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Published: 13 March, 2026
Opening in March, this Ukrainian-founded cocktail bar describes itself as “method-driven”, with its signature technique – the loggerhead or flip-dog – involving plunging a 1200°C iron poker into its cocktails to caramelise sugars in the drinks, intensifying flavours and enhancing textures. Complementing these cocktails will be a seasonal sharing menu, inspired by both eastern Europe and Asia. In the heart of Old Street, the bar was designed by Kyiv-based YOD Group and is structured around two different levels – the first a 20-cover space on the ground floor, inspired by pop-up installations, and the second a quieter and “more refined” 80-seat lower level.
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Published: 11 March, 2026
Describing itself as “Friday markets in Cairo colliding with a Soho bar”, Impala is a charcoal grill restaurant which combines influences from Egypt to England. The debut restaurant from chef Meedu Saad, who previously worked as head chef at Kiln, the space – an “awkward 1960s building” – will be based around an open kitchen. The presence of an in-house butchery is also a standout feature. Food will be seasonal, with dishes collected from Saad’s formative cooking experiences. Meanwhile the wine list, run by Penny Vine and Martina Larnach, can be expected to be idiosyncratic and distinct, with back vintages of Italian alpine greats, and a project underway to import Bourgeois Dias – a zero-sulphite Champagne producer.
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Published: 09 March, 2026
Acclaimed British chef Sally Abé will open her first standalone restaurant at the end of this month, named after her favourite game bird. Recognised for her ‘robust’ approach to food – which is rooted in British cooking and a nostalgia for the classics – the menu will include dishes such as haunch of deer, pickled walnuts and cavolo nero and Cornish mussels, Jersey royals, cauliflower and sea kale. Co-owner Abe Drewery will curate the wine list, which will be continually changing, with limited cases refreshed throughout the season – focusing on Champagne (a favourite of Abé’s), along with rich Chardonnays and Bordeaux reds to complement her cooking.
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Published: 09 February, 2026
New independent Italian Vieni opens its doors at the Goodsyard in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter early this month, promising Nonna-inspired cooking from Agrigento in Sicily. Chef-founder Angelina Adamo, who has spent a decade working across various Michelin-starred restaurants and hotels, and manager Charlotte Carter will draw on generous regional cooking and Sicilian street food to recreate a taste beyond the popular Italian image of pizza and pasta. From lemon granitas to whole sea bass and chargrilled beef ribs, decadent cannoli and affogatos, the drinks menu naturally dips into Sicilian wines, with spritzes and Italian liqueurs also to the fore. With 40 covers in this light and airy development, Vieni should easily meet its brief of being the flagship hospitality venue at Goodsyard.
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Published: 06 February, 2026
The late Sir Terence Conran’s original vision of bringing Milanese elegance to London will be expanded further, with the third Sartoria restaurant set to open its doors in early February in London’s Square Mile. A trio of chefs from Sartoria’s sister venues will bring a shared love of Milanese gastronomy and refinement to a fresh audience. A wine list of over 100 SKUs will showcase the best of Italy, while the bar will serve post-work aperitivi to thirsty patrons. The suave interiors combine mid-century Milan with Conran’s original passion for “sharp tailoring, rich textures, and sartorial elegance”. Keep an eye out as the venue is the first in a series of new Sartoria locations being launched by the Evolv Collection in 2026.
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Published: 04 February, 2026
Reincarnation is the theme for Automat, with the Mayfair venue having recently reopened its doors on the neighbourhood’s Mount Street. In line with the original Dover Street venue – a popular noughties haunt – the restaurant will transport diners to a different era, with New York early and mid-century dining the modus operandi of the sophisticated new eatery. Akin to a speakeasy, it is accessed via luxury leather goods store Tanner Krole. Upon arrival diners will be met with dishes that combine culinary nostalgia with Mayfair nuance. Burgers, lobster rolls and steak tartare can be washed down with timeless American cocktails – a Dirty Martini, anyone? An international wine list, including a curation of US wines, rounds out the Automat experience. Opening in 2026 alongside is a lower-ground dining space named Sporting Club.
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Published: 16 January, 2026
Ruth Leigh and Oli Brown do not lack when it comes to creative ambition – their new 30-guest bar, nestled within their hotel-cum-restaurant Updown Farmhouse, demonstrates this in spades. Launching in late January this watering hole takes inspiration from Roman bars, with marble, lacquered wood and banquette seating transporting consumers from this Kent farmstead to the Eternal City. Constructed in one of Updown’s former stable blocks, the classic feel does not end with the interiors. The bar will be tended by cream jacket-adorned staff, while serves will pay homage to Italian mixology. Frigid Martinis, Fig Leaf Negronis and Shakeratos will start many a night with a digestivo of grappa likely to follow. Summer will see a 20-guest terrace open, allowing patrons to take in Updown’s ancient woodland surroundings.
