London’s grand reopening

As many of London’s restaurants prepare to open their door once more, Brummell explores who is opening and what the new dining out looks like

Food and Drink 3 Jul 2020

CUT at 45 Park Lane is reopening for superlative steak on 4 July
It's time for tea at Mariage Frères once more

After months of scrambling for the best recipes to make at home, and ordering the occasional delicious delivery from some of the city’s finest establishments, we are now experiencing the beginning of the new norm of dining out. Here Brummell lists the restaurants due to open and what to expect when heading out post-lockdown.

Quo Vadis, Soho

Opening on Thursday 9 July, this popular modern British restaurant and private members’ club will offer its satisfying dishes and excellent service with a few small differences. As well as checking temperatures on arrival (anyone above 38-degrees will not be allowed to enter), the menu will be smaller to reflect the reduced kitchen staff and tables will be more spaced out so diners can enjoy a relaxing meal while adhering to government guidelines. Order the smoked eel sandwich and marvel at the afternoon light streaming through the stained glass windows as you settle back into a meal out.

Table bookings for members and non-members can now be made through Resy; quovadissoho.co.uk

Mariage Frères, Covent Garden

Serving up more than 1,000 varieties of the world’s most exclusive teas, France’s oldest teahouse reopens its London outpost in Covent Garden on Saturday. Sip on a pink cactus French summer tea, or a classic Darjeeling nouveau in its elegant tearoom, as part of a light lunch or afternoon tea. To ensure the welfare of staff and guests, the restaurant has implemented necessary social distancing measures and will be operating with reduced opening hours from 11am-7pm. The shop, which sells a range of speciality teas, gift sets and tea paraphernalia for you to enjoy at home, will also be opening for business.

To book head to mariagefreres.com

The Mandrake

Anyone who was worried lockdown would suck up the best of the summer should head over to the stunning Jurema Terrace at The Mandrake, which is now open. The relaxing botanical paradise is just the place to enjoy South American-inspired dishes from Yopo’s kitchen, while sipping on a refreshing cocktail with friends and family. With social distancing in mind, the hotel will also launch The Mandrake Cabanas. The private oasis cabanas, tucked away across the hotel, are ideal for hosting private groups throughout the summer with direct access to the hotel’s outdoor terrace.

themandrake.com

Daphne's is reopening with enhanced safety measures in place
Daphne’s is reopening with enhanced safety measures in place

Daphne’s

This popular Italian restaurant in South Kensington has reopened to the public after a professional deep clean, which will also take place daily after closing. Putting the health and safety of staff and guests first, the restaurant has installed thermal cameras for temperature checks alongside air filtration units, so you can relax and enjoy head chef Michael Brown’s signature dishes, including burrata with datterini and focaccia, and the crab linguine.

daphnes-restaurant.co.uk

Hawksmoor

The steak restaurant group’s Borough branch will be the first of Hawksmoor locations to open on 9 July. The restaurant will be open with reduced capacity in the evening during the week and all day at the weekend. The plan of founders Will Beckett and Huw Gott is to learn from how the restaurant operates safely under new guidelines before gradually reopening the rest of the group. Hawksmoor has also just launched ‘Hawksmoor at Home’ for those who are not ready to venture out. Boxes of porterhouse steak with bone marrow and Madeira jus, potatoes with dripping, broccoli with Gentleman’s Relish, a bottle of Malbec, Hawksmoor Dry Martini and Hawksmoor lager serve two and are available for delivery nationwide. Hawksmoor at Home is limited to 500 boxes per week.

Reservations for Hawksmoor Borough and Hawksmoor at Home boxes are available from thehawksmoor.com

Six by Nico opens 20 July
Six by Nico opens 20 July

Six by Nico

This new opening is navigating post-lockdown London for the first time with a unique rotating fine dining menu concept set to reinvent the dining experience. With a new six-course tasting menu every six weeks inspired by places, memories and ideas, the opening menu – The Chippie – is inspired by chef Nico Simeone’s Scottish-Italian heritage and will see dishes such as Scrabster Monkfish cheek on a bed of wild garlic emulsion, “Steak Pie” with shredded Speyside beef shin, burnt onion ketchup, mushroom duxelle and ‘meaty salsa’ and the signature deep fried mars bar with Caramelia, chocolate mousse, blood orange sorbet and cocoa nib. Wine pairing is also available and, of course, strict social distancing and cleaning measures will be in place from the off.

