The ultimate guide to London’s most exciting restaurant openings

Fans of Dumpling Shack, a hugely popular street food stall famous for its signature dishes like wontons, dan dan noodles and shengjianbao, will be delighted that founders John and Yee Li are opening their first restaurant in Hackney this summer. Sichuan Fry is the new addition, featuring hot, spicy, and numbing Sichuan fried chicken.
Maria G’s, Kensington
Or: Coe House, 1-4 Warwick Lane, London W14 8FN
When: End of June
Last year, restaurateur Russel Norman caused a stir with his new neighborhood Italian Brutto in Farringdon. Not to be outdone, Robin Gill, the man behind Darby’s, Bermondsey Larder and Sorella, brings a southern Italian spot to Kensington. The menu will be seasonal with British produce used to produce dishes like agnolotti with ricotta or mullet with Amalfi lemons and fennel aioli.
The Baring, Islington
Or: 55 Baring Street, London N1 3DS; thebaring.co.uk
When: End of June
Adam Symonds and Rob Tecwyn have impressive resumes, with stints under Ollie Dabbous, Tom Kerridge and the famous gastropub Bull and Last between them. The couple unite to open a new gastropub near Angel, where they will serve spreadable pub fare – smoked eel and pig’s head terrine; grilled lamb ramp; quail shish.
Grass Fed, Camden
Or: 1 Dockray Place, London NW1 8QH
When: Beginning of July
Paul Foster has won acclaim, including a Michelin star, for his modern British restaurant in Stratford-upon-Avon, Salt. Now he’s trying to break into London with Grassfed, a more laid-back concept at the new Hawley Wharf development in Camden. As the name suggests, high-wellness beef is the name of the game here, with much of it cooked over a fire. Expect high-end comfort food like a truffle beef hot dog. If successful, a wider deployment could be considered.
Tatale, Southwark
Or: The Africa Centre, 66 Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0BL; tataleandco.com
When: End of July
Hot on the heels of recent openings like Ikoyi, Chishuru, Akoko, Stork and Chuku’s, all of which have found success with Western or Pan-African cuisine in recent years, Tatale is finally set to launch this summer. After successful supper clubs, restaurateur Akwasi Brenya-Mensa will offer pan-African dishes with a playful twist, including a spicy chicken burger with yaji and shito and nkatenkwan, a Ghanaian chicken and peanut soup.
Akub, Notting Hill
Or: 27 Uxbridge Street, London W8 7TQ; akub-restaurant.com
When: End of summer
After a residency at Carousel in Fitzrovia in May, Franco-Palestinian chef Fadi Kattan is set to open a restaurant focusing on Palestinian dishes using British ingredients. Although the menu is not yet set in stone, it is likely to include a freekeh-based risotto and a knafeh (a dessert made from spun dough soaked in syrup and covered in cheese) that will surely take the city by assault.