From Milk’s newly refurbished restaurant in Balham to a new food festival from Levi Roots, here’s what’s new on London’s drinking and dining scene this September
1. Gail’s Bakery, Clapham Old Town
Since Gail’s opened its first branch in Hampstead in 2005, it has become a favourite weekend breakfast spot with Londoners. So it’s no surprise to hear the neighbourhood bakery is bringing its fresh, handmade cakes and breads to Clapham Old Town at the end of this summer. French Dark and San Francisco sourdoughs, cinnamon buns, sausage rolls and carrot cakes, as well as a selection of daily sandwiches and salads, all feature on the menu.
Open from 28 August, 10-12 Old Town, Clapham, SW4 0JY. gailsbread.co.uk
Olive bread from Gail’s Bakery
2. The Good Egg, Stoke Newington
After two years of street food pop-ups, The Good Egg is opening up a permanent home on Stoke Newington High Street. Breakfast is a big deal here, but meat lovers should look out for the all new Good Egg burger. It’s made with an aged beef & bone marrow patty, secret recipe cheese, crispy pastrami, Russian dressing, house pickles and a runny egg all served in a challah bun.
Opening on 29 September, 93 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 8EL. thegoodeggco.com
3.The Threadneedle Bar, The Royal Exchange
The Threadneedle Bar is the latest opening from D&D London. Housed in the historic Royal Exchange, the cocktail list will pay homage to Jerry Thomas’ 1862 ‘Bartenders Guide’, the first-ever mixology book published in the US, with an array of 19th century-inspired drinks. The bar will be open until 11pm Monday – Friday and is tipped to become the City’s hottest all-day drinking destination.
Opening in September, The Royal Exchange, EC3V 3LR. royalexchange-grandcafe.co.uk
4.Milk Lates, Balham
This Balham café has reopened following a recent refurbishment and there’s good news for locals who have waited in long queues for a table here – Milk has now doubled in size! Breakfast and brunch favourites are still on the menu, but aside from the fresh interior, there’s another new addition to look out for. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, the newly expanded daytime café space will be transformed into a 45-cover evening restaurant. The dinner menu will support independent British farmers and producers and is likely to include dishes such as ‘fried chicken skin, hot sauce & smoked honey’, and ‘beetroot, hay smoked goat’s curd, hazelnuts & wild blackberry.’
Opening in September, 18-20 Bedford Hill, Balham, London, SW12 9RG. milk.london
Milk reopens in Balham
5.Dirty Bones, Soho
American comfort food experts Dirty Bones are opening their second site in Soho’s Kingly Court this September. Diners can expect to feast on one of the best burger menus in London, featuring the Mac Daddy Burger (6oz house burger topped with pulled beef short rib, mac ‘n’ cheese) as well as other classics like steak & eggs and BBQ fried chicken. Listen out for old school music on the Dirty Bones playlist and sample the restaurant’s brilliant selection of craft beer.
Opening in early September at Kingly Court, W1. dirty-bones.com
6.Molé, Marylebone
Can’t eat wheat? We’ve got good news. The team behind Pan-Asian restaurant Cocochan is launching a boutique Mexican restaurant close to Bond Street station, and 80% of the menu will be gluten-free. This includes Molé’s signature tacos, made on site from Masa (cornflour), served with accompaniments such as braised oxtail and octopus with pico de gallo and chilli. There will also be a raw bar offering cured dishes and ceviche, as well as larger meals like 16-hour braised chipotle beef short rib, marinated in one of the house sauces. Design junkies can also admire the interiors – bespoke fabrics by Matthew Williamson and Christian Lacroix have been used to decorate the space.
Opening at the end of August at 16 Picton Place, W1U 1BP. moletacobar.com
Inside one of London’s hip new Mexican offerings, Mole
7.DF Mexico, Tottenham Court Road
There’s more Mexican on the way, too. The team behind Wahaca is opening DF Mexico, a new 130-cover restaurant, this autumn. After a trip to Mexico City and the US, founders Thomasina Miers and Mark Selby wanted to embrace the cosmopolitan dining scene they experienced on their travels. Steak tacos, carne con chile crinkle cut fries and bottomless agua frescas are sure to go down well with fans of fast but delicious foodie treats.
