Best new restaurants London April: New openings and restaurants coming soon

On the hunt for the best new restaurants in London? London is home to some of the best places to eat in the world, with the capital’s dining scene growing exponentially over the last decade, and pretty much every cuisine imaginable being accounted for. With so many great spots to choose from, dinner can become somewhat overwhelming. New restaurants open in London every day, but how do you separate the great from the good? Well, we've done the hard yards for you, heading out to every new opening to see what's what, then rounding up all the cool new restaurants London has to offer.

So, if you want to visit good new restaurants in London, guaranteed to leave you satisfied and right at the centre of the capital’s cultural zeitgeist, this is the only list you’ll ever need. You can expect the most talked-about chefs, the biggest comebacks, white-hot pop-ups-gone-permanent, and under-the-radar gems that are knocking it out of the park. Scroll this way for London’s hottest new restaurants and be prepared to block out your diary for the foreseeable future.

Scroll down even further and you'll find a little round-up of the exciting London restaurants opening in 2025, with all the biggest names on the horizon. If you want to stay current in this city, it pays to know what big openings are right around the corner. We have our finger on the pulse when it comes to upcoming restaurant openings in London, and you can read more about the most exciting new openings in our 'Best new London restaurants opening soon' section.

How do we choose London's best new restaurants?

The SquareMeal team reviews a whole host of new London restaurants every month, so when something appears here, you can be sure that it has been vouched for by one of our expert restaurant critics. We visit a wide spectrum of restaurants, from top-end tasting menus right down to neighbourhood pizzerias and burger joints, always on the lookout for spots that deliver on food, atmosphere and service.

If you want to read the full review, just click on the read more link for more information - each SquareMeal listing features an independent review, as well as reviews from diners who have visited, together with booking details and unique special offers such as limited edition menus and discounts.

Best new restaurants London

This list is home to London's hottest restaurants - the places that everyone is talking about, ranging from fine dining, white tablecloth luxury to rustic gastropubs and easy-going takeaways. 

The Knave of Clubs, Shoreditch

What: Chef Patrick Powell has become one of London's most exciting cooks after big stints at the likes of Chiltern Firehouse, Allegra and The Midland Grand Dining Room. It's no surprise that his latest project is equally enthralling, as he joins forces with James Dye (Bambi, The Camberwell Arms, Franks), and Benjy Leibowitz (NoMad NYC) for a Shoreditch double header. Downstairs pub The Knave of Clubs serves an absolutely epic rotisserie chicken, as well as oysters by the half dozen, a prawn Scotch egg of dreams, and many pints of Guinness. Expect this to be a big deal for many months.
Opened: March 2025
Must-order dish: Rotisserie chicken
Where: 25 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6HT
Read more: The Knave of Clubs

Little Earthquakes, Dalston

What: As London moves into the next stage of its pizza obsession, we’re seeing all sorts of different regional and worldly takes arrive on the scene. Many of those are housed in pubs, and Little Earthquakes joins that particular fray, cosied up inside the Railway Tavern in Dalston. Neil Rankin (original founder of Temper) is whipping up proper deep dish, cheese-tastic pizzas and they are wildly good. Go now. Also check out our guide to all the best pizza in London for more on that. 
Opened: March 2025
Must-order dish: Chilli crunch margherita
Where: 2 St Jude Street, N16 8JT
Read more: Little Earthquakes

The Lavery, South Kensington

What: There’s a purism to The Lavery that we love - the sleek light fittings, the white plaster walls, the smooth curves of the handsome wooden dining chairs. The towering ceilings of this massive South Ken townhouse make ample room for Yohei Furuhashi (River Cafe, Toklas) and Alcides Gauto (Rochelle Canteen) to create a restaurant that is all about great food and warm hospitality. The Lavery has echoes of all those aforementioned restaurants, particularly Toklas, and Furuhashi’s cooking presents the very best ingredients, in peak season, with minimal intervention.
Opened: March 2025
Must-order dish: Rhubarb galette
Where: 4 Cromwell Place, SW7 2JE
Read more: The Lavery

Rake at The Compton Arms, Islington

What: The Compton Arms has a history of housing rising star restaurant prospects, and the latest in that lineage is Rake - a no-frills pop-up that delves deep into trad British flavours. There’s pepper-cured ox tongue, rarebit oysters, the fattest of chips and big ol’ chunks of roasted meats to share. It was the devilled duck hearts that finally had us asking, is this already one of the best restaurants in London? Go and find out for yourself.
Opened: February 2025
Must-order dish: Devilled duck hearts on St George's toast
Where: 4 Compton Avenue, N1 2XD
Read more: Rake at The Compton Arms