Six by Nico London will open on 20 July with The Chippie Menu for £35 per person with an optional £33 wine pairing. Vegetarian alternatives are also available; sixbynico.co.uk

Paradise Soho

The Sri Lankan restaurant will reopen on 11 July with a new homecoming menu of dishes to evoke the nostalgia of returning home. It’s the perfect mood to set as Londoners look forward to returning to restaurants and the joy of eating out. Paradise Soho will be following safety regulations carefully and will have a number of outdoor tables. The announcement comes after the Save Soho campaign announced the area’s careful reopening with pedestrianized areas allowing venues more space to spread outside. Paradise Soho’s new menu includes influences of Portuguese, Malay, South Indian and Dutch cuisines and includes crab patty empanadas with lunumiris mayo, the restaurant’s signature mutton shoulder rolls, green mango curry, blackened beef brisket with tamarind, cinnamon and coconut floss; and banana leaf roasted mackerel with coriander, fennel and green chilli.

Reservations for two guests or more are available at paradisesoho.com

A grand reopening is except at CUT
A grand reopening is except at CUT

CUT at 45 Park Lane

The superlative steak restaurant at 45 Park Lane will has now reopened with safety measures in place and an adjusted offering. Until 17 July CUT will be open for dinner service and from 18 July the restaurant will open for brunch with live entertainment. The adjacent Bar 45 is also open from 4pm every day, back to serve the perfect pre-steak negroni.

Book your table on the CUT at 45 Park Lane website.

Angelina

Dalston’s beloved Angelina restaurant has spent lockdown supporting the local Hackney community with 30,000 free meals with Made in Hackney. The restaurant also put together hugely popular seven-course feasts for delivery and irresistible grocery boxes. It’s been a busy time but Angelina is continuing with same momentum as it reopens on Thursday 16 July with safety measures in place and a new 10-course tasting menu. The new menu will include refined versions of Angelina’s most popular dishes including chicken karaage and unagi risotto as well as new dishes such as tomato with seaweed and anchovy, and toro with lardo and moromi. Guests will receive 50 per cent off food in July and 20 per cent off in August.

angelina.london

Double Standard Terrace at The Standard Hotel
Double Standard Terrace at The Standard Hotel

Double Standard

The Standard Hotel’s ground floor bar and restaurant will reopen on Saturday 11 July along with a brand new outdoor terrace. The hotel will reopen gradually over summer with its spacious suites offering the perfect spot for staycations or private dinner parties with food from Double Standard chef Adam Rawson. Double Standard’s new suntrap terrace stretches out behind the hotel and has its own bar. Rawson’s dirty and delicious bar food will be served inside and out alongside Double Standard’s signature Aperol slushies.

Double Standard and the terrace are available for reservations for the first time by clicking here.

Vinegar Yard

The outdoor street-food destination in London Bridge reopened on 4 July with a collection of innovative new measures in place to make it a safe and desirable. The huge open air space is the perfect place to get a dose of sunshine with social distancing in place. Vinegar Yard is serving drinks from its two new mezzanine cocktail bars, and the destination’s delicious street-food retailers are gradually reopening too. Vinegar Yard is now taking reservations and all visitors must obtain a track and trace ticket to gain entry. Tables have been spaced out to maintain safe distances and all staff are subject to daily temperature checks.

vinegaryard.london

Myrtle and Anna’s Bistro

Anna Haugh’s delightful Chelsea restaurant, Myrtle, will reopen on Saturday 18 July. Myrtle will be serving a new seven-course tasting menu inspired by Haugh’s Irish heritage. The menu takes diners around Ireland on a gastronomic tour like no other with ingredients sourced from all four corners of the country. Dishes include Clonakilty black pudding wrapped in potato with a Braeburn apple puree; or roasted beef fillet with Burren-beef-stuffed boxty (potato pancake) with tarragon and confit shallot jus. Myrtle has been adapted for customer safety with stringent sanitisation procedures in place and will be run at half occupancy with seating available outside.

Haugh is also launching a new concept, Anna’s Bistro, a takeaway and delivery picnic service that delivers French classics to your door or a London park. Haugh has used her time spent in Paris as inspiration for the picnic menu that includes a Paris burger, roasted fish of the day with Provencal sauce, her signature chicken liver paté and beef bourguignon. Each picnic box is delivered with wine or champagne and comes with a gingham tablecloth.

Find out more and book a table or picnic delivery at myrtlerestaurant.com