ALL THE OPENINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW AND BOOK THIS MONTH
London is truly a Wonderground! You may have noticed that it was cloudy and wet in London this summer but August is promising sunshine. And now that hundreds of Covid restrictions are lifted, with thousands of hospitality, event & entertainment venues across London open, what better way to celebrate this rare combination of good weather and your liberation than by booking outdoor terraces, eye-widening beautiful restaurants, alfresco bars and street food pop-ups? Maybe there isn't a better way... Cheers to August!
Address: Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4WY
Opening Date: 1 August 2021
Join Cockapoo Cafe for their second ever Cockapoo Cafe in London. This is a friendly place where the little pooches can play, sniff, make friends and tuck into Pupuccinos and treats! As for the humans, The Devonshire Terrace will keep the Paw Star Martinis and Aperol Sniffs flowing. Whoof!
Address: 45 Curtain Rd, Hackney, London EC2A 3PT
Opening Date: August? 2021
The Curtain hotel in Shoreditch is becoming a new Mondrian Hotel in Shoreditch and the food scene is very promising:
- on the rooftop Spanish chef Dani Garcia is opening BIBO
- while the ground floor space will be occupied by Christina's
It will have a rebranding and major transformation, with a capacity of 120 bedrooms.
CHRISTINA'S AT MONDRIAN SHOREDITCH
Address: 45 Curtain Rd, Hackney, London EC2A 3PT
Opening Date: 2 August 2021
Christina's is an all-day eating space:
- In the mornings they will serve sweet and savoury pastries from Chestnut Bakery, juices and coffee from Redemption Roasters
- From lunchtime onwards the menu focuses on up katsu sandos (slow-fermented Tokyo milk bread with various combos)
The bar is run by Marcis Dzelzainis (from Dandelyan, Satan's Whiskers and Sager & Wilde) and you can expect a British-Italian Aperitivo drinks list and organic wines from Modal Wines.
Address: 45 Curtain Rd, Hackney, London EC2A 3PT
Opening Date: 5 August 2021
Enjoy tapas from a top chef at this brasserie-meets-tapas bar concept.
Three-Michelin-starred top Spanish chef Dani Garcia, owner of BIBO in Marbella, Madrid, Tarifa, Doha and Malaga is opening a new BIBO inside the newly revamped Mondrian Shoreditch hotel, replacing the former Red Rooster.
The restaurant will have a central island bar with high tables, a Spanish courtyard covered by a retracting glass roof, rose-coloured tiles, tan and leather furnishing. OLÉ!
Address: 39 Brewer St, London W1F 9UD
Opening Date: 2-31 August 2021
Big Mamma's Napoli Gang opens a pop-up in Soho at Fiorucci flagship store, after recently opening Ave Mario in Covent Garden. Napoli Gang has been the group’s delivery-only offshoot until now so expect some of Big Mama’s famous dishes on the menu.
Address: 82-92 Great N Rd, London N2 0NL
Opening Date: Open outdoor only now, inside on 4 August 2021
After opening Bottles ‘n’ Jars deli last year in Highgate Classic Car showroom, they are expanding by opening Engine Rooms, a Mediterranean restaurant, that uses seasonal British ingredients, by Head Chef James Harrison (of Taka Marylebone)
Head of Pastry is Darren Cafferty (of Brown’s Hotel, Trinity in Clapham, and Roux at Parliament Square) and drinks list is curated by Bert Blaize, wine expert, author and sommelier at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and The Clove Club, so pretty famous talent in here. Expect plenty of classic cars dotted around, an inside and outside dining spac, as well as a coffee bar that becomes a wine bar in the evening.
JOO WON TO POP-UP AT BUN HOUSE
Address: 26-27 Lisle Street, London, WC2H 7BA
Opening Date: 5 August – 4 October 2021
chef Joo Won (ex-Galvin at Windows) has already run a successful pop-up at Carousel, and is now popping up at the top floor of the Chinatown’s Bun House for two months. Teaming up with his wife Sujin, who is also a pastry chef, Joo, has prepared a menu of South Korean and European-inspired sharing plates. Enjoy!
Address: 781 Leytonstone High Street, London E11 4QS
Opening Date: 6 August 2021
Opening Offer: 50% off food from 6-8 August if you sign up to their newsletter.
This restaurant is a little piece of Amalfi coast in Leytonstone, by local entrepreneur Gianluca Colini (founder of coffee shop Unity Café).
Chef Biago (former head chef at Pizza Pilgrims' Pizza Academy) will run the kitchen and Jemma Londt-James (previously manager at JOY at Portobello), will be in charge of the restaurant.