Nina, Marylebone

What: Pachamama’s big reinvention continues in 2025 as the old Pachamama site in Marylebone becomes Nina - a fabulous leopard-print-clad celebration of Italian cooking. Following on from Bottarga (one of 2024’s big TikTok hits), Nina delivers the same ultra-glam experience, with equally solid cooking, tiny cocktails and revelrous spirit. Good luck getting a booking, though.
Opened: March 2025
Must-order dish: Chicken Milanese with Parmesan butter
Where: 18 Thayer Street, W1U 3JY
Read more: Nina

Luna Omakase, Liverpool Street

What: We’re big fans of Juno Omakase at Los Mochis Notting Hill, but Luna promises to be a rather different experience. This time, the Los Mochis crew are taking aim at London’s most lux omakase experiences, like Taku and Sushi Kanesaka, with a no-holds-barred omakase sushi menu that promises 12 courses, inspired by the moon’s eternal cycles. For our money Luna Omakase delivers, and then some - chef Leonard Tang is fast becoming one of London's rising stars, and the quality of the cooking is matched by how beautiful that room is. One of London's great exclusive experiences.  
Opened: March 2025
Must-order dish: The whole menu
Where: 9th Floor, 100 Liverpool Street, EC2M 2AT
Read more: Luna Omakase

Victor Garvey at The Midland Grand, King’s Cross

What: The Midland Grand is getting a major glow-up on the cooking front, bringing in SO:LA’s Michelin-starred chef Victor Garvey to head up the kitchen. Garvey is taking the magnificent Grade I listed Midland Grand into full French fine dining territory, with some seriously lux Parisian cooking (try French morel ravioli with sauce Guerard, Native lobster with seafood boudin, and oyster with yuzu kosho and caviar for size).
Opened: February 2025
Must-order dish: 'La Seriole' Great Amberjack sashimi with avocado, leek and almond
Where: St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, NW1 2AR
Read more: Victor Garvey at The Midland Grand

Dove, Notting Hill

What: Jackson Boxer closed his beloved Notting Hill restaurant Orasay at the end of 2024, explaining that the restaurant never really made money despite being always busy. Thankfully Boxer will still be cooking at 31 Kensington Park Road, but what was Orasay is now Dove, which moves away from Orasay’s seafood focus and takes a wider international remit. Boxer says it’s a menu full of things he loves to eat - we’re happy to confirm that Dove is full of things we love to eat too, especially that deep fried Taleggio and truffle lasagna.
Opened: January 2025
Must-order dish: Deep fried taleggio and truffle lasagna
Where: 31 Kensington Park Road, W11 2EU
Read more: Dove

Tamila, King's Cross

What: Tamila was so thoroughly well received in Clapham, we’re not shocked that the second one is equally excellent. The packed, canteen-style dining room is buzzing with an excitable crowd, as tables tear into flaky rotis and lacey onion bhajis. A couple of rounds of Gunpowder Margaritas and later, you might stumble out onto the streets of King’s Cross, convinced that Tamila is one of the best Indian restaurants in London.
Opened: January 2025
Must-order dish: Chilli cheese dosa
Where: 8 Caledonian Road, N1 9DU
Read more: Tamila

Himi, Soho

What: Mayfair omakase restaurant Roji is thoroughly underrated in our eyes, so we’re pleased to hear that owners Tamas Naszai and Tomoko Hasegawa have managed to open this fun izakaya in Soho. Himi is a rustic, Tokyo-style neo-izakaya - more relaxed than Roji - serving easy-going bites like chicken kara-age and lots of dishes cooked over open flame, as well as sushi and sashimi. We're big fans, and we reckon it'll be a huge hit in Soho.
Opened: January 2025
Must-order dish: Kamo-udon
Where: 4 Newburgh Street, W1F 7RF
Read more: Himi

The Brave, Islington

What: When James Cochran closed 12:51 earlier in 2024, it was only a matter of time before we’d see the dynamic chef pop back up in something permanent. And so it is, as Cochran has appeared rattling the pans at new Islington pub The Brave, serving a mixture of proper gastropub grub, like slow braised shin of beef with potato dumplings and hay emulsion, and a Guinness and cheese toastie for those in snack territory.
Opened: December 2024
Must-order dish: Prawn toast with lardo and sesame
Where: 340-342 Essex Road, N1 3PB
Read more: The Brave

