10 New Restaurants To Book Now

On 16th April, David Carter – founder of Smokestak and Manteca – will open the doors to Oma, a new restaurant inspired by the Greek isles and flavours of the surrounding coastal regions. At Borough Market, Oma draws its name from the Greek word for ‘raw’ and will feature both a crudo bar and a live-fire kitchen. Jorge Paredes (ex-exec chef at Sabor) is leading the kitchen alongside David. The menu includes Greek classics such as hung sheep’s yoghurt with a salt cod XO sauce; hummus masabacha with tahini and green zhoug; gilthead bream crudo with jalapeno aguachile and datterini tomato; yellowfin tuna with clementine and aged soy; harissa-grilled prawns with cucumber and mint tzatziki; and a brown crab borek, baked until the buttery crab centre is gooey. On the fire, butterflied or slow-grilled red mullet will be served with red miso butter, while skewered Cornish squid will be brushed with a garlic and za’atar oil and finished with a generous dusting of sumac. Simple desserts include olive oil ice-cream with fennel pollen, and rizogalo rice pudding with balsamic black figs. Directly beneath Oma, you’ll find Agora, a sister restaurant inspired by the lively street markets of Athens.

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NIJŪ is a forthcoming Japanese grill and sushi bar from Michelin-starred sushi master Endo Kazutoshi, the man behind Endo At The Rotunda and the much anticipated Kioku by Endo on the rooftop of The OWO. NIJŪ means ‘20’ in Japanese, a nod to its location at 20 Berkeley Street in Mayfair. A Japanese dining destination complete with bespoke sushi bar, dining room, private room and hideaway cocktail bar, the space will specialise in ‘katei ryori’, which translates as ‘home cooked food’. Menu examples include chirashi rice with trout or tuna.

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In Mayfair, Hamiltons Gallery owner Tim Jefferies and chef Larry Jayasekara are just about to open The Cocochine. Taking over a former mews house on Bruton Place, Tim and Larry have approached the property as custodians, preserving and enhancing the four-storey building to create their dream restaurant. Classically trained but not confined to any particular style, Larry will offer a wide-ranging cuisine: think coronation Dorset crab with almond, tea-soaked raisin, elderberry vinegar pickled apple and coriander oil; or poached native lobster with spiced yoghurt, yuzu and bone sauce. The ground level hosts the 28-seat dining room; upstairs is a seven-guest chef's counter with views into the kitchen. We rather like that the restaurant is taking an old-fashioned approach: a visit to The Cocochine begins with a phone call, as no online booking services are offered. Reservations are open now – call 020 3835 3957.

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Cubitt House – which looks after good London boozers such as The Princess Royal in Notting Hill and The Barley Mow in Mayfair – has given The Orange on Pimlico Road a lick of paint. As well as adding four lovely bedrooms, the entire pub has been redesigned, with a dramatically extended bar area running through the entire ground floor. The space has been equipped with its own charcuterie station from which chef-director Ben Tish will serve Mediterranean-inspired cured meats and wood-fired pizza with toppings such as mortadella, buffalo mozzarella, pistachio; Ibérico pancetta, roasted pineapple, pickled red onion and chilli; and red prawns, rose harissa, marmande tomatoes, caciocavallo and oregano. Other Med riffs on the menu include roast chicken with grapes, wine and rosemary; roast squid with za’tar and aioli; and moussaka. Just save room for the signature orange and Campari sorbet, stylishly served inside an orange.

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TĀ TĀ Eatery founders Ana Gonçalves and Zijun Meng will relaunch sister brand TÓU on 5th April as a pop-up. They are transforming the space upstairs at Borough Market’s Globe Tavern into a 1970s Japanese-Americana-inspired sando bar. The launch sees the return of the pair’s legendary sandos, alongside ice-cream sundaes, and a focus on pet nat and natural wines. We can’t wait to eat one of their Ibérico pork katsu sandos again, a signature creation that combines pork neck cutlet with cabbage, raspberry sauce and XO shallot sauce in a lightly toasted brioche sandwich. The menu will be rounded off with skin-on fries with house sprinkles, and a coffee and biscuits sundae – homemade coffee ice-cream with Biscoff, creamy mascarpone custard and cocoa powder.

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Perilla has been a Newington Green destination restaurant for years. Now the pair behind its success have opened a new space in Exmouth Market with Great British Menu finalist Daniel Fletcher. In a former bank, and making the most of its high ceilings and huge windows, Morchella offers a modern interpretation of classical Mediterranean dishes prepared with seasonal produce. Look for dishes such as octopus luciana, salt cod churros, spaghetti vongole, salt baked poussin with chilli sauce, and hake with sobrassada sauce. As well as a restaurant, there’s a cosy wine bar serving glasses and bottles by the likes of Newcomers, Keeling Andrew and Dynamic Vines – plus a hidden private dining room for 14 in the basement. Come summer, a 24-seat outdoor dining terrace will be the place to book, overlooking Exmouth Market. 

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