DF Mexico will open at 28-29 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 1BU in early September. dfmexico.com
8.Levi Roots’ Urban Food Fest, Shoreditch
The man behind Reggae Reggae Sauce is bringing live music and Jamaican street food to a car park in Shoreditch this autumn with a carnival-themed food festival. Levi Root’s Urban Food Fest will feature 15 food trucks & stalls serving slow cooked, smoked jerk chicken, goat curry, Venezuelan arepas with sticky pulled pork & crispy fried plantains and Mexican beef brisket tacos. On the sweet front, desserts include ‘Island Feast’ grilled pineapple custard tarts and ‘Tropical Paradise’ coconut & banana-cream crêpes. Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Jamaican party without a few Caribbean run cocktails. There will also be a free craft beer or cocktail for everyone in carnival fancy dress!
Urban Food Fest will be open every Saturday from 22 August – 19 December, midday to midnight at Euro Car Parks 162-167 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6HU. urbandfoodfest.com
9.Bernardi’s, Marylebone
After the launch of The Zetter Townhouse and Showdown at The Lockhart in August, there’s another major new opening to know about in Marylebone. Brothers Gabriel and Marcello Bernardi will bring an Italian feast to the corner of Seymour Street and Seymour Place when Bernardi’s opens in September. The main menu follows the tradition format with starters (white peaches, burrata, almonds & basil), pastas (tarragon gnocchi) and secondi dishes (salted cod, white polenta, peperonata & sorrel) plus some very tempting bar snacks and pizettes available to share.
Bernardi’s will open at 62 Seymour Street, W1H 5BN on 8 September. bernardis.co.uk
10.OXBO Bankside & Distillery, South Bank
It’s been nine years since the Hilton group opened a hotel in London, but this September, the Hilton London Bankside will open its doors next to the Tate Modern. With it comes OXBO Bankside and The Distillery, a new restaurant and bar led by executive chef Paul Bates formerly of The Beaumont and Intercontinental Park Lane. The menu will focus on produce sourced locally from Borough market and will include British classics like cox apple cider marinated salmon and sirloin of Gloucestershire beef. Drinks on the cocktail menu have been inspired by the site’s essence factory heritage, with aromatic infusions on offer in The Distillery Bar. Thanks to its Bankside location, we predict this will quickly become a hot spot for tourists and Londoners alike.
OXBO Bankside & Distillery will open at 2-8 Great Suffolk Street, SE1 0UG. hilton.com/hilton-london-bankside
Inside Hilton London Bankside
11.Mac & Wild, Great Titchfield Street
Street food company The Wild Game Co. is opening up its first restaurant in central London. Founder Andy Waugh, who hails from just north of Inverness, has taken inspiration from his Scottish roots with a menu than promotes the finest wild venison, game and seafood. And it’s not just the food that’s been influenced by Waugh’s heritage. Design features inside include original hardwood floors, stag heads mounted on the walls and a bar made with the wood from a felled tree at Andy’s parents’ estate. Vegetarians should take note – there will also be a ‘wall of meat’ where a variety of meats will cure and hang.
Opening end of August at 65 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 7PS. macandwild.co.uk
12.The Modern Pantry, Finsbury Square
Following the success of The Modern Pantry in Clerkenwell, Chef Anna Hansen is opening a new branch in Finsbury Square. Housed inside an Art Deco building, this second venue will be home to an all-day restaurant as well as a tapas bar. Fresh, bold flavours from around the world are key to The Modern Pantry’s menu and with dishes such as chilled pea & lemongrass soup and smoked cassava & fenugreek croquettes, this is sure to be a favourite spot with foodies in the City.
Opening on 11 September at 47-48 St John’s Square, EC1V 4JJ. themodernpantry.co.uk
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