London’s weather is heating up – and so is its dining scene, with a handful of excellent pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants that opened in May to check out. Here’s what got us talking this month.
• Rowdy Table, a joyful – pint-sized (though there’s plenty of room to stand on the street) – natural wine bar has landed in Streatham, bringing drops by small-batch, independent producers from £8 a glass.
• Chef-restaurateur Luke Farrell (also Speedboat Bar) has done it again, opening Plaza Khao Gaeng number three, where the skewers and curries of deepest south Thailand join the group’s signature massaman curry.
• First they brought Roman-style dining to Highbury with Lupa, now Ed Templeton, Naz Hussain and Theo James are looking to Milan (and going heavy on the butter) with their Wilton Way follow-up, Ornella.
• Welsh rarebit custard danishes and kimchi loaves are on the counter at Burnt in Bethnal Green, the follow-up to the Shepherd’s Bush fave.
• Stainless steel interiors and sculptural speakers set the scene for a menu of Berlin-style kebabs and cocktails from Bar With Shapes for a Name at Notting Hill’s new Kiez Kebab.
• Brixton’s beloved handroll joint Temaki has crossed the river, opening in a chic new Mayfair spot, where it’s doing the sushi it built its name on alongside Wagyu sliders, sandos and other small plates.
• East Dulwich staple Franklins closed in April – in its place is The Victory, a new pub with a European bistro menu and a team hoping to respect its predecessor’s legacy.
• The Sea, The Sea has moved – across the road from its original Chelsea spot, where it’s combining a fishmonger and bistro-style dining.
For more dining inspiration, check out all the new openings we got excited about in April.