Don’t Tell Dad, Queen's Park

What: This neighbourhood restaurant and bakery in Queen’s Park has rounded up a stellar team, including former Layla head baker Keren Sternberg, and chef Luke Frankie (recently of Noble Rot and Forza Wine). Come in the morning for hazelnut brown butter croissants, then nab a table for some relaxed Anglo-French cooking, with dishes including crab tart with crab oil mayonnaise, braised pork with apple and walnut, and quince and almond tart with creme fraiche.
Opened: December 2024
Must-order dish: Oxtail crumpet
Where: 10-14 Lonsdale Road, NW6 6RD
Read more: Don’t Tell Dad

Marta, Chelsea

What: London continues it’s deep-dive into regional pizzas and Marta is leading the charge for ultra-thin, ultra-crispy Roman-style pizzas. This tiny Chelsea spot is rather lovely - a huge, roaring pizza oven and accompanying pizza chef are the first things you see as you come in, and the pizzas are outstanding. Don’t sleep on the focaccia di Recco, which has mozzarella and stracciatella cheese folded inside the dough before getting baked crisp and hot.
Opened: November 2024
Must-order dish: Focaccia di Recco
Where: 343 Fulham Road, SW10 9TW
Read more: Marta

Buster's, Brixton

What: Other Side Fried has switched things up, relaunching as burger bar Buster’s right by Brixton station. ‘Traditional hamburgers, French fries & pet-nat’ says the tagline, and frankly, who are we to argue with that as a recipe for success? The signature Buster Burger (a potato roll with a Wagyu beef patty, sauce choron mayonnaise and green peppercorns) goes straight in as one of our favourite burgers of the year.
Opened: November 2024
Must-order dish: Buster’s Burger with fries
Where: 3 Atlantic Road, SW9 8HX
Read more: Buster's

AngloThai, Marylebone

What: The long-awaited bricks and mortar site for supper club phenom AngloThai is finally here, and it has been worth the long wait. John Chantarasak's rapier sharp cooking has not dulled in the years we've been waiting for AngloThai to find a permanent space, delivering bullish Thai flavours using exclusively British produce. Dainty snacks, killer curries, some of the best oysters in town and a brilliant, diverse drinks list that weaves around the food, AngloThai has surpassed the hype and then some. 
Opened: 11 November 2024
Must-order dish: Now tasting menu only, but our favourite dish was the Brixham crab, Exmoor caviar and coconut ash cracker
Where: 22-24 Seymour Place, W1H 7NL
Read more: AngloThai

The best new 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.

One Club Row, Shoreditch

What: No expense has been spared on the gorgeous dining room set above The Knave of Clubs, and One Club Row backs up the glamour with a New York-inspired menu of oysters, martinis and elevated bistro cooking from Patrick Powell. There’s even a house pianist in residence towards the end of the week! One Club Row is a restaurant that makes you feel special, and we’re all for it.
Opening: April 2025
Where: 1 Club Row, E1 6JX
Book now: One Club Row

Osteria Angelina, Shoreditch

What: Some corners of the industry (not us mind) chuckled when Angelina first launched its Japanese-Italian fusion concept, but who’s laughing now? Turns out these two distant food cultures are perfect symbiotes, so much so that the team is launching a second site - Osteria Angelina. Where Angelina focuses around multiple smaller courses, it sounds like Osteria Angelina will be more about large cuts of meat and fish cooked over a Binchotan charcoal grill, fresh pasta and that sort of thing.
Opening: March 2025
Where: 1 Nicholl's Clarke Yard, E1 6SH
Read more: Osteria Angelina

Bubala King’s Cross

What: Still one of London’s most popular restaurants, it was only a matter of time before Bubala would find itself expanding again. It joins an increasingly exciting line up around King’s Cross and Coal Drops Yard, and Bubala King’s Cross will be the group’s biggest site yet, with two floors and a sizable outdoor terrace.
Opening: April 2025
Where: Unit 1, Cadence Court, 4 Tapper Walk, N1C 4ED
Read more: Bubala King’s Cross

Tom Brown at The Capital, Knightsbridge

What: After closing Cornerstone last year, Brown is returning to his alma mater and the restaurant that first launched him as a superstar. The Capital Hotel has been crying out for a genuine flagship restaurant since Nathan Outlaw’s ill-fated Siren closed, so we’re expecting big things when the hotel’s prodigal son returns later this year.
Opening: Spring 2025
Where: 22-24 Basil Street, SW3 1AT
Read more: Tom Brown at The Capital

