October 2023: London’s best new restaurants, bars and pubs

1 BKC, Soho

Biryani Kebab Chai is opening a second site a little over a year after opening its first site in Marble Arch. Continuing to serve up northern India’s Awahdi cuisine, the menu contains both popular marble Arch dishes, as well as new plates unique to the Soho restaurant such as chargrilled rabbit legs infused with allspice and yoghurt, and tandoori lobster.

Address: 8 Moor Street, Soho W1D 5ND

Website: bkclondon.uk

2 FOWL by Fallow, St James’s Market

Owners of critically-acclaimed Fallow St James’s Market, James Robson and chefs Will Murray and Jack Croft, have opened a beak-to-feet chicken restaurant pop up. Open Monday to Saturday, head here for triple crisp hot wings, chicken fries, or chicken liver parfait with black cherries and sourdough soldiers. Produce is sourced from The Ethical Butcher and rare Breed Meats, and lookout for chef collaborations.

Address: Norris Street, St. James’s Market, SW1Y 4RJ

Website: instagram.com/FowlRestaurant

3 Bambi, London Fields

A new bar will open this month by one of the owners of Frank’s Cafe in Peckham. Bambi takes over the Bright site in Netil House, and sounds like a more grown up version of the south London institution, but not too grown up to have frozen tequila coffee cocktails on the menu.  The wine bar will have Bib Gourmand chef Henry Freestone (ex-Peckham Cellars) in the kitchen and a curation of DJs in the custom built DJ booth at the weekends.

Address: Netil House, 1 Westgate St, London E8 3RL

Website: bambi-bar.com

4 Kinoya, Knightsbridge

An intimate Japanese izakaya-style restaurant from self taught Chef Neha Mishra, Kinoya focuses on ramen and small plates. Found in Harrod’s dining hall, head here for a hearty bowl of tonkotsu ramen with 12-hour rich pork broth, bacon katsuobushi salt, anchovy oil and torched chashu or miso butter eggplant karaage or wagyu tsukune, with you can pair with wine or sake.

Address: Harrod’s, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL

Website: harrods.com

5 Bar Lina, Soho

Find this new aperitivo bar the original Lina Stores’ delicatessen in Soho. Housed in its former fresh pasta kitchen, the neighbourhood bar will be bringing its signature aperitif such as Syracuse martini with Sicilian tomato and a basil gimlet with Villa Ascenti gin. Quaff these with a selection of freshly sliced cured meats, Italian cheeses, antipasti or go for a few Italian-style bar snacks, such as fried gnudi.

Address: 18 Brewer Street, Soho W1F 0SG

Website: barlina.co.uk

6 Bocconcino, Soho

The second site for this glam Italian restaurant, Bocconcino’s newest restaurant location comes with all the wood-fired pizza, fresh handmade pasta and house-playing DJs you would expect to find in its older sibling venue in Mayfair. Wash down your plate of tagliatelle with black truffle with a few cocktails from the extensive drinks list that also boasts plenty of good Italian wines. Look out for a subterranean bar opening up soon too.

Address: 59 Great Marlborough Street, Soho W1F 7JY

Website: bocconcinorestaurant.co.uk

7 Hiroo at Ginza St James’s

A suave cocktail and sake bar attached to the sleek Japanese restaurant Ginza that will serve a short Japanese small plates menu alongside its selection of clean Japanese-inspired drinks. The bar is stocked with more than 70 premium sakes, rare Japanese whiskies and cocktails crafted with aromatic, herbaceous, floral and fresh flavours including bergamot liqueur, genmaicha, white pepper and ponzu.

Address: 15 Bury Street, St. James’s SW1Y 6AL

Website: ginza-stjames.com

8 The Knight of Notting Hill

A new gastropub for west London, The Knight of Notting Hill is a stylish new venue serving food by ex-Benares chef Akash Singh, well mixed drinks and live music. Pork belly tacos, garlic Madagascan prawn with sourdough, Old Delhi butter chicken are among the crowd-pleasing dishes on the menu, and from the many cocktails on offer, a margarita of sorts is the signature tipple.

Address: 139 Ladbroke Grove, W10 6HJ

Website: theknightofnottinghill.com

9 The Waterman’s Arms, Barnes

Overlooking an idyllic stretch of the Thames, The Waterman’s Arms is a refined pub with a kitchen preparing seasonal dishes that are unfussy but good. On the menu, you’ve got the likes of cannelloni, pumpkin and radicchio; hake, mussel tomato and bread stew; and spit road chicken with chicken fat polenta. There’s also a bar toast menu featuring coal charred sourdough loaded with various toppings including rouille and mussels. Dine in the upstairs dining room, or in the street level pub, and pub puts on a Sunday lunch too.

Address: 375 Lonsdale Road, Barnes SW13 9PY

Website: watermansarms.co.uk

10 Bistro Freddie, Shoreditch

The latest venture from the unpretentious yet hip natural wine bar and small plates outfit Crispin, Bistro Freddie comes with interiors that have a classic bistro feel, and a menu featuring both familiar and uncommon bistro style dishes, such as grilled mushroom parfait with fried bread, rabbit and apple cider pie, grilled cabbage and mushroom stuffing gravy, and pork chop with apple glaze and bacon jus. To drink, choose a glass or a bottle from the classic all-French wine list.

Address: 74 Luke Street, Shoreditch EC2A 4PY

Website: bistrofreddie.com

11 L’Atelier Robuchon, Mayfair

Celebrating the culinary styles of Joël Robuchon, a chef who held 32 Michelin-stars at the time of his death, making him the most starred chef in the world at the time, L’Atelier Robuchon has relaunched in Mayfair, after closing in Covent Garden shortly after Robuchon’s death in 2018. Expect refined French cuisine, with touches of Asian influences, and attention to detail. Also expect the “best mashed potatoes in the world”.

Address: 6 Clarges Street, Mayfair W1J 8AE

Website: robuchonlondon.co.uk

12 Claridge’s Restaurant, Mayfair

A delightful art deco venue befitting its luxurious home, Claridge’s’ new restaurant plates up elegant contemporary riffs on classical British dishes. Head Chef Coalin Finn (ex-Sketch, Davies and Brook) has created a sublime menu boasting the likes of grilled native lobster, buckwheat crumpets, steak au poivre and pumpkin agnolotti. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Address: Brook Street, Mayfair W1K 4HR

Website: claridges.co.uk