & Biswajit Deb Das
The owners of popular Bengali supper club Little Kolkatta have recently launched their first restaurant. Riding on their previous successes, Prabir Kumar Chattopadhyay and Biswajit Deb Das will continue to offer cuisine inspired by their Calcuttan and Bengali heritage. Their curation of sharing plates—including specialities like maacher cutlet—combined with interior design by Meedhi Larouci evoke the intimacy of Bengali supper clubs, as well as the richness of Calcuttan culture.
Shelton Street, WC2H 9JQ
North London
Tish || David S Levin & John Ellison
Owner David S Levin has brought an exciting addition to Belsize Park with Tish, a contemporary kosher bar and restaurant with an all-day menu. Devised by head chef John Ellison, the menu at Tish is dairy-free and imbued with Jewish heritage; with favorites like challah French toast with pear compote; chicken schnitzel; and Lokshen pudding. For Friday dinners and Saturday lunches, Tish welcomes all to its observation of Shabbat, the Jewish day of prayer, where it serves a delicious fixed menu. In addition to its homely cooking, the restaurant includes an impressive terrace and can accommodate nearly 200 guests at a time.
196 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 2AH
East London
Screwdriver || Alexis & Emmanuel Ross
Alexis and Emmanuel Ross have teamed up to launch Screwdriver, a new restaurant and bar opening on Ridley Road this month. Inspired by the brothers’ visits to Spain, Screwdriver is heavily influenced by Spanish culture. The brother’s emphasize Screwdriver’s unpretentious and welcoming vibe, as well as its inventive cocktails. With their leading cocktail, the New Driver, the brother’s have reimagined the classic Screwdriver cocktail, the bar’s namesake.
Ridley Road, London, E8 2NP
Events
Carnaby Street Eat
On Saturday 11 August, London’s Carnaby Street will be animated by food stalls and trucks erected by the neighbourhood’s favourite restaurants, bars, and cafes. This year, more than 30 of the area’s best food offerings will participate in the Carnaby Street Eat food festival. Per usual, the festival’s selection of foods is exhaustive—with hawaiian poke bowls from Island Poke, crab fries from Claw, cupcakes and bakes from Crumbs & Doilies, and many more delicious eats. In addition to the international sampling of food, the event offers special performances and discounts at Carnaby Street’s array of shops.
Carnaby St, Soho, London W1F 9PX
The Gastrophysics Chef’s Table || Jozef Youssef
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bei5uHYDgrh/?hl=en&taken-by=gastrophysicskt
Hosted by renowned experimental chef Jozef Youssef and Kitchen Theory chefs, The Gastrophysics Chef’s Table, running on 24 August with more dates to be announced, delves into the budding science of gastrophysics, offering diners a multisensory banqueting experience. The event guides 10 guests at a time through a 10 course tasting menu, which combine traditional and modern techniques with wine and cocktail offerings. Most importantly, the experience is accompanied by sensory-related variables: lighting, colour, sound, aroma and texture.
Unit 9A, Alston Works, Falkland Road EN5 4LG
V For || The Old Truman Brewery
For the first time, The Old Truman Brewery will host a vegan lifestyle festival running from 2-31 August. A hotspot on the weekends, The Old Truman Brewery houses hundreds of local businesses in Shoreditch and is a hub for creative entrepreneurs. The venue will provide educational sessions, fitness and wellness events, ranging from yoga and mindfulness sessions to a vegan fashion show. Vegan Nights will set up a market of vegan desserts to start off the event. The festival will also bring vegan menus to local establishments, as well as integrate vegan and vegetarian traders into the Brick Lane Food Hall.
91 Brick Lane, Shoreditch, London E1 6QL
Words by Olivia Williams | Feature image via Tish