Our list of all the restaurant openings that should be on your radar this season – from the return of the Strand’s grande dame restaurant to Sally Abé’s first solo spot.
Simpson’s in the Strand
It’s been a long time coming, but Jeremy King has finally done it. Simpson’s in the Strand is back. One of London’s “grande dame” restaurants (it first opened in 1828), the bastion of Britishness has been floated – and pushed back – for months, but its doors finally opened in March. It’s the kind of place that thrives on a lack of change, so yes, there is a silver carving trolley à la the original, as well as unapologetically vintage dishes like pies, boiled ham and bubble and squeak.
Brummell’s tip: skip the wine list and order a carafe of house claret – or a half-size gin martini.
100 Strand, WC2R 0EZ; simsponsinthestrand.co.uk
Sale e Pepe Mare, Fitzrovia
Sale e Pepe Mare, Fitzrovia
Fifty years on from the original, Sale e Pepe has set sail on its sophomore journey, which is docked at The Langham. This second Sale e Pepe is more seafood-focused than the first – an “ode to life by the sea”, they call it – with well-loved classics like lobster-loaded linguine joined by a new crew of baked tuna, scallops, seabass crudo and crab-threaded tagliolini. There’s a sculptural shellfish tower, too, and a seafood display, as well as a blue bar patterned with waves – seemingly to reiterate the sea-kissed theme.
Brummell’s tip: get the grilled red prawns to start – they’re among the best we’ve had in London.
1C Portland Place, W1B 1JA; saleepepe.co.uk
Maza, Mayfair
Maza, Mayfair
The second sophomore on this list comes from the husband-and-wife team behind beloved Greek restaurants Mazi and Suzi Tros. But now Christina Mouratoglou and Adrien Carré are swapping Notting Hill’s pastel streets for Mayfair’s Bruton Place – a short, punchy street also home to Guinea Grill. The team want to bring the spirit of an ’80s Athenian Taverna to London, including spit-roasted lamb, a vinyl listening bar stacked with Greek records, 150 Greek wines, and a traditional pre-meal tsipouro ritual – a shot of grape-based spirit sipped over ice.
Brummell’s tip: look out for the framed, hand-written recipes over the kitchen, which are copies of originals given to Christina by her grandmother.
21-25 Bruton Place, W1J 6NQ; mazamayfair.com
Sova, Notting Hill
Teal by Sally Abé, Hackney
Sally Abé is such a big name in London’s restaurant industry that it’s almost remarkable she’s never had a standalone restaurant. But this month, she opens Teal by Sally Abé – her very own dedicated space in Hackney where she can show off her style of flavour-focused food (which she calls “bistronomy”). There’s a nostalgic bite to the menu; it opens with throwbacks to British entertaining (devils on horseback, anyone?) and closes with reworked childhood classics, including a marmalade ice-cream sandwich.
Brummell’s tip: get the penny lick for dessert – a faithful take on the classic 19th-century ice-cream icon, with all proceeds made from it going to Hackney Food Bank.
52 Wilton Way, E8 1BS; tealbysallyabe.com
Cece’s, Notting Hill
Celebrity favourite Casa Cruz has quietly closed and been even more quietly replaced with Cece’s – a stealth-launch tactic we also saw when The Fat Badger opened down the road last year. And it’s the team behind The Fat Badger, Public House Group (also of gastropubs The Pelican and The Hart) who created Cece’s – but this is no pub. This is an all-glam, old-school spot set over two floors with a classic Italian menu and wine list, plus a bunch of big bottles from Burgundy and Bordeaux.
Brummell’s tip: there isn’t much else around in this quieter end of Notting Hill, but if you fancy a pre-dinner drink, pop to Little Julie’s down the road – a new wine bar also set to open this spring.
123A Clarendon Road, W11 4JG; ceceslondon.com
Impala, Soho
Inspiration can come from anywhere – including, as chef Meedu Saad knows, from a cherry-red 1964 Chevrolet Impala, which he has named his new Soho restaurant after. The menu has a bit of a road-trip vibe to it, too, with recipes from North Africa to north London all cooked over a central charcoal grill, set up in what they describe as ‘the Egyptian style’. The atmosphere they’re going for is “Friday market in Cairo meets Soho bar”, so expect smoke, spice and a superb wine list.
Brummell’s tip: take a moment to appreciate the produce. Saad and co have worked with excellent farmers and suppliers to curate their in-house pantry – including rearing their own mutton.
14 Dean Street, W1D 3RS; impalasoho.com
Sova, Notting Hill
Notting Hill is getting a new wine and vinyl bar this spring – but don’t expect to see bottles from Bordeaux. Its focus is on wines from Eastern and Central Europe, so its list is more along the vines of Ukranian-style brut and Hungarian riesling and a dry, crisp Serbian pinot grigio. It’ll all be served alongside Slavic-style sharing plates conjured up by Moldovan chef Denis Calmis – like beef tartare on borodinsky bread, whisky and honey-roasted baby chicken, and dark chocolate mousse with sea buckthorn.
Brummell’s tip: take a moment to tune into your surrounding – the restaurant’s toe-tappers come courtesy of guest DJ slots and a vinyl collection lining the shelves.
9 Blenheim Crescent, W11 2EE; sova.london
Miko, Mayfair
Miko Mei Fair
We’ve been waiting to see where restaurateur Samyukta Nair would open a new Thai restaurant after Koyn closed last year. And now we have the answer: on the ground floor of her smash-hit Mayfair restaurant Mimi Mei Fair. Miko Mei Fair will be led by the former head chef of Koyn Thai, Soonthorn Apaipat, who brings a similar, fire-led cooking to the new spot. Expect elevated Thai dishes (eg lobster choo chee and toasted rice beef tenderloin) alongside Koyn classics.
Brummell’s tip: order the applewood fire duck Penang curry – it’s a Miko reimagining of Mimi’s iconic Peking duck.
55 Curzon Street, W1J 8PG; mikomeifair.com
Taq, Notting Hill
Taq
Notting Hill’s Taqueria has changed tack. Chefs Eduardo Yishima and Jackson Boxer have banded together to relaunch the OG Mexican restaurant into something a bit cooler: Taq. The menu has been refreshed, but still focuses on tacos, tostadas and quesadillas – basically, classic Mexican dishes cooked really well. As well as £10 margaritas. What’s not to love?
Brummell’s tip: inspired by the now-famous, off-menu burger at Dove (Boxer’s other Notting Hill restaurant down the road), chef Eduardo has created a smashed taco “burger” at Taq using Dove’s secret blend of dry-aged beef.
141 Westbourne Grove, W11 2RS; taq.london
Café 1922
Before now, the only way to experience The Sloane Club was to be a member – or know one. But now, for the first time in the club’s 104-year history, it is opening its first-ever public space: Café 1922. By day, it’ll be a chic neighbourhood bakery slinging perfect pastries and light lunches, but by night, it will transition into a wine bar that focuses on low-intervention wines – both to drink in and take away.
Brummell’s tip: get there early. Every day, a limited number of the café’s signature Sloane pain au Suisse will be up for grabs – a savoury smoked ham and cheese pastry inspired by the club’s beloved croque monsieur.
52 Lower Sloane Street, SW1W 8BP; thesloaneclub.com