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Published: 14 January, 2026
Dovetailing with the opening of The Newman Hotel, spiffy new cocktail destination Gambit Bar is due to open its doors on 1 February. The 60-cover subterranean venue is spearheaded by the new hotel’s head of food and drink, Eder Neto. ‘Creative yet understated’ is the modus operandi of Neto’s cocktail menu, an exciting twist on the Picante leading the charge. This combination of tequila, lime, bird’s eye chillies, blood orange and smoked salt is a standalone treat but clearly demands pairing with Gambit’s array of bar snacks, concocted by executive chef Christian Turner. Flatbreads, oysters and rullepølse (Danish cold cuts) can be enjoyed amid the bar’s stylish geometric interiors, inspired by the art of Fiztrovia’s very own Percy Wyndham Lewis.
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Published: 12 January, 2026
Birmingham indie stalwart Phil Innes of Loki Wine fame has teamed up with chef Glynn Purnell to bring new culinary vibrancy to the Brum food and drink scene. Trillium opened during the festive period in the city centre’s Snow Hill and combines the wine nous of Innes and the cooking talents of a team that includes Purnell as chef patron and Rob Palmer as head chef, who was in charge at Hampton Manor when its Peel Restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. Creativity abounds on the menu – whether its Orkney scallops with oxtail bolognese or a peasant kiev, Palmer has been given a long leash to innovate. To no one’s surprise the wine list is top notch, with an expansive by-the-glass offer allowing patrons the opportunity to explore.
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Published: 12 December, 2025
In the spring, restaurateur and founder of D3 collective Des Gunewardena will open three new venues – all housed within Olympia’s Grade II-listed Pillar Hall. The first, Idalia, is a 300-cover restaurant situated on the ground floor, which will serve theatrical cocktails in the bar before guests move on to the dining room. Meanwhile, Pepperbird, a 70-cover basement speakeasy, will feature live music at its core, drawing inspiration from 1970s jazz and classic rock. Finally, Upstairs at Pillar Hall will feature a modern events space with room for more than 500 people, all housed within the building’s ornate neoclassical structure.
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Published: 10 December, 2025
This new concept from Khaled Dandachi and Fred Srouchi (the minds behind the celebrated Sparrow Italia in Mayfair) is all about coastal French cuisine. Fresh fish and seafood are the foundation of this restaurant, which is named after the deep blue of the ocean depths. The intention is to create an elevated culinary experience, using classical French techniques to transform the best seasonal offerings into enticing dishes such as smoked eel croquettes, salade niçoise and octopus béarnaise, among others, paired with fine French wines. Also on offer are cocktails inspired by the Francophone world. Located directly on Hanover Square, every inch of Mazarine is designed to entice, from its warm, contemporary interiors to its attentive and welcoming hospitality.
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Published: 08 December, 2025
The team behind much-loved Caper & Cure are expanding their Stokes Croft bar – Carmen Street Wine – by opening a bottleshop next door. The extended interior, which will bring with it an additional 30 covers, is to be a continuation of Carmen Street’s minimalist style. In addition, guests can expect a spirited atmosphere that encourages sharing and community. The wines, which are mainly low-intervention European bottles, will be available to take away or purchase online – with the option to sit in and enjoy a glass for those who want to. These wines can be enjoyed alongside a compact menu, which includes dishes such as moules marinière and pâté en croûte, in addition to locally supplied cheese.
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Published: 15 November, 2025
This December, the founders of Goodbye Horses and The Dreamery, Alex Young and George de Vos, are opening a wine shop inspired by their love for the unexpected. Located in a striking glass-surrounded space with carved volcanic rock throughout, the centre of the venue will be a counter constructed from hundreds of oak ‘logs’ piled on one another, with wine bottles slipping in between, on which a selection of ever-changing natural wines that highlight the team’s passion for ‘zero-zero’ wines (nothing added, and nothing removed) will be presented. A staircase behind the counter will take guests deeper, to a bar and dining space hidden in a historic bank vault below the shop – much of which has been preserved – where a rotating selection of small plates will be offered.
