August's best new London restaurant openings

By CW Contributor on 1/8/2017

August is a quiet month for openings; it's a month restaurateurs avoid while Londoners flee the city for the summer.
Instead, big plans are put in place for eateries to open in the early autumn like Dishoom Kensington or Sabor on Heddon Street – a project by a couple of ex-Barrafina staffers.
However, those ambitious few launching in August include Core by Clare Smyth – the country's only female thrice-Michelin-starred chef – and a follow-up to the excellent Soho Sri Lankan place, Hoppers.

Core by Clare Smyth, Notting Hill

Ever since Clare Smyth achieved a perfect score in the Good Food Guide and became the first female chef in the UK to earn three Michelin stars, we've been waiting for her go solo. Now, after 11 years honing her skills as head chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, she's going it alone.

Core will serve 10 and 12 course tasting menus in a relaxed fine dining environment.

WHEN

01 Aug 2017 – 01 Aug 2020, Mon - Tues: 6:30pm - 10:30pm, Wed - Sat: 12.30pm - 2.30pm, then 6.30pm - 10.30pm

WHERE

92 Kensington Park Road
W11 2PN

New Hoppers restaurant to open on Wigmore Street

Hoppers, Marylebone

When you've opened the 'best restaurant in Britain', what's next? Siblings Karam, Sunaina and Jyotin Sethi are the restaurateurs used to round-the-block-queues. After the resounding success of Gymkhana, the owners rode the wave with a Bao, Xu and then Hoppers.

Hoppers version 2 will be more of the same delicious Sri Lankan cuisine at affordable prices – only this time with reservations for lunch and dinner.

WHEN

31 Aug 2017 – 31 Aug 2019, Opening late August - exact date TBC

The Frog, Covent Garden

What's London's mostly oddly named restaurant? Surely it's The Frog, Spitalfields – the remarkably successful fine dining bolthole which opened in summer 2016. Despite the weird name, under the leadership of hot young chef Adam Handling, the restaurant pulled in extremely good reviews. Now he's opening a follow-up.

The Frog, WC2 in Covent Garden will be a similarly fine dining affair as Shoreditch, but re-imagined for Covent Garden, taking influence from the area's steep heritage for both its dishes and its interior.

WHEN

27 Aug 2017 – 27 Dec 2018, 8am - midnight, Daily

WHERE

35 Southampton Street
WC2E 7HG

P. F. Chang's Asian Table, Covent Garden

American chain, P. F. Chang's Asian Table, is arriving right next to Culture Whisper towers with an exciting new menu that promises to 'change the whole dumpling game in London'

We expect great, fresh, hot and spicy things that will entice us in every lunch time

WHEN

01 Aug 2017 – 30 Sep 2017, 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM

WHERE

P. F. Chang's Asian Table
10 Great Newport Street, London , WC2 H7JA

Jacob the Angel, Covent Garden

The brother and sister duo behind the beloved London restaurants The Palomar and The Barbary are opening a new Covent Garden café.

Cakes, pastries and generously filled, freshly made sandwiches are the order of the day. Outstanding suppliers and the owner's impressive track record leaving us salivating in anticipation.

WHEN

16 Aug 2017 – 31 Jan 2018, Opening dates and times tbd

WHERE

Jacob The Angel
16A Neal's Yard, London, WC2H 9DP