7 of the Best: Spring Restaurant Openings in LondonBy Alicia Grimshaw
As the days stretch and the city sheds its spring coat, a fresh crop of openings is bringing new energy to the capital. From slick neighbourhood bistros to ambitious all-day cafés, this season’s arrivals are serving up everything from charcoal-grilled yakitori to pistachio-stuffed pastries – and, naturally, a negroni or three.
1. For Bombay Bar Culture: Permit Room Portobello
What: Dishoom’s first London outpost of the Permit Room has arrived, bringing Bombay’s backstreet bar culture to the heart of Notting Hill. Perched on a corner of Portobello Road, this laid-back all-day café-bar takes its cue from the drinking dens of mid-century Bombay: places full of flavour, music, and good cheer.
Eat: It’s open from breakfast through to late-night cocktails and DJs on vinyl. Come for a quiet chai and a bun maska, or sink into a booth for small plates, like Crispy Spinach Chaat (crispy-fried babyleaf spinach, layered with sweet yoghurt, tangy chutneys and a scattering of pomegranate seeds and sev), and The Spicy Chicken Puff (an Irani bakery favourite of flaky, buttery pastry with a Keralan-spiced chicken filling). Curries include the Chef’s Lamb Curry, with its rich masala sauce, and the coconutty Prawn Moilee.
Don’t Miss: Later this summer, it gets even more interesting: Permit Room Lodgings will open just upstairs, the team’s first foray into overnight stays.
Where: 186 Portobello Rd, London W11 1LA
Photo credit: Liz and Max Haarala Hamilton
2. For a Revamped Pub: The Engineer
What: Primrose Hill’s favourite neighbourhood pub, The Engineer, has reopened. Refreshed, revitalised and with a revamped menu by Head Chef Nino Sadallah.
Eat: Chef Nino’s new menu showcases British comfort classics whilst celebrating high-quality, seasonal ingredients. Start with elegant plates like pan-seared scallops with crispy chorizo, Devon crab on toasted brioche and beef tartare with cured egg yolk and sourdough toast. For the main event: roasted cod with broad beans and pommes anna, pan-roasted duck breast with seasonal beetroot, asparagus and potato rosti chips or a roasted celeriac dish with pak choi and miso som tam dressing – perfect for plant-based diners.
Don’t Miss: The 40-strong wine list by the glass, from a Sauvignon to a Sancerre to rosés like Whispering Angel and Minuty. Big names such as Barolo and Louis Jadot ‘s Chassagne Montrachet also feature by the bottle.
Where: 65 Gloucester Ave, London NW1 8JH
3. For a Celebration of British Produce: Town
What: Tucked into a corner of Drury Lane, Town is a new restaurant and bar putting British produce – and the people behind it – at the heart of everything. Led by Stevie Parle and a heavyweight team (including Olly Pierrepont, Andy Bright and Zinzan Riess-Hollier), the menu is ingredient-first, technique-second, and built on tight-knit relationships with progressive growers like Wildfarmed’s Andy Cato.
Eat: Snacks include potato sourdough with house gravy and sage tempura with chilli-honey from Stevie’s own bees. Mains are cooked over charcoal, with standout dishes like Romney Marsh hogget, Wildfarmed steaks and a South Indian cod and clam curry to share. For pudding: Nikka kashi, Thai basil sorbet or a killer spiced custard doughnut.
Don’t Miss: A succinct drinks menu of classics and originals, including refreshing aperitifs, smaller serve cocktails and lower ABV drinks by Kevin Armstrong (owner of World’s 50 Best bar Satan’s Whiskers in Bethnal Green).
Where: 26-29 Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5RL
4. For Woodfired Japanese Cuisine: Kokin
What: Chef Daisuke Shimoyama (of Southbank’s Hannah) has opened Kokin on the seventh floor of The Stratford: a bold new restaurant shaped by fire, seasonality, and sweeping city views. The name means “past and present,” a nod to its balance of traditional Japanese techniques with a modern edge.
Eat: The woodfire grill is the heart of the kitchen, where dishes like slow-cooked tuna collar, Iberico pork with miso, and Wagyu with wild mushrooms are kissed with smoke from cherry wood and Binchotan charcoal. At the sushi bar, guests can choose between a refined omakase or Temae – an interactive format using fire-smoked sushi rice and wild tuna in all its forms.
Don’t Miss: Integral to Kokin is a focus on sustainable bluefin tuna with dedicated evenings showcasing the respectful deconstruction and preparation of the whole fish. This will be done in-house with specialist precision, ensuring maximum usage and minimal waste.
Where: 7th Floor, The Stratford Hotel, 20 International Way, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 1FD
5. For Pasta: Osteria Angelina
What: Osteria Angelina sees founders Joshua Owens-Baigler, Amar Takhar and Laura Horta take on a bigger converted warehouse space on the border of Spitalfields, Shoreditch and the City. Osteria Angelina embraces the traditional osteria-style of northern Italy, with a more relaxed dining experience, larger à la carte dishes and a faster pace.
Eat: Executive chef Usman Haider has been with the Angelina team for five years and has worked with founder Joshua to create the new restaurant’s relaxed à la carte offering, which focuses on fresh pastas with a Japanese twist, as well as Italian and Japanese-inspired ‘big cut’ Binchotan grill dishes. Think Skate wing on the bone with sea urchin butter, Duck crown Kabayaki, and Aged Porterhouse brushed with tare.
Don’t Miss: Crudi is another highlight on the menu, sitting alongside other Antipasti and Fritti sma
Where: 1 Nicholls & Clarke Yard, off Blossom Street, Norton Folgate, E1 6SH
6. For a Taste of Venezuela: Arepa & Co
What: Following its cult Haggerston opening in 2014, Arepa & Co has landed south of the river, bringing its beloved Venezuelan flavours to Elephant Park. Founded by Ernesto Moreno and Kathe Cunin, the new spot is a vibrant all-day restaurant and bar.
Eat: The menu centred around arepas – the toasted corn breads filled with meats, cheese, and pulses – alongside sweetcorn cachapas, yuca fries and their signature tequeños (cheese-filled pastries with a guava twist). By day, the takeaway hatch serves pastelitos and coffee; by night, things shift gears with pre-dinner cocktails like the Guarapita and Arepa Sour, served at the sweeping blue-tiled bar.
Don’t Miss: Shelves are lined with Venezuelan goods to take home, from Harina PAN to award-winning rums.
Where: 8 Ash Avenue, Elephant Park, London SE17 1GQ
Photo credit: Steven Joyce
7. For Baked Goods: E5 Storehouse
What: The team behind e5 Bakehouse and Poplar Bakehouse have opened e5 Storehouse, the sole food and drink spot inside the new V&A East Storehouse (and it’s everything fans of their flaky croissants and earthy sourdough could hope for).
Eat: Open from breakfast through to early evening (plus two dinner nights a week), the menu revolves around e5’s signature slow-fermented breads, seasonal veg from their Sussex-based Fellows Farm, and standout pastries. Expect cinnamon buns, cheddar Marmite rolls, Apanakopita and their signature Lemon Butter Scone. Plus a brand-new exclusive: the Seasonal Tart, launching with a salted caramel nut version stacked with pistachios, pecans and more.
Don’t Miss: A bit of a bonus… from 4–6pm, it’s a hot drink and cookie for £4.50.
Where: V&A East Storehouse, Parkes Street, London, E20 3AX