Noisy Oyster, Shoreditch

What: Firebird has been a quietly excellent little wood-fired spot in Soho for a couple of years now, so we’re not surprised that owners Madina Kazhimova and Anna Dolgushina are branching out with a new spot. They’ll be joining the likes of Kolamba East and Osteria at Norton Folgate in Spitalfields (which is becoming more interesting by the week). Noisy Oyster’s hyper-focused martinis and seafood concept sounds interesting - we’ll be interested to see how they pull it off.
Opening: Spring 2025
Where: Norton Folgate, E1 6DB
Read more: Noisy Oyster

Luna, London Bridge

What: Legare pair Matt Beardmore and Jay Patel are long overdue a second site where more of us can enjoy their wonderful hospitality. Luna promises to be more of a wine bar and bottle shop - the perfect foil to the sumptuous Italian cooking going on at Legare - where you can sit with a nice bottle of plonk and feast on plates of carpaccio and oysters. If you hadn’t guessed, we love Legare and think it’s a hugely underrated restaurant, so we’re expecting equally big things from Luna.
Opening? Spring 2025
Where: Unit 6, 36 Shad Thames, SE1 2YE
Book now: Luna

Brasserie Constance, Fulham

What: Trinity has spent a good decade as one of London’s most respected restaurants, so our expectations are high for Adam Byatt’s latest restaurant project. Brasserie Constance will be a signature attraction of the new Fulham Pier development next to Fulham Football Club’s Craven Cottage, and Byatt is planning for it to be a modern British brasserie. Expect some elevated British cooking alongside a cocktail list and a 200-strong wine list, selected by Trinity’s excellent sommelier team.
Opening: Spring 2025
Where: Fulham Pier, Stevenage Road, Fulham, SW6 6HH
Read more: Brasserie Constance

The Kerfield Arms, Camberwell

What: Not content with running one of the best gastropubs in the capital, the chaps behind The Baring in Islington are heading south of the river, turning the recently closed Crooked Well into The Kerfield Arms. The menu promises similar seasonal British underpinnings, with dishes like fried pig’s head with smoked eel and warm tartare sauce, and Yorkshire hogget with violet artichokes, bagna cauda and pine nuts, as well as a traditional Sunday roast and affordable lunch offering.
Opening: Spring 2025
Where: 16 Grove Lane, SE5 8SY
Read more: The Kerfield Arms

Locatelli at The National Gallery, Charing Cross

What: If news of the closure of Locanda Locatelli seemed awfully sudden, well, perhaps now we know why. Giorgio will not be restaurant-less for long in London it seems, as he is pivoting to a space at The National Gallery. Locatelli at The National Gallery will be run in conjunction with Searcys (much like Richard Corrigan’s Portrait Restaurant at the National Portrait Gallery) and you can expect classy, classic Italian cooking from one of London’s remaining Italian masters.
Opening: May 2025
Where: The National Gallery, 12 St Martin's Street, SW1Y 5BS
Read more: Locatelli at the National Gallery

Mareida, Fitzrovia

What: Chilean restaurant Mareida was a big hit at Carousel in 2024, so it’s perhaps not surprising that it has secured a permanent site. Mareida takes a broad approach to the incredible diversity of Chilean cuisine, and hopes to translate that to London via a series of guest chefs, as well as a distinctly Chilean wine list. Even the space has been designed by a Santiago-based architect, so Mareida is set to be a fascinating experience all around.
Opening: June 2025
Where: 160 Great Portland Street, W1W 5QA
Read more: Mareida

Francesco Mazzei at The Corinthia, Westminster

What: The Northall at The Corinthia is getting a major redesign this year, as one of London’s truly iconic Italian chefs is joining an already stacked line up. After departing D&D London last year, Francesco Mazzei will be joining Tom Kerridge and Andre Garratt at The Corinthia. There aren’t many details currently but we’re expecting luxurious Italian cooking, the sort that Mazzei has built a career on at restaurants like L’Anima and Sartoria.
Opening: Autumn 2025
Where: Corinthia London, Whitehall Place, SW1A 2BD

Carbone, Mayfair

What: Headlining London’s new obsession with Italo-American food is Carbone - New York’s iconic Italian restaurant slash mob wife immersive experience. Carbone will likely be the star attraction at the upcoming Chancery Rosewood Hotel in Mayfair, still under construction and coming in 2025.
Opening: 2025
Where: The Chancery Rosewood Hotel, 30 Grosvenor Square, W1K
Read more: Carbone

If that’s whetted your appetite, check out our pick of London's coolest, trendiest restaurants. Or if you're the kind of foodie who loves keeping tabs on the best up-and-coming chefs, then check out these stellar supper club events where you're sure to discover some of the UK's hottest culinary talent.