A new Petanque bar, an Italian passion project, a fresh interpretation of Lebanese cuisine and a much-needed second Toad opening all feature in London’s newest openings for June. 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 May, plus a few recent favourites worth revisiting. It is our job, after all.
New restaurant openings for June
Toad Deptford
St Paul’s House, Deptford High Street, SE8 4BX
Toad founders Rebecca Spaven and Oliver Costello
An opening that doubles as an act of community service, hopefully, a second site will do something to diminish the size of the crowds that congregate around Peckham Road every weekend. Since opening in 2022, Toad has become something of a South London icon, winning Baker of the Year at the National Bakery Awards in 2025. Founders Rebecca Spaven and Oliver Costello have made their name through their range of playful flavours and traditional bakes, and their new venue in Deptford will give them more bandwidth for further development. The new bakery is larger than the original and will serve as a central bakehouse for both sites, baking everything from specialist sourdough and signature bakes, including the everything bagel croissant and the saffron and vanilla teacake.
Buvette
2 Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, WC2H 9DP
Buvette interior
New York institutions making a transatlantic pilgrimage to London are all the rage at the moment – Carbone, Tobi Masa – and the latest comes from Jody Williams, who will be bringing her “gastrothèque” Buvette to Covent Garden from Thursday, 4 June. Think all-day Gallic dining, starting with early-morning coffees, madeleines, and eggs, right through to late-night cocktails and croques, with a French wine list full of crémants, aligotés, and beaujolais. It’s been running in New York’s West Village since 2010, so there’s no reason the success can't be translated here.
Circle13
Helmsley Place, E8 3SB
Cirlce 13 founders Marc Sarton Du Jonchay and Monty Quaia
In what might be the final boss of hipster game bars, a new pétanque venue is opening under the arches in London Fields. It comes from Circle13, who have been dipping in and out of various bars across London and New York with its signature low/no cocktails and gaming ethos, and now it has a permanent site. For those unfamiliar, pétanque is essentially boules – the game that, if it were an Olympic sport, would result in an 80-year-old French retiree taking home the gold medal. Enjoy alongside a rotating selection of pintxos from Sean Donnelly, formerly of Andrew Edmunds, made to be picked up easily between rounds.
Rosina
35 Bellevue Road, SW17 7EF
Rosina founder Adam Byatt
The new opening from Michelin-starred chef Adam Byatt of Trinity, Rosina, marks his first professional venture into Italian cooking and a dip into the more personal side. Named after his daughter, Rosie, it will aim to showcase some of Italy’s best produce, wine and recipes with a neighbourhood feel. Think fried taleggio wrapped in chard leaves with tomato fondue, to conchiglie with veal and bone marrow ragù. If you want to taste Michelin-starred cooking in a more casual setting, this is the place for you.
Latine
10-11 Lancashire Ct, London W1S 1EY
Latine interior
Talk about ambition: Latine is opening not just a restaurant but also a dedicated crudo bar, champagne terrace and private dining room, ‘El Cielo’, seating up to 20 guests. The main restaurant, ‘La Candela’, is located on the first floor, led by executive chef Francisco Lafee, who has had stints at El Celler de Can Roca and Barrafina, with the menu sitting at the intersection of classical French and Latin American. The crudo bar will be slinging ceviches, tiraditos and tartares, while signature dishes in the main space include chargrilled beef fillet with Périgord sauce and dark chocolate, and steak tartare with truffle mayonnaise.
Zylia
6 Bedford Street, WC2E 9HZ
Zylia founders Nick Molyviatis and Barry Karacostas
If London hitting 20°C has massively increased the frequency at which you suddenly crave charcoal-grilled souvlaki, you’re in luck. Zylia, a new Cypriot-Greek taverna from Nick Molyviatis (Oma, Singburi 2.0) and Barry Karacostas, will open at the end of May. It promises mezzes like
Bar Blondie
19-21 Lonsdale Rd, London NW6 6RD
Bar Blondie founders Alexandra Price and Elliot Milne
With temperatures hitting 30 degrees in May and openings like Bar Blondie, London is becoming a de facto Mediterranean city. Founded by sommelier Alexandra Price and Silver Tree Restaurant owner Elliot Milne, it’s a wine bar and restaurant inspired by the southern European bar culture, a hub of unique wine, ingredient-led cooking, art, music and design. The geographical spread of wines is vast, from old-world estates to new-age producers, and the bar menu features small plates from the grill and fresh pasta. Drawing on the creativity of its Queen’s Park neighbourhood, a cultural program of musicians, DJs, poets, guest speaker nights, chess nights, and wine tastings will keep things fresh.
