Here we go again. Paloma Lacy and Jo Aspin round-up the hottest new places to drink and dine each month. This October, take your pick from these spots to pop up across the capital.
St. JOHN Marylebone
Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver open their third restaurant St. JOHN Marylebone this October. All day dining and drinking with the local community placed at heart is their bag. Begin with ultra-decadent sounding doughnuts and champagne from mid-morning before blackboards, chalked with daily small plate specials, are hung on the wall. Vegans look away now for Fergus Henderson coined the phrase nose-to-tail eating so we’ll be expecting meat to be forefront. Get ready for dishes like Onion Soup, Bone Marrow Toast and Parsley Salad; Deep Fried Welsh Rarebit (which looks insane); and Middle White Chop with Chicory and Sorrel. Selected French wines from the company’s own vineyards will accompany. This is the first restaurant opening from the group in a decade. We can’t wait! JA.
Opens 19th October
Casa do Frango Heddon Street
Caso do Frango Heddon Street officially opens its doors on 14th October. A second restaurant to add to the London Bridge original, the new site boasts a street level terrace, an expansive, light and airy dining room, a drinks bar dubbed The Green Room, and two private dining rooms.
The menu sees all of the usual Casa do Frango favourites with signature dish, Frango Piri-Piri, at the centre. The much loved half a chicken brushed with a secret piri-piri recipe is a state secret, influenced by co-founder Marco Mendes’ upbringing in the Algarve, Southern Portugal. Cooking on an open-fire grill, creating smoky flavours and sweetly charred meats is a passion, but it’s not just about piri-piri. Sharing is the order of the day, with small plates like Iberico Pork Croquettes and Bacalhau Fritters to African Rice, Batatas Fritas and a Montanheira Salad proving hugely popular. PL.
Opens 14th October
Alyn Willams Joins Park Row
Park Row has welcomed Michelin-star royalty Alyn Williams as Executive Chef. Holder of one Michelin star for eight years at The Westbury Hotel in Mayfair, he comes with experience of some of the UK’s most prestigious kitchens, training under Marcus Wareing and Gordon Ramsay. Excitement is building for a menu thought to include rabbit, smoked chicken terrine, tarragon and confit rabbit samosa, alongside Cornish stone bass, crispy caviar and chive butter. Alyn Williams joins the kitchen alongside Karl O’Dell, Executive Chef of The Monarch Theatre, a 20-seat immersive dining experience set within Park Row. The menu launches this month. PL.
Now open
Restaurant Elis
Bethnal Green Town Hall gets a restaurant makeover this month. Rafael Cagali, chef and owner of two Michelin starred Da Terra (already in place in the building), opens Restaurant Elis. The name is a tribute to his mother, whose first restaurant and jazz bar in São Paulo was named after famed Brazilian musician, Elis Regina. Rafael will be taking over the space that used to house the Corner Room, set within the historic Town Hall Hotel. Restaurant Elis will offer a more relaxed interpretation of Rafael’s Brazilian-Italian food. Expect pasta dishes like Crab tagliolini verde, baby monkfish tail with black tucupi glaze, and pork chops with black beans and chimichurri. The wine list has been selected from the brilliant team at Noble Rot. The bijou dining room seats just 30 people. JA.
Opens 12th October
Restaurant St Barts
5th October sees the opening of St Barts in Smithfield, a sister restaurant to Nest in Hackney and Fenn in Fulham. The kitchen team, lead by Executive Head Chef Johnnie Crowe, have created a 15-course menu, featuring seasonal produce from much-coveted small scale farmers.
What does that look like on a plate? Ingredients assembled in their simplest form, with no dish using more than two key ingredients, showcasing ultimate provenance. Bar snacks such as four-month hung Mangalitza belly, sourced from Yorkshire, will tantalise the taste buds. Poached oyster and pea with lovage granita will cleanse the palate, as would a negroni. Located opposite St Bartholomew-the-Great Church, a shorter six-course menu is available for lunchtime diners. Stand-out dishes include: Cornish lobster paired with preserved peppers from farms around East Sussex, as well as a variety of fermented chillies grown by Allwoods Farm, including cayenne, Hungarian black and jalapeños; and cod loin poached in deeply flavoured mushroom stock, served with home-pickled Wiltshire truffle infused butter sauce. Head of wine Emma Denney, a UK Sommelier of the Year 2022 finalist, can assist in wine pairing. PL.
Opens 5th October
King’s House Chelsea
Former MasterChef winner Dhruv Baker has joined forces with ex-Ledbury chef Ben Floyd to launch British/Basque restaurant, King’s House. Situated on the spot of previous King’s Road hotspot, The Jam Tree, it’s a please all kind of a joint. Brunch with flatmates, family lunches and Chelsea FC match day beers, you’ll find all forms of dining life here. Brunch is served from 12 noon until 5pm, with a few twists on traditional dishes. Serrano ham rarebit looks interesting. Eggs Benedict with either secret smokehouse salmon, Serrano ham or wilted spinach and wild mushrooms both seems like great ways to elevate a classic. The lunch menu is full of solid choices, from small plates like steak tartare, patatas bravas, croquetas and roasted pumpkin with goats’ cheese. Veggies are well catered for with mains such as burnt leeks with romesco and toasted hazlenuts. Those with a sweet tooth will be satisfied by salted chocolate and olive oil dessert pot. Cocktails are an important feature here, admirably handled by Anna Sebastian, who’s ex-The Savoy and Adam Handling. PL.
Now open