The menu will feature antipasti and pizza, with pasta to be added later, and change seasonally. A terrace for alfresco dining will soon follow.
THE LORD NAPIER AND STAR
Address: Hepscott Rd, Hackney Wick London E9 5ER
Re-Opening Date: 7 August 2021
After 26 years, Lord Napier pub, aka the graffiti building, is returning to its former glory, as part of the Electric Star Pubs group now. It will have a roof terrace, an inside the bar serving local craft beers, a kitchen run by KraPow for Northern Thai grub like menu.
Address: Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4WY
Opening Date: 8 August 2021
A dog-themed cafe, where pugs and all their canine friends will taking over Devonshire Terrace, for dog owners and fans to enjoy the pet the pooches even if they don’t own one. All the events are ‘Summer of Love’ themed and the menu will include pupuccinos, pupcakes, dognuts and pawsome pick & mix for the doggos (as well as a bit of regular food for the humans). WOOF!
FATT PUNDIT Covent Garden
Address: 6 Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, WC2E 7NA
Opening Date: 8? August 2021
Indo-Chinese cuisine
Best news of the year for us (as we arekajor fans) is that the mind-blowing Indo-Chinese restaurant, Fatt Pundit, is opening in Covent Garden, after a successful opening in Soho two years ago.
Featuring some of their most popular dishes, like Crackling Spinach and Lollipop chicken, the menu is designed by mastermind Head Chef Huzefa Sajawal. We cannot rave enough abo ut how amazing his menu is!
The restaurant will have two bars and cocktails are a memorable experience as well. Definitely definitely try the Guava Chilli Sour! You’re welcome!
THE LAST SUPPER AT THE TRAMSHED PROJECT
Address: 32 Rivington St, London, EC2A 3LX
Event Date: 8 August 2021
The Tramshed Project is a co-working space, restaurant, terrace and cultural venue but it is closing the doors for redevelopment. To mark the end of an era, they are organising one last supper, carefully curated by Andrew Clarke, for a meaty three-course menu, and Kirk Haworth (of Plates London) serving the plant-based menu.
Address: 6 Chancellor Passage, Canary Wharf, London E14 5EA
Opening Date: 9 August 2021
Scottish chef Nico Simeone launched his first London branch of Six by Nico in Fitzrovia last year, and is now opening hid second one in London, making it the group's eighth in total (and their biggest yet). It can accommodate 100 covers and it has a 30-seat terrace and dedicated bar area.
Just like the others Six by Nico, it's all about number six - their six-course tasting menu, priced at £37, which changes every six weeks (never to be repeated). The first offering will be a ‘Chippie Menu’: fish and chips, inspired by Scottish-Italian Simeone’s family fish and chip shop in Glasgow.
Address: 77 Brewer St, Soho, London W1F 9ZN
Opening Date: 10 August 2021
How about dining with Batman? A huge DC Comics Universe experience, inspired by Gotham City with a highlight on Batman in particular, will be a unique multi-room experience called Park Row (aka Crime Alley in the comics).
Taking over the space where Mash restaurant was, they're keeping the art deco feel, the entrance will have a hidden way into the main dining area.
The first space is a lounge bar, Pennyworth's (Batman's butler's surname).
One dining room is the Iceberg Lounge (the Penguin hideout) offering "an international menu and live entertainment".
Following is the Rogues Gallery where it says you eat "alongside reproductions of some of the world’s most famous stolen art pieces, each bearing a villainous mark".
Next, you arrive to Old Gotham City, a hidden speakeasy with cocktails and sharing plates.
Finally, you reach The Monarch Theatre. That's a 20 seater, 11-course tasting menu where "the environment of the room and the food on the table tie into the theatrical narrative of the evening". So there's a "poisonous" mushroom made from parfait (referencing Poison Ivy), a scallop, oyster, caviar and white chocolate dish topped with gold leaf and even edible jewellery.
It is not just the theme that is impressive but the chefs as well: Cláudio Cardoso (Sushisamba), Mike Bagale (who worked at Alinea, Chicago) and Mark Garston (who was at The Fat Duck).
Address: 22 Clerkenwell Green, Farringdon, London EC1R 0NA
Opening Date: 11 August 2021
An old Grade II courthouse is restored into a really interesting new bar, restaurant and creative studio and art gallery space. Head chef will be Florence Knight and she has come up with a menu inspired by British, French and Italian cooking for refined and seasonal dishes.
The dining room can hold 60 guests and it looks out over the building's roof terrace and infinity pool.
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