Kinz
50 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3JD
Kinz interior render
Hitting Notting Hill with a fresh interpretation of Lebanese cuisine, combining classic recipes handed down through generations alongside more contemporary interpretations. The all-day menu features house-made mezze like baba ghanoush and tabbouleh, larger plates like lamb kafta, warak enab and fattet aubergine with seating for 130 diners. Meanwhile, a deli counter at the entrance will serve take-home favourites like delicate lamb and pine nut kibbehs or crisp spinach and onion fatayers, as well as a selection of Lebanese pastries in the morning.
Our favourite recent openings
Bar Etna
47 Newington Green, N16 9PX
Bar Etna
London’s pizza scene is an increasingly crowded one, but this new opening has a couple of factors in its favour that make it stand out. It’s the newest opening from Four Legs founder Ed McIlroy, who has already had winners in the gastropub scene with The Plimsoll and with the Spanish-inspired fish bar Tollington’s, so there’s every reason to believe the group will nail a new genre. Pizza novices as they are, McIlroy has drafted in outside help with Philadelphian Joe Beddia, of Pizzeria Beddia fame, which received a Bib Gourmand in 2025. The style leans Italian-American, combining with McIlroy’s focus on seasonality and ingredients, and it hits all the notes of a modern London opening: soft-serve, Negronis on tap, house spritzes and low-intervention wines.
Jolene Bridle Lane
13 Bridle Lane, W1F 9BT
Jolene Bridle Lane
It was only a matter of time before East London darling, and the pre-eminent bakery-to-be-seen-at Jolene, spread its wings and flew to Soho, and now it has happened. It won’t be the full bakery-by-day, restaurant-by-night spot like the Hackney original, but will focus on sandwiches, pastries and coffee, seven days a week, from The Aries flagship. Expect classic combinations like rhubarb, frangipane and almond danishes; fiery jalapeño and cream cheese buns; and flaky pains aux raisins, as well as providing another great spot to pick up one of its tote bags.
Zylia
6 Bedford Street, WC2E 9HZ
Nick Molyviatis and Barry Karacostas
If London hitting 20°C has massively increased the frequency at which you suddenly crave charcoal-grilled souvlaki, you’re in luck. Zylia, a new Cypriot-Greek taverna from Nick Molyviatis (Oma, Singburi 2.0) and Barry Karacostas, will open at the end of May. It promises mezzes like tyrokafteri(smashed feta with roasted green chilli and yoghurt) and the iconic spanakopita, and a grill that turns out larger plates like sheftalia, grilled pork parcels with oregano and lemon, traditional pork and chicken souvlaki, and whole-grilled fish.
The Sea The Sea
234 Pavilion Road, SW1X 0AW
Silver mullet, peas and white asparagus
Likely the first restaurant in London to share a name with an Iris Murdoch novel, but rather than a psychological exploration of vanity, it focuses more on the genre of serving fresh seafood. Long known as a seafood bar and fishmonger in Chelsea that supplies many top restaurants, it is expanding into a bistro and fish shop on Pavilion Road. Dishes include oysters, skate wing, Cornish lobster, and cuttlefish, served alongside an expensive wine list focused on white wine and some quaffable cocktails.
Ornella
51 Wilton Way, E8 1BG
Ed Templeton and Naz Hassan
With Ornella coming off the back of Lupa, co-founders Ed Templeton, Naz Hassan and Theo James are bringing each Italian city to London, one restaurant at a time. While Lupa leans into a Roman trattoria style, Ornella is inspired by the flavours of Northern Italy, reflecting head chef Hassan’s Milanese background. The menu skews more Alpine, dairy-rich rather than olive oil-soaked. Think: mondeghili meatballs, penne alla vodka, tagliatelle al burro e parmigiano, e risotto alla milanese.
Cue Point
41 Bramley Road, W10 6SZ
Cue Point
As we quickly move into barbecue season, London met the moment with the new opening of Cue Point, a British-Afghan concept that will open its first permanent location on Bramley Road in Notting Hill. As permanent spots go, this one is well-earned – it comes as Cue Point celebrates its 10-year anniversary. Mursal Saiq and Joshua Moroney have spent the intervening years building the brand through pop-ups, international residencies, and festivals, and have experience elsewhere at places like Smokestak. The food sounds salivatingly good, with slow-smoked meats and Afghan flavours combining in dishes like black-lime-and-pepper chicken, oak-smoked lamb shank, and chilli-citrus charcoal-grilled sea bass.
