Best London restaurants opening soon: Hotly anticipated launches of 2026 and beyond

If it feels like a new restaurant opens every day in London, well, that might not be far from the truth. More than ever, London's restaurant merry-go-round feels like it spins faster and faster, throwing new sites at us at rapid pace. With a new hotly anticipated London restaurant opening every week, how do you separate the good from the great, to work out where to spend your hard-earned money? At SquareMeal, we've taken that on as a mantra - our expert restaurant reviewers are here to give you the lowdown on every new restaurant, and give you our informed opinion on what we like, what we didn't, and what we think is worth your money. 

In fact, that’s what we do right here, in our guide to the best new restaurants in London.

That means we have our finger on the pulse when it comes to the best upcoming London restaurants. The capital's upcoming restaurant calendar gets packed out real fast, so much so that it's hard to keep track. That’s why we created this list: each of the restaurants below has been handpicked by the SquareMeal team as something to look forward to. Scroll down and you’ll see our reasons why, as well as when we’re expecting the restaurant to open, and a link to find information, pictures and more.

Alright, enough chat. You want to read our expert picks for the best London restaurants coming soon - keep scrolling, and as always, let us know via our Instagram if there’s anything you’re looking forward to.

The best London restaurants opening soon

Restaurants continue to open in the capital at breakneck speed - we've rounded up all the big new openings coming up in the next few months and beyond.

Waterhouse, Hoxton

Why: We were big fans of The Water House Project - a restaurant perhaps hampered by its tricky location - so we’re very pleased to see Gabriel Waterhouse and Patricia Wakaimba back so quickly. Waterhouse promises more of the same seasonal, thoughtful cooking, but this time from a cosier site near Columbia Road. It promises a celebration of the produce of North East England through an ingredient-led menu of northern seafood, game, and house-made ferments, complete with its own kitchen garden and a relaxed wine bar pouring low-intervention bottles.
When: August 2026
Where: 7A Ezra Street, E2 7RH
Read more: Waterhouse

Cordelia's, Mayfair

Why: Fire up your appetite: Cordelia’s is bringing high-drama, open-flame cooking to Clarges Street. Led by chef Jordi Sebastianelli, this sleek Mayfair steakhouse puts a theatrical charcoal grill right in the middle of the dining room. Expect exceptional in-house dry-aged British beef alongside rare global heritage cuts like Finnish Sashi and Spanish Galician beef, all washed down with smoky agave cocktails and top-tier wines.
When: August 2026
Where: 6 Clarges Street, W1J 8AE
Read more: Cordelia's

The Hero’s Return, Battersea

Why: Former St. JOHN head chef Jonathan Woolway returns to London, bringing unpretentious, produce-driven British grub to the Thames waterfront. Set right next to Battersea Power Station, The Hero’s Return mixes industrial cool with proper pub comfort - serving up seasonal dishes like ox heart with hand-cut chips and cold-roast Gower lamb. Throw in a 40-cover terrace with front-row river views, and you’ve got your new favourite spot for long, breezy pub lunches.
When: Summer 2026
Where: Unit 29, Circus West, Battersea Power Station, SW8 4NN
Read more: The Hero’s Return

The Talli Queen, Shepherd's Bush

Why: River Cafe alum and Pahli Hill chef Avi Shashidhara is redefining the local pub scene at Talli Queen. Replacing the former Queen Adelaide on Uxbridge Road, this lively spot blends British pub culture with vibrant Indian drinking food - think award-winning papadi chaat, charcoal-grilled skewers, and spiced Sunday roasts. With 18 taps on flow, Indian spirits, and a lush jasmine-scented terrace, it’s set to be West London’s coolest new hangout.
When: September 2026
Where: 412 Uxbridge Road, W12 0NR
Read more: The Talli Queen

KID, Soho

Why: What do you get when you combine one of London's very best restaurateurs with one of its hottest young chefs? KID is the latest project from David Carter (the man behind SquareMeal's 2025 London Restaurant of the Year AGORA, as well as OMA, Manteca and Smokestak), and former Mangal II chef Sertac Dirik. We're promised fiery, innovative Turkish cooking, fuelled by charcoal and British seasonal ingredients: wood-fired tombik pide breads dripping in rich kaymak butter, seafood cooked over the coals, and massive sharing plates made for epic feast nights. Turkish coffee and baklava will also be given a place in the spotlight. The biggest reason of all to be excited: Carter and Dirik are both on a major roll right now, so seeing them come together has major superstar potential. 
When: September 2026
Where: 55 Frith Street, W1D 4SJ
Read more: KID

Lunette, Temple

Why: London has waited very patiently indeed to see what Florence Knight would do next. After making a name for herself at Polpetto, Knight helped to launch one of London’s most successful, striking new restaurants of the last few years when she led the kitchen at Sessions Arts Club. Lunette will be her first new restaurant since then, as she joins forces with Soho House CEO Nick Jones’ new hotel - St Clements - near Temple.
When: September 2026
Where: St Clement Hotel, 180 The Thames, WC2R 3DA
Read more: Lunette

NAKIMUSHI, Notting Hill

Why: Arguably one of London’s most anticipated openings, NAKIMUSHI brings together two uber-successful pop-up concepts - Urchin and Robin’s Ramen - from the team behind Michelin-starred Dorian. Chefs Yuji Shimokawa Kelly and Robin Kosuge will be making their concepts permanent inside this elegant townhouse, with Robin’s Ramen moving into a lively ground-floor ramen bar, and Urchin taking its refined Japanese cooking upstairs. If the likes of Dorian and Eel Sushi are anything to go by, expect queues out of the door when this opens up.
When: September 2026
Where: 17 Mall Chambers, Kensington Mall, W8 4DY
Read more: NAKIMUSHI

