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Food & Drink

Best new bars and restaurants: London, September 2023

By Holly O'Mahony on 21/8/2023

From the Peckham favourite bringing its wares to the National Theatre, to a futuristic sushi restaurant and a hangout for Kens, here are the tables to jostle for a seat at this month.

Forza wine at the National Theatre, South Bank

The NT’s food and drink offering is going from strength to strength. In May, they brought in the guys behind Hackney’s stellar gastropub The Marksman, who have provided the institution with an upmarket dining experience in the form of new restaurant Lasdun. Now, they’ve called in the team behind Peckham wine and small-plates joint Forza Wine to cater for the sippers and pickers. Expect seasonal drinks and gourmet snacks that, in their own words, are ‘sort of Italian’.

WHEN

Opens Thursday 7 September

WHERE

National Theatre, Upper Ground, London SE1 9PX

CHŪŌ, Shoreditch

It’s Tech 1, Workforce 0 at this futuristic Japanese restaurant. Claiming to operate Europe’s first sushi monorail system, it sees dishes delivered to guests on wheels. ‘We’ve tried this before at Yo! Sushi,’ you say. Not quite: while sushi conveyor belts have been in the UK for some time, the difference here is that dishes are made fresh to order. It’s just cutting out the role of waiters essentially, which we can’t say we fully support at a time when the threat of AI taking over jobs is becoming ever-more worrying. However, a meal here will certainly be a novelty.

WHEN

Now open

WHERE

20 Paul Street, London EC2A 4JH

Hiden, Finsbury Park

‘Don’t overcomplicate it’ could be the motto behind grab-and-go curry outlet Hiden. It serves just three dishes: beef curry, its milder chicken-based equivalent and a lentil-based vegan option. Who needs more? Having found success at Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross, the egg-yellow, minimalist restaurant is opening a second branch in Finsbury Park, where there’s room for just 23 diners. Here, the offering will be very much the same, because, to borrow another motto, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’.

WHEN

September TBC

WHERE

53 Stroud Green Road, Finsbury Park, London N4 3EF

Ken’s, Exmouth Market

Had they already named it Ken’s, or did a certain Barbie movie and subsequent torrent of ‘he’s just Ken’ memes inspire the naming? We may never know. But the team behind Dalston’s trendy wine bar Dan’s (pictured) are opening a ‘fun time restaurant’ in Exmouth Market. Heading up the kitchen is chef-director Fergus Shields (of Sessions Arts Club and Noble Rot acclaim), while the wine list will champion… you’ve guessed it… natural varieties.

WHEN

September TBC

WHERE

51 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QL

Honey & Co Daily, Bloomsbury

Can Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, chef-proprietors of Middle Eastern delight Honey & Co and its offshoots, put a foot wrong? We don’t think so. So news that they’re opening a new deli, bakery & café close to the original restaurant was met with a 'hurrah!' at CW's headquarters. In addition to baked goods, expect sandwiches, salads, dips and the like. A casual affair, it’ll sate your cravings when you’re in the area but don't fancy the faff or formalities of a full meal out.

WHEN

September TBC

WHERE

19-21 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7DB

Finch Wine Bar, Brixton

South Londoners, we see you! As do the team behind Finch, a new wine bar from the Grays and Feather company of Covent Garden’s Plume. It’s the latest in a line of wine bars (see also Brixton Laundry, and Bottle and Rye) bringing seriously studied vinos to SW9. Self-described as a ‘pocket-size cabinet of curiosities’, it’ll showcase English varieties first and foremost, while the bar snacks promised sound just as enticing: lobster and crawfish roll, anybody? With just 12 seats inside, you'll want to plan your visit wisely.

WHEN

September TBC

WHERE

Unit 89, Granville Arcade, Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8PS

Best new bars and restaurants: London, September 2023

From the Peckham favourite bringing its wares to the National Theatre, to a futuristic sushi restaurant and a hangout for Kens, here are the tables to jostle for a seat at this month.

Forza wine at the National Theatre, South Bank

CHŪŌ, Shoreditch

Hiden, Finsbury Park

Ken’s, Exmouth Market

Honey & Co Daily, Bloomsbury

Finch Wine Bar, Brixton

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