The Best London Restaurant Openings This June
By Something CuratedHighlighting this month’s most promising London food launches, Something Curated takes a closer look at what to try, as well as the founders and proprietors behind the openings.
Arros QD || Quique Dacosta
Quique Dacosta is one of Spain’s most celebrated chefs and he runs two restaurants with Michelin stars: Quique Dacosta, in Denia, and El Poblet, in Valencia. He’s considered a leader of the avant-garde cuisine movement in Spain, and this opening will be his first venture in London. The anticipated two-storey restaurant located in Fitzrovia will focus on rice, a product that does not currently have much of a presence in haute gastronomy.
64 Eastcastle St, W1W 8DD
Flor || James Lowe & John Ogier
The team behind Shoreditch’s acclaimed modern British restaurant Lyle’s, chef James Lowe and general manager John Ogier, are set to launch a second site this June. A wine bar and bakery called Flor will open at 1 Bedale Street, on the edge of Borough Market, near London Bridge. Lowe notes that all the produce used at Flor, including the wine, will come from “agriculturally responsible locations,” with many of the same producers and suppliers as at Lyle’s.
1 Bedale St, SE1 9AL
Suzi Tros || Adrien Carre & Christina Mouratoglou
Suzi Tros, a Greek bistro and cocktail bar from Adrien Carre and Christina Mouratoglou, the husband and wife team behind Mazi, will open in Notting Hill this May. The new space comprises an airy upstairs dining room and a downstairs cocktail bar. Inside, warm colours and touches of cool turquoise evoke coastal Greece. The menu of small plates aims to reflect the breadth of Northern Greek cuisine, taking inspiration from the traditional small eateries dotted across Mouratoglou’s hometown of Thessaloniki.
8 Hillgate Street, W8 7SR
Circolo || Victor Lugger & Tigrane Seydoux
Following the success of Gloria, the Italian trattoria recently opened in Shoreditch, the Parisian restaurant group Big Mamma, helmed by Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, are preparing a sequel in Fitzrovia. Named Circolo, the new eatery takes it’s inspiration from the generous cooking of Sicily. On the menu, expect dishes to be over-the-top, with the likes of meter-long pizzas, pasta shaped like “a giant silken handkerchief,” one litre ice-cream and cookie sundaes, and more.
Rathbone Square, W1T 1JN
BaoziInn Borough || Wei Shao
Serving up a plentiful selection of dumplings, as well as other Sichuan and Hunan treats like dan dan noodles and skewers, BaoziInn is launching their third, and extra large, new space. The new site in Borough will have 120 covers across three floors, with an open kitchen and cocktail bar. The flagship site will feature street food dishes, noodles, buns and BaoziInn’s popular coloured dumplings made using natural ingredients like beetroot and spinach, with the addition of Cantonese roast meats like barbeque roast duck and crispy roast pork belly.
4-36 Southwark St, SE1 9HP
Pophams || Ollie Gold
One of London’s most successful new bakeries is opening a second site at 197 Richmond Road in London Fields, taking over from Rawduck. The new spot will be considerably larger than the first, with a pasta kitchen and nighttime restaurant joining the roster of baked goods. Pophams’ weekend specialities have won particular adoration from customers, including their pastries with lemon curd and poppyseed; rhubarb and brûléed custard; and a peanut butter, jam, and banana creation.
197 Richmond Road, E8 3NJ
Gold || Theo Hill, Alex Ghalleb & Arez Akgundogdu
A modern European restaurant, Gold focuses on produce-led, minimal process cooking, with an ethos of sharing. Signature dishes will include wood roasted whole sea bream, with wild oregano and capers, and wood roasted cauliflower with toasted buckwheat, cumin, yoghurt and coriander. Dishes will largely be cooked in wood ovens or over flames. The ground floor comprises a bar and open kitchen, which leads onto a lush outdoor garden, offering respite from the bustle of Portobello Road.
95-97 Portobello Rd, W11 2QB
Feature image via BaoziInn