Gordon Ramsay at Sea Containers, South Bank

Why: Hot on the heels of his Netflix documentary and 22 Bishopsgate launches, Gordon Ramsay is taking over one of London’s more iconic hotel spaces later this year. Partnering with Lore Group, the chef will open Gordon Ramsay at Sea Containers in autumn, taking over the flagship riverside space alongside Lyaness and 12th Knot. We’re promised an all-day spot with cruise-liner-inspired interiors and an expansive terrace.
When: Autumn 2026
Where: 20 Upper Ground, SE1 9PD
Read more: Gordon Ramsay at Sea Containers

Le Perroquet, Mayfair

Why: Michelin-starred heavyweight Daniel Rose (the brains behind NYC's iconic Le Coucou) is making his London debut at The St. Regis Mayfair. Taking the helm at all-day French brasserie Le Perroquet - the star attraction of the soon-to-open St Regis London hotel - he’s serving up unapologetically classic French fare. Hotel restaurants can often flatter to deceive, but with Rob Aikens (yes, brother of Tom Aikens) installed as head chef, we reckon Le Perroquet could be the rare one that delivers.
When: Autumn 2026
Where: 37 Conduit Street, W1S 2YF
Read more: Le Perroquet

ENDO, Chelsea

Why: Third-generation sushi legend Endo Kazutoshi is opening a hyper-intimate 10-seat omakase counter in a Chelsea townhouse, following the unfortunate fire that closed Endo at the Rotunda last year. Pull up a stool at the bespoke Kyoto hinoki wood counter for arguably some of the best sushi in the world, pairing wild British catch with rare Japanese ingredients. The tranquil space feels straight out of a Tokyo ryokan, and upstairs, vinyl listening bar Moga awaits with tea-infused cocktails to keep the magic going.
When: October 2026
Where: 8-9 Blacklands Terrace, SW3 2SP
Read more: ENDO

Kong, Shoreditch

Why: We haven’t seen a new restaurant from Andrew Wong since Kym’s unfortunate demise, so to say we’re excited for Kong is an enormous understatement. Wong - of two Michelin-starred A. Wong - is one of the world’s most acclaimed Chinese chefs, and Kong will see him turn a hand to more casual cooking - Cantonese food with a gastropub attitude. We’ve been promised ‘dumplings at dawn, noodles at lunch, and grilled with a cold pint at dusk’ - sign us up.
When: Late 2026
Where: 9-11 Folgate Street, E1 6BX
Read more: Kong

Coreus by Clare Smyth, St. James's

Why: When Clare Smyth and Daniel Boulud were announced as the chefs leading the charge for the upcoming Admiralty Arch Waldorf Astoria hotel, they instantly became two of 2026’s most anticipated new openings. Smyth has been on a bit of a charge, opening a new bistro Corenucopia, as well as closing her Sydney restaurant. Coreus promises a more seafood-led menu, and the same luxury as three Michelin-starred Core by Clare Smyth. Stars may be on the horizon.
When: 2026
Where: Admiralty Arch Waldorf Astoria, The Mall, SW1A 2WH
Read more: Coreus by Clare Smyth

Fayre at The Shepherd Mayfair

Why: Set within The Shepherd Mayfair, Fayre will be the hotel’s slick new all-day brasserie. Expect opulent, design-led interiors, drawing inspiration from the aesthetic of eighteenth and nineteenth century Mayfair townhouses. Menus are under wraps, but seasonal cooking and neighbourhood appeal suggest this could be one of Mayfair’s most compelling new openings.
When: 2026
Where: 2 Stanhope Row, W1J 7BT
Read more: Fayre at The Shepherd Mayfair

Major's Grill at Cambridge House Auberge, Green Park

Why: Love it or loathe it, Carbone was one of last year’s biggest new openings - who would bet against Major’s Grill capturing the headlines, when Carbone trio Jeff Zalaznick, Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi throw open the doors in 2026? Major’s promises to be equally glamorous, offering big wines and huge, top class grill cuts in the brand new Cambridge House Auberge hotel, opening on Piccadilly this year.
When: 2026
Where: 94 Piccadilly, W1J 7PB
Read more: Major's Grill at Cambridge House Auberge

Cloth Cornhill, City of London

Why: Fresh off the highly successful debut of Cloth, founding trio Joe Haynes, Ben Butterworth and Tom Hurst are lining up something rather special. Cloth number two will revive Simpson’s Tavern - a City institution that has fed Londoners since 1757, but sadly been closed since 2022. Cloth was (and still is) one of the most quietly beautiful, atmospheric restaurants in London, so we’re expecting more of the same, alongside the modern British, produce-led cooking that went so well in the original.
When: 2026
Where: 38 1/2 Cornhill, EC3V 9DR
Read more: Cloth Cornhill

Kiji, Mayfair

Why: News has been a bit quiet on this front, but we’re still expecting Kiji to open in 2026 - a new Korean BBQ restaurant from Ellia and Junghyun Park, the couple behind acclaimed NYC restaurant Atomix. The latter is lauded as one of the world’s very best restaurants, so expectations are high indeed, but the Parks’ restaurants have taken New York by storm.
When: 2026
Where: 60 Curzon Street, W1J 8PG

Time to start marking dates in your calendars. Keep an eye on this list because we'll be updating it regularly as restaurants open and more restaurants are announced. Or, check out our definitive guide to London's coolest, trendiest restaurants of the moment.