The best new restaurants in London: September 2021

Ekstedt at the Yard, Westminster

Behold: Michelin-starred chef Niklas Ekstedt’s first restaurant outside his home town of Stockholm. Part of the relatively new Great Scotland Yard Hotel in Westminster, Ekstedt at The Yard channels fine Scandinavian flavours and cooking techniques through seasonal British ingredients. Expect wood-fired masterpieces, experimental cocktails and bold natural wines.

The Waterhouse Project, Bethnal Green

The Waterhouse Project marks a permanent home for the innovative, social dining concept from chef Gabriel Waterhouse (of Michelin-starred Galvin La Chapelle). Guests can revel in the experience of sitting at large communal tables (a novelty in post-lockdown London), while the cautious can opt for a smaller set-up to themselves. Either way, you’ll be tucking into a nine-course tasting menu of seasonal ingredients whipped into surprising, titillating specimens of fine dining, paired with low-intervention wines.

The Sea, The Sea, Hackney

Following the success of their Chelsea fishmonger-cum-restaurant of the same name (itself a follow-up to the delectable but sadly shuttered Bonnie Gull Seafood Shack), restaurateurs Alex Hunter and Leo Carreria have brought the concept to a railway arch at Haggerston’s Acton Mews. Here, cosied up around a chef’s table, 12 lucky diners can gape in wonder as the fruits of the ocean are seasoned, sautéed and sizzled into seriously gourmet fare.

Koya Ko, Hackney

A little sister outlet to Koya’s Soho and City sites, Koya Ko brings John Devitt and Shuko Oda’s flair-fuelled takes on udon and donburi dishes to Broadway Market. As well as authentic noodles, look forward to a chance to try out ‘tachi-gui’ (dining while standing) – a fixture at Japanese stations and ideal for a quick bite on the move.

Whitcomb’s and 8 at The Londoner, Leicester Square

With its promise of more space below ground than above it, The Londoner Hotel in Leicester Square has been one of the most eagerly anticipated hotel openings of 2021. Even if you don’t plan to stay overnight, a trip to one of its esteemed restaurants is a must. At ground level is Whitcomb, the hotel’s signature restaurant specialising in French-Mediterranean cuisine. Curated by executive head chef Shailesh Deshmukh, the menu promises hand-selected meats unavailable elsewhere in the UK, and star dishes including a classic escargot with white wine, garlic and n'duja lemon butter.

Up above is 8 at The Londoner, an izakaya lounge specialising in modern Japanese cuisine. Amid chic interiors, diners here can look forward to a menu of robata, sushi, gyoza and more, curated by head chef Kuenhi Won, who earned his stripes at Nobu.

Further spaces at the Londoner include pub and gin bar Joshua’s Tavern, Champagne and caviar-focused The Stage, private club and whiskey bar The Residence, and wellness outpost Refuel.

Trattoria Brutto, Farringdon

Almost exactly a year after leaving Polpo, the Italian restaurant group he co-founded with Richard Beatty in 2008, restaurateur-to-watch Russell Norman is launching a new venture, Trattoria Brutto, in Farringdon. Swapping Polpo’s signature small plates for hearty Italian fare of the Tuscan variety, Norman’s ‘brutto ma buono’ (‘ugly but good’) restaurant places his former Polpo collaborator Oliver Diver in charge of the stoves, serving dishes ranging from comforting plates of pappardelle with wild boar to lesser-known Italian stews.

Kudu Grill, Peckham

We, at Culture Whisper, are big fans of South African-inspired restaurant Kudu and all its Peckham-based spinoffs. So we’re expecting big, tasty things from Amy Corbin and Patrick Williams’ latest offshoot Kudu Grill. With an emphasis on open-fire cooking, the menu is a showcase of braai, featuring whole-grilled fish, steaks and veggie specials including braai cauliflower with capers, raisins, goat's curd and kale.

Mimi Mei Fair, Mayfair

Pitched as a ‘celebration of Chinese culinary arts’, Mimi Mei Fair sees restaurateur Samyukta Nair pivot from the Indian cuisine for which she built up a reputation at her restaurants Jamavar and Bombay Bustle, to venture into the realms of contemporary Chinese fare. Both its menu and interiors take playful inspiration from regional mythology as well as Shanghai’s 20s jazz scene and The Tang Dynasty Silk Road. Expect pockets of whimsy, plenty of opulence and bold flavours best explored through the six-course tasting menu.