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Published: 12 November, 2025
This is Amy Poon’s first permanent venue, continuing but evolving the legacy of her parents’ famous Chinese restaurants. The idea is to serve high-quality dishes that are often unfamiliar in the west yet are cooked regularly in Chinese homes – Poon says it’s “where you come if you don’t have a nice Chinese friend who will cook for you at home”. Fundamental to this is a focus on steam cooking, alongside some Poon’s staples, such as claypot rice (first introduced to the UK by Bill Poon, Amy’s father) and both traditional and experimental presentations of Poon’s wind-dried meats (created by her grandfather). The wine list will demonstrate the versatility of wines with Chinese dishes, focusing on cool-climate wines, family-owned producers, biodynamic practice and female winemakers.
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Published: 10 November, 2025
Luca Dusi, founder of the original Passione Vino in Shoreditch, is celebrating over 20 years in London by opening his latest venture. Part shop, part bar and restaurant and located in a former Italian tattoo parlour, this new location will continue to reflect Dusi’s passion for Italian wine producers – he even designed the bar himself. To pair with the wines, a series of bold sandwiches has been created by chef Pascal Lazzarotto from carefully chosen Italian ingredients such as oxtail, smoked trout, cotechino and sardines. Each guest will have a pairing individual to them, as there is no wine list at Passione Vino – instead, Dusi and the team recommend their favourite bottles.
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Published: 10 October, 2025
The third iteration of Brazilian restaurant Beleza Rodizio is due to open in the West Midlands in November. Beleza translates to ‘beauty’ in Portuguese, and to many a carnivore, the sight of flame-grilled meats carved tableside will inspire feelings of wonder. The meaty fare is served rodizio-style, with wait staff visiting hungry patrons to carve meat off of a large skewer. Balancing the protein bonanza will be an array of fresh Brazilian salads, specialities and other sides. The drinks menu will serve a series of Brazilian-style cocktails, with cachaça-based Caipirinhas likely to buoy many an evening meal. The more than 550sq m venue will host to up to 147 guests, while a heated outdoor terrace will ensue an alfresco option could be on the cards year-round.
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Published: 08 October, 2025
For the 15th anniversary of its original opening in Fulham, self-pour wine bar Vagabond has opened a new location in Paternoster Square. The business has had an impressive lifespan – serving over 3.25 million guests and stocking more than 9,800 wines since 2010. Its £6.5m acquisition by Majestic Wine last year has entailed significant investment – this being the first of several new sites planned over the next 12 months. Customers are once again invited to ‘tap and pour’, with the new bar boasting 110 wines by the glass, the most to explore of any Vagabond. There will also be a seasonal selection of small plates, designed to share.
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Published: 06 October, 2025
Founded in 2021 by chefs Hari Shetty and Ori Geller, this is the second Nela restaurant now open outside of Amsterdam, following a recent launch in Ibiza. Nela means pure, which emphasises its philosophy – high-quality hand-picked ingredients, cooked with fire. Along with flame-cooked dishes, there are also standout cured and raw offerings, such as yellowtail with burnt aubergine and pickled turnip. Expect an extensive and diverse wine list plus a line-up of innovative cocktails. Nela will welcome guests for dinner from Tuesday to Sunday and for lunch from Friday to Sunday. The 175-cover restaurant also features elevated banquette seating, along with pillars that emulate water droplets throughout, all of which work towards creating an atmosphere of elegance and style.
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Published: 08 August, 2025
A fresh residency is on the menu at Islington Arts Club, where Pied à Terre alumni Taylor Sessegnon-Shakespeare and Louis Korovilas will serve up a modern take on French and Italian culinary traditions. Running weekly from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch, the chef duo will showcase a rotating menu which will include the delectable-sounding broad bean orzotto with glazed chicken wing and French seasonal financiers for dessert. Adopting a nose-to-tail ethos, the pair will utilise lesser known breeds and cuts for their culinary creations. Limited to just one sitting per evening Friday and Saturday at present, competition to get a seat will be stiff, though more covers per night are expected later this summer.
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Published: 06 August, 2025
Campanelle is the latest eatery from restaurateur Ninai Zarach. The large, 180-cover venue will play host to Italian cuisine inspired by Zarach’s travel across the peninsular nation. Reflecting the country’s epicurean diversity, the venue will begin the day serving up Italian coffee alongside the likes of eggs benedict with prosciutto di Parma. The day’s later offerings will include the aubergine-filled Parmigiana di Melanzane and the venue’s showstopper, salt-crusted wild seabass. The wine menu will chart a journey across Italy’s heterogeneous wine landscape, alongside a number of classic Italian serves including Sharona, Negroni Bianco and Nutty Velvet.
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