The light in the evenings is lasting longer, Dry January is over, and your bank balance is hopefully back to normal after Christmas – it’s time to get back out on the town and try one of the ever-exciting new openings in London. Whether you want traditional Japanese hand rolls, vibey Italian dining or Michelin-starred Indian cooking, we’ve rounded up the best of the springtime openings.
Of course, keeping up with London’s relentless wave of openings can feel like a full-time job – so we’ve done the legwork for you. Here’s our pick of the most exciting new and upcoming restaurants to try this January, plus a few recent favourites worth revisiting. It is our job, after all.
New restaurant openings for February
Temaki
11 Maddox Street, W1S 2QF
Beloved ex-Brixton hand roll spot Temaki is opening its doors to a larger space in Mayfair, with some changes to the original. While hand rolls remain at the heart of the restaurant, it’s also broadening its menu to include a selection of Japanese small plates designed for sharing. Think crispy rice topped with premium cuts of fish, A4 wagyu sliders, and revolving sandos and toro. Complementing the food will be a curated wine list, Japanese sake, and a classic cocktail menu.
Osteria Vibrato
6 Greek St, W1D 4DE
From Charlie Mellor (Laughing Heart) and Cameron Dewar (Luca, Burnt Ends) comes a new Italian spot in Soho. The menu traverses the different regions of Italy, with a classic structure of antipasti, primi, secondi and dolci. Named in part after Mellor’s previous occupation as an operatic tenor, let’s hope the hand made pasta sings as well as the co-owners voice.
Cafe Kowloon
392-393 Mentmore Terrace, E8 3PH
Hong Kong cooking is having a moment in London, and Cafe Kowloon is here to add to the ever-expanding list of great Cantonese spots in the capital. Tucked behind Wonton Charlie's, the menu takes inspiration from Hong Kong’s dai pai dongs, street food stalls, cha chaan tengs, dim sum houses and cocktail bars. The perfect place to eat and drink just a little too much.
OUDH 1722
66 Union St, SE1 1TD
When a two-Michelin-starred chef makes their London debut, it’s always worth taking note. Aktar Islam, the chef behind Birmingham’s Opheem, one of only two Indian restaurants in the UK, and four worldwide, to hold two Michelin stars, will open Oudh 1722 in Borough this spring – if ever there was an area in need of some good restaurants at last… Set across three floors of a listed Victorian building, Oudh 1722 will focus on Awadhi cuisine, a historic style shaped in the royal courts of northern India.
Forza Wine Soho
Unit 1, Ilona Rose House, Manette St, W1D 4AL
After conquering Peckham and Southbank, it was only a matter of time before Forza turned its attention to the heart of London dining. Expect regular service of Italian-style small plates like aubergine parmigiana and pork chop with braised tomatoes, alongside frozen cocktails, a great wine list, and, hopefully, soft-serve ice cream come summer.
Tamila
19-20 Poland St, W1F 8QF
This new Indian institution shows no sign of slowing down, opening a third venue in quick succession to satiate London’s unending demand for curry. The more casual spot from the same people behind The Tamil Prince and Tamil Crown in Islington is building on its footholds in Clapham and King’s Cross and taking a plunge into Soho. A love letter to the Indian dining institution, expect the familiar curry-house rituals: rotis, curries, beers, and late-night drinks.
Our favourite recent openings
DakaDaka
10 Heddon St, W1B 4BX
DakaDaka menu selection
Expect Georgian cuisine to have a bit of a moment off the back of Daka Daka, the latest in a raft of great spots in London. The restaurant will combine bold flavours, open-fire cooking, and Georgia’s 8,000-year winemaking heritage in what marks the London debut of Berkeley Square Hospitality. Chef patron Mitz Vora and head chef Adrian Hernandez Farina (formerly of Canal, Humo, and Chiltern Firehouse) have built a menu filled with staples and reimagined classics, from khinkali, Georgia’s iconic soup dumplings filled with lamb and sour plum or wild mushroom with black garlic butter, and adjarian khachapuri, a boat-shaped baked bread filled with bubbling Spenwood cheese and a golden egg yolk, to large plates like duck breast with blackcurrant and tarragon, and short rib kharcha, a slow-cooked spiced stew enriched with smoked walnuts.
Tiella Trattoria & Bar
109 Columbia Rd, E2 7RL
Meatballs at Tiella Trattoria
Tiella Trattoria is the brainchild of chef Dara Klein, who has teamed with childhood friend, restaurateur Ry Jessup, to turn a former residency at Compton Arms into a permanent spot. Bringing an always-welcome dose of regional Italian cooking to London, it's set within a 175-year-old former Victorian pub with a 15-seat bar, a 30-cover dining room, and an open kitchen at the rear. In the warmer months, a sizable front terrace seating 20 will greet guests, perfect for an aperitivo or a full meal. Pasta dishes include ragu di carne with tagliatelle and pasta e fagioli, complemented with large plates like braised squid with olives and potatoes and chicken milanese with green apple, celery and fennel.
Connie’s Pizzeria
133 Station Passage, SE15 2JR
Pizza's at Connie's Pizzeria
Another day, another new pizza place. Connie’s Pizza is a new spot opening in Peckham by Andrea Asciuti, founder of nearby 081 Pizzeria. It has the unusual billing as the UK’s first ‘Bri-talian’ pizza concept, apparently meaning London-style pizza made by Italians. Think light, crispy, non-floppy pizzas built on long-fermented dough, mixing Italian cooking with classic British flavour combinations, and seasonal ingredients like leeks and aubergines. We’re not entirely sure what ‘London-style’ means, but we’re curious to find out.
Ruth’s
94 Lower Richmond Rd, SW15 1LL
View on Instagram
Putney may not yet be known as the epicentre of London’s food scene but Ruth’s may change that. The British bistro has a menu of classics like pork chop with savoy cabbage and mustard sauce, cured trout with horseradish and brill with black cabbage and shellfish butter. What stands out, though, is its drinks pricing – just £4 for a G&T and £8 for a Negroni, scarcely believable in the reality that is London in 2026. It also reserves half of its tables for walk-ins, proving that spontaneous dining is still possible.
Automat
127 Mount St, W1K 3NT
Automat interior
Tapping into early and mid-century American nostalgia, Automat is bringing what was once a diner on Dover Street into 2026. The menu reinterprets American classics, from the Automat burger with homemade fries and lobster roll dressed in brown butter and lemon over crisp cos lettuce to a chicken pie served with sweet potato mash. You’ll want to try the cocktails, too, where Dirty Martinis and Old Fashioneds sit alongside signature creations like Velvet Hour, made with vodka, cranberry juice, creme de peche and lemon, and the Green Mezcalita with notes of parsley, cucumber and jalapeño cordial, and lime.
Dover Street Counter
31 Dover St, W1S 4ND
Dover Street Counter interior
Just a few doors down from The Dover, Dover Street Counter brings a more casual energy inspired by counter-style dining in late 50’s Los Angeles. Music plays a major role, with a 90’s R&B and soul soundtrack played throughout the day into the evening. On the menu are globally inspired dishes, from disco fries and buttermilk fried chicken to chop-chop Mediterranean salad, to larger plates like grilled half-lobster, beef ribeye tagliata, and Cajun baby chicken. Cocktails like Cosmopolitans, Tom Collins and Mojitos sit alongside an extensive stand-alone section of Margaritas, from pineapple-tajín and a vodka-based Vodkarita, to more classic serves like tommy’s and spicy.
