Best new restaurants: London, December 2022

Taku, Mayfair

Michelin-starred chef Takuya Watanabe swaps Paris for London, leaving sushi restaurant Jin to open Taku in Mayfair. The Japanese restaurant specialises in omakase dining, whereby the menu and style of dishes are decided by the chef on the day (ideal for the indecisive, just keen to be impressed). Meanwhile sommelier Bowie Tsang is in charge of the drinks, serving specialty sakes and rare wines, with a pairing option available.

Taku is as high-end as they come, with prices starting at £180 for a 17-course lunch menu, but the cost isn’t the only thing exclusive about dining here: the restaurant takes just 16 covers per sitting, allowing the kitchen and waiting staff to focus fully on their guests.

The Wealthy Beggar, Kensal Rise

While its name might sound offensive at a glance, its paradoxical pitching as a five-star dive bar affords The Wealthy Beggar its brash billing. The day-to-night venue is the latest opening from restaurateur Zac Lichman, chef Gareth Drew and Emily in Paris actor (yes, really) Lucien Laviscount – the trio who previously collaborated on bar-cum-eatery The Shop – and here they’re joined by bar manager Jack Owen, with film director Don Letts stepping in to oversee events.

Dishes range from the comforting (hello, cheeseburger dumpling with kimchi ketchup) to the fancy (yes please, wagyu tartare with truffle miso, whipped foie gras, yuzu and caviar), while cocktail highlights include the light and sweet Velvet Hand (fresh pomegranate cordial, sparkling wine and apple-infused brandy).

Live music and DJ sets have also been promised.

Penelope’s, Covent Garden

New girl about town Penelope’s is peddling an unusual fusion: Israeli and Spanish cuisine. The restaurant is tucked away inside Covent Garden’s new branch of Hotel AMANO. There’s nothing random about this concept, either: the hotel group’s co-founder Ariel Schiff grew up Tel Aviv and southern Spain, flitting between the cuisines and discovering their potential as plate fellows. So expect Israeli-stye paella (with a whole lobster, freekeh and gin-tomato sauce); Iberico ham carpaccio with raw tahini and pomegranate syrup; and pistachio-dusted, syrup-drizzled pastries.

There’s nothing stiff about Penelope’s; best embrace its fun-loving ethos and give into some dancing on the table while you’re there.

Stereo, Covent Garden

Stereo is the latest initiative from luxe hospitality brand Experimental Group, and it's taking over the bowels of Covent Garden Market. Straddling the concepts of ‘classy’ and ‘raucous’, the restaurant-cum-bar-cum-club has capacity for 500, and is a space to tuck into an all-American menu designed by consulting chef-restaurateur Andrew Clarke (Acme Fire Cult, Brunswick House and St Leonards), before heading onto the dance floor and boogying to tunes mixed by the residence DJ. Don't fancy a full session? Pop in for a cocktail before heading on elsewhere.

Ikoyi, Temple

While the lights are off and the doors shuttered at its St James’s site, don’t panic: two Michelin-starred West African restaurant Ikoyi hasn’t closed down as much as moved site –to the multi-purpose, sprawling expanse of 180 the Strand, no less. Jeremy Chan and Iré Hassan-Odukale are still in charge. Let’s just hope the new site doesn’t inspire new prices on the menu – not when Ikoyi remains a high priority on our London restaurant